Chapter 161: True Yang Five Elements Sword, Everyone is a Tribulation Cultivator!

As Lu Changsheng’s thoughts wandered, the auction officially began.

“The first item in today’s auction is the ‘Barrier-Breaking Pill.'”

“This Barrier-Breaking Pill is used to break through the bottleneck of the mid-stage Qi Refining. It is suitable for cultivators of various techniques. Today, ten pills are up for auction, each starting at one hundred low-grade spirit stones.”

A graceful maid carried a tray to the stage, and Yu Ningjun picked up a porcelain bottle and began to introduce it.

Most people present were already familiar with the effects of the Barrier-Breaking Pill.

Nevertheless, he provided a detailed introduction.

He explained the ingredients, effects, circumstances, and even which alchemist had crafted it in great detail.

Moreover, he spoke without any awkwardness or stiffness, and his presentation was humorous and engaging.

“Barrier-Breaking Pill!”

“I didn’t expect the first auction item to be a Barrier-Breaking Pill.”

“I wonder if there will be advanced-level Barrier-Breaking Pills later.”

Many cultivators in the audience were excited, not expecting such a valuable item at the start.

The Barrier-Breaking Pill is a versatile pill.

Almost every cultivator and family force could use it for their younger generation.

“One hundred and ten spirit stones!”

“One hundred and twenty!”

“One hundred and fifty!”

People continuously called out bids.

However, they were all aware that the bids wouldn’t exceed the market price.

Before long, all ten Barrier-Breaking Pills were contested and sold.

“First-level top grade defense talisman—Golden Light Body Protection Talisman! It can withstand a full-strength attack from a Qi Refining perfect stage cultivator.”

“First-level Longevity Pill, which can extend life by five to ten years, though for this grade of Longevity Pill, only the first one is effective.”

“The White Spirit Kingfisher, a low-grade high-quality bloodline spirit bird, capable of traveling three thousand miles a day, and can automatically find its way back, making it very convenient for delivering messages.”

“Golden Fly Mother and Child Blades, a set of high-quality magical weapons, one mother blade and eight son blades. As long as the mother blade is held, all eight son blades can be simultaneously controlled to attack the enemy, making it difficult for the opponent to defend, and extremely sharp.”

The auction proceeded in an orderly manner.

Since this was the first auction of the Hongye Valley market.

All the items could be considered small exquisite pieces.

However, Lu Changsheng did not participate in any of the bidding.

One reason was that he did not find these items appealing.

Another was that he did not want to reveal too much of his financial strength.

After all, in the eyes of the Lu Family, his usual spending made him look like he was living paycheck to paycheck.

This time, he brought his wife along just to enjoy the excitement and broaden their horizons.

“Second-level low-grade talisman—Thunder Fire Talisman, equivalent to an attack from a Foundation Establishment great cultivator. According to our Yu Family appraisers, these talismans are all high-quality talismans, and their power is about 10% or 20% better. The starting price is three hundred spirit stones, and there are ten in total.”

At this moment, another maid carried an auction item onto the stage, and Yu Ningjun introduced it.

“Second-grade talisman, and a high-quality one at that?”

“It seems that the Yu, Lu, Bai, and Zheng families have invested heavily in this auction.”

“This premium talisman, not only is it one to two tenths more powerful, but it’s also suitable for talisman makers to copy. I should get one.”

Many in the audience, upon hearing this introduction, couldn’t help but discuss among themselves and feel tempted.

Ordinary cultivators found it difficult to purchase advanced level talismans.

They had to go to large markets to buy them.

Even then, they often needed to make appointments and wait.

Especially for advanced level talismans.

Now, with ten second-grade talismans up for auction, and all of them being high-quality, it naturally made people excited.

“It seems this talisman will fetch a good price.”

Lu Changsheng observed the increasingly lively atmosphere in the room, a slight smile appearing on his lips.

He knew that the twenty talismans he had asked Xiao Xiyue to auction would yield significant returns.

“Four hundred spirit stones!”

Immediately, a Qi Refining cultivator placed a bid, increasing the price by a hundred spirit stones in one go.

Because the auction’s starting prices were set below market value, there was room for people to bid higher.

This cultivator was clearly trying to discourage others from competing by making a large increase.

But the other cultivators weren’t fools.

They knew that the regular price for a second-level low-grade talisman was about this much, and for such high-quality ones, the price would naturally be higher.

“Four hundred and ten.”

“Four hundred and twenty!”

“Four hundred and fifty!”

In a moment, this talisman’s price soared to half again the starting bid.

“Four hundred and seventy!”

“Five hundred!”

As Lu Changsheng watched the price continually rise, he couldn’t help but feel delighted.

He hadn’t expected his second-grade talismans to be so popular.

Once all twenty talismans were sold, he would be making ten thousand spirit stones.

Sometimes, making money was just that easy.

“Five hundred and fifty!”

At this moment, Lu Yuanding calmly spoke up, offering a price.

“Father-in-law?”

“Father?”

Lu Changsheng and the others were somewhat surprised, looking at Lu Yuanding.

They didn’t know why he suddenly placed a bid.

The others in the room, seeing Lu Yuanding bid, did not continue to bid higher.

One reason was that five hundred and fifty spirit stones was already a high price.

Additionally, out of respect for the Lu Family, the other bidders refrained from competing, knowing there were still nine more talismans available.

“Hehe, I’ve heard from the Fourth Elder that premium talismans are excellent for talisman masters to copy.”

“Changsheng, Miaoge, you are both first-grade talisman masters now. You can take this talisman back to copy, which might help you advance to second-grade talisman masters,” Lu Yuanding explained with a smile to Lu Changsheng and Lu Miaoge.

Typically, during such auctions, the four major families would avoid competing with outsiders.

But for the sake of his daughter and son-in-law, Lu Yuanding made an exception and placed a bid.

Furthermore, his bid wasn’t meant to intimidate others.

“Thank you, Father-in-law, for your generosity,” Lu Changsheng said, feeling a mix of amusement and gratitude.

“Hehe, no need for such formalities among family,” Lu Yuanding replied, waving his hand dismissively.

After the first Thunder Fire Talisman was sold, the remaining nine were auctioned off one by one.

Each talisman fetched a price of over five hundred spirit stones.

The last two even reached nearly six hundred spirit stones each.

It seemed that many buyers had the same idea as Lu Yuanding.

They intended to buy the talismans for copying, not for self-defense.

For defensive purposes, such a price would be unreasonable.

After the ten Thunder Fire Talismans were sold, Lu Changsheng’s other ten second-grade Vajra Talismans weren’t auctioned immediately.

The auction varied the items to keep the audience engaged.

“Senior, here is the second-grade Thunder Fire Talisman you bid on.”

Soon after, an enforcement cultivator escorted a maid to the VIP section, delivering the talisman in a talisman box.

Lu Yuanding had Lu Changsheng and Lu Miaoge inspect the talisman to ensure its authenticity before paying five hundred and fifty spirit stones.

The talisman was then handed to Lu Changsheng.

He advised them to study the talisman lines and the flow of spiritual energy on it.

They could also consult the Fourth Elder if needed.

“Esteemed guests, next we have a batch of advanced-level spirit birds from the Bai Family of Hundred Birds Lake.”

At this point, Yu Ningjun introduced several spirit birds from a spirit pet bag.

Seeing this, Lu Changsheng became more interested.

He had long wanted a flying mount to replace his steel-feathered eagle.

However, he hadn’t found the right opportunity.

Most of the flying mounts available on the market were of the same grade as the steel-feathered eagle, not much better.

Though he had obtained a ‘Jade Luan Bird’ egg, he hadn’t found a suitable mount yet.

But this thing is, after all, stolen goods.

When it finally hatches and grows enough to be a mount, who knows how long that will take.

“The Purple Scale Eagle, a mid-tier medium-grade bloodline, with the strength of a mid-stage first-tier. It’s excellent for both combat and as a flying mount. Starting bid: 300 spirit stones.”

“The Golden Crested Crane, a mid-tier high-grade bloodline, with the strength of a mid-stage first-tier. Starting bid: 500 spirit stones.”

“The Black Winged Condor, a high-tier low-grade bloodline, with the strength of a peak mid-stage first-tier. Starting bid: 1000 spirit stones.”

Yu Ningjun introduced three types of birds.

“Father-in-law, are there any other flying spirit birds coming up?” Lu Changsheng asked Lu Yuanding as he looked at the Golden Crested Crane and Black Winged Condor on the stage.

He remembered that some of the auction items were announced earlier.

But he hadn’t looked closely.

If there weren’t any better spirit birds later, he thought the Black Winged Condor seemed acceptable and could suffice.

“I think there’s another Black Winged Condor with late-stage first-tier strength coming up later,” Lu Yuanding replied.

Then he looked at Lu Changsheng and asked, “Why, are you planning to buy a spirit bird?”

“I travel frequently, and I think having a good flying mount would be more convenient,” Lu Changsheng nodded and said honestly.

“Changsheng, there’s no need to waste money on this.”

“The Steel-Feathered Eagle is already a pretty good flying mount.”

“Although the Golden Crested Crane and the Black Winged Condor are faster than the Steel-Feathered Eagle, the difference isn’t that significant.”

“It’s not only a waste of spirit stones but also more expensive to feed compared to the Steel-Feathered Eagle.”

“For just traveling, it’s not worth wasting money on this.”

Lu Yuanding advised Lu Changsheng not to waste money.

The Steel-Feathered Eagle was a flying mount that the Lu Family had procured through their partnership with the Bai Family.

Not only was it affordable, but it also performed well in terms of flight speed and daily expenses, making it the cost-effective choice.

“Alright.”

Hearing this, Lu Changsheng thought for a moment and decided against changing his flying mount.

His dissatisfaction with the Steel-Feathered Eagle wasn’t because of its speed.

It was because every time he encountered an enemy, the eagle would tremble in fear.

But considering his current situation, even a Black Winged Condor would tremble in fear when facing a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

If he encountered a small Qi Refining cultivator, he could eliminate them with one hand and wouldn’t need to worry about the mount.

“It feels like I should just go all out; otherwise, even a late-stage first-tier Black Winged Condor wouldn’t be of much use to me.”

“And spending over a thousand spirit stones for a flying mount would make me look extravagant.”

Lu Changsheng thought to himself.

After watching the auction for so long, he felt that his usual spending habits might be a bit high.

Or rather, he obtained spirit stones too easily, which led to his habit of spending lavishly.

In this auction, anything worth over a thousand spirit stones was already considered very expensive.

Many people might only have a few hundred spirit stones on them.

The auction continued in an orderly manner.

Talismans, pills, magical weapons, spirit beasts, cultivation techniques, secret arts, and various other treasures appeared.

The remaining ten second-tier talismans that Lu Changsheng had consigned through Xiao Xiyue were also brought out for auction during this time.

But seeing that Lu Yuanding was about to bid again, Lu Changsheng took the initiative to place a bid.

After all, as a Talisman Master, it was reasonable for him to bid on a talisman in such a setting.

He also felt embarrassed to let Lu Yuanding spend more money on his behalf.

Five hundred spirit stones were not a small amount for Lu Yuanding either.

As time passed, the auction finally came to its climax.

“Next, we have the final highlight of this auction.”

“I’m sure our esteemed guests have been eagerly anticipating this,” Yu Ningjun said solemnly, invigorating the entire hall.

Many attendees were here specifically for these final auction items.

Before long, several maidservants holding trays covered with red cloth walked onto the stage.

“The first item, a Foundation Establishment spiritual item—Earth Fire Spirit Liquid.”

“This is beneficial for the Three Stages of Foundation Establishment, particularly for those cultivating fire attribute techniques. The starting bid is 1,500 spirit stones.”

Yu Ningjun lifted the red silk cloth from the first tray, revealing a white jade tray with a crystal-clear glass bottle.

Through the glass bottle, a fiery red liquid could be seen flowing inside.

“A Foundation Establishment spiritual item!”

“Earth Fire Spirit Liquid!”

Countless eyes in the hall were burning with desire as they gazed at this Foundation Establishment spiritual item.

Even Qi Refining cultivators who couldn’t afford it looked at the item with eyes full of longing.

After all, this was a spiritual item crucial for Foundation Establishment.

“A Foundation Establishment spiritual item, I wonder what price it will fetch,” Lu Changsheng thought calmly.

The market price for a Foundation Establishment spiritual item was usually between 2,000 to 3,000 spirit stones.

But if one genuinely wanted to purchase it, the final price would typically exceed this range.

After all, Foundation Establishment spiritual items were versatile treasures.

Whether they were Qi Refining cultivators, Foundation Establishment cultivators, rogue cultivators, or family forces, everyone had a demand for them.

However, he wasn’t particularly interested.

He already had four Foundation Establishment spiritual items on him.

“Two thousand spirit stones!”

Those who could afford this Foundation Establishment spiritual item weren’t foolish. They knew the significance of adding one or two hundred more spirit stones to their bid, so they directly raised the bid to two thousand, showing their determination.

“Two thousand one hundred!”

“Two thousand five hundred!”

“Two thousand eight hundred!”

Before long, this Foundation Establishment spiritual item was auctioned off for a high price of three thousand nine hundred spirit stones.

Although the price was inflated,

Foundation Establishment spiritual items were rare finds.

Especially for those cultivating fire attribute techniques, it didn’t matter if they spent more spirit stones.

“Second-tier spiritual pill—Three Yang Pill!”

“I believe this pill needs no introduction. Named after the ‘Three Yang Opening,’ upon consumption, it eliminates all hidden ailments and dangers in the body as if bathed in sunlight. It also has some miraculous effects on Qi Refining cultivators advancing to Foundation Establishment.”

Yu Ningjun lifted another red silk cloth, holding up a jade bottle as he introduced the Three Yang Pill.

“Three Yang Pill.”

Lu Changsheng noticed his wife, Lu Miaoge, looking at him with tender eyes.

He chuckled lightly, not saying anything.

In the end, the Three Yang Pill was sold for a price of three thousand eight hundred spirit stones.

The same price Lu Changsheng had paid when purchasing it at the ‘Alchemy Hall’ originally.

But that was to be expected.

Purchasing pills at places like the ‘Alchemy Hall’ was naturally more expensive.

And in auctions, unless there was competition, prices generally wouldn’t exceed the market value by much.

One by one, the highlight auction items appeared.

These items were mostly bid on by Foundation Establishment family forces or prominent cultivators.

Ordinary Qi Refining rogue cultivators simply didn’t have the financial means to participate.

“Medium-grade spiritual weapons—True Yang Five Elements Sword.”

“This is a masterpiece by Master Ou Zhi, crafted from True Yang Sycamore and Five Elements Elemental Gold. It took seven days and nights, with the help of three Foundation Establishment masters, to refine the power of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. Starting bid: three thousand spirit stones!”

At this moment, Yu Ningjun lifted the red silk cloth, revealing a three-foot-long spiritual sword with a radiant golden glow, and introduced it.

“True Yang Five Elements Sword!? Gathering the power of the five elements?”

Lu Changsheng, who had a relaxed look on his face, narrowed his eyes slightly when he heard this introduction.

Although he had refined his Seven Stars Heart Lamp, his lifelink spiritual weapon, he still lacked a handy spiritual sword.

But crafting a spiritual sword that incorporated all five elements of Yin and Yang wasn’t an easy task.

You can only find a second-level weapon refining master to forge it.

But currently, he also doesn’t know any such weapon refining master, so he can only set it aside for now.

“Although this True Yang Five Elements Sword does not have all the Yin Yang and Five Elements, it is very suitable for me.”

Lu Changsheng thought to himself and prepared to bid for this spiritual sword.

Although medium-grade spiritual weapons are generally only wielded by mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.

But he has the Xuan Yuan Bead with him, which is no weaker than a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

His mana is even stronger than that of a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

However, in this situation, it was not convenient for him to bid, so he could only trouble Xiao Xiyue.

Because his divine sense was weak and may be noticed by others, Lu Changsheng did not send a divine sense message to Xiao Xiyue.

Instead, he calmly took out Xiao Xiyue’s communication talisman.

“Hmm?”

Xiao Xiyue, not far away, was puzzled when she saw Lu Changsheng sending her a message.

But seeing the look in Lu Changsheng’s eyes and looking at the auction platform, she immediately understood what he meant.

“Five thousand spirit stones!”

Xiao Xiyue immediately made a bid.

If it were before, she would have been worried about not having enough spirit stones.

But with the twenty second-order Talisman scrolls auctioned earlier, she was not worried about the spirit stone issue at all.

“Five thousand five hundred!”

“Five thousand eight!”

“Six thousand!”

“Six thousand five hundred!”

“Seven thousand!”

When it reached seven thousand, Xiao Xiyue glanced at Lu Changsheng.

The price of medium-grade spiritual weapons is generally around five to six thousand spirit stones.

Although this True Yang Five Elements Sword is considered a fine spiritual sword and is much more expensive, seven thousand spirit stones is also close enough.

“Continue.”

Lu Changsheng nodded slightly, indicating that Xiao Xiyue should continue to bid.

This spiritual sword is just right for him, and he won’t skimp on a few spirit stones.

Originally, there were still several Foundation Establishment cultivators bidding, but after reaching seven thousand spirit stones, there was only one stern-faced middle-aged man competing with Xiao Xiyue.

However, when Xiao Xiyue bid seven thousand nine hundred spirit stones, this Foundation Establishment cultivator could only look unpleasant and snorted coldly, giving up.

As he snorted, he also glanced at Xiao Xiyue, as if he wanted to see who was not giving him face.

Lu Changsheng, seeing this scene, deeply observed the appearance of this Foundation Establishment cultivator and remembered it.

He didn’t mind leaving the market with Xiao Xiyue and resolving grievances with the other party.

After this medium-grade spiritual sword, another spiritual armor and a rare spiritual pill were auctioned, and the auction ended.

However, after the auction, the patriarch of the Yu Family and Lu Yuanzhong took the stage to announce that the venue would be available for free trading.

They even offered private rooms or secret chambers to provide trading services for people.

Lu Changsheng wasn’t interested in this and couldn’t participate.

Moreover, the auction lasted almost a day, and his four wives looked a bit tired.

He said a word to Lu Yuanding and left with his four wives.

“Jun’er, you’ve worked hard at this auction.”

In a private room of the auction, the patriarch of the Yu Family, Yu Yuanshan, looked at his grandson, Yu Ningjun, with satisfaction.

He was very pleased with his grandson’s performance throughout the auction.

“Grandfather, it’s what I should do.”

Yu Ningjun looked at his grandfather respectfully and said.

“Jun’er, I know you’re not happy about Grandfather giving the Foundation Establishment Pill to Ninghu and auctioning off the ‘Earth Fire Spirit Liquid’ that was originally meant for you.”

“But rest assured, in the next ten years, as long as you perform well in the market, Grandfather will definitely fight for another Foundation Establishment Pill for you.”

“By then, Grandfather will also find a suitable Foundation Establishment spiritual object for you.”

Yu Yuanshan looked at his grandson and said in a deep voice.

“Big brother took the Foundation Establishment Pill and successfully established his foundation. How could I not be convinced?”

“As for the ‘Earth Fire Spirit Liquid,’ it’s not suitable for me from the start. Even if I had it, the probability of my Foundation Establishment would be very low. It’s better to auction it off and contribute to the family.”

“This is also my voluntary idea.”

Yu Ningjun said calmly.

Currently, the Yu Family only has two Foundation Establishment cultivators on the surface.

But last year, the ancestor of the Yu Family, Ancestor Yu Jinyang, spent a lot of money to buy a Foundation Establishment Pill in Jiuxiao Immortal City.

And he helped his great-grandson Yu Ninghu successfully build the foundation in Jiuxiao Immortal City.

This news was only known to the core members of the Yu Family internally.

“Good, with you thinking like this, Grandfather is also relieved.”

“Now that we have the Hongye Valley market, as long as this market is operated and developed steadily, and we swallow up the Zheng, Lu, and Bai families, our Yu Family can move forward again.”

Yu Yuanshan looked at his grandson, who was so sensible, and felt very relieved, with a look of longing in his eyes.

Yu Ningjun heard this and also showed a longing expression in his eyes.

Meanwhile, several tens of miles away from the Hongye Valley market.

“Poof! Poof! Poof!”

Two bandits swiftly killed a pair of cultivators who had just left the Hongye Valley market.

Their techniques were practiced and decisive.

After disposing of the bodies, they immediately activated their array tools to conceal their presence.

As long as there were lone Qi Refining Rouge Cultivators, the two of them would swiftly kill them, and repeat this behavior.

“Hmm? Someone from Hongye Valley Market will take this opportunity to break through to the foundation building stage in the near future?”

At this moment, among the two, the burly figure, dressed in gray robes and wearing a bamboo hat, took out a messaging talisman to check.

“This Hongye Valley market is just a medium-grade Spirit Vain, yet they dare to let people attack Foundation Establishment here? Aren’t they afraid it will affect the operation of the formation?”

Beside him, a young bandit, also dressed in gray robes and wearing a bamboo hat, remarked.

“It should be that the Hongye Valley Market wants to befriend and win over this person.”

“And use this to attract independent cultivators to come to the market to build their foundations.”

“After all, this market has no big backers. It was founded by only four foundation-building families.”

“The most powerful Yu Family, led by their ancestor Yu Jinyang, is only at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.”

“And usually, there’s only one early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator guarding the market.”

The burly man spoke with a hint of disdain.

Afterwards, he looked at the young bandit and said, “Your mother sent me a message, probably because she wanted to make a big move.”

“Now that we’re wanted by the Heavenly Sword Sect, why not take advantage of this opportunity in the Hongye Valley market to plunder? Then we can directly escape from Jiang Country to Yue Country.”

“This way, you’ll also have your Foundation Establishment resources.”

The burly man spoke up.

“Dad, isn’t this too risky?”

The young bandit expressed concern upon hearing this.

“What’s so risky about it? Your old man has come from being a nobody Rouge Cultivator to where he is now. I’ve seen all kinds of storms.”

“This Hongye Valley market doesn’t have any major backing. During this auction, not only us bandits are here to plunder, but many others are also here to fish in troubled waters, hoping to take advantage.”

“Moreover, once chaos breaks out in the market, everyone will be bandits.”

The burly man spoke, evidently familiar with such matters.