Chapter 38: Yuan-Increasing Pill

Seeing that the intimidating effect had already been achieved, Old Bai directly spoke up to explain the rules:

"The gathering is divided into two stages; the first stage is the auction stage, the second stage is free trade."

His words were concise and clear; after Old Bai finished speaking, he directly announced the start of trading.

At this moment, a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator walked out from behind the screen, holding a tray covered with red cloth.

Old Bai glanced at the tray, then glanced at the cultivators, and suddenly spoke in an excited tone:

"Everyone! Today's first auction item is a rare treasure; I believe it has a deadly attraction for everyone present!"

Oh!

Everyone's interest was immediately aroused; they all released their spiritual sense, wanting to take a peek.

Yet none of the cultivators present could see through the red cloth with their spiritual sense.

Even Wang Ping couldn't see clearly; he only got a vague impression, as if there were three sets of bottles.

Although he only saw a rough outline, Wang Ping had a hint of speculation.

Seeing that everyone's curiosity had been fully aroused, Old Bai no longer kept secrets.

He directly lifted the red cloth, revealing three white jade bottles; cultivators who have taken pills know these are bottles for holding pills.

Everyone present, including Wang Ping, stared at the three jade bottles with fiery eyes.

At this moment, Old Bai's face showed a smile, somewhat proudly saying:

"Everyone, today's first auction item is the Yuan-Increasing Pill that can extend late-stage Qi Refining and Great Perfection cultivation."

Yuan-Increasing Pill!

"It's actually Yuan-Increasing Pill! This kind of pill hasn't been seen in the Western Drooping Land for five hundred years, right? How could it appear?"

"One Yuan-Increasing Pill can increase our cultivation speed tenfold; a cultivator can take at most ten in a lifetime. With ten Yuan-Increasing Pills, I'm confident I can advance one step further on the path to Great Perfection Qi Refining, possibly condensing spiritual power to two thousand!"

A cultivator who looked about fifty years old, a Great Perfection Qi Refining elder, stared at the three bottles of pills with a hint of madness; if not for fearing Old Bai's cultivation, he would have rushed forward to grab them.

"I must have a bottle of this pill; whoever dares to compete with me, I will fight them to the bitter end!"

Having said that, the old cultivator released his full cultivation, and a terrifying aura surpassing everyone present clearly manifested.

The old man was clearly trying to intimidate, but the cultivators present didn't buy his act, inwardly sneering.

Wang Ping lowered his eyelids, but inwardly he was also sneering; Yuan-Increasing Pills that increase cultivation are rare in the Western Drooping Three Kingdoms.

Having encountered such an opportunity with difficulty, who would want to give it up?

Having tasted the sweetness a pill brings once, Wang Ping eyed it greedily.

Regarding the old man's behavior, Wang Ping also shook his head; there is a Qi Refining Limit cultivator here, yet you directly threaten the whole audience, obviously not taking anyone seriously.

If Old Bai doesn't give him a little color to see, things might get chaotic later.

As expected, Old Bai, who had been smiling faintly from the moment he entered until now, suddenly let out a cold snort, and an aura even more terrifying than that old cultivator erupted.

"Old Man Wu! The auction is fair competition; if you dare to break the auction rules, don't blame me for driving you out."

At this moment, Old Bai's pressure weighed on the whole field; although he was speaking to Old Man Wu, it also applied to the other eleven cultivators.

Old Man Wu resisted Old Bai's aura, stepping back three steps with a thud each time, and actually sat directly on the chair.

This made him sober up; the madness on his face lessened slightly, and he cupped his hands toward Old Bai, yielding.

Old Bai nodded, withdrew his aura, and his face again showed a gentle smile: "Everyone, the auction begins now!"

"Three sets of pills, ten per set, starting bid one thousand Spirit Stones, each raise not less than fifty Spirit Stones; auction, start now."

Because it's a private gathering, it's not so strict; the cultivators present simply called out their bids.

"One thousand five hundred Spirit Stones!" Old Man Wu called out, directly raising the price by five hundred Spirit Stones!

However, this price didn't scare many cultivators at all; the alluring woman reclining on the grand master's chair coquettishly said:

"I bid two thousand Spirit Stones!"

This bid! Made many cultivators who were about to speak shut their mouths.

Old Man Wu turned his head and glared at the alluring woman; who knew she wouldn't be frightened at all, but instead threw a flirtatious glance.

"Two thousand five hundred Spirit Stones!"

A cold, murderous voice echoed throughout the field, and everyone turned their gaze toward the source of the sound.

At the edge of the venue, a sword-bearing man coldly stared at the pills on the platform.

It's him!

Wang Ping never expected him to be so generous, directly adding five hundred Spirit Stones.

Because these three didn't follow conventional bidding, the price more than doubled within just five breaths.

Old Bai stood on the platform, eyes smiling as he watched the crowd bid on the pills.

Qi Refining pills, though rare, aren't usually that expensive; at most they'd go for eighteen or nineteen hundred.

The reason they're so valuable now is first because of the Yuan-Increasing Pill's effect: one pill increases cultivation speed tenfold, lasting one month.

Secondly, with the ongoing battles of the Soul Refining Hall and the Three Primes Alliance, materials, magical tools, and pills in the Western Drooping Land have all greatly increased.

The sword-bearing man's bid cooled the atmosphere a bit.

Old Bai was also quite satisfied with this price, and said:

"Everyone, this fellow Daoist bid two thousand five hundred Spirit Stones; if no one else bids, the first set of Yuan-Increasing Pills will belong to this fellow Daoist! Three! Two!"

"Three thousand Spirit Stones!"

Old Bai swallowed the word he was about to say; despite his composure, he couldn't help but look at the bidder in surprise.

Wang Ping sat upright in his chair, not paying much attention to the other cultivators' scrutiny.

The sword-bearing man's usually expressionless face finally showed a hint of surprise.

The gaze that had been swept over him a few times was then withdrawn.

The alluring woman also rose from the grand master's chair at this moment, her bewitching eyes continually appraising Wang Ping; she was obviously full of curiosity about this young cultivator who placed the bid.

Wang Ping, because of the Azure Wood Longevity Technique and the purity of his internal spiritual power, has retained a youthful appearance for over ten years.

Although now concealed by a mask, the aura emanating from him is vigorous and vigorous.

Old Man Wu took just a glance, then closed his eyes; in fact he had already decided that once the auction ends, he will become a bandit cultivator and seize this young late-stage Qi Refining cultivator.

Other cultivators also had flickering gazes, obviously calculating something in their minds.

Wang Ping's domineering spiritual power permeated the entire venue, completely grasping the demeanor and emotional fluctuations of all the cultivators.

He gave Old Wu a covert glance, inwardly sneering—how could that fleeting killing intent escape his notice?

However, Wang Ping pretended not to know for the time being, and continued to sit quietly.

Old Bai watched the young cultivator sitting motionless in the chair, a flicker of surprise flashing in his eyes.

He likewise gave a covert glance at the meditating Old Wu—what scheme this old coot is hatching, he could hardly remain unaware, but this time he's likely run into trouble.

"Hahaha! Good, this young fellow cultivator bids three thousand spirit stones—any other fellow cultivators willing to raise the bid?"

He asked in a gesturing manner; Bai Lao also knew no cultivator would bid again, so he simply finished counting the seconds, and the two first-group pills were handed to Wang Ping.

After receiving the pills, Wang Ping opened them, took a glance, nodded, and promptly paid three thousand spirit stones.

He now has only seven thousand spirit stones left; he initially obtained ten thousand spirit stones, and adding what he already possessed, his total never exceeded thirteen thousand.

Over the past ten years, he spent five thousand spirit stones to expand the spatial volume of the silver-white block to twenty thousand cubic centimeters.

At that time he still had eight thousand; after slaying Jia Li and a dozen or so mid-to-late stage cultivators, his spirit stones rose to twelve thousand.

However, after arriving at the Treasure Gathering Workshop, purchasing refining materials and renting a cave dwelling, he spent another two thousand; now he has spent another three thousand, leaving him with only seven thousand spirit stones.

But Wang Ping has no regrets; for him, spirit stones are used not only to expand the silver-white block's space, but the remainder goes toward increasing his strength.

Moreover, everyone wants the Increasing Yuan Pill, so the prices of the latter two groups will likely far exceed three thousand.

So Wang Ping decisively bid three thousand, suppressing the other cultivators, and secured the auction with little danger.

Afterwards, as Wang Ping expected, the second group's pills sold for thirty-five hundred spirit stones, and the third group for four thousand.

The fierce, frenzied competition left even Wang Ping feeling a secret alarm.

Old Bai, standing on the auction stage, his joyful wrinkles all scrunched together, these three groups of pills have brought in ten thousand spirit stones in revenue—nearly a hundred percent profit.

The auction of the Increasing Yuan Pill seems to have ignited everyone's fervor.

Afterwards, the next three auction items all fetched high prices.

Old Bai's smile never ceased.

Wang Ping remained a detached observer for these three lots; those three materials were indeed fine goods, and he was tempted, but they weren't essential, so he did not join the bidding.

After these three rounds, everyone also gradually calmed down.

The auction then proceeded into its normal segment.