Chapter 114: Wealth

Finally.

The top-grade Bone-Marrow Cleansing Elixir was sold at a high price of five thousand spirit stones per pill.

After all, for some families and cultivators, the barrier to reaching the late stage of Qi Refining was like a towering mountain blocking their path.

When the chance arose, they would spare no cost to secure it.

After deducting the ten percent handling fee of Mirror Snow Pavilion, Qin Ming netted over twenty thousand spirit stones, his heart blooming with joy.

The auction continued in full swing.

“Next is the second featured item of this auction.”

Two bundles of pale red-glowing bark were brought onto the stage.

“Second-rank spiritual plant: Crimson Silver Hemp, a raw material for crafting high-grade talisman paper.”

“Starting bid: eight hundred spirit stones per bundle!”

“Each bid must be no less than fifty spirit stones.”

The moment the middle-aged auctioneer finished speaking,

the talisman masters in the crowd began bidding fiercely, for high-grade talisman masters were a notably wealthy group among cultivators.

“This old man bids twelve hundred spirit stones.”

“I bid fifteen hundred spirit stones.”

“Two thousand spirit stones!”

“.”

Ultimately, the two bundles of Silver Leaf Hemp were sold at two thousand spirit stones per bundle; after deducting the handling fee, Qin Ming netted two thousand eight hundred spirit stones.

“The next lot is the most weighty item of this entire auction!”

“And the final featured lot.”

The middle-aged auctioneer announced with passionate enthusiasm.

Then, two exquisitely crafted jade boxes appeared on the central stage.

The middle-aged cultivator gently opened one of the jade boxes, revealing two crimson, peculiar spiritual fruits the size of eggs, radiating astonishing spiritual energy.

“Second-rank top-grade Spirit Essence Fruit!”

“Spiritual energy perfectly preserved.”

“Starting bid: three thousand spirit stones per fruit.”

“Each bid must be no less than one hundred spirit stones.”

“Whoa! My heavens!”

“Mirror Snow Pavilion really pulled out all the stops.”

“It’s the main ingredient for crafting second-rank elixirs!”

“Which spiritual plant master cultivated this?”

Upon the fruit’s appearance, the Foundation Establishment elders hidden among the cultivators could no longer sit still.

“This fruit—I must have it!”

A stout, red-haired elder rose, his voice deep and resonant, his gaze locked firmly on the fruits on stage.

His peak early Foundation Establishment spiritual power was laid bare.

“I am Red Peak Daoist—I bid four thousand spirit stones!”

At his words, the surrounding cultivators fell silent, afraid to speak.

They feared that even if they won the item, they might face retaliation.

An elderly man, ancient and ragged, with dark, withered skin, also stood up, sneering: “Red Peak, you old devil, if you have no spirit stones, don’t show off. I’m not fooled by your bluster.”

He then calmly called out: “Five thousand spirit stones.”

“Hehe, since things are getting lively, I’ll throw in a bid too—five thousand five hundred spirit stones.” A massive man, like a iron tower, spoke up.

“Six thousand spirit stones.”

“Six thousand five hundred spirit stones.”

…

Ultimately, the two top-grade Spirit Essence Fruits were sold at six thousand five hundred spirit stones per fruit.

After deducting the commission, Qin Ming still received nine thousand one hundred spirit stones.

The auction ended.

Inside the private suite above.

Gu Qingzhao smiled warmly at Qin Ming and asked: “Qin Daoist, you’ve earned nearly thirty thousand spirit stones this time—do you want them in low-grade spirit stones, or shall I have them exchanged for mid-grade ones?”

Qin Ming thought for a moment. “Exchange one hundred and fifty mid-grade spirit stones for me; the rest can remain as low-grade.”

Gu Qingzhao nodded.

He immediately ordered servants to bring the spirit stones. Qin Ming waved his hand and happily stored them all in his storage pouch.

He finally experienced the feeling of being rich.

Yet this was only part of the fruit of his three years of relentless, grueling toil.

Only the Spirit Essence Fruits were ripened using his terms.

The old saying—“three years without a sale, one sale feeds three years”—describes exactly this.

Once alchemy is mastered, one will never lack spirit stones again.

“Gu Daoist, why didn’t you bid on the Five-Color Spirit Rice I sold you earlier?” Qin Ming asked curiously.

Gu Qingzhao smiled gently. “I plan to take the Five-Color Spirit Rice back to Canghai Xiancheng.”

“When my tavern opens, it will be your Five-Color Rice that builds its reputation.”

“Gu Daoist, you jest—the Mirror Snow Pavilion’s name needs no promotion; it’s already renowned far and wide,” Qin Ming replied with a faint smile.

…

More than ten days had passed.

Qin Ming stood on the ship’s bow, gazing alone at the scenery outside.

His mind was deep in thought.

There were many others on the deck too—cultivators who had been cooped up inside and came out for fresh air.

At this moment,

a young couple of cultivators approached the deck near Qin Ming.

“Sigh! If not for hearing that Spirit Feather Sect is recruiting many free cultivators to fight the barbarians—with plenty of spirit stones to earn and even the chance at a Foundation Establishment Elixir as a reward—”

“We wouldn’t have impulsively dragged you to this miserable place,” said the young male cultivator, whose face was refined, around twenty-three or twenty-four, with Qi Refining sixth-layer cultivation.

“We didn’t earn a single spirit stone, and now we’ve spent all our savings just to book passage back on Mirror Snow Pavilion’s spiritual vessel.”

He now looked at the girl with deep guilt.

“Don’t blame yourself. No one expected such a drastic shift in the Yunze Great Wilderness.”

“As the saying goes: as long as the green mountains remain, there will always be firewood.”

“As long as you’re alive, spirit stones can always be earned again,” said the girl, whose features were delicate, her aura sweet and pure, her figure slender, with slightly lower cultivation at Qi Refining fifth layer.

“Yin’er, you’re so wonderful,” the young man said, deeply moved, stepping forward to grasp her soft hand.

Standing beside them,

Qin Ming, the single man, broke out in goosebumps.

He truly couldn’t stand such scenes and prepared to walk away.

But at that moment, the young man’s next words made him freeze in place.

“Sigh, I boasted to my clan I’d make a fortune—returning to spiritual energy Archipelago empty-handed feels unbearable.”

“Those guys on the neighboring Bicang Island will surely sneer at me.”

The girl comforted him: “Don’t care too much about what others think.”

spiritual energy Archipelago?

These two were natives here?

Though these past days, Gu Qingzhao had told him much about spiritual energy Archipelago,

encountering locals offered a better chance to probe for specific details.

Qin Ming walked straight over, smiling warmly, and bowed to the couple.

“Greetings, fellow Daoists. I heard you’re from spiritual energy Archipelago—I’m also heading there and would like to ask you about the place.”

The couple exchanged glances.

Seeing a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator approaching, they dared not be rude.

They quickly returned the bow.

“Ahem… well, it’s possible, but…” The young man cleared his throat and subtly rubbed his fingers together.

Qin Ming instantly understood and smiled: “I know the rules. Please follow me to my cabin for some spiritual tea and a proper chat.”

Saying this,

the two followed Qin Ming up to the third-floor luxury suite.

Upon entering, they were stunned by the opulent décor.

Outside noise was completely muffled—clearly equipped with a soundproofing array.

The young couple stared at each other, utterly baffled: how could this plain-looking cultivator afford such an expensive room?

Their perception of Qin Ming instantly rose a notch.

(End of chapter)