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Moreover… the Kou Clan’s Two Fiends were still active nearby!

Consequently, Fang Xi decided against pursuing any repairs.

“Nevertheless, since the Black Iron Shield is completely damaged, I need to acquire a mid-grade defensive artifact along with another offensive artifact. Hmm, I should also replace the Black Cloud Pocket.”

As a Middle Stage Qi Refinement cultivator, possessing a few mid-grade artifacts seemed quite reasonable. In the market, the price for mid-grade artifacts typically fluctuated between dozens of spirit stones.

Defensive artifacts generally cost more than offensive ones, while specialized artifacts often exceeded both categories in price.

After searching diligently, Fang Xi found a ‘Green Turtle Shield’ at one particular stall.

“This shield is crafted primarily from the shell of a mid-tier first-stage spirit turtle and comes equipped with a Water Essence Barrier spell. At sixty spirit stones, it’s truly a bargain!”

The stall owner, a cultivator with whisker-like facial hair, displayed shrewdness in his eyes. He lavishly praised the mid-grade artifact, almost making it sound comparable to legendary magical items.

Fang Xi countered firmly, “The Water Essence Barrier is quite common. Aside from its effectiveness against fire-based spells, what else does it offer? Reduce the price by five more spirit stones and I’ll buy it!”

It wasn’t that he truly cared about these few spirit stones, but maintaining his persona as a minor Qi Refinement cultivator was essential.

Just as Fang Xi’s throat grew dry from bargaining, a series of crisp bell-like sounds suddenly rang near him.

Ting-a-ling…

“Fellow Daoist Fang!” Ruan Xingling’s voice chimed like silver bells. “Shopping for magical artifacts?”

“Yes… with recent developments, I’m preparing to acquire a better protective artifact.” Fang Xi intentionally spoke vaguely, but Ruan Xingling understood he was gearing up for the impending battle.

“The quality of magical artifacts sold here is merely average…” Ruan Xingling shook her head.

“How dare you slander my goods without evidence?” protested the stall owner with mouse-like whiskers.

“This Green Turtle Shield has flawed veins… And look here, signs of repair… It’s likely refurbished second-hand, isn’t it?” Ruan Xingling pointed out several issues, smirking coldly.

“Uh… how about a discount then? Forty spirit stones?” The whiskered cultivator, realizing he had encountered someone knowledgeable, quickly amended his price.

“I’ll take it!” Fang Xi’s eyes lit up immediately.

“Deal!” The stall owner’s eyes brightened, surprised at making another sale.

After their transaction was complete, Ruan Xingling quietly suggested, “If you seek high-quality magical artifacts, why not attend the auction? I’ve reserved a confidential private booth…”

Naturally, items at the auction would be of exceptional quality.

Fang Xi smiled wryly and declined, “This single artifact has nearly depleted my resources. As for the auction, I’ll just broaden my knowledge without bidding…”

In truth, he had secretly booked a private booth under a concealed identity beforehand, but there was no need to reveal that to Ruan Xingling.

After all, it’s wise not to flaunt one’s wealth, even if she was part of his trusted group!

“Understood, I won’t press further then.”

Ruan Xingling gracefully departed, her silver bells chiming softly with each step.

She sensed that Fang Xi might have some secrets; after all, a spirit farmer continuously spending at the teahouse and aspiring to act as a local host seemed somewhat unusual.

However, they had all taken oaths, understanding that mutual support now is sufficient for their shared goals.

On the day of the auction, the sky shimmered with various hues of magical lights.

Spirit boats glided through the air, docking at the market’s outskirts.

Cultivators riding spirit beasts or soaring on flying swords approached, their flowing robes billowing like celestial beings.

“Wow… Look over there, those must be the largest three clans from the thirty-six islands - Taishu, Yuchi, and Xiahou Families’ flying boats!”

“Even Yu Lingzi, the renowned rogue cultivator at great perfection stage, has arrived.”

“This auction might even draw the attention of the Zhong Family patriarch; without a Foundation Establishment cultivator present, it could become uncontrollable…”

Amidst the crowd’s chatter, Fang Xi, disguised as a robust man with a square jawline, strode confidently towards the Dragon Gate Pavilion.

Along the way, Zhong Clan members clad in black flying fish mage robes were visibly maintaining order everywhere.

“Greetings, esteemed guest! Please present your invitation!”

At the entrance of the Dragon Gate Pavilion, Zhong Wangu noticed a tall, imposing figure in azure attire approaching and couldn’t help but be struck by his presence, silently admiring such a formidable-looking body cultivator. Nonetheless, he adhered to the scripted greeting for guests.

“Here!” Fang Xi produced the expensive invitation he had purchased.

“Ah, you’re an honored guest with a private booth. Please follow me to Booth No. 16, designated ‘Xuan’!”

Zhong Wangu promptly led Fang Xi to one of the private booths lined up nearby.

Upon opening the door, the sound of flowing water greeted them.

Inside the booth, surprisingly, was a built-in pool connected to the outside via channels. Within it swam graceful koi carp, their scales shimmering like turquoise jade.

“Esteemed guest, these are our family’s Turquoise Jade Carp!” Zhong Wangu smiled broadly. “For each private booth, we offer a platter of fish sashimi…”

“Not bad.”

Fang Xi took a seat, impressed inwardly that this Foundation Establishment sect, which started as fish traders, truly knew how to promote their spirit fish at every opportunity.

“Here’s your bidding spirit sign,” Zhong Wangu explained further. “If you’re interested in any auction item, write down your bid amount and hand it to the spirit fish. The fish will then deliver it securely… ensuring complete confidentiality!”

Fang Xi now understood that this auction employed a secret bidding system, with the highest bidder ultimately securing the item.

‘It makes sense… openly shouting bids could easily incite animosity.’

‘With this secret bidding method, even after winning, one remains unaware of who else was involved…’

‘This suggests that conflicts among major cultivation forces at Wan Island Lake are not intense, and the Zhong Family has no intention of provoking large-scale wars… That’s definitely a good thing!’

Wan Island Lake seems to be the right choice indeed.

Satisfied, Fang Xi settled comfortably into his seated position.

Zhong Wangu bowed and exited the booth. Shortly thereafter, the scene from the auction stage appeared within one of the room’s copper mirrors.

On the stage stood a jovial middle-aged man, his face beaming as he warmly addressed the crowd with customary pleasantries.

“I am Zhong Wanjun of the Zhong Family! Greetings to all esteemed Daoist friends. As your host for today’s auction, I hope each of you finds items that truly captivate your interest…”

Despite his affable demeanor, this individual exuded abundant spiritual energy, clearly indicating a cultivation base at the pinnacle of Qi Refinement, reaching great perfection!

Fang Xi closed his eyes to rest, waiting patiently. After approximately the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the sound of a gong echoed, signaling the official start of the auction!

“Petra Breaker Pill… Used to overcome bottlenecks from Middle to Late Stage Qi Refinement, suitable for cultivators with various cultivation techniques. Starting bid: four hundred spirit stones!”

Zhong Wanjun proceeded to describe the ingredients and origins of the Petra Breaker Pill… mentioning it was crafted by a renowned pill concocting master, all delivered with captivating enthusiasm, devoid of any awkwardness.

Meanwhile, Fang Xi noticed a spirit sign beside him.

If interested in the Petra Breaker Pill, one could write their desired price on the spirit sign and pass it to the turquoise jade carp. The highest bidder would secure the item, with final settlements made upon departure.

“Not bad, not bad… With this system, aside from the Zhong Family themselves, the chances of information leakage seem minimal…”

“Perhaps I can afford something after all?”

Fang Xi counted his bag of holding and found he had three hundred eighty-seven spirit stones.

‘Well… turns out I’m still dirt poor, unable to even meet the starting bids…’ He chuckled bitterly but continued watching attentively.

“Azure Fire Sword… A high-grade rank-one magical artifact, freshly forged, exceptionally sharp, imbued with ‘Inferno Technique’. Starting bid: one hundred fifty spirit stones…”

“Rank-one top-tier defensive paper talisman - Talisman of Indestructibility! Can withstand a full-force strike from a great circle Qi Refinement cultivator, truly superior for self-defense and life preservation! Starting bid: forty spirit stones…”

As expected, every item at this auction was exceptional, making Fang Xi feel that his visit would indeed be worthwhile.

However, although these items were impressive, they still fell short compared to the initial shock created by the Petra Breaker Pill.

This was a common tactic among merchants: start with small premium goods, follow up with bulk offerings, intersperse with occasional surprises, and save the most significant items for last.

When the Talisman of Indestructibility appeared, Fang Xi casually submitted a bid slip with one hundred low-grade spirit stones, just for the fun of it.

The carp swiftly swam away, carrying the spirit sign in its mouth.

While savoring the taste of spirit fish meat, Fang Xi enjoyed observing the auctioned items, broadening his knowledge and experience.

Moments later, Zhong Wanjun introduced another piece:

“A heavy sword forged from extraterrestrial meteoric iron!”

With great effort, he lifted a massive pitch-black blade for display. The sword, nearly two meters long and as wide as an adult’s palm, resembled a door panel.

Most crucially, despite Zhong Wanjun’s cultivation base, even though not specifically a body cultivator, his arms possessed considerable strength. Yet, lifting this sword seemed genuinely arduous for him.

“Pant… This sword is crafted from extraterrestrial meteoric iron, known for its peculiar properties. It cannot conduct magical energy nor accept inscribed arrays, but it is incredibly resilient… Later, an artificer devised a unique method, melting down the material to create this heavy sword. Weighing 236 pounds, its edge is exceptionally sharp, yet remarkably durable; even high-grade magical artifacts struggle to inflict any damage…”

“Upon appraisal, our pavilion deems this sword comparable to a high-grade magical artifact, particularly suitable for body cultivators… Starting bid: two hundred spirit stones!”

As Fang Xi listened to the description, his eyes lit up.

He was also a body cultivator after all! Relying solely on bare fists felt somewhat limited; this sword would be perfect for him.

Regarding its weight?

Since becoming a zongshi, his arm strength could effortlessly lift thousands of kilograms, making it trivial to handle even multi-ton rocks.

“Let’s just bid three hundred… Wait, I don’t have enough spirit stones. No matter, I can always use mythical beast materials to cover any debt later.”

Fang Xi swiftly filled in the number and handed it back to Spirit Fish. Based on his observations, there weren’t many body cultivators in the Treasure Ship Market, so competition should be minimal.

Meanwhile, Zhong Wanjun picked up a jade bottle from the stage and began another introduction, “A bottle of Scarlet Ape blood essence. The Scarlet Ape is a high-grade first-order mythical beast. Don’t let the small size deceive you; this is refined from its entire blood volume… Starting bid at three hundred fifty spirit stones!”

“This is… one of the recommended blood essences for cultivating the third layer of the ‘Myriad Beasts Body’ technique?” Fang Xi immediately recalled, having purchased the relevant jade slip before. His gaze turned slightly wary, “Is the Zhong Family… perhaps fishing for something? Or specifically targeting me?”