Chapter 110: Useless Things

Chapter 110: Useless Things

Fat City, at midday.

The ground was covered in white snow, and the gentle sunlight felt slightly warm on the body, hinting at a faint warmth. Located near the Endless Ice Plain, the city experienced almost no summer, remaining in a perpetual autumn and winter. The plain was constantly swept by howling cold winds that invaded Fat Province.

Fat Dragon was currently in an inn, reporting the information he had gathered.

"The Malevolent Wood is indeed as the Heavenward Sect's Sect Lord described. It grows in Fat Province, and although it thrives in sinister lands, for some reason, only the sinister lands of Fat Province can produce this type of wood."

"Perhaps it's because of the cold climate here."

"It's like having an antidote within seven steps after being bitten by a venomous snake."

"It's a common heating material used by ordinary sects and families in Fat Province, and it's truly not something valuable."

"As for the Eight Directions Fruit..."

Fat Dragon paused, sighing, "This piece of information cost me some Spirit Stones. I obtained it from the Heavenly Pavilion, which specializes in selling intelligence. While the Malevolent Wood can be used for heating, the Eight Directions Fruit is truly useless."

"It's a spiritual fruit."

"It grows completely at random. It might grow on an apple tree, or it could grow on a pear tree. Any type of fruit tree has the potential to produce the Eight Directions Fruit, which seems to defy the laws of nature."

"Once a tree bears the Eight Directions Fruit, it will never bear another fruit again, and it won't bear fruit in the future either."

"The Eight Directions Fruit is octagon-shaped, resembling a starfruit."

"If I had to describe its only effect, it's that it's rare."

"This fruit has no side effects when consumed, but it also has no effect whatsoever. It has no taste—neither sweet, bitter, sour, nor spicy. Its texture is also unremarkable."

"Moreover, once this fruit is picked, it will rot within nine hours."

"It must be stored in a jade box to prevent decay."

"The price isn't too high. If you want one, you can get it for a little over three hundred Spirit Stones. Most of the cost goes into transportation and searching, and the fruit farmers only get a few taels of silver."

"I've already paid a deposit to the Heavenly Pavilion, and they're making arrangements."

"Hmm."

Chen Qiu nodded, but he couldn't help but feel puzzled. Each condition for the Tenth Rank Golden Core Formation seemed extremely harsh, but the two Heavenly Materials mentioned were surprisingly ordinary.

Even the Third Rank Golden Core required rare forging materials like Dragon Vein Stones, yet the Tenth Rank Golden Core only needed the Malevolent Wood for heating? The Eight Directions Fruit was indeed rare, but it was also useless.

Before he could think further, Fat Dragon spoke again, "There will indeed be an auction in Fat City tonight. This auction has been in preparation for a long time, and most of the items up for auction are alchemy furnaces, alchemy formulas, formations, and other items prepared for Alchemy Cultivators and Talisman Cultivators."

"After all, there are significantly more Alchemy and Talisman Cultivators in the Southern Province."

"However, I heard that there will be two Entry Scrolls up for auction."

"Let's go see it tonight," Chen Qiu nodded in understanding.

That evening.

Chen Qiu was standing at the entrance of the Jia Clan's Chamber of Commerce in Fat City. The building was a five-story pavilion, one of the tallest structures in the city. Many cultivators were already entering the pavilion.

The auction was about to begin.

Even the most ordinary Entry Scrolls were relatively rare, and they were usually announced in advance before being auctioned off to the highest bidder. Of course, these were only lower-level entries; higher-level Entry Scrolls rarely made it to the auction, as they were usually reserved for internal use.

Chen Qiu, standing at the entrance, didn't immediately enter. Instead, he turned his attention inward to his Little World.

He currently had over four thousand low-grade Spirit Stones and twenty-four medium-grade Spirit Stones.

The medium-grade Spirit Stones were saved for breaking through the Golden Core.

According to the Scholar's instructions, ordinary cultivators needed to prepare at least forty-nine medium-grade Spirit Stones when attempting to break through the Golden Core. They would then set up a Spirit Gathering Formation to ensure a smooth breakthrough.

To be on the safe side, Chen Qiu planned to set up a higher-level Spirit Gathering Formation, which required one hundred and eight medium-grade Spirit Stones.

After all, his goal was the Tenth Rank Golden Core, and forty-nine medium-grade Spirit Stones might not be sufficient.

His goal for the next year was to accumulate enough medium-grade Spirit Stones.

According to Fat Dragon's information, the two Entry Scrolls up for auction this time weren't particularly good. Four thousand low-grade Spirit Stones should be enough to purchase them.

"Let's go."

As Chen Qiu and Fat Dragon were about to enter the auction pavilion, a mocking voice reached their ears, "Where did these country bumpkins come from, bringing a cripple to an auction?"

". . ."

Fat Dragon froze, scanning the surroundings. Seeing no other disabled people nearby, he realized they were being addressed. He looked at the young man standing beside them with disbelief. The young man was dressed in an extravagant-looking robe.

Was this guy so bold?

To speak to them like that? Moreover, their clothing had cost several Spirit Stones at the Ask Heaven Market, so how could they be considered country bumpkins?

Chen Qiu glanced at the speaker and continued walking towards the auction pavilion without saying a word.

"Hey!"

The young man who had spoken earlier smirked and called out, "I'm talking to you! Are you deaf?"

Chen Qiu didn't respond. He patted Fat Dragon's shoulder, signaling him to enter the auction first.

The young man was surrounded by other young masters, and they all laughed loudly at Chen Qiu's departing figure without restraint. The young man who had spoken first became even more arrogant, grinning at the crowd.

"See that? Even Chen Qiu, who obtained the Law Cultivator's heritage, has to bow his head before Ning Laiping."

"Since he asked my grandfather for a favor, he has to behave like a grandson."

He was familiar with Chen Qiu.

The moment Chen Qiu obtained the Law Cultivator's heritage, his portrait spread throughout the Great Xia, reaching every influential family and sect. His grandfather was the most renowned Foundation Establishment Apex Artifact Cultivator in Fat City.

Naturally, he wouldn’t miss the news.

At this moment, Chen Qiu had already entered the auction. Ning Laiping, looking in the direction Chen Qiu had left, sneered, "An outsider Alchemy Cultivator, if he wants to obtain the Lifebound Treasure crafted by my grandfather, he needs to learn how to lower his head and behave."

The highlight of tonight’s auction—

was his grandfather!

His grandfather was at the Foundation Establishment Apex cultivation level, about to break through to the Golden Core stage. The Spirit Treasures that all Artificers craft at the moment of their cultivation breakthrough using the power of heaven and earth carry a much more intense aura than those of the same level! They are stronger, more expensive, and rarer!

And his grandfather happened to specialize in crafting Alchemy Cultivator Spirit Treasures, for which he was renowned. Chen Qiu’s purpose for attending this auction tonight was clear: he wanted to bid for the right to have his grandfather publicly break through his cultivation level and craft a Spirit Treasure at the moment of his breakthrough.

He wanted to use this powerful tool to participate in the Heaven's Talent Competition in four days.

But he didn’t like this person.

It wasn’t because of any conflict of interest; rather, the news that his grandfather was going to break through and craft an Alchemy Cultivator Supreme Treasure had already spread throughout the entire Fat Province. He was the center of attention, and everyone celebrated that his grandfather was about to become a Golden Core Artificer, capable of crafting Golden Core Spirit Treasures. This would greatly enhance both his reputation and power.

However, ever since this person obtained the Alchemy Cultivator Heritage, the focus shifted away from him. At first, he was just a bit uncomfortable, but he didn’t dare to speak out, fearing that others would think he was petty.

But since Chen Qiu needed something from his grandfather, he felt it was only right to vent his resentment.

The people around him also chimed in with laughter.

"Just a loose cultivator from a remote area of the Northern Continent, and he’s already acting proud. Does he really think that just because he obtained the Alchemy Cultivator Heritage, he’s invincible?"

"Exactly, no matter how proud he is, he still has to come to Young Master Ning to ask his grandfather to craft an Alchemy Cultivator Supreme Treasure for him."

"After all, he’s just a Foundation Establishment loose cultivator. Since we are all Artificers and Alchemy Cultivators, how could it be his turn to obtain the Alchemy Cultivator Heritage?"

The people surrounding Ning Laiping were all Alchemy Cultivators and Artificers, either from prestigious lineages or family traditions.

In the Southern Continent, Artificers and Alchemy Cultivators were the most popular and held the highest status. Whether it was Sword Cultivators or Alchemy Cultivators, they often needed to seek help from Artificers and Alchemy Cultivators. Additionally, Artificers and Alchemy Cultivators required a lot of talent and accumulation, resulting in a very small number of capable individuals.

Therefore, a renowned Artificer would have much better connections and status than other cultivators of the same rank.

The disciples of these Artificers and Alchemy Cultivators often interacted with each other, forming a small circle. Even some Golden Core cultivators, to seek help from their elders, treated them very kindly and often praised them.

As the saying goes,

"None of the guests are ordinary, and the current conversations are with great scholars."

In ordinary families, Golden Core experts would be considered the most prestigious guests, but they had seen many. When these Golden Core experts sought help from their elders, they were very respectful, and the demand far exceeded the supply, creating a seller's market.

After years of such influence, they naturally wouldn’t think that mocking a Foundation Establishment loose cultivator was a big deal, even if that cultivator had obtained the Alchemy Cultivator Heritage. In Fat City, one had to learn to lower their head and behave.

At this moment—

Inside the auction hall, Chen Qiu and the others had already taken their seats.

"Here it is."

The scholar sitting cross-legged in the hall smacked his lips: "It seems we won’t need to pay spirit stones for this auction; someone will pay for us."

"Them?"

The Fat Dragon looked up at the young masters sitting in the luxury box on the second floor, who had just provoked them outside, and grinned: "That makes sense, but I wonder if these young masters will try to outbid us, saving us some spirit stones."

Chen Qiu leaned back in his chair, flipping through the auction catalog in his arms. When he reached the last page, he saw an old man with a face that bore a slight resemblance to the young master who had provoked him earlier.

Next to it were a few lines of introduction.

---

Ning Taiping.

Foundation Establishment Apex Artificer, the Supreme Elder of the Ning Family in Fat City. Although his cultivation is at the Foundation Establishment Apex, with the assistance of various Spirit Treasures, he poses a significant threat even to early-stage Golden Core cultivators.

Ranked first among the top ten Foundation Establishment Artificers in Fat Province, he is considered the most likely to breakthrough to the Golden Core stage in recent years.

Specializes in forging Alchemy Cultivator Supreme Treasures and can customize extremely fitting Spirit Treasures based on a cultivator’s common methods.

The highest bidder tonight will gain the right to have Ning Taiping forge a Supreme Treasure using the power of heaven and earth during his breakthrough to the Golden Core stage outside the city tonight.

Note: The highest bidder tonight will only gain the right to have the forging done; the forging fees, Heavenly Materials, and other resources need to be prepared separately.

---

"Understood."

Chen Qiu nodded lightly, casually flipping through the auction catalog and said indifferently, "So, Ning Taiping’s grandson thinks we’re here to beg his grandfather to forge an Alchemy Cultivator Supreme Treasure, which is why he provoked us?"

"Seems that way."

The Fat Dragon nodded: "Looks like he’s used to being spoiled in Fat City. If his grandfather knew about this, he’d probably give him a good slap."

At this moment, the auction hadn’t started yet.

The beautiful woman hosting the auction was still preparing on stage, and there were still many cultivators entering and finding seats.

Just then—

A man in a luxurious robe with a cold expression walked onto the stage, his Foundation Establishment Apex cultivation level released without restraint: "I believe everyone here knows me. I am Ning Taiping."

"Just now, my grandson told me that an outsider Alchemy Cultivator said our Artificers in Fat City are a bunch of rabble?"

"I want to see which Alchemy Cultivator is so danba wangwei in Fat City!"

Although he asked, his hawk-like eyes were full of shadows, and he stared directly at Chen Qiu, who was leaning back in his chair, saying word by word, "My son told me that the person called himself Chen Qiu, the lucky one who just obtained the Alchemy Cultivator Heritage in the Celestial Mandate Scroll."

"Do you know where that person is?"

"I want to see where this person's courage comes from!"

". . ."

The once bustling hall fell into an abrupt silence, and many people's faces turned slightly peculiar as they followed Ning Taiping's gaze, looking towards a young man leaning back in a chair with his legs crossed, his expression calm and serene.

Was this person Chen Qiu?

He did look young, and he had the aura of a Heaven's Pride.

Although Ning Taiping didn't directly state that this person was Chen Qiu, his words and tone left no doubt as to whom he was referring. Did these two have a grudge?

Seeing that Chen Qiu remained silent, Ning Taiping, standing on the stage, flashed a hint of satisfaction in his eyes and scanned the audience below: "It's just a minor disagreement. I won't disturb everyone's enjoyment any further. The auction is about to begin, so please take your seats."

In the No. 3 Heaven's Pride Suite on the second floor, a woman with lingering charm, dressed in a low-cut qipao with a slit up the side, gently swirled the spirit wine in her cup as she glanced at Ning Taiping, who had just descended from the stage. She smiled without really smiling and said, "That Chen Qiu is still young after all. He can't compete with the old monster Ning Taiping."

"Ning Taiping knows that Chen Qiu has a request for him tonight, so he certainly wouldn't dare to openly challenge him. By suppressing Chen Qiu's momentum, he's creating a favorable impression for himself."

"This will spread later."

"That's the Chen Qiu who obtained the Law Cult Heritage. Even in front of Ning Taiping, he has to behave like a well-behaved grandson. Ning Taiping has always wanted to become the next leader of the Artificer Alliance, hasn't he?"

"With this momentum and his breakthrough to the Golden Core Artificer tonight, it's very likely that Ning Taiping will secure the position of leader in seven days when the new leader is chosen."

Beside the woman, an elderly man in a linen robe stood, looking at Chen Qiu on the stage with disdain: "This young man is relatively young. Originally, obtaining the Law Cult Heritage should have been a time for him to flourish and gain recognition."

"Being suppressed like this by Ning Taiping will likely leave a psychological knot. His confidence will probably take a significant hit."

"If he had just taken some time to settle down and waited until he entered the Golden Core stage, he would have undoubtedly made a name for himself."

"Now, being publicly humiliated like this, with all those strange gazes piercing him like arrows, his confidence will be shattered. It will be difficult for him to regain it, and he can basically be considered ruined. This is the fate of loose cultivators who suddenly gain a fortuitous encounter; they are just not up to par."

"It's normal."

The woman crossed her long, slender, snow-white legs on a nearby stool, gazing at Chen Qiu with a hint of amusement. "Creating momentum is all about swallowing the momentum of others to form your own."

"Chen Qiu has no roots, and he needs something from others. He's rushing to give others a step up, and no one can stop him."

"His temperament is still a bit too hasty."

"If he had found a place to retreat and cultivate, fully digesting the Law Cult Heritage, he might have had a place on the Heaven's Pride Ranking next year. Instead, he insisted on seeking a convenient spirit treasure for himself before the Heaven's Talent Competition, and as a result, he lost face and respect."

"However, he is still a holder of the Law Cult Heritage. If we can bring him into the family and have him work for us, it's not impossible."

"Grandpa, look at Chen Qiu down there. He's pretending to be calm, but I bet he's grinding his teeth in frustration inside."

In the Heaven's Seventh Suite, Ning Wuping looked at Chen Qiu, who was sitting in the main hall, and smiled with satisfaction: "Grandpa, you're still so domineering."

"Hmph."

At this moment, Ning Taiping also felt quite pleased. He stroked his white beard, picked up a cup of hot tea, took a small sip, and pretended to be calm and disdainful: "He's just a little kid. If I scold him, would he dare to talk back?"

"If he dares to retort, once I become the leader of the Artificer Alliance, I'll call on all Artificers and Alchemy Cultivators to boycott his business. He's just a loose cultivator without the backing of a family. We don't need to pay him any mind. In a few years, he'll be forgotten by everyone."

"I've already prepared a Golden Core. Tonight, with a Second Rank Golden Core, I will enter the Golden Core stage!"

"From now on, this Fat City should be renamed Ning City."

At this moment, Chen Qiu was leaning back in his chair, patiently waiting for the auction to begin. Various discussions filled the hall, mostly praising Ning Taiping and expressing pity for Chen Qiu. He didn't pay much attention to them.

Until—

"It is said that Senior Ning has long prepared a Golden Core, and tonight, at the Cauldron Peak outside the city, he will enter the Golden Core stage with a Second Rank Golden Core. Soon, the Ning Family will become a Golden Core family, and under Senior Ning's protection, they will flourish for a few hundred years."

"That's great."

Upon hearing this news, Chen Qiu suddenly chuckled. His Tenth Rank Golden Core required nine Second Rank Golden Cores as refinement materials, and he had been worrying about where to find them, as they were not easily obtainable by ordinary cultivators.

But now, the first one had come to him.

Chen Qiu, who had just entered the first layer of the Golden Core stage, wouldn't find it too difficult to kill him. The most oppressive method for a Golden Core against a Foundation Establishment cultivator is a Divine Sense attack, and it's unlikely that he has learned how to use Divine Sense attacks yet, so he doesn't possess the most powerful technique."

In this situation, he's just a half-step Golden Core.

Moreover, he's an Artificer, and most of his strength comes from external sources.

Chen Qiu didn't even need to use his Entry to defeat him. With his own strength, he could blast him away. Plus, this was the first time he had seen someone breaking through to the Golden Core stage in front of so many witnesses, seemingly unconcerned about being attacked by his enemies. It seemed like he was going all out to create momentum.

The auction began soon after.

The first item up for auction:

"The first item up for auction."

"A Spirit Treasure, a Foundation Establishment stage medium-grade alchemy furnace, the 'Earthfire Cauldron', starting bid..."

". . ."

Chen Qiu leaned back in his chair, waiting for the next item. He had already gone through the auction list and found that most items were of no use to him, except for those two Entries.

Not long after—

"The thirteenth item up for auction."

"An Entry Scroll, a White Entry."

"Entry Name: Forging Posture."

"Entry Level: White."

"Entry Effect: When you forge spirit treasures, your success rate will slightly increase."

"Starting bid: 100 spirit stones. Each subsequent bid must not be less than 100 spirit stones."

"The fourteenth auction item, a jade slip with a green entry."

"Entry Name: Forging Deity."

"Entry Rank: Green."

"Entry Effect: Each time you forge a Spirit Treasure, there is a low chance of randomly adding a special effect."

"Starting bid: 100 Spirit Stones. Minimum bid increment: 100 Spirit Stones."

Before Fat Dragon could even make a bid, Ning Wuping from Room 7 of the Heaven's Pavilion had already secured the entry with a bid of 3,900 Spirit Stones, a price significantly higher than the green entry previously auctioned at Ask Heaven Market.

After all, this entry could be considered a god-tier entry for Artificers.

With this entry, the forged Spirit Treasures would fetch even better prices in the future.

"This Artificer is indeed wealthy," Fat Dragon said, meeting Ning Wuping's gaze from Room 7 with a smile. "Throwing away nearly 4,000 Spirit Stones as if it's nothing, it's enough to make anyone yearn to be an Artificer."

"The fifteenth auction item!"

"The opportunity to forge a Supreme Treasure with the power of heaven and earth when Senior Ning breaks through to the Golden Core stage."

This was the real highlight of the night, and many had come specifically for this.

Bids flew back and forth, with the Heaven's Pavilion rooms also participating. Finally, the price settled at 12,300 Spirit Stones, an absurd amount considering it was just for a qualification.

This didn't even include the forging fee and the heavenly materials required for the Spirit Treasure.

Even if an Artificer were to forge a Spirit Treasure with the power of heaven and earth upon breaking through to a higher realm, making it nearly twice as powerful as a typical Spirit Treasure of the same level, it still wouldn't be worth 12,300 Spirit Stones. This was a price fit for a fool.

Who knew what kind of fool was sitting in Room 9 of the Heaven's Pavilion?

Many in the hall were shocked by this price, whispering to each other in disbelief.

Chen Qiu, on the other hand, hadn't bid once throughout the entire auction.

To be honest, he didn't think much of Spirit Treasures of this caliber. His goal was the Heavenly Dao Spirit Treasure of the top three on the Heaven's Pride Rankings. These Spirit Treasures required becoming a Lifebound Treasure to unleash their full power, and he wasn't about to waste his efforts cultivating them.

He hadn't even cultivated a reputation yet, and he already had his sights set on the Heavenly Dao Spirit Treasure.

"Hahahahaha!"

A hearty laugh echoed from Room 7 of the Heaven's Pavilion. There stood Ning Taiping, with his white beard and robust build, bowing with both hands clasped towards Room 9 across the way: "Thank you, Fellow Daoist, for your support. I hope it wasn't too much of a financial burden."

A dull, hoarse voice responded from Room 9.

"Senior Ning is too kind. Everyone knows that Senior Ning is the top Foundation Establishment Artificer in Fat Province, and once he enters the Golden Core stage, he will become the number one Artificer in Great Xia with just a little more refinement."

"It's I who got the better deal. These people don't understand the significance of your name, Senior Ning."

"This is more than worth over ten thousand Spirit Stones."

"When Senior Ning officially becomes the top Artificer in Great Xia, this Supreme Treasure, forged by Senior Ning during his Golden Core breakthrough, will hold great value as a collectible."

"Hahahaha!" Ning Taiping stroked his beard, pleased by the words. "Thank you, Fellow Daoist, for your kind words. In that case, let's not waste any more time. We shall depart immediately for the Cauldron Peak outside Fat City, where I will break through to the Golden Core stage under everyone's witness and forge the Supreme Treasure for you using the power of heaven and earth."

"Excellent!"

Fat City, Cauldron Peak.

The peak was named for its resemblance to an Artificer's forging cauldron and was considered a sacred place among countless Artificers in the area. Ning Taiping had chosen the top of Cauldron Peak as the location for his Golden Core breakthrough.

At this moment, Ning Taiping was seated cross-legged, circulating his cultivation technique. Beside him was a Spirit Gathering Formation composed of forty-nine medium-grade Spirit Stones.

In front of him, a jade box quietly held a Golden Core.

A crowd had gathered around, mostly Artificers, to witness this historic moment of Ning Taiping's Golden Core breakthrough.

"I see what's going on here," Fat Dragon remarked, standing among the crowd. "First, he publicly humiliates Qiu, then he hires someone to buy his Supreme Treasure at a high price, and now he chooses to break through to the Golden Core stage at Cauldron Peak, a sacred place for Artificers."

"This old man knows how to make a spectacle."

It wasn't hard to figure out, and anyone with eyes could see that spending over ten thousand Spirit Stones for a mere qualification was absurd. With that many Spirit Stones, one could purchase an excellent early-stage Golden Core Spirit Treasure.

To spend it on a Foundation Establishment Peak Spirit Treasure was like throwing money down the drain, especially since it was just for the qualification; the forging fee and heavenly materials would cost extra.

It was a clumsy move.

However, it was undeniably effective. Once word of this spread, it would create a long-term positive effect for Ning Taiping, similar to the story of buying a horse's bone for a thousand pieces of gold.

"In a way," Fat Dragon said, standing with his arms crossed and eyebrows raised. "This old man knows how to play the game and put on a show. If he hadn't used Qiu as a stepping stone, he might have succeeded in building his reputation."

"With this momentum, he could become a well-known Golden Core Artificer, and the Ning Family would become a true powerhouse in Fat Province."

"But..."

"What a shame."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end