Chapter 140: The Frostsnow Sword
Chapter 140: The Frostsnow Sword
After Fang Xing subtly expressed his reluctance to join any faction, Min Yi Hang didn't press the issue. Instead, he shared some intriguing tales about high-level cultivators.
Fang Xing's eyes lit up with interest. As a newcomer to the Foundation Establishment realm, he was naturally curious about these hidden secrets.
"So the southern part of Zhengguo is in such turmoil? In the lands of the Five Sects and Ten Countries, the Demon Path has infiltrated most of them..."
He sighed with a mix of surprise and concern.
Initially, after reaching the Foundation Establishment realm, he had planned to travel to those places. Now, it seemed like he could cross that off his list.
"Indeed, it's a tumultuous time," Min Yi Hang sighed, then turned his attention to the auction stage. "Let's begin!"
Fang Xing followed his gaze and saw a captivating woman with enchanting eyes and a cultivation at the peak of the Qi Refining realm gracefully walk onto the stage.
Her eyes seemed to shimmer with a hint of peach blossom, and every smile and frown tugged at the heartstrings of those present.
In fact, her allure far surpassed that of Jin Yandao, the Golden-Eyed Eagle, Zheng Yuanao, whom he had encountered at Qinglinfang Market.
"Welcome, everyone, to the auction here at Ziyuan Fairy City... I, your host, Jin Sanniang, humbly request your support during this auction."
After the customary opening remarks, Jin Sanniang clapped her hands, signaling the start of the auction. "Our first item is the 'Small Breakthrough Pill,' an upper-tier first-grade pill. It assists intermediate Qi Refining cultivators in breaking through the late-stage bottleneck. The starting bid for one pill is five hundred spirit stones..."
"A breakthrough pill..." Fang Xing couldn't help but smirk at the commotion that immediately erupted in the auction hall below. Was it really that difficult for Qi Refining cultivators at the sixth layer to break through to the seventh?
"This single pill can help those cultivators who have been stuck at a bottleneck for years finally break through... Perhaps they will even be able to seize the opportunity to establish their foundation before the sixty-year deadline and become one of us." Min Yi Hang sighed with a mix of emotion and aspiration.
Fang Xing nodded in agreement, his expression mirroring his companion's sentiments.
The auction at Ziyuan Fairy City was indeed on a grander scale than that of Qinglinfang Market.
Various treasures, arrays, manuals, spirit pets, and magical artifacts were presented one after the other, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.
"A second-grade Xuan Water Turtle beast egg! Starting bid: three thousand spirit stones!"
At that moment, Jin Sanniang introduced a spirit beast egg. "The Xuan Water Turtle has a gentle temperament. Once it grows up, it will become a second-grade demon beast. It's perfect for guarding your home and protecting your sect's legacy."
Her words carried a hint of allure, and indeed, she managed to attract the interest of some impulsive young cultivators.
However, most of the older cultivators scoffed inwardly. "The biggest drawback of turtle-type demon beasts is their lengthy maturation process. It might take a Xuan Water Turtle egg two hundred years or more to advance to the second grade. It's literally a case of 'one turtle, three generations served.' The turtle lives on long after the owner is gone."
Aside from a few beast-taming sect legacies, most solitary cultivators disregarded such an option.
"Three thousand five hundred low-grade spirit stones! Congratulations to the fellow cultivator who has won the Xuan Water Turtle beast egg!"
Seeing that the spirit beast egg had finally found a buyer, Jin Sanniang heaved a sigh of relief.
'Oh?'
Fang Xing swept the area with his spiritual sense and discovered that the buyer of the spirit beast egg was none other than the pair of siblings from the Myriad Beast Sect. A smile curved his lips.
These two went about their business without a care in the world, not bothering with any disguises or concealment. They exuded the confidence of disciples from a powerful sect.
'Makes sense. Here in Ziyuan Fairy City, or even in Zhengguo, who would dare provoke the Myriad Beast Sect? Perhaps they even have senior members of their sect watching over them during the auction.'
Fang Xing's face remained impassive, giving no hint of his inner thoughts. Instead, he turned to Min Yi Hang and changed the subject. "I've heard that to the east of Zhengguo lies a vast country called Qi. I wonder how their cultivation world compares to ours."
"The cultivation world of Qiguo is certainly beyond what we have here in Zhengguo... At the border between our two countries lies a fairy city known as 'Beili,' " Min Yi Hang replied, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. "When I was younger, I once traveled there. The prosperity of Beili Fairy City far surpasses that of Ziyuan. They have a stable supply of Foundation Establishment pills, releasing them every year... They even occasionally offer Golden Core opportunities."
"Golden Core opportunities?!"
Fang Xing's face lit up with excitement, although he secretly felt indifferent.
With his heavenly spirit root, advancing to the Golden Core stage wouldn't be overly challenging.
After his main body condensed the Martial Arts Golden Core, obtaining a few Golden Core spirit objects to aid this clone in achieving the same wouldn't be too difficult.
The future of this clone in the cultivation world was indeed full of promise.
'However, Beili Fairy City is still worth visiting to search for the Solar True Yang Qi and other suitable spirit objects...'
Fang Xing had already purchased rough maps of the surrounding countries and knew the location of Beili Fairy City. With his current abilities, he could easily fly there on his own.
For an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator, such a journey would be arduous and dangerous, and they would typically have to rely on large caravans.
Every year, Ziyuan Fairy City sent out a caravan specifically for the route to Beili Fairy City, eventually reaching the borders of Qiguo.
As Fang Xing's thoughts wandered, the auction below was drawing to a close.
"A second-grade low-grade spiritual artifact—the Frostsnow Sword! Forged by a master craftsman using a blend of a thousand-refined dark iron and millennium-old profound ice, this sword was then buried in a snowy mountain for twenty years. It has only recently resurfaced..."
Jin Sanniang held a flying sword in her hand, its blade shimmering with a chilling light. The sword was a foot long and exuded a sharp, icy aura.
"The starting bid for this sword is eight thousand low-grade spirit stones, and each subsequent bid must increase by at least one hundred low-grade spirit stones."
Jin Sanniang directed her gaze toward the private rooms.
Spiritual artifacts could only be wielded by Foundation Establishment cultivators, so this Frostsnow Sword was not intended for Qi Refining cultivators.
There were quite a few Foundation Establishment cultivators in Ziyuan Fairy City, occupying over twenty private rooms.
Without delay, bids started pouring in.
"Eight thousand one hundred spirit stones!"
"Eight thousand five hundred spirit stones!"
...
In one of the private rooms, a Foundation Establishment cultivator leaned on a peachwood cane, her eyes filled with tender affection as she looked at the young girl beside her.
The girl was exceptionally beautiful, but her demeanor was icy, like an unmelting glacier, giving her the aura of a snow lotus that bloomed once in ten thousand years.
"My good granddaughter... Great-Grandmother has bought this Frostsnow Sword for you. You can use it after you've reached the Foundation Establishment realm. What do you think?"
The elderly woman who had reached Foundation Establishment smiled kindly and said, "Xue'er, you are the pride of the Zeng family. Not only do you possess a high-grade Ice Spirit Root, but you've also awakened the 'Snow-Cold Body,' doubling the effectiveness of your ice-attribute cultivation technique... This Frostsnow Sword is a perfect match for you."
The girl named Xue'er showed little expression, but a hint of fondness could be seen in her eyes as she replied, "I'll leave it to Great-Grandmother to decide... As long as it doesn't affect the auction of the 'Shaoyin Killing Qi' later on."
"Of course, your great-grandmother has a plan... That 'Shaoyin Killing Qi' is a perfect match for you, and its effect is almost comparable to half a Foundation Establishment Pill. I will definitely prioritize it."
The Foundation Establishment old woman paused with her peachwood cane and projected her voice, "Nine thousand spirit stones!"
"That voice..."
"Could it be the Zeng family from Peach Blossom Forest?"
"Zeng's old matriarch is a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, after all..."
Divine senses intertwined in the private rooms, and several Foundation Establishment cultivators gave up on the auction.
"Nine thousand one hundred low-grade spirit stones."
Fang Xing joined in and called out a price.
"Hmm?"
The Zeng family's old woman was taken aback for a moment before speaking, "Nine thousand five hundred spirit stones!"
"Ten thousand spirit stones!"
Fang Xing smiled and casually raised the price.
The two parties went back and forth, and in the blink of an eye, the price reached thirteen thousand low-grade spirit stones.
"Great-Grandmother!"
Xue'er stepped forward and tugged at the old woman's sleeve.
"Good girl!"
The Foundation Establishment old woman coldly harrumphed, "If it weren't for the fact that I need to save spirit stones to purchase the Shaoyin Killing Qi..."
"Thirteen thousand low-grade spirit stones. This Frostsnow Sword goes to the senior in the Heaven's Ninth Private Room."
Jin Sanniang's smile became a bit stiff.
Although this kind of bidding war between Foundation Establishment cultivators could drive up the price, it also put her in a difficult position, making her feel nervous.
...
In the Heaven's Ninth Private Room.
Fang Xing watched as the auction for several sets of storage bags unfolded below, secretly calculating how many spirit stones his extra storage bags could fetch.
"Our private room is for VIPs, and we have another privilege—immediate door-to-door settlement."
At that moment, Min Yi Hang suddenly smiled and said, "They're here!"
Almost as soon as he spoke, there was a knock on the door, and a voice sounded from outside, "Greetings, VIPs. We have brought the Frostsnow Sword for the settlement..."
"Come in."
Fang Xing snapped his fingers, lifting the restrictions on the private room.
Several cultivators entered one after another, led by a white-haired Foundation Establishment cultivator. Upon seeing Min Yi Hang, he was taken aback, "So Fellow Min is also here?"
"Haha, don't mind me, Elder Lu."
Min Yi Hang introduced him to Fang Xing, "This is Elder Lu Yiming, a cultivator who has trained in the Divine Eye technique. He's a true treasure appraiser and an elder of our city."
"Greetings, Elder Lu."
Fang Xing cupped his hands in salute.
"Please inspect the Frostsnow Sword, Fellow Daoist."
Elder Lu Yiming instructed the maid behind him to bring a tray forward, upon which rested the Frostsnow Sword.
Fang Xing took the sword and gently strummed it, eliciting a clear and cold sword cry that filled the room with a chilling aura.
"Indeed, it's a second-grade flying sword... It's just a pity that it's a bit short."
He waved his hand, and a pile of spirit stones immediately appeared on the table, a mix of low and medium-grade stones.
Elder Lu Yiming swept his divine sense over them, counting each spirit stone before storing them in his bag. He then smiled and said, "The Frostsnow Sword has its own restrictions, and after refining it, you can change its size and length as you wish. There's no need to worry about such things..."
This only applied to cultivators.
For his cultivation clones, using the Frostsnow Sword would be completely unrestricted.
However, his main body had no spiritual power, so he could only use it as a dagger, and even then, the Green Rainbow Sword would be more suitable.
Nevertheless, these were not things to be discussed with outsiders.
With a smile on his face, Fang Xing bid farewell to Elder Lu Yiming after some pleasantries. He then turned to see that Jin Sanniang had already brought the last item up for auction.
Amid the eager and fervent gazes of the Qi Refining cultivators in the hall, Jin Sanniang held up a jade bottle and announced, "One portion of Shaoyin Killing Qi, which can assist cultivators of yin-attribute techniques in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm... Suitable for female cultivators! The starting bid is nine thousand low-grade spirit stones, and each subsequent bid must increase by at least one hundred!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the male cultivators below fell silent and looked dejected.
The female cultivators who had reached the peak of Qi Refining, on the other hand, looked eager and began to bid, "Nine thousand one hundred!"
"Nine thousand two hundred!"
...
"Hehe..."
The Zeng family's matriarch coldly smiled and started the bidding, "Ten thousand spirit stones!"
The female Qi Refining cultivators below immediately lost all hope, feeling as though they were watching an opportunity slip away from them.
However, with the competition among the Foundation Establishment cultivators, it was impossible for them to join the bidding.
Female cultivators in the cultivation world were very pragmatic, and they could only bury their resentment deep within their hearts.
"Xue'er, did you see that?"
The Zeng family matriarch took the opportunity to teach her descendant, "Don't look at these Qi Refining cultivators who dare not speak up now. Once our Zeng family declines, they will pounce faster than anyone else. The Zhou family of Purple Green Pond is a prime example. If you don't want to end up like them, you must always remain strong. My Zeng family will not only produce Foundation Establishment cultivators but also strive for... Golden Core!"
She looked at Xue'er with hopeful eyes.
With Xue'er's talent, she would definitely be able to cultivate to the peak of Foundation Establishment and attempt to form a Golden Core.
Even if it was a fake core!
The Zeng family of Peach Blossom Forest would become the family of fake core cultivators in Zhengguo!
If they continued to accumulate strength over generations, they might even produce a Golden Core Immortal!
"Please rest assured, Great-Grandmother. I will definitely live up to your expectations and strive for Foundation Establishment." Xue'er's face was filled with determination.
However, before she could finish, a young man's voice interrupted, "Fifteen thousand spirit stones!"
(End of Chapter)
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