Chapter 621: A Grand Affair
Chapter 621: A Grand Affair
For Lu Chen, locating the mother plant of the Holy Infant Fruit was a simple task with his current abilities.
The mother plant's sole purpose was to act as a breeding machine for the Holy Infant Fruit spirit seeds.
By keeping it in a constant state of hunger and desire for the offspring spirit fruits, he could ensure a steady supply of new Holy Infant Fruit spirit seeds.
Once he had harvested enough, he would then mature the mother plant with the previously collected offspring spirit fruits.
"It's a rare opportunity to get a fifth-grade spirit seed for free. If we miss this chance, there might not be another."
After all, the birth of fifth-grade spirit seeds was notoriously tricky, mostly left to the whims of heaven and earth. Even for pill-forming cultivators, they held significant value.
"So, I'm afraid you'll have to endure and help me produce more spirit seeds for a while."
Lu Chen smiled gently and spoke softly to the mother plant beside him, which bore an embryo-like spirit fruit.
Not long after harvesting two Holy Infant Fruit seedlings, the news of the long-awaited auction finally reached Lu Chen.
Full of anticipation, he activated his array, instructed his grass puppet to guard the spirit fields diligently, and made his way to the Hailou Chamber of Commerce's branch office at the Star-Plucking Tower.
As soon as he entered the lobby, a stunning young woman led him into a spacious room where hundreds of cultivators were already gathered.
Lu Chen's spiritual sense swept through the room, noting that most of the cultivators present were at the late Qi Refining stage or above, with seven or eight even at the Core Formation stage.
"This is quite a grand gathering. If there are this many late Qi Refining and above cultivators at just one branch, I can only imagine the spectacle at the main event."
Lu Chen mused to himself, then realized that participating in the auction required a verification of assets. Most cultivators in the Celestial Cave were solitary cultivators, and with the typical cultivator's modest means, many would likely be unable to pass this first hurdle.
Thus, it was understandable that so many highly skilled cultivators had gathered here.
"Fellow Daoist Lu!"
Suddenly, a familiar voice called out from his left, and a one-eyed middle-aged man, Luo Ming, who had once entered the medicinal garden with him, appeared at Lu Chen's side.
"Greetings, Fellow Daoist," Lu Chen replied.
"So, Fellow Daoist Lu is also here for the Hailou Chamber of Commerce's auction?"
"Yes, I thought I'd join in on the fun and see if I can bid on a spirit seed or two that catches my eye."
"Hahaha, may you succeed in your endeavors, Fellow Daoist," the one-eyed middle-aged man laughed heartily.
"Speaking of which, I invited you more than once to explore the Thunder Sea secret realm with me some time ago, but I never received a response. What happened there?"
His tone shifted as he inquired.
"Perhaps I wasn't at my abode, or I might have overlooked the message talisman," Lu Chen replied casually.
"However, with my current cultivation level, joining you on such an expedition might only bring you trouble."
"Hahaha, Fellow Daoist Lu, you jest. We have shared the experience of exploring the medicinal garden together. Your swordsmanship is exceptional; how could you possibly cause any trouble?"
Lu Chen smiled but remained silent.
"The trouble I speak of is the danger of me accidentally eliminating you, not the other way around," he mused inwardly.
The two chatted casually for a while as more cultivators continued to enter the room.
"Fellow Daoist Mu," Lu Chen greeted the tall, elderly man, rumored to be a descendant of the Hailou Chamber of Commerce's upper echelons.
"Ah, it's Fellow Daoist Lu," the old man acknowledged.
"It's been quite some time. I was wondering how that spiritual plant I entrusted to you is faring?"
The old man, who had initially looked rather impatient, now wore a slight smile upon recognizing Lu Chen.
"It's growing quite well. I'll have to show it to you sometime," Lu Chen replied honestly.
"Then I can rest easy."
"It seems we have quite a gathering here. We will soon be entering the treasure tower. I wish you success in acquiring the treasures you desire, Fellow Daoist Lu."
The tall, elderly man bowed slightly to Lu Chen. Suddenly, the room was filled with dazzling spiritual light, and countless array patterns danced in the air. Lu Chen felt his mind go fuzzy, and in a daze, he found himself transported to a mysterious starry realm.
Lu Xuan saw the lead cultivator step onto an empty asteroid. Having already inquired about the auction format, he followed suit, using his spiritual sense to summon an asteroid and gently land on it.
With a mere thought, the asteroid moved according to his will at varying speeds and in different directions.
After briefly experiencing the wonders of this asteroid, Lu Xuan stayed in a corner, quietly observing the numerous cultivators who had appeared in the starry sky.
"There are at least two thousand people here, all at the Foundation Establishment stage or above."
"A rough estimate of the Core Formation cultivators is three hundred, and there are even more than a dozen who are likely in the Nascent Soul realm."
Lu Xuan was amazed and marveled at the grand scale of this auction.
With so many cultivators whose cultivation bases could be roughly sensed, he knew there must be many more hidden in the shadows.
"Brother Lu, would you like me to introduce you to some of the notable figures here?"
"That person over there is a Nascent Soul elder from the Liyang Dao Sect. It is said that he possesses a powerful ability called 'A World in the Sleeve'."
Mu Daoren appeared beside Lu Xuan without him noticing, standing on an asteroid of similar size. He transmitted his voice to Lu Xuan.
"And that one is the Hundred Birds Star Master of the Tianxing Cave, at the mid-Nascent Soul stage. He has a seventh-grade magical beast under his command."
"And there's also that person..."
Mu Daoren's knowledge of the cultivators present was just as impressive as his artifact appraisal skills. He enthusiastically introduced Lu Xuan to numerous Nascent Soul True Lords and Core Formation True Humans.
Before long, the number of cultivators in the starry sky reached saturation, with only a handful of asteroids drifting around aimlessly.
"Welcome, fellow cultivators, to the auction held by the Hailou Chamber of Commerce."
"I am the host of today's auction; you may call me Huang Daoren."
Suddenly, in the center of the asteroids, a hundred-zhang-tall light screen lit up, and a middle-aged cultivator with a gentle aura stepped out from within. His cultivator's aura was like a deep abyss, indicating that he had reached the late Core Formation stage.
"Please allow me to briefly introduce the rules of this auction to avoid any misunderstandings."
"The place where you are standing is inside the Treasure Tower of the Hailou Chamber of Commerce. The tower is a spiritual entity, and it holds your lives in its grasp. So, I ask that you refrain from any inappropriate behavior here."
"The auction will be held in two parts: a sub-auction and a main auction. There will also be a small game at the end. The Treasure Tower has collected some peculiar items from various worlds, and if anyone can recognize them, they will be the rightful owner."
"There will be multiple sub-auctions held simultaneously, categorized mainly by the type of treasure: artifacts, cultivation techniques, spirit pills, and so on. The treasures presented will mostly be fourth-grade, but there will also be some fifth-grade items."
"The main auction will feature treasures ranging from fifth-grade to seventh-grade Nascent Soul level, with only one session. It will be held at the very end, so please pay close attention, fellow cultivators."
"You can freely control the movement of the asteroids beneath your feet. Information about the treasures up for auction will also appear on them, and you may proceed to bid for the ones that catch your eye."
"The highest bidder wins. After three bids, if there are no new offers, the deal is finalized."
The gentle-looking middle-aged cultivator enthusiastically explained the rules to the audience.
"Without further ado, let the auction begin!"
(End of Chapter)
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