Eternal Life by Dual Cultivation-Chapter 163 - 129: Cangyuan Pill Splendor Technique

Celestial Splendor Pavilion's secret auction houses like this one were all located underground.

Following Xue Yumei, Ling Changqing passed through several heavily guarded gateways and navigated a series of corridors and secret passages before finally reaching their destination.

The deliberately dim space was vast, divided into three tiers of seating. At a glance, it could easily accommodate over a thousand cultivators.

Ling Changqing took a seat in a private, isolated booth. The furnishings were rather simple, consisting of only a Hundred-Year Cold Iron Wood Table and a few chairs.

On the table sat a book-sized Jade Plate and a Gilded Palace Lantern shaped like a Flying Fairy.

Ling Changqing glanced outside. Hundreds of cultivators sat in silence, all uniformly dressed in black robes. Their auras were obscure and hazy, making it impossible to discern their level of cultivation.

In other words, one would have to be a Golden Core Level cultivator to have any hope of seeing through the disguise provided by these special magical artifacts.

Of course, Ling Changqing didn't think any Golden Core Masters would attend an auction of this modest level; they had more exclusive venues to frequent.

Just then, a young, beautiful maid brought them tea and snacks, then bowed and withdrew.

Although a good number of cultivators were present, no one spoke, and the atmosphere felt somewhat suppressed.

"Friend, are these internal auctions held every month?"

Ling Changqing thought for a moment before asking quietly via Divine Thought.

"That's right,"

Xue Yumei smiled faintly, replying subtly:

"If you need any resources in the future, Friend, just come here and find me. Of course… if you need to offload some items, that's no problem either!"

She was already convinced that the identity and background of this handsome youth in purple were far from being as simple as they appeared.

His name, appearance, and age were likely all fake, but that didn't stop her from gaining a new client.

"Haha, then it's settled!"

Ling Changqing replied.

'He wasn't just placating her. At least for now, the Era Star Palace hadn't sensed any malice from her, which showed she was at least somewhat sincere.'

After a moment, an old man walked out, surrounded by several maids. He wore a bright red Magic Robe, complete with a tall, formal cap and a wide sash, and he looked vigorous and hale.

The old man, a cultivator with a Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivation, stepped onto the high platform in the center of the hall, his bright eyes sweeping over the crowd.

He held a small, exquisite Jade Hammer in his hand and announced simply:

"Friends, Celestial Splendor Pavilion's internal auction will now begin. The rules are the same as always, so I will not waste time repeating them."

A maid beside him walked forward carrying a tray inlaid with gold and jade, placing it gently on the table before the old man.

The old man reached out and lifted the brocade cloth covering the tray, revealing an exquisite Jade Box.

"…Friends, inside this Jade Box are four genuine Foundation Establishment Pills. The starting bid is two hundred Middle-grade Spirit Stones. Interested parties may begin bidding!"

The elderly auctioneer explained.

Ling Changqing looked on as many cultivators picked up the Jade Plates before them, using their Divine Thought to imprint numbers onto the magical artifacts.

Instantly, those numbers appeared on the auctioneer's own Jade Plate.

'This setup of yours is truly ingenious!'

Ling Changqing understood after a moment's thought. 'This special magical artifact prevents cultivators from exposing their identities by calling out bids.'

Xue Yumei pursed her lips into a smile. "Our business has a legacy spanning tens of thousands of years. As we've grown, we've naturally had to consider every detail to ensure our clients feel secure!"

Vicious incidents where wealthy clients are targeted and murdered for their treasures simply do not happen at Celestial Splendor Pavilion.

They didn't care what happened outside, but on Celestial Splendor Pavilion's territory, the management would never allow such a thing to occur—at least, not openly.

Ling Changqing nodded slightly, his trust in Celestial Splendor Pavilion growing a little more.

'It's true I have some wealth to spare, but at most, I'm only considered rich among Foundation Establishment Cultivators. In the eyes of a Golden Core Master, it's nothing.'

'A major power like Celestial Splendor Pavilion, with its long history, wouldn't ruin its hard-earned reputation by breaking the rules for a single Foundation Establishment Cultivator.'

'As for those Tribulation Cultivators lurking outside in small groups, I'm not too concerned. Even if they manage to target me, they're doomed to lose more than they bargained for.'

The Foundation Establishment Pills were naturally a highly sought-after resource, and the price quickly soared past three hundred Middle-grade Spirit Stones. After a few rounds of bidding, they were finally won by a cultivator for three hundred and fifty Middle-grade Spirit Stones.

A maid in colorful attire brought over a tray holding the exquisite Jade Box with the Foundation Establishment Pills.

The cultivator placed a Storage Pouch full of Middle-grade Spirit Stones on the tray, took the Jade Box, and the transaction was complete.

Compared to the massive population of low-level cultivators, Foundation Establishment Pills weren't considered an especially high-end resource, but demand for them on the open market always outstripped supply.

The major powers, in particular, did everything they could to monopolize both Foundation Establishment Pills and the materials needed to refine them.

As a result, the price of Foundation Establishment Pills on the outside was always somewhat inflated. After all, not a single cultivator in the Qi Cultivation Stage didn't want to reach Foundation Establishment.

'With my current skill in the Alchemy Dao, refining a Foundation Establishment Pill would still be difficult, but it won't be long before I can make an attempt.'

The second item up for auction was a set of three Flying Swords of the Low-grade Spiritual Artifact Level, with a starting bid of one hundred and fifty Middle-grade Spirit Stones.

Ling Changqing took a glance. 'They seem to be crafted by the same Artifact Refiner. For a small Foundation Establishment power, they'd be a fine acquisition.'

After a few rounds of bidding, the Flying Swords were won by one of the cultivators.

The items that followed included Daoist Soldier Puppets, Talismanic Elixirs, Magical Artifacts, Spiritual Artifacts, and various Rank One and Rank Two materials.

Ling Changqing wasn't particularly interested in these items, so he just watched quietly as the cultivators in the hall competed with their bids.

"Do none of these items catch your eye, Friend?"

Xue Yumei asked curiously.

"I have no need for them."

Ling Changqing answered succinctly.

Xue Yumei grew thoughtful. 'Could this handsome youth in purple be a Core Disciple from some major power?'

As time went on, the internal auction gradually approached its end. Finally, an item appeared that caught Ling Changqing's attention.

With great care, the auctioneer retrieved a mottled, ancient-looking Jade Scroll from a pale cyan Jade Box shimmering with Spiritual Light. The scroll itself had a faint, bronze-like luster.

"Friends, this is a Low-grade, Profound-level Pill Scripture. Although its contents are incomplete, that does not diminish its value…"

"Hmm?"

Ling Changqing's gaze narrowed. It felt inexplicably familiar.

'Could it be... the rest of that mysterious Pill Scripture I obtained from the Wu Family?'

"Interested, Friend?"

Xue Yumei asked with a smile.

"Yes. I feel a certain affinity with it."

Ling Changqing made no effort to hide his interest.

At this, a faint commotion stirred through the hall. Many cultivators showed interest, even though it was only an incomplete text.

When the auctioneer announced a starting price of three hundred Middle-grade Spirit Stones, many cultivators immediately began bidding.

In just a few moments, the price soared to five hundred Middle-grade Spirit Stones and was still climbing.

Ling Changqing finally made his move, imprinting the number "five hundred fifty" on the Jade Plate before him.

The hall fell silent for a few breaths before another cultivator bid "five hundred seventy."

Xue Yumei was now certain. 'This handsome youth in purple is most likely a Second Rank Alchemist, or he has one in his service.'

After another moment of contention, Ling Changqing bid seven hundred fifty Middle-grade Spirit Stones, and the last few competitors finally, unwillingly, backed down.

The item was good, but it wasn't a complete Pill Scripture—just a fragment. There was no guarantee of its effectiveness for cultivation.

Most importantly, there were no clues as to the whereabouts of the remaining parts. Finding the complete set would be entirely up to fate, which was why most of the cultivators present had hesitated.

A complete Low-grade, Profound-level Pill Scripture would be worth far more than that.

A maid quickly came over with a tray. Ling Changqing placed a Storage Pouch filled with Spirit Stones on it and picked up the Jade Box.

Opening the Jade Box, he didn't immediately touch the Jade Scroll. Instead, he silently communicated with the Era Star Palace in his sea of consciousness. Only after confirming there was no dangerous aura did he pick it up.

Slowly unrolling the Jade Scroll, Ling Changqing discovered that its material was identical to the one he had obtained before.

It was less like jade and more like some unknown type of Spirit Gold, yet it was extremely light, like a sheet of paper.

The Jade Scroll was covered in densely packed, ancient seal script, the characters as fine as grains of sand, and it emanated a profound and abstruse Dao Rhyme.

Furthermore, with the contents of the two Jade Scrolls combined, Ling Changqing finally learned the name of the mysterious Pill Scripture: the Cangyuan Pill Splendor Technique.

As for its grade, the Upper Volume of the Cangyuan Pill Splendor Technique could only be classified as Low-grade Profound level. But now, with the Middle Volume in his possession, it had been upgraded to a Profound-level, Middle-grade scripture.

If he ever had the chance to obtain the most precious Lower Volume in the future, the complete Cangyuan Pill Splendor Technique would be a true Profound-level, Top-grade Pill Scripture.