The auction continued without pause, Lady Fei standing gracefully upon the elevated platform as the previous excitement gradually settled, her smile never wavering as an attendant brought forward the next major item. Unlike the medicinal treasures that had appeared earlier, this time the object carried an unmistakable sharpness, even before the cloth covering it was removed, several sword cultivators within the VIP section had already raised their heads.
"Next, we have a profound-grade weapon."
The words immediately caused the atmosphere to change.
Lady Fei lifted her hand, and the attendant removed the cloth, revealing a slender sword lying upon a jade stand. Its blade was thin and slightly curved, possessing an icy-blue color that seemed almost translucent beneath the illumination of the formation lamps, while faint patterns resembling fluttering butterflies could be seen moving along its surface whenever spiritual energy passed through it.
"This sword is called the Ice Butterfly," Lady Fei explained, her voice carrying clearly throughout the auction hall, "it is a profound-grade weapon, compable of harming Xuan Gang experts, but unlike ordinary weapons of the same grade, its greatest characteristic is its ability to amplify attacks according to the martial concept of its wielder, particularly those who cultivate sword concepts related to ice, frost, cold, or similarly compatible principles."
Lin Sheng's eyes immediately narrowed.
He had been somewhat distracted throughout the auction, especially after obtaining the Kun Earth painting, but the moment he saw the Ice Butterfly, his attention became considerably sharper.
A weapon that could amplify martial concepts was valuable.
Very valuable.
Even if its actual grade was only comparable to a Rank 2 magical treasure, its usefulness would continue increasing alongside the comprehension of its wielder, which meant that unlike ordinary weapons whose usefulness eventually reached a ceiling, this sword could grow alongside its owner.
The starting bid was announced.
"Five thousand spirit jades."
Almost immediately, a voice came from the VIP section.
"Five thousand."
Lin Sheng paused.
He recognized that voice.
His perception quietly spread through the auction house without disturbing the surrounding formations, passing through the walls of the private rooms before finally settling upon a familiar figure.
Han Yu.
The young master of the Jade Sword Palace.
Lin Sheng's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked toward the private room.
"So he's the one buying it."
He couldn't help wondering whether Han Yu intended to use the weapon himself or whether the sword had been purchased for someone else.
Liu Ruyan immediately appeared in his mind.
Considering her cultivation in Ice Sword Intent, the compatibility between her and this weapon was almost perfect.
Lin Sheng leaned against his chair.
"Buying it for Liu Ruyan?"
The thought amused him slightly, but he didn't interfere.
The bidding remained surprisingly quiet.
Several representatives who had originally looked interested quickly withdrew after seeing Han Yu's bid, while others remained silent because they knew that the auction house had provided every VIP guest with a booklet containing the important items scheduled to appear later.
That booklet was practically bait.
Everyone knew it and everyone also fell for it.
The auction house wanted them to spend their spirit jades early, making them more reluctant to compete for the truly valuable treasures later, but knowing that didn't make much difference because every major power had already come prepared.
After a short period, the Ice Butterfly was sold to Han Yu.
Lin Sheng didn't pay much attention to the final price.
His mind had already returned to the item list.
There was something else that interested him considerably more.
An item related to acupoints.
The moment the thought appeared, his expression became slightly more serious.
He had already reached Rank 4 Golden Body, and although his physical strength had risen to a terrifying level, his Astral Gang cultivation had remained behind. His Qi-Blood Furnace had solved one of the biggest problems facing external cultivators by allowing him to absorb and refine spiritual energy directly, but even that ability had limits.
The furnace could smelt spiritual energy into liquid spiritual energy, but doing so placed a considerable burden on his mental strength, meaning that he could only perform the process roughly once a month without seriously straining himself.
That was still extremely useful.
It simply wasn't enough.
The next item was brought onto the stage.
A single ginseng.
Unlike ordinary ginseng, its roots were faintly translucent, and wisps of spiritual energy seemed to circulate naturally through its body, causing the surrounding air to shimmer.
Lady Fei's expression became slightly more solemn.
"This is a five-hundred-year Heavenly Qi Ginseng."
The auction hall immediately became restless.
"The Heavenly Qi Ginseng naturally contains extremely pure spiritual energy, and because of the particular nature of its medicinal essence, it can directly nourish the body's origin while helping the practitioner increase the number of acupoints they are capable of opening and filling."
The importance of those words wasn't lost on anyone.
For ordinary Body Refining practitioners, it was already an excellent treasure, but for Xuan Gang and Astral Gang cultivators, its value was considerably greater because their cultivation depended heavily upon opening and filling increasingly difficult acupoints.
Every additional acupoint represented an increase in strength.
Every increase in the bodily limit represented a greater foundation for the next breakthrough.
Lady Fei smiled.
"Because of this, the Heavenly Qi Ginseng is particularly useful for practitioners who have already entered Xuan Gang and Astral Gang."
The VIP section became noticeably quieter.
Several representatives exchanged glances.
They understood exactly what this meant.
Their ancestors could use it.
The starting bid was announced.
"Fifty thousand spirit jades."
The bidding immediately began.
"Fifty-five thousand."
"Sixty thousand."
"Sixty-five."
"Seventy."
The price continued rising, and before long it had reached eighty thousand spirit jades.
Lin Sheng watched calmly.
He wasn't surprised.
Anything capable of directly helping with acupoint cultivation was naturally expensive, especially when it could be used by Astral Gang experts.
"Eighty-three thousand."
The voice finally fell silent.
The representatives who had been bidding had already begun calculating whether spending more would affect their ability to obtain the remaining treasures.
Lin Sheng smiled.
He raised his hand.
"Ninety thousand."
Silence.
The entire auction hall seemed to freeze for an instant.
Even Lady Fei's expression changed slightly before she quickly recovered.
The representatives inside the VIP rooms looked toward Lin Sheng's private chamber one after another.
Ninety thousand spirit jades wasn't an insignificant amount.
For many Rank 3 powers, it represented a considerable portion of their accumulated wealth.
Some of them were inwardly cursing.
Others were simply staring at the room in disbelief.
Lin Sheng didn't care.
He needed the ginseng.
The Qi-Blood Furnace was powerful, but it wasn't limitless, and his mental strength was still the restricting factor. His next Spirit Platform breakthrough would take some time, but the Heavenly Qi Ginseng could provide the additional nourishment needed to accelerate his cultivation.
With it, reaching one hundred and forty-four acupoints would become considerably easier.
Once those acupoints were opened and filled, he would enter the middle stage of Astral Gang.
And that was exactly what he wanted.
After several breaths, nobody raised the bid.
Lady Fei finally announced the result.
"Ninety thousand spirit jades, going once."
Her voice echoed through the hall.
"Going twice."
No one spoke.
"Sold."
Lin Sheng leaned back.
Another resource had fallen into his hands.
The auction continued.
Several treasures followed, but most of them were more useful to Xuan Gang practitioners than to him, including a batch of nine Core Spirit Lotuses.
The lotuses possessed a gentle spiritual radiance, their petals containing an essence capable of stabilizing a practitioner's foundation while assisting them in consolidating a breakthrough, and although they were valuable, their effects were primarily suited toward Xuan Gang cultivators.
The representatives below and within the VIP rooms immediately began competing.
Lin Sheng didn't participate.
He simply watched as the lotuses were quickly divided among the various powers.
He had already obtained the treasures he wanted.
More importantly, he had accomplished something else.
He had placed a large quantity of Rank 2 and Rank 3 medicinal pills into the auction, and the response had been considerably greater than he expected. The various great families, martial halls, and other powers had begun competing fiercely for them because those pills could directly support the cultivation of their younger geniuses.
The amount of wealth returning to him was substantial.
More importantly, the movement of those resources would accelerate the growth of the entire prefecture.
Lin Sheng quietly smiled.
"Not bad."
Then the auction finally reached its conclusion.
The final item was removed from the stage, Lady Fei gave the customary closing announcement, and the immense formation surrounding the auction house gradually began to dim.
The doors opened.
Countless martial artists began leaving.
Lin Sheng remained seated. He could already feel them.
The gazes. Some were curious while others were greedy with some carried hostility.
A Rank 3 power suddenly appearing with enough wealth to casually spend ninety thousand spirit jades naturally attracted attention.
Lin Sheng wasn't surprised.
He wasn't even particularly worried. Instead, his eyes gradually brightened.
He stood up and his bones cracked softly.
His shoulders rolled backward as his muscles stretched, and the faint sound of his joints echoed through the private room.
For several months he had been cultivating quietly.
He had endured tribulations, broken through to Rank 4 Golden Body, escaped the Heavenly Mechanism's surveillance, obtained the Kun Earth painting, and acquired resources capable of accelerating his Astral Gang cultivation.
Now there were people outside who wanted to test him.
Lin Sheng's smile widened.
"Might as well stretch my bones."