bullyxtreme Chapter 308 - 248: Yinbao’s Opportunity
Chapter 308 - 248: Yinbao’s Opportunity
"He Yingqiong is a fourth-generation relative of Elder He and the only Female Golden Core in the He Family. She’s currently in charge of the He Family’s businesses. She also has an older brother, He Jialuo, who is also a Golden Core Cultivator, but he hasn’t been seen much in recent years."
A hushed explanation reached Fang Qingyuan’s ears. He turned his head and saw Shen Wan Jun a few seats behind him.
At that moment, Shen Wan Jun was facing forward with a smile, her lips completely still. Only a voice, formed by Spiritual Power, entered Fang Qingyuan’s ears.
’What does Shen Wan Jun mean by this? Is she giving me a heads-up?’
Fang Qingyuan was a little confused, but in a setting like this, he didn’t let it show. He transmitted his voice back in the same way:
"Mr. Shen, who are the two people next to He Yingqiong?"
"The Green Blood Child and the Red-haired Elder. Both are Loose Cultivators who are now Tributors for the He Family. The Golden Core Cultivator who was investigating outside is also a Tributor for the He Family, ’Clear Eye God’ Huang Xi."
Shen Wan Jun used this brief moment to introduce all the Golden Core Cultivators from the He Family’s great ship to Fang Qingyuan.
After saying this, Shen Wan Jun fell silent. Once Fang Qingyuan had processed the information, he also turned most of his attention to the impending auction.
An hour later, the auction hall was nearly filled with people. Fang Qingyuan scanned the crowd and saw that most were Foundation Establishment Cultivators; only a very few were in the Qi Refining Realm.
For these Qi Refining Cultivators to be present, the power backing them must also be formidable.
Seeing that almost everyone had arrived, a HUMMM was heard as a soft pillar of light descended from above, enveloping the auction stage at the front and making it as bright as day.
"Welcome, fellow cultivators, to the He Family’s auction. This old man is Guangcheng Lin, and I am fortunate to have been approved by our hosts to preside over this event."
A slightly chubby elder in a feathered robe, beaming, cupped his fists in salute to those above and to the audience below on all sides.
"First, let me explain the rules of this auction. Threats with Divine Sense, malicious bidding, private collusion... all behaviors that disrupt the proper order of the auction are forbidden. Minor offenders will be expelled from the auction hall; major offenders will have their cultivation crippled."
"Enough idle chatter. The first item of this auction is the ’Life-extending Grass Rejuvenation Pill’."
"As everyone knows, the Life-extending Grass Rejuvenation Pill can extend a Cultivator’s lifespan. A single Grass Returning Pill is enough to extend a Foundation Establishment Cultivator’s life by five to seven years. As a Tier Two Superior Elixir, we will be auctioning five of them today. The starting price for each is fifty Top-grade Spirit Stones, with a minimum bid increment of five Spirit Stones."
Before his voice had even faded, a graceful attendant in a green dress entered, carrying a tray.
"A Longevity Elixir!"
"The very first item is a Longevity Elixir."
Instantly, the Cultivators from all corners of the hall grew excited. Some of the white-haired, elderly Foundation Establishment Cultivators were so thrilled they craned their necks to get a better look, as if they wanted to swallow the Longevity Elixir right then and there.
Although the maximum lifespan of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator is two hundred and fifty years, this is a theoretical maximum; very few Cultivators actually live that long.
Most Foundation Establishment Cultivators will die around the age of two hundred and twenty at most.
Death is an object of extreme terror for any Cultivator. Now, with an opportunity right in front of them to live for at least five more years, how could these white-haired Foundation Establishment elders not be tempted?
Moreover, Longevity Elixirs were always something you could only hope to encounter by chance, not seek out. To find one now was a blessing. There was no telling when the next one would appear, or if there would even be a next time.
"I bid sixty!"
"Eighty!"
Bids rang out one after another from all over the hall.
These elderly Foundation Establishment Cultivators were the wealthiest, and in their desperation to live a few more years, they had become frenzied.
In the end, the first Longevity Pill sold for the sky-high price of one hundred and thirty-eight Top-grade Spirit Stones, an amount equivalent to over a decade’s income for a Late-stage Foundation Establishment family.
Afterward, the remaining four Longevity Pills were all snatched up in fierce bidding.
Watching this scene unfold, Fang Qingyuan marveled at how many wealthy people there were while also keeping an eye on Shen Wan Jun’s actions.
Shen Wan Jun also bid several times for the Longevity Pill, but she gave up helplessly once the price exceeded eighty Top-grade Spirit Stones.
Remembering the white-haired, elderly Foundation Establishment Cultivator beside Shen Wan Jun, Fang Qingyuan understood her intentions.
After the Longevity Pills, the remaining auction items, though rare, all seemed to lack a certain something compared to the pills.
Fang Qingyuan had no need for Longevity Elixirs. His own ’Primal Qi’ Innate Divine Technique was more effective than any Longevity Elixir.
"The next item is a Tier Two Middle Grade Sea Spirit Whale heart. Sea Spirit Whales typically only appear in the deep sea; this one was discovered after being stranded on a beach. It has been thirty years since one was last seen. Furthermore, this heart was only recently extracted, meaning its medicinal properties are at their peak.
As you all know, a Sea Spirit Whale’s heart can increase the chances of a sea-beast Spirit Pet advancing in rank. For a sea beast in the Qi Refining Stage, the chance of advancement can be increased by forty percent. For a Foundation Establishment Stage sea beast, it can also be increased by around ten percent.
A heart this large is enough to help seven or eight sea-beast Spirit Pets advance. Therefore, this heart has been divided into five portions. The starting price for each portion is twenty Top-grade Spirit Stones, with bid increments of no less than one Spirit Stone."
Seeing this auction item, Fang Qingyuan’s interest was piqued. Jinbao and the young bird were both currently in deep slumber, leaving only Yinbao, who was still stuck at Tier One Upper Grade, equivalent to the Late-stage Qi Refining realm.
It had been many years since Yinbao last advanced, with no improvement since. This was because Yinbao’s innate aptitude wasn’t very good.
Otherwise, Yinbao wouldn’t have been culled from the sect back then and used as a rental Camel Beast for the disciples.
And as it grew, Yinbao’s body was also thinner and smaller than other Camel Rays of the same age. All of this pointed to Yinbao’s innate deficiencies.
After so many years without advancing, Yinbao’s potential might have been exhausted. Even Jinbao’s eventual breakthrough was a long way off, so who knew when Yinbao’s turn would come.
Among Fang Qingyuan’s four Companion Beasts, Jinbao’s talent was undoubtedly the highest. As for the Bee Queen, after years of continuous nourishment within the Immortal Mansion, it had undergone a massive mutation. Compared to its kin, the Golden Jade Scorpion-tailed Bee Queens of the outside world, it was now an entirely different species.
Even the Crimson Young Bird, which Fang Qingyuan cared little for, had a lineage stemming from the Golden Core level or higher. Yinbao’s parents, on the other hand, were likely only at the Qi Refining level.
’In the Cultivation Realm, bloodline is an unavoidable threshold. If your birth is poor, you’ll most likely spend your entire life being trampled underfoot.’
’But Yinbao doesn’t have to suffer that fate. Because it has me as its master.’
’Yinbao was the one who depended on me and kept me company during my hardships, so I’ve always had a soft spot for it. Look at me now—most of the time, I only beat up Jinbao and rarely hit Yinbao anymore. That’s favoritism for you.’
’Since Yinbao’s own aptitude isn’t good enough, it’s my duty as its master to give it a helping hand. Otherwise, if this goes on, Yinbao will eventually be left far behind by the other three, reduced to nothing more than an irrelevant mascot.’
Therefore, Fang Qingyuan decided he was determined to obtain the Sea Spirit Whale heart before him.
And so, Fang Qingyuan called out his bid with determination:
"Twenty-five Top-grade Spirit Stones!"
"Excellent! Sold! This portion of the Sea Spirit Whale heart belongs to this fellow cultivator!"
’Huh? Why isn’t anyone else bidding?’
As Fang Qingyuan held the portion of the Sea Spirit Whale heart, he still looked a little bewildered. He had expected a fierce bidding war, but he had won it with his very first bid.