Immortal Path Space

In these three years, several shops have inquired about his information, seeking him as a supplier.

He reluctantly agreed to all of them. Only a fool would refuse the opportunity to safely and quickly exchange resources for Spirit Stones.

To add a layer of mystery, he even fabricated a powerful force—the Immortal Way Trading Company. He himself was just an inconspicuous member of this business.

Apart from the major sects in the cultivation world, there were various forces, such as cultivation clans, trade associations, businesses, and even some secretive assassination and intelligence organizations.

Although Azure Void City was within the influence of the Qingxu Sect, having intricate connections with them, it could be considered a force in its own right.

Therefore, Wang Hong's explanation didn't raise suspicions. In the cultivation world, countless forces intertwined, making it normal not to know about each other.

Without major forces, it was impossible to stably provide such a quantity of Spiritual Objects.

He had now developed five shops, supplying them with Spirit Pills and Spiritual Medicine.

These five were small cultivation families or individuals running small shops, lacking significant backgrounds.

Major forces wouldn't pay attention to these small shops. Wang Hong dared not provoke them; a wrong move, and not even bones would be left.

His current plan was to quietly expand and accumulate wealth through these inconspicuous small businesses, which posed no threat.

These small businesses were numerous, mostly lacking a stable supply, often experiencing scarcity. Wang Hong was like a timely rain for them.

With his current strength, he planned to silently expand among these small businesses and quietly amass wealth.

He intended to gradually turn his fabricated Immortal Way Trading Company into reality, spreading its influence to every city in the cultivation world.

Of course, this was a long-term plan; one had to eat a meal step by step and walk a road one step at a time.

In a few months, the once-in-a-decade sect missions would be released. This caused the prices in Azure Void City to rise, with prices for talismans, magical weapons, elixirs, and spirit wine increasing by twenty to thirty percent.

Hence, this year's Ten Stores Joint Auction was held exceptionally grandly. It was said that each major store brought out their most precious treasures for auction.

Wang Hong also planned to participate, hoping to acquire one or two practical treasures.

This time, he had already submitted two Barrier Breaking Pills, a small bottle of Spirit Bee Royal Jelly, and ten bottles of Spirit Wine for auction.

The Spirit Wine was his top-quality spirit fruit wine from the first tier, stored in the Space for over a hundred years. Though its effects were not as potent as the second-tier Spirit Wine, the difference wasn't too significant.

Additionally, he brought out two 300-year-old mutated Astragalus plants for auction. He didn't recognize them himself and wanted to see if anyone could identify them.

The number of participants in this auction had evidently increased. Many latecomers stood in the back, unable to secure seats.

The Ten Stores Joint Auction maintained its tradition of not having VIP seats, symbolizing equality in bidding for everyone, regardless of cultivation level, identity, or status—the highest bidder wins.

Hosting the auction was still the venerable Old Man Feng Qing with an air of immortality.

Feng Qing ascended the auction stage, briefly introducing himself.

Then, he directly entered the main topic, drawing out his words as he shouted, "Now, presenting the first item for auction, the Windsoar Boat."

Two sturdy men carried a small wooden boat onto the stage. The boat was only five feet long and two feet wide, appearing cramped even for one person.

"I believe many fellow cultivators have harbored the wish to soar in the blue sky, but unfortunately, only senior practitioners at the Foundation Building stage can achieve it. We Qi Cultivators can only envy them from the ground," Old Man Feng Qing said, tempting the audience.

"Those who can progress from Qi Cultivation to Foundation Building are few and far between. If one cannot reach Foundation Building, they can never fulfill the dream of flying and escaping."

"This flying magical weapon, named Windsoar Boat, is crafted from wind-attributed spirit wood, engraved with wind formation and levitation array. By infusing Spiritual Energy into the boat, even Qi Cultivators can possess the ability to fly."

After saying this, Old Man Feng Qing personally jumped into the boat to demonstrate. With the infusion of his Spiritual Energy, the boat slowly floated two yards high, circling the auction stage.

"As you can see, the Windsoar Boat is easy to control, and even Qi Cultivators can master it with agility," Feng Qing said, hopping down from the Windsoar Boat.

"Old man, how is the flying speed of this Windsoar Boat? And what about the consumption of Spiritual Energy?" a middle-aged man asked.

"This friend's question is quite fitting; I was just about to explain. The flying speed of the Windsoar Boat is similar to the Wind Control Technique of a Qi Cultivator. As for Spiritual Energy consumption, a fifth-level Qi Cultivator can sustain it for about fifteen minutes," Feng Qing explained, stroking his long beard.

Upon hearing this, the enthusiasm that had just risen among the audience diminished significantly.

The main issue was the slow speed, unsuitable for either chasing enemies or escaping. Purchasing such a magical weapon would only satisfy the craving for flight, too slow for combat and too energy-consuming for travel—merely a collectible toy.

"The starting bid for the Windsoar Boat is five hundred Spirit Stones, with each subsequent bid no less than ten Spirit Stones."

"I bid five hundred!"

"I bid five hundred and one!"

"Five hundred and five!" Wang Hong also joined the bidding. If it wasn't too expensive, he could consider buying it. Despite some drawbacks, it could still be useful for overcoming certain obstacles.

In the end, Wang Hong raised the price from nine hundred, making a one-time increase of six hundred, reaching a total of one thousand five hundred Spirit Stones, and no one contested with him anymore.

After all, a high-quality magical weapon usually cost around a thousand Spirit Stones. Obviously, not many were willing to spend too much on a magical weapon that wasn't very practical.

"Good! Congratulations to this fellow cultivator for acquiring a rare flying magical weapon."

"The next item for auction is the high-grade magical weapon, Frostblade Sword, crafted entirely from extremely cold ice crystals, making it the best choice for cultivators with ice or water spiritual roots. Starting bid: five hundred Spirit Stones..."

Seeing the first item sold for a satisfactory price, Old Man Feng Qing quickly seized the opportunity and announced the next item.

In the midst of bidding, a maid brought Wang Hong's auction items. After confirming their authenticity, she handed several Jade Boxes containing second-tier Spiritual Medicine to the maid.

As the maid couldn't assess the value of second-tier Spiritual Medicine, she had to consult a specialized appraiser. In the end, they settled at a ninety percent value and paid Wang Hong an additional two hundred Spirit Stones.

The auction continued, and since there was nothing else of particular interest to Wang Hong, he refrained from bidding further.

It wasn't until the Spiritual Medicine auction segment that he became interested again, purchasing several types of Spiritual Medicine he didn't already have.

"The next items for auction are two mutated Spiritual Medicines, identified by appraisers as three-hundred-year-old, with the ability to greatly replenish essence blood. They are second-tier Spiritual Medicines. If anyone is familiar with medicinal properties, feel free to come up and inspect."

As soon as these words were spoken, more than ten cultivators walked up to the stage. A new, mutated variety was quite appealing to alchemists.

Even if they didn't buy, going up to take a look didn't cost Spirit Stones. Perhaps they might encounter something similar elsewhere in the future.

The group approached, carefully examining the Spiritual Medicines with their divine senses. Then, a maid cut several small roots and handed them to each person.

An Old Man with white hair, wearing a monkey-faced mask, sniffed a small section of the root and chewed it carefully. His eyes revealed a hint of excitement, quickly hidden.

Despite being in his fifties, this man, who had accumulated considerable wealth in the last few decades of Qi Cultivation, wasn't considered too old for a cultivator with a lifespan of a hundred years. His natural talents were exceptional, reaching the later stages of Qi Cultivation by his twenties, and he was highly valued in his family.

However, during an adventure, he faced a siege of blood-devouring bats and nearly lost his life after having his essence blood drained. The deficient essence blood couldn't be replenished, leaving him without the possibility of reaching Foundation Building.

He could sense that with these two Spiritual Medicines, his essence blood could fully recover. There might even be a chance to further advance and achieve Foundation Building.

"After everyone's personal identification, I believe you have a good understanding of these two Spiritual Medicines. Now, let the bidding begin, starting at five hundred..."

"I bid a thousand!" The Old Man in the monkey-faced mask shouted.

"One thousand two!"

"One thousand three!"

The Old Man's bid was soon drowned out by the continuous bids.

"Fifteen thousand!"

"Fifteen thousand one hundred!"

"Sixteen thousand!" The Old Man in the monkey mask bid his entire wealth accumulated over several decades. All the items on him combined were only worth this much.

However, the bidding didn't stop there. The price skyrocketed and quickly surpassed twenty thousand.

The Old Man in the monkey mask slumped in his chair, clearly seeing hope but unable to seize it due to insufficient Spirit Stones. His heart was filled with regret. He gazed blankly at the various cultivators, passionately driving up the price but feeling powerless.

In the end, a Qi Cultivation cultivator bought the two Spiritual Medicines for fifty thousand Spirit Stones.

Suddenly, the Old Man in the monkey mask's eyes flashed with determination. He made a decision.

Suddenly standing up, Old Man removed the mask from his face and bowed to the Qi Cultivation cultivator from a distance.

"This fellow cultivator, I am He Yuan. These two Spiritual Medicines are extremely important to me. Can you consider giving them to me? I am willing to compensate you with twenty thousand Spirit Stones and sign a blood contract, serving you for ten years."

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire audience was shocked into silence, everyone looking around.

It's worth noting that a blood contract is imprinted onto the Nascent Soul. Once signed, it cannot be revoked, making the signer subject to the other party. Generally, cultivators wouldn't sign a blood contract unless absolutely necessary.

The Qi Cultivation cultivator scrutinized He Yuan and said slowly, "Thirty thousand Spirit Stones can make a ten-layer Qi Cultivator pledge loyalty for ten years, which is indeed a good deal. Unfortunately, these two Spiritual Medicines are equally important to me." With these words, the Qi Cultivation cultivator revealed a faint aura of a Foundation Building cultivator.

The Qi Cultivation cultivator thought with regret. If not for a life-saving technique he had used earlier, which consumed a considerable amount of essence blood and required at least five years of normal recovery, he would have gladly accepted a ten-layer Qi Cultivator as a subordinate.

He Yuan slumped back into his seat, and the auction continued without much attention to him.

Suddenly, his ears perked up, and he looked around with excitement. Unfortunately, he didn't find the person he was looking for in the crowd.

[Read at www.patreon.com/shanefreak, without ads and support the work.]