Chapter 153: Chapter 118: Foundation Establishment Pill
As the voice faded, a brief silence fell over the auction.
It was immediately followed by a frenzied uproar, with bids ringing out endlessly. Moreover, Chen Jianghe noticed that the bidders were all the Ninth-Layer Qi Refining cultivators seated behind him. In the blink of an eye, the starting price of one thousand spirit stones skyrocketed to eighteen hundred, and it was still climbing.
Although it was only a Low-Quality Foundation Establishment Pill, it was still a Foundation Establishment Pill. As long as one had it, their life would be preserved. This was the most crucial point. As for the extra ten percent chance of success, that relied entirely on luck. Surviving was what truly mattered.
"Fellow Daoist Chen, did you know beforehand that there would be a Foundation Establishment Pill at the auction?" Pill Master Zhuang asked via voice transmission.
Chen Jianghe smiled bitterly to himself. The Pill Master was definitely reading too much into his relationship with Gao Peiyao. How could he possibly know about the Foundation Establishment Pill? He shook his head at Pill Master Zhuang, indicating he had no prior knowledge of this item being auctioned.
"Makes sense, it’s only a Low-Quality Foundation Establishment Pill," Pill Master Zhuang said with a nod.
"Pill Master Zhuang, what do you think the final hammer price for this pill will be?" Chen Jianghe asked.
"Hard to say." Pill Master Zhuang pondered for a moment before continuing. "Over the past century, Foundation Establishment Pills have appeared at auctions less and less frequently.
"In the past, Qinghe Marketplace held an auction for a Foundation Establishment Pill every ten years. But for some unknown reason, it now takes more than a decade for one to surface.
"Under these circumstances, the price of the Foundation Establishment Pill will definitely be inflated once again. Therefore, this low-quality pill might reach around two thousand and two hundred spirit stones."
Chen Jianghe was somewhat shocked by this. To think the premium on a Low-Quality Foundation Establishment Pill was this terrifying. The market price for a genuine Foundation Establishment Pill was only two thousand spirit stones, yet a low-quality one at an auction could actually fetch a premium of over two thousand.
At that moment, Chen Jianghe felt as though an unseen hand was pulling the strings behind the Foundation Establishment Pill market. By reducing the frequency of the pills appearing at auctions, they drove up the final transaction prices. Normally, the price of a Low-Quality Foundation Establishment Pill would be just one thousand spirit stones.
"From the looks of it, the price of Foundation Establishment Pills is only getting higher. By the time I’m ready for Foundation Establishment, the price will have skyrocketed to astronomical heights," Chen Jianghe thought, shaking his head in resignation.
On his entire person, he only had one hundred and six spirit stones and ninety grains of spiritual sand. It wasn’t even enough to cover a fraction of the cost of a Low-Quality Foundation Establishment Pill.
While he was lost in thought, the bidding for the pill reached two thousand and three hundred spirit stones. This surpassed Pill Master Zhuang’s estimate. However, the momentum also began to slow down. The Qi Refining cultivators in the connected seats had withdrawn from the bidding. Two thousand and three hundred spirit stones far exceeded the absolute limit of what they could afford.
Even skilled craftsmen like Pill Masters and Array Masters could not bear such a price.
Ultimately, it was won by a Foundation Establishment Ancestor from a Foundation Establishment Immortal Race for two thousand and five hundred spirit stones. Furthermore, this Ancestor was somewhat familiar to Chen Jianghe.
Back when Yun Bufan attempted Foundation Establishment, four Foundation Establishment Ancestors had come to "congratulate" him. Among them, the Bai Family Ancestor had already fallen, and the Bai Family itself had been wiped out. The Ancestor who won the bid was one of the remaining three.
"The premium is actually this high. If it were a genuine Foundation Establishment Pill, wouldn’t the premium push it past three thousand and five hundred spirit stones?" someone murmured.
"It seems we loose cultivators have no hope of acquiring a Foundation Establishment Pill at an auction. Our only path is to pool resources for alchemy," another sighed.
"Indeed. Two thousand and five hundred spirit stones... I’m afraid I’d need to concoct pills for thirty years straight just to save up that much. By then, I’d have long passed the prime age for Foundation Establishment," a third chimed in.
Discussions arose, but ultimately, everyone’s gaze landed on Ji Wujin. Because he held a Purple Mist Red Fruit in his hands, he was undoubtedly the best candidate for future cooperation.
Immediately afterward, the final treasure’s red silk cloth was lifted, revealing an armor-type Top-Level Defensive Spiritual Artifact. The starting price alone was a staggering two thousand and four hundred spirit stones.
Chen Jianghe was very interested in defensive spiritual artifacts, but lacking the spirit stones, it remained merely an interest. The other Qi Refining cultivators were the same. They could only watch as the Foundation Establishment cultivators fiercely bid against each other, essentially just enjoying the spectacle.
In the end, this Top-Level Defensive Spiritual Artifact was secured by the Foundation Establishment cultivator backing Qinghe Marketplace, with a final price of three thousand and one hundred spirit stones.
Armor-type defensive spiritual artifacts inherently held high value, typically fetching thirty percent more than regular defensive spiritual artifacts. Furthermore, this was at an auction. A hammer price of three thousand and one hundred spirit stones meant the Foundation Establishment cultivator backing Qinghe Marketplace had scored a massive bargain.
Logically, if such a spiritual artifact appeared at an auction, it would definitely be heavily promoted by the Hundred Treasures Tower to attract more Foundation Establishment cultivators. Yet, not a single word had leaked out. This was highly abnormal. There was definitely something fishy going on behind the scenes.
As the auction concluded, the cultivators left the Hundred Treasures Tower one after another. However, while taking in the view at River Street, Chen Jianghe noticed that the Yun Family Ancestor did not fly away from Qinghe Marketplace. Instead, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he swallowed the Lifespan Extension Pill right then and there.
Seeing this scene, Chen Jianghe couldn’t help but sigh in realization. Even Foundation Establishment cultivators worried about encountering tribulation cultivators or being pursued and intercepted by other Foundation Establishment cultivators.
The female Foundation Establishment cultivator who won the Youthful Pill did the same as the Yun Family Ancestor, consuming the pill in plain view of everyone.
As for the Ancestor who won the Low-Quality Foundation Establishment Pill, he naturally wouldn’t consume it himself. Instead, he ordered an attendant to return to their family and notify the descendants who had hope of reaching Foundation Establishment to come to Qinghe Marketplace for their breakthrough attempts. It was clear just how cautious he was.
The cultivators who won top-level spiritual artifacts also chose to stay in Qinghe Marketplace. They would likely refine their artifacts first before leaving.
However, most of the Qi Refining cultivators refocused their attention on Ji Wujin. Several cultivators followed him as he left, likely to discuss matters of cooperation.
Chen Jianghe paid no mind to this. After bidding farewell to Pill Master Zhuang, he returned to his own small courtyard and hung a "In Seclusion" sign high up. Releasing Little Black and Fur Ball, he let them continue their work while he returned to his room.
His mind dwelled on the events of the auction. He could ignore the top-level spiritual artifacts, but the Purple Mist Red Fruit and the Foundation Establishment Pill involuntarily surfaced in his thoughts. There were also Pill Master Zhuang’s words about pooling resources for alchemy. This was a viable path, but the crux was that one needed a main material for refining the Foundation Establishment Pill to even qualify to co-sponsor the alchemy with others.
A single Purple Mist Red Fruit had sold for two thousand and ten spirit stones at the auction. The other two main materials, even if cheaper than the Purple Mist Red Fruit, would not cost less than a thousand spirit stones.
In other words, to pool resources for alchemy, one not only needed over a thousand spirit stones as capital but also required enough luck to obtain a main ingredient for the pill. Given his current pace of saving spirit stones, that would take over a hundred years.
"I still need to focus on elevating my Talisman Dao skills. It would be best if I could master another craft as well," he thought. "Are Puppet Masters really that lucrative?"
Thinking about earning spirit stones naturally brought Ji Wujin to mind. A Ninth-Layer Qi Refining Puppet Master could casually throw down over two thousand spirit stones to buy a Purple Mist Red Fruit. This truly overturned his worldview.
Two thousand spirit stones... even if he became a High-Grade Talisman Master, who knew how many years it would take him to save that much.
"I should prioritize elevating my Talisman Dao skills and successfully draw a Middle-Grade Five Elements Escape Talisman first," he thought.
Only when his Talisman Dao skills improved could he afford Body Refining and have spare spirit stones to dabble in other fields. There was also the Tier One High-Grade Spiritual Talisman legacy to consider. The Talisman Dao was the foundational skill that sustained his cultivation.
"Foundation Establishment Pill," Chen Jianghe thought, taking a deep breath. In the future, he absolutely had to obtain one. Even a Low-Quality Foundation Establishment Pill would be enough for him to attempt the breakthrough. Otherwise, his life would be in danger.
Having made up his mind, he immediately settled his thoughts. He began drawing spiritual talismans to polish his Talisman Dao skills. Increasing his annual income was the true key.
Time flew by. A new year arrived.
Chen Jianghe drew upon the final trace of the True Spirit Pill’s power within his Shenque to accelerate the purification of magical power in his Qi Sea Dantian. After circulating the *Ten Thousand Waters Scripture* for three Grand Circulations, the medicinal power of the two True Spirit Pills was completely exhausted.
It was time to spend spirit stones again.
"What exactly did Ruan Tieniu want with Pill Master Zhuang? He hesitated to speak and even mentioned me," Chen Jianghe thought. "He even left a message in a letter, seemingly desperate to meet me."