"Hmm, come here," she said, nodding lightly.
"Sis Wei, don't tell me... do we have a transfer array to the Commercial Hall too?" he asked, half-joking, half-hopeful.
She chuckled softly. "Of course not. I just wanted to have some tea before we head to the auction. It's still early. The auction only starts at the Hour of the Snake," she explained, referring to the time between 10 and 11 a.m.
"Even then, it's just the opening ceremony and a few lesser items. The real treasures won't appear until later."
He nodded, understanding. "Oh, by the way, Sis Wei... I forgot to ask you last time, why don't all the factions, or even independent cultivators like us, just refine our own Foundation Establishment Pills? I heard the recipe is available for purchase."
Wei Xin shook her head, a faint smile appearing on her lips. "The recipe is indeed available in the market. Although expensive, it's not entirely out of reach. The real problem lies in the materials."
She paused for a moment, organizing her thoughts. "There are five main ingredients and forty-five auxiliary ingredients required to refine a Foundation Establishment Pill. The auxiliary materials are relatively easy to gather amd they can be purchased in the markets or harvested from the Nightmare Forest."
"But the main ingredients... that's another matter altogether. They are strictly controlled by the major sects and dominant powers."
Her expression turned more serious. "The most crucial of the five is the Foundation Establishment Grass. It's incredibly rare. To make matters worse, it's almost indistinguishable from ordinary spirit grass. Only its age and the subtle spiritual fluctuations it emits set it apart."
"For alchemy purposes, the grass needs to be at least a century old. The older it is, the higher the pill's quality and the success rate."
Lan Rui frowned. "Sis Wei... what do you mean by a century old? Do we really have to wait a hundred years for it to mature?"
Wei Xin chuckled at his expression. "No, not necessarily. 'Century-year-old' refers to the grass's quality, not literal years."
"If cultivated properly let's say, grown atop a Second Rank Spirit Vein and nourished with the right spiritual nutrients, it can reach the quality of a wild, hundred-year-old specimen in just a decade or two."
"But even then," she sighed, "Just finding the seeds is a monumental task. They're not something you can buy in the open market and strictly control by the Major Sects. That's why most Foundation Establishment families and minor factions simply wait for the major sects to distribute pills during designated times in each province."
Lan Rui sighed heavily.
'If that's the case, wealth really is the only way to compete.'
Wei Xin noticed his gloomy mood and patted his shoulder lightly, her touch comforting. "Well, it's not completely hopeless. There's an alternative."
He looked at her, hope rekindling in his eyes.
"You can substitute the Foundation Establishment Grass with a Second Order Demonic Beast Core. It's an unorthodox method, and while it's not forbidden, it's generally avoided."
"Why?" he asked immediately.
"The spirit energy within a Demonic Core, while pure and abundant, it is quite wild and hard to control. If the alchemist mishandles it even slightly, the entire batch of pills will be ruined," she explained.
"That's why major sects and and renowned alchemists prefer the traditional method with the Foundation Establishment Grass. It's more stable, and the success rate is much higher."
Lan Rui nodded thoughtfully, a spark of determination flashing through his eyes.
After chatting for another hour or so, the two finally finished their tea and left the teahouse, making their way towards the Commercial Hall.
A few minutes later, they arrived.
Before them loomed the largest building Lan Rui had ever seen. Towering above the surrounding structures, the Commercial Hall was easily twice the height of Willow Leaf Teahouse.
Its architecture followed the classic grand Chinese style curved eaves, jade-green tiled roofs, intricate carvings adorning every corner, and large golden plaques shining under the morning sun.
At the majestic entrance stood two burly men clad in black robes, their presence imposing. Their qi fluctuated wildly around them both were clearly at the Late stage of Qi Refining Realm.
As Lan Rui and Wei Xin approached, the guards raised their hands, signaling them to halt.
"Entrance fee," one of them said curtly, his voice rough as stone.
Wei Xin calmly tapped her storage bag, but instead of taking out spirit stones, she withdrew a small white token engraved with a delicate cloud emblem.
Upon seeing the token, the guards' stern expressions melted into polite smiles. They stepped aside, respectfully ushering them in.
Once inside, a young woman with a bright smile immediately approached them. Dressed neatly, she bowed slightly in greeting.
Wei Xin showed the white token once again, and the young woman's attitude became even more deferential. With professional courtesy, she led them up a wide staircase toward the first private floor reserved for honored guests.
After walking for a few breaths along a lavish corridor lined with paintings and spirit lamps, they arrived at a quiet, elegantly decorated room.
The room was surprisingly spacious, with a soft, thick carpet underfoot and comfortable sofas arranged around a low jade table. A faint but refreshing fragrance filled the air.
The attendant bowed once more and presented them with a neatly bound catalogue. "Honored guests, this catalogue contains most of the items that will be auctioned today. Please note that a few rare and surprise items have been intentionally left unlisted."
After handing it over respectfully, she excused herself and quietly exited the room, leaving them to browse at their leisure.
Lan Rui took the catalogue, feeling a rising sense of anticipation as he opened it, only to be startled by the prices listed inside. It wasn't that the items were outrageously expensive in fact, it was the opposite.
They were too cheap.
Wei Xin, noticing his surprise, chuckled softly. "Don't be deceived by the starting prices. They're merely bait to draw in bids. Believe it or not, the final price could end up several hundred or even thousands of spirit stones higher than what's listed."
Lan Rui nodded, his brows knitting together in understanding. "So that's it... the low starting price is just to spark interest and give the participants hope that they might win something."
As they continued flipping through the catalogue, their eyes eventually fell upon the section showcasing the Second Rank treasures. Without a doubt, the most eye-catching among them were the Foundation Establishment Pills.
Lan Rui frowned slightly, puzzled. "Only two? I thought I heard that previous auctions always offered at least three Foundation Establishment Pills. Why are there only two this time?"
Wei Xin, unsurprised, answered calmly, "Of course it's only two. Remember, the Li Family cannot participate in the bidding for Foundation Establishment Pills, and the Feng Family had been annihilated by the Crimson Blade Gang. That leaves only two major local factions competing for them."
She took a small sip of tea before continuing, "And as you know, the first pill is always reserved for free competition among the crowd. This ensures fairness and gives unaffiliated cultivators a fighting chance."
"Remember what I told you before?" She smiled slightly. "The auction is organised by the market, which means it's organised by Cloud Sword Sect. They deliberately maintain a balance among the local powers. They won't allow one faction to monopolize all the resources and become too strong. That's why they only put up two Foundation Establishment Pills this time."
Lan Rui nodded thoughtfully, feeling a new layer of appreciation for the intricate politics hidden behind what seemed like a simple auction.
.....