Chapter 149 Auction Preparations
After five grand sacrifices worth tens of millions, there are still three million Dan Yun left.
Zhong Cai still offered up all of them as sacrifices.
This time, I still didn't get any gold items, only three level 9 items as a guarantee.
—By now, all the Dan Yun (a type of cinnabar) has been exhausted.
The sky above the Golden Flame Pool was empty.
There were still a few scattered wisps of cinnabar fragrance drifting around, but they couldn't form a significant amount and were far less spectacular than before.
Zhong Cai felt somewhat lost and disappointed.
This is the culmination of years of hard work, all of which has been completely wiped out in an instant!
Wu Shaogan smiled slightly and said, "A Cai is still more than 40 million Dan Yun short of meeting the next upgrade standard for the ancient city."
Zhong Cai pursed his lips: "Then it will take at least several more years to refine it." Saying this, he suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, Old Wu, we haven't summoned any Dao soldiers in all these years. What are your plans?"
Wu Shaogan pondered for a moment and said, "The Dao soldiers currently deployed to the Seventh State are roughly at the sixth level, but there are no rules there, so development should be done cautiously to avoid any mishaps... There's no need to increase manpower for now."
Zhong Cai thought for a moment and said, "That's fine. Even if we can extract some high-level Dao weapons from the remaining Xuanzhu, we won't be able to raise them to the highest level. Let's wait for now."
·
That's definitely true.
Despite the fact that ten years have passed, Xiong Biao has only managed to establish a foothold in a chaotic city in the Seventh State with his numerous Dao soldiers. He hasn't even been able to completely occupy that city—though he is basically one of the strongest forces in that city.
Through the connection of the mirror mark, some of the special Dao soldiers summoned in the early days also met with Xiong Biao and most of them developed there.
However, Tang Lie and Qin Shang, who have already made their appearances, are still active in the fifteenth state as independent cultivators because they are acquainted with Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan on the surface.
Besides Dao soldiers, they also recruited and trained many other cultivators there—it's just that they couldn't access the core aspects.
This means that development requires a lot of resources, but fortunately, the Dao soldiers hardly need any, so they are relatively economical and can always accumulate quite a bit. However, they use these resources to collect various Yin-Yang and Five Elements refining materials, leaving little for the two city lords to use for other purposes.
·
As for summoning Dao soldiers, if you don't necessarily need to train them and just want to increase the number of soldiers, there shouldn't be a big problem.
Before the ancient city's next upgrade, Wu Shaogan needs to meet the standard of summoning ten million Dao soldiers, which means spending ten million Xuanzhu—not a huge amount for them now.
It can be done almost anytime.
The most time-consuming part was Zhong Cai.
·
Having exhausted their spiritual energy, the two no longer lingered in front of the altar and returned together to their dwelling.
Zhong Cai sighed and lay back on the bed.
Wu Shaogan then lay down next to him.
Zhong Cai recalled the resources she had acquired before, leaned against Wu Shaogan's chest, and started discussing things with him while playing with his hair.
"We can't let so many high-level resources just sit in the ancient city collecting dust."
Wu Shaogan hummed in agreement and asked with a smile, "What are your thoughts, A-Cai?"
Zhong Cai then said, "I think we could hold an auction."
Wu Shaogan was taken aback. He put his arm around Zhong Cai's waist and turned him over so that they were facing each other.
"Level eight?" He paused, then asked tentatively, "Or perhaps, pick out one or two level nine pieces?"
Zhong Cai held up three fingers and said with a grin, "We currently have this many level-eight puppets."
Wu Shaogan nodded slightly, waiting for Zhong Cai to continue.
Zhong Cai continued, "I plan to leave one of them with us for protection, and the other two will take some high-level resources to the Seventh State. We don't need to meet up with Senior Xiong and the others; they can organize their own auction. Then, they can auction off anything we don't need—"
Wu Shaogan listened with a smile on his face.
As Zhong Cai pondered, he counted on his fingers and muttered to himself, "No matter what level it is, I will definitely keep any rare medicine that is unique... At the auction, even the lowest-grade resources we have will be at least level five."
"I've counted, and there are forty level-five resources that I can pick out..."
"We have more Level 6 resources in stock, but there are also quite a few good ones. We'll only release one or two of the best ones, and keep the rest in our hands. Who knows, we might be able to trade them for even better resources someday?"
"As for the level seven and eight... keep everything that we and our masters might be able to use."
"Oh right! Keep the ones that suit that kid too."
"Although we are preparing to make this auction a resounding success, we can't have too many good items. We also need to guard against insufficient publicity and insufficient attendance. If there are too few people, we will have to reduce the number of items to be auctioned to avoid any low prices."
"Alright then, from the others we have, pick twenty level seven items, five level eight items, and one level nine item."
"There can only be one level nine item. Even if there are no cultivators in the Seventh State, two puppets together should be enough to keep things under control. But if too many high-quality level nine resources can be produced so easily... the Seventh State is in a state of chaos, and I'm afraid they won't be able to keep up."
Zhong Cai rolled around on the bed twice.
Finally, he made a decision: "Let's sell that level nine Crimson Flame Heavenly Blade. None of us use blades, but there are many people who do, so we should be able to get a higher price for it."
As Wu Shaogan listened, he nodded in agreement, and then said, "Let's go with this one."
·
The two discussed the auction for quite a while.
The cultivator had an excellent memory; he remembered everything he had gained from the previous sacrifices.
Now, they quickly picked out suitable items for auction and made a list.
They contacted Xiong Biao about the specific location of the auction and how to promote it, and quickly made a decision.
In order to gather more people to participate in the auction as quickly as possible, it will not be held immediately, but there will be some preliminary preparations...
In addition, although the two puppets do not openly communicate with Xiong Biao, they can hire several forces, including Xiong Biao, to spread the news as quickly as possible during the propaganda period.
Xiong Biao's influence in the Seventh State now operates as a gang, making him perfectly suited to accept this mission.
·
After discussing the auction, Zhong Cai said to Wu Shaogan, "Our two masters have been so kind to us. We should find a time to give them some of the things we originally planned to give them."
Wu Shaogan pondered, "The problem remains the same: its origins are hard to say."
Zhong Cai thought for a moment and then simply said, "If it's hard to say, then don't say it!"
Wu Shaogan raised an eyebrow and looked at Zhong Cai.
Zhong Cai decisively said, "Just say it was obtained through a fortuitous encounter in the past. I don't think the masters will investigate further."
"However, that seventh-tier savage tiger is difficult to divide. We'll give it all to Master Jiang, and the gauntlets to him as well. For my master, we'll pick two eighth-tier rare herbs of similar value; he should like them."
"As for the reason... let's just say that we've been disciples for many years and haven't celebrated our masters' birthdays yet. Now that we have something suitable, we should show our filial piety. Besides, it would be a waste for us to keep resources that are too high-level."
Zhong Cai sighed softly as she said this: "We should send it as soon as possible. That Savage Tiger can be of some help to Master Jiang, and if the gauntlets are not sent soon, Master Jiang may have already advanced to the Nirvana Realm."
The peak of the Spirit Transformation realm can be a place one can remain stuck for a long time, but when the opportunity arises, one can truly achieve Nirvana at any time.
·
Just as the two were talking, some noises came from outside the ancient city.
It was the puppets' announcement.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan exchanged a glance, held hands, and returned to their residence together.
"What is it?"
The puppet's voice rang out from outside the door: "Young Master Dongxiao is here to pay his respects."
Zhong Cai raised her eyebrows.
Is that kid here?
However, it used to be a little cub, but now it has grown into a very big cub.
Wu Shaogan said, "Please come in."
The puppets responded and left.
The two of them sat in the outer room and waited.
A short while later, a figure strode over.
Getting closer and closer.
·
He was a handsome and tall young man with long arms and legs, a strong physique but no exaggerated muscles, and a very masculine demeanor.
To be more specific, it means that the handsome young man is over 1.9 meters tall with a perfect body proportion. To sum it up in Zhong Cai's words from her previous life, he is "very manly and full of hormones."
Upon closer inspection, his eyebrows and eyes are very similar to Wu Shaogan's, but even when the two stand together, they give people completely different feelings, and no one would associate them with any blood relation.
The uncle and nephew give off such different vibes.
·
Upon seeing the two, the tall young man bowed respectfully, his demeanor showing no sign of perfunctoriness.
Zhong Cai looked at this "big brat" and her lips twitched slightly.
Honestly, when Zhong Cai left his son with his master and senior brother to raise, he never expected that Senior Brother Xuan Bing would raise him like this.
It's as if he has absolutely no connection to that little brat from years ago.
Aside from the fact that they all share similarities with his father, they really can't be connected.
Zhong Cai still remembers that about two years ago, this kid rarely took the initiative to come to his door. When Zhong Cai first saw him, he was slightly startled by his growth, which seemed like a switch.
Ever since that brat started coming to our door, he would come again every now and then.
The purpose of the visit was certainly not for the son to visit the "elder," but to return the money.
·
Wu Dongxiao had never forgotten the loan of hundreds of thousands of Xuan Stones.
He even felt that his growth rate was too slow.
When Wu Dongxiao was at the peak of the Palace Opening Realm, he spent a lot of time accumulating his foundation. Fortunately, after becoming an apprentice, he received many gifts and his senior brother also gave him some subsidies, which reduced the time he wasted at this level.
Later, he had it consecrated, which also cost a lot of resources, and he also received subsidies from his master and fellow disciples.
He knew in his heart that returning the Xuan Stones to his two uncles could only be done after he had improved his own strength; otherwise, it would be inefficient.
Therefore, he never slacked off and worked hard to overcome some of the academy's challenges in order to obtain some Xuanzhu rewards.
His training only began after he broke through to the point of enlightenment.
Wu Dongxiao, as the protagonist, is really lucky. Every time he goes out to train, he can get some "unexpected wealth". After accumulating some, he gradually begins his repayment career.
Wu Dongxiao is currently only at the fourth level of the Enlightenment Realm, and he has encountered a new realm that requires a lot of resources, so he has temporarily stopped and started competing on the rankings.
Wu Dongxiao did not forget the request his two uncles made to him—he had to reach the top of the list at the Enlightenment level!
We can't embarrass our uncle, otherwise he'll be unhappy, and Uncle Zhong will be unhappy because of his uncle's unhappiness...
Perhaps because he is both the protagonist and very hardworking, Wu Dongxiao has reached the third level of enlightenment in a very short time.
Although it's not as glamorous as the top spot, it's certainly not far from being there.
—Wu Dongxiao himself has been confined to Feifeng Mountain for cultivation, hardly ever leaving his house, but he doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with this kind of life.
Wu Dongxiao's experiences at the Wu family after being poisoned instilled in him a strong obsession with strength.
When he was young, he worked hard mainly because of the earnest teachings of his grandparents, with the aim of strengthening the Wu family. He himself did not have many of his own ideas because of his age, and he was just "obedient".
After being finally rescued from the Wu family by his two uncles, Wu Dongxiao endured a long period of hardship before finally regaining his talent. He realized that only by becoming stronger could he protect himself and the people he cared about...
Therefore, Wu Dongxiao did not feel the hardship of cultivation at all.
·
After bowing, Wu Dongxiao sat down as Zhong Cai instructed.
Zhong Cai smiled and asked, "How much are you paying this time?"
Wu Dongxiao habitually took out a mustard seed bag and handed it to Zhong Cai.
Zhong Caihun scanned it with his mind and found ten thousand Xuanzhu pearls inside.
For a cultivator who hasn't received any major cheat codes, even if he's the protagonist, this must have taken a lot of effort to obtain.
Zhong Cai smiled and announced the number, saying, "So now, you have returned 430,000 Xuanzhu."
The total debt is 700,000 low-grade Xuan Stones – which is equivalent to 70 million Xuan Pearls. The repayment amount is not large, but the progress is actually quite fast.
Wu Dongxiao responded, "Yes."
Zhong Cai glanced at Wu Dongxiao and casually asked, "Is there anything else?"
Wu Dongxiao honestly replied, "I would also like to ask Uncle Zhong if he still has any Qinghong Pills left."
Zhong Cai raised an eyebrow: "Want some? How much?"
Wu Dongxiao honestly replied, "I want some. I still have a few hundred Xuanzhu to prepare for the pills." He hesitated for a moment, a little embarrassed, but still continued to express his request, "How many does Uncle Zhong have? If this amount of Xuanzhu isn't enough, I'd like to... I'd like to reserve some. I'll raise enough Xuanzhu as soon as possible."
Zhong Cai chuckled and said, "If you're so short of money, why are you paying back those 10,000 Xuanzhu in advance? Why not just buy some pills?"
Wu Dongxiao frankly said, "I need to make a repayment plan for myself and put some pressure on myself."
Zhong Cai understood.
While the two were exchanging words, Wu Shaogan, who was standing to the side, simply sipped his tea without saying a word.
Although Wu Dongxiao is Wu Shaogan's nephew, and their relationship should be closer, in reality, over the years, whenever they meet, Wu Dongxiao mostly talks to Zhong Cai.
Wu Shaogan, Wu Dongxiao's uncle, only occasionally gave him some martial arts experience guidance and sometimes gave him a few cultivation requirements.
Wu Dongxiao was friendly and respectful to both of them, but he was definitely more relaxed when talking to Zhong Cai.
·
At that moment, Wu Shaogan took out a mustard seed bag and tossed it to Zhong Cai.
Zhong Cai also took out a mustard seed bag, combined the contents of the two mustard seed bags together, and threw it to Wu Dongxiao.
Wu Dongxiao quickly caught it, and when he scanned it with his spiritual sense, he was immediately shocked.
As expected, the mustard seed bag contained the Azure Rainbow Yang Pill, the most suitable pill for opening to the fourth level of enlightenment. But the total number of these pills was a staggering 535! There were so many!!
Wu Dongxiao's eyes widened immediately.
His face resembles Wu Shaogan's, while his expression is somewhat similar to Zhong Cai's.
When Wu Shaogan saw that familiar expression, his expression softened slightly.
Wu Dongxiao hesitated, "Uncle Zhong, so many..."
Zhong Cai laughed and said, "What, you don't want them all anymore?"
Wu Dongxiao quickly replied, "Of course not! I'm overjoyed!"
This is the truth!
He knew that fourth-level alchemists usually only accepted orders for fourth-level pills and wouldn't put too much effort into lower-level pills—which would hinder their training.
So he originally thought that if his two uncles had a few dozen of them in reserve, he would be very lucky.
After all, Uncle Zhong's pills are all top-grade. He hasn't accumulated enough mission points yet, and his options for exchanging them at the trading hall are limited. That's why he's trying his luck with Uncle Zhong.
The current five hundred or so stones are enough for Wu Dongxiao to accumulate enough Heavenly Yang Qi. He doesn't know that he is the protagonist of the story, but he vaguely senses that, with his potential, the foundation he needs to accumulate to the limit of what he can bear for the four stages of enlightenment is many times higher than that of ordinary cultivators.
However, like his two uncles, as well as his master and senior brothers, he not only didn't care about the high energy expenditure, but was even quite satisfied with the high potential of his foundation.
There's only one problem left: the price of a top-grade Azure Rainbow Yang Pill is around fifteen Xuan Pearls, so more than five hundred pills would require over eight thousand Xuan Pearls...
·
With a sincere expression, Wu Dongxiao hurriedly said, "Uncle Zhong, can I pre-order all these pills? I'll buy some first, and then gather the remaining Xuan Pearls as soon as possible!"
Seeing his reaction, Zhong Cai couldn't help but chuckle: "Then guess why, even though Old Wu and I have been breaking through for so long, we still have these few hundred left?"
Wu Dongxiao was taken aback.
He wasn't stupid; he was just too shocked by the number of pills to think about it carefully for a moment.
But at that moment, he suddenly understood.
What else could it be?
It was originally reserved for him!
Wu Dongxiao was immediately moved, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart.
Then, he was eager to say something.
Zhong Cai raised her hand, quickly stopping the cheesy mushy talk from the main character.
"Alright, alright, it's just a small favor. You can come back for the Azure Rainbow Yin Pills after you've reached the fifth level of enlightenment; the number will be the same. If you've collected enough Xuan Pearls, you can take them ahead of time."
Wu Dongxiao was even more moved.
He suppressed his surging emotions and said earnestly, "Uncle Zhong, I will definitely do it as soon as possible." Then, as if making up his mind, he solemnly added, "I won't let you down, Uncle. Within a month, I will definitely become the number one in the consecration list!"
Wu Shaogan glanced at his nephew and nodded slightly.
Zhong Cai laughed loudly, "Good lad!"
Wu Dongxiao looked at his Uncle Zhong, who still maintained a youthful appearance, then looked down at his own physique, pondered the phrase "good lad," and held back his laughter.
Then, he silently handed over all the Xuan Pearls he had—seven hundred and fifty in total.
He'll pay back the rest soon—he'll go hunting in the nearby mountains right away!
Also, a friend invited him to explore a hidden gem, and he should make time to go with him...
·
At this point, the transaction is complete.
Wu Dongxiao didn't stay long, and he was already quite perceptive, so he would never disturb his two uncles' enjoyment too often.
So, now that his objective has been achieved and his mission accomplished, he should leave.
Wu Dongxiao stood up to take his leave.
Zhong Cai glanced at her real-life nephew, the protagonist of the book, and couldn't help but tease him, "By the way, Dongxiao, when your uncle and I were training, we occasionally came across some good resources. If any of them suit you, would you like them?"
Wu Dongxiao paused.
At that moment, two figures flashed through his mind: 500,000 and 200,000...
At the same time, he also thought that the resources that his two uncles liked and thought were good must be very good, and most of them would be the kind of resources that he couldn't take his eyes off at first sight!
So……
Wu Dongxiao said sincerely, "Please, uncles, save these for your nephew. I will work even harder to collect Xuanzhu."
Zhong Cai laughed: "Sure, we shouldn't let the good stuff go to outsiders. I'll call you as soon as I have it."
Wu Dongxiao's eyes lit up: "Yes! Thank you both, uncles!"
Wu Shaogan looked at his nephew and found that his expression was somewhat similar to A Cai's. In addition, he always referred to his two uncles together in his conversation, which pleased him.
He finally spoke up today: "Let's get on the charts soon."
Wu Dongxiao quickly agreed.
Then, he bowed again, turned and left.
·
On the edge of Duobao Peak, there was an extremely beautiful fire phoenix, its fiery wings swaying like tassels, hovering near the mountain.
Upon seeing its master appear, the Fire Phoenix suddenly flew over, circled a few times, and let out a clear and melodious cry.
·
This Fire Phoenix truly lives up to its reputation for great potential. After following Wu Dongxiao, it also had many fortuitous encounters, which greatly enhanced its strength.
Now, only ten years have passed, and it has become a fifth-tier rare bird!
Although it is only at the fifth rank, second stage, and cannot compare to Qinghui and Qingyu, who have also made rapid progress and reached the peak of the fifth rank, it can still be considered as the protagonist's cheat code.
Wu Dongxiao never hesitated to give it resources; anything it encountered that was useful to it would belong to it.
It is also a very intelligent and precious bird. Having received such kindness, it will naturally develop a deep affection for Wu Dongxiao.
·
Seeing his Fire Phoenix acting cute, Wu Dongxiao smiled and said, "Have you been waiting long? Let's go."
As he spoke, he darted onto the back of the Fire Phoenix.
At the same time, a token hanging from his waist flashed, and he was allowed to leave Duobao Peak.
·
Wu Dongxiao has a pass to enter and exit Duobao Peak. Although he can only exit directly each time and cannot enter at will, such a pass is enough to prove that he is someone that the master of Duobao Peak values highly.
Wu Dongxiao was flattered by this back then.
To this day, he is the only one who possesses such a pass.
Every time Wu Dongxiao used it, he was... even more flattered.
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