Zhou Yue and Zhou Shuo had clearly been spoiled by their family. Even though an outsider was present in the cave, they didn't lower their voices at all. Displaying the typical swagger of youth, they chimed in one after another, loudly discussing the alchemist assessment—as if deliberately raising their voices to make sure everyone knew there was an alchemist among them.
This happened to work out well for Shi Yu to gather information.
Her jerky was just roasted. She picked up a strip, chewed it slowly, and silently listened to the three siblings chat.
From their conversation, Shi Yu gradually learned what was going on.
The Xie Clan, an influential family, ran the largest auction house in all of Lingtai Prefecture, offering the widest variety of items. As a result, its reputation reached far and wide, drawing people from far beyond the main city just to attend.
For regular, small-scale auctions, capacity was limited, so the auction house placed no strict requirements on attendees—any cultivator could enter.
However, for the grand auction held once every six months, rare and precious treasures gathered from all over were put up for bidding. Their quality and quantity far exceeded those of the smaller auctions, making it a grand event. Furthermore, the Xie Clan would publish and distribute catalog booklets several months in advance to advertise the items.
Consequently, whenever a grand auction took place, countless cultivators throughout Lingtai Prefecture rushed over to participate.
No auction house, no matter how large, could accommodate so many people, so the Xie Clan screened those wishing to attend.
The selection criteria were simple and crude, looking at three things: background strength, cultivation level, and financial wealth.
Disciples from prominent families and sects could directly enter using their clan emblems or sect identity tokens.
Ordinary rogue cultivators could attend if their cultivation had reached the sixth layer of the Qi Refining Realm.
For those who belonged to neither a prominent family nor a sect, and whose cultivation was below the fifth layer of the Qi Refining Realm, they could still qualify if their net worth exceeded twenty thousand low-grade spirit stones.
Finally, for those who met none of the above criteria, there was one last method—though very few could accomplish it.
In the main city, the four auxiliary crafts—artifacts, pills, arrays, and talismans—each had a corresponding association located in the most prosperous district.
One simply needed to go to an association, take an assessment, and obtain a certification in any of the four areas. With the certified jade token issued by the association, one could enter the auction venue.
The three Zhou siblings came from an obscure, minor family that did not meet the Xie Clan's standard for a prominent family. The elder family members with higher cultivation seemed to be tied up by troublesome matters and could not come, leaving only the three younger generation members to make the trip.
None of the three had reached the sixth layer of the Qi Refining Realm. Moreover, Zhou Shuo's alchemy studies had cost a fortune, consuming most of the family's savings, so they could not produce twenty thousand spirit stones either.
Thus, their only hope was for Zhou Shuo to pass the Tier-1 alchemist assessment, allowing them to enter the auction house under his identity as an alchemist.
Stirring the spiritual grain porridge in the pot with a spoon, Zhou Yang said with a tinge of worry, “A-Shuo, this assessment is of utmost importance. You must not be as careless as you usually are.”
Beside him, Zhou Yue also set aside her playful tone and said seriously, “Grandpa is relying on that Blood Cloud Ginseng from the auction to extend his life! You better be reliable and not get us all blocked outside the venue, unable to even step through the door!”
“Blood Cloud Ginseng,” Shi Yu thought to herself.
The effect of this spiritual plant was a rare one: extending lifespan. Depending on its age and quality, it could extend a lifespan by anywhere from two to five years.
Ordinary mortals lived for only sixty or seventy years. Once one stepped into the Qi Refining Realm, their lifespan could increase to a hundred years, and breaking through each subsequent layer added another ten years. By the Foundation Establishment Realm, a cultivator's lifespan started at two hundred years minimum, with each subsequent breakthrough adding twenty years...
Cultivators on the brink of breakthrough whose lifespans were drawing to a close were unwilling to perish. They would seek every possible way to extend their lives. Sometimes, an extra three to five years was all it took for them to break through before death, gaining decades more of life.
Naturally, spiritual plants and pills that increased lifespan were the top choice.
Although the Blood Cloud Ginseng was merely a Tier-2 spiritual plant and not as rare as the Heavenly Tone Lotus, anything tied to extending lifespan commanded an exorbitant price, far exceeding ordinary Tier-2 spiritual plants.
Over on their side, Zhou Shuo nodded with a bitter face. “Eldest Brother, Third Sister, I know. It's just that the Alchemist Association's standards are so strict. The pills must be smooth, round, and completely free of pockmarks to pass...”
His eldest brother, Zhou Yang, patted his arm. “Just do your best.”
While they spoke, the spiritual grain porridge in the pot was finally done.
Zhou Yang served a bowl for his younger brother and sister. Then he looked over at Shi Yu sitting in the other corner of the cave. Seeing such a young girl traveling outdoors alone, a touch of sympathy inevitably stirred in his eyes.
Without a word, he quietly scooped another bowl of spiritual grain porridge, stood up, and walked over to Shi Yu. Setting it down gently beside her, he offered a warm smile. “The night air is cold and damp. Have a bowl of porridge to warm your stomach.”
Without waiting for Shi Yu to reply, he turned and walked back to his spot.
Shi Yu looked down at the porridge. It was thick and dense, made of plump, white, glistening grains of Tier-1 Pearl Rice.
She heard Zhou Yue's pouting complaint after Zhou Yang returned: “Eldest Brother, you didn't even leave enough for yourself! It's so thin now... Fine, fine, I'll share half of mine with you.”
Shi Yu picked up the bowl, her fingertips rubbing the rim. Pausing for a moment, she picked up the spoon and began to drink.
Her initial memories and impressions of the Origin Realm were not pleasant, so she often did not hesitate to assume the worst of others.
However, if someone showed her kindness, she didn't mind returning the favor if given the chance.
That being said...
The three Zhou siblings needed the Alchemist Association's certification as a stepping stone to attend the auction.
It seemed she would have to do the same.
As a rogue cultivator, she naturally had no family or sect behind her. Though she was technically the Ninth Princess of a mortal kingdom, the Origin Realm didn't care about mortal princesses, so that option was ruled out immediately.
As for cultivation, she was only at the fourth layer of the Qi Refining Realm, far below the required standard.
As for wealth... well, besides the four thousand plus spirit stones she had earned at the Tongyi Pavilion auction, she had previously saved two to three thousand spirit stones. Added together, she had a little over seven thousand low-grade spirit stones in total, which fell far short of the Xie Clan auction house's twenty-thousand-spirit-stone requirement.
Therefore, when all was said and done, she would also have to choose one of the four paths—artifacts, pills, arrays, or talismans—and take an assessment.
“It shouldn't be much trouble. I'll scout around after arriving in the main city tomorrow and take an assessment while I'm at it.”
With that thought settling in her mind, and seeing that it was getting late, she wrapped herself in her blanket, closed her eyes, and went to sleep.
...
Early the next morning, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, Shi Yu woke up.
Normally, she would cultivate the 《Soul Tempering Art》 at this time, but with outsiders present in the cave, she set aside the thought of cultivating and intended to set off directly for the main city.
Unexpectedly, just as she sat up, Zhou Yang on the other side woke up as well.
He looked toward Shi Yu and asked tentatively, “Fellow Daoist, are you heading to the main city?”
Since they were traveling in the same direction and would likely run into each other anyway, there was no need to hide it, so Shi Yu nodded. “Yes.”
Zhou Yang let out a light laugh. “What a coincidence, we're heading to the main city as well. Why don't we travel together? That way, we can look out for each other along the way.”
His words came out of goodwill, fearing that a young girl traveling alone in the wilderness might encounter danger.
Beside him, Zhou Yue and Zhou Shuo woke up as well. Seeing their eldest brother wanting to bring along someone who seemed like dead weight, they showed slight reluctance, but refrained from saying anything.
Since he was acting out of goodwill, refusing outright would seem ungrateful.
Besides, there were only fifty or sixty li left, so traveling together for a stretch didn't matter.
Thus, Shi Yu nodded and accepted.
Rate on N.U.
