novelE2F Chapter 160: The Change of the Red Sandalwood Spiritual Core
Chapter 160: The Change of the Red Sandalwood Spiritual Core
Chapter 160: Abnormality of the Purple Sandalwood Tree Core
This 'Dragon Seeking Qi Observation Technique' shares a similar concept with his 'Thousand Mile Breath Lock Technique'.
However,
The former's coverage was truly too limited, only about fifty miles,
While the latter, after complete mastery, could track for a thousand miles.
Soon,
Li Lan thought again,
Since the two techniques had such similar effects,
If 'Dragon Seeking Qi Observation' could be used to trace origins,
His Thousand Mile Breath Lock might not be entirely useless.
Li Lan pondered in secret,
He would find an opportunity in the future to try and search for Wang An's Immortal Cave, left behind before his death, using the residual Qi on the Restriction token.
Although this person's Cultivation Realm was currently low,
In his previous life, he was at least at the Foundation Establishment Stage, so the items inside would naturally not be too bad.
Li Lan was contemplating these matters,
While the auction continued.
Soon,
All the appetizers were served,
And the finale item, the Foundation Establishment Pill, was brought out.
Facing this Medicinal Pill,
Even Li Lan no longer intended to observe; he was ready to make a move and try to bid for one or two.
Although this Foundation Establishment Pill could increase the chance of advancement,
It could not guarantee 100% success.
In the Cultivation World,
There were countless examples of Qi Refining Great Perfection Cultivators who took Foundation Establishment Pills and tried more than ten times but still failed to Breakthrough.
Li Lan knew his Aptitude,
And the three Foundation Establishment Pills he currently possessed were clearly not enough.
Li Lan had always been meticulous and usually planned ahead for things that had not yet happened.
He was prepared to fail in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage ten or even dozens of times.
He also didn't know,
If he could successfully advance to the Foundation Establishment Realm within his remaining fifty years of Lifespan.
Li Lan only knew one thing:
No matter the final outcome,
He would not give up, even at the very last moment.
The competition for the Foundation Establishment Pill far exceeded Li Lan's expectations.
The starting bid for this Medicinal Pill was one thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones,
Which was already a bit high compared to the Medicinal Pill's inherent value.
But stimulated by the auction atmosphere and the secret rivalry among the Fellow Daoists,
The price of this Foundation Establishment Pill quickly rose to a daunting level.
"Damn it, they're crazy, these people are all crazy!
It's just a Foundation Establishment Pill, is it really necessary to go this far?
If you lack other Cultivation resources, what's the use of smashing everything to buy a single Medicinal Pill?
I really don't understand what these guys are thinking!"
Shancai Tongzi made several bids, but they were all suppressed by other Cultivators,
Angrily, he slammed the table and cursed a few times in frustration.
"Alas, it seems we might return empty-handed today.
Although I had anticipated this, I'm still somewhat unwilling now.
Fellow Daoists, besides this auction, do you know of any other channels to obtain Foundation Establishment Pills?
As long as the price isn't as insane as this auction, it's negotiable."
Li Lan also feigned regret, subtly extracting information.
The Cultivators in the private room exchanged glances,
Ultimately, they all let out a long sigh.
"Foundation Establishment Pills and their refining Materials are all controlled by those big figures.
This auction by the Qian Business Association is one of the very few ways to bypass them and obtain this Medicinal Pill.
If we can't get it here, I'm afraid we can only participate in those life-or-death Sect missions,
To work for them and thereby obtain Foundation Establishment Pills."
The private room immediately fell into a dead silence.
Naturally, few who had Cultivated to this level were willing to be someone else's chess piece.
Normally, performing less risky missions for the Sect was fine.
But once it involved their own life and safety,
Even official Disciples and elite inner Disciples,
Would probably hesitate and ponder for a long time before making a decision.
Clearly,
Compared to participating in a Spiritual Vein争夺 (Spiritual Vein competition),
It was simpler to kill a few Cultivators who possessed Foundation Establishment Pills and gain without effort.
In the private room,
Shancai Tongzi and the other Cultivators' gazes involuntarily fell upon a masked Cultivator who was wealthy and successfully bid for a Foundation Establishment Pill.
The unconcealed greedy glint in their eyes,
Startled Li Lan.
Through these past few days of interaction,
He had gained a general understanding of these Cultivators' temperaments.
They were not truly evil people; one or two of them were even very kind,
And easy to talk to.
Normally, they naturally wouldn't harbor any ill intentions towards others.
But now, faced with such a heavy temptation,
It was hard to say if they could continue to uphold their original intentions without wavering.
After all,
Every man for himself.
Frankly speaking,
Li Lan had also had this thought.
If he could kill more people like Dou *Shixiong*,
Not only would his own Cultivation be worry-free, but he could also auction off the excess Medicinal Pills,
To exchange for other valuable Cultivation resources, which would indeed be a good thing.
But this thought only flashed in Li Lan's mind before quickly disappearing.
Firstly,
Not all Cultivators' Cultivation Techniques were as strict as Dou *Shixiong*'s,
Which required taking Foundation Establishment Pills only at specific times to achieve maximum effect.
Most Cultivators, after obtaining Foundation Establishment Pills,
Would probably quickly fill their Dantian with Spiritual Qi and immediately take the Medicinal Pills to prepare for breaking through the Bottleneck,
They would definitely not wander idly outside.
Secondly,
What most people could think of was definitely not a good thing.
There were thousands of Cultivators participating in the auction,
These so-called Righteous Path sects might appear upright on the surface,
But in reality, who knows how many insidious individuals were secretly eyeing those Foundation Establishment Pills that were auctioned off.
It was still unknown who would ultimately obtain this Medicinal Pill.
But one thing was certain:
After this auction, many Cultivators would disappear.
With so many people scheming against each other, the overall danger level,
Was not much lower than participating in Sect missions.
Finally,
As mentioned earlier,
Li Lan currently possessed three Foundation Establishment Pills and had not yet reached a desperate situation.
He had no need to put himself in danger for this Medicinal Pill right now.
After weighing the options,
Li Lan immediately found an excuse and left the private room.
As time passed,
Watching those Foundation Establishment Pills fall into others' hands one by one,
It was hard to say if Shancai Tongzi and the others could remain calm.
If any of them suggested killing for the Medicinal Pill and Li Lan didn't participate, he might end up burning himself.
Therefore, to avoid reaching that point,
He chose to protect himself in advance.
After leaving the private room,
Li Lan did not return home but sought out Qian Zibin, who had been assigned to maintain order since the auction began.
"Senior Brother Jiang Chuan, you want those unsold items?"
Qian Zibin looked at Li Lan in surprise,
Scratched his head, and asked, puzzled:
"Since Senior Brother wants them, why didn't you bid at the auction? Why wait until they're unsold to buy them?"
Li Lan smiled slightly.
"It's simple. The items on the auction block are not fixed prices.
If I were to rashly call out a price, and your hidden shills drove it up, wouldn't I suffer a loss?"
Qian Zibin showed a hint of embarrassment, but quickly returned to normal.
He said earnestly:
"Senior Brother Jiang Chuan, you jest. Our Qian Business Association has always been fair and just, with transparent transactions.
All participants in the auction are legitimate esteemed guests; there are no shills.
Between us brothers, joking is fine, but please don't say such things outside.
Those who intentionally tarnish the association's reputation will definitely be held accountable by the Family Elders."
No merchant is without deceit,
And it was the same in this Cultivation World.
Without absolute profit,
The Qian Family would naturally not open a business association.
Li Lan didn't care much if the trading party was a cunning merchant.
As long as he could achieve his goal and obtain things beneficial to him,
The transaction price, or how much the other party earned from a single deal, these were not very important.
"Naturally, precisely because of our relationship, Junior Brother, Senior Brother will fully uphold the Qian Family's reputation."
After a few polite words,
Qian Zibin led Li Lan to the back hall of Fengyue Brothel.
At this time,
Although the auction had not yet ended,
Many Cultivators who had previously acquired treasures had already come to trade here.
As soon as he entered the back hall,
A slightly aged but suppressed angry voice reached Li Lan's ears.
"I bid for two Foundation Establishment Pills, one Buddha relic, and several other items.
I merely asked to meet the seller behind the scenes, as having more friends opens more paths. This is not an excessive request, is it?
Your esteemed association is open for business; can't you even satisfy such a small request?"
Turning his head, he saw
A figure completely shrouded in a black robe,
Glaring at the Qian Business Association Disciple opposite him.
"We are truly sorry. You are an esteemed guest, and that seller is also an esteemed guest.
Protecting the personal safety of esteemed guests is the duty of the Qian Business Association.
That seller also repeatedly instructed us not to reveal her identity.
We sincerely cannot fulfill Fellow Daoist's request."
The Qian Business Association Disciple repeatedly bowed and smiled apologetically, explaining.
"Nonsense! Where is your manager? Call your manager out; I demand an explanation!"
Qian Zibin saw this scene,
Sighed and whispered:
"This person probably doesn't have enough Spirit Stones and realized he impulsively bid on too many items earlier,
Hence, he's trying to find an excuse to return some.
It's not easy doing business, after all, not all Cultivators we encounter,
Are as easy to talk to as Senior Brother Jiang Chuan."
Li Lan neither confirmed nor denied this,
His eyes flickered slightly for a moment.
This matter was clearly not as simple as Qian Zibin had stated.
Li Lan recognized the black-robed Cultivator; he was the one whom Li Lan had previously sensed was unusual, suspected of concealing his Cultivation Realm.
He wondered what this person's purpose was in doing this.
He cast the distracting thoughts from his mind,
And thought for a moment, then said:
"Junior Brother Zibin, if this person successfully returns the Foundation Establishment Pills, does that mean I, Senior Brother, will have a chance to directly purchase these unsold items?"
Qian Zibin shook his head.
"Senior Brother Jiang Chuan is overthinking; there's no such opportunity.
The Qian Business Association never allows any sold items to be returned. If one doesn't have Spirit Stones, they must use other equivalent Cultivation resources to compensate,
If there are no other equivalent Cultivation resources, they must temporarily pledge loyalty to the Qian Business Association."
Li Lan pouted,
But he could understand this.
After all, it was a Family business association that had been operating for so long,
It was not surprising that they had a complete set of rules and solutions for various emergencies.
Following Qian Zibin to meet the auction house manager,
After an introduction and exchange of pleasantries,
Li Lan went straight to the point and smoothly purchased the items he needed.
Three liters of Yao Beast fat ink, some aged Spiritual Plants and Materials, a Demon Cultivator Restriction token, and the 'Dragon Seeking Qi Observation Technique'.
Although these items were not cheap, almost draining more than half of Li Lan's existing Spirit Stone reserves,
They were much more affordable compared to the exorbitant prices on the auction block.
Besides Li Lan,
Many other intelligent Cultivators also had the same idea as him, eyeing the unsold items.
The Demon Cultivator secret Spell that went unnoticed on the auction block,
Had instead become the most sought-after item in private.
Leaving aside the term 'Demon Cultivator',
This was, after all, a Spell that could save one's life,
No matter how great the cost, its advantages were ultimately undeniable.
It was not surprising that it was highly sought after at this time.
Li Lan did not linger there and immediately embarked on his journey back to Chongshan Region.
Although he didn't get the most desired Foundation Establishment Pills at the auction,
With the fat ink and other Materials, he considered his trip worthwhile.
On the way,
While traveling, Li Lan did not forget his daily Cultivation.
During his stay in Jiuhua County City, there were many people and prying eyes,
Out of caution, he didn't dare to take out the purple sandalwood tree core to absorb Spiritual Qi.
Now that he was alone,
Li Lan finally had the opportunity to take out this item.
But as soon as he absorbed the Spiritual Qi filtered by the purple sandalwood tree core into his body, before he even had time to complete one cycle,
He quickly discovered an anomaly.
Within the Spiritual Qi emitted by the purple sandalwood tree core, faint, tiny pale electric arcs were flickering.