“I won’t waste anyone’s time and simply advise you that these are Casting Cauldron Pills. With them being able to advance the cauldron grade, their value can be estimated.”

Everyone turned red-eyed at the sight of this. This was the treasure they all came for!

****

There were nine vials in total. All one had to do was to swallow a pill at each level in the cauldron forging realm, and they would be able to go farther than their normal limit.

“What grade are the casting cauldron pills!?” someone asked.

Though alchemical pills had differing grades overall, there were some pills that had differing levels, even though they were the same pill, and one of the most famous of this type was the casting cauldron pills.

These differences in levels decided how effectively well these casting cauldron pills worked.

Huli Ruo smiled and answered honestly, “These are all one-cast pills.”

When everyone heard this, they felt a bit rueful. This meant that these pills could only allow one to upgrade their cauldron by one grade and this also meant their effectiveness was greatest under high-grade cauldrons.

However, this rueful atmosphere didn’t last long. One needs to consider how rare the casting cauldron pills were. Besides, just because their effects were the greatest under high grade didn’t mean that one couldn’t consume several pills at one stage to augment their chances of getting an even higher grade cauldron than before.

When everyone thought of this, their fervour immediately rose back to the previous level.

“These vials are all being sold together, so whilst we are auctioning the price based on one vial, the overall cost will be multiplied by nine. So do be careful, everyone,” warned Huli Ruo. Not wanting persons to make a bid that they are then unable to follow through on. Not only would such an occurrence be extremely embarrassing, but the cost of offending a gargantuan existence wasn’t something that anyone here could bear.

Everyone’s expressions changed upon hearing this. This was a bit too ruthless, wasn’t it? This meant that everyone only had one chance to get the vial of pills. So they had to go all out if they wanted these vials of pills.

“With that being said, the base price of a vial will be starting at 100 spirit stones. To remind everyone more, this means the person would have to pay a grand total of 900 spirit stones.”

“100 spirit stones!”

“120 spirit stones!”

Even though Huli Ruo gave her warning, this didn’t stop the bids from coming in like crazy!

“160 spirit stones!” An instantly large bid shook the steady momentum that was slowly building.

“1… 170 spirit stones!”

“175 spirit stones! All the brothers here, I am purchasing these vials of pills for my master, Chen Jie! If you let me purchase these pills here, I am sure the young Lord will thank you all!” announced Xiao Yanshi.

“Xiao Yanshi!” Huli Ruo was furious! She didn’t even call his name with any honorifics.

The Qian Dao Sect didn’t refuse any customer and saw no difference between races or backgrounds, they would still want to do business with you. However, once you affected their interests, that would be reaching dangerously close to their bottom line. If Xiao Yanshi wasn’t such a high-profile customer, she would have ordered for him to be thrown out already!

However, the damage was already done. In the first place, when he made such a huge jump in the bid, he threw everyone off. Even though it was a bit annoying; it was an okay tactic to use since anyone would like to save money and going about it this way was perfectly within the rules.

Just look at the result. Many people who would otherwise be arduously bidding at the moment became quite hesitant, but it didn’t mean the end of it. Even though many were thrown off, there were a scant few who decided to continue along.

This would have allowed another rhythm to pick up and bring the bid to a new high. But Xiao Yanshi used his background to intimidate everyone. This wasn’t something that the Qian Dao Sect could tolerate, hence Huli Ruo’s earlier outburst.

“We do not allow one to exercise their background to bully anyone within our auction house!” Huli Ruo said with a frown towards Xiao Yanshi’s private box. She then looked towards everyone else, “Friends, you can all bid just like before.”

But the damage was already done. No one was making any more bids.

To them, they were looking at this from another perspective. You can protect us inside your auction house, but will you follow behind us and put us in your auction house wherever we went?

When Huli Ruo saw that no one was planning to continue the bidding, her face went red with anger! However, there was nothing she could do, so she reluctantly chose to start the closing of the bid.

“200 spirit stones.”

When that lazy voice bereft of life and excitement sounded, Huli Ruo thought it was the most mesmerising sound in the world!

Yes, there was someone willing to stand against this piece of trash! Xiao Yanshi’s reputation wasn’t foreign to her, so she naturally hated him even more, though she was able to hide it well.

When Xiao Yanshi heard this bid, however, his expression turned dark once more.

“205 spirit stones! This friend, I am buying the-”

“Xiao Yanshi, tread lightly!” Huli Ruo’s voice took on a menacing undertone. She wasn’t going to give him a chance to throw his weight around anymore. “This may be the branch stationed within a mortal city, but if you continue to act wantonly here, you’ll force me to make a report, and end up banning the Infernal Myriad Ground Clan from entering any and all Qian Dao Sect owned auction houses!”

When Xiao Yanshi heard this, his expression greatly changed, and he didn’t dare to act wilfully anymore. This threat might not work coming from anywhere else, but the Qian Dao Sect was a monstrous existence across the entire continent!

They had auction houses, shops, and many other businesses that cultivators relied on. If the Qian Dao Sect decided to blacklist any specific sect from entering their establishments, then that would be a massive blow!

They might even lose connections with other sects, as the latter might be afraid of being implicated by way of association. The Qian Dao Sect was too powerful, so not one or even a hundred sects boycotting their use would be able to shake their foundation. So no one would be willing to stand up for another, and would rather distance themselves instead.

Seeing that Xiao Yanshi remained quiet, Huli Ruo was about to let Long Di’s private box know that they were safe to bid, but she realised that her fears were unfounded.

“220 spirit stones.” Long Di didn’t give a crap.

Her expressions brightened up hearing this. She didn’t know how Long Di looked, but he appeared extremely attractive to her at the moment.

Xiao Yanshi, on the other hand, was fuming like an industrial-grade truck’s exhaust pipe. He knew the rules of the Qian Dao Sect regarding one’s use of backgrounds to pressure others. However, due to his status, not as an Infernal Myriad Ground Clan member, but rather his potential as a customer, he thought they wouldn’t be able to do too much to him, but not even his master could bear the consequences of cutting ties with the Qian Dao Sect.

That was equivalent to one’s lifeblood being withheld. He might even be executed by the Infernal Myriad Ground Clan to appease the Qian Dao Sect. They wouldn’t even mourn his loss. He was merely a lackey.

They would even go as far as compensating the Qian Dao Sect for their loss in an attempt to open a request for them to be whitelisted once more.

He originally wanted to end this auction in the early stages, so that he could keep some of his master’s funds for himself. But now that it was like this, he could only honestly continue to bid and not only that, win it as well.

His master was a man of temper, and he didn’t dare to think what would happen to him should he fail.

“230 spirit stones!”

“250 spirit stones.”

“260 spirit stones!”

“280 spirit stones.”

“290 spirit stones!”

…

“That’s right Long Di, continue to raise the bid just like that!” cheered Yaomu Shou with raised fists.

“What are you, my hype man? I want these pills for the guys, so naturally, I am bidding because I want em.”

“But there’s an important mission that needs fulfilling at this moment!”

“And that would be…? 330 spirit stones…” he said to raise the bid once more.

“Screwing that guy over!” exclaimed Yaomu Shou.

“I think your priorities are a bit askew,” Long Di pointed out.

“He deserves it!” Yaomu Shou shouted.

“370 spirit stones…” he shot to the auction below before turning his attention back towards Yaomu Shou. “I’m not saying he doesn’t, I’m just saying these guys,” he pointed to Feng Yu and the others, “deserve those pills more than he deserves his comeuppance.”

Yaomu Shou snorted when she heard this, “Hmph! You don’t need these measly one cast pills!”

Long Di rose a brow when heard this, “I… 400 spirit stones… don’t?” he asked.

“No,” Yaomu Shou said proudly. “Just bring everyone to my house and I will be able to give you all the pills you need.”

“If this was in my last world, then this entire conversation would be riddled with red flags. The differences for what is allowed in this place is astounding.” Long Di said.

Yaomu Shou didn’t comment too much on this. She thought that when he said ‘last world,’ he simply meant where he was from originally, which was most likely a sect or clan within a region populated by humans.

“Well, whatever… will you help me to screw him over or not?” she asked after seeing him place another bid.

“I think that somehow this was your plan all along. You sure are waving your red flags high and proud, but you know what, strut your individuality. Anyway, fine, I will. I’ll start to screw him over, eventually. I don’t think he’s reached his limit, anyway.”

…

“I’ve passed my limit so long ago!” cried Xiao Yanshi. He looked towards Long Di’s private box and gnashed his teeth in anger.

He had to get these pills! As of now, he was dipping into his own life savings!

“460 spirit stones.”

When he heard Long Di’s bid, he nearly coughed up blood! ‘How much money does this guy have!?’

Xiao Yanshi decided to go all out! “550 spirit stones!”

“…”

He didn’t hear anything from Long Di’s side for quite a while and thought that he reached his bottom line. His hands balled up into fists as he even forgot the two beauties by his side.

…

“I thought you wanted me to screw him over.”

“And we are.”

“But we haven’t spent a lot yet.”

“He’s probably broke if he pays that amount.”

“How do you know?”

“Can’t you read people?”

“My best friend is a cat, and I understand him better than I do people.”

Yaomu Shou stared at Long Di for a while before replying, “I’m not even going to begin to question that statement.”

“Anyhow, I want you to stutter and then call out a number. When he thinks that you’re at your limit, he’ll probably bring out some of his own treasures to make up the difference. As far as he’s concerned, the end is at hand and I want him to suffer!” There was a look of elation on her face.

“You’re a little freaky, aren’t you?” questioned Long Di.

“Tch! I’m not paying attention to you! Anywho, we’ve stayed silent long enough. Make another bid just like I told you.”

“Fine. Ahem…” he cleared his throat “Five… fi-five hundred and sixty-one…”

…

When Xiao Yanshi heard another bid being made, he quickly despaired, but when heard the amount, this quickly turned into happiness.

“Hmph! He’s at the end of his rope! He probably remained even-toned up until this point to throw me off my game!”

To him, Long Di wanting to spend 561 spirit stones was equivalent to signifying that he was drawing every last stone for the pills! If he had said 560 spirit stones, then maybe Xiao Yanshi wouldn’t continue, but 561 was such a peculiar number that he believed it was Long Di’s last bit of funds.

Suddenly, he felt really smart for forcing Long Di to spend those extra stones for the saber technique.

“He had a few treasures on him. Though they weren’t worth a lot, he could use them to bypass Long D’s bid and win this auction!

After doing some quick calculations for what he owned, he then called out his bid, “580 spirit stones!”

“Fi-five hundred and eighty-one…”

The heck is this!?’

“Wasn’t he supposed to be out of money?” Xian Yanshi mumbled to himself. “Oh, I get it. He must be pawning off his treasures as well. How pathetic, though, to only be able to dredge up a single stone. Well, I still have one in reserve!” he sneered.

“590 spirit stones!” he announced boldly. He had won this auction.

“F-five hundred and ninety-one spirit stones…”

‘591 spirit stones your mother! Are you messing with me!?’ Xiao Yanshi nearly coughed up blood in anger once again!

He then looked to the beauty beside him and asked with a malicious grin, “You, how many spirit stones do you have?”

She then shrunk back in front of his gaze, “W-What?” Wasn’t she the one to get money from all this?

…

“Alright, so he must be getting pretty desperate,” advised Yaomu Shou. “No need to go anymore, this is all he’s got!”

Long Di honestly couldn’t give a rat’s ass, “Meh.”

“597 spirit stones!”

Xiao Yanshi’s bid came out once more. It sounded like it came out through gritted teeth to anyone that heard it.

Everyone actually felt joyful that this happened. He used his background to pressure them, and now someone who didn’t care appeared and messed with him to spend more than he planned.

Huli Ruo closed the bid on what should have signified the end of the auction.

“Hm? Why isn’t she signalling the end of the auction?”

Huli Ruo stood there with a mysterious smile, before asking a question that caused the hearts of everyone in the room to beat faster, “Everyone, do you know of the spiritual treasure between heaven and earth known as an earth flame?”