''It is the 'fire-spirit fruit'.The minimum bid must be at least 5000 sect points while every increment must be at least 200 sect points higher than the last bid.''

Every alchemist sitting in the outer seats had stood up. Even the people inside the private rooms like Shun Long couldn't stay completely calm as they looked with eyes full of fervor towards the 'fire-spirit fruit' on the main stage. The only exception was Li Wei who looked down from his private room towards those people with a mocking look in his eyes as he thought

'Look at those bumpkins getting so excited over a single 'fire-spirit fruit'. Our 'Alchemist's Guild' has at least 5 of those fruits.'

The bidding immediately started as people called their bids one after the other

''5500 sect points''

''6000''

''7000''

''7500''

The price didn't stop increasing until it reached the 10.000 sect points.

''Is there anyone who is willing to offer a higher price? If not, this 'fire-spirit fruit' will go to this honorable guest over here'' Lan Jinjing said as she pointed towards a guest at the side of the outer seats who had bid 10.000 sect points for the 'fire-spirit fruit'.

In reality, although the 'fire-spirit fruit' was rare, 10.000 sect points had already exceeded its value, but this was the reality of the auctions in the 'cultivation world'. When you needed something you would pay as much as you had to, in order to obtain it.

''20.000 points'' Shun Long called from inside the private room in a placid voice.

The people inside the auction hall who heard Shun Long's voice and remembered the terrifying aura he had emitted earlier all started to shudder. The alchemist in the outer seats who had bid 10.000 sect points earlier, now felt dispirited. He had a bit more than 13.000 sect points and he was confident that he could obtain the 'fire-spirit fruit' but this senior had to ruin everything.

Even Yin Xing couldn't help asking

''Senior are you certain that you wish to spend 20.000 sect points for a rank 2 'fire-spirit fruit'?''

20.000 Sect points was an astronomical price to pay for a rank 2 herb. However Shun Long didn't mind that. After selling the 'Qi barrier-breaking' pills earlier, his sect points were now more than 50.000.

Shun Long just nodded his head at Yin Xing's question

In the auction hall, Lan Jinjing was the first to recover as she said

''If there is no higher offer, then this 'fire-spirit fruit' will go to the senior in private room number 2.''

Since no one put forth a higher offer than Shun Long, the staff of the 'Treasure Pavilion' sent someone to deliver the 'fire-spirit fruit' in his private room.

A disciple in yellow robes arrived carrying a small wooden box with the 'fire-spirit fruit' inside. Shun Long paid the 20.000 sect points and after receiving the box, he opened it and saw a red fruit the size of an adult's fist, with red lines all over its surface. Shun Long then closed the box and put it inside his robes along with the 'water element grass'.

After the disciple left the room, Shun Long handed Yin Xing a paper as he said ''Although this recipe isn't as good as my original 'Qi barrier-breaking' pill recipe, the pills created from this will still have a 40 percent chance of allowing a peak rank 6 qi condensation cultivator to reach the middle stages or rank 7.''

Yin Xing was overjoyed when he heard Shun Long's words and held the recipe near his chest as he bowed repeatedly while thanking Shun Long.

Yin Xing had helped Shun Long a lot while he was in the 'Treasure Pavilion' and as an alchemist, Shun Long knew what Yin Xing desired the most. Although this recipe was nothing in Shun Long's eyes, to Yin Xing it was a priceless treasure that could help him improve his abilities as an alchemist even further.

Shun Long then decided to leave the 'Treasure Pavilion' as he had no more interest in the auction. He had already learned from Yin Xing what the rest of the items in the auction were going to be and the only interesting thing left was a 'golden lion' cub. However, Yin Xing's estimation was that the cub would be sold for at least 70.000 sect points.

An adult golden lion was a rank 3 beast that could fight against experts at the late stages of the Heaven grade. Anyone having such a mount would be near-invincible in the 'Floating cloud sect'.

Shun Long walked around the city until he found a secluded corner to remove his black robes, before stealthily returning to the inn. After paying the inn owner another 4 sect points for the next month, Shun Long shut himself in his room.

He looked at the 'water element grass' and the 'fire-spirit fruit' in his hands, as well as the rest of the ingredients that he had previously purchased from the 'Treasure Pavilion' and after taking a deep breath he said

''Finally, I now have everything needed to refine the 'internal destruction pill'.''