There was a moment when Yu Ci could not distinguish whether the sounds that filled the banquet hall were gasps of astonishment or whispers of disbelief. The leaders of the Lichen Sect and Cliff City managed to maintain their composure, but the other attendees, especially the Lone Cultivators, were already engaged in heated discussions, even openly expressing their doubts.
The reason was simple: the price was outrageous!
One hundred and twenty thousand Ruyi Money, a mere trifle, yet it firmly secured a place among the top three highest prices for exchanged Magical Instruments.
Shi Song took a deep breath, straightened his back, and projected his voice from the pit of his stomach, instantly suppressing the surrounding clamor. On behalf of the Cultivators present, he voiced his doubts to Shen Wan, "Manager Shen, is there not a mistake in the price?"
Throughout the previous wave of chaos, Shen Wan's expression remained unchanged, and it was still the case now, "One hundred and twenty thousand Ruyi Money, where is the mistake?"
Shi Song's white eyebrows almost knitted together as he stared at Shen Wan, "Manager Shen, while this Vacuum Energy Life Extension Pill is indeed a rare treasure, a price tag of one hundred and twenty thousand might be inappropriate. This price is almost equivalent to a Magical Instrument Refined to Seventy Layers, nearing a Twelfth Heaven High-quality magic weapon."
He hesitated slightly, worried that his following words might be too blunt, but he finally spoke, "When I was traveling in the East years ago, I also participated in the Heaven Ceremony and witnessed the auction of such Elixirs and Pills. More than twenty people bid at the time, but the final result was only a Magical Instrument refined to over sixty layers, roughly Seventy Thousand Ruyi Money."
"That was seventy years ago, the seventh Vacuum Energy Life Extension Pill handcrafted by Master Li Wusheng of the Self-Improvement Hall, which was exchanged for a pair of Trapped Dragon Twin Rings, just one layer short of reaching the Eleventh Heaven," Shen Wan added with a smile, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the Self-Improvement Hall was the biggest competitor of the Random Heart Pavilion in the Cultivation World of the central and western regions.
Seeing her composed demeanor, Shi Song was taken aback. Shen Wan continued:
"Master Shi must have misunderstood, probably overlooking the fact that there are differences in quality among Vacuum Energy Life Extension Pills, which in the world of alchemy, is the difference between full-effect prescriptions and imitation prescriptions. Although it's not easy to refine imitation prescriptions, about ten households in the Cultivation World know how, including the Self-Improvement Hall and our Pavilion. If the collection of herbs goes smoothly, a batch can be produced every eight to ten years, about two or three pills. These Elixirs and Pills can save three years of cultivation for a Cultivator who has just entered the Vacuum Walking Realm, or extend the life of a Golden Elixir Cultivator who is nearing the end of his lifespan by a century. However, the effect is halved after the second use, and it's ineffective after the third. Seventy Thousand Ruyi Money might be a bit inflated, but it's still roughly appropriate."
"As for the one within this box,"
The delicate fingers of the female merchant tapped lightly on the Ocean Sinking Box, producing a soft, muffled sound. Her meaning was clear to all present.
"This Vacuum Energy Life Extension Pill, made according to the Complete Elixir Formula, contains the Quintessential Mysterious Truth. It can save a Vacuum Walking Cultivator ten years of cultivation, and grant a Golden Elixir Cultivator an extension of life for a Sexagenary Cycle. Moreover, the former can take it continuously without harm, while the latter can consume two to three pills before the effect decreases by half, and becomes ineffective after five. It is almost like gaining an extra lifetime. Considering this alone, a price of 120,000 Ruyi Money is not excessive."
She swept her gaze over the crowd, taking in the expressions of the cultivators present. Shen Wan then turned her face and smiled, saying, "Immortal He, I remember your sect also has a copy of the Elixir Formula. I believe you must be familiar with it."
He Qing nodded slightly, then suddenly asked, "Those who possess the Complete Elixir Formula are only from the Central, Southeast, North, and West Extreme regions. What is the origin of the one you hold?"
"Immortal He, please see."
Shen Wan instructed her maid to lift the Ocean Sinking Box and deliver it to He Qing's table. He Qing glanced at her, took the box, and slightly turned it. She saw a mark at the bottom of the box, distinct from the natural patterns of the Deep Sea Spirit Iron. As her fingertip touched it, the unique imprint pattern became clear in her mind.
"So it is indeed genuine."
Most of the seated cultivators were bewildered upon hearing this, but He Qing had no intention of explaining. She merely pondered for a moment, shifted her gaze towards Yu Ci, and then returned the Ocean Sinking Box.
Shen Wan took it back, her gaze also lingering on Yu Ci for a moment before she spoke, pressing on the box:
"Vacuum Energy Life Extension Pill, 120,000 Ruyi Money."
This was the call for the cultivators present to bid. However, after she had spoken, the others looked at each other in dismay. No matter how eager they were before, they all fell silent now. 120,000 Ruyi Money, equivalent to a high-quality magic weapon of the 70th layer of refinement. Apart from the two great Sect's Vacuum Walking Immortal Leaders, most people here probably have never even seen such a sum, let alone exchange it.
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Shi Song sat still, his companion Hu Dan's gaze fixed on him, urging him to make a decision. He understood that his younger fellow disciple was considering his wellbeing, hoping to trade for the Vacuum Energy Life Extension Pill to prolong his life. But what good would that do?
He certainly didn't possess a Magical Instrument refined to the seventieth level. The only option was to trade quantity for quality, coarseness for refinement. If he were to pour out half of the collection accumulated over the years by the Thousands Spirits Sect, he could perhaps scrape together one hundred and twenty thousand Ruyi Money. But with such a hodgepodge of items, Shen Wan could easily refuse the trade on the grounds of poor quality. After much consideration, it seemed he needed two eleventh-tier or three to four ten-tier Heavenly Refinement Magical Instruments to exchange for the Elixir and Pill.
The former was out of the question, and the latter would barely suffice even if he and Hu Dan were to deplete their top-tier collection. But what would happen to Hu Dan and the Thousands Spirits Sect if those Magical Instruments were traded away?
With a bitter smile, Shi Song closed his eyes, deciding not to worry about it anymore.
His life, which was nearing its end, had just seen a glimmer of hope, only for it to be extinguished once again. Such was the cruel jest of the heavens!
The hall remained silent, but then came a soft clatter, as if someone had placed something on the table, followed by a loud voice, "Are these two plaques sufficient for the trade?"
It was Yu Ci's voice. Shi Song opened his eyes at the sound, only to see two unremarkable Jade Plaques in front of Yu Ci. One of them was facing up, revealing the characters "Ruyi" on its surface.
"A Wishful Jade Pendant?" Shen Wan exclaimed in surprise, this was beyond her expectation.
Yu Ci handed the two plaques to a maid, who passed them to Shen Wan. After a brief examination, Shen Wan glanced sideways, questioning, "Master Bi Chao, these plaques..."
Bi Chao didn't respond, only nodding with an enigmatic smile. Shen Wan gave her a few more glances. The amount shown on the Jade Plaque was one thing, but the source of the plaques was quite astonishing. The low-key Master Bi Chao, who didn't have much reputation within the Rakshasa Sect, was demonstrating a generosity and broad-mindedness that was anything but ordinary!
In the entire Rakshasa Sect, only a handful of cultivators could command such a substantial line of credit at the Random Heart Pavilion.
Shen Wan, a woman, shook her head and thought no more about it. After all, prying was not a merchant's place. As for the other Wishful Jade Pendant, it came from the Great Passage, bearing an authorized seal that had been verified to be genuine.
"Two Wishful Jade Pendants, one hundred thousand Ruyi Money."
Gasps filled the room. It was the first time someone had used Ruyi Money to exchange for treasures, and the amount was staggering. Just these two tokens alone could sweep away more than half of the treasures previously offered!
Everyone knew that Yu Ci, a man, had his eyes on the Vacuum Energy Life Extension Pill, but no one had expected him to be carrying such a vast fortune. For a moment, all eyes from the assembled cultivators were fixed on him.
Yu Ci sat behind the desk, meeting the incredulous stares of the many cultivators with a calm demeanor. "One hundred thousand Ruyi Money is a significant sum, but it's not enough."
This had already exceeded his expectations. When he had calculated beforehand, he could hardly imagine that one hundred thousand Ruyi Money would not be enough to purchase a Life-Prologing Treasure. Back then, when Elder Chu, a man, had given him the Wishful Jade Pendant, he had confidently assured him that it would be more than enough. But now, there was clearly a shortfall of twenty thousand!
Fortunately, he had been working tirelessly and doing everything in his power to prepare for such unexpected circumstances. He had already extended his divine consciousness into his Storage Ring, ready to bring out that item.
At that moment, a thought struck him, and he turned his face. He Qing, a woman, was looking at him. When their eyes met, the female cultivator gave a slight nod. Not only He Qing, but also Gan Shi Zhen, a woman, seemed to have understood something. Her pretty face turned serious, and after her gaze had circled between He Qing and him twice, she straightened up, ready to speak. However, He Qing's palm was already on her shoulder.
At this time, Shen Wan was shaking her head, "We only have one hundred thousand Ruyi Money here, Immortal Yu."
Before she could finish her sentence, a long shadow burst in from the viewing platform outside the window, its slender tail knocking over more than ten cloud bamboos and causing chaos in the room. But no one expressed dissatisfaction, because the intruder was none other than He Qing's Immortal Elder's Destiny Spiritual Object, the Fish-Dragon "Shan Gu".
He Qing, a woman, reached out to grasp this python-like spiritual object. As everyone looked on in confusion, her slender pinky finger suddenly plunged nearly two knuckles deep into Shan Gu's spine.
Shan Gu's long body jolted violently, then began to twitch slightly, surprisingly not going berserk. At this moment, He Qing withdrew her finger, a grey-white fluid splashed out, caught by a jade vial she had prepared earlier.
"Fish-Dragon Spinal Cord, how much is it worth now?" she asked.
Shen Wan, also a woman, paused for a moment and then slowly nodded, "Considering the quality of your Fish-Dragon, Immortal He, and that it's a Destiny Spiritual Object, having been immersed day and night in this Fish-Dragon Spinal Cord, it's worth about thirty thousand. But this might mean that the Fish-Dragon may not recover within a cycle of sixty years."
He Qing responded indifferently, "What's done is done, there's no need for further words."
Yu Ci, a man, watched this scene, still somewhat stunned. Shen Wan, however, began to smile.
She was in a great mood. Not only for the vial of Fish-Dragon Spinal Cord but also for the two Wishful Jade Pendants in her hand.
Random Heart Pavilion issued Ruyi Money and then used various methods to reclaim it. It seemed like a self-defeating action, but in fact, it involved resource integration, relationship mobilization, and various other changes. The benefits were countless. Each recovery would enhance the influence of Random Heart Pavilion. Just these two Jade Plaques could significantly enhance Shen Wan's reputation in the eyes of the Pavilion's leaders.
Moreover, releasing this Vacuum Energy Life Extension Pill could provide the Lichen Sect, which was in urgent need of such Elixir and Pill, with a research opportunity. It was equivalent to owing a huge favor from Random Heart Pavilion. In the future competition between Random Heart Pavilion and Self-Improvement Hall in the central and western regions, the Pavilion might not be so passive.
With so many birds killed with one stone, why wouldn't Shen Wan be happy?
"So, if no one else bids, this Vacuum Energy Life Extension Pill will be..."
"Hold on!"
A voice suddenly interrupted Shen Wan's speech, the tone was light and smooth, "Could my Phantom Demon Golden Tower be worth this Pill?"
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So tired, working overtime to write materials, my brain is running out of juice. I'm becoming more and more like a grumbling woman, sigh.
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