146-153

Chapter 146: Touring the Streets

After their meal, the group traveled along the streets of Polarity City in a leisurely manner. They took a stroll down the busy streets, exploring various stalls and shops.

While Li Lang's party was enjoying the view, he was deep in thought about whether high-quality food could aid in cultivation and why. At the same time, he was beating himself up for his shallow cultivation. The tofu pudding he had entered into Ruby couldn't be fully analyzed. It was made from Earth-grade ingredients, which meant the Qi was in the realms of Foundation Establishment. He would have to wait for his breakthrough if he wanted the auto-analyzer to work on the pudding.

Even if it did work, I doubt it will tell me much. It'll just be like the talismans, giving me just the material composition and Qi signature.

Like that, Li Lang absent-mindedly followed along, entering into store after store as they shopped around.

"Welcome to our treasure pavilion! Everything here is for sale. Just let me know if you need help."

The treasure pavilion was what this world called pawn shops. It had a myriad of goods, including rare items that were hard to come by. The only caveat was that the rarity was taken into account when setting the price.

"Five orange crystals for a Foundation Pill? That's a lot more than I thought. That's like fifty thousand Qi-stones!" Long Yi exclaimed.

"It s-says they only t-take orange Qi crystals."

"That's not surprising," Sima Xue interjected. "These are normally kept within an organization and not spread around. The currency being set is nothing unusual either. It's set so only people with a certain amount of cultivation or background can buy it."

Seeing Long Yi's questioning look, Wei Ping elaborated.

"For e-experts, only Qi stones at their level are u-useful to their cultivation. While the organization sets an e-exchange price for their d-diciples, it's not so easy in the outside world to attain higher grade Qi crystals."

Wei Ping continued to explain the intricacies of the economy to a frowning Long Yi. The sects and organizations monopolized the Qi crystal mines, so it was hard for others to come by high-level Qi stones. They had many uses, aiding in cultivation or powering formations. It was a waste for these organizations to trade them out to just anybody.

At the same time, if the sects wanted to trade out a high number of these Qi crystals, they wouldn't even be able to find buyers who could afford them except those from other organizations. After all, mortal currencies were useless to them.

Normally, the currency one used stayed close to their realm of cultivation. In a way, their economy was separated, with this mechanic acting as a chasm between them. It was the sects and official organizations that helped bridge that gap as renowned experts co-existed with their weaker juniors.

Their shopping trip soon came to an end when they came across a grand hall surrounded by an active crowd. The structure was as large as a castle, likely being able to host thousands within its chambers.

"Here we are. The Grand Hall of Polarity City. This is where the main auction will take place in about a month's time. It's also where we can see the schedule for the various auctions taking place all over the city," Sima Xue explained.

They didn't have to push through the crowd to be able to see a giant stone tablet hovering in the air by the entrance. It was as tall as the building itself, spanning over fifty feet. Its contents weren't engraved, but written in an ink that shone for all to see, even during the light of day.

"There's quite a few auctions taking place, aren't there?" Li Lang noted as they stared up at the giant stone tablet.

"Oh look, there's two happening tonight!" Sima Xue said. "Do you want to go for an artifact auction or one with cultivation techniques?"

The tablet had noted down not only the type of items it specialized in but also the grade of the items. Both auctions were for Earth-grade treasures.

Hmm, both are not something we can immediately use. Plus, we'd have to compete against Foundation Establishment to win anything. This means as a spectator, the decision is based on what we find more interesting.

"Which one do you guys find more interesting?" Li Lang asked, turning to his peers.

"Hmm, shouldn't we go for the artifacts? We wanted to buy some, right?" Long Yi answered.

"B-boss plans to c-create his own, though. Right?"

Li Lang nodded.

"It's better to create something to fit our style than to change our style to accommodate for the tool."

"There could still be defensive or utility artifacts," Sima Xue chimed in.

This caused the group to quiet down as they fell into deep thought. Upon taking another glance up at the schedule, Li Lang voiced his new plan.

"They're an hour apart. Let's just go to both."

"But they last for three hours at the minimum!" Sima Xue cried.

"We can just leave midway. These items aren't something we can use now…unless there's something you want?"

"All artifacts I use must be approved by my master."

"In that case, we're all just taking a look, so it won't matter if we stay until the end or not."

With the matter settled, the group departed for the first auction on the schedule. The one for cultivation techniques. While Li Lang had access to a colossal collection in his Crucible, they weren't something he could access at will. 

His low cultivation meant he couldn't alter the laws of his Spirit-grade artifact. He needed to pass the trials properly to unlock the repository. Even if he could access it, Li Lang wouldn't say no to more techniques. He knew the ones in the Crucible came from another era, and adding modern techniques to his collection wasn't a waste at all.

The streets were crowded, so it took some time for them to arrive at the venue. Still, there was plenty of time until it started.

They stopped at the door, where a sign informed them they needed to place a deposit of five red crystals per person. Li Lang had more than enough to satisfy the requirement, so they were quickly handed badges to wear in exchange for the crystals. Each of them had a unique number on it. 

Walking inside, they found the venue to be similar to a theatre, a stone building with a grand auditorium with tiered seating. At the center was a stage made of white stones. The most noticeable thing was the decorative lanterns floating by the ceiling.

Li Lang could tell it made use of an advanced application of brushweaving, drawing runes onto the air itself to produce the lighting effect. It wasn't something he was close to accomplishing at this point in time.

The crowd slowly but surely filled in. Every single one of them was in the late stages of Energy Gathering, at the very least. In fact, the majority of them were Foundation Establishment cultivators. There weren't any Violet Core elders at all, unless they were incognito, hiding their presence.

It wasn't surprising, considering they wouldn't waste time on items irrelevant to themselves. Their juniors could take care of themselves. They would likely only show up at the main event, where Saint-grade items could be found.

Li Lang's group settled into their seats on the main floor and silently took in the atmosphere.

The auction started precisely as scheduled. All the lights dimmed except for the one right above the stage, and a woman in tidy white robes stepped onto the stage.

She wore a soothing smile that earned a positive impression on all those who saw it for the first time. It made even the most temperamental people struggle to flare up at her.

"Welcome everyone to the third cultivation knowledge session for Earth-grade techniques," she said with a gentle voice that somehow managed to be clearly heard over the bustle of the crowd. "I am honored to be graced by the presence of all you heroes and experts gathered here tonight. I am Xiao Gao Mei, your auctioneer for today."

Her speech caused the venue to quiet down, but she gave it an extra few seconds for people to settle completely.

"Oh, it's Fairy Xiao! We're in luck."

"Shush, it's starting."

The auctioneer resumed her speech and this time; she began going over the rules and etiquette for the session. It was obvious the lines were something she was well versed in, likely having recited it hundreds of times. Auctioneers always had to explain the rules in case there were any newcomers.

"With that out of the way, let us jump straight into it!" she proclaimed.

At the wave of her hand, a white pedestal appeared in the center of the stage. Accompanying it was a worn cultivation manual with a frayed cover.

"Allow me to present the first item up for auction. It is a movement technique found recently in an ancient study. Its name is Whispering Strides. From our appraisal, it is a mid-tier Earth-grade technique rated as a level six technique. Thus, the starting price is fifty red crystals!"

Xiao Gao Mei gave her audience some time to digest. The chatter livened up the room.

"What's the technique rating about?" Li Lang whispered over to his friend from Nightmoon Valley.

"It's a simple one-to-ten scale. The higher the rating, the more efficient the technique is believed to be for its complexity. It's an easy indicator of how refined a technique is but doesn't tell how powerful it is."

"Oh, I've never heard about it before. How about you?" Li Lang glanced over at Wei Ping.

"Just heard a l-little about it before. O-Only Earth-grade techniques are rated, s-so I hadn't d-dug too deep."

"It's only really ever used in auctions or for organization in large sect libraries," Sima Xue continued. "It's something arbitrarily decided by several experts, so it's not that important usually. Though, as you can see, they care about details like that in an auction."

The auction proceeded as people began bidding for the item while Li Lang's group conversed quietly. Things heated up as demonic factions bid against orthodox ones.

It was fine, as they were here as spectators, so they did exactly that. That was until Li Lang heard the description of the next technique.

I want that!

Chapter 147: First Auction

"Sold to guest number one-four-six for sixty-five red crystals!" Xiao Gao Mei, the auctioneer declared. "Going straight into the next lot, we have a technique by the name of Tracing Origin Art."

At the wave of a hand, the book on the pedestal was swapped out for another one that was in better condition. Without giving the audience any time to change gears, she went straight into the description of the Qi art.

"This is a new technique created by a genius independent cultivator. It is able to mark your property so that you know where they are located at all times! Not only is it useful for travelers, but sects could make use of it to keep track of all their property, such as Skyrunners. It is easy to learn, being a low-tier Earth-grade technique with a rating of eight. The starting price is ten red crystals!"

This time, the reaction from the crowd was much more tame. Much of it had to do with the excitement of the event starting to die out. Another part had to do with the fact that the current offering was more meant for caretakers rather than prestigious cultivators from established clans.

There were fewer parties interested, being the deacons of various organizations and the independent cultivators.

The bidding didn't start right away as someone in the crowd raised their hands.

"How hard is it to detect the presence of this Qi art or to erase it?"

"Thank you for asking, guest three-two-five. The Tracing Origin Art wasn't created with the purpose of being undetectable, so one should be able to discover it with their Qi sense. However, it was made to be as difficult as possible to remove. At the same time, it would inform the practitioner of anyone trying to tamper with it!"

So it's basically a tracker with an alarm on it. Whoever made it surely must have suffered from a string of thefts or something.

As the details were clarified, the bidding began.

"Fifteen red crystals from guest sixty-four!" the auctioneer exclaimed.

"Sixteen!"

"We have sixteen from guest two-zero-nine!"

"Twenty!"

Various people were bidding from all around Li Lang's party. He glanced around and confirmed they were mostly independent cultivators. In fact, most people around him appeared to be of similar origin. It took a moment for him to realize there was an entire other level for participants. 

On the level above, there were dozens of private booths that overlooked the stage. Some of them had curtains surrounding them, while others were open for all to see. One could tell at first glance that all the people up there were from established organizations.

"How high do you think this technique will go to?" Sima Xue muttered. "I personally don't think it'll pass thirty red crystals. They shouldn't have put something with zero combat uses so early in the auction. Everyone wants to save for the better techniques later on."

"That's true," Li Lang answered, directing his attention back to the stage. "I doubt they care about this lot very much, though. It's not something the wealthy wants, so it just serves as a warmup."

"Why don't you get that for your Skyrunner, Li Lang? It may come in handy," Long Yi suggested with a grin.

"We only have one Skyrunner, and we'll be buying a space ring soon. There's no need."

"Hey, you can use it for other things too, apparently. Weapons like your needles or your spear could get lost. Or even your alchemy cauldron."

Li Lang shrugged as he pondered the uses of a tracker. 

A Qi tracker. It highlights the wide range of things you can do with this mysterious power, being able to even replicate the functions of various technologies. Should I look into creating my own Qi arts as well?

"Hey, Long Yi has a point," Sima Xue interjected. "You always like to keep track of progress and everything. You can even keep track of your stuff like those weird jars with this technique."

Li Lang gave the young princess a side-eye upon mentioning the incident with the jars of fermenting cyanide. He believed there was no point in keeping track of the jar itself. It was better to track the cyanide gas, to see if there was a leak, but then he ran into the problem of whether the Tracing Origin Art would work on gases.

Wait. Gases? Then what about…

Li Lang's eyes opened wide as he arrived at a revelation.

"Twenty-three red crystals to guest number one-three-seven!" the auctioneer continued to announce.

Li Lang took a quick look at his own badge before raising his hand high in the air. "Thirty!" he called out.

"Thirty red crystals from guest number sixty-two!"

Upon hearing the sudden declaration from their friend, Long Yi and Sima Xue looked slightly astonished that Li Lang had actually bid on the technique. They had been jokingly teasing their friend, as they knew he had a hefty purse of over twenty orange crystals.

He had more than enough capital to compete, but they knew Li Lang wasn't the type of person to frivolously spend on things that didn't interest him. It made them do a second take at the Tracing Origin Art to see what about it interested Li Lang.

"Thirty red crystals. Do we have anyone willing to go higher? It's your chance to obtain a technique from a new genius. It could be worth several times the amount in the future!"

Whispering filled the auditorium as everyone watched on in amusement. It seemed the momentum of bidding had ceased with Li Lang's bid.

"Thirty red crystals going once! Going twice! And—"

"Forty crystals!" a voice cried out from one of the balconies above.

It caused several people to let out surprised gasps, as they didn't expect someone who could afford a private room to bid on such a low-level technique. Unfortunately for the crowd, the blinds were closed, giving them no fuel for their gossip.

"Fifty red crystals!" Li Lang cried.

This time, the auctioneer, Xiao Gao Mei, let out an alluring smile upon hearing the new number. For auctioneers, it always felt nice when an item's price exceeded their predictions. She looked up directly at the booth that had just been outbid, speaking directly to them.

"Fifty red crystals from guest number sixty-two! Would our esteemed guest from booth number nine like to bid higher?"

The lone figure behind the curtain remained motionless, as if he hadn't heard anyone. It caused the audience to sigh in disappointment when that continued even after several breaths. The auctioneer easily reined in her emotions and carried out her job. She wasn't too disappointed as the item was relatively cheap compared to what was to come. She quickly pushed the auction along toward the next lot.

"Fifty red crystals going once! Going twice…And sold to guest number sixty-two! Next up, we have…"

While she began to introduce the next item, Li Lang's companions were swarming him for answers.

"Fifty red crystals for that? Is that really worth it? I swear that's the price of a small space ring!" Long Yi cried out.

"Yeah, fifty red crystals could get me ten servings of tofu pudding!"

"Guys…This is not the place to talk about it. I'll explain later."

Long Yi and Sima Xue put on a helpless look as they knew that meant the discussion was over for now. They knew Li Lang enough to know he wouldn't budge. What they didn't expect was Wei Ping suddenly making a noise beside them.

"Ah, I-I see. Could it be y-you're using it for that?"

He directed his excited gaze at Li Lang, only to receive a glare in return. He quickly realized it wasn't something to discuss in public and nodded in apology.

That Wei Ping, he sure is perceptive. Well, we did discuss it back when I was searching for methods the last time. If what they say about the Tracing Origin Art is true, it should help us make new discoveries.

The excitement of his future experiment distracted him from paying any further attention to the auction. He believed he may have found a key to observing a phenomenon he long desired to research.

Back when he was developing the Cleansing Drug, he had looked into the possibility of expanding more spiritual roots. It was something closely tied to aptitude, and what he believed to be the key to compensating for his low natural talent.

However, the so-called roots or meridians weren't something physical. He had no way of observing it. He only knew that his Qi didn't flow in a straight line from point A to point B. It followed along paths or highways that he believed to be the meridians. They differed from person to person and were a complex network in the body. 

Without the means to observe it directly, it was just too tedious to study hundreds of subjects for a proper analysis. He deemed it unworthy of his time back then.

Now, with the Tracing Origin Art, he just may be able to observe what he previously couldn't.

At the very least, I should be able to map out my meridians and compare them to others.

Chapter 148: Second Auction

An hour passed by very quickly and it was soon time for Li Lang and his companions to depart from the auction for techniques so they could attend the artifact auction. However, as Li Lang had made a purchase, he parted with his group in order to redeem his item.

After waving down one of the servants, he was quickly guided to toward the back of the auction house. While the place wasn't as majestic as the grand hall, it was still beautifully decorated, as expected of a high-class establishment. The basic materials used in its construction, like the wood, gave off an otherworldly aura. It made Li Lang feel as if the flow of Qi in the building was smoother than usual.

Hmm, something else to look into in the future.

"Greetings, sir. I am An Yue, the clerk who will be responsible for your transaction. I believe you wanted to finish the transaction now. Is that correct?"

A young man's voice brought Li Lang back to reality as he gauged the person before him. He wore pale yellow robes and had an eye-catching pin on his collar. The pin had the words Polarity on it, denoting him as someone from the city.

"Yes, I would like to leave early. I appreciate you for being so accommodating."

"No problem, sir. It is my job to serve. Now, your item is the Tracing Origin Art at fifty red crystals. You can either pay in full now or half now and the other half within a month. If you delay the full payment, you will be subject to a fee of—"

Li Lang held up a hand, stopping the man mid-speech.

"It's fine. I'll pay in full now."

The clerk nodded and watched Li Lang fetch a bag full of coins from within his robes. Li Lang counted five stacks of ten coins and handed them over.

"I must say, you are one of our younger customers I've seen. Though it isn't surprising, considering you're talented enough to become both an alchemist and a brushweaver."

Li Lang stared at him blankly for a moment before looking down at his rings, realizing it was what gave him away.

"Oh, I just happen to have run into competent teachers."

An Yue smiled but didn't say anything, instead focusing on the money he received. His smile said it all. If a competent teacher was all it took to train alchemists and brushweavers, then pills and talismans wouldn't be so expensive.

"This is certainly fifty red crystals. We will have the items out momentarily. I do apologize for the delay. We didn't expect you to come for the item so soon."

"That's fine. It'll still probably be quicker than coming towards the end when you're swamped with dealing with the other guests."

"It should take a similar amount of time. We're trained arduously to handle the traffic in order to satisfy our customers. Please, come have some tea in the waiting room while you wait."

With those words, An Yue led Li Lang into the adjacent room before ordering a servant to fetch them refreshments. The clerk soon left Li Lang alone in the room as he went to oversee the exchange.

Nothing particular happened for some time as Li Lang could only sip on his tea to pass the time. It took enough time that he began to wonder if they had forgotten about him, so he opened the door and peeked out into the hallway.

Where did all the people? Do they seriously need all hands on deck for the auction?

Just as Li Lang was about to venture forth, the sound of something dropping reached his ears. He turned to find a young man bending over to retrieve a pill bottle. The clumsy young man had his back turned to Li Lang but suddenly froze while bent over. He then slowly turned around, widening his eyes as he made eye contact with Li Lang like a child having been caught doing something bad.

His figure blurred as he abruptly vanished around the corner, leaving Li Lang dumbfounded.

What in the world?

A brief moment later, the young man poked his head back out.

"Umm, is something the matter?" Li Lang called out.

His words only made the man flinch back into hiding in response. Another few awkward moments passed until the sound of footsteps could be heard. A conversation could be heard right around the corner. Li Lang recognized the voice to be from the same clerk who was servicing him.

"Yun Ming, what are you doing here so early? And why are you sneaking around?"

"Umm, I just couldn't sit still. You know…"

"Well, wait around if you like. There's no need to sneak around. Just give me a moment to finish my job and I'll accompany you. I'll be able to process your money, too."

"Wait, is that the one?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, it is."

"I see…"

A moment later, An Yue appeared from around the corner. He spotted Li Lang looking over from the door, so he hurried his steps.

"Apologies, sir. I've made you wait. Here it is. The Tracing Origin Art you're won."

An Yue took off the piece of red cloth covering the small booklet and hoisted the tray over for Li Lang to receive. Just as he was reaching out his hand to take hold of his new possession, he couldn't help but glance back over at the young man peeking out from around the corner. The man had sparkles in his eyes, which made it especially distracting.

Noticing Li Lang's gaze, An Yu looked back and let out a sigh.

"I'm sorry, sir. Please don't mind him."

"Hmm? Is he part of your auction house?"

"No, that is one of the sellers. He happens to be the one selling this Tracing Origin Art you have won and also the creator of it. He's a bit eccentric, but he means no harm. He's just curious about the person who bought his technique."

Oh, the creator? Interesting.

"I don't mind. In fact, I would love to chat with the creator."

The clerk moved out of the way as if saying, "He's all yours."

Li Lang walked straight up to the shy young man and clasped his fist out in greeting.

"Hello there, I am Li Lang. They say you happen to be the creator of this Tracing Origin Art?"

The man nodded slowly, giving Li Lang a glance over.

"That's right. I—I am Yun Ming."

Despite his nervousness, Li Lang could detect an unfathomably deep aura from the man. That was because Yun Ming was in the Foundation Establishment realm! He didn't seem too old, likely to be in his early or mid-twenties. He was quite the talent to have created his own technique that the auction houses deemed worthy at such an age.

"Yun Ming, I'd love to speak more with you about your Qi art once I had a chance to look over it. Do you think you can spare the time to meet up with me tomorrow or the day after?"

"Umm, sure. I'd like that."

"I'm thinking tomorrow afternoon for lunch. What do you think?"

"Okay."

"Perfect. I'll send a messenger if things change. I'm staying at the Serene Retreat."

"Umm, my inn is called Vigil's Rest, I think."

The two young men quickly hit it off, and Yun Ming got less and less nervous as they conversed. However, Li Lang knew his companions were waiting, so he didn't stick around after getting his contact info.

Once he exited from the auction house, he found his companions standing around a nearby food stall. They each had a skewer in hand.

"You finally done?" Sima Xue asked with her mouth half full upon Li Lang's return.

"Yeah, thanks for waiting…I'm glad you guys had a great time while you waited."

"No problem!"

"I'll o-order some for you as well, b-boss," Wei Ping added.

The group enjoyed their quick snack in place of dinner and got on their way to their next destination. They arrived at another auction hall that looked similar to the previous one. They were just in time for it to start.

The place was already packed, with the auditorium a size or two larger than the previous one. It was evident artifacts were a commodity that was a lot more popular amongst the cultivators. It couldn't be helped, as artifacts weren't common to practically every Energy Gathering realm cultivator.

Many of the participants in this auction had broken through in recent years and were eager to get their hands on their first artifact. In fact, many would even be satisfied with a Mortal-grade artifact. This was especially so for those who had yet to build up a sufficient war chest.

Cultivation wasn't cheap. There were always things they could spend it, whether it be pills, manuals, Skyrunners, or even rare, unique resources that could aid them in various ways.

As people who showed up relatively late, they trekked into the halls under the scrutiny of all those who had arrived before them. They couldn't find four seats together and had to split up into two different rows.

Unbeknownst to them, several pairs of eyes directed their attention to them. The question was whether the attention they were getting was good or bad.

Chapter 149: Bidding Wars

Li Lang's group got settled in their seats in the auditorium of the auction house. A moment later, the lights dimmed, and an old man took to the stage. He had white unkempt facial hair and would be mistaken for a homeless man if he wasn't wearing clean clothes.

He gestured for the crowd to quiet down, then glanced over at one of the servant boys. They answered by carrying over a large wooden chest to the center of the stage.

Everyone knew it contained the first lot for today's auction, but no one bothered to question why he decided to place it in a chest instead of in a space ring. The old man simply continued as it was. He pointed at the chest and the lid flew open at his gesture.

Inside the container was a lone pair of sandals and nothing else. It was made from rose-colored wood and had an eye-catching sheen to it.

"New stuff, low-tier Earth-grade Skysandals. Allows you to fly with hard-to-predict movements, unlike Skyswords. Rating five and starting price of fifty red crystals."

The old man was curt, but the auction quickly went on without taking note of it.

"Eighty!" one of the Young Masters from the floors above yelled.

"Ninety!"

"One-fifty!" a voice from the opposite side of the venue angrily shouted out.

It was apparent that the two factions of orthodox and demonic were in contention with each other. While they couldn't fight in Polarity City, they could at least unleash their frustrations in a bidding war. No one stopped them as it played to the city's advantage to allow it to happen.

The price grew quickly as various cultivators salivated at the chance to own the new model of flying artifacts. It allowed one to conserve their energy while moving faster than those without one. However, there were some hesitant people in the crowd simply due to preferring Skyswords.

"Hmph, these new Skysandals are only marginally more manageable but a lot slower than Skyswords."

"Oh, quiet, you old fossil. Skyswords may synergize well with your sect's techniques, but for most, the less predictable movements more than make up for the speed."

"Yeah, until you find your enemy able to run or chase you down as they please."

"Hahaha," a third man bellowed. "In that case, why not just have both? One for controlling the engagement, while the other for fighting!"

No one replied to the last man who spoke as they didn't want to come off as a miser. They knew their money was only ever useful if it could improve their strength, but not everyone had the means. As much as they wanted to, they couldn't justify overspending only then to come up short on other resources.

These types of discussions were going on everywhere in the auction house while just as many people continued to bid.

"Li Lang, are you going to bid this time, too?" Sima Xue asked over the bustle of the audience.

The man in question tilted his head.

"Maybe, if the price is right. It's not really worth it, as we can't make use of it right now."

"Well, I recommend it. I've been using mine for only a short while, but they're so comfortable. It makes it easy to walk around, especially when I'm getting a little lazy."

"...You're using Skysandals as a crutch for walking around?"

"Hmm? It's mine, so I can use it however I like, right?"

"Sure."

"If I had those, I would be able to fight against those aerial beasts by myself!" Long Yi exclaimed from the side. "We should consider them, Li Lang. If we're to travel by air often, it's a worthwhile investment. Otherwise, we'd be sitting ducks up there."

If the artifact in question was in the Mortal-grade, Li Lang would've bid on it without hesitation. As it was an Earth-grade item, it would only sit around as extra baggage until one of them broke through.

Seeing how passionate Long Yi had become for the Skysandal, along with all the other cultivators in the room, Li Lang decided to place one bid to satisfy his friend.

"One hundred and seventy!" Li Lang cried out.

The old man simply stared at his way until someone else shouted out a larger number. It passed by quickly, as the competition for the item was still fierce.

"I tried my best. Looking at how so many people are dead set on it, it's not worth pursuing."

Despite knowing Li Lang was only putting up a show, it still soothed Long Yi's heart somewhat. The group watched on as the price slowly but surely rose to new heights. It gave them a new appreciation for the earning ability of these experts. 

The money Li Lang currently got was from a one-time windfall. It wasn't from a stable income of any source, so while it appeared to be a lot, it was a hard to replenish resource. For those other Foundation Establishment experts, that wasn't the case. The services they could provide with their superior cultivation or even simply hunting down higher-tier Qi beast could allow them to consistently earn it all back.

At the end of the day, a strong economy solves a lot of problems. It can get us valuable materials we otherwise would be hard pressed to encounter. I need to redouble my efforts in producing a cash cow.

After some time, the auction for the first item finally ended at an impressive three hundred red crystals. As expected, one of the Young Masters, with a strong background, won it from the second floor.

The trend of fierce bidding continued onto the second item.

"Next, Clear Jade Treasure Sword. Mid-tier Earth-grade, with a rating of four. It can unleash tremendous power at once. One hundred red crystals."

The prices that were being thrown around were nothing to sneeze at. It was almost enough for one to cultivate for a good while, but everyone understood it wasn't practical to just cultivate the entire time. One needed stimulation and training to break through their bottlenecks. Only a fool would neglect their combat power.

A weapon artifact was the simplest and most direct way to increase one's combat potential. It had a multiplying effect on one's strength. During high-intensity fighting, the ability to squeeze out just one percent more strength at a critical moment could decide life and death.

This time, the sword sold for an even higher price than the previous lot, at four hundred and thirty crystals. Several other weapons came after it, including bows, spears, and more swords. The prices all hovered between the three hundred to five hundred range.

During the last few items, the crowd visibly became less passionate about the artifact weapons. The most zealous among them had gotten when they wanted, while the other had gotten used to laying eyes on these rare artifacts.

As if the organizer knew this would happen, the next item was something entirely different!

"Next, rank three space ring. That means it can hold one thousand shi! Starting at one hundred red crystals," the old man casually proclaimed.

The new item reset the fervor in the room, as the bidding got more intense all at once.

"Two hundred!"

"Three hundred!"

It caused even Li Lang to have second thoughts about remaining a spectator. Obtaining a space ring had been one of his goals during his stay at Polarity City. It was just too useful to have, especially when they were traveling. They could stow away a large emergency supply, their Skyrunner, and various items like talismans.

With it, Li Lang would no longer have to carry a large unwieldy cauldron on his back or take up valuable space in their Skyrunner during trips. Then there were all the materials he could stock up on.

Sima Xue had told him all about the wonders of the space ring. The higher quality it was, the better its capabilities to keep its content in the same condition as when it had been stored. Foods lasted several times longer in the ring. If one had a high enough level space ring, it could virtually store food there indefinitely without going bad.

This was another property Li Lang wanted to get his hands on. Without refrigerators, carrying and transporting various materials became especially arduous. Just the cyanide he employs needed to be kept at a low temperature lest it turned into gas. Even with the stabilizing agents he mixed it with, he still needed to be careful at all times. 

With all those advantages of a space ring running through his mind, Li Lang didn't need any urging from his companions to join in the bidding war for the space ring.

"Five hundred!" he shouted out.

It managed to silence the venue for a moment as the participants took a moment to reassess while wearing hard-to-read expressions. It was apparent to the auctioneer that they were thoughtfully deliberating their next move, so he didn't say a word either.

The old man kept his gaze locked on Li Lang until another voice finally resounded within the auditorium.

"Six hundred!"

Everyone looked up at the voice of one of the balconies. The one in question didn't have any blinds blocking the view, allowing all to see the young man in green robes sitting with a haughty expression. Two others were beside him, and they all glared over at Li Lang. They didn't bother to hide their hostility.

"That's someone from Spirit Grove!" Long Yi alerted the group.

Upon recognizing them, Sima Xue looked disgusted. It was because they had a history. The three young masters sitting up top were Lu Hong, Zhang Bai, and Pei Fong. The three who had competed for her hand during her time undercover in Spirit Grove.

Of course, if Sima Xue could recognize them, they could recognize her as well. They looked down at the former Ling Xue and Li Lang with frosty expressions.

Chapter 150: Wait

"Current bid, six hundred. Anyone else?" the old man casually asked the crowd.

He didn't exactly get a response as they were all too busy staring up at the Spirit Grove booth, gossiping about the high price people were willing to pay for a space ring. A rank three space ring was definitely a treasure, but it would normally be at most four to five hundred red crystals. It was rare for it to be more expensive than offensive artifacts.

"Umm, Li Lang," Sima Xue whispered. "They might be targeting you, so I advise you to give up for now."

"Y-yea, boss. We s-should back off here," Wei Ping added.

Li Lang didn't need his friends to tell him the obvious. The three musketeers from Spirit Grove stared at them with so much animosity, that one had to be blind to have not noticed it. It wasn't surprising considering Li Lang could think of two reasons on the spot.

One, the three had greatly admired Ling Xue back in the sect, so seeing him with her now could be mistaken as eloping with their idol. Even now, as Sima Xue leaned in to whisper her warning, he could see the animosity behind their eyes intensify.

Two, they both had departed Spirit Grove on bad terms. Sima Xue especially, was outright a traitor to the sect, while Li Lang had come under great suspicion. It was confirmed that Ling Xue was a demonic cultivator in disguise, so seeing her with Li Lang led to the conclusion that they were in cahoots all along.

Combined with the fact the two of them were freely living their lives without suffering any repercussions despite the alleged wrongdoings, the Spirit Grove disciple was understandably hostile against them.

Despite realizing they were out for him, Li Lang surprised his companions and raised his hands to declare another bid.

"Seven hundred!"

Gasps could be heard from all over the venue. Even some Young Masters up on the floors above peeked out from behind their curtains to take a look at the fun.

Seven hundred red Qi crystals were not a small amount whatsoever. It was equivalent to seven orange crystals. An amount that could only be easily earned by those in the Violet Core realm or above.

"Li Lang, did you not hear me? You should give up. A rank three space ring isn't worth this much. While they aren't common, it shouldn't be too hard to come across another one. In fact, you could even settle for—"

Li Lang held up a hand to ease his friend's worry.

"It's okay. I know what I'm doing."

Before he had a chance to elaborate, the Spirit Grove disciples took action once more.

"We bid Eight hundred red crystals!"

The crowd was prepared for it this time. They simply didn't make a noise as they watched the apparent drama unfold.

They could recognize the robes of Spirit Grove with ease, and Sima Xue wasn't someone who could escape the observant eyes of experts. She was famous throughout both factions, so many saw this as Spirit Grove challenging Nightmoon Valley.

A majority of the spectators didn't know the history between these two parties and simply thought it was another classic righteous sect versus demonic sect squabble. This caused each respective faction to chant out in support of their representatives.

"Don't falter, Nightmoon Valley! Teach these so-called righteous hypocrites a lesson!"

"Hmph, these pathetic groups of rabble only live at our mercy, yet they dare bark so loud? Have no fear friends from Spirit Grove. No matter how powerful Nightmoon Valley may be, they don't have the qualification to oppress members of the righteous path."

Even in the background, both parties received secret communications from people offering support. They came in the form of loans, but at the end of the day, they were only vague verbal promises. Both parties were smart enough to politely decline them.

Li Lang took a few moments to survey the venue. He could feel the excitement in the air as they became the spectacle for all to enjoy. Breathing in deeply, he raised his hand once more.

"Nine hundred red crystals!"

"You've sure done it this time, Li Lang," Long Yi cried while holding his hand with both hands. "Nine hundred? That's enough for materials to make many attempts at creating our own artifact."

The bids were like fuel to a fire. Each one fired up the crowd. Some spectators could be seen with a transmission jade in hand, spreading the news of what was taking place.

The event engulfed everyone within the halls, and could no longer be said to be a simple bidding war between two parties. The spectators created a momentum that pressured the war to continue.

Under all this pressure, the trio from Spirit Grove moved closer in a huddle to discuss their strategy.

"Lu Hong, we're reaching our limit. My family won't be happy if I spend all my money on a space ring that we will have to split ownership of."

"Yeah, Zhang Bai isn't the only one. My family handed four hundred crystals to me in hopes of attaining pills or artifacts. I think we've raised the price enough for that rascal. We should be satisfied at getting him to fork over nine hundred crystals."

Lu Hong himself frowned upon hearing his partners' words.

"You guys…He's obviously dead set on attaining a space ring. That rat must've gotten into Nightmoon Valley's good grace in exchange for selling our sect out. Nightmoon Valley must be buying the ring for him. There's no way he has that much money himself. We should at least make them pay a heavy price. Trust me, we can keep going. Bumpkins like him are easily bewitched by space rings."

"That…"

Zhang Bai and Pei Fong exchanged looks. They both didn't know what to say to dissuade their friend from continuing their vendetta. Their expressions betrayed them, and Lu Hong could see their hesitation.

"Fine! If you cowards are too afraid to continue, then any extra crystals I commit from hereon will be paid by me."

"But we still need our three—"

Before Lu Hong could be reasoned with, he shouted out another astronomical number and got the crowd so riled up that they could no longer speak over it.

"One thousand red crystals!"

Throughout the chaos, Sima Xue took the opportunity to grab onto Li Lang's arm.

"Enough is enough! Don't do it!"

"I said not to worry. Why are you grabbing onto me now? Do you really think I'd be that stupid?"

Li Lang wanted to say how it would be preposterous to think he would fail in reading the minds of a bunch of teenagers who were still wet behind the ears. The three Spirit Grove cultivators may have been slightly older than them, but Li Lang knew the life experiences cultivators had in this world were much more limited.

Not only did they spend large chunks of time in solitude, cultivating, but the little social time they did get was often trapped in a small echo chamber. Transportation in this world wasn't the most convenient. The information didn't flow freely without the internet. Every day, the cultivators would be around their own circle of acquaintances, causing their emotional intelligence to develop at a slower rate. 

This was doubly so for arrogant young masters. Their demeanor was a sign they often got what they wanted, adding to their childishness. This all made them poor actors and lacked control over their emotions. Li Lang could read them as if they were beginner poker players.

Which was exactly why he chose to stop bidding here.

"Anyone else more than one thousand crystals?" the old auctioneer finally took rein of the venue once more.

His voice reached everyone's ear no matter how loud the auditorium was. It instantly silenced the place. He glanced around for a few more moments before continuing.

"One thousand going once."

His words made Zhang Bai and Pei Fong lean over their balcony, looking down in search of Li Lang.

"One thousand going twice."

Now even Lu Hong's face paled, as he had a sudden revelation. He began to suspect Li Lang hadn't been so simple-minded after all.

"And so—"

"Wait!" the young man in green robes abruptly shouted.

It caused all attention to be drawn to him, but he didn't have a choice. Losing this much money at this point in time would cause severe repercussions. He didn't think it would come to this, but he had a fallback plan before he decided to target Li Lang in this manner. 

His family had been to numerous auctions throughout their history. From a young age, he would hear stories about some of them, and from these stories, he found a loophole he could use in case his plans failed. It was still a gamble, but it was now or never. The existence of Sima Xue beside Li Lang gave him confidence in his theory.

Seeing how he hadn't said a word after calling out, the old auctioneer admonished him.

"What is it, young man? You better have good reason to ask me to wait. There are rules here."

"Yes…I am familiar with the rules. The reason why I stopped you is that I believe the other party has broken one of the ten rules of the auction!"

At his declaration, the clamor of the crowd grew. They all sensed drama and were dying to see how it would unfold.

Chapter 151: Accused

The clamor in the auction subsided as quickly as it rose. Everyone was eager to hear the next words Lu Hong had to justify pausing the proceedings. He had declared that someone had broken one of the ten rules of the auction.

"Speak, child. Do not waste our time," the old auctioneer coldly urged.

The intensity of his words made Lu Hong swallow hard. The old auctioneer had a serene aura about him, with no cultivation leaking whatsoever. It made it impossible to tell his cultivation, and it only made it more apparent he wasn't someone to be taken lightly. He was definitely an expert to have been selected as an auctioneer. The ability to hide his aura so perfectly made it all the more intimidating.

It took another brief moment for Lu Hong to recollect himself before he spoke out under the pressure of the old man's gaze.

"Ahem, I believe my opponent has engaged in malicious bidding. That is bidding with ill intent, with an amount of money he doesn't possess. I ask that you check his person to see if he has as much as he had claimed."

Right as he finished his allegations, a hearty laughter resounded within the room. It came from someone on the second floor, and judging from the timing, it was a safe bet they were from the demonic path.

A man soon emerged from behind a set of curtains surrounding his balcony. Li Lang's group all stared with wide eyes upon seeing them. That was because they had just met them not long ago. He was Gui Hong, the man they had rescued on the outskirts of the city.

Seeing his entrance, whispers could be heard throughout the crowd.

"Look at his robes. It's someone from Eroding March Pavilion."

"The organization that Gui Tianzi is from? I wonder if he's here today."

"Hmm, they say he has yet to break through to Foundation Establishment yet. He may be in closed-door cultivation to remedy that right now."

"Those insect users…"

"Hahaha," Gui Hong continued to laugh. "Friends from Spirit Grove, are you seriously accusing someone from the Nightmoon Valley's young princess circle to be malicious bidding? They are one of the most wealthy organizations in the Luminescent realm!"

Gui Hong managed to say what every demonic cultivator in the room had wanted to say. The only reason they couldn't was because they were all in a higher realm than Lu Hong. It would be unbecoming of high and mighty cultivators to publicly admonish the juniors from other organizations in such a setting. It was akin to admonishing another person's child. As Gui Hong was also in the late stages of Energy Gathering, it was perfectly appropriate for him to openly rebuke his allegations.

"The two Hongs sure don't get along," Long Yi commented with a grin.

It earned him a glare from his companions, which he simply shrugged off.

"I'm not talking about Nightmoon Valley members. Even I know they are quite strict about who they accept. This is why I know this Li Lang who had bid against me isn't an actual member! He's just an insect leeching onto those far above his station. I don't question Lady Xue's financial capability, but this Li Lang's! Please search him and him alone."

So this is what he was getting at.

Li Lang swiftly figured out what Lu Hong was aiming for. It was easy to figure out once he revealed his beliefs that Li Lang was sponging off of Nightmoon Valley. The Spirit Grove disciple believed Sima Xue was the one holding the wallet, and that there was no way Li Lang would be in possession of such a large amount of money himself. It wasn't an unreasonable deduction for someone to think at all.

After all, to Lu Hong, Li Lang was just a nobody. A nobody with low aptitude who followed the orders of Nightmoon Valley like a dog. It would be unthinkable for these low-level actors to possess such sums of wealth.

All these misunderstandings stemmed from the ambiguous relationship between Li Lang's group and Nightmoon Valley. The audience was none the wiser, so Lu Hong's accusation had actually shaken some people.

"Look, he's right! That man is carrying a badge affiliated with The Orchid Covenant. He's not a member of Nightmoon Valley!"

"I have known all along since he doesn't wear their robes."

"Hmm, don't be so quick to discount this young man. We don't know which faction within The Orchid Covenant he belongs to, and he is both a brushweaver and alchemist. It is hard to say if he has the money or not."

The only spectators unaffected by this new revelation were those who kept up to date with the latest news. Even then, those who were in the know were predominantly from the demonic faction. Gui Hong was one of them, as rumors about the pocket realm were especially relevant to him. After all, his cousin had become famous overnight because of it. Realizing that Lu Hong was missing this crucial piece of information, Gui Hong decided to back off so he could make a fool of himself.

"Ha, if that's what you believe, then I have nothing more to say."

"Retreating from this squabble, are you?" Lu Hong instantly pounced on any weakness he detected. "Wise of you. Keep it up. It's how you lowly barbarians survive, after all."

All parties had said their piece. Their eyes now rest on the auctioneer who was the main arbitrator in the room. They not only facilitated the auctions but also enforced its rules.

"I have heard your complaint. These are serious allegations you bring forth, so I will ask one more time. Are you sure you want me to proceed? If you are wrong, you'll be subject to a fine."

Lu Hong brazenly nodded. He didn't forget to sneer at Li Lang when they made eye contact.

The auctioneer spared no more words after that. He silently reappeared beside Li Lang. Before Li Lang even realized he was there, the old man already had a hand on his left shoulder and right wrist. His instincts didn't even have time to kick in, as he couldn't resist at all.

Everyone watched on as the old man ran his hand over Li Lang's fingers. He had his eyes closed as he focused elsewhere. When the man was finally done, Li Lang couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.

Despite it only being an instant, he felt like he had lost control of his body.

"I have inspected our guest here. The allegations against him are false. He indeed carries a sufficient amount of money, so all his bids were valid."

Hearing the news, a chill gripped both Lu Hong's body and soul. He stood still without making a sound, but his companions weren't so stoic. Zhang Bai and Pei Fong cried out pitifully from behind him. They fell to their knees and threw a tantrum like children.

"Ahhh, this can't be! My lord father will have my skin! There must be some mistake!"

"Noooo! Lu Hong, you said everything would be okay! Tell me this is a lie!"

A part of the audience tactfully stayed silent without commenting, but the other half didn't let the chance to gloat slip away from them. As one would expect, they consisted of various demonic cultivators.

"Hahaha, this spoiled brat is crying like a baby. Did he seriously think someone affiliated with Nightmoon Valley would stoop to malicious bidding?"

"Hahaha! His soul seemed to have left his body! Maybe we should try to harvest it and refine it into an artifact spirit!"

The factional strife seemed to be out in full force. Just as the righteous faction was about to come to the Spirit Grove disciples' defense, the auctioneer once again took control of the room by clearing his throat.

"Now then, the grade three space ring has been won by that brat for a thousand red crystals," the old man said as he pointed at Lu Hong.

He didn't even bother to call out any numbers throughout the auction, so everyone was used to his antics.

"You'll also have to pay a fine to the party you falsely accused. The exact number is something I have some leeway to set. Seeing how all parties involved are so young, I'll only charge you twenty percent of their highest bid. So that's one hundred and eighty red crystals. Is that understood?"

The words went into one ear and exited the other. Lu Hong was still too shaken to respond. It caused the old auctioneer to furrow his brows. Thankfully, Lu Hong hadn't come to this event with only his two friends.

"Enough with this farce. Pay your dues and leave. You're bothering me with your pathetic display."

The new voice came from behind Lu Hong, further into their private booth. It was a young woman in green robes. She had long dark hair that went all the way down to her waist. She didn't bother hiding her aura of a Foundation Establishment cultivator for all to see. It was also her words that managed to snap Lu Hong out of whatever daze he was in.

He turned to the new woman with fearful eyes as he dropped to his knees.

"Shangguan Feixi, please forgive me. I didn't mean to sour your—"

The new woman mercilessly kicked Lu Hong aside as if he were nothing. She waved a finger, and it lifted the young man into the air. Soon, a pouch from within his robes floated out to her. She counted its contents, withdrew some crystals, and threw the pouch over at the auctioneer.

"Here, your fine. He can pay for the item in the back later, according to your rules."

The auctioneer didn't flinch or show any emotions. He simply took a quick glance at the pouch and flew it over at Li Lang.

This caused the newcomer, Shangguan Feixi, to direct her gaze at Li Lang. She didn't say anything and snorted before retreating back into the cover of her curtains.

Before Li Lang could say anything, the auctioneer proceeded as usual.

"The next lot is…"

Well, that ended a lot better than expected. I made myself some extra cash, too.

Chapter 152: End of a Long Day

"Next item, Swallowtail Tremor. Earth-grade blade with a rating of five. However, don't let the rating fool you. It is capable of unleashing one of the highest levels of Qi in its grade. It has an affinity with the earth element."

Even the more stoic auctioneer had to break character and say a few more words about this weapon. Sword artifacts were the most popular for a reason. A sword obviously enabled its user to unleash more powerful attacks. Strength was king in the cultivator world. Without it, no one would respect you. It understandably became an object of pursuit for numerous cultivators around the world.

Cultivators managing to stay away from violence was rare. Violence was deemed necessary in the pursuit of immortality. Resources were just too limited, and violence was the main solution to decide how it was divided.

"Starting from fifty red crystals!"

Almost immediately, someone placed a bid right after the auctioneer shouted the starting bid.

"One hundred!"

"Two hundred!"

The bidders wasted no time, and the price quickly climbed. It was no surprise that the majority of bidders were in one of the private booths upstairs. Only a few independent cultivators had the capabilities to compete against these members of wealthy organizations.

"Must be nice for whoever ultimately wins that sword," Long Yi muttered. "It would go really well with techniques like my Terra Moon Slash."

"Yeah, no kidding," Sima Xue grinned. "You're using a mundane sword, which is basically the same as nothing at all!"

"I still need it to employ my techniques. It's classified as a sword technique for a reason. Swords are mandatory."

Li Lang nodded silently in the background as he listened along. He was itching to begin studying the Tracing Origin Art he had won not long ago, but this was a rare chance to study powerful artifacts on display. He would eventually be making the attempt at crafting his own, so he couldn't waste this opportunity.

My Gliding Coil Spear Art works the same way. Outside the basic moves, it requires a spear to be able to use.

Li Lang had taken some notes down while he had practiced his Qi arts, but he hadn't had a chance to look at the specifics. He knew his spear art made use of the weapons as extra conduits to channel Qi in specific ways to produce the desired results. When he practiced the Qi art that did not require items, everything stayed internal.

He thought of it as similar to brushweaving. The human body was a canvas that could constantly draw new runes with their Qi to produce an effect, while a weapon expanded that canvas. However, unlike brushweaving, they weren't working on a two-dimensional, stable surface, so the complexity behind it convinced even Li Lang to postpone researching it until he was fully ready.

Very quickly, the bid rose to five hundred red crystals with no signs of it abating. That was until the next bid managed to silence the crowd.

"Six hundred crystals!"

The reason the audience balked at the scene wasn't due to the price but to the identity of the bidder. Everyone looked up at a young man who had taken hold of their attention not long ago. He was Gui Hong, a disciple from the Eroding March Pavilion, who was supposedly Gui Tianzi's cousin.

As their organization had become the center of attention within the Luminescent Domain, everyone was watching their every move. When he had spoken up earlier in Li Lang's defense, people could chalk it up to a personal matter. However, when he bid on such an expensive artifact relative to his meager cultivation of the Energy Gathering realm, everyone believed he acted on behalf of his pavilion.

A half second later, the crowd snapped out of it, and gossiping filled the auditorium.

"Do you think they are buying this sword for the young genius, Gui Tianzi?"

"Very likely. From what I know, their pavilion doesn't have many capable artificers. They usually focus on other crafts like woodsmithing and formations."

"Hmm, even if they did have artificers, then so what? It's not as if artificers produce such high-quality work on demand."

"Oh Ji Yuan, no one was talking about you. Stop being so defensive and inserting yourself into my conversations. There is no need to speak and everyone here still knows that your organization can barely produce enough artifacts for your own use, despite having a dozen artificers!"

The creation of artifacts had no set success rates. Each artifact was unique and could not be produced twice. This was mainly due to the existence of an artifact spirit. They were unique. That was why artificers often had to make many attempts to have one success. It also explained why a single Earth-grade artifact could go for hundreds or thousands of red crystals while an equivalent-grade pill started from one crystal. 

The amount of materials used before one successfully created one artifact was often astronomical in comparison. On one side, it had a success rate of approximately one in three or four tries. The other side varied wildly, ranging from one in ten to a thousand tries!

The gossiping continued, but no one placed any further bids.

"Current bid, six hundred red crystals. Anyone else?" the auctioneer shouted.

His actions were in vain as the audience remained silent. The demonic cultivators didn't want to offend an up-and-coming organization, while the orthodox cultivators had their own calculations. Six hundred red crystals were already much higher than their limit.

Inside one of the private booths, a young, talented cultivator questioned his companions.

"Senior, are we really going to let this Eroding March Pavilion win the sword?"

"Peng Kai, this will be a good learning experience for you, especially if you plan to get our sect's approval to travel the world. Demonic cultivators are our enemies, yes, but they aren't the only ones. There are other sects within our domain eyeing our resources. There is no reason to pick a fight when it does not benefit us."

"As if they could do anything to us! I heard they're few in numbers and are barely considered a middling power within demonic territory."

The senior smiled wryly and shook his head.

"It's not them specifically I'm worried about. As they say, the tallest blade of grass is the first to be cut. If we so openly antagonize an organization that all those despicable villains are paying so much attention to, they may redirect their sights on us if we act carelessly."

Like this, various parties each had their own reason to give up bidding. They would rather wait for the next item, as the auction was still in its beginning stages.

Amongst all the chatter, one of the previous bidders shot up from his seat on the second floor and clasped his fist toward Gui Hong.

"I am Hei Teng, and I hope your Eroding March Pavilion wins this treasured blade. I believe it would fit Young Master Gui Tianzi very well. Please give him my regards."

After his greeting, several others stood up and copied his actions, making no effort to hide their attempts at currying favor.

The auctioneer could read which way the wind blew and soon declared Gui Hong the winner of the sword, Swallowtail Tremor.

With the matter settled, the next few lots were much tamer in comparison. Bidding was fierce.

Li Lang's group enjoyed the show as artifacts came one after the other.

There was a spear that caught Li Lang's attention. It was his first time laying eyes on an artifact spear. Of course, he didn't have the chance to hold it, but he could tell it was in an entirely different league compared to his mundane spear. It didn't stir his greed though, as he wouldn't be able to add his poison injection mechanism to a finished artifact.

He hadn't tried yet, but from the little artificer knowledge he learned, he knew it wasn't easy to make any adjustments to complete artifacts. It was why he was so dead set on crafting his own.

There were other artifacts in the auction that he had desired more. They were mainly defensive ones, like a robe or suit of armor. Everyone valued their lives, so the prices were no cheaper than the weapons.

Still, armor isn't that high on my priority list. I don't plan on getting into conflicts. I'd rather run at first sight of trouble than be armed to the teeth at all times.

Their group of four returned to their inn shortly before midnight. The last few items in the auction went for over a thousand crystals, and the event was a spectacle to behold. It made those of them who were still in Energy Gathering gain a new understanding of how well off some cultivators were.

It made Wei Ping and Long Yi understand why their friend had pushed to create their own organization so much despite everything going fine with The Orchid Covenant.

After confirming tomorrow's schedule for the next round of auctions, they retired for the night.

There were no morning auctions, so Li Lang wasted no time and dove into Ruby's artifact space once he was alone. He had already gotten Ruby to absorb the new manual he got, so he could read it more comfortably on his tablet.

It's time to see what this Tracing Origin Art has got.

Chapter 153: Lunch Meeting

The Tracing Origin Art Li Lang won in the auction was much longer than he expected. From his experience, cultivation manuals were rarely lengthy unless it was a comprehensive technique like his Gliding Coil Spear Art.

This was because the authors of this world liked to gloss over the details with broad terms. It was the reader's duty to interpret it and understand it. The new Qi art he had was more detailed, like a modern textbook to a lesser degree. It even had a table of contents and properly documented the technique.

Hmm, I guess that Yun Ming guy pays attention to details. That's a good trait to have. If he wasn't already a Foundation Establishment cultivator, I would've loved to have him join us.

With everything so clearly outlined, Li Lang didn't even have to reread it. He could directly go to the section for clarification.

The Qi art had worked exactly as the auctioneer had described. One could tag something to have it tracked. The most crucial detail for Li Lang was what exactly it worked on. Was it only solids, or did it also work on liquids, gases, and more importantly, Qi?

He found his answer very soon. He was able to master the basics of the technique within an hour, and he began experimenting.

For a more accurate test, he exited Ruby's artifact realm and picked up a nearby cup. He closed his eyes and concentrated for a few moments as he channeled his Qi into the cup. Uneventfully, he succeeded.

Hmm, I do feel a clear connection. The manual says the connection should have no range limit, but I doubt he had tested it. And what about the parameters of what is targetable? Could I target something much larger or smaller?

Li Lang spent the majority of the night doing tests to satisfy his curiosity. 

He knew he had gone a little overboard when he was done because of the light shining into his room, so he placed a notice on his door and slept until late morning.

"Skipping breakfast to sleep, don't tell me you're pursuing the Dao of sloth?" Sima Xue immediately teased upon seeing Li Lang.

Li Lang shook his head and ignored her antics, but the teasing didn't end there.

"Should've expected that from him honestly," Long Yi said with a grin. "He just made a big purchase yesterday, so of course he's going to lose himself with it. Maybe he can tell us the reason why he bought it now?"

"Well, tough luck. I won't be doing that yet," Li Lang retorted.

"Tschh, typical."

"N-now, now. I believe that isn't something we should be discussing in public," Wei Ping added.

Li Lang nodded to himself before he dramatically cleared his throat.

"Anyway, it's about time we head out. As I said last night, I have a meeting scheduled over lunch."

"Last night? I don't remember you telling us about any meetings last night?"

Sima Xue's words made Li Lang question if he had gotten carried away with his purchase and the auctions that he had forgotten to inform them. Seeing Sima Xue's face of wanting to lecture him, he chose to shove the issue aside and hurry them along instead.

"Let's go."

With those words, he stormed out of the inn, leaving his companions on the chase.

"Wait up, you bonehead! The Skyrunner is still in my space ring," Sima cried out while on his tail.

"It's fine. It's nearby, anyway. It won't be much faster with this crowd."

Tilting his chin toward all the pedestrians, the group was met with the usual congested road filled with people. They weren't on the main street, so carriages moved about the same speed as all the pedestrians.

Navigating through the crowd for a while, they soon arrive in front of a modest-looking entrance of an inn. Modest in comparison to their luxurious lodging, but to most independent cultivators, it was just right.

They entered inside and found a middle-aged lady with a plump figure sitting at the front. Upon spotting them, she unleashed a motherly smile. The way she spoke matched her smile, speaking to them as if they were her own children.

"Welcome to Vigil's Rest. What are you darlings looking for today?"

"I'm here to find a friend. His name is Yun Ming," Li Lang asked without hesitation.

"Hmm, let's me see," the woman answered as she flipped the pages of her notes. "Ah, here it is. Please wait a moment."

She then rang the bell at her desk, and a young boy came running from somewhere. His mouth was stuffed full like a squirrel, so he couldn't even speak. He tried to chew as fast as he could.

"Boy, slow down or you'll choke. Just listen. Go to room three-fifteen and tell the nice mister he has…" she turned over to Li Lang again. "What was your name, dear?"

"It's Li Lang."

"Li Lang, tell the nice mister Li Lang is here to see him."

The young boy nodded while trying to swallow at the same time. It caused him to let out a few coughs as he tried to keep the food in his mouth contained. He thumped his chest as he walked away.

"That boy, I don't even know what to do with him. He takes after his father, always in a rush."

Li Lang's group only knew to smile and nod at the innkeeper sharing her woes. She didn't mind the lack of response and continued talking.

"So you kids seem pretty well-dressed. Are you here for the auctions as a buyer, seller, or both?"

"We're mainly just looking around," Li Lang answered for the team.

He knew he had the most experience dealing with people among them. He'd lived a long life, after all.

"I see, well you be careful while you move about. Lots of people mean the unsavory bunch gets a chance to sneak in by blending in with the crowd, too. I saw the people from the righteous sects going around searching for some wanted people."

"Really? Any idea who they were looking for?"

"No idea. They didn't have any specifics to share. I doubt they even know themselves. The people in their role usually just follow their orders blindly."

"I see…"

Li Lang's companions silently whispered among each other in the back as they let him handle the innkeeper. They chatted for a few more minutes before the young man from the previous day arrived. It was only then that the chatty innkeeper retreated off to the side.

"Hi there," the man nervously greeted. "You, umm, brought more people than I thought."

"Oh, sorry. These are my traveling companions. I hope you won't mind."

"No, no."

"Thank you for your understanding. Everyone," Li Lang called over his friends. "This is Yun Ming, the creator of the Tracing Origin Art I bought yesterday."

Wei Ping, Long Yi, and Sima Xue took turns introducing themselves. Li Lang noticed that their numbers were overwhelming poor Yun Ming and that he wouldn't remember their names, but there wasn't much he could do about it.

"Oh, you created your own technique that the auction accepted?" Sima Xue muttered as she carefully scrutinized him. "How old are you, if I may ask?"

"Umm, I'm twenty-three."

"That's a pretty impressive accomplishment you got there for such a young age."

"Ahem," Li Lang cleared his throat, putting a pause to the conversation. "Let's save it for after we sit down. Come on, let's go find a place."

It was with this declaration that Li Lang attracted the attention of the innkeeper again.

"Oh, if it's lunch you kids are looking for, we do lunch specials! And I hate to brag, but I'd say it's pretty good too!" she winked at Yun Ming, who just sheepishly looked down.

Seeing how the venue wasn't that important, the party accepted her offer, and they were soon led toward the dining area part of the inn.

"So lunch specials for everyone, right?" Everyone at the table nodded in response. "What can I get you for drinks?"

Being led along by the earnest innkeeper, the group of five soon placed their orders. It was only when the innkeeper went to address their order that they had the chance to speak among themselves again.

"So, Yun Ming, where are you from?"

"From Jade Lotus. I'm, umm, an independent cultivator there and I roam around, so I don't really have a permanent place of residence."

Li Lang immediately remembered Jade Lotus as the province northwest of Yellow Qilin. There wasn't much else he knew about it except it was a territory of the orthodox cultivators.

"How about you guys?" Yun Ming asked.

"We're from Yellow Qilin, but we're currently staying in the Luminescent Domain."

"What? You're all demonic cultivators?!"

I can't say his surprise wasn't unexpected, but he should know the relationship between the orthodox and the demonic by now, right? We're in Polarity City. Isn't his reaction a bit exaggerated?

"Well, yes."

Yun Ming instantly fell into deep thought. Worries showed on his face, so Li Lang swiftly moved on to another topic.

"Anyway, I went through your work last night. I must say, I really liked how detailed you outlined everything."

"Huh? Right, yeah. My umm, mentor taught me a lot. I even got the idea for the technique from her."

"Sounds like someone I would love to meet someday, but for now, I luckily have you. I had a lot of questions I wanted to ask you."

Long Yi could be seen shaking his head on the other side of the table as Li Lang started to get inquisitive. 

"Here we go again. Off to talk in his own language."

His complaints went unaddressed as the young staff member from before came carrying several plates. It was obvious from his movements that this wasn't his first day. When he set the food before Li Lang, it caused him to pause mid-sentence.

He glanced down at the food, astonished.

"This is…"