Chapter 26: Water-Source Ore

Due to the upcoming auction, Qin Liang had no choice but to postpone his plans to enter Hongxia Mountain. He was unaware of the errands Luo Qian had been running on his behalf.

Back in his room, he emptied all his storage bags—there were at least twenty or thirty low-grade ones. After checking them thoroughly, he was surprised to find he had a total of over ten thousand spirit coins.

"Fifteen thousand and eighty coins." Qin Liang weighed the storage bags, feeling quite satisfied. These were his spoils of war. The bags belonging to Wang Botao, Wang Jingrou, and Feng Yuan contained the most, as expected; being young masters and misses from prominent families, their pocket money was truly substantial.

"I'll go to the auction tomorrow and see if I can pick up anything." Qin Liang hoped for a stroke of luck. If he could find a bargain, that would be ideal, but if not, it would at least be a good experience.

After tidying up, he threw the medicinal herbs given to him by Luo Qian into the Heaven-Desolate Cauldron to be refined. Absorbing the essence of a single herb was a mere drop in the bucket for him, but even a small gain was better than nothing; he wouldn't waste it.

Early the next morning, many people headed toward the auction house. The Jiang family did not organize a formal group; disciples who wished to go could head there on their own and bid on whatever caught their eyes. Jiang Hai and his wife, as representatives of the Jiang family, had long ago reserved a VIP suite at the venue. However, Qin Liang and Jiang Xuehan disliked such formalities. They mingled with the crowd, entered the main hall on the first floor, picked a secluded spot, and waited quietly for the auction to begin.

Each person was provided with a list; the auction house was very thorough. The moment he sat down, Qin Liang’s keen senses detected a gaze fixed upon him. He looked toward the second-floor corridor, where a pot-bellied middle-aged man was smiling down at him.

"What’s going on?" Qin Liang felt strange. Why was Qian Youcai staring at him like that? It was as if he were eyeing the money in his pockets.

In one of the private suites, Li Hongcai saw Qin Liang and Jiang Xuehan, and the coldness in his eyes intensified. Every time he saw the two of them acting affectionately, he felt a surge of rage. He longed to eliminate the man named Qin and force the woman to his bed to vent his frustrations. He decided that once he defeated Qin Liang, that was exactly what he would do. All his hopes were pinned on the Spirit Transformation Pill.

In another suite, Luo Qian asked respectfully, "Pavilion Master, should I invite Young Master Qin up for a cup of tea?"

"Be sensible; don't go interrupting their romance," Hua Zhiqiao replied with a smile on her face.

The atmosphere in the other suites was heavy. They were well-informed and had already discovered that the Spirit Transformation Pill they coveted was being targeted by several other parties, making the competition fierce.

Once every seat was filled, the auction began. As the curtains parted, a curvaceous woman in revealing attire walked onto the stage. Her graceful, lotus-like gait seemed to bring a spring breeze with it, drawing cheers from the crowd and igniting base desires in many of the men present.

"Welcome to the Liujin Auction House. I will now present the items for auction." The auctioneer’s beautiful face blossomed into a smile. Her every movement caused her ample bosom to tremble, and as she leaned forward slightly, the tantalizing glimpses of her figure were enough to captivate and bewitch the audience. Some men in the front rows grew flushed, their eyes burning with heat as they struggled to maintain their composure. Seeing this, the beautiful auctioneer’s smile remained, perhaps even tinged with a hint of triumph.

"Is it a good show?" Jiang Xuehan rolled her eyes, then glanced at Qin Liang beside her, asking with a touch of annoyance.

Qin Liang was, after all, a young man; he couldn't help but feel a stir in his heart, but after circulating his internal energy, he quickly calmed down. He replied calmly, "It is indeed a sight, but unfortunately, it is nothing more than superficial beauty—mere skin and bones."

Ignoring the excited guests, the auctioneer began to introduce the items.

"The first item is a broken low-grade Origin weapon sword. Although not as good as it was in its prime, it still surpasses many iron blades. While it cannot be activated with Origin energy, it can still cut through metal like mud." She lifted the cloth covering the tray to reveal a broken sword. "The starting price is five hundred spirit coins, with a minimum increment of ten spirit coins."

Such a broken sword held no appeal for Ningyuan-stage experts, but for those in the Lianling stage, it was quite tempting. Someone immediately shouted, "I bid six hundred spirit coins. I want this broken sword."

"Six hundred and fifty," another person countered.

The hall grew lively as bidding escalated. Many experts at the seventh or eighth level of the Lianling stage were covetous. Qin Liang and Jiang Xuehan both possessed high-grade Origin sword embryos, so they had no interest in a broken low-grade weapon and simply watched. Eventually, the broken sword was purchased by a masked youth. Once he paid the coins and collected his item, he slipped away while everyone’s attention was on the stage—a common occurrence at these auctions.

"The second item is a set of Yellow-rank low-grade martial arts: 'Stone-Breaking Palm.' When mastered, it can shatter boulders with astonishing power. It is an excellent choice for those just beginning their path in martial arts. Don't miss out if you are interested." The beautiful auctioneer smiled, her seductive gaze sweeping over the audience. "The starting price is nine hundred spirit coins..."

Those who had not yet chosen their introductory martial art were tempted and began to stir; they were mostly rogue cultivators. The competition for this technique was not intense, as most people present had already chosen their paths and would not waste time learning another technique of the same rank. Qin Liang and Jiang Xuehan continued to observe; as members of a large family, they were not lacking in such techniques.

Soon, the technique was sold for thirteen hundred coins.

"The third item..." The auctioneer continued. As the auction progressed, the starting prices climbed higher. By the tenth item, the starting price exceeded ten thousand coins. These were rare treasures, but unfortunately, they were of no use to Qin Liang, and he did not want to waste his coins.

Jiang Xuehan was not interested in these items either. She had just completed her sixth refinement and needed time to stabilize. Unlike Qin Liang, even though she had a ninth-grade Dao Root, her progress was still subject to constraints.

Watching the starting prices climb ever higher, Qin Liang sighed inwardly. It seemed he was truly just here for the experience. With only fifteen thousand coins, he was far behind the wealthy individuals in the hall.

Just as he finished sighing, his spiritual sense suddenly flickered. He looked toward the item being brought onto the stage, a strange glint flashing in his eyes.

"What is it?" Jiang Xuehan asked, puzzled.

Qin Liang stared fixedly at the stage, trusting his intuition. "I have a feeling that item is rather interesting."

"If you don't have enough spirit coins, I have two thousand here," Jiang Xuehan offered, noticing that Qin Liang seemed intent on bidding.

Qin Liang firmly pushed her hand back. "Don't be in a rush. Let's see what it is first."

"The twenty-ninth item is a piece of water-source ore, harvested from a deep pool. It has been nourished by the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and contains a surge of spiritual essence. Based on observations, it is comparable to half of a second-grade medicinal herb."

As soon as the auctioneer spoke, the entire hall erupted in a buzz of excitement. Many who had been dozing off widened their eyes. However, her next words were like a bucket of cold water poured over everyone.

"Unfortunately, the water-source ore is extremely hard. We have tried many methods, but we cannot crack it open. Furthermore, the spiritual energy has completely fused with the stone; even if it were broken, the energy could not be absorbed."

The auctioneer explained, "Unless one swallows the entire ore, but doing so would introduce too many impurities and risk rupturing one's meridians."

"This..."

The hall fell silent. Someone scoffed, "In other words, it's just a useless rock?"