In the entirety of Azure Wind City, only a rare few pharmacists had the skill to refine excellent-grade Marrow Cleansing Potions. And among those few, even fewer could manage to produce as many as twenty bottles in one go. Not even the wealthier second-tier families could confidently claim such a stock.
These potions were treasures, typically reserved for the most talented or favored members of a clan.
So it was no wonder Lan Yueli was taken aback.
Even Guan Long, who usually maintained a calm demeanor, was visibly stirred. He had initially assumed Li Yun might bring out two or three bottles at most. Twenty? That was a bit too much even for him.
And now, he was certain of one thing: the person backing Li Yun couldn't possibly be the so-called senior pharmacist of the Li family. Guan Long knew the man's capabilities well, and refining an excellent-grade Marrow Cleansing Potion was simply beyond him.
"I'll get the authorization contract ready right away!" Lan Yueli offered promptly.
But Li Yun shook his head lightly. "That won't be necessary, Director Lan. I trust the Treasure Pavilion," he said casually. "Please, just go ahead and verify the potions."
With that, Li Yun took out the twenty bottles of potion and laid them out in front of her. In his mind, there was no need for suspicion, twenty bottles might seem like a lot, but with his skills, this wasn't even his limit.
And the Treasure Pavilion, with its reputation on the line, wouldn't dare play tricks over such a relatively small quantity. Not when he could supply more in the future.
"Very well. Then I'll inspect them now," Lan Yueli nodded seriously. Given the value of excellent-grade Marrow Cleansing Potions, she didn't dare treat the task lightly.
Her movements were swift and practiced. In just a few moments, she had examined all twenty bottles.
"There's no issue. All twenty are indeed excellent-grade Marrow Cleansing Potions," she said, a spark of admiration in her eyes. "I'll go ahead and make the arrangements for the auction now. But to be honest, if you had brought them just a few days earlier, we could have advertised the listing. That way, representatives from every major force in Azure Wind City would've come to compete for them. With the right promotion, the final price could've been significantly higher."
Li Yun only smiled. "That's alright. No need to make a fuss."
Just then, Guan Long's voice cut in, calm but firm. "Lan Yueli, you'll be presiding over this auction personally."
Lan Yueli blinked in surprise. Normally, she only hosted the large, annual auctions herself. Smaller events like this one were usually handed off to professional auctioneers. But she quickly understood, this wasn't a normal auction anymore.
The inclusion of twenty bottles of excellent-grade Marrow Cleansing Potions had changed everything.
Clearly, Guan Long viewed this as a matter of utmost importance.
After exchanging a few more words, Li Yun took his leave and returned to his seat in the crystal room, calm and composed.
"Lan Yueli, what do you think of Li Yun?" Guan Long asked, his eyes narrowing as he gazed through the crystal wall at the young man who had just taken his seat.
Lan Yueli followed his line of sight, her expression thoughtful. "It's hard to explain. Every time I see him, he feels… different. Like he's subtly changed in ways I can't quite define. Maybe it's just my imagination. I once asked him who refined those potions, and he claimed he did it himself. Now he's taken out excellent-grade Marrow Cleansing Potions. I honestly can't guess what kind of medicine he might bring out next."
Guan Long nodded slowly. "That boy is no ordinary talent. He must have access to some resource or method we're unaware of. Keep a close eye on him, we can't afford to overlook someone like him."
"Should I have someone investigate him?" Lan Yueli asked quietly, turning to face him.
Guan Long shook his head. "No need. If he finds out we're digging into his background, it may create unnecessary tension. The Treasure Pavilion can't afford to offend someone like him. Anyone capable of refining excellent-grade Marrow Cleansing Potions should be a top priority for us to win over."
He paused for a moment, lost in thought, a trace of suspicion flashing in his eyes. "I even wonder… could the person behind him be a true 2nd star or 3rd star alchemist? If that's the case, then this is bigger than we thought."
"I understand." Lan Yueli nodded solemnly, her gaze drifting back to Li Yun, a flicker of interest flashing in her eyes.
…
Down in the seating area, Li Hua leaned closer to Li Yun and whispered, "What did you and Director Lan talk about?"
Li Yun gave a small smile. "Nothing much. I'm planning to sell something so I can afford the purple fruit. I'll need quite a bit of gold."
"I'll help you," Li Hua said quickly. "Over the years, I've saved up a decent amount of gold coins."
She had brought Li Yun here with the intention of helping him secure the purple fruit from the start.
Li Yun chuckled. "No need, Sister Hua. I've got my own methods."
As the two spoke quietly, they could feel countless gazes drifting their way. Many of the people in the room had noticed Li Yun leaving earlier with Lan Yueli and were now watching him with curiosity, trying to piece together what had happened. But none of them could guess the truth.
A short while later, barely enough time for a cup of tea, the auction officially began.
Lan Yueli stepped onto the stage, dressed in a flowing sky-blue gown that shimmered beneath the lights. Her smile was radiant, and her presence instantly lit up the room as her clear gaze swept across the audience.
By now, over a hundred people had gathered in the auction hall. Most of them were young, their cultivation levels generally below the Body Tempering Realm. It was obvious, they were here for one thing.
The purple fruit.
***
"Good evening, everyone. I'm Lan Yueli. On behalf of the Treasure Pavilion, I welcome you all to today's auction," she began with a graceful smile, her voice calm and melodic as it echoed through the grand hall. "I'll be your host for this event."
"I know many of you have been eagerly waiting, so I won't keep you in suspense any longer. Let's officially begin the auction."
Just as the air buzzed with anticipation, Lan Yueli's tone turned subtly teasing. "But before we start with the first item, allow me to share something special. In this auction, we will be offering excellent grade Marrow Cleansing Potions. Those of you interested, please be ready, they'll be up for bidding soon."
The hall instantly erupted.
"What?"
"Excellent grade Marrow Cleansing Potions?!"
"There's actually going to be some of that here?"
"Why didn't anyone hear about this beforehand? Wasn't it supposed to be announced?"
"Are you dumb? This is the Treasure Pavilion we're talking about, and the one speaking is Director Lan herself. You think she'd make up something like that? Hmph! I need to notify my family immediately. If these potions are really going up for auction, the Patriarch and the elders will definitely want in."
A wave of murmurs and hushed whispers spread like wildfire through the crowd.
Li Yun sat quietly amidst the rising commotion, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. The moment he'd been waiting for had arrived.
Almost every cultivator present had come with guards or attendants. There was no need to leave the auction hall, instead, quiet orders were passed to subordinates, who quickly relayed the news back to their families or factions.
The atmosphere was charged.
Lan Yueli raised her hand, and the noise gradually settled.
"Now then, let's begin with the first item of the night," she said, her voice once again smooth and magnetic. "Please take a look."
A door to the side of the stage opened, and a staff member stepped out, carefully holding an object wrapped in a black cloth.
"A weapon?"
"That shape… it has to be a weapon."
"It's the first lot. They always start strong to stir excitement, I'm curious what kind it is."
All eyes turned toward the staff member as he approached the display stand. Though the object was still concealed, its form left little to the imagination.
In keeping with auction tradition, the opening item was expected to be of high quality. A strong start would set the tone for the rest of the event, while a lackluster item could easily dampen the mood.
Li Yun focused his gaze as well, interested. The blade he currently used was a low-grade Mortal-rank sword gifted by his family, barely serviceable at best.
As one's cultivation improved, so too did the need for superior weapons. Weaker weapons couldn't handle the immense force cultivators could exert. For example, a Xiantian Realm cultivator wielding a low-grade weapon might shatter it with a single strike. Naturally, the higher the weapon's grade, the greater its power.
"I'm sure many of you have already guessed," Lan Yueli continued, gesturing toward the cloth-covered item, "Yes, it is a weapon. A sword, to be precise."
"This is the Dark Light Sword."
Her voice was serene but carried a ripple of excitement, and her enchanting smile only added to the anticipation.
Even before she could announce the starting price, many in the room were already preparing to bid.
"This sword, the Dark Light Sword, is a high-grade Mortal-rank weapon," Lan Yueli announced with a warm smile. "Even practitioners at the Xiantian Realm can wield it without issue."
As she spoke, she gracefully reached out and pulled back the black cloth that had concealed the item. The moment the covering fell away, a beautifully crafted long sword was revealed. Its blade shimmered with a subtle emerald-green hue, exuding an unmistakable chill.
From his seat in the front row, Li Yun could clearly sense the cold aura radiating from the blade. A flicker of admiration flashed in his eyes.
'What a fine sword,' he thought, his heart stirring with desire.
Just as expected, the opening item of the auction was impressive. In the hierarchy of weapons, Mortal-rank is considered the entry-level grade. But within that category, once a weapon reaches the mid or high grade tier, its value skyrockets.
The sword Li Yun currently used, also Mortal-rank, was merely low-grade, a weapon issued by his family. Compared to the sword now gleaming onstage, his own felt utterly inferior.
Above Mortal-rank weapons were Profound-rank, then Earth-rank, and at the pinnacle stood the rare and powerful Heaven-rank weapons. But in the entirety of Azure Wind City, not a single Profound-rank weapon existed. Even Top Grade Mortal-rank weapons were rare treasures, typically controlled by major clans and top-tier forces.
"A high-grade Mortal-rank sword!"
"I haven't seen one of these at an Azure Wind auction in years!"
"Too bad I don't use swords, otherwise, I'd definitely be bidding."
The crowd quickly erupted into hushed chatter and awe.
Li Yun's gaze stayed locked on the Dark Light Sword. He had been refining his sword techniques recently, and this blade was far superior to what he owned. Securing it would undoubtedly elevate his combat ability.
"The starting bid for the Dark Light Sword is 10,000 gold coins," Lan Yueli announced clearly, now holding the sword in both hands. She gave it a light swing, and an arc of emerald sword energy rippled through the air like waves on a still lake.
"For each new bid, the minimum increment is 100 gold coins. You may now begin bidding."
Although 10,000 gold coins wasn't outrageous for a weapon of this level, it was still a significant sum for many of those in attendance. It wasn't something one could spend on impulse.
"Ten thousand and one hundred gold coins!"
"Ten thousand five hundred!"
"Eleven thousand!"
"Twelve thousand!"
The bids came fast and fierce, voices overlapping.
"I'm determined to win this sword! Thirteen thousand gold coins!" someone declared.
Within seconds, the price had surged to 13,000 gold coins, with more than ten bidders actively competing.
Li Yun remained quiet, watching the chaos with calm eyes. He knew better than to bid too early. The opening frenzy would weed out those who lacked the funds or conviction to go all the way.
"Hmph, I'll settle this now," a voice sneered from the front.
It was Zhang Xiaotian, who stood up confidently and swept his gaze across the room. His tone was arrogant and loud enough for all to hear.
"Fifteen thousand gold coins! Let's see who dares to compete with me!"
Clutched in his hand was a sleek, black long sword, clearly, he was a sword user himself. And from the way he spoke, it was evident he had no intention of losing this bid.