I Have an Omen System

Just a faint whiff was enough to invigorate the crowd of Loose Cultivators.

"To start with such a high-profile item! Spiritual Essence Pills that can completely restore one’s True Essence!"

Wang Run Tian’s face was flushed, his palms clenched, and his breath came in short, quick gasps.

He immediately placed a bid: "Sixty low-grade spirit stones!"

"Sixty-five spirit stones," another bid followed at once.

"Seventy!"

...

Qin Xuan held the unconscious Wang Lanmeng, a faint smile on his lips as he watched the crowd scramble for the Spiritual Essence Pills.

’That’s right. He was the one who had supplied those Spiritual Essence Pills!’

’He had given Yunlong ten Spiritual Essence Pills, but that old fox certainly knew how to build suspense, splitting them into three separate lots.’

In just a few moments, the price had been driven up to one hundred and thirty low-grade spirit stones.

Before the war, these three Tier One Top-Grade Spiritual Essence Pills would have been worth one hundred spirit stones at most. Now, they were selling at a massive premium.

"One hundred and forty!"

Suddenly, a hoarse voice shouted out.

The entire Cloud Stream Valley fell deathly silent.

"Going once for one hundred forty, twice for one hundred forty..."

BANG!

Yunlong brought his gavel down with a heavy thud. "Congratulations to buyer number twenty-six," he said with a smile, "on acquiring the Top-Grade Spiritual Essence Pills."

"Our next item is a Tier One High-Grade Magical Artifact: the Sky-Splitting Golden Needle..."

The auction continued.

Most of the subsequent items were Tier One High-Grade and Top-Grade Pills, Magical Artifacts, and Magic Talismans—all essential for Late-stage Qi Cultivation Cultivators.

They had certainly catered to their target demographic.

As the auction progressed, the prices climbed higher and higher.

Qin Xuan wasn’t interested in any of the items, though he did manage to sell a Top-Grade Dragon Pattern Flying Sword for the high price of four hundred thirty low-grade spirit stones.

A short while later, a rustling sound echoed from within the mist.

A Yellow-haired Monkey Demon, only at the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer and draped in a tattered gray robe, approached Qin Xuan with stiff yet precise movements.

The Monkey Demon extended a furry paw, handing over a heavy Storage Pouch.

"The five hundred seventy low-grade spirit stones from the sale of the flying sword and Spiritual Essence Pills... minus... the commission... comes to a total of five hundred thirteen low-grade spirit stones."

"Please inspect them, my lord..."

The Yellow-haired Monkey Demon’s voice was high and shrill. Its demonic eyes were hollow and lifeless, and it moved in a daze, like a Puppet controlled by invisible strings.

’Interesting. This Master of Ten Thousand Treasures Valley is clever, settling payments on the spot.’

Qin Xuan accepted the Spirit Stones with a neutral expression.

Several more rounds passed. Qin Xuan, who had been growing bored, suddenly sat up straight.

He heard Yunlong’s voice drift out. "Our second-to-last item: a complete Artifact Refining legacy, the Hundred Refinements Profound Weapon Record. Its original starting price was three thousand Spirit Stones, but the bidding today will start at five hundred Spirit Stones.

The minimum bid increment is fifty Spirit Stones."

After a brief pause, Yunlong added, "Per the seller’s request, anyone with a Tier Two Low-Grade Pill may exchange it for its equivalent value in Spirit Stones and will be given priority to win this item!"

Upon hearing of a complete Artifact Refining legacy, Qin Xuan’s eyes instantly lit up.

Strangely, however, the same Cultivators who had been fiercely competing for Pills and Magical Artifacts were now silent. The bidders were few and far between.

The room suddenly grew quiet.

After a long silence, an aged voice finally rang out.

"Five hundred and fifty low-grade spirit stones!"

"Old Dog Wang, your Wang Family has been fishing for generations. What use could you possibly have for an Artifact Refining legacy?"

A mocking voice cut in, "I’ll bid seven hundred low-grade spirit stones!"

Wang Zezhou snorted, ignoring the taunt. "Eight hundred!"

This, however, only seemed to pique the other man’s interest. "One thousand!"

Suppressing his rage, Wang Zezhou’s voice was as cold as iron. "Fellow Daoist Shen, don’t take this too far! My Wang Family may not be skilled in Artifact Refining, but does your Shen Family, which has relied on Beast Taming for generations, know anything about smithing?"

"Amidst this war between cultivators and demons, the prices of Magical Artifacts, Magic Talismans, and Healing Elixirs have skyrocketed. Meanwhile, the value of legacies and scriptures—much like the Foundation Establishment Pill, which takes a long time to see returns on—has plummeted. I am merely trying to secure a long-term livelihood for my family’s descendants..."

Done wasting his breath, Wang Zezhou called out a staggering price: "One thousand five hundred low-grade spirit stones!"

Qin Xuan observed with great interest.

To him, the Tier Two Maze Array was little more than a child’s game.

The man opposing Wang Zezhou was none other than the Shen Family’s Supreme Elder, Shen Yongsheng.

"I, too, am thinking of my descendants. I just also happen to want to see you squirm."

At that moment, Shen Yongsheng was taking a gleeful puff from his long-stemmed pipe, exhaling a cloud of smoke.

"Two thousand low-grade spirit stones!"

Wang Zezhou spread his hands. "Fine. It’s yours."

Shen Yongsheng froze. His copper-bowled pipe dropped to the ground with a clatter, and he flew into a rage.

"Old Dog Wang, did you just play me?"

Wang Zezhou let out a hearty laugh.

"Fellow Daoist Shen, you walked right into that trap yourself. Now let’s see how you’re going to compete with me for the Foundation Establishment Pill!"

Shen Yongsheng’s face went ashen with fury.

While two thousand Spirit Stones for a complete Artifact Refining legacy was still a bargain, this had not been his intention.

He had only meant to cause some trouble, but who would have thought he’d end up shooting himself in the foot.

Grinning so broadly his eyes narrowed into slits, Yunlong swiftly brought the gavel down.

"Going once at two thousand... Sold!"

"Congratulations to buyer number thirteen on acquiring the complete Artifact Refining legacy!"

All Shen Yongsheng could do was swallow his bitter pill.

It would take at least thirty years to fully master this Artifact Refining legacy.

He could only hope that no great calamity would befall his family within the next thirty years.

At the same time, he prayed the Wang Family wouldn’t produce a second Foundation Establishment cultivator. Otherwise, this legacy he’d just bought would be a gift for his enemies!