12dz Chapter 4 The Auction in Beijing
Chapter 4 The Auction in Beijing
On the other side, Wang Tianlong piloted the Wind-Riding Boat at breakneck speed, finally arriving near the capital of the Great Jin Dynasty, "Jinjing".
To avoid drawing too much attention, he activated his escape technique hundreds of miles outside the city and put away his spirit boat. A flash of spiritual light appeared on his body, and his practical outfit had been replaced by a moon-white scholar's robe. He now held a seemingly ordinary folding fan in his hand, and the spiritual pressure emanating from his Nascent Soul stage quietly subsided, steadily maintaining itself at the level of the late Nascent Soul stage—a cultivation level that could avoid unnecessary trouble while still enjoying a certain degree of respect, making it most suitable for blending into the crowd.
He strolled towards the majestic city. The closer he got, the more he could feel the unprecedented liveliness of this centennial event. Countless streaks of light, each a different color, flashed across the sky like shooting stars towards Jinjing; on the ground, the crowds of cultivators and mortals mingled, shoulder to shoulder, carriages and horses clamoring. Whether for the rare treasures at the auction or simply to witness this grand event in the cultivation world, countless figures had gathered here.
Wang Tianlong knew that this grand auction held by the Great Jin Dynasty was unprecedented in scale, with different levels of venues set up for cultivators of different cultivation levels. From the exclusive secret realm for top-level Nascent Soul cultivators to public or semi-public auction halls for Nascent Soul, Core Formation, Foundation Establishment, and even Qi Refining stage cultivators, the levels were clearly defined to ensure that everyone could get what they needed and that the event was orderly.
When the unimaginably magnificent outline of Jinjing's city walls came into view, even with Wang Tianlong's thousand years of experience, a ripple of emotion stirred within him. This first magnificent city in the human realm was truly large enough to accommodate billions of living beings. The towering city walls stretched into the clouds, their surfaces adorned with faint runes and shrouded in spiritual energy, clearly indicating the presence of extremely powerful anti-flight and protective formations. Within the city, pavilions and towers stood side by side, a wondrous blend of celestial grandeur and earthly life.
Outside the city walls, squads of mortal cultivators, clad in gleaming armor and brimming with vitality, could be seen patrolling in an orderly fashion. These cultivators did not rely on spiritual roots, but focused solely on cultivating their physical bodies and blood. Although they could not absorb spiritual energy to cast spells, and their lifespans were far shorter than those of cultivators of the same level, their combat strength was not to be underestimated. The best among them could even contend with cultivators in the early stages of the Nascent Soul realm using only their physical strength. They were an important force in maintaining order between the mortal and low-level cultivator areas in the Great Jin Dynasty.
"This is Jinjing..." Wang Tianlong waved his folding fan and slowly walked towards the huge city gate with the flow of people. He sighed inwardly, "The Jinjing that Han Laomo saw and heard in the original work was probably not as prosperous and thriving as it is now."
Ten thousand years have passed, and things have changed, but this magnificent city, which gathers the fortune of the human world, seems to have grown even more majestic and glorious. He composed himself and followed the bustling crowd into this legendary city, heading straight for its heart.
Reaching the imposing city gate, Wang Tianlong calmly entered with the flow of people. The gate was heavily guarded on both sides; besides powerful body cultivators, several Foundation Establishment cultivators stood watch, their sharp eyes scanning those entering the city. Above the gate hung an ancient bronze mirror, its surface rippling like water, faintly shimmering with spiritual light—this was the "Spirit Summoning Mirror," capable of roughly reflecting a cultivator's original aura, identifying whether they were orthodox human cultivators, and also reacting to those carrying a strong bloodthirsty evil aura or non-human beings.
As Wang Tianlong passed by, the surface of the Spirit Summoning Mirror only rippled slightly, without any unusual phenomena. The guard's gaze lingered on him briefly, sensing the solid spiritual pressure unique to a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, and then he didn't ask any further questions, letting him pass. After all, Jinjing usually held an open attitude towards senior experts of this cultivation level, unless they were obviously evil cult leaders or anomalies; it was better to avoid trouble.
Upon entering the city, the noise intensified. Wang Tianlong was no stranger to this place; after a thousand years of cultivation, he was already a regular here and needed no "hyacinths" (guides) to lead the way. He walked leisurely through the bustling streets inhabited by mortals, heading straight for the inner city's area reserved for cultivators.
He first strolled around the low-level cultivator market on the outskirts. The area was bustling with people, lined with stalls, and filled with the constant calls of vendors. Most of the goods were items needed by Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators, with the occasional Core Formation material. Wang Tianlong's eyes flashed like lightning; a quick sweep of his divine sense revealed that there was little to his liking. He lingered briefly, savoring the long-lost lively atmosphere, before turning and leaving.
He then arrived at the "Hundred Treasures Pavilion," an area specifically designated for Nascent Soul cultivators and above. The environment here was much quieter, and the pavilions and halls were noticeably more exquisite. The number of cultivators coming and going had decreased sharply, but each one possessed an extraordinary air, at least at the late Core Formation stage, with Nascent Soul cultivators not uncommon. After all, those who had reached this level of cultivation were already the backbone of the human realm, far outnumbering lower-level cultivators.
Wang Tianlong strolled into a three-story building with a plaque that read "Qiwu Zhai" (奇物斋). The shop was elegantly decorated, filled with the fragrance of sandalwood, and only a few customers were quietly browsing. Upon seeing a Nascent Soul senior enter, the shopkeeper, a late-stage Core Formation cultivator, immediately perked up and personally greeted him with utmost respect.
Wang Tianlong waved his hand, indicating that he should do as he pleased, and then strolled slowly along the shelves to browse. The shelves held jade slips, fragments of magical artifacts, rare spiritual materials, ancient talismans, and even some strange items of unknown origin, all priced quite high. Although his main purpose in coming was to acquire the grand finale of the auction, he didn't mind trying his luck in the earlier transactions to see if he could find a bargain or exchange for what he needed.
"There's still a month before the auction officially starts," Wang Tianlong thought to himself. "With plenty of time, I can investigate thoroughly and perhaps make some gains in this trading area or at some small private exchange meetings."
In the following days, Wang Tianlong settled down in Jinjing.
He first rented a quiet cave dwelling at "Cloud Cliff Residence," which was close to the inner city's spiritual veins. This place was exclusively for high-level cultivators to stay temporarily, with strict restrictions and abundant spiritual energy, which suited him perfectly. After settling the purple-haired rat, which was still digesting its demon core in its spirit beast pouch and whose aura was steadily rising, he took a short break to adjust his breathing and began to systematically plan the next month.
As is customary at auctions, the process proceeds from lowest to highest level. First, the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment auctions take place, followed by the Core Formation auction, which gradually reaches its peak. Only then does the Nascent Soul auction take place, while the Deity Transformation auction, the main attraction, is scheduled for last as the grand finale.
Wang Tianlong's plan was clear: first, he would observe the auctions and trade fairs for Nascent Soul cultivators. Firstly, while the treasures at this level might not be of great use to him, there were often some obscure, rare, or ancient artifacts that could help him refine his skills and create special talismans. With a bit of luck, he might even find a bargain that would be valuable even to a Deity Transformation cultivator. Secondly, he could use this opportunity to observe the movements of the Nascent Soul cultivators present, sense the pre-auction anxieties, and perhaps glean some unusual information.
As for the main event, the Nascent Soul stage, he naturally wanted to participate. It was there that the truly rare treasures of heaven and earth appeared, potentially helping him break through the late-stage bottleneck or greatly enhancing his chances of ascension. Most of the treasures flowing from Kunwu Mountain also appeared at this level.
With the plan set, he decided not to delay any longer.
In the days that followed, Wang Tianlong, sometimes posing as a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, frequented various reputable large shops in the "Hundred Treasures Pavilion" area, inquiring about special talismans, high-grade beast blood, or rare materials containing spatial fluctuations—all crucial for drawing higher-level "Minor Teleportation Talismans" and even researching their advanced forms. He would also occasionally participate in small private exchange meetings among Nascent Soul cultivators, and with his millennia of accumulated expertise and wealth, he managed to acquire a few interesting but not top-tier antiques and spiritual materials.
More often than not, he would sit alone in his cave, consolidating his peak mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, nurturing the Sky-Stepping Boots and Wind-Riding Boat, and repeatedly deducing the various mysteries of the Nascent Soul chapter of the "Wind-Stepping Technique," especially the timing of the use of the life-saving trump card "Heavenly Gap Flowing Light" and the subsequent escape route, striving to bring the art of "running away" to its extreme in any possible conflict.
In his spare time, he would think of the eerie nature of Black Wind Old Ghost's gang and the unsettling "Bone-Eating Black Banner." These thoughts, like undercurrents beneath the surface, kept him alert, a trait unique to Nascent Soul cultivators, even in the bustling capital of Jinjing.
Time passed day by day amidst practice, exploration, and waiting.
The atmosphere in Jinjing grew increasingly heated, with cultivators from all directions pouring in. The air seemed to be filled with the restlessness and anticipation of a spiritual being about to be born.
Finally, ten days before the Nascent Soul auction, a grand three-day Nascent Soul auction is about to officially begin in a magnificent building called "Treasure Pavilion".
Wang Tianlong opened his eyes in the cave, a glint of light flashing in them.
"The time has come."