Before, it cost 19,000 top-grade lingshi to buy the Xuanyuan Iron and Resplendent Stone, and it took another 6,001 to buy that set of crystals. Together they cost half of the 50,000 given by Master.
Holding the Nine-Souls Crystal in his hand, Mo Tianliao did not regret it. Normally, top-grade crystals, such as Red Temper crystal, which could be refined into special weapons and spiritual weapons, could cost between 100 and 200 pieces of top-grade lingshi. This kind of seven colour crystal set could sell for up to 2,000 lingshi, which was already a lot. He had paid 6,000 lingshi, everyone thought that he’d been had.
But no one knew that Nine-Souls Crystal was even more precious than Starfall Stone.
A Soul Vessel was something that could hold souls or spirits. The Soul-devouring Banner which Elder Kugu had asked him to craft was a kind of Soul Vessel. A Nine-Souls Crystal the size of a fingernail could hold thousands of souls and be refined into a Soul-devouring Banner, a semi-immortal weapon.
Now, with this fist-sized Nine-Souls Crystal, he could even forge an item that could nourish the soul…
“Starfall Stone!” The discerning people below screamed.
Starfall Stone was a top-grade crafting material, it had no specific attribute so the resulting artifact could be used by anyone. More importantly, there was almost no upper limit on the amount of power that Starfall Stone could withstand.
The powerful people of the Half-Immortal stage and above, rarely used spiritual weapons. This was because ordinary spiritual weapons couldn’t bear their own huge spiritual power. If they slashed with a sword, for example, it would use only half of their spiritual power. It was better to just hit directly.
“Some fellow cultivators have already recognized it.” The auctioneer stood behind the tray to let everyone look at it carefully. “This is a piece of Starfall Stone, which can be refined into a top-grade spiritual weapon or even a semi-immortal weapon that can be used by Half-Immortals. A top-grade refining material. There exist only a few in the entire Taixuan continent, you may come across it by luck, but never find it if you search for it.”
Now the auctioneer’s voice was very slow, it seemed that no amount of praise could convey the value of the Starfall Stone.
It was not just desirable to craftsmen. If one wanted to ask a craftsman to refine an artifact, it was often better to offer them rare materials than to give them lingshi directly. Even the cleverest housewife could not cook a meal without rice; no matter how skilled a craftsman was, even with all the lingshi in the world, without good materials, they would not be able to create anything.
“Starting at twenty thousand top-grade lingshi!” The auctioneer stopped talking and started the bidding.
The Foundation stage cultivators in the hall were silent. Even if they were from a good family background, twenty thousand top-grade lingshi, that is, two million low-grade lingshi, was by no means something they could afford.
In the whole venue, only those with divine sense bid silently.
Mo Tianliao stared at the crystal sphere and listened to the auctioneer’s incessant shouting. The price of Starfall Stone soared to twenty-three thousand before it began to increase hundred by hundred. Even so, the bidding speed was still very fast. Looking at the pitiful twenty-five thousand lingshi in his storage bag, Mo Tianliao’s palms were sweaty, he could only hope that there was no one very rich present today.
However, it was obviously his unlucky day. When Mo Tianliao bid twenty-four thousand and nine hundred, someone immediately quoted twenty-six thousand.
“Master…” As a last resort, Mo Tianliao had to turn around and ask his cat for money.
“You only said you wanted 50,000.” Qingtong looked at him nonchalantly and slowly sipped his tea. He did not like Mo Tianliao’s tendency of being unable to let go when he saw good materials. He often forgot to cook fish for him because he was engrossed in his crafting. To let those uglies in Mo Palace make cat food for him was really unforgivable!
“But something came up…” Mo Tianliao had the cheek to pull at Master’s sleeve.
Qingtong raised his hand and pulled his sleeve away from his hand. His pale thin lips spat out two words, “No more.”
With a sigh, Mo Tianliao saw the cool beautiful eyes close, he was being ignored. He had no choice but to bitterly withdraw his hand from the bidding crystal. It seemed that he had no choice but to use other materials as a substitute, he hoped it would not be a problem. Thinking about the things to come, Mo Tianliao had a bit of a headache.
“Twenty-eight thousand and three hundred top-grade lingshi!” The auctioneer was still shouting loudly.
Meng Hu looked at his sorry looking shidi and couldn’t help leaning in. “Shidi, I still have two thousand and five hundred lingshi left. Would that be enough?”
Mo Tianliao looked up at his simple and honest da-shixiong and could not help rubbing his head.
“Thirty thousand!” The auctioneer suddenly shouted stridently, “Senior has offered Thirty thousand top-grade lingshi, who else wants to bid?”
“Thirty thousand, going twice!”
Mo Tianliao watched helplessly as the Starfall Stone was put into a black jade box and taken off the stage, he felt very reluctant to give up. Even during his last life, Starfall Stone was not something he could buy.
“Senior, your purchase.” Outside the door came the voice of an attendant. Meng Hu jumped up to open the door.
Mo Tianliao froze for a second, then turned to look at Master. The slender white fingers that were drawing a semicircle on the crystal retreated slowly, the tip of an extended claw had left scratches on its surface. Meng Hu, grinning, came with the black jade box and presented it to Master.
Qingtong raised his hand and threw a storage bag without looking.
The attendants quickly caught it. Foreheads sweating, they said, “Se-senior, there are only five thousand top-grade lingshi in here.”
The graceful chin raised slightly and pointed to Mo Tianliao who was still staring blankly. Mo Tianliao reacted and quickly handed over his lingshi.
Holding the black jade box, Mo Tianliao blinked for a long time. His mouth slowly opened and, grinning from ear to ear he said, “Ma-Master…” He couldn’t help but draw close, he was immediately pushed back by a white jade-like hand against his face.
Mo Tianliao let himself be pushed down and sat on the ground, admiring the Starfall Stone in the box. It was such a big piece, it exceeded his expectations, he would be able to do a lot more with this.
The penultimate treasure was a top-grade spiritual weapon. The two people in the room were not interested. Meng Hu was interested, but unfortunately, he did not have enough money so he turned back into a big tiger to warm Master’s feet. Mo Tianliao was planning to leave early when a commotion broke out below.
He could see a very beautiful woman being dragged to the stage accompanied by the ringing of iron chains. Her hands and feet were bound so she stumbled as she walked, she seemed to be under the influence of a cultivation suppressing drug. This was the last treasure!
The Foundation stage cultivators in the audience began to argue one after another. Someone jumped in indignation and said, “We are decent people. How can we trade in human furnaces like Demonic cultivators?”
Looking at the weak woman’s mournful look, they couldn’t help but feel pity.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please calm down, we at Liuhe Auction House do not sell human furnaces,” the auctioneer said sedately. “This woman is not for you to practise double-cultivation.”
Hearing this, the crowd couldn’t help but become a little curious.
The auctioneer unhurriedly took out something. It was an ugly ox horn.
A Soul Subjugating Horn! Mo Tianliao’s pupils shrank and before he could react, the auctioneer had blown on his horn. The horn did not produce a sound, but rather exerted a kind of force that could attack a divine soul. It had no effect on weak cultivators, but it was different for Demonic Beasts, whose souls were one hundred times more sensitive than people’s. It was usually used by cultivators to discipline disobedient shape-shifted Spiritual Beasts.
“Ahhhh” the woman on the stage let out a scream, fell to her knees and instantly turned into a white fox.
The whole room immediately erupted into chaos. It turned out to be a shape-shifted Demonic Beast! A Demonic Beast who learned cultivation on its own until it could change into human, it was thought to be merely a legend!
Mo Tianliao had no time to pay attention to this, he leaped in front of the couch and took the pale Qingtong into his arms. Meng Hu, who had changed back to human form, rubbed his aching head and ran over. “Let’s go.”
It appeared that the little fox had just recently learned how to change shape, so it couldn’t resist the Soul Subjugating Horn. Meng Hu was not feeling well but he could bear it, Qingtong was different.
“Ng…” His thin lips pressed into a straight line, Qingtong leaned against Mo Tianliao, his body couldn’t help trembling slightly. His soul was hurt, to be attacked like this was like tearing open a wound, the pain was severe. “Hu-hurry, I… won’t last long… ah…”
Mo Tianliao picked up Master and left without delay.
“Senior is leaving now?” The attendants outside were very surprised, given how precious a shape-shifting Demonic Beast was, the auction house didn’t intend to sell it today unless it reached a good price. Only this guest on the fourth floor was likely to be able to afford it, how could he leave now?
Mo Tianliao held the beauty who seemed to be asleep in his arms, glared at the attendants and whispered, “Idiots, if my Master wakes up, we’re all dead!”
The attendants immediately shut up and did not dare to say anything more.
Walking smoothly out of the auction house, Mo Tianliao took out his flying sword and quickly fled.
Master: It hurts. Can you help?
Carpenter: Carpenter will blow on it. Pain, Pain Go Away!
Unedited, please point out any mistakes
MTL you’re turning into quite an expensive sugar baby…
Thanks to Lalorena for the ko-fi the next one gets an extra chapter