Xiao Zhan's words were spoken with such certainty that the entire hall fell silent for a moment. After a good while, each gaze, somewhat gloating, shifted towards Jia Lie Bi, who was clearing his throat.
"Tsk tsk, one hundred thousand gold coins for a bottle of Foundation Elixir... This guy is truly generous." Looking at Jia Lie Bi's sour expression, Xiao Yan lowered his head and couldn't help but chuckle softly.
Seeing Xiao Yan gloating, Xun Er smiled faintly and said, "A normal second-grade spirit medicine at most sells for thirty thousand gold coins. This Foundation Elixir is a rare medicine that can increase the speed of Dou Qi cultivation, and it's also rarely seen in general, so its price must be quite high. However... to use one hundred thousand gold coins to buy it, that Jia Lie Bi is indeed 'generous'."
Xiao Yan nodded with a smile, gestured, and said with a laugh, "A single bottle of second-grade Foundation Elixir can sell for tens of thousands of gold coins. I think, powerful alchemists, I'm afraid each of them is so rich they're dripping oil?"
"Alchemists are the wealthiest profession on the continent, and this is indeed true. Every alchemist possesses extremely vast wealth." Xun Er nodded, giggling, her gaze sweeping over the Foundation Elixir on the stage, and said, "However, the higher the grade of the alchemist, the less often they auction off the spirit medicines they refine. By then, material possessions and money are already very difficult to entice them..."
"Barter?" His eyebrow twitched. Xiao Yan somewhat understood why Yao Lao's private collection was so abundant.
"Mm, using cultivation techniques, Dou Skills, or rare medicinal ingredients, high-grade magic cores – from these things, they exchange for spirit medicines in the alchemist's hands." Her small, rosy lips pursed delicately, Xun Er said softly, "Therefore, alchemists are the most envied profession on the continent. Everyone dreams of becoming an alchemist, but these... almost harsh conditions also extinguish the hopes of countless people."
Looking at Xun Er's small face, showing a hint of regret, Xiao Yan rubbed his nose, sighing inwardly that he was fortunate to possess a mutated soul.
Stopping their conversation, Xiao Yan shifted his gaze to the other side, looking at Jia Lie Bi's sour expression.
Similarly stunned by Xiao Zhan's words, Jia Lie Bi stared blankly at Xiao Zhan, who was acting innocent, the corners of his eyes twitching rapidly. After a long while, he finally said hoarsely, "Bastard, you're playing tricks on me again!"
"Haha, isn't it the same? It's just that recently your mind hasn't been clear, so the act was a bit fake, that's all." Xiao Zhan said with a calm smile, his tone laced with sarcasm.
"Alright, alright, Xiao Zhan, this debt, I, Jia Lie Bi, will remember!" Taking several deep breaths, Jia Lie Bi's pupils narrowed, cold and venomous.
Xiao Zhan directly ignored this kind of threat, let out a cold snort, turned his head to look at Ya Fei on the stage, and said with a smile, "Miss Ya Fei, please proceed with the final auction."
Smiling, she nodded. Ya Fei still maintained a subtle smile on her face, but inwardly, she couldn't help but burst out laughing. This round of bidding had far exceeded her expectations, and the higher the bid, the better, as the more she could make the mysterious alchemist develop a favorable impression of the auction house.
Offering a comforting smile towards Jia Lie Bi's sour expression, Ya Fei then took out the last two bottles of Foundation Elixir, smiled calmly, and her red lips parted, "Everyone, this is the final batch of elixirs. The starting price, as before, is thirty thousand gold coins."
Seeing the last batch of spirit liquids brought out, the faces of several elderly elders sitting beside Xiao Zhan trembled slightly, their gazes towards Xiao Zhan full of hidden meaning.
Sitting indifferently in his chair, Xiao Zhan paid no attention to the elders' gazes. He surveyed the quiet hall, then calmly stated, "Fifty thousand."
Hearing Xiao Zhan's bid, Jia Lie Bi's face twitched, his mouth quivering. Thinking of his insufficient funds, he could only grind his teeth in resentment.
On the other side, Ao Ba Ma, seeing Xiao Zhan's indifferent expression, furrowed his brow, lightly tapped his fingers, and with a slight glint in his eyes, chuckled softly, "Fifty-five thousand."
The relationship between the three great clans of Wu Tan City was somewhat peculiar. Even though they controlled the major industries in Wu Tan City, each feared that if they acted alone, the other party would reap the spoils. However, if they joined forces, they would be mutually suspicious. Therefore, unless they were certain they could eliminate their opponent, the three factions merely maintained this strange and fragile balance.
The three great clans all had their grievances with each other, each finding the others displeasing. Don't think that Ao Ba Ma's previous cold taunts and sarcastic remarks towards Jia Lie Bi meant anything; now that it was Xiao Zhan's turn to bid, he treated him similarly to Jia Lie Bi, simply raising the price by a small amount. Causing a bit of trouble for the Xiao Clan was still very amusing to him.
Ao Ba Ma's increased bid did not change Xiao Zhan's expression. He merely glanced over casually and calmly said, "Sixty-five thousand."
Sixty-five thousand was somewhat higher than the market price for foundation-building spirit liquid. However, Xiao Zhan understood clearly that in a competition between the three great clans, it was obviously impossible to successfully purchase the spirit liquid at a low price.
"Ah, Clan Head Xiao is truly generous. However, I don't wish to cause you any trouble. I've already successfully purchased this foundation-building spirit liquid, so this time, I'll yield to you." Seeing Xiao Zhan's increased bid, Ao Ba Ma hesitated slightly. It seemed that Jia Lie Bi's previous bitter experience had made him much more cautious.
Watching Ao Ba Ma's half-smile, Xiao Zhan also chuckled in response, leaning back in his chair. He muttered in a low voice, "Damn it, made this old man shell out another ten thousand. That bastard is no good guy either."
Hearing this, Xiao Yan found it somewhat amusing. In this kind of competition, what good guys were there? If the other party hadn't been afraid of suffering a loss like Jia Lie Bi, they probably wouldn't have given up so easily.
Stretching his fingers slightly, Xiao Yan watched Ya Fei bring down the gavel, and a sigh of relief escaped his heart. This amount of money would be enough for him to use for a period. Now, as long as he got his hands on the medicinal ingredients, he could have Yao Lao refine the Qi Gathering Powder...
"Dou Zhe is finally not far away..."
Licking his lips, Xiao Yan let out a breath of relief. This path of cultivation, he had walked it before in the past!