Chen Fan left the pills and promised to join the auction three days later.
The old man went into the hall at the back with the bottle and saw a man in a black outfit drinking tea. The Master and senior members of the Golden Crow were bowing to the man respectfully. The old man quickly ran forward.
"My Lord, he just left. The pills will be put up for auction three days later."
"Hm."
The man in a black outfit nodded. He seemed to be around thirty years old, but his hair was already white and his eyes showed the vicissitudes of life. He seemed to be connected with the world and was apparently a Connate Overlord.
"My Lord, why don't we buy the pills? A hundred thousand Spirit Stones isn't a lot for the Golden Crow," The fat master of the Golden Crow asked.
The Golden Crow would be unable to get them once they were put up for auction.
"Ten Heavenly Essence Pills don't matter to me. The Chief Master asked me to look for talents in the medicine halls. If that man is really an Alchemy Master, we've already gained a great reward," the man said.
Everyone present was startled.
They knew the reason why the Golden Crow could open so many branches around the Beihan Region: they had a backer in the royal city. Rumor had it that it was one of the Princes. As they thought of the battle for the throne between the Princes after Lord Beihan died, they were even more terrified.
All of them would be crushed even if the entire Golden Crow was involved in such a battle. Only Golden Core Cultivators could be a part of it.
"That Exalted Immortal said he made the Heavenly Essence Pills. Why didn't you rope him in?" the old man asked.
"Old Ding, there are only a few Connate Cultivators in the city. How would you meet one so easily? Besides, didn't you notice the difference between his appearance and ours?" The Alchemy Envoy chuckled.
"His appearance?" the others wondered.
"His eyes are black," the Alchemy Envoy said.
"Black hair and black eyes… Is he Chinese?" the old man exclaimed.
Everyone else was startled and the Master of the Golden Crow found it unbelievable. "I heard that the Chinese have been cursed. Only one in ten thousand people is an Immortal Cultivator, let alone any Connate Overlords. How would such a race have a young Connate Cultivator?"
"He can pretend to be one. I know a few treasures that can help a mortal pass up for a Connate or a Golden Core Cultivator. Maybe he's got one of them?" the Alchemy Envoy said.
"Then, let's just kill him and take those Heavenly Essence Pills, a senior member suggested.
The Alchemy Envoy was quite interested.
Everyone nodded. Compared to an Alchemy Master, ten Heavenly Essence Pills were nothing.
Only the old man felt worried. He was able to sense a trace of danger on Chen Fan, which was a hundred times more dense than the Alchemy Envoy's, but he thought he might have been wrong and just shook his head.
The Golden Crow had a bottle of Heavenly Essence Pills which could improve powers without suffering from any side effects.
The entire Zhuyan City had been stirred once the news circulated around the city. Superior-grade Spirit Pills were rare and those made by a Master were rarer. Most of them were basically distributed among the large sects and families in the royal city, so people in Zhuyan City wouldn't usually get them.
At the Yun family mansion in Zhuyan City.
"Are you sure it's true?" the Ancestral Patriarch of the Yun family asked.
"I'm sure. Little Seventeen saw them with his own eyes. The Chief Alchemist of the Golden Crow, Old Ding, said those were Heavenly Essence Pills made by a Master. The Golden Crow also told the public that the pills will be put up for auction three days later," the Lord of the Yun family answered.
"If we can get the Heavenly Essence Pills, our family will become more powerful. We might get another couple of Connate Cultivators. We must take a hold on them whatever it takes," the Ancestral Patriarch of the Yun family said.
Not only the Yun family.
The other cultivation families in Zhuyan City, including the Mu family, the Xiao family and the Wu family, and also the City Lord Mansion were also shocked. The auction of the Golden Crow suddenly went to the spotlight.
But Chen Fan was unaware of this.
He had just casually made those Heavenly Essence Pills.
Only Treasure Pills were useful for him at the moment. The other Spirit Pills didn't have a great effect on him. He took the Essence Core of a Merman Overlord and made dozens of them, but he didn't know that the medicines made by the Celestial Lord were much more powerful than those made by an Alchemy Master; the people on Planet Tianhuang had never seen anything like that. The furor he had caused was way beyond his imagination.
So, when Chen Fan was stunned by the crow when he returned to the Golden Crow three days later.
"A lot of people came to the auction this time!"
"Indeed. People from the Yun family, the Mu family and the City Lord Mansion are here. Even the Young City Lord and Mu Hongti, the Lady of the Mu family, also came. I heard that she's been chosen by the Sect Master of the Qingyang Sect to be a disciple."
"The Qingyang Sect is a famous sect. They have a Golden Core Ancestral Patriarch. I guess the Mu family will have another Connate Cultivator in the future."
Everyone was discussing as they waited.
Chen Fan stood in the crowd and saw Mu Hongti and Zhang Lingfeng coming down from the flying ship, talking happily. One of them was handsome and the other was gorgeous, as if they were meant for each other.
Then, a few powerful families from other cities also arrived.
The Gu family from Heavenly Fire City, the Xu family from Linhai City, the Dong family from Black Mountain City… Those large families had Connate Ancestral Patriarchs and were as famous in the area like the Mu and the Yun families.
Chen Fan entered and people from the Golden Crow took him to the auction hall. This time, Chen Fan felt like they were a bit indifferent and the old man wasn't there to meet him.
"Are you regretting it?"
Chen Fan snickered and ignored them.
He sat in a box on the second floor of the auction hall. Those boxes were only for the most noble customers; even Mu Hongti and Zhang Lingfeng had only been assigned seats in the front row on the first floor. The illusion arrays on the walls of the boxes were covered with special curtains and screens, so people couldn't see each other.
The auction soon began.
Old Ding, who was wearing an azure outfit, walked onto the stage and said, "Welcome to the auction of the Golden Crow, ladies and gentlemen. This time, not only do we have guests from Zhuyan City, we also have guests from cities nearby and a lady from a large family in the royal city. We are so honored to have you all here."
The entire hall was in an uproar.
Nobody had thought that people from the royal city would attend. Compared to the royal city, Zhang Lingfeng was only a small town after all. Even Mu Hongti and Zhang Lingfeng were startled; they started glancing at the boxes on the second floor to see where she sat.
"Now, let's begin the auction. The first item is a Jiuming Senna Plant that is seven centuries old. It came from an extremely shady place and it's useful for cultivators that practice Cold Cultivation Arts or Yin Cultivation Arts…"
Old Ding didn't explain further, starting the auction immediately after.
The Jiuming Senna Plant was an advanced version of the Senna Plant and was a mid-grade Spirit Medicine. It had many wonderful effects on Qi Refinement Cultivators. Once Old Ding finished talking, there was a slight commotion down the stage, but no one started bidding. Mid-grade Spirit Medicines weren't difficult for them to get.
In the end, a Divine Sea Cultivator bid five hundred Spirit Stones for the Jiuming Senna Plant.
He immediately paid and left excitedly. Apparently, he was afraid that somebody would snatch it.
After that, the second and third items were bid quickly for a high price. When a superior-grade Spirit Pill appeared, even the cultivation families of Zhuyan City were thrilled.
"A Red Flame Spirit Pill mainly made with Red Flame Fruits, a superior-grade Spirit Pill. It's useful for Fire Cultivators or cultivators who practice Fire Divine Powers. It has great effects even on Connate Cultivators. The opening price is one thousand Spirit Stones," Old Ding said.
There was a red pill surrounded with fire in the jade box in front of him. It caught everyone's attention in an instant.
"One thousand Spirit Stones."
"One thousand five hundred Spirit Stones."
"Two thousand Spirit Stones…"
The price immediately surged and even the cultivation families started bidding. Technically speaking, a superior-grade Spirit Pill wasn't for Qi Refinement Cultivators, but for Connate Cultivators. Families with a Fire Ancestral Patriarch were especially interested in bidding.
"A Red Flame Spirit Pill."
Chen Fan was a bit shocked.
He had made it on Earth before, but his pills seemed to be much more powerful than this one. Looking closely, there were many impurities inside. If a mortal relied on it to enter the Divine Sea Level, he might possibly be drowned by the raging power of the medicine and would suffer from great side effects which would pull him away from the Connate Level.
But for the cultivation families, it was a divine medicine.
In the end, the Gu family of Heavenly Fire City got it with seven thousand and four hundred Spirit Stones. The Ancestral Patriarch of that family was known for his Fire Cultivation Arts and he could burn the sky with one hand.
The Young Master of the Gu Family didn't leave after getting the Red Flame Pill. He seemed to have another target.
In fact, the families and the Chamber of Commerce hadn't gone all out yet; they were still staring at the items on the stage. After a few more items, Old Ding said seriously, "I know that many guests came for this item. The next item is our second to last one…"
Everyone paid attention.
The cultivation families were also focused on the stage. Their main target was there.
"A bottle of ten superior-grade Spirit Pills, 'Heavenly Essence Pills' made by an Alchemy Master. They're the best of the best and they have much higher effects than normal Spirit Pills. They have no side effects and one can already help a cultivator enter the Divine Sea Level."
Old Ding revealed the jade plate and there were ten crystal clear pills on it.
Once the pills appeared, the auction venue was filled with a pleasant smell. Everyone felt a few years younger and more energetic after taking a sniff.
"Divine Pills! They're real Divine Pills!"
Countless people, including Mu Hongti, were astonished. They had never thought the pills would be that powerful.
"Ten Heavenly Essence Pills, opening price thirty thousand Spirit Stones. The bidding may begin."
Old Ding struck with the hammer.
This was the highlight of the auction.