Chapter 48: The Five Elements Mountain Acquired
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A Five Elements cultivation method of the Golden Core stage.
Shen Lian caught the key point in Manager Wu Xiang’s words.
He himself possessed two Golden Core level Five Elements methods.
Since when had Five Elements techniques at the Golden Core stage become so trivial?
The old demon, before seizing a new body, was a Golden Core ancestor—it made sense he could collect Golden Core Five Elements arts.
But a Foundation Establishment rogue cultivator could also get his hands on Golden Core stage cultivation methods?
Even more amusing, was this Foundation Establishment cultivator with Five Elements spiritual roots a fool, exposing the grade of his own cultivation method?
Shen Lian pondered no further; Wu Xiang’s story was merely something to listen to for now.
Of all the spiritual items presented, he was most interested in the Five Elements Mountain recorded in the jade slip. The other magical tools and Five Elements spiritual items could be purchased at Tianxia Pavilion.
After lingering in Bai Na Pavilion for a quarter of an hour, Shen Lian exchanged the talismans in his hand for spirit stones, and also accepted the invitation ticket gifted by Bai Na Pavilion.
However, he didn’t intend to use this ticket.
The Immortal City’s auction was held periodically, and obtaining an invitation wasn’t difficult.
Departing Bai Na Pavilion, Shen Lian walked straight out of the Ninefold Immortal City and found a secluded spot to change his appearance and aura.
When re-entering the city, he specially purchased a jade identity token and checked into an inn on the fourth level of Immortal City.
He planned to see if he could acquire the Five Elements Mountain at the auction.
According to the cultivation manual for the Five Qi Ascending to Origin technique, after the initial Five Qi ascend, it augments the cultivator’s spiritual power.
Perhaps, in the short term, it couldn’t match the true essence of Foundation Establishment cultivators, but it would further enhance the quality of spirit energy for Qi Refining cultivators, bringing it infinitely close to, or even surpassing, true essence.
This meant that once Shen Lian condensed the Five Qi in his chest, he could wield Foundation Establishment magical tools while still at the Qi Refining stage.
Combined with the Soul Capturing Seal for divine sense attacks, his safety against Foundation Establishment cultivators would be greatly improved; pretending to be one wouldn’t be out of the question.
...
Three days later, the auction was held as scheduled on the fifth level of Immortal City.
Shen Lian ascended from the fourth to the fifth level, arriving outside a spacious immortal pavilion.
“Fellow Daoist, please present your invitation.”
A beautiful female cultivator was already waiting outside, smiling and guiding those who showed their invitation tickets toward the inner hall.
“Please rest assured, fellow Daoist. Your identity will be kept strictly confidential by this auction venue.”
Shen Lian nodded. The major auction was different; every participant was assigned a private room.
Led by the female cultivator, Shen Lian entered a cramped, cage-like private booth.
Looking around, he saw a ring of small booths encircling a central stone platform about ten yards in diameter.
Not all booths were small—they were divided into upper, middle, and lower tiers.
The top-tier booths were the largest, reserved for Foundation Establishment cultivators.
The middle-tier booths were next; Shen Lian had chosen one of these.
Peering through the small window, he found the auction stage perfectly centered in his view, except for the booth directly opposite; the rest were partially obscured.
He sensed no cultivators probing with their divine sense.
It seemed everyone here had suffered their share of hardships in the world of cultivation.
“Dong!”
An hour later, a loud sound quieted the crowd.
An elderly man in blue robes appeared on the auction stage, smiling as he surveyed the booths.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this month’s auction officially begins.”
The Ninefold Immortal City auctions had long established their rituals; the auctioneer was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, backed by the True Mountain Immortal. Thus, all the cultivators present behaved themselves.
“The first spiritual item: a Grade One Superior Profound Spirit Shield.”
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“Two hundred low-grade spirit stones.”
...
From the lowest row of booths, cultivators began to make offers.
Items appearing at the auction would never be of poor quality, and buying them at reasonable prices was never a loss.
Shen Lian’s target was clear: the Five Elements Mountain.
After more than twenty items had come and gone, the blue-robed elder on the stage held a multicolored glow in his hand from which a small mountain emerged, shrinking to a size of about one foot.
“Heh...”
The previously solemn elder couldn’t help but smile.
“Haha...”
“So this is the famed Five Elements Mountain.”
“Master Flowing Fire’s masterpiece.”
Whispers arose in the booths.
No one dared to speak loudly—this famous magical tool in the Immortal City might have its creator sitting in one of the top-tier booths above.
The blue-robed auctioneer subdued his smile; in such a setting, it was improper to laugh unless truly unable to hold back.
“This... this needs no introduction. Starting price: two thousand low-grade spirit stones.”
In his booth, Shen Lian did not rush to bid.
“Friend Wenshan, I think you should move on to the next item. There are plenty of cultivators in the Immortal City practicing the Five Elements, but who can wield this magical tool now?”
“If it were in Ten Thousand Star Sea, maybe someone would need it. But in Chu Country, it’s been years since we’ve seen a balanced, mid-grade Five Elements spiritual root.”
“Friend Wenshan, don’t waste your effort. Everyone’s had unsold items on the auction stage.”
“That’s right, Friend Wenshan, you’ve only had this magical tool fail to sell thirteen times—the record holder in Ninefold Immortal City.”
“Oh... wait, my memory—counting this time, it’s the fourteenth, isn’t it?”
“The only one who can break Friend Wenshan’s record is Friend Wenshan himself.”
From the upper booths, Foundation Establishment cultivators spoke one after another, their tones full of banter.
The Five Elements magical tool required Five Elements spiritual power to unleash its full potential, but cultivators with Five Elements roots rarely had high values.
Thus, those who wanted it couldn’t afford it, and those who could afford it didn’t want it.
On the stage, the blue-robed elder’s smile twitched, his mood souring.
Every auction, he was mocked by these old fellows.
He held up the Five Elements Mountain, scanning the booths once more.
“This magical tool is both offensive and defensive—a rare treasure. Any fellow Daoist practicing Five Elements will not regret bidding.”
“Two thousand low-grade spirit stones.”
As the bid rang out, Wenshan on the stage instantly locked onto Shen Lian’s booth.
“Who—”
“Deal!”
Wenshan’s eyes lit up, his beard twitching at his chin.
“Someone, quickly deliver the Five Elements Mountain to this fellow Daoist’s booth and count his spirit stones on the spot.”
Immediately, a female cultivator flew to the stage, took the Five Elements Mountain, and headed for Shen Lian’s booth.
Most cultivators in the auction only now realized what had happened.
After more than a dozen failed auctions, the magical tool Five Elements Mountain was finally sold?
In the various booths, some cultivators showed curiosity; it was rare for a cultivator with all Five Elements roots to reach Foundation Establishment.
And now, another one had appeared.
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“Fellow Daoist, here is the Five Elements Mountain you won.”
Inside the booth, Shen Lian watched the female cultivator blocking the door, handing over the Five Elements Mountain without entering. He found it somewhat amusing.
After paying the spirit stones, the Five Elements Mountain was now in Shen Lian’s possession.
At the same time, he sensed eyes probing his booth.
Fortunately, everyone was disciplined—none forced their divine sense through the walls.
Soon, attention turned to the next auction item.
The small magical tool was cold to the touch and heavy in hand.
Since the auction was still ongoing, Shen Lian didn’t study it deeply, instead storing the Five Elements Mountain in his pouch.
He waited until the auction ended, refrained from bidding on other items, and returned to his quarters on the fourth level.
Inside the inn.
Shen Lian first checked his robes, using a cleansing talisman to wash away external aura.
In the world of cultivation, some secret arts could attach tiny particles to a cultivator, making them undetectable.
After thoroughly cleaning himself, Shen Lian sat cross-legged. The divine sense talisman pasted on his body kept his spiritual sense circling about.
With three arrays guarding him, Shen Lian felt that Grade One Superior arrays were now beneath him.
With divine sense rivaling Foundation Establishment, he now had the strength to control Grade Two arrays—it was time to upgrade his portable formations.
“Arrays, magical tools, formation disks...”
“Why doesn’t spirit stone rain fall from the sky...”
Night fell.
Shen Lian quietly cultivated, all the while remaining alert to his surroundings.
[Calm and collected, insight points +3]
[Calm and collected, insight points +1]
[Calm and collected, insight points +2]
...
A peaceful night.
The divine sense talisman attached to him detected no signs of spying.
Shen Lian’s own spiritual sense felt no one peering at him either.
With double vigilance, he finally relaxed a little. The security of Ninefold Immortal City seemed rather reliable.
In the morning, taking advantage of the many cultivators coming and going in the inn, Shen Lian changed his robe, donned a broad cloak, and left.
Everything required spirit stones.
Spirit stones raining from the sky was unrealistic; he still had to rely on his own efforts.
...
One month later.
Serenity Workshop.
Shen Lian, having again changed his appearance, sat before a clean spirit ink bottle and tossed aside his worn-out talisman brush.
“A month of diligent work, and I barely make a profit of ten thousand—such hard-earned money.”
After storing away the finished talismans, Shen Lian also packed up the miscellaneous items in his room.
This batch of talismans would be enough for him to purchase the spiritual items he needed.
Having spent over three months in Ninefold Immortal City, he planned to buy what he required and then board a spirit ship heading north, to seek cultivation elsewhere.
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