Chapter 988: Madman Pill Recipe

Ao Qilong hadn't expected the upstart to dare bid against him, adding an extra ten thousand spirit stones as a blatant affront. "Very well," Ao Qilong said, his face grim. "The rainbow silk dress is yours. I hope you can keep it warm."

No one dared treat him so discourteously; even Nascent Soul cultivators showed deference. Everyone considered the upstart's boldness remarkable. Some speculated Ye Mo had powerful backing, perhaps being a young master of a major power, or that he had pre-existing conflict with Ao Qilong, explaining the seemingly low bid increase. Otherwise, a fifty-thousand-spirit-stone increment, while still offensive, would have been less so.

No one dared bid higher. They knew Ao Qilong would ultimately reclaim the item.

"Five hundred and twenty thousand spirit stones—once, twice…" The auctioneer's drawn-out pronouncements seemed deliberately designed to insult Ao Qilong. "Five hundred and twenty thousand, third time. Sold! Congratulations to the bidder in room eleven."

Ye Mo sneered, further infuriating Ao Qilong. The female auctioneer, too, had clearly acted with malice, but Ye Mo no longer cared; he'd already offended Ao Qilong.

The rainbow silk dress arrived in Ye Mo's room. Exquisitely crafted and emitting a soft chi, it was undoubtedly both beautiful and comfortable. Ye Mo was pleased to have acquired it for five hundred and twenty thousand spirit stones. Only Ao Qilong and the woman in his arms were displeased.

The auctioneer presented the next item. "This is a level-four formation disk, capable of both attack and defense. The starting bid is one hundred thousand top-grade spirit stones…"

Ye Mo had lost interest, though surprised by the high starting price for a level-four formation disk. He knew he could easily craft such disks himself, given the materials, his formation skills having reached level five. Pill concoction and formations seemed equally lucrative ventures. Adding forgery to his repertoire would make him a master of all cultivation crafts.

He shook his head. Formation, pill concoction, forgery, rune making—each was a lifetime's study, yet he aspired to master them all.

Following the sale of the formation disk for one hundred and sixty thousand spirit stones, the remaining items were primarily pills and spirit artifacts. Several useful spirit herbs were offered, but Ye Mo didn't bid; his storage ring overflowed with such items. He didn't need to buy everything.

Half a day passed quickly. Ye Mo's attention remained on the level-seven Dihua beast core, sensing its potential benefit, though unsure of its nature. As if on cue, the auctioneer announced, "Our next item is truly explosive. Many of you have anticipated this—the level-seven Dihua beast core!"

A cacophony erupted. Many were unfamiliar with the Dihua beast or its purpose.

After the din subsided, the auctioneer stated, "Many mistake this for a mere level-seven beast core. But you would be wrong. Unlike others, the Dihua beast core significantly increases the chances of achieving Nascent Soul state. Spirit refining it grants over a sixty percent chance of ascension…"

Anticipating questions, she raised a hand. "Friends, I understand your concerns. You're thinking that directly spirit refining even a level-five beast core would cause an explosion, correct? That's true for other cores, but the Dihua beast is an exception. It's less a beast core and more a spirit item.

"While not a spirit fruit, it's the only beast core a cultivator can spirit refine. It possesses an astounding amount of stable spirit power, lacking volatile energy or negative emotions. Combined with Mist Flower during spirit refinement, the chances of Nascent Soul ascension increase dramatically, as the core neutralizes the Mist Flower's explosive potential. It's akin to a Cao Huan pill, but superior."

Rumble

The crowd roared with excitement. No one expected an auction item resembling a Cao Huan pill. While level-seven beast cores were used by Nascent Soul cultivators to advance to Hollow Spirit state, even they couldn't spirit refine other cores.

Ye Mo's mind reeled. He finally understood the missing component of the Heaven Glory Pill: the level-seven Dihua beast core. Without the auctioneer's explanation, he never would have conceived that the Dihua beast core contained such vast quantities of neutral spirit energy. His Heaven Glory Pill required precisely that—abundant spirit power.

Furthermore, the core's ability to neutralize the Mist Flower's volatility also addressed the instability of the other herbs in the Heaven Glory Pill.

Ye Mo chuckled wryly. The ignorance of the fifth ingredient was preferable to the knowledge of its absurdity. His previous aspirations to produce the pill en masse were now dashed; this beast core was exceedingly rare, and the pill itself was ludicrous. What madman conceived such an extravagant concoction for Golden Core cultivators?

A level-seven beast core should easily elevate a Golden Core cultivator, and the core itself, if inadequate, didn't deserve its level. This individual's madness lay in the fact that even a full bottle of Heaven Glory Pills might not equal the value of a single Dihua beast core.

But Ye Mo, too, was mad. He didn't care if it was a level-seven beast core or not. If it aided his cultivation, he'd acquire it regardless of the cost.

The auctioneer waited for the crowd to quiet. "The starting bid is one and a half million top-grade spirit stones. Increments must be no less than fifty thousand. Bidding commences now…"

The price, though expectedly exorbitant, was still shocking. Silence fell over the crowd. But the auctioneer remained unfazed, patiently awaiting bids, confident in the presence of bidders who could afford it.