Chapter 285: The Medium-sized Flying Boat

In the world of cultivation, there existed a stark contrast between those at the pinnacle of power, possessing vast wealth, and those at the very bottom, scraping by with just a single Spirit Stone each month.

Although they all inhabited the same Cultivation World, the disparities among them were self-evident.

Wang Hong had managed to climb his way up through sheer determination and had become the leader of a minor faction, just barely escaping the lowest echelons of the Cultivation World. He now had some hope of making a decent life for himself.

For those at the very bottom, life was bleak. They couldn't even afford a decent Magical Weapon, let alone dream of getting rich through treasure hunting and murder.

The auction held by the Thousand Crafts Pavilion was naturally tailored to cater to those in the upper echelons of the Cultivation World.

At this moment, the auction had been underway for over a day. The auction hall was divided into two tiers: the upper tier for Foundation Building cultivators and the lower tier for Qi Cultivation practitioners.

On the auction stage, an auctioneer was energetically introducing a high-quality Magical Weapon, captivating the audience with his eloquence and enthusiasm.

Even though it was only a tier-one item, the Foundation Building cultivators found it interesting and far from boring.

Wang Hong, at this moment, leisurely sipped the Spirit Tea provided by the auction and cracked open some Three Yang Melon Seeds. He admired the ingenious designs behind some of the Magical Weapons offered by the Thousand Crafts Pavilion.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the auction for tier-one Spiritual Objects concludes here. Next, we will commence the auction for tier-two Spiritual Objects. The first item in this category is a meticulously crafted mobile loft by a tier-two refining tool master from the Thousand Crafts Pavilion."

"This item is convenient and can be set up anywhere during outdoor camping, with an interior space of approximately fifteen meters wide. Bidding will start at one middle-grade Spirit Stone."

The elderly auctioneer held up a delicate-looking house, slightly smaller than the palm of his hand.

"Two middle-grade Spirit Stones!" The first bid came from a Qi Cultivation practitioner in the lower tier. Wang Hong noticed that this Qi Cultivation practitioner had already won several treasures in previous bids.

"Three middle-grade Spirit Stones!"

"Four middle-grade Spirit Stones!"

Foundation Building cultivators on the upper tier also began bidding.

"Five middle-grade Spirit Stones!"

Surprisingly, the Qi Cultivation practitioner didn't back down and continued bidding.

After several rounds of bidding, it was this Qi Cultivation practitioner who secured the item for the price of ten middle-grade Spirit Stones.

Wang Hong couldn't help but be amazed. There were indeed hidden talents among the Qi Cultivation practitioners.

The auction continued with several more items, and Wang Hong refrained from participating in any bids. His main objective for this auction was the refining tool furnace.

He had only a hundred middle-grade Spirit Stones on him, which wasn't enough for his extravagant spending. If he revealed all the treasures in his spatial storage, he could easily buy everything in the auction hall, but there was no need to expose too much for items of little importance.

So, he remained silent, patiently waiting throughout the day. The practitioner sitting next to him cast curious glances his way, wondering how he could sit there silently for two days without uttering a word.

"Now, we are auctioning a refining tool furnace, a middle-grade Spiritual Weapon with a starting bid of ten middle-grade Spirit Stones."

"I bid eleven middle-grade Spirit Stones!"

"Twelve middle-grade Spirit Stones!"

"Fifteen middle-grade Spirit Stones!"

And so on, as the bidding for the refining tool furnace began. Wang Hong scanned the entire hall and noticed that there was considerable interest in this Spiritual Weapon, with the price quickly reaching twenty middle-grade Spirit Stones.

"Fifty middle-grade Spirit Stones!"

Wang Hong's booming voice, fueled by his Spiritual Power, echoed through the room, instantly doubling the current bid.

However, he carefully controlled the volume, not wanting to draw too much attention or risk being forcibly removed from the auction hall.

The room fell momentarily silent, stunned by both the voice and the increased bid. Soon, the bidding continued as everyone realized the true value of the item. Many were reluctant to let it slip from their grasp.

"Fifty-three middle-grade Spirit Stones!"

"Fifty-four middle-grade Spirit Stones!"

"Sixty middle-grade Spirit Stones!"

Despite Wang Hong's efforts with round numbers like seventy and eighty, they were in vain. The other participants were wealthy individuals who didn't mind spending their Spirit Stones.

In the end, Wang Hong secured the refining tool furnace for the price of ninety middle-grade Spirit Stones.

As he claimed the furnace, he also garnered envy-laden glances from others in the room.

The curious practitioner seated beside him, who had been wondering why Wang Hong had remained silent for so long, now realized that this seemingly placid individual possessed great determination when necessary.

For the rest of the auction, Wang Hong refrained from bidding, as he had only a few middle-grade Spirit Stones left. He would only consider items that truly piqued his interest.

"Ladies and gentlemen, next, we have a tier-three refining tool material up for auction."

As the auction neared its conclusion, the announcement of tier-three materials instantly ignited the excitement in the room.

Wang Hong observed several burly men carrying a large cylindrical object covered with red fabric, which blocked Divine Sense from penetrating.

To be honest, Wang Hong found the red fabric more interesting. Its ability to block Divine Sense while being so voluminous was quite rare.

"This is a segment of tier-three Purple Cloud Mulberry spirit wood, with an age exceeding fifteen hundred years. It can be used for refining treasures, and if used for refining a Spiritual Weapon, it can undoubtedly produce a top-tier Spiritual Weapon."

While the auctioneer introduced the item, he unveiled the segment of spirit wood beneath the red fabric.

Wang Hong's expression turned somewhat peculiar because he recognized it as the Purple Cloud Mulberry he had exchanged with the Yu-Chi Family. It was the same spirit wood he had cut and stripped. He could easily identify it.

This segment of spirit wood quickly incited a fierce bidding war among the practitioners, and the price kept rising.

In the end, the segment of spirit wood was sold for one hundred middle-grade Spirit Stones, making Wang Hong feel that the price he had agreed to in his previous exchange was too low.

"Next up for auction is a medium-sized Flying Boat, capable of carrying around a hundred people.

Its normal flying speed is equivalent to a Foundation Building mid-stage cultivator's full-speed flight, requiring only low-grade Spirit Stones for operation.

This Flying Boat also features a high-speed flying mode, which consumes a substantial amount of middle-grade Spirit Stones, allowing it to surpass the full-speed flight of a late-stage Foundation Building cultivator.

Furthermore, the Flying Boat is equipped with a defensive formation, creating a protective shield on its exterior."

Medium to large Flying Boats like this were rarely seen and typically belonged to influential factions of significant power.

The refinement process for such a Flying Boat was extremely challenging, requiring numerous materials and the prior refinement of countless complex Spiritual Weapon components, which were then assembled into a Flying Boat.

The Flying Boat currently up for auction was being consigned by an aging, somewhat fading prestigious family.

Many cultivators attending the auction had come specifically for this Flying Boat. Now that it was finally on display, they all sat up straight, their interest fully piqued.

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay