Chapter 133 - 110: Tiancheng Auction House

Chapter 133: Chapter 110: Tiancheng Auction House

Realizing he was the subject of the crowd’s discussion, Jiang Hao couldn’t help but eavesdrop for a moment.

Inadvertently, the Cultivators gossiping about him noticed his presence. They cast glances full of disgust at the youth.

Sensing he lacked the local aura of the Nanling Realm, many Cultivators chose to ignore him. After a fleeting look at the young man before them, they fell silent and quickened their pace, heading deeper into the Holy City.

Jiang Hao didn’t linger either. With a helpless shake of his head and a wry smile, he briskly followed them inside. Originally, he had hoped to find out who had saved him in the Xingyue City Earth Realm that day, thinking these Cultivators might casually bring it up. Unfortunately, he didn’t catch any of the information he wanted.

The moment he stepped into the Holy City, Jiang Hao was struck dumb with astonishment. He suddenly understood why the entry toll was so exorbitant.

"Such dense Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi."

This was his first reaction. The Spiritual Qi inside the Holy City was terrifyingly abundant. No wonder they had established a toll system; cultivating here for even two hours would yield results several times greater than in the outside world.

Through the Mu Family Siblings, he had already learned of the Holy City’s significance. It wasn’t just a gathering place for the top geniuses of the endless Nanling Realm, nor was it merely the prestigious origin of the Celestial List—it was, above all, a Holy Land for Foundation Establishment breakthroughs.

"It is said that one hundred and nine dragon veins are locked beneath the Holy City," Mu Zhen had told him. "That’s why the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi inside is so incredibly dense—almost dozens of times thicker than outside.

"Any Cultivator from the Nanling Realm will choose to achieve their breakthroughs within the Holy City so they never have to worry about a shortage of Spiritual Qi."

However, making a breakthrough in the Holy City required paying a hefty sum of Spirit Stones.

Recalling Mu Zhen’s words, Jiang Hao strolled through the Holy City. The bustling prosperity here exceeded his wildest imagination. Pavilions and towers stood in great numbers. Taverns, teahouses, and terraces lined the streets—there was absolutely everything one could ever need.

Along the way, Jiang Hao saw countless Pill Workshops, weapon shops, and Talisman Shops. Even manuals on Array formations had their own dedicated storefronts. Not only that, but he also noticed shops selling pill recipes, and even Alchemy Secret Techniques were up for sale.

What shocked him even more was that the Foundation Establishment Pill, a priceless treasure practically impossible to find in the Xingyue City Earth Realm, was merely relegated to street stalls here. Furthermore, those seemingly ordinary street vendors possessed terrifying auras. Pluck anyone out at random, and they would be on par with clan elders back in the Xingyue City Earth Realm.

"Little brother, want to buy a Foundation Establishment Pill? The price is affordable, and I’m an honest merchant. It’s absolutely fair, completely genuine, and they’re all top-quality Foundation Establishment Pills!"

A stall owner greeted Jiang Hao with a beaming smile as he noticed the young man staring at the Foundation Establishment Pills on display.

As an Alchemy Master, Jiang Hao naturally had no intention of buying any Foundation Establishment Pills. This was especially true considering the pills the man had laid out couldn’t even be considered Low-Grade Foundation Establishment Pills; at best, they were defective rejects.

Still, out of curiosity and unfamiliarity with the area, Jiang Hao decided to ask for the price. "Senior, how much are you selling these Foundation Establishment Pills for?"

Seeing Jiang Hao engage, the stall owner smiled even brighter. He picked up a pill and began his pitch. "Little brother, you’re not from around here, are you? This Foundation Establishment Pill is a top-tier product. I’m not selling it for much—just three thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones."

"Three thousand?" Jiang Hao instantly gasped.

A defective Foundation Establishment Pill actually cost three thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones here! That was equivalent to a month’s revenue for a first-rate aristocratic family in the Xingyue City Earth Realm. No wonder Foundation Establishment Pills were so scarce in the outside world.

Although they were as common as dog hair here, ordinary people absolutely couldn’t afford them.

Seeing the shock written all over Jiang Hao’s face, the stall owner’s expression immediately shifted. He thought he had hooked a wealthy patron, only to find it was just an ignorant country bumpkin who had never seen the world.

"Kid, are you buying or not? If not, step aside. Don’t block my business." Certain that Jiang Hao couldn’t afford it, the stall owner immediately shooed him away.

Having scraped a living in the Holy City for so many years, these street vendors were all shrewd operators. They could tell with just a glance whether someone could afford their wares. Clearly, Jiang Hao had been dumped into the "can’t afford it" category.

"I’m sorry." Feeling awkward, Jiang Hao offered an apologetic smile. "I don’t have that many Spirit Stones on me. Sorry to bother you."

With that, he turned around and walked away quickly.

Yet, the moment Jiang Hao’s foot left the stall, the vendor’s dismissive and utterly contemptuous voice sounded behind him.

"Poor bastard. Why even come to the Holy City if you have no money? You can’t even pull out three thousand Spirit Stones. Do you even know a good thing when you see it? These are top-tier Foundation Establishment Pills!"

Whether they were actually top-tier or not, the stall owner knew better than anyone. He only spoke with such confidence because he was sure a young man like Jiang Hao wouldn’t know the difference.

As soon as he finished speaking, an old man selling talismans at the adjacent stall spoke up. "Old Shen, how many pills have you sold today?"

At the mention of sales, Old Shen’s face instantly drooped with dejection. "Not a single one. Just my rotten luck."

The old man chuckled. "If it doesn’t work out here, just send them to the auction house. At least you’ll make some of your money back."

"That’s my only option now." Old Shen let out a long sigh and began packing up his stall, getting ready to leave.

Staying in the Holy City burned through money by the minute. Seeing that his entry time limit was fast approaching, he could only curse under his breath, gather up his pills, and head toward the auction house.

This was one of the perks of the Holy City. Even if small vendors like them couldn’t sell their goods on the street, the auction house would buy them at slightly below market price. For the pills Old Shen had smuggled in from the outside world, sending them to the auction house wouldn’t result in a loss—in fact, he might even turn a modest profit.