“Thunder Flame Crystals?”
Liu Lan’s cherry lips opened slightly in her surprise.
“How did the Daybreak Merchants Union get them? Thunder Flame Crystals are extremely rare in the Yuanling region. They probably obtained them through other means.”
Long Chen never expected the Daybreak Merchants Union to auction off the Thunder Flame Crystals.
He had gathered forty or so crystals from Zhao Tianfang’s pockets. It was evident that they probably had quite a number of them.
No matter how powerful a cultivator was, a hundred Thunder Flame Crystals were more than enough. However, if one could be in possession of great amounts, the strength of an organisation would rise greatly, and there would naturally be multiple benefits.
Lingxi did mention that the Daybreak Merchants Union likely had a mine of Thunder Flame Crystals.
If that was truly the case, the strength of the Daybreak Merchants Union now was probably even more formidable, and thus put pressure on the Lingwu Family and Beast Spirit Palace. If there really was a mine, the Lingwu Family would definitely covet it.
“There are a total of ten Thunder Flame Crystals. If all ten are fused with, one will become a Thunder Flame cultivator and form the Thunder Flame Physique. That would be equivalent to a profound middle-grade body-tempering battle technique or even more than that. Everyone should understand the effects. I won’t say more at this point. The starting price of these ten crystals is 20 000 deity jades! Each increase in price cannot be less than a thousand deity jades!”
Ever since the Thunder Flame Crystals appeared, all the guests had begun chattering. Thunder Flame Crystals may not be any top-rated treasure, but it was still a rarity.
The Thunder Flame Crystals caused a burning desire amongst the audience.
“Long Chen, what do you think of these crystals?”
Liu Lan turned her head and glanced at Long Chen through her lashes.
From her perspective, Long Chen was a beast cultivator. If he cultivated in another profound middle-grade body-tempering battle technique, his battle might would definitely increase in this time and give him better chances in the upcoming inner faction selection.
Thunder Flame Crystals differed from other tempering battle techniques. Others required time to hammer the technique in, but this just required fusion.
If she knew that Long Chen had already fused with 30 crystals, her expression would be marvellous.
Long Chen had always been in need of Thunder Flame Crystals. His goal was to reach level 2, or even level 3 of the Thunder Flame Physique.
However, the issue now was that with the contribution points Long Chen had on hand, he could only exchange for 4000 deity jades. The wealth he had on him was negligible. Just the starting price alone for these ten Thunder Flame Crystals far exceeded 4000.
Long Chen had had around fifty Thunder Flame Crystals, which was equal to more than a hundred thousand deity jades.
Unexpectedly, the items that Lingxi had spent two Spirit Recovery Fruits to rob was so valuable. He had used up almost a hundred thousand deity jades so easily, and his heart was bleeding at the mere thought of it.
Long Chen was too poor to purchase the crystals, which was why he did not bother replying.
Liu Lan had now hit a snag, but she did not get mad. The price was already increasing outside, and without hesitation, she yelled a price based on what was already being shouted.
“35 000 deity jades.”
Her cold voice resounded in the spacious square.
The number of deity jades had only reached 31 000 deity jades till then, and Liu Lan had shouted 35 000 all of a sudden. Nobody tried to increase the price.
Ten Thunder Flame Crystals were bought with 35 000 deity jades, which was a rather unreasonable price. Regular body-tempering battle techniques usually cost 100 000 deity jades, and they also lacked the risks that came with Thunder Flame Crystals.
Liu Lan got the crystals and then sent a smile Long Chen’s way, her beam provocative.
“I’m going to say this upfront. This is something you wanted to buy, so don’t blame it on me.”
When it came to this woman, she was rather irresistible, but Long Chen knew she was similar to a rose. While the aroma was strong and it was beautiful, attracting men to come closer, they might get pricked by her thorns if they stood too close.
While Long Chen had wanted the Thunder Flame Crystals, he wanted to avoid this situation.
“Did you think I was begging for your forgiveness?”
Seeing Long Chen so standoffish with her, Liu Lan was slightly infuriated. She got serious and, with a grim tone, spoke, “I’m here to get you things because I’m afraid you’ll lose your life to Chu Yunxi in the inner faction selection. There isn’t much time till the first of the eleventh month. If you’re sulking and won’t accept what I’ve gotten you, then you’re an idiot. An incredible idiot.”
It was true that Long Chen was not very confident regarding the inner faction selection.
“I’ll take the Thunder Flame Crystals. I’ll return you the 35 000 deity jades after the auction is over.”
The moment Liu Lan finished talking, he spoke matter-of-factly.
“Oh?”
He did not have money now, but he would have it after the auction ended. What logic was this?
Liu Lan was at her wit’s end when it came to this guy. She was rather curious of how Long Chen would get the money at the end of the auction, and nodded.
“I’ll be waiting then. When the time comes, don’t blame me if I laugh at you if you don’t have the money.”
“Whatever.”
After the Thunder Flame Crystals were auctioned off, someone sent them to their compartment. Long Chen took the crystals while the crazy bitch, Liu Lan, produced the money. The deliverer, who was of the Daybreak Merchants Union, had a strange expression on his face.
After he left, Liu Lan had on a charming, gentle grin.
“Do you know what kind of expression he had on?”
“He probably thinks you’re a wealthy woman, while I’m a pretty boy you take care of, all so to fill the void in your heart. Am I right?”
Liu Lan smiled sweetly, her beauty incomparable.
After the two brief climaxes from the Seven-coloured Glass Metal and the Thunder Flame Crystals, the auction gradually reached its end.
After two hours, the items that were saved for last began to appear. There were a total of three. The first was a profound high-grade offensive battle technique that was sold off for 80 000 deity jades.
Usually, 80 000 deity jades were far from enough to obtain the high-grade battle technique on the table. The truly remarkable battle techniques could be sold for a million or even millions, and it was thus obvious that while they could be of the same rank, battle techniques differed in preciousness.
The profound high-grade battle technique that was sold for 80 000 deity jades was probably slightly stronger or possibly weaker than regular profound-grade battle techniques.
There were few experts in Yuanling City who were at the Heaven Dan Realm, and each and every one of them had great status. In an auction like this held by the branches of the Daybreak Merchants Union, Earth Dan Realm cultivators were considered distinguished guests, while those of the Human Dan Realm were the bottommost level.
The last item was a profound high-grade spirit medicine with a starting price of 200 000 deity jades. However, it was useless to Long Chen. His eyes were fixated on the second-last item.
“Demonic Blood Soul Essence. It is the demonic blood essence of a profound level 8 demonic beast. As long as you are powerful enough to refine it, your real Qi will definitely increase by a large amount. However, as much time has already passed, the power left within this essence can only allow cultivators at the beginning of the Human Dan Realm to reach the initial mastery stage, or those at the initial mastery stage to reach the perfect mastery stage!”
The elegant female voice resounded in the square.
“Demonic Blood Soul Essence?”
Lingxi’s voice portrayed her surprise as she whispered, “Long Chen, it’s best to get that soul essence.”
“What can it do? Though it might be useful for others at the Human Dan Realm, it should be useless to me.”
“Demonic Blood Soul Essence is a demonic core that has been soaked in blood for over a hundred years after the demonic beast has died. Sometimes, it does not disappear but forms a soul essence. The demonic core’s strength and that of the blood mix together, forming a strange spirit force. As long as one is a cultivator, all can absorb this strength. To be honest, the Demonic Blood Soul Essence is rather similar to the Soul Diffusion Fruit.”
“How so?” Long Chen asked.
“The Soul Diffusion Fruit allows one to raise one’s level in a very short period of time and reach the Human Dan Realm. There aren’t any negative effects either. The Demonic Blood Soul Essence has the same effect. This piece in front of us has a strength comparable to the perfect mastery stage at the Human Dan Realm, so even if those who have just entered the Human Dan Realm were to consume it, they might very well reach the perfect mastery stage if they have good luck.”
As Lingxi was speaking, Long Chen shifted his body such that he faced the edge of the compartment.
Lingxi’s voice was sounded using her soul and reached Long Chen’s own soul. Though soft, Long Chen heard everything clearly. Long Chen’s question was able to be heard by Liu Lan, but it happened to be noisy from the auction, and his voice was thus unheard.
“The heaven-defying part of blood transmutation is how the aura of fresh blood is transformed into your real Qi. For this reason, Blood Transmutation is amazing, and this soul essence is even more useful to you. Others who take in the Demonic Blood Soul Essence will absorb the strength from the demonic core, but what you’re doing is to absorb the force of the blood. With it, I reckon you can break through to the Earth Dan Realm.”
Long Chen heard the words “Earth Dan Realm” loud and clear, which was exactly what he was hoping to achieve.
He was definitely unable to win against a level 5 profound grade demonic beast, and he needed to hunt a certain number of level 4 beasts such that he could enter the Earth Dan Realm.
The inner faction selection was right around the corner, but because of Liu Lan, it was inconvenient to move around. Entering the Earth Dan Realm was definitely a problem.
“Looks like even with Blood Transmutation, it’s difficult to gain strength. On top of that, it doesn’t do me good to use it too often.”
Long Chen thought inside.
Right after Lingxi explained everything thoroughly, Long Chen knew that this Demonic Blood Soul Essence was something that would determine his life. For that reason, he had to have it.