As the elder appeared on the high auction stage, the atmosphere, which had been slightly quiet, became utterly silent. Not a sound could be heard. Even the breaths of the cultivators within the auction house involuntarily lessened. A suppressive aura emanated from the elder, clad in auctioneer's attire, a subtle but palpable pressure radiating from him. Even in the VIP boxes, those at the ninth heaven of the Hedao stage chose to remain silent.
Li Qi and Xu Tianzong's gazes were instantly drawn to the elder in auctioneer's robes. Xu Tianzong's pupils contracted slightly. Li Qi's expression was also grave. For at this moment, Li Qi sensed an immensely powerful yet tranquil aura from the elder, an aura that, if its strength were to erupt fully, would be unimaginably terrifying. This... was an aura beyond the Hedao stage. Above Hedao, tribulation transcendence? The auctioneer dispatched by the Azure Blue Auction House was actually a cultivator at the tribulation transcendence stage. Just how powerful were the forces behind the Azure Blue Auction House? Or rather, how much importance did the Azure Blue Auction House place on this quinquennial auction?
However, Li Qi's gaze then shifted to the various VIP boxes, to the cultivators at the ninth heaven of the Hedao stage within them. It was understandable. It had long been rumored that many of the treasures auctioned at the Azure Blue Auction House were so expensive that even Hedao stage cultivators would covet them. If a cultivator at the tribulation transcendence stage were not sent to preside over the event, they truly wouldn't be able to control the situation.
Concurrently, Li Qi's gaze returned to the tribulation transcendence stage auctioneer. Sensing the subtle aura emanating from him, Li Qi's brow furrowed slightly. Even just by inferring from the mere aura displayed, Li Qi felt a deep pressure. Perhaps if he were to unleash his full talent, he might not even be able to inflict any damage on the tribulation transcendence stage auctioneer. Only the third punch of the Ten Thousand Times Amplification Farmer's Three Punches seemed to possess the qualification to inflict harm. As cultivation realms progressed, the strength at each stage indeed differed immensely.
"The gap between me and a tribulation transcendence stage cultivator is still too great. If I truly wish to fight one, perhaps I will have a chance when I reach the sixth or even seventh heaven of the Hedao stage," Li Qi mused inwardly.
Just then, the elder on the auction stage's voice slowly resonated, his tone exceptionally calm. "I am Zhu Si, a distinguished auctioneer of the Azure Blue Auction House. I will be presiding over this auction. I hope all guests will strictly adhere to the rules of our Azure Blue Auction House and not cause us any trouble."
After Zhu Si finished speaking, he said no more. Yet, in the auction seats below, the guests remained utterly silent, not even daring to utter a word of agreement. But Zhu Si seemed oblivious to this, his gaze sweeping over the auction seats below, a smile appearing on his aged face. "Since that is the case, let us begin this auction."
As Zhu Si uttered these words, the previously silent environment below the stage instantly gained a semblance of life, and the eyes of many guests in the auction seats brightened slightly. At that moment, beside the auction stage, a maidservant, adorned in revealing, sheer gauze and possessing a rather alluring appearance, walked over to Zhu Si, carrying a silver tray. Upon the silver tray rested a delicate small porcelain bottle.
Zhu Si's voice slowly rang out. "Dao Breaking Pill. Effect: For cultivators below the third heaven of the Hedao stage, it offers a high chance of breaking through a minor realm without any side effects. Starting bid: Eight million spirit stones. Payment can be made with spirit stones and Heavenly Dao will."
Below the auction stage, many cultivators, upon hearing the first auction item, had their eyes light up. "Hiss, it's actually the Dao Breaking Pill. This Azure Blue Auction House is so explosive this time, putting a treasure like the Dao Breaking Pill as an appetizer. Just how precious will the subsequent items be?" Cultivators below the sixth heaven of the Hedao stage displayed expressions of excitement. A high probability of breaking through a realm without side effects. A pill of this caliber was the most precious treasure to them. Cultivators below the sixth heaven of the Hedao stage all exhibited eager expressions.
A cultivator at the fifth heaven of the Hedao stage immediately stood up, his voice ringing out. "I bid two million spirit stones, plus three complete Heavenly Dao wills of the fourth heaven of the Void Returning stage, totaling a price of nine million five hundred thousand spirit stones."
But before this cultivator at the second heaven of the Hedao stage could finish speaking, and before Zhu Si on the auction stage could rap his gavel, the next moment, another voice rang out. This individual was also a cultivator at the fifth heaven of the Hedao stage. "I bid three million spirit stones, plus three complete Heavenly Dao wills of the fourth heaven of the Void Returning stage, totaling a price of ten million five hundred thousand spirit stones."
The cultivators below the stage at the sixth heaven of the Hedao stage began bidding one after another. In mere moments, the price of this single Dao Breaking Pill had already soared to fourteen million. However, these bidding cultivators shared a common characteristic: their bidding method involved a small portion of spirit stones and a large portion of Heavenly Dao wills.
"The first auction item is actually the Dao Breaking Pill, truly worthy of the Azure Blue Auction House." Xu Tianzong sighed. The first item, the Dao Breaking Pill, had indeed surprised him a little. However, for Xu Tianzong, who was already at the seventh heaven of the Hedao stage, the Dao Breaking Pill did not even stir a flicker of desire. It was simply that this pill was useless to him. Xu Tianzong's gaze turned to Li Qi, and he suggested, "Fellow Daoist Li, aren't you only at the third heaven of the Hedao stage now? With your financial resources, it shouldn't be difficult to contend for this Dao Breaking Pill. If you can consume this Dao Breaking Pill and break through a minor realm, your combat strength would likely see a significant increase, wouldn't it?"
Upon hearing this, Li Qi's gaze remained unchanged. He had indeed heard of the Dao Breaking Pill for the first time. The Azure Flame Medicine Pavilion had never sold it before; he wondered why. Was it unable to manufacture it in batches? Or did it not know the refining method for this pill? However, the competition for the Dao Breaking Pill was truly fierce. If he could obtain it, and then thoroughly study it, he might be able to harvest a large amount of resources from the cultivators in the Void Black Market.
But outwardly, Li Qi shook his head slightly at Xu Tianzong, refusing. "Although the Dao Breaking Pill is excellent, with my talent, it might only take me a few decades to break through a minor realm within the Hedao stage. And in decades, without a windfall, I fear I wouldn't have the ability to accumulate so many spirit stone resources. Moreover, breaking through with the aid of a pill, although it has no side effects, is ultimately not as solid as a realm cultivated step by step by oneself. This pill, let's forget it. I have no interest."
Hearing this, Xu Tianzong nodded slightly. Indeed, he was aware of Li Qi's talent. When he first met Li Qi, he was merely at the Void Returning stage, and in just over a hundred years, Li Qi had already reached the third heaven of the Hedao stage. There was indeed no need to spend decades of effort to purchase this Dao Breaking Pill. After all, even if this period of decades were doubled, say a hundred years, for ordinary Hedao cultivators, accumulating such a vast amount of spirit stones might not be possible. However, in reality, it was entirely because Li Qi's funds were all tied up with his Natal Spirit Puppets.
After dealing with Xu Tianzong, Li Qi moved his mind. The next moment, when the price of the Dao Breaking Pill reached sixteen million two hundred thousand spirit stones, a calm voice rang out. "I bid eighteen million spirit stones."