Wei Tu, who was sitting nearby, let out a silent sigh of relief.
He had taken Zhao Qingluo's Foundation Establishment Pill, and though he had justified it to himself as repayment for saving her life, a lingering guilt had remained. He had worried that his actions might have hindered Zhao Qingluo's cultivation path.
—Even though, by logic, it was fair compensation for her survival.
Still, he had taken it without asking.
Now that he saw that Zhao Qingluo had successfully reached Foundation Establishment, the guilt in his heart dissipated.
Soon after, the rosewood seats in the second-floor hall of Baibao Pavilion were nearly full.
Among the attendees, there were many mysterious cultivators cloaked in robes, their faces hidden.
Through his observations, Wei Tu noted that at least seven Foundation Establishment cultivators were seated in the private booths on the third floor.
"Could it be that there's something at this auction valuable enough to attract so many Foundation Establishment cultivators?"
Wei Tu took out his invitation, flipped it over, and scanned the auction catalog.
"It seems similar to past auctions—nothing particularly rare. The final three featured items must hold some hidden surprises."
He pondered.
Other than that, he couldn't think of any reason why seven Foundation Establishment cultivators would be interested in attending this particular auction.
After all, Baibao Pavilion held an auction every five years, and the items were usually similar in value.
A quarter of an hour later—
A mature, alluring woman, dressed in a revealing outfit, gracefully stepped onto the auction platform.
She gave a small bow and smiled. "I am Lou Hong, and I will be hosting today's auction. On behalf of Baibao Pavilion, I extend my gratitude to all our esteemed guests for attending."
After the brief introduction, she did not waste any further words.
She lifted the red silk cloth covering the jade platform, revealing the first auction item.
—A deep black ore, the size of a walnut.
"A mid-grade first-tier Iron Essence, weighing 3.6 jin. An excellent material for crafting magical artifacts. The starting bid is 13 spirit stones."
"Each bid increment must be no less than two spirit stones."
Lou Hong announced with a smile.
"Seventeen spirit stones!"
A cultivator immediately called out.
Iron Essence was a common material in the cultivation world, with a stable market price. A piece of this weight typically sold for around 30 spirit stones.
If one could purchase it below market price, they would make a small profit.
Baibao Pavilion often included such items to entice bidders and stimulate participation.
"I bid twenty-one spirit stones."
"Twenty-three spirit stones."
The bidding continued fiercely, and the auction hall's energy was gradually rising.
Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou also placed bids for the Iron Essence.
If free spirit stones were being handed out, they saw no reason to act aloof and let the opportunity slip away.
"Twenty-seven spirit stones."
Finally, a gray-robed elder won the bid and claimed the Iron Essence.
At this price, reselling it would only bring a small profit.
For most cultivators present, further bidding would not be worthwhile.
"The second item in today's auction is a pair of Fire Pulp Fruits, cultivated by the He Family of Shengjiang."
"These fruits are delicious and can enhance one's cultivation. They are an excellent choice for personal use or as gifts for esteemed guests."
"Each fruit offers a boost equivalent to that of a Qi Enhancement Pill."
Lou Hong unveiled the red silk cloth again.
Instantly—
A rich, fragrant aroma filled the entire hall.
"Fire Pulp Fruits?"
Several cultivators swallowed involuntarily, their eyes gleaming with interest.
Besides their exquisite taste, spiritual fruits also had another great advantage:
They provided the same effects as medicinal pills, boosting cultivation.
Additionally, consuming spiritual fruits did not carry the risk of pill toxins accumulating in the body.
However—
Spiritual fruits were often more expensive than equivalent-grade pills.
For example, the starting bid for this pair of Fire Pulp Fruits was 10% higher than that of a Qi Enhancement Pill.
Thus, even though the starting price wasn't overly high, the number of interested bidders was relatively low.
Wei Tu was tempted.
He was currently at Qi Refinement seventh layer, and if he consumed both Fire Pulp Fruits, he could likely reach the eighth layer within a decade.
Advancing in late-stage Qi Refinement was far harder than in the early or mid-stages.
It was common for cultivators to remain stuck in a bottleneck for decades.
However—
Wei Tu ultimately did not place a bid.
Spiritual fruits were expensive and had low cost-effectiveness.
They were mostly purchased by wealthy cultivators.
Buying such luxuries would only make him stand out unnecessarily, drawing unwanted attention.
Wealth is best accumulated in silence.
Before reaching Foundation Establishment, he had no desire to attract unnecessary scrutiny.
Besides—
Baibao Pavilion held an auction every five years. If he attended again, there would likely be similar spiritual fruits available.
There was no need to rush into purchasing them now.
Furthermore—
He needed to save his spirit stones for something far more crucial:
The Condensed Foundation Pill.
This auction was merely a chance to observe and broaden his experience.
Shortly after—
The Fire Pulp Fruits were successfully auctioned off.
One item after another was brought forth from Lou Hong's storage bag and placed up for bidding.
These auction items, like the Iron Essence and Fire Pulp Fruit before, offered opportunities for a good deal.
The auction had reached its halfway point.
At last, the Dispel Qi Pill that Fu Zhizhou had been waiting for appeared. He spent fourteen spirit stones to successfully bid for the pill.
"Disregarding one's foundation for temporary gains often leads to an even greater cost to make up for it later."
Wei Tu sighed inwardly.
Since breaking through to the sixth level of Qi Refinement, Fu Zhizhou had been stuck in this realm for seven years, and throughout this period, he had wasted over one hundred spirit stones.
The Dispel Qi Pill was just one of the many pills he had purchased along the way.
…
After the Dispel Qi Pill, several other rare pills appeared at auction, bringing excitement to the gathered cultivators.
"The previous items were just appetizers. The real treasures of this auction are the three grand finale items…"
Luo Hong gently struck her jade hammer.
Upon hearing these words, the atmosphere in the hall grew solemn, with a hint of tension.
Everyone knew that the earlier auction items alone were not enough to attract so many Foundation Establishment cultivators.
"The first of the three grand finale items… is the renowned Tier-2 pill of the cultivation world—Eternal Youth Pill!
"After consuming this pill, one's appearance will remain frozen in time. Even at the moment of death, the user will not show signs of aging…"
Luo Hong's tone grew excited when she mentioned the Eternal Youth Pill, and a trace of envy flashed in her eyes as she glanced at the jade bottle on the auction table.
Though the Eternal Youth Pill had no practical use and did nothing for cultivation, for female cultivators who valued beauty, it was an invaluable treasure.
"This Eternal Youth Pill is something this princess must obtain. Fellow Daoists, I hope you will grant me this favor…"
Halfway through the bidding, Zhao Qingluo's voice suddenly rang out from within her private booth.
As soon as she spoke, the entire hall fell into silence.
The cultivators exchanged glances.
On the auction stage, Luo Hong's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, a hint of displeasure flashing across her face.
However, due to the influence of the Qiyue Zhao Clan, a Golden Core family, no one spoke up against Zhao Qingluo.
"It seems that Princess Qingluo still hasn't learned her lesson. Has she already forgotten the assassination attempt on her life?"
Fu Zhizhou sent a divine sense transmission to Wei Tu.
A few years ago, Kou Hong Ying had sent Fu Zhizhou a letter after avenging her father, detailing some of the inside information regarding how Zhao Qingluo was ambushed by Geng Wen and Blood Demon Elder.
However—
Just as Fu Zhizhou finished his sentence—
Zhao Qingluo abruptly raised her bid, directly increasing the price from 400 spirit stones to 700 spirit stones.
At this, the crowd fell silent.
The auctioneer, Luo Hong, also visibly relaxed upon hearing the new bid.
Seven hundred spirit stones for an Eternal Youth Pill—though slightly lower than she had anticipated, it was still within a reasonable range.
Baibao Pavilion would still make a profit.
Hearing this, Wei Tu formed a new evaluation of Zhao Qingluo:
Her arrogance had diminished slightly—but not by much.
However, upon further thought, Wei Tu found it understandable.
There was no reason not to leverage the Zhao family's reputation.
By using her family's name, Zhao Qingluo saved several hundred spirit stones on this purchase.
And as for her reputation?
Such notoriety was hardly enough to shake the foundation of a Golden Core family.
No cultivation sect or family would collapse over a bit of bad reputation.
Even Geng Wen had only resorted to ambushing Zhao Qingluo because he was old and had no hope of reaching Foundation Establishment.
That incident had been an exception—not the rule.
…
A few moments later—
Zhao Qingluo successfully won the Eternal Youth Pill.
Next—
Auctioneer Luo Hong proceeded with the sale of the remaining two grand finale items.
These two treasures were:
A Tier-2 Mid-Grade Fire Scale Sword
A Longevity Pill that extends lifespan by ten years
There were few bidders for the Fire Scale Sword.
However, when the Longevity Pill appeared—
Aside from Zhao Qingluo, the other Foundation Establishment cultivators became completely frenzied, aggressively driving up the price.
The final bid soared to 3,000 spirit stones.
"An additional ten years of lifespan is only two or three secluded meditation sessions for a Foundation Establishment cultivator."
"Yet they are fighting so desperately over this one pill."
"It seems Foundation Establishment is not as carefree as I once thought…"
Seeing this, Fu Zhizhou's heart wavered, and his Dao heart became somewhat unsettled.
The path of immortality was long.
He had already struggled so much just to advance within Qi Refinement.
Once he reached Foundation Establishment—
How would he continue from there?
The road ahead was dark.
He could barely see any light at the end.
Previously, before he had interacted with Foundation Establishment cultivators, he had naively imagined that achieving this realm would allow him to relax and enjoy a carefree life.
But now, watching so many Foundation Establishment cultivators go to war over a single Longevity Pill, he was forced to confront the harsh reality.
As he stepped out of Baibao Pavilion,
Fu Zhizhou shared his worries and doubts with Wei Tu.
He wanted to hear Wei Tu's perspective.
After all, among their four sworn brothers, Wei Tu was the most level-headed and had the broadest vision.
"Fourth Brother, do you still remember the four of us standing together against Prefect He at the government office?"
Wei Tu pondered for a moment before asking.
"Prefect He?" Fu Zhizhou was momentarily stunned. His memories instantly pulled him back more than forty years ago.
He recalled the words Wei Tu had spoken back then—saying that he was just a stable hand, and even if he ended up as a low-ranking military officer, it would still be a better life than before.
At that time—
Fu Zhizhou was born into a military family, and though he was suppressed, his future had still been promising.
But Wei Tu and the others were different.
Times had changed.
Now, in the cultivation world, he found himself in the same predicament that Wei Tu and the others had once faced…
"Third Brother is right. No matter how bad things get, it's still better than before. The only thing to do is keep moving forward—there's no need to dwell on worries."
Fu Zhizhou suddenly understood.
He let out a laugh, straightened his posture, and shifted the silver spear slung across his back. The weariness on his face faded, and in its place returned the confidence he once had when he passed the martial examination at eighteen.
However—
As he walked forward, a sudden surge of spiritual pressure erupted from his body. It was as if an immense force was building up within him, waiting to break free.
Sensing this—
Fu Zhizhou immediately realized what was happening.
Without caring about the onlookers staring at him, he sat cross-legged on the ground, took out the Dispel Qi Pill he had won at the auction, and swallowed it in one gulp.
Nearly half an hour passed.
A powerful Qi Refinement seventh-layer aura burst forth from his body.
"This bottleneck… I've finally broken through."
Fu Zhizhou looked up at Wei Tu, who had stood by to protect him during the breakthrough, and his eyes filled with tears.
A man does not cry easily—unless his heart is truly shaken.
Seven years of hardship.
The impurities from the Blood Food Pellet had long been purged from his system. The spiritual energy he had accumulated was fully stored within him.
Yet—he still hadn't been able to break through.
At the core of it all—
It had been a problem of the mind.
And that—was something no medicine could cure.
If he hadn't consulted Wei Tu today, if he hadn't received that one moment of enlightenment, he might have remained stuck in his failure for another two or three years.
"I always thought my Dao heart was stronger than Third Brother's—because I wasn't bound by emotions…"
"But in truth—his steady, step-by-step approach is far superior… compared to me, a man who abandoned his wife and children…"
Fu Zhizhou sighed.
Back then—
When Wei Tu advised him to visit his family, he had refused outright.
Not only that—he had even tried to convince Wei Tu that supporting one's children was a waste of resources…
Now, looking back—
He realized how utterly wrong he had been.
With this realization, Fu Zhizhou muttered his own name three times, a bitter smile forming on his lips.
His name was "Zhizhou" (志舟)—"Willful Boat", yet he had never drifted freely like a boat upon the great lakes and seas.
…
After parting ways with Fu Zhizhou—
Wei Tu returned to Snowfall Courtyard.
Time passed swiftly.
In the blink of an eye, two more years had gone by.
This year, without compromising his cultivation, Wei Tu finally completed Kou Hong Ying's first sect mission—creating one hundred Earthquake Talismans.
Wei Tu headed to the Danqiu Mountain post station, packed the talismans into a box, and sent them off to Baishi Lake.
That same year, in April—
Wei Tu reunited with Wei Fei, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.
"Master is gone."
"He returned to the mortal world… and found his final resting place."
At Snowfall Courtyard, Wei Fei spoke with grief on his face as he delivered the news to Wei Tu.
Long ago, during their last Righteous Society gathering, Wei Fei had already mentioned that he would spend the last years of Immortal Master Wu's life at his side.
So, when Wei Tu heard the news of his passing, he wasn't particularly surprised.
"You weren't even this sad when your godfather died back then."
Wei Tu secretly muttered to himself.
Back in the mortal world, when Wei Fei and I were military officers, the leader of the Qinghu Gang, Wei Jinghai, had passed away.
At the time, Wei Fei's reaction had been nowhere near as strong as this.
In terms of years spent together, Wei Fei had only been with Immortal Master Wu for ten years, while he had known Wei Jinghai for far longer.
But of course—
Wei Tu understood the difference.
The so-called "godfather" and "godson" relationships in a gang weren't real family bonds.
Wei Jinghai only adopted "godsons" to maintain control over the Qinghu Gang.
But Immortal Master Wu was different.
He and Wei Fei had genuinely gotten along. There was no tension between master and disciple.
"Before Master passed, he asked me to give this jade slip to you, Third Brother."
Wei Fei patted his storage pouch, pulled out a light-blue jade slip, and placed it on the table.
"Master said that before, he only gave you some basic knowledge about cultivation, because he didn't have much time left—and didn't want to owe you a favor."
"But before he passed, he left behind this will. He told me to pass down his inheritance to you—so that I would be the one to repay the favor."
Wei Fei bluntly revealed Immortal Master Wu's original plan.
Compared to his relationship with Immortal Master Wu, his bond with Wei Tu ran far deeper.
They had known each other for far longer—they were sworn brothers, bonded by blood.
"I accept Immortal Master Wu's kind intentions."
Wei Tu did not refuse and took the jade slip.
Even though his cultivation had now caught up to Immortal Master Wu's, and his inheritance no longer held much value to him—
Still—
The moment his divine sense entered the jade slip—
The casual expression on Wei Tu's face suddenly turned serious.