WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: WeTried Translations
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◈ Ophidian of the Immortal World ◈
Chapter 81: The Value-for-Money Auction
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After the Wing-Splitting Fish, Demon Beasts continued to appear from time to time and were sold for high prices.
Jegyeong remembered every one of them.
Once he returned to Black Shark Island, he planned to have Hyeon-gwi search the waters at once for Water Demons like those. Finding even one or two species would be a great help in earning Spirit Stones in the future.
Jegyeong's eyes suddenly narrowed as he lost himself in that pleasant thought.
Jwa Yumin had just begun introducing another item, and it was one of the things Jegyeong had already set his sights on.
“Precious Wheel Jade Liquid. It is effective at increasing the Dharma Power of Foundation Establishment cultivators. Its effects are greatest in the early stage, but even mid-stage cultivators can gain some benefit from it. Unlike other Medicinal Pills and spiritual treasures, its nature is mild, so one need only consume it without worrying about resistance or toxicity. It can be called the finest Cultivation Treasure for early and mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.”
Jwa Yumin's voice, which had barely bothered Jegyeong before, now sounded unbearably irritating.
Every embellished word she added would raise the item's price further. If he could, he wanted to shut that chattering mouth at once.
Gulp, gulp.
Jegyeong emptied another gourd of Spirit Wine to settle himself, then quietly watched the bidding begin.
The Spirit Wine he had drunk so freely had restored his calm. He had wanted the Precious Wheel Jade Liquid from the start, so he naturally intended to bid. Still, if the price climbed too high, he would give it up cleanly.
His Spirit Stones were limited, and several more items he had noticed remained later in the auction. He had to allocate them wisely.
“Twenty mid-grade Spirit Stones!”
“Twenty-four mid-grade Spirit Stones!”
The price continued to rise.
Foundation Establishment cultivators eager to improve their cultivation had begun opening their purses in earnest.
Jwa Yumin's long explanation had contained some exaggeration, but it was not wrong overall. Precious Wheel Jade Liquid could raise a cultivator's Dharma Power without serious side effects or risks, and even mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators could benefit from it.
Cultivation Treasures that combined such stability and versatility were rare. This was the kind of item people failed to buy not because they lacked Spirit Stones, but because none were available.
“Forty mid-grade Spirit Stones!”
Jegyeong, who had silently watched the flow of bids, entered the auction for the first time.
He raised the previous bid of thirty-five by five at once, and the auction hall fell quiet for a moment.
It did not last.
Those unwilling to give up the Precious Wheel Jade Liquid gritted their teeth and continued bidding.
“Forty-one mid-grade Spirit Stones!”
“Forty-two mid-grade Spirit Stones!”
Several cultivators showed their determination to obtain the Precious Wheel Jade Liquid, but the price did not rise sharply.
It could not.
Forty mid-grade Spirit Stones was already no small sum, and they all knew that much of the auction still remained.
The Precious Wheel Jade Liquid was certainly a rare Cultivation Treasure. If they had encountered it outside, they would have rushed to seize it with their eyes blazing.
An auction was different.
Rare items seldom seen outside appeared one after another to find their owners. Even treasures they would have fought desperately to obtain elsewhere could now be judged rationally for their value.
The Precious Wheel Jade Liquid was as effective as Jwa Yumin had said. Its mild nature meant any early or mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator could benefit from it.
Viewed on its own, it was undoubtedly a high-grade Cultivation Treasure.
But what if it was compared with other Cultivation Treasures of the same grade?
Most cultivators preferred speed in cultivation and greater effects. Spiritual treasures were no exception. Even if they carried some flaws or burdens, cultivators tended to favor those with stronger effects.
The Alchemical Dao was the same. Was it not the Alchemical Dao that combined various medicinal ingredients into Medicinal Pills to reduce their burden and increase their effects?
In that sense, the Precious Wheel Jade Liquid was somewhat less appealing than other Cultivation Treasures of the same grade.
Its properties were too complete as a single spiritual treasure, so it could not even be used as an ingredient for Medicinal Pills. It could only be consumed as it was.
Cultivators with thin purses might have no choice, but wealthy cultivators able to obtain treasures of the same grade would prefer to acquire other treasures, refine them into Medicinal Pills, and consume those.
A considerable number of the Foundation Establishment cultivators attending the auction belonged to the latter group.
Their purses were neither particularly full nor particularly empty, and forty mid-grade Spirit Stones was not an unbearable burden. They simply did not raise the price aggressively because they had to consider the items yet to come.
They watched one another, judging whether they could obtain the Precious Wheel Jade Liquid cheaply.
“Fifty mid-grade Spirit Stones!”
Jegyeong did not permit their shallow calculations.
His voice rang softly from the VIP room, forcing them to make a decision.
Fifty mid-grade Spirit Stones.
The amount was beginning to feel burdensome.
“Fifty-one mid-grade Spirit Stones!”
It was someone's timid resistance. At the same time, it was an attempt to test Jegyeong's resolve.
“Sixty mid-grade Spirit Stones!”
Jegyeong did not intend to calculate further.
He had set a maximum price of seventy mid-grade Spirit Stones for the Precious Wheel Jade Liquid. If he could obtain it for less than that, he would keep bidding. If not, he would give up without hesitation.
“Sixty mid-grade Spirit Stones! Any higher bids?”
Jwa Yumin called out in a gentle voice.
Her gaze passed over several cultivators who looked hesitant, but no one bid higher.
“Sixty mid-grade Spirit Stones! Sold!”
Hearing Jwa Yumin's voice become pleasant again, Jegyeong sipped his Spirit Wine in the VIP room.
* * *
“Seventy-two mid-grade Spirit Stones! Sold!”
Jegyeong raised the corners of his mouth in satisfaction after winning the Vermilion Radiant Toad.
‘Things are going even better than I expected.’
Jegyeong's strategy for this auction was simple.
From the beginning, he had no interest in the “good items” that would appear in the latter half of the auction.
Everyone wanted those items. Even if he poured in his entire fortune, he would be fortunate to obtain one or two.
Jegyeong was realistic.
He was sitting in a VIP room because of his relationship with the Spirit Talisman Merchant Association, not because his purse was full.
‘My competitors are not the people in the other VIP rooms. They are the ones below.’
He lacked the Spirit Stones to compete with true VIPs, but he had more than enough to pressure those below.
Jegyeong bought the spiritual treasures he had noticed one by one, as though he meant to spend all his Spirit Stones in the middle of the auction.
Including the Vermilion Radiant Toad he had just purchased, he had already bought four spiritual treasures. The Spirit Stones in his possession had fallen to one-third of what they had been.
‘One more will probably be the limit.’
He had spent almost all the wealth he had accumulated over ten years in less than three hours, yet he felt incomparably refreshed.
No matter how many Spirit Stones one had, they were still only Spirit Stones.
They only gained true value once they were turned into resources, and then into cultivation.
“Fellow Daoist Jegyeong, you have obtained another fine item. Congratulations.”
Yeon Jung-hyeok offered his congratulations when Jegyeong smiled in satisfaction. Yet inwardly, he could not understand Jegyeong.
‘Wouldn't it be better to buy one truly worthwhile spiritual treasure rather than four mediocre ones?’
Any Human Race cultivator would have thought the same.
By their common sense, one high-grade spiritual treasure was better than ten low or mid-grade ones. Even if they had ten low or mid-grade spiritual treasures, they could not absorb them all.
They would be fortunate to absorb even two or three. Of course, given enough time, they could absorb not ten but twenty, yet they did not have that time.
That was why they favored quality over quantity.
Jegyeong was different.
He was a member of the Demon Race, a Great Demon Beast, and one with an exceptionally sturdy body and Spiritual Essence. Naturally, he could absorb far more external resources than Human Race cultivators.
He also did not lack time. His preferences naturally differed from those of Human Race cultivators.
Quality over quantity?
No. Quantity over quality.
“One hundred and twenty-seven mid-grade Spirit Stones! Sold!”
With the Purple Flame Treasure Flower, Jegyeong's value-for-money auction came to an end.
A few Spirit Stones remained, but they would not be enough for him to bid on the items that would appear later.
“You are leaving already?”
“I have no Spirit Stones left. What would be the point of watching further?”
At first, he had considered remaining to broaden his horizons, but he soon changed his mind.
There was no point looking longingly at fruit he could not eat. It was better to leave quickly.
“Can I borrow passage on a returning ship?”
“Of course. Just let us know whenever you need it.”
Jegyeong was the one requesting passage, but Yang Yohyeon and Yeon Jung-hyeok were the happier ones.
They had been eager to send this sensitive VIP away as quickly as possible, so they nodded as though they had been waiting for Jegyeong to announce his intention to leave.
* * *
After leaving the auction hall, Jegyeong boarded a ship with Yang Yohyeon and departed Stonewall Island at once.
“It seems faster than when we came.”
“Yes. We unloaded all the cargo, and while we were on Stonewall Island, we made sure those fellows ate well.”
Jegyeong stared at the Knowledge-Sharks swimming powerfully ahead.
They seemed fatter than when he had last seen them. It had not been his imagination.
“At this speed, we should arrive within ten days.”
“Mm.”
Yang Yohyeon acted as though he had accomplished something remarkable and expected praise, but Jegyeong felt nothing.
Yang Yohyeon seemed to think the ship pulled by the Knowledge-Sharks was remarkably fast, but by Jegyeong's standards, it was not fast at all.
If he transformed into his true body and traveled at full speed, he was confident he could arrive within five days.
Even so, he had borrowed the Spirit Talisman Merchant Association's slow ship not for speed, but for safety.
More than half the route from Stonewall Island to Black Shark Island lay within the Human Territories. Transforming into his true body and traveling through them would have been troublesome.
“Mm?”
On the sixth day after leaving Stonewall Island, Jegyeong sensed a group rapidly approaching from behind and frowned.
‘Foundation Establishment cultivators?’
There were four of them, and judging by their Auras, they appeared to be Foundation Establishment cultivators.
“Fellow Daoist Yang. Someone is approaching quickly from behind.”
“What?”
Yang Yohyeon immediately spread his Divine Sense with all his strength after hearing Jegyeong's words, but he sensed nothing.
“Is that true? I cannot feel anything.”
“There are four. Three appear to be chasing one. They do not seem to be a single group... It looks as though someone is being pursued.”
Yang Yohyeon was doubtful, but before long, he too sensed the people Jegyeong had mentioned.
‘This person's Divine Sense is far stronger than mine.’
Yang Yohyeon looked at Jegyeong with a complicated expression for a moment, but he did not forget his duty.
“Activate the Ship-Protecting Formation!”
The light of the Formation Array swiftly enveloped the ship, and the crew gathered on deck, each taking up a combat stance.
A short while later, a cultivator riding a Flying Sword appeared in the distance.
His face was bloodless, and dark blood ran from the corner of his mouth.
“Fellow Daoists of the Spirit Talisman Merchant Association! Help me!”
The cultivator's eyes lit up upon spotting the Spirit Talisman Merchant Association's ship. He shouted desperately and rushed toward it at full speed.
Footnotes:
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