Chapter 47: The Natural Nine-Tiered Valley

  The auction will be held on the first night of the trading conference, Zuo Xiao Yao had heard about it long ago and also knew that many cultivators with higher cultivation levels, above the foundation period, came to this trading conference for this auction. According to the rules of the world, this auction is most likely to have some rare treasures that are hard to come by.

  But as long as the items in hand can pass the verification of the auction host, and are considered to be of high quality and have auction value, cultivators would still rather put them up for bidding themselves, because only then can they often get a better price, even if it means taking the risk that the auctioned price may be lower than the market price, and after paying the auction fee to the auction house, there is even a possibility of making a loss.

  "It doesn't matter... anyway, let's wait until tonight after attending the auction to see if there are any better things that come up before making a decision. If the funds are really insufficient, I'll have to ask Brother Luo for help!"

  It was known that Hong Tian and the family were acquainted beforehand. When he met Zuo Xiao Yao, the two of them were already good friends and must have understood each other's situation better. In this way, Qin Xiao didn't suspect anything and no longer cared whether Zuo Xiao Yao was a Dan Master or not.

  After all, for a cultivator, an alchemist is not only a symbol of strength at times, but also a guarantee of getting a respectable status, who would intentionally conceal it!

  Looking at this place that seems like a valley, I think of Hong Tian mentioning it in Shennongjia, and they all refer to it as 'Jiutai Valley'. But since arriving here, although most of the time people call it Jiutai Mountain, calling this venue Jiutai 'Valley' makes Zuo Xiaoyao somewhat curious. After all, in her eyes, this place is obviously a space carved out from the mountain peaks, and it doesn't seem like an ordinary valley at all.

  While strolling around and waiting for the evening auction to start, Zuo Xiao Yao finally couldn't help but ask the question that had been on her mind. Before Luo Hong Tian could respond, Qin Xiao burst out laughing and said "No wonder Brother Luo said Xiao Yao was a first-timer in Jiutai Mountain, and also a first-timer in attending the Jiutai Mountain or rather the Jiutai Valley Trading Convention! But I have to say that when I first came here back then, I didn't dare believe this was a natural mountain valley either, not to mention the name Jiutai Valley!"

  "Is this a natural valley?"

  Along with Qin Xiao's raised head looking towards the top of the 'valley', Zuo Xiao Yao looked at the stone cliff above, which was more than 50 meters high from the ground. Her mouth twitched slightly before she couldn't help but ask again as if to confirm once more.

  Looking at her astonished and disbelieving face, Hong Tian smiled and explained, "As it happens, this is indeed the work of nature's divine craftsmanship. Almost all cultivators who come here for the first time think that this place was hollowed out by a high-ranking senior with the ability to move mountains and seas. In fact, this is actually a valley that has been born together with the Flying Immortal Peak, and it can be said that it is the only such valley among the nine peaks, so it is called Jiutai Valley."

  Because this transaction is held in this valley every seven years, when referring to the transaction meeting, it is generally referred to as Jiutai Valley Transaction Meeting. Anyway, mentioning Jiutai, there is only one place in this world, and everyone will not make mistakes.

  Qin Xiao then added in agreement.

  What a broadened horizon! Indeed, in this vast world, nothing is impossible, and I was too narrow-minded. The fact that the mountain valley can naturally form such a shape is truly a miracle. If Fei Xian Tai were just another tourist attraction like the other five platforms outside the law array, I'm sure people would come up with various explanations for its appearance. Not to mention the nine peaks themselves, each with their own unique features, are already a wonder in itself.

  In this world, there are many things and matters that one has never seen with their own eyes. To avoid being constantly surprised and frightened, one must reflect on their own thoughts and judgments, and think carefully before acting. Xiaoyao thought to herself as she sighed inwardly.

  Lu family has a great influence in the Southern Sea Sect, one of the two sects of Sanmen. It's not without reason that they were able to keep the news of Qingchen Dan's appearance from leaking out for an entire month before.

  At the auction that night, Qingchen Dan was not put up for bidding, but was given away as a free gift with some rare items. The host on stage repeatedly touted its "Qing" dust-repelling effect, and whenever it was announced that an item would come with Qingchen Dan as a gift, it would be sold at a price much higher than the original estimate. Sitting in a private room, Zuo Xiaoyao wanted to ask Rong Hongtian, who was responsible for his family's business, if he had studied marketing or advertising in the mortal world. The Rong family's tactics were truly impressive!

  Since the Qingchen Dan was launched at the auction house of the Luo family, it has received a warm response from some foundation-building and true cultivators who are willing to "buy face" for it. From tomorrow on, the market for Qingchen Dan will be thoroughly opened up. Zuo Xiaoyao no longer thinks that borrowing some spiritual jade is not a bad idea.

  After leaving the auction house located on the other side of Fei Xian Tai, I'll just find an opportunity to give Luo Hongtian a few more bottles of Qingchen Dan. Who knows, he might even come looking for me for Lingyu later. Anyway, after Qingchen Dan's reputation is spread like this, it will definitely sell well, and I won't be taking advantage of the Luo family at all. Sitting in a private room allocated to her due to Luo Hongtian's face, Zuo Xiaoyao thought to herself.

  That night, I equipped myself with a full set of equipment: a mid-to-high-end defensive artifact called the Emerald Ring, an extremely high-quality attacking artifact called Frostbite, and a high-quality flying artifact called the Void Sash. In the process, I also picked up a piece of clothing - the Nalan Law Robe!

  According to the designer's original intention, it was hoped that it could play an automatic Ling effect as a high-end defensive artifact, but it did not succeed. The finished product turned out to be only a mid-range artifact and could only block dust and slightly isolate spirits. Because of the good materials used, it is only more durable than ordinary defensive law robes, making it somewhat useless. Zuo Xiaoyao bought it as if an ordinary cultivator would buy other artifacts for decoration, regardless of whether they are useful or not. This kind of ordinary artifact that can't be hurt by a knife naturally also needs to be prepared, and finally spent more than 30,000 high-grade Ling jade, with external debt reaching nearly half!

  Upon hearing that the ten bottles of Second-Grade Elixir, refined by Zheng Dingmen's elder, Ding Mu, were auctioned off at a high price of six thousand First-Grade Spirit Jade after several rounds of bidding, comparable to the price of a mid-to-high-grade artifact, Zuo Xiaoyao was quite surprised. "This Congealing Liquid Pill only helps with advancing one's cultivation in the Liquid Stage, and there are many similar elixirs on the market, so why could it be auctioned off at such a high price?"

  Because the medicinal herbs required for refining first-grade and second-grade elixirs do not need to be too old, some cultivation families or cultivators will plant a large number of low-grade spiritual medicines that mature in just a few years or a decade. As a result, their prices are generally not too high. It is indeed against the norm for a second-grade elixir worth less than 100 spirit jade to be auctioned off at such a high price.

  "Xiao Yao didn't know that although this Gathering Liquid Pill is classified as a second-grade pill due to the relatively small number of required materials and not too high requirements for alchemy level, it can actually meet the daily cultivation needs of foundation-building cultivators like me. Its effect is comparable to third-grade pills, but its price is much cheaper than third-grade pills. Moreover, although the number of medicinal materials needed to refine this pill is small, the year requirement is relatively high, so it's not surprising that it can be sold at such a price."

  After listening to Hongtian's explanation, Zuo Xiayao thought of Qin Xiao who had also bid twice for this Dan, and thinking of the several second-grade Dans on her body that she had personally verified a few days ago, it seemed that they could also have some effect on building foundation stage cultivation, although the quality of the Dan needed to reach top or extreme grade. With a pretty good mood, Zuo Xiayao smiled and teased: "So Brother Qin really intended to bid for this Dan, I was mistaken, I thought you just wanted to help Dingmu Dao friend!"

  He adjusted his glasses and Qin Xiao nodded with a smile, "I understand, Xiao Yao thinks I'm that kind of person, a medicine peddler!"

  The three of them burst out laughing at the same time, because they had a very close relationship with Huiyue from Zhengding Gate, and Qin Lian was not there, so they didn't need to maintain their dignity as seniors in front of their juniors anymore. The conversation between the three became much more casual and natural.

  Qin Xiao continued, "The main medicine required for the Gathering Liquid Pill has been lost in the current cultivation world. Only Zheng Ding Gate, which has relied on alchemy to stand firm in the cultivation world for thousands of years, possesses it. Although outsiders like us know what medicinal materials are needed for the Gathering Liquid Pill, we don't know the true formula and can't find that main medicine. Therefore, the Gathering Liquid Pill has always been a monopoly of Zheng Ding Gate in the cultivation world, with very few pills sold each year."

  After attending the auction, the three of them gained a lot from the seminar attended by nearly fifty foundation-building cultivators, mainly to exchange their experiences and insights. When they returned to the inn, it was already the early morning of the third day of the trading conference. After resting for a while and organizing the cultivation experiences and views obtained from other fellow practitioners, it was already evening when Zuo Xiaoyao came to Luo Hongtian's room door to discuss the supply issues after Qingchen Dan.

  A month-long journey to Jiutai Mountain came to an end with the conclusion of the trading conference. In this one month, what she had come to know had completely overturned Zuo Xiaoyao's previous understanding of the world. Even since she obtained the Purple Venerable Three Treasures and met the woman in purple, she knew that there were many things in this world that she could not have imagined before, but knowing was one thing, and actually facing the impact of all those things was another matter altogether.

  Because Hongtian and Qin Xiao had an appointment with friends, after stopping at Jiutai Mountain for a few more days, they would go to the islands in the East China Sea to explore. Although the two had also invited her to join them, Zuo Xiaoyao refused without hesitation this time. Even if she knew that going with them to gain experience would be very beneficial for her cultivation, she also knew that there was no banquet that didn't disperse, and she couldn't always follow Hongtian and rely on his guidance and care. In the previous month, if it weren't for the transaction of Qingchen Dan, the two might have already parted ways, after all, she wouldn't be so presumptuous as to continue to trouble him when she had already owed him a favor.

  After bidding farewell to Hong Tian and Qin Xiao, Zuo Xiaoyao finally spent 10 pieces of first-grade spirit jade in a small shop to buy two pairs of tokens that could enter and exit Jiutai Mountain. She left Zhengningtai alone along the original road brought by Hong Tian. The Qiu family's exclusive sale of Qingchen Dan shocked the entire realm, almost creating a huge upset at the Jiutai Mountain Trading Conference. In this realm where more than 95% of cultivators were below the foundation stage, it caused a great stir among the cultivators.

  But because of the Qiao family's status in the Xiuzhen world, coupled with the fact that the Qingchen Dan sold on the market has a significant effect on the Nascent Soul stage cultivation, but its effect on the Liquid Stage cultivators is greatly reduced, and it is basically useless for the Foundation Establishment stage cultivators, and cannot directly act on the promotion of cultivation. As a result, although many forces are eyeing the huge benefits in this, they can only make small moves in private, and do not dare to openly investigate.

  Some of the more advanced Jindan practitioners didn't have much interest in it anyway, as long as they could buy it on the market if they needed it. The Lu family's business was monopolized, but they hadn't set an exorbitant price; each Clear Dust Pill was sold for 120 spirit stones, a price that most cultivators could afford. Although it was limited in quantity and in short supply due to high demand, this actually made it impossible for the other powers in the cultivation world to discover that the Clear Dust Pills were made by Zuo Xiangyu.

  PS: Thanks for your support, I'll try to update twice tomorrow!