Traveling through time to cultivate immortality: a life and death test

The Golden Jubilee Restaurant was located in the heart of Xicheng District's busiest street. Liu Xing had wandered in and noticed it was bustling with activity, so he decided to stop in for a seat. He calculated that he hadn't eaten out in years, but today, he felt a sudden urge to eat. Cultivators valued spontaneous behavior, so he decided to go for a meal and listen to the other diners' conversations. Liu Xing hadn't deliberately concealed his cultivation level; Foundation Establishment experts were always respected, and this would reduce obstacles for him.

However, he donned a human-skin mask, altering his appearance, voice, and form. Carrying a large sum of money and secrets, he decided to use different identities while moving around the city to avoid attracting attention and potentially causing unnecessary trouble. He had learned the secret art of shrinking and changing his form from the Xuan Yin Sutra. He had previously diligently studied it, mastering it in just a week. The technique was perfectly suited to his current situation. The effects varied depending on individual strength. With Liu Xing's profound spiritual awareness and magical power, he could transform his form so dramatically that even cultivators in the late Foundation Establishment stage could not penetrate his disguise. Liu Xing became obsessed with the art, and after achieving mastery, he transformed himself into various ages, identities, and genders, altering his voice and body shape to a variety of different types, finding great pleasure in it.

Now he transformed into an old man with a white beard and walked into the restaurant. The waiter was very diligent. When he saw the customers coming in, he was ready to greet them.

"I will personally receive this senior, please go and do something else." Suddenly, the shopkeeper grabbed the shop assistant who was about to greet him. The shop assistant was surprised. The shopkeeper was so fast. He was counting on the abacus at the counter one second ago, and the next second he appeared in front of him.

"Welcome, senior. We have specially prepared private rooms upstairs. Please come upstairs." The shopkeeper nodded and bowed. With the cultivation level of the tenth level of Qi Refining, he is already an ordinary master, but he runs a restaurant here. He probably gave up the idea of ​​cultivating immortality and took care of worldly affairs for his family or sect.

"How did you know my cultivation level?" Liu Xing was very surprised. When the shopkeeper called him "senior", he knew that he was a foundation-building cultivator.

"Senior, you are too kind. How could I know your level of cultivation? I've just been in this shop for a long time and I know many seniors in the Foundation Establishment stage. I feel that the spiritual pressure you bring to me is greater than that of other seniors in the Foundation Establishment stage." The shopkeeper explained respectfully, fearing that he might accidentally say something wrong and bring disaster to himself.

"Well, go ahead." Liu Xing nodded and said, he did not deliberately conceal his cultivation level. Although the shopkeeper's cultivation level was low, his perception was still good, and his ability to observe words and expressions was even more perfect.

"Please follow me, senior." The shopkeeper was as if pardoned. He immediately led the way and directed Liu Xing into a private room by the window on the third floor.

Outside the window, a vast river flowed through the city, with ships constantly crisscrossing it, creating a scene of prosperity and splendor. The private rooms were exquisitely decorated, complete with mahogany furniture, creating a simple and beautiful aesthetic, understated yet luxurious. The environment was quite pleasant, quiet and comfortable. Liu Xing released his spiritual sense, clearly hearing every unrestricted conversation throughout the restaurant. He nodded. It was indeed a nice place.

"Are you satisfied with this box, senior?" The shopkeeper knew from Liu Xing's expression that he had taken a fancy to it, but he still asked in a flattering manner.

"Very good, this one will do. Bring out a few of your signature dishes and brew a pot of good tea," Liu Xing said, tossing two spirit stones to the owner before sitting down at the table. A meal at a restaurant usually costs only one spirit stone, and most of the food is worthless. However, since cultivators rarely come for a meal in years, they naturally don't care too much about the cost.

"Thank you for the tip, senior. We will serve the dishes right away." The shopkeeper smiled happily and went down to make arrangements.

In a matter of minutes, four dishes and a soup were served. The aroma of the food was so fragrant that it whetted Liu Xing's appetite. He picked up his chopsticks and plucked a piece of fish, some kind of fish, gently placing it in his mouth. It melted in his mouth, incredibly delicious. Still not satisfied, Liu Xing picked up another large piece and ate it with gusto. He then tried other dishes, each equally delicious. The chef's skills were truly exceptional. This was the most delicious meal Liu Xing had ever tasted. Come to think of it, he had never eaten in the immortal realm. The best he had ever tasted was at Jufulou in the mortal capital, and that had been decades. Mortal food, whether in terms of the quality of the ingredients or the skill of the chefs, was undoubtedly inferior to that of the immortals. Liu Xing devoured his meal with relish, feeling quite relaxed. As he savored his food, he listened intently to the conversations of the other diners in the restaurant. The diners here were all cultivators with advanced cultivation, most in the Qi Refining stage, and he could hear anecdotes and interesting stories.

"Brother Qian, the Foundation Establishment Auction that takes place every three years will begin in three months. By then, the entire North City District will be bustling with activity again. It's a pity that we can't enter due to our lack of cultivation." Two diners were whispering to each other at a dining table in the first-floor hall.

"That's right. Building a foundation is as difficult as ascending to heaven. We have been stuck at this bottleneck for more than ten years. Who knows, maybe we can encounter some opportunities this time. We should go to the North City and try our luck."

"Of course we have to go. Since we can't get into the main venue, there must be some small trade fairs for the Qi training period on the outskirts. We should go around and try our luck. Who knows, we might get a lot."

Hearing about the triennial auction, Liu Xing immediately piqued his interest. Just as he was about to listen carefully, the two men suddenly stopped talking and switched to other topics. The shopkeeper arrived to serve tea, so Liu Xing asked him about the auction. It wasn't a secret, so the shopkeeper naturally explained the details of the auction to him in great detail.

This auction is aimed at cultivators in the Foundation Establishment stage. Held every three years, it's hosted by the city's three major chambers of commerce, taking turns. This year, it's the Tongda Chamber of Commerce's turn. The auction will take place in three months, on the basement level of the Tongda Trade City in North City. Anyone with a cultivation level above Foundation Establishment can simply go and be received; no introductions or identification are required. Every year, the auction boasts some excellent treasures, and Liu Xing's goal of purchasing a cultivation-enhancing elixir will depend on this auction. As for the auction list, with the exception of some important sects, where the organizers will proactively invite and intentionally leak some of the auction items, everything else remains confidential. This is to attract more participants, increase competition, and ultimately, secure higher prices.

Liu Xing must attend the auction. He currently has about 10,000 spirit stones on him, which is not enough to buy something good. He needs to plan carefully how to exchange them for what he wants at the auction.