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

"Please take a seat, fellow Daoist Dongfang. My humble abode is simple, so please don't mind." Master Li Dan led Liu Xing to his cave, asked him to sit down, and served him spiritual tea.

"Fellow Daoist Li has superb alchemy skills and great strength, but he remains pure-hearted and devoted to the Tao. He is truly a role model for our generation." Liu Xing praised the other party and closed the distance.

"Haha, you're so flattering! You're so flattering! Fellow Daoist Dongfang, at such a young age, has actually managed to refine such a precious elixir as the Dingyan Pill. You're truly formidable." Master Li, delighted by Liu Xing's praise, humbled himself and praised Liu Xing as well. Then, the two exchanged pleasantries, laughing heartily and becoming close friends.

Liu Xing sought advice from Master Li on his alchemy skills. Liu Xing possessed a wealth of theoretical knowledge, while Master Li, with nearly a century of experience in alchemy, possessed extensive practical experience. Each possessed their own strengths, and the discussion yielded significant insights. During their lively discussion, Master Li even pulled out his furnace for a live demonstration. Liu Xing witnessed this firsthand, and his alchemy skills improved significantly. To express his gratitude, he shared his own alchemy notes with Master Li, helping him address any gaps in his theoretical knowledge.

Liu Xing also took the opportunity to ask Master Li for a recipe for a elixir to improve his mana during the Foundation Establishment stage. Master Li actually had two, and Liu Xing traded them for two 500-year-old spiritual herbs. However, the spiritual herbs in the recipe were difficult to find, and Master Li hadn't yet gathered enough spiritual herbs to make the elixir, so having them was a bit useless. So, giving them to Liu Xing was fine. They each got what they needed, so neither of them was at a disadvantage.

Liu Xing had just arrived and knew nothing about the Tongda Chamber of Commerce or the auction, so he asked indirectly and learned a lot of information. Master Li Dan was also very talkative. After all, it was not confidential information, so he told him everything he knew and answered them patiently. Liu Xing learned a lot and was no longer as confused as before.

They drank pot after pot of tea and chatted for a whole day and night before returning home satisfied.

Ten days passed quickly, and the much-anticipated auction finally arrived. Liu Xing, naturally, arrived at the auction entrance under his previous alias, Master Dongfang. The guard checked his guest token and respectfully ushered him up to the second-floor private room. The second-floor private rooms were reserved for prominent figures like Jindan-stage masters and the heads of major sects. The other cultivators sat in the main hall on the first floor. Liu Xing, thanks to his guest alchemy status, was also able to sit in the second-floor private room, once again realizing the importance the Chamber of Commerce placed on alchemists.

Liu Xing arrived earlier, but he didn't expect that someone arrived earlier than him. He looked through the window into the hall and saw that nearly half of the seats were already occupied. Most people wore cloaks, masks and other disguises. Some had bare faces and looked fearless. There were both male and female cultivators, about half and half. Gradually, more and more people came, and there were almost more than two hundred people in the hall. They were all cultivators in the Foundation Establishment stage, and there were even some in the late Foundation Establishment stage. The Foundation Establishment cultivators were the backbone of the world of immortal cultivation. It was a rare event to have so many people gathered together. No wonder the Qi Refining cultivators were not allowed to come in. They probably couldn't stand the powerful spiritual pressure and would collapse.

Suddenly, a familiar figure came into view. It was a woman in a green dress sitting in the corner. It was none other than Nie Xiaoqian. Although she was wearing a mask, hiding her true form, her graceful figure still left a lasting impression on Liu Xing. Immortal cultivators have strong memories and keen perceptions. They had spent considerable time together in the Sutra Library, so Liu Xing could naturally sense her presence.

"This little girl is here too. I wonder if she has read the books I recommended." Liu Xing thought to himself with a relaxed expression. He found it funny when he thought of Xiaoqian's bitter face when she finished reading the book list.

Suddenly, a dark-faced man appeared in the hall with two disciples. They were at the Jindan stage, and their powerful spiritual pressure instantly silenced the previously noisy hall. Liu Xing also looked over curiously, not daring to use his spiritual sense to investigate. He simply glanced in that direction, intentionally or unintentionally, to minimize the other party's perception. The three of them had several storage bags bulging around their waists, which seemed to contain some living things. Could they be pet bags? As the three of them entered, someone they knew whispered the words "Yuling Sect." Liu Xing knew that the Yuling Sect excelled in raising and training spiritual beasts. Every disciple had a spiritual pet, and in battle, they fought together to resist the enemy, greatly increasing their strength. Ordinary cultivators of the same level were no match for them. It was said that the Yuling Sect's guardian spiritual beast was an eighth-level mountain turtle. Its protection had ensured that the Yuling Sect had never been attacked in thousands of years.

"Senior Yulin, why are you here in person?" As the organizer, Manager Chang was here early to arrange and receive the important guests.

"Why, can't I come here?" The black-faced Jindan master said lightly.

"How dare I! Senior, your presence here brings honor to our Tongda Chamber of Commerce! Please come upstairs quickly. The private room has been reserved long ago." Shopkeeper Chang respectfully guided the three people upstairs.

Following this, several more sect representatives and Jindan-level cultivators arrived, filling up almost all the private rooms upstairs. The Tongda Chamber of Commerce had organized numerous auctions and was clearly very experienced. Their arrangements were impeccable, ensuring that all attendees felt well-served.

"It's almost time, why haven't we started yet?" A sarcastic voice came from the box.

"That's right, how long do we have to wait?" Echoing voices came from several other places.

Chang Qing and several managers of Tongda Chamber of Commerce discussed and decided that almost everyone had arrived. Although the time had not yet arrived, they could not dampen everyone's enthusiasm, so they decided to start half a quarter of an hour earlier.

"I'm really sorry to have kept you waiting for so long. Most people have arrived now, and our auction will begin immediately." Manager Chang presided over the auction personally.

"First of all, welcome all the seniors and fellow practitioners to this auction. I would like to introduce our two guest elders, Senior Zhao and Senior Sun." Shopkeeper Chang began to flex his muscles. Senior Zhao was at the early Jindan stage, while Senior Sun was at the middle Jindan stage. Their auras were instantly retracted, instilling pressure on all the Foundation Establishment cultivators present. The presence of these two masters was enough to intimidate any scoundrel. Seeing the audience fall into a state of dread, Shopkeeper Chang was very satisfied.

"I'm Chang Qing, the manager of the Tongda Chamber of Commerce's Haibin City branch. I'm sure many of you here know me. I'll be hosting this auction. The rules are fair bidding, and the organizer will charge a ten percent service fee. Now, I declare: the auction officially begins!" Chang Qing quickly introduced himself, reiterated the rules, and immediately announced the start of the auction. The atmosphere instantly heated up, and everyone looked towards the host's desk expectantly.