Immortality and Cultivation: This old man seeks enlightenment through mere survival.

Inside the private room, Lu Zaian frowned deeply.

How come so many things have happened in the Northern Airspace after I went into seclusion for five years?

First came the news a year ago that Zixiao Temple was being repeatedly defeated by the Demon Spear Sect.

In the end, they could only close the mountain gates and defend their stronghold, and they were completely absent from this auction.

For a time, the Demon Spear Cult was at the height of its power.

The name of Yan Kuangge, the young master of the Demon Spear Cult, resounded throughout the northern airspace...

Now, it's rumored that the Fire Refining Sect has committed another crime after a twelve-year hiatus.

They destroyed the Flying Cloud Sect, which was also a Foundation Establishment faction, and completely controlled the Black Soil Mountains.

It's true what they say, the kings change hands all the time, one after another.

If Foundation Establishment forces were really that easy to wipe out, there would be more than ten such forces in the Northern Sky Domain.

They had long been fighting each other, and very few remained...

Those established Foundation Establishment forces all had ancestors who produced Core Formation experts.

It was only later that it weakened and became a Foundation Establishment force.

However, their clan-protecting formations are genuine third-tier formations, which can be considered their foundation.

In this way, these forces have survived thousands of years of vicissitudes.

It can withstand attacks even from Core Formation experts...

But it was precisely that remnant of the Burning Blood Sect from the Maple Blossom Domain that, like a rat dropping, ruined the whole pot of soup.

Their inherited "Bloodthirsty Demon Flower Array" relies on a blood sacrifice to break the array itself...

Lu Zaian guessed that most of the blood sacrifices they used to break the formation of the Flying Cloud Sect came from people in the Spirit Medicine Valley.

This is really snowballing...

Lu Zaian pinched his chin with one hand and tapped the armrest with the other, his eyes lowered as he rapidly analyzed and processed various pieces of information in his mind.

At this moment, a loud and cheerful voice in the arena brought Lu Zaian back to his senses.

"Fellow Daoists, thank you for attending the Haitian Chamber of Commerce. I hereby declare the auction officially open!"

Looking up, Lu Zaian saw a handsome man with a face as white as jade speaking.

His aura was restrained and unfathomable, yet it gave Lu Zaian a sense of familiarity.

It felt like I'd seen it somewhere before.

After a moment of recollection, Lu Zaian finally remembered!

Luo Quan – Vice President of the Haitian Chamber of Commerce branch in the Black Soil Mountains.

When Lu Zaian was forced to descend into the secret realm, he had seen Luo Quan once at the entrance...

Why is he, a branch vice president, here at the Huangze City branch to preside over an auction?

Or is it an internal business adjustment within the Haitian Chamber of Commerce?

Or perhaps it's because of the Black Soil Mountains incident that's been circulating widely recently.

Should Luo Quan, one of the parties involved, be brought back to report on his work?

It's no wonder Lu Zaian thought so much; he was just naturally cautious and suspicious, and loved to make all sorts of wild guesses and deductions...

In no time at all, the first item had already been sold.

The quality of the items at this auction is very high.

The game begins with a second-tier rare item that immediately catches the eye.

So even though Luo Quan, a grown man, was in charge, the cultivators in the venue were still incredibly enthusiastic.

.........

During this time, Lu Zaian also made a move and bought a second-tier water-type spiritual herb.

It was to prepare a treat for Xiao Yi.

Now, a full ten years have passed since Xiao Yi broke through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

However, the energy required to break through to the later stages is immense.

Therefore, even though Xiao Yi has talent comparable to a celestial spiritual root, she still needs a long time to accumulate it...

"Next is... a second-tier Foundation Establishment spiritual item—Jade Spring Dew!"

Hehe, many fellow cultivators probably haven't heard of this kind of spiritual object yet.

This is a specialty product from Yaoquan Domain, one of the five domains of the Eastern Divine Continent!

This dew has a gentle energy and excellent moisturizing properties. Its effects are no less than those of the Heavenly Mystic Water Liquid, and may even surpass them.

There are seven drops in total, with a starting bid of 3,100 spirit stones per drop!

As expected, a commotion erupted in the room as soon as Luo Quan finished speaking.

This Haitian Auction is incredibly generous, releasing seven Foundation Establishment spiritual items at once!

There might be even more precious Foundation Establishment Pills coming up later...

Lu Zaian also sat up slightly and looked at the crystal-clear Yaoquan Dew in the arena.

He had heard of Yaoquan Domain, which was located on the other side of Fenghua Domain.

It is said that this area has a special terrain, which often gives rise to some open-air hot springs and pools.

After a cultivator soaks in this kind of hot spring, their cultivation level can be improved, and their internal injuries can be repaired...

The Yaoquan region got its name from this.

"It's an interesting place. I can go and check it out sometime when I have time..."

Lu Zaian watched the competition below with great interest.

The Dew of the Jade Spring was no longer of any use to him.

He had no disciples, followers, or relatives and friends.

As for Xu Yan'er and Xueyi, who could barely be rewarded, they are still a long way from reaching the Qi Refining Perfection stage...

"Three thousand six hundred spirit stones!"

"Three thousand seven hundred!"

Three thousand eight!

The sounds of bidding echoed from the seats of the Qi Refining cultivators below.

Lu Zaian casually scanned the area with his divine sense and discovered something unusual.

Many Qi Refining cultivators' disguise techniques, which are often unnecessary, are completely exposed by Lu Zaian's divine sense.

However, Lu Zaian was not interested in them either.

On the contrary, it was another fierce-looking, bearded man who caught Lu Zaian's attention.

"My divine sense found no flaws, but there was a familiar feeling about it..."

Lu Zaian did not cultivate any special abilities such as the Heavenly Eye or Pupil Technique.

However, the Longevity Body makes him exceptionally sensitive to the life magnetic fields of other cultivators.

He was certain that he knew this burly, bearded man and had even had contact with him before.

"...It's Lin Feng?! Another acquaintance."

Lu Zaian quickly compared the life magnetic fields of the two people in his mind, filtering through them one by one.

The findings were almost identical.

However, he did not see Jiang Qiuyue and Han Yu beside him.

"Goodness, it seems he has gained quite a bit from the marshes over the past five years."

This disguise technique must have been his stroke of luck. After his meridians were repaired, has he begun attempting to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage?

Lu Zaian pinched his chin with one hand, stroking his white stubble, and guessed what was going on in his mind.

When Lin Feng and his two companions first arrived at the Spring and Autumn Pavilion, their disguises were crude and inadequate, only enough to fool cultivators of the same level.

Lin Feng's disguise technique was clearly enough to deceive the spiritual senses of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

If it weren't for Lu Zai'an's ability to recognize people through their life magnetic field...

Otherwise, they would have been tricked by Lin Feng.

The bidding continued in the room.

The first few drops of Yaoquan Dew were all obtained by Foundation Establishment cultivators.

There are only three drops left now.

"Three thousand nine!"

Cold sweat trickled down the forehead of the burly man with a thick beard, who was actually Lin Feng.

The first four drops were all handled by Foundation Establishment cultivators, so he dared not participate rashly.

The last three drops were being contested by Qi Refining cultivators, and he had to secure them as soon as possible.

Otherwise, the competition for the last two drops will be even fiercer.

"four thousand!"

Another Qi Refining cultivator was equally unwilling to be outdone.

"Four thousand one!"

Lin Feng's eyes were bloodshot as he gritted his teeth and said that this was already close to his limit.

"Four thousand two!!"

The other person relentlessly pursued them.

Lin Feng sighed dejectedly, his eyes darting around as his mind raced.

He misunderstood; his cleverness backfired.

He wasn't the only one; other Qi Refining cultivators thought the same way.

Everyone wanted to make a strong push during the fifth drop auction to avoid fierce competition.

This, in turn, makes the competition for the fifth drop equally fierce.

'I still have a chance. The sixth drop, I must get it!'