Immortality Starts With Investment

Chapter 387: The Perfect Gift!

The auction in White Emperor City was a grand affair. It featured numerous treasures rare in the Great Yan Continent, found only in the Central Continent. The item list had been released long ago, drawing countless cultivators eager to acquire their desired lots. With such a massive event, the final bidding prices were bound to be steep.

As a result, many cultivators were already selling off their own treasures to amass spirit stones. While items could be used to offset bids at the auction, the organizers took a thirty percent commission. A treasure worth ten thousand would only cover seven thousand. Naturally, it was smarter to sell items beforehand and convert them into spirit stones.

White Emperor City was now teeming with prodigies and seasoned powerhouses. There were plenty of female cultivators, but none caught the eye of Ye Chen, who was roaming incognito.

After all, the truly top-tier prodigies were mostly absorbed into the holy lands. The female cultivators outside, even those from major sects, occasionally hit five hundred or eight hundred times multipliers at best. Not a single one reached a thousand.

Ye Chen couldn't muster any interest and didn't bother paying attention. However, the bustling market stalls held some intrigue for him. For instance, he spotted a strand of mutated heavenly silkworm silk with a gradient of colors.

The thread shifted through a dozen hues from end to end. Its defensive properties were weaker, but it was finer and far more comfortable against the skin. It was perfect for crafting a new set of gear for Senior An.

She'd been at the Nascent Soul stage for a while, and the treasure-grade equipment he'd previously made for her was due for an upgrade to a spirit treasure.

Later, Ye Chen came across a top-tier magical treasure—a pair of ankle bells. When shaken, they didn't produce a typical chime but an enchanting phoenix cry. He immediately bought them for the little demoness. The next time they met, he'd personally put them on her. There were other curiosities as well.

The independent cultivators of the cultivation world had a knack for creative artifact crafting. Ye Chen also found items that could benefit him directly. For example, a journal of insights on gu cultivation from a great gu master. Gifting it to Fang Yuan, a female disciple from his peak, might help him master gu techniques. He also picked up some rare spiritual fruits and plants. They could potentially aid his cultivation of the Indestructible Scripture.

In short, Ye Chen was like a man on a shopping spree. Anything that seemed useful, he snapped up without hesitation. He didn't haggle. Not because he wanted to be a sucker, but because spirit stones came to him too easily—faster than the wind. There was no need to waste time bargaining.

His high-profile spending naturally drew covert attention. But with the auction imminent, White Emperor City was under strict watch. No one dared cause trouble. Instead, some quietly memorized Ye Chen's aura, scheming to target him after the auction ended.

Ye Chen paid no mind to the covert glances around him. He walked calmly, scanning for anything that caught his interest. White Emperor City was truly vast. Even the streets designated for market stalls stretched tens of thousands of meters. Its reputation as Great Yan Continent's premier immortal city was well-earned.

Yet, along the way, he hadn't found anything suitable as a gift for the Heavenly Desire Sect's divine maiden. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. Ahead, a lively crowd had gathered around a stall.

"This Diamond Ring is definitely a replica. But I had an expert examine it—it contains a trace of Great Luo Silver Essence, a material capable of forging immortal weapons. Though it's just a trace, it gives this bangle limitless potential. It could become a Dao Artifact in the future, maybe even an Extreme Dao Weapon!"

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At the stall, a man tightly gripped a silver bangle. The bangle was naturally seamless, gleaming silver-white with faint divine patterns etched across it, ancient and unpretentious. It radiated a peculiar aura.

Ye Chen's eyes sparkled. A Diamond Ring? It bore a striking resemblance to the weapon from Journey to the West he'd read about in his past life. A glint flashed in his eyes as he discerned its extraordinary nature. The bangle indeed contained a trace of an incredibly potent material. Its power far surpassed that of ordinary top-grade spirit treasures, nearing the level of a Dao artifact usable only by Unity-stage cultivators.

Intriguing. If he gifted this, could it trigger a critical hit and yield the Journey to the West version of the Diamond Ring? Probably not—this wasn't Earth. It'd likely be this world's version instead.

"Great Luo Silver Essence is indeed a rare immortal material. If you could extract and fuse it into your natal spirit treasure, its power would soar."

"This Diamond Ring looks impressive as is. Refining it into a natal spirit treasure wouldn't be a bad choice either."

"How many spirit stones for it?"

The onlookers, clearly knowledgeable, spoke with keen interest.

The man holding the bangle, his appearance and identity concealed, didn't hesitate. "Fifty thousand top-grade spirit stones!"

The price sent a shockwave through the crowd.

Fifty thousand top-grade spirit stones? A Golden Core cultivator might earn ten thousand high-grade spirit stones in a year. Even most late Nascent Soul cultivators only made three to five hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones annually.

Converted to top-grade spirit stones, it'd take two or three years to earn ten thousand. Fifty thousand top-grade spirit stones was over a decade's income without eating or drinking. For a single top-grade spirit treasure? That was outrageously expensive.

The crowd erupted in murmurs. The man at the stall remained unfazed. "Fifty thousand top-grade spirit stones is the starting price… This is Great Luo Silver Essence, a rare treasure even immortal weapons could use. I took it to shops, but lately, too many people are trading for spirit stones, and they lowballed me hard. That's why I'm auctioning it here. This Diamond Ring starts at fifty thousand top-grade spirit stones—highest bidder wins."

The stall owner was resolute, unwilling to sell for less.

"Too expensive! Drop it by ten thousand, and we'll talk."

"Exactly. It's just a trace of Great Luo Silver Essence—barely enough to boost its power a bit, nothing special."

"You'll never sell it at this rate. How about this? I'll offer eight thousand top-grade spirit stones. Sell it to me!"

The crowd haggled, pointing out flaws and pressuring the stall owner. But he stood firm, his resolve unshaken.

Ye Chen, intrigued, spoke up directly. "I'll take it for fifty thousand!"

The Diamond Ring was a weapon. Gifting a weapon under the moonlight felt a bit off for a first meeting. But he could always gift it to someone else later. Who knows? It might trigger something interesting.

As soon as Ye Chen spoke, the crowd fell silent, all eyes turning to him. The stall owner's face lit up with delight. But he didn't agree immediately, instead shouting to the crowd, "This Fellow Daoist has bid fifty thousand top-grade spirit stones! If no one else bids, this Great Luo Silver Essence belongs to him!"

Ye Chen gave a faint smile, unbothered by the stall owner's tactics. The crowd murmured, assuming no one would outbid him. After all, the amount of Great Luo Silver Essence in the bangle was pitifully small, its utility limited.

But at that moment, a voice boomed from a distance, carrying a terrifying aura that resounded like thunder. "This item's interesting. It looks quite elegant. Buying it as a bracelet for you would be perfect! I, Zhang Pengfei, want this!"

The name sent a jolt through the crowd. They quickly parted, not daring to block the path.

Zhang Pengfei? Known among the younger generation as the Little Roc King. Not long ago, he fought Yao Gu, who had broken through to Deity Transformation, and they ended in a draw. His strength was unfathomably formidable.

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow at the name. He didn't know the guy at all. But Zhang Pengfei's comment about gifting the bangle as a bracelet sparked an idea. Under the moonlight, gifting a weapon to Fan Qinghe might indeed be awkward.

But a bracelet infused with Great Luo Silver Essence, both powerful and exquisite? That was perfect—elegant and far from tacky! It instantly raised the gift's class! This Zhang Pengfei guy had some clever ideas!