This left Xiao Yan feeling a bit puzzled.
The man in question was a highly respected alchemist—a Tier 3 Alchemist, no less. Even the entire Xiao Clan probably wouldn't warrant his attention.
So why would a recently advanced Dou Zhe like him attract any interest?
It had to be his imagination.
That's what Xiao Yan told himself.
Xun'er, on the other hand, had a slight flush on her face. As she looked at Chen Mo's features, an inexplicable fondness welled up in her heart.
There was just something about him—not only was he handsome, but he also had a certain air that drew her in.
Flustered, Xun'er quickly shook her head, forcing her gaze away from him.
She felt a twinge of guilt, as if she'd somehow betrayed Brother Xiao Yan.
"Xiao Yan, huh?" Chen Mo murmured under his breath, unsure of what it was. Just a vague, inexplicable intuition.
While a Tier 3 Alchemist could easily become the center of attention...
For most people, such figures existed in an entirely different world—too distant to feel real.
So after watching him for a while, the crowd's attention naturally returned to the stunning auctioneer at center stage: Ya Fei.
How could anyone ignore such a beauty, even for a Tier 3 Alchemist?
On the auction platform, Ya Fei moved gracefully, her steps light as lotus petals. Her curvaceous figure, accentuated by the tight-fitting red cheongsam, once again reignited the flames of desire in the hearts of the audience.
With a charming smile on her delicate face, she covered her mouth with a hand and said something playfully to the crowd. In that moment, the atmosphere of the auction hall was brought back to its previous climax.
Chen Mo couldn't help but marvel at how well Ya Fei knew how to use her beauty.
Her methods were not only bold, but also exceptionally effective.
And yet... she gave no one the chance to take advantage of her.
Seeing the room heat up once again, Ya Fei allowed herself a moment of quiet pride. Years of experience in the auction business had taught her just how powerful her beauty was in swaying men's hearts.
With a faint smile on her red lips, she glanced subtly at Chen Mo before speaking cheerfully:
"Everyone, the next item up for auction is something you've all been eagerly waiting for—Foundation Establishment Elixirs. If your clan has younger members below the Dou Zhe level, you absolutely can't miss this. These elixirs will significantly accelerate their cultivation speed."
As she spoke, Ya Fei raised her jade-like hand. The lights on the platform dimmed slightly. She reached into a compartment on the table and retrieved a jade tray filled with small white jade bottles.
The moment the crowd saw the tray, their eyes lit up, and many began rubbing their hands in anticipation, eager to get their hands on those elixirs.
"These Foundation Establishment Elixirs, like the earlier Strength Accumulating Pills and Vitality Restoration Powder, were all crafted by the same individual. And every single one is flawless."
With a gentle laugh, Ya Fei let her gaze fall briefly on Chen Mo, her smile intoxicating. "You all understand what 'flawless' means—complete absorption of medicinal properties. And crafted by a Tier 3 Alchemist, no less. The quality is guaranteed."
At those words—
All eyes once again turned to Chen Mo.
Though the crowd stared, Chen Mo remained calm, nodding slightly with a polite smile.
Seeing him acknowledge it, the audience collectively drew sharper breaths.
[Ding! Favorability +2. You have gained 2 Favorability Coins.]
Seeing how cooperative he was, Ya Fei's smile grew even more radiant. After throwing Chen Mo a bold wink, she continued:
"There are ten bottles of Foundation Establishment Elixir in total. Let's skip the pleasantries—the starting bid for the first bottle is 15,000 gold coins."
With a sweet smile, Ya Fei opened with an astronomical price—doubling the usual rate.
"So ruthless..."
Even members of the Three Great Clans twitched slightly at the number.
But there was no choice. Expensive or not, they had to bid.
While the Foundation Establishment Elixir was only a Tier 2 pill, very few people actually knew the recipe. And to an alchemist, pill recipes were lifeblood—closely guarded secrets.
So even if people had heard of these elixirs, they couldn't buy them on the open market.
"16,000." A voice finally called out after a short pause.
But the bid was immediately drowned out.
"17,000!"
"18,000!"
One shout after another quickly drove the price up to 23,000.
That final bid came from Jia Lie Ao of the Jia Lie Clan.
But he didn't hold the lead for long—Patriarch Ao Ba of the Ao Ba Clan raised it all the way to 43,000.
This was just the first bottle, but elixirs that could accelerate Dou Qi cultivation were extremely rare in the entire Jia Ma Empire.
Securing one meant giving their clan's geniuses a real edge.
In the end, after nearly a full incense stick's worth of bidding, the first bottle went to Ao Ba Pa for a staggering 48,000 gold coins.
Chen Mo clicked his tongue at the outcome. An elixir that only cost 1,000 gold to make had just sold for nearly 50 times that.
No wonder alchemists were so damn rich.
It also made Chen Mo realize just how poor Wutan City was when it came to resource circulation. A Tier 2 pill like this would probably fetch no more than 30,000 at auction in the imperial capital.
And yet here in Wutan City, it had gone for 48,000.
Seeing the price of the first bottle, Ya Fei breathed a small sigh of relief. Her gaze flicked subtly toward Chen Mo as she thought:
This price is mostly thanks to his incredible alchemy. If it weren't flawless, no matter what I said, the crowd isn't full of fools—who'd pay so much?
Shaking her head slightly, Ya Fei looked out at the disappointed faces of those who'd failed to win the bid. She felt no sympathy. As a qualified businesswoman, letting emotions like pity affect pricing would be foolish.
With a smile, Ya Fei raised her hand and announced:
"The remaining Foundation Establishment Elixirs will be sold in batches—three bottles per batch. Starting bid: 100,000. Let's begin with the first group."
As she revealed the three bottles on the jade tray, the crowd's breath caught slightly.
Now, the real bidding war was about to begin.
"110,000!" Ao Ba Pa shouted, determined to win again.
"130,000!" This time, Jia Lie Bi refused to back down and immediately raised the price by 20,000.
Even Xiao Zhan, Patriarch of the Xiao Clan, joined in the competition.
As for Chen Mo, he lost all interest in the bidding at this point.
Let them fight over it. He simply closed his eyes and waited for the auction to end.
The auction continued for another half hour.
As it neared its conclusion, Chen Mo locked eyes briefly with Ya Fei before exiting the auction hall to wait for her backstage.
Before long—
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Ya Fei walked out, swaying her alluring figure with every step, exuding irresistible charm as she smiled sweetly.
Her shapely figure ignited a heat in Chen Mo's chest—after all, he hadn't gotten to enjoy many women yet.
But Chen Mo's will was firm. With a smile, he asked, "The auction's over?"
"Mhm." Ya Fei nodded with a bright smile. She raised her slender hand and revealed a purple jade card. With a flirtatious smile, she said,
"After deducting the 5% commission fee, the total sale of all the pills amounts to 896,500 gold coins. It's all on this card."
Chen Mo didn't take the card. Instead, he pulled a slip of paper from his storage ring and handed it to her.
"Help me prepare the medicinal ingredients listed here."
****
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