"Chu He, I call you Old Chu out of respect. Do you truly believe that your Chu family, by hitching yourself to a high-level martial artist, can stand on equal footing with our Yang family? Stop dreaming. Since that's the case, let's settle this with wealth." Yang Xuan Cheng snorted coldly, boundless rage burning within him.
After hanging up the communicator, Yang Xuan Cheng sneered, "Chu He, I swear, I will make your Chu family and that brat Ye Bu Fan pay the price!"
On the other side, Wu Cheng and Tian Wen Xing were somewhat shocked by the bids from the Chu and Yang families.
Tian Wen Xing had initially predicted that the final transaction price for the Po Gou Pill would be between 800 million and 1 billion. To his surprise, it had already surpassed one billion in such a short time.
In this era, very few people practiced alchemy. Most pills produced were circulated among martial artists. The Po Gou Pill occupied a rather awkward position. For those who had already become martial artists, there was no demand for it. The major families in the capital had their own martial artists in training, so for the ordinary wealthy families outside, the Po Gou Pill was indeed a highly lucrative item.
"It seems these two families have other uses for the Po Gou Pill," Wu Cheng mused.
Tian Wen Xing looked at Wu Cheng, then suddenly thought of something. He leaned in and whispered something into Wu Cheng's ear. After listening, Wu Cheng suddenly understood.
"It seems the sky over Jin He is about to change," Wu Cheng and Tian Wen Xing exchanged a knowing smile and continued to observe the auction.
"The head of the Chu family has bid eleven hundred million. Are there any families willing to offer a higher price?" Tong Su's voice rang out.
Although the Po Gou Pill was miraculous, every prominent family had their own limit. If the price exceeded their expected value, there was no point in competing further, as they could achieve balance through other means. However, for both the Chu and Yang families, it was a dire necessity.
"Eleven hundred million once, eleven hundred million twice..."
"Twelve hundred million!" The Yang family gritted their teeth and bid twelve hundred million. Wu Cheng and Tian Wen Xing's eyes gleamed.
"Thirteen hundred million." Chu He immediately countered, causing those in the Yang family's private room to erupt. They hadn't expected the Chu family to bid again.
"Chu He, your Chu family is declaring war on our Yang family!"
In the Chu family's private room, as Chu He submitted his bid, he received another call. This call was somewhat unexpected, as it was from his old comrade-in-arms, Yang Wei Guo.
After hanging up the communicator, Yang Xuan Cheng had immediately called his father, Yang Wei Guo, hoping that Yang Wei Guo could use his connections to negotiate with Chu He.
"Wei Guo. We were comrades-in-arms who fought on the battlefield together. Back then, when your Yang family attacked my Chu family, I sought you out, but you wouldn't even see me. Now, for your grandson, you're willing to come to your old comrade?" Chu He said with a mocking smile.
There was a few seconds of silence from the other end of the line, followed by a "You just wait" before the call was disconnected. The negotiation had failed once again.
"Fifteen hundred million."
The Yang family deliberated for a long time before finally bidding fifteen hundred million, which was their final offer. Yang Xuan Cheng was gambling. He bet that Chu He would not offer a price higher than fifteen hundred million, as, in the eyes of everyone present, fifteen hundred million was already a limit.
"The Yang family bids fifteen hundred million!" Tong Su's voice was filled with shock.
"Are there any other families willing to bid?" Tong Su confirmed again. With the bid of fifteen hundred million, all the other families in the hall let out a collective gasp.
"Fifteen hundred million... once!"
"Fifteen hundred million... twice!"
"Fifteen hundred million..."
"Sixteen hundred million." Chu He submitted his bid via his iPad.
All the families participating in the auction felt it was madness. Even Chu He, who had finally pressed the numbers, felt he was acting madly.
"Sixteen hundred million!"
"Are there any families willing to bid higher?" Tong Su asked.
"Sixteen hundred million... once!"
"Sixteen hundred million... twice!"
"Sixteen hundred million... three times!"
"Sold. Congratulations to the Chu family for acquiring the Po Gou Pill at this auction." Tong Su congratulated.
"Bang!" In the Yang family's private room, Yang Xuan Cheng, enraged, overturned the table and clenched his fists tightly.
"Go, issue a bounty. I want Ye Bu Fan dead, and Chu He dead." Yang Xuan Cheng said to Yang Xiu Wen and Zhou Zhi Xiong behind him. "Since fifteen hundred million couldn't buy this Po Gou Pill, I'll use that fifteen hundred million to take your dog lives. Go do it now. Kill Ye Bu Fan and the Chu family, and you'll get fifteen hundred million."
"Yes, Father," Yang Xiu Wen replied.
Yang Xuan Cheng lost interest in the rest of the auction and left Jin Fang with Yang Xiu Wen and Zhou Zhi Xiong.
Seeing that the Chu family had acquired the Po Gou Pill, Ye Bu Fan's heart finally relaxed. With the box to hold the Po Gou Pill, he could create a spirit gathering formation. Combined with spirit gathering pills, breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage was within reach.
After the auction concluded and payments were processed, Tian Wen Xing and Tong Su personally delivered the Po Gou Pill to the Chu family's private room.
After exchanging pleasantries with Tian Wen Xing and Tong Su, Ye Bu Fan and Lin Dao Yuan arrived at the Chu family's private room one after another.
Chu He opened the box, handed the Po Gou Pill inside to Lin Dao Yuan, and then passed the box to Ye Bu Fan.
"Brother Dao Yuan, this cooperation has been very pleasant. Hahahaha!" Chu He and Lin Dao Yuan exchanged knowing smiles.
"Old comrade, it seems you've struck gold this time." Although Lin Dao Yuan didn't know what Ye Bu Fan wanted the box for, he guessed that with Ye Bu Fan's young age and talent, there must be a mysterious reclusive sect behind him, and his actions must have their reasons. He therefore alluded to it without asking further questions.
Ye Bu Fan took the wooden box. Seeing that Chu He and Lin Dao Yuan were still catching up, he didn't want to disturb them. After thanking Chu He and Lin Dao Yuan, he left Jin Fang with his items.
...
Late at night, with a muffled sound, a faint fragrance wafted from the villa. Ye Bu Fan opened the furnace, revealing eighteen crystal-clear yellow pills lying within.
After returning to the villa, Ye Bu Fan had asked Zhu Zi Zhen to help him procure some alchemy equipment. He himself had disassembled the box that held the Po Gou Pill into eight pieces of wood, carved formation runes onto them with his true qi, and then placed them at eight locations in the villa, quickly setting up a spirit gathering formation.
Subsequently, Zhu Zi Zhen delivered the necessary materials, and Ye Bu Fan immediately entered a state of alchemy.
"Sigh! I'm still not at the Foundation Establishment stage. Otherwise, with my condensed spiritual sense, these two sets of materials could have at least doubled to produce thirty-six spirit gathering pills," Ye Bu Fan sighed helplessly. He suddenly remembered when his master, Lin Xiao Yao, was around. Back then, he never had to worry about pills and materials; Lin Xiao Yao could resolve them instantly.
With a wave of his hand, Ye Bu Fan stored the spirit gathering pills into porcelain bottles, keeping only one to consume.
"I hope these pills can help me break through to the Foundation Establishment stage."
His true qi circulated within his body, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth began to surge towards Ye Bu Fan. Ye Bu Fan activated the "Nine Revolutions Heaven-Piercing Art" with all his might and entered into cultivation...