"This price..."

"Far too high. But the first pill was never going to be cheap. It was the same at the last Cloudheaven gathering," Gu Wanhao explained.

Next was the second Foundation Establishment Pill. Perhaps frightened by the transaction price of the first Foundation Establishment Pill, there were fewer bidders this time.

When the price reached seventy-five thousand, Gu Wanchang made a move and suddenly raised the price to ninety thousand!

Whoever was in box thirteen clearly meant to have this pill, judging by that sudden increase. Better to let it go. There were still more than ten pills to come; why compete with someone so determined?

Many people thought this way, while others were watching and waiting for someone else to bid. Yun Luoluo naturally wasn't willing to let the second Foundation Establishment Pill be auctioned off like this.

"Private Room Thirteen bids ninety thousand! Are there any Fellow Daoists who want to bid? This is a Foundation Establishment Pill! A Foundation Establishment Pill that can increase the chance of Foundation Establishment by forty percent!"

Perhaps Yun Luoluo's incitement had an effect. The jade board in her hand flashed.

"Fellow Daoist Two Hundred Seventy-Seven bids ninety-two thousand Spirit Stones!"

Gu Wanchang followed closely.

"Private Room Thirteen bids again: one hundred thousand Spirit Stones!"

This time, no one bid anymore.

After Yun Luoluo called the bid three times, Gu Wanchang secured the pill for a hundred thousand low grade Spirit Stones.

Once the Spirit Stones had been paid, Gu Changhuan could not resist examining the box. His Divine Sense revealed an unremarkable pill lying inside, giving off a faint, dark purple glow.

He wondered which clan elder at the ninth layer of Qi Condensation would exchange for it. None of those in the box needed it at present.

However, Gu Changhuan had once looked at the few books in the Gu Clan that introduced Spiritual Bodies. Those with Spiritual Bodies could achieve Foundation Establishment on their own without needing Foundation Establishment Pills.

Since they had already bought the Foundation Establishment Pill, the following matters had nothing to do with them.

However, the group didn't leave either. They stayed in the private room to continue watching the auction.

The third Foundation Establishment Pill was auctioned off for ninety-five thousand five hundred.

The fourth sold for one hundred eight thousand.

One Foundation Establishment Pill after another was auctioned off, with the lowest price being ninety thousand Low Grade Spirit Stones.

The competition for the last few Foundation Establishment Pills was particularly fierce. Each sold for over one hundred ten thousand, and the final Foundation Establishment Pill even fetched a high price of one hundred twenty-seven thousand!

It had to be said, the Cloudheaven Auction House made a killing in this first session.

The four from the Gu Clan watched with excitement, and Gu Changhuan and Gu Shiyou wished they could learn to refine Foundation Establishment Pills immediately!

As they left, Gu Changze was still eager to talk. He caught Gu Changhuan and said, "If I had any talent for alchemy, I would take it up again. Those pills sell for a fortune!"

Gu Changhuan nodded absentmindedly.

"Being able to refine Foundation Establishment Pills would indeed earn a lot of Spirit Stones."

He glanced around and inadvertently saw Su Shaoxun's group coming down from the third floor.

She was the girl who had been selling third-tier artifacts in the square. So she had two Purple Mansion elders behind her. That explained it.

Gu Changhuan shook his head slightly. These were all minor matters. The most important thing was the second auction session.

The first auction session lasted most of the day. By the time Gu Changhuan's group returned to the inn, it was already dark. Soon after dark was curfew, so naturally the second session couldn't be held.

The second session would be held the next day, in the same auction hall.

Foundation Establishment cultivators were normally barred from the second session. To gain admission, they needed proof that they could afford its lots.

Gu Wanhao handed Gu Wanchang the receipts for the three third-tier spirit objects they had consigned. Gu Wanchang could attend alone.

The admission fee for the second auction session was one thousand Spirit Stones. A Foundation Establishment family like the Gu Clan didn't have so many Spirit Stones to waste.

The next day, Gu Wanchang disguised himself as a purple-faced burly man to attend the second auction session.

When it was almost dark, Gu Wanchang returned listlessly.

What Gu Wanhao had most worried about still happened. No suitable Third-Tier High Grade Earth Attribute spiritual item appeared at the second auction session.

Gu Wanchang let out a long sigh. Gu Wanhao and Gu Changhuan looked at each other. They had done their best, but if there was no suitable Third-Tier High Grade Earth Attribute spiritual item, there was nothing they could do.

Gu Changhuan had been waiting for news at Gu Wanhao's place. Now that he knew, he couldn't help feeling disappointed.

Suddenly, Gu Changhuan had a flash of inspiration. He said, "Isn't there still a third session?"

"Surely the Zhang ancestor came for the auction too?"

Before Gu Changhuan could continue, Gu Wanhao and Gu Wanchang naturally understood what he implied.

The Zhang Clan ancestor naturally wouldn't miss this Cloudheaven Auction Assembly. Before the auction started, Gu Wanchang and Gu Wanhao had already paid their respects to this Zhang Clan ancestor.

"That could work. Tomorrow we will visit the Zhang ancestor and ask him to take me into the third session. With Purple Mansion and Golden Core cultivators attending, we have a much better chance of finding a suitable third-tier high grade earth-attribute spirit object. Then Twenty-First Uncle may yet reach Purple Mansion!"

Gu Wanchang said excitedly. The probability of a suitable Third-Tier High Grade Earth Attribute spiritual item appearing in the third session was indeed greater!

The Zhang ancestor, Zhang Wendao, was a great-great-grandson in the direct line of the clan's founding ancestor. Gifted with a variant wind spirit root, he had progressed smoothly from Foundation Establishment to Purple Mansion and now stood at its third layer.

The reason he came to participate in the Cloudheaven Assembly was to buy pills that could advance his cultivation further.

Zhang Wendao was the man who kept the Nine Perches Mountains secure. The Gu, Yu, and Fang clan juniors visiting Cloudheaven Market had all paid their respects to him. They had asked for nothing; these had simply been courtesy calls.

When Gu Wanhao and Gu Wanchang visited again this day, the Zhang Clan ancestor didn't seem surprised either. Having lived long enough to become shrewd, he could probably guess the purpose of the two Gu Clan members' visit today.

Few people knew about Gu Xuanzhan's Spirit Root problem in the Gu Clan, but the fact that the Gu Clan had long been seeking Third-Tier High Grade Earth Attribute spiritual items was known to everyone in the Nine Perches Mountains.

Although he didn't know the reason behind it, as a fellow member of the Nine Perches Mountains, helping the Gu Clan wasn't difficult.

"Our respects, Senior Zhang."

"What brings you two young Gu Clan friends here this time?"

"We have come to ask a favor, Senior Zhang."

"We hope to attend the third session of the auction. Would you be willing to help us?" Gu Wanchang asked earnestly. This might be Gu Xuanzhan's last chance.

"This isn't difficult. However..."

Hearing Zhang Wendao's words, the two first breathed a sigh of relief, then their hearts tightened again.

"If there is any difficulty, Senior Zhang, please tell us." Gu Wanchang felt himself sweating.

Seeing the nervous expressions on their faces, Zhang Wendao couldn't help but laugh. "No need to be so tense. What I mean is, the two of you can choose one to accompany me."

"Thank you, Senior Zhang! Our clan will never forget your kindness. Please accept this small token of our gratitude." Gu Wanhao produced a Storage Bag.

The smile on Zhang Wendao's face deepened. He declined briefly, then accepted the Storage Bag.

He checked its contents with his Divine Sense. Well now—ten thousand Spirit Stones!

"Go back for now. The third session is at the same venue and starts at the same time of day as the first two. Wait for me there before it begins."

Zhang Wendao could get them in. Trading for the third-tier spirit object would be their own affair.

And so, Gu Wanchang followed the Zhang Clan ancestor into the third trading session.

The third session was held in the basement level of the Cloudheaven Auction House. The setup here was like a teahouse, with a small podium in the center and small round tables all around.

As soon as he entered the venue, Gu Wanchang sensed several powerful auras. He had never seen so many Purple Mansion Realm masters gathered together before, so he inevitably felt somewhat nervous, but his expression remained unchanged.

At this time, over ten cultivators were already seated in the venue. Clearly, those sitting here were at least Purple Mansion Realm masters. Occasionally, behind a Purple Mansion expert stood one or two Foundation Establishment cultivators, generally disciples or close relatives.

Gu Wanchang followed behind the Zhang Clan ancestor and stood quietly to the side.

"Fellow Daoist Zhang, long time no see!"