Eternal Life: I Can Control My Essence Qi-Chapter 190 - 161: Fateful Convergence (Part 2)

The greatest hope of Fu Yaozi was to spend as few Spirit Stones as possible to win the bid for a Foundation Establishment Pill. That way, the remaining Spirit Stones would be his, and combined with his modest savings, he might be able to buy a Spiritual Artifact for self-protection.

"This is the first of five Foundation Establishment Pills!"

At the center of the auction hall, Duan Bingxu had already unveiled the first Foundation Establishment Pill and said loudly:

"The starting price is twenty thousand Spirit Stones, with each increment starting at five hundred Spirit Stones!"

As soon as his voice fell:

"Thirty thousand Spirit Stones!"

"Thirty-two thousand!"

"I'll offer thirty-five thousand!"

"Is everyone trying to fish for a bargain? I'll offer forty-five thousand!"

"Fifty thousand! I offer fifty thousand Spirit Stones..."

In just two to three moments, the price of the first Foundation Establishment Pill surged to a terrifying sixty thousand Spirit Stones.

At sixty thousand Spirit Stones, the competition finally eased a little, with bids increasing by one or two thousand.

The Qi Refining Cultivators on the first floor had long stopped daring to bid, watching the Foundation Establishment masters in the second-floor boxes compete with each other, exclaiming constantly.

"Sixty thousand Spirit Stones..."

Fu Yaozi's smile froze, his entire body as if drenched in cold water.

He had not even had time to make a move before the price soared to an unaffordable level for him.

He took a deep breath, calming his emotions slightly, and comforted himself:

"It's okay, it's okay, the first Foundation Establishment Pill usually has the fiercest competition, so it's normal for the price to be a bit higher."

Soon, the first Foundation Establishment Pill was bought for a transaction price of seventy-two thousand by a mysterious independent Foundation Establishment cultivator under the gaze of many.

"Seventy-two thousand! My goodness!"

"Tsk tsk, that's enough for a high-grade Spiritual Artifact, it's really too extravagant!"

"Indeed, the transaction price of Foundation Establishment Pills this time broke the record, I remember the most expensive before was only about sixty-eight thousand..."

The numerous Foundation Establishment cultivators discussed fervently, while the tens of thousands of Qi Refining cultivators clamored even more, the atmosphere reaching its peak.

In such an atmosphere, Duan Bingxu caught the opportunity and immediately started the auction of the second Foundation Establishment Pill.

Meanwhile, amidst the frenzy on the first floor, a figure in the corner quietly stood up, holding a token from the Celestial Treasure Tower, and quickly left the auction hall.

Since the entire hall was caught up in the fever of auctioning Foundation Establishment Pills, no one paid attention to her actions.

In fact, she was not the only one choosing to leave at this moment; at least dozens of others, mainly Qi Refining Cultivators who had just bid on treasures, quickly left through various passages.

"Phew..."

Once she left the hall, she let out a long sigh, her expression easing considerably.

"Luckily picked a good time, no one noticed me."

She dared not delay, quickly following directions to the backstage area of the Grand Auction and handed over her token.

"Dear friend, please wait a moment."

The steward of the Celestial Treasure Tower said politely, taking the token back for verification, confirming everything before returning with a porcelain bottle in hand.

"This is the Soul Shaping Liquid you bid on, please check."

"Alright."

Li Shuixian suppressed her excitement, took the Soul Shaping Liquid and carefully checked it, revealing a slight smile after confirming it was correct:

"Thank you very much!"

Soul Shaping Liquid is one of the widely circulated Foundation Establishment Spiritual Objects, made externally cultivated.

Although its effect is far inferior to a Foundation Establishment Pill, it can still increase the probability of establishing a foundation by fifteen percent and ensure the smooth opening of the Sea of Consciousness and the birth of Divine Sense, making it a popular Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object.

She had practically exhausted half of her fortune, even investing the gains from stealing ore years ago, to successfully bid on a bottle of Soul Shaping Liquid at the auction.

"Farewell."

Li Shuixian put away the Soul Shaping Liquid, ready to turn around and leave immediately.

She had achieved her goal, and now she should find a safe place to prepare for the Foundation Establishment Stage.

"...Excuse me, please wait!"

She had not taken a few steps when two tall cultivators blocked her path.

"Hmm?"

Li Shuixian was slightly surprised, and after sensing briefly, her expression changed.

Though the two before her were courteous, their aura was very strong, clearly both Foundation Establishment masters.

"Greetings to you both, seniors."

She quickly bowed her head in respect, feeling very uneasy.

Those who could openly stop people in the Celestial Treasure Tower would naturally be members of the tower's internal group.

But the problem was, how could a mere Qi Refining cultivator like her be worth the great Celestial Treasure Tower dispatching two honorable Foundation Establishment masters to intercept her?

"Could it be that my identity has been exposed?"

The thought of it made Li Shuixian a bit apprehensive.

But to her surprise, the two Foundation Establishment masters from the Celestial Treasure Tower were not aggressive; instead, they were incredibly polite:

"Apologies for the intrusion, we hope dear friend could forgive us."

The Foundation Establishment cultivator on the left bowed and said with a smile:

"You might not know, but we are here on orders."

"A significant figure from the tower wishes to meet you."

"Ah?"

Li Shuixian was shocked and hesitated for a moment before cautiously asking:

"Can I ask who it is?"

The other Foundation Establishment cultivator smiled slightly and said:

"You'll know once you meet him."

He gestured with his hand and said:

"Friend, this way please."

"...Alright."

Given the current situation, it was clear she could not refuse, so Li Shuixian had no choice but to agree.

Moments later, she followed the two Foundation Establishment masters, traveling through clouds and ascending higher and higher in a magical artifact carriage.

During this process, the more shocked Li Shuixian became, her mind wildly speculating about who this significant figure might be that wanted to see her.

"Buzz!"

After a buzzing sound, the magical artifact carriage came to a steady stop.

When the carriage door opened, it was not a hall outside but a deep corridor, at the end of which faint light could be seen.

"Please proceed on your own, dear friend, it's inconvenient for us to enter."

Once Li Shuixian exited, the two Foundation Establishment cultivators politely spoke before infusing magical power to lower the carriage.

"...Wait!"

Li Shuixian instinctively called out, only to find the carriage door already tightly shut, leaving her with no retreat.

Standing still for a while, she gritted her teeth and boldly walked forward, thinking to herself:

"If my identity has been exposed, then I'll have no choice but to fight with everything I have."

Once she passed through the deep corridor, the scene ahead became suddenly clear:

In the ancient and elegantly decorated hall, a middle-aged man in a mystic robe, dignified and noble, sat leisurely with a faint smile on his lips.

"This..."

Li Shuixian paused, detecting the extraordinariness of the person in front of her, and cautiously asked:

"May I ask for the senior's esteemed name?"

The man in the mystic robe smiled slightly and spoke:

"I am Yu Wen Tai."

"Yu Wen Tai? The Master of the Celestial Treasure Tower?!"

Li Shuixian was taken aback, almost unable to believe her ears.

This renowned figure, the undisputed Foundation Establishment master below the Golden Core, had long been legendary within the Da Li territory.

But she never imagined that it was this Yuwen Tower Master who wanted to see her; what was special about her that warranted a meeting with the Tower Master himself?

As she was lost in confusion, Yu Wen Tai was also discreetly observing her, suddenly asking:

"What is your name? Where is your family from?"

"Uh..."

Li Shuixian hesitated a moment before honestly answering:

"My name is Li Shuixian. My ancestral home is in Fangzhou Dinghe County, but I've been on the run everywhere, with no fixed residence, due to being wanted by the Haihe Association for stealing property."

She knew very well that there was no point in lying to such a powerful figure; being honest might be her best bet.

This high-ranking Celestial Treasure Tower Master had obviously summoned her for other matters; it was her lifeline.

"Your surname is Li?"

Yu Wen Tai paused upon hearing her words.

Clearly, her being wanted by the Haihe Association didn't concern him; it was her surname that caught his attention.

"Did your family ever change its surname?"

Yu Wen Tai was silent for a moment before abruptly asking.

"I don't really know."

Li Shuixian shook her head before cautiously asking:

"Senior...may I ask what instructions you have for me?"