Since advancing to the Golden Core realm, Xiao Fei's divine sense had greatly increased, allowing him to see every movement of everyone in the hall with perfect clarity.
Among the crowded cultivators in the hall, there were several hidden Golden Core powerhouses.
Needless to say, they were all here for the Golden Core Elixir. Even if they didn't need it themselves, they had juniors who did.
Furthermore, there were many cultivators in the hall whose auras were concealed and whose gazes were erratic.
As the former leader of the Ten Great Evils in the demonic cultivator world, Xiao Fei could recognize these demonic cultivators at a glance.
As long as these individuals didn't act rashly, Xiao Fei wouldn't bother them. When opening for business, everyone who entered was a customer.
Under Fei Xin's direction, the auction had begun. Three Foundation Establishment Pills were auctioned in three separate lots, sparking fierce competition among many cultivators.
Initially, some rogue cultivators participated, actively bidding.
When the price reached ten thousand spirit stones, only the cultivators from various families could still afford to bid. The other cultivators could only watch with envious eyes.
The price continued to rise, soon breaking through one hundred thousand spirit stones.
At this point, even many immortal cultivation families, despite their best efforts, could not afford such a sum and had to withdraw helplessly.
But this world has never been fair. Some starve while others burn grain as firewood, then tell you that eating too much is bad.
Some cannot find a wife, while others can't even remember how many women they have, resorting to random selection each day, only to later blame their misfortunes on their beauties.
The remaining dozen or so relatively wealthy families engaged in a fierce struggle, with the Foundation Establishment Pills finally selling for a staggering two hundred and twenty thousand spirit stones each.
The next two Foundation Establishment Pills were also sold at exorbitant prices of two hundred and twenty thousand and two hundred and fifty thousand spirit stones respectively.
In the auction hall, many Qi Refining cultivators were astonished by these sky-high prices, their mouths agape.
Most Qi Refining rogue cultivators could only earn a little over ten spirit stones a month. At these prices, it would take at least two hundred years of not eating or drinking to afford one, a feat as difficult as ascending to heaven.
However, while these three families made their grand purchases, representatives from several other major families watched with cold eyes.
Even those Golden Core powerhouses remained silent.
Their target, naturally, was the even rarer Golden Core Elixir.
"Fellow Daoists, we shall now commence the bidding for the Golden Core Elixir."
"The starting bid is one hundred thousand spirit stones, with each increment of fifty thousand."
As Fei Xin spoke, he produced a jade box, placed it on a table, and opened it, revealing a golden elixir within.
"Wait a moment! May I approach to examine it and verify its authenticity?"
Just as everyone was about to bid, a cultivator shouted.
"Yes! If we don't examine it clearly beforehand, what if it's fake when we buy it back?"
"Don't you all agree?"
With one person taking the lead, other cultivators joined in the clamor.
Xiao Fei's pupils contracted. The individuals leading the charge were precisely the demonic cultivators he had been watching.
"Let him approach to examine it, but you stay further away."
Fei Xin dared not make the decision himself. Upon receiving Xiao Fei's telepathic message, he immediately understood.
Being a seasoned veteran, he placed the Golden Core Elixir on the table, retreated far back, and subtly pulled his son behind him.
"Fellow Daoists who wish to examine it are welcome. Please!"
There were a total of six demonic cultivators instigating this disruption, one Golden Core and four Foundation Establishment. They exchanged glances and then walked towards the auction stage together.
Several other demonic cultivators, perhaps not allied with them, did not step forward, maintaining an air of indifference.
Under the lead of these six demonic cultivators, over a dozen more cultivators also moved towards the auction stage.
Perhaps they genuinely wished to verify the authenticity, or perhaps they harbored some ulterior motives.
Xiao Fei revealed a faint, imperceptible cold smile and simultaneously transmitted messages to Zhu Yu and Huang Feifei, instructing them to wait for the opportune moment to strike decisively, showing no mercy.
The group of six approached the auction stage and surrounded it. The Golden Core demonic cultivator was about to reach for the elixir.
However, he was stopped by a red-faced Golden Core cultivator who arrived from behind.
"Fellow Daoist, may I have the honor of examining it first?"
The red-faced Golden Core said, already reaching for the Golden Core Elixir on the table.
The Golden Core demonic cultivator, about to seize his prize, was intercepted midway. Enraged, he absolutely refused to yield.
The demonic cultivator immediately attacked, releasing a small black snake that lunged towards the red-faced cultivator's arm.
The red-faced cultivator was equally unyielding. His hand radiated light, and a small golden hammer materialized. He swung it towards the black snake's head, crushing it with a single blow.
Although this small snake was strange and highly venomous, its defense was not strong.
Xiao Fei and the other two, who were preparing to act, were now dumbfounded. Why were they fighting each other?
At this moment, the cultivators in front of the auction stage were all locked in combat. Seeing an opportunity, others in the venue began to stir.
As the entire auction hall teetered on the brink of chaos, Xiao Fei made a decisive move. A surge of potent magical power erupted from his body, shooting out five-colored light.
With the appearance of the five-colored light, all the magical treasures and artifacts in the vicinity were frozen in mid-air.
Simultaneously, Zhu Yu and Huang Feifei attacked. Zhu Yu wielded a jade flute, while Huang Feifei used a flying sword.
While everyone else's magical treasures were held captive by the five-colored divine light, their own artifacts were unaffected. They weaved through the crowd, and heads rolled, falling to the ground.
The three of them, working in concert, instantly turned the area before the auction stage into a scene of carnage, leaving only the Golden Core demonic cultivator and the red-faced cultivator staring dumbfounded at the sudden turn of events.
"Dao... Daoist! This is all a misunderstanding!"
The Golden Core demonic cultivator, seeing he was outmatched, attempted to explain.
However, Xiao Fei intended to establish his authority on his shop's opening day. This was a spectacle for the onlookers, and he had no intention of sparing these two.
Zhu Yu and Huang Feifei understood. With a flute and a sword, they attacked again. These two had defensive divine abilities, but as soon as they were unleashed, they were suppressed by the five-colored divine light.
With the combined might of the three, they dispatched the two Golden Core cultivators before the auction stage in a single round.
At this, the many cultivators participating in the auction secretly broke out in a cold sweat.
Fortunately, they hadn't acted rashly in a fit of pique, or they might now be corpses before the auction stage.
At the same time, they silently warned themselves not to provoke Treasure Pavilion in the future.
"The auction continues!"
Xiao Fei, ignoring the corpses piled on the ground, instructed softly.
Fei Xin then stood behind the pile of bodies and continued to preside over the auction. Everything proceeded tensely yet orderly.
Everyone bid in turn, even their voices sounding gentle and polite.
It was as if, at this moment, the overall moral character of the cultivators had greatly improved, with everyone being civilized, polite, orderly, and peace-loving.
Finally, this last Golden Core Elixir was sold for a high price of one million spirit stones to a Golden Core cultivator from the Scarlet Sun Sect.
After the war in Lu Country, too many cultivators had been lost. All factions were desperately hoping for the emergence of more Golden Core cultivators, willing to pay any price.
Treasure Pavilion's opening day concluded smoothly, with the auction ending without incident. Xiao Fei now disregarded the corpses on the ground.
Everyone in the auction hall began to exit.
An old man, seemingly with difficulty moving, was jostled to the edge of the doorway. He could only retreat, tucking one hand into his robes and quietly opening a jade bottle.
A speck of light, like dust, flew out from the jade bottle and landed on a cultivator, disappearing quickly.