The second-to-last item up for auction surprised Ye Qin greatly. This was the most crucial raw material mentioned in the sword-refining formula within the Purple Sword Arts.

However, since it was an object left behind by a Golden Core cultivator after their demise, it was incredibly difficult to obtain, and he had almost given up searching for it. He never expected a single drop of Essence of Primordial Spirit to appear at an auction, and its starting bid alone was already one hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.

Ye Qin's stipend from the Azure Pill Sect was only one Mid-Grade Spirit Stone per month. Relying solely on that income, he would need about ten years just to afford the starting price for this drop of Essence of Primordial Spirit.

The auction floor became unexpectedly frenzied.

"One hundred and five Mid-Grade Spirit Stones!"

"One hundred and ten!"

"One hundred and seventeen!"

"One hundred and fifty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones! Does anyone else dare contend with this old man?!"

A figure dressed in black spoke, their voice cold and deep, instantly silencing the entire hall. Cultivators in the venue turned back in shock. It was a Foundation Establishment Ninth Layer cultivator making the declaration. The bidding ground immediately fell into a dead silence.

The lower-cultivations all ceased their bids. This auction venue wasn't just a contest of wealth; it was a contest of cultivation. Those with higher cultivation levels could practically suffocate the lower-ranked ones into silence, let alone daring to utter a bid.

However, there wasn't just one Foundation Establishment Ninth Layer cultivator present today; there were four or five such individuals.

"One hundred and sixty Spirit Stones!"

A female cultivator in high-level Foundation Establishment, clad in a long, crimson robe, continued bidding without hesitation.

Seeing the price of that drop of Essence of Primordial Spirit soar so fiercely, Ye Qin wore a look of utter bewilderment.

He had once consulted Senior Brother Ge, the most skilled artifact refiner at the Azure Pill Sect. Senior Brother Ge had said that Essence of Primordial Spirit was somewhat of a double-edged sword. This was because once a Nascent Soul Dharma Artifact was successfully forged, the cultivator needed to use their own Nascent Soul to nurture it.

While this would significantly boost the artifact's power, it would simultaneously consume vital energy, lower one's cultivation, and carry substantial side effects.

Logically, there shouldn't be so many cultivators vying for it.

Ye Qin pondered for a moment and turned to Han Xu beside him for advice.

Han Xu glanced at Ye Qin with a strange look. "Ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators naturally wouldn't want to consume vital energy to refine a Nascent Soul Dharma Artifact. But Foundation Establishment Ninth Layer cultivators—their cultivation has already reached its peak. Under normal circumstances, even if they continue cultivating, they cannot break through the Golden Core bottleneck.

Consuming some surplus vital energy to nurture a Nascent Soul Dharma Artifact, thereby increasing their strength, is quite worthwhile. Moreover, when attempting to break through the Golden Core bottleneck, they must face a minor heavenly tribulation. This Nascent Soul Dharma Artifact possesses immense power, making it perfect for resisting that minor tribulation. If my cultivation weren't so low and I were still far from Foundation Establishment Ninth Layer, I would even want to acquire this Essence of Primordial Spirit and forge one myself."

Ye Qin was momentarily stunned. The Nascent Soul Dharma Artifact could actually be used to withstand the minor heavenly tribulation for the Golden Core stage—he realized he was rather uninformed. "Thank you for the reminder, Brother Han!"

"Hehe, not at all! A guest has arrived; as the host, it is my duty," Han Xu replied with great humility.

For the next half hour or so, Ye Qin watched with resignation as the Essence of Primordial Spirit fell entirely under the control of the four or five high-level Foundation Establishment Ninth Layer cultivators present. The other cultivators couldn't interject, or perhaps more accurately, they didn't dare to.

The more than two hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators present could only watch helplessly as those four or five Foundation Establishment Ninth Layer experts bid against each other for the Essence of Primordial Spirit.

Ye Qin lacked the ability to challenge the authority of those high-level cultivators; he could only watch the spectacle.

Bored, he even exchanged a few casual words with Han Xu, who turned out to be from a rogue cultivation background, having joined the Rogue Cultivator Alliance in Immortal Fate City for over ten years. They found they could converse easily.

That small bottle of Essence of Primordial Spirit was eventually won by a female cultivator, fetching a staggering price of two hundred and thirty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones—a price that could only be described as outrageous.

After the Essence of Primordial Spirit was sold, the final, grand finale of the auction commenced.

The vast majority of cultivators in the hall grew excited, looking up at the auction stage.

The auctioneer clapped his hands once.

A cultivator carried up a wooden tray bearing a thick stack of talisman papers and stepped forward.

The auctioneer announced in a loud voice, "This is the last item of this auction. Many friends who have attended before may know that beneath the Immortal Fate Palace lies a labyrinth. It was constructed by ancient cultivators of Immortal Fate City, containing vast restrictive formations and many truly wondrous things. The barrier to the Immortal Fate City Labyrinth, which opens once a month, will be lifted tonight. Here are the Barrier Talismans required for entry into the labyrinth—a total of fifty sets. The starting bid is five hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones per set. The quantity is extremely limited. Following the old rule, we will bid among you; only the highest bidder gains entry."

The unveiling of these fifty Barrier Talismans immediately provoked a massive reaction throughout the hall.

Ye Qin felt a degree of confusion. Five hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones was a considerable expense, even for Foundation Establishment cultivators. Was buying one Barrier Talisman to enter the labyrinth worth the cost?

Most importantly, he still didn't know what this labyrinth was all about, so he couldn't judge its true value.

Han Xu was already swiftly moving, calling out bids at the top of his lungs, while smiling back at Ye Qin, "Brother Ye, this labyrinth opens once a month. I've been preparing for more than half a year, saving up enough money just for this one trip. Are you going? It would be good to have company."

"What exactly is inside this labyrinth?"

"Not much—just some interesting items left behind by the ancient cultivators of our Immortal Fate City. If you're lucky, you might acquire something. Those ancient cultivators, out of sheer boredom, deliberately set up labyrinths and illusory beasts to toy with us juniors, giving it the grand name of 'tempering experience.' Any cultivator born in Spirit Mist Immortal Fate City can enter and try their luck. Are you going? If you are, you must buy a Barrier Talisman; otherwise, you won't be allowed inside."

"How long does one stay inside?"

"That's hard to say. It could be as short as a day, or as long as eight or nine days. It all depends on your strength. My personal best record was staying inside for two days. Considering your cultivation, you could probably last about a day."

Ye Qin considered it briefly, then immediately joined the bidding frenzy.

He planned to stay in Immortal Fate City for ten days before heading to the Northern Qi Kingdom. After going, it was unlikely he would return anytime soon. Since the Immortal Fate Palace Labyrinth contained items left by ancient cultivators, it would be worthwhile to take a look.

Five hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones was roughly the price of half a Dharma Artifact.

Even if he didn't obtain any items, broadening his horizons wouldn't be a bad outcome. A major goal of his three years of tempering outside the mountain was to gain experience; otherwise, he might as well have stayed on the mountain cultivating in seclusion.

The bidding for the Barrier Talismans was quite competitive. There were over two hundred cultivators present, but only fifty sets of Talismans.

Fortunately, not everyone was eager to enter. If the price became too high, it would cause some cultivators to drop out.

Ye Qin spent the equivalent of twenty-five Guiyuan Pills to successfully bid for one Barrier Talisman. Guiyuan Pills are a common equivalent exchange item, with a very stable market price of thirty Spirit Stones per pill. Calculating this, the cost was nearly seven hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones to secure one Barrier Talisman.

This Barrier Talisman actually served as a protective charm. Once injected with spiritual power and affixed to the body, it formed a faint halo that enveloped the entire person.

In a little over half an hour, all fifty sets of the Labyrinth Barrier Talismans were sold off.