The two of them seemed thoughtful.

Li Derong nodded slowly. “You’re right. Even if we bring Spirit Stones back to the family, we can’t buy Foundation Establishment Pills there. It’s better to purchase them here. We’ve already sold part of the last batch of goods and received a total of one hundred thousand Spirit Stones. It’s perfect timing for us to go take a look together!”

Seeing their interest, Wang Hao nodded in agreement. An increase in the Li Family’s strength meant an overall boost in their collective power, which was a good thing for everyone.

“The two of you should best disguise yourselves to avoid being recognized,” Wang Hao suggested, slightly adjusting his facial muscles to appear more mature.

Upon hearing this, Li Derong and Li Dedao also made some adjustments to their appearance. However, none of the three possessed sophisticated disguise techniques; upon closer inspection, they could still be recognized by anyone familiar with them.

The three of them made their way to the Treasure Clarity Pavilion in the west of the city.

The pavilion was a five-story building, covering an area at least five times larger than the combined Pill & Talisman Pavilions of the Wang and Li families. As soon as they entered, a young man with an honest-looking face approached them warmly.

“Seniors, your esteemed presence graces our humble shop. How may I be of assistance?”

“Where is your shopkeeper? We’d like to inquire about the auction!”

“Seniors have come to the right place. Tonight, there is indeed an auction on the third floor of our Treasure Clarity Pavilion. For specific details, the three of you may go upstairs to speak with our shopkeeper!”

As he spoke, he made a gesture inviting them upstairs.

Following the young man to the second floor, they waited briefly in an elegant private room before a plump young woman in a red dress pushed the door open and entered.

“I heard the three of you wish to participate in the auction? May I ask what items Fellow Daoists are looking to purchase?”

Li Derong frowned slightly. “What? Do we need to inform you in advance about what we intend to buy?”

“Not at all,” the woman explained with a practiced smile. “It’s just to avoid having Fellow Daoists make a wasted trip if the auction doesn’t have the goods you need. Moreover, participating in our Treasure Clarity Pavilion’s auction also requires meeting certain conditions.”

“What conditions? Please speak freely.”

The woman smiled. “One simply needs to purchase items worth three thousand Spirit Stones in our shop to become a VIP, or alternatively, sell some precious spiritual materials to our shop.”

Li Derong’s expression turned unpleasant. Three thousand Spirit Stones per person meant nearly ten thousand for the three of them just to enter. It was necessary to verify the goods before committing to such a cost.

She inquired, “May I ask if Fellow Daoist’s auction will have Foundation Establishment Pills for sale?”

The woman revealed an understanding expression. “It seems the three Fellow Daoists are quite well-informed. Indeed, this auction will have ten Foundation Establishment Pills for sale, personally refined by Treasure Clarity True Person. Their effects are somewhat better than ordinary Foundation Establishment Pills. If you wish to purchase them, you certainly shouldn’t miss this opportunity.”

Wang Hao spoke up at this point. “Fellow Daoist, could you allow us three some time to discuss?”

“Naturally. This humble one will wait next door. The room has a soundproofing array; there’s no need to worry about others eavesdropping.” The woman in red bowed slightly and withdrew.

It was wise to be cautious. Li Derong cast another simple soundproofing barrier around the three of them.

“For all three of us to participate, the cost is too high. We don’t have many Spirit Stones on hand; it’s best to save where we can.”

Wang Hao nodded. “This one certainly intends to participate. If the two of you trust Wang, perhaps you could let Wang make the purchase on your behalf. Wang guarantees that as long as the Wang Family obtains one Foundation Establishment Pill, there will definitely be one for the Li Family.”

“What if only one pill is successfully bid on?”

“Then my Wang Family will not take it!”

Wang Hao thought inwardly that with over two hundred thousand Spirit Stones in his possession, how could he possibly fail to secure a bid? Could Foundation Establishment Pills really be driven up to such sky-high prices?

Li Dedao wanted to say something more but was interrupted by Li Derong.

“We naturally trust Fellow Daoist Wang. Since Fellow Daoist Wang is willing to make this trip, please help our Li Family make the purchase. Here are one hundred fifty thousand Spirit Stones; fifty thousand belong to your Wang Family. With the remaining one hundred thousand, please try your best to buy two Foundation Establishment Pills for our Li Family.”

Wang Hao accepted the funds. “No problem.”

Since the two had decided not to pay the entry fee and had no reason to stay further, they bid farewell to Wang Hao and left the premises.

Wang Hao met with the woman in red again. “Please bring out any good items your shop has. However, skip the ordinary goods; this one’s Spirit Stones didn’t come from thin air either!”

“Fellow Daoist, don’t be impatient,” she said as she took out a booklet and handed it to Wang Hao. “Fellow Daoist can select goods worth three thousand Spirit Stones from this list and then receive our shop’s VIP card.”

Wang Hao opened the booklet and scanned the contents. He saw some second-tier magical instruments, talismans, and various pills. Among them, Beast Rearing Pills were marked as ‘pre-sale,’ which surprised him. Were they already playing this game these days?

“May I ask, Shopkeeper, why are these Beast Rearing Pills on pre-sale?”

The woman in red smiled apologetically. “To be honest with Fellow Daoist, this type of pill is relatively scarce, hence we resorted to this measure. If Fellow Daoist chooses this item, it will take two or three years before delivery.”

“So long?”

Wang Hao glanced at the price—one bottle cost one thousand Spirit Stones. Factoring in the time cost, this was practically daylight robbery! Thinking about how his four spirit beasts treated these pills like candy beans made his heart ache with imagined loss. If he sold his own stock, he’d have over a hundred thousand Spirit Stones!

The woman in red explained with a bitter smile, “We have no choice either. These aren’t produced by us but come from the Beast Taming Sect. Among the nearby powers, only they can produce this type of Beast Rearing Pill. They monopolize the medicinal ingredients, so naturally, the prices are somewhat higher.”

Wang Hao smiled. “Shopkeeper mentioned that selling some spiritual materials to your shop would also work, correct?”

“That is natural. However, they must be precious spiritual materials; ordinary goods would need a value exceeding thirty thousand Spirit Stones to qualify for a token.”

“Then these three bottles of pills should suffice!”

As he spoke, Wang Hao retrieved three bottles of Beast Rearing Pills from his storage bag and placed them on the table.

“Beast Rearing Pills? How does Your Excellency have these?” The woman in red looked at Wang Hao with surprise.

“I believe this one does not need to answer that question,” Wang Hao replied coolly.

The woman quickly composed herself. After decades spent honing her business acumen, she realized her mistake and apologized promptly.

“This slave spoke out of turn! For such sought-after goods, naturally, our Treasure Clarity Pavilion desires them greatly! Moreover, I can assure Fellow Daoist that the confidentiality regarding the transaction details will be maintained strictly, without fail.”