When they were eating, Ye Fan had already noticed Zhao Xiao's flying boat.
It could only be said that Zhao Xiao had good luck.
He was traveling in his private flying boat this time, and it had no markings of the Huoyun Sect on it.
Therefore, even if Liang Rujing saw it, she didn't recognize it immediately.
Moreover, there were so many flying boats coming and going on the road, they just assumed Zhao Xiao was passing by.
After eight days, Ye Fan and his companions finally arrived at the imperial city of the Yard Empire.
The imperial city had a designated area for flying boats to land.
Of course, there was a fee.
According to Liang Rujing, this was the closest landing point to the auction.
After landing and parking the flying boat, the two of them hailed a beast-drawn carriage.
One had to admit, the imperial city of the Yard Empire was truly vast!
And its architectural style and level of luxury were far beyond what the imperial city of the Great Liang Kingdom could compare to.
Compared to the Yard Empire, the Great Liang Kingdom immediately became like a village...
Take Ye Fan's master, True Lord Ziyun, for example.
In the Great Liang Kingdom, she could establish a sect just by being at the Nascent Soul stage.
But in the Yard Empire, cultivators at the Divine Transformation stage were seen everywhere.
The person who gave them a ride in a beast-drawn carriage was at the Nascent Soul stage...
One could only say...
While big cities offered many opportunities, the competition was also fierce...
In about half an hour, the two of them smoothly arrived at the auction house.
The auction house in the imperial city was about four stories high.
Compared to the surrounding buildings, its exterior was noticeably plainer.
"Don't underestimate it just because it doesn't look like much," Liang Rujing explained. "Most of the truly valuable items in the Yard Empire come from here."
As they spoke, they walked in.
Not far away, a pair of eyes stared intently at their retreating backs.
It was Zhao Xiao!
"You two, keep an eye on them," Zhao Xiao ordered his two subordinates. "Be careful, don't alert them."
"Don't worry, Young Master, this is how we make our living!" the two quickly replied.
After giving his instructions, Zhao Xiao left with his other subordinates.
Inside the auction house.
Liang Rujing led Ye Fan through several turns to the area for depositing auction items.
Perhaps because the auction was approaching, everything that needed to be prepared was almost ready.
The counter was deserted, with only an old man lazily sitting there, fiddling with something.
"Is there anything I can help you two with?" the old man asked with a smile as he saw them enter.
Ye Fan nodded inwardly.
Although he and Liang Rujing were not dressed shabbily, they were still a little behind compared to the people of the imperial city.
However, this old man showed no signs of disdain or looking down on them.
Just for this professional attitude, he deserved praise.
"Elder," Ye Fan walked to the counter and handed over a small porcelain bottle. "I would like to consign this for sale."
Although Ye Fan's actual age was definitely older than the old man, he was usually too lazy to bother with such things.
He couldn't exactly say to the old man, 'Little brother, take a look at this thing for me'...
Even if the old man wouldn't be at a disadvantage by being called "little brother," he felt he would likely be kicked out if he said that...
The old man took the porcelain bottle and opened it, and his expression immediately changed!
Having been in this line of work for so long, his discerning eye was impeccable.
He recognized at a glance that this was a sixth-tier pill!
Speaking of which, sixth-tier pills were not entirely unobtainable. At least the Yard Empire had a sixth-tier alchemist.
However, the pills refined by that alchemist were already internally consumed by the big players and never made it to the market.
He remembered the last time he received a sixth-tier pill was over three hundred years ago.
When that pill appeared at an auction, the entire venue exploded!
And now...
A sixth-tier pill was placed right in front of him...
"Please wait a moment, sir."
The old man excused himself, took out a pair of professional gloves from his ring.
After putting on the gloves, he carefully poured the pill into his hand.
The pill refined by Ye Fan not only had a perfect color but also had a lingering aura surrounding it!
The old man's heart skipped a beat!
He remembered that when he first learned appraisal, his teacher had taught him one thing.
Pills that had certain side effects were actually a sign of imperfect refinement.
It was said that perfect-grade pills would have a layer of ethereal mist on their surface.
Unfortunately, the technique for refining perfect-grade pills, along with the skills for high-tier pills, had been lost to history...
After graduating, he had appraised countless pills.
But he had never seen a single one of the supreme-grade pills his teacher had spoken of.
He had even doubted at one point if his teacher had misremembered.
But now...
A perfect-grade pill was right before his eyes!
Sixth-tier pills were already precious enough, and the meaning of a sixth-tier pill with no side effects went without saying!
After observing for a while longer, the old man's heart rate quickened!
"Young master..." the old man looked up, and asked in disbelief, "Is this... a Breakthrough Pill?"
"Mm," Ye Fan replied casually.
The old man's breathing suddenly became rapid!
The effect of the Breakthrough Pill was to allow cultivators at the Void Return stage to break through to the Out-of-Body stage.
Legend had it that someone had once asked the Yard Empire's sixth-tier alchemist for a Breakthrough Pill, but was refused.
It wasn't that the alchemist was unwilling, but that he couldn't!
In his words, he had no mastery of the refinement technique for the Breakthrough Pill.
If he could successfully refine the Breakthrough Pill, then he would be not far from the seventh tier!
An existence that even that sixth-tier alchemist couldn't refine!
If his teacher hadn't taught him back then, he probably wouldn't have recognized it today!
The old man could even imagine the sensation this pill would cause when it appeared on the auction stage!
Once the news spread, the sixth-tier alchemist would likely be restless!
Suppressing his excitement, the old man carefully placed the pill back into the porcelain bottle.
"Please rest assured, sir," the old man guaranteed on the spot. "I will ensure it fetches a price that satisfies you!"
"Then please take a look at these two items for me as well."
As Ye Fan spoke, he took out two more items.
The reason he didn't take them all out at once was to gauge the appraiser's skill.
If the other party couldn't even recognize a Breakthrough Pill, then he would have to consider finding another place.
But now it seemed unnecessary.
Hearing Ye Fan say he had more, the old man was clearly surprised!
Because the items presented first were usually the relatively lesser ones.
Did this mean these two items were even better?!
Something better than a sixth-tier pill...
Thinking of this, the old man's breathing became heavier!
The two items Ye Fan produced were a small porcelain bottle and a cloth-wrapped object.
The porcelain bottle should contain pills, and the latter, judging by its shape, looked like a weapon...
The old man quickly picked up the porcelain bottle and carefully poured out the pills.
The same ethereal mist.
Another supreme-grade pill!
The old man held his breath and observed it carefully.
The pill was slightly larger than a soybean, and it was dark red all over.
As soon as it was poured out, a strange fragrance filled the room!
Just one breath, and the old man felt his qi and blood surge, and he instantly felt invigorated!
Judging by his body's reaction, this pill should be for healing.
However, the scent emitted by the pill did not fall into the category of any sixth-tier pill.
Combined with the patterns on the pill itself, one word instantly came to the old man's mind.
Seventh-tier Reversal Pill!
For cultivators within the Out-of-Body stage, no matter how severe their injuries, even if they were on the verge of death.
With just one Reversal Pill, they could be fully healed!
This was equivalent to an extra life!
And since this was a supreme-grade Reversal Pill, there would be no side effects after taking it!
A seventh-tier pill!
An existence that had never appeared since the auction house was founded!
Once this item appeared, it would cause an even greater sensation than the Breakthrough Pill!