His next destination was the Thousand Gold Auction House, the undisputed center of rare item trade in Yan City. It was a magnificent building of white marble, constantly guarded by disciplined Earthly Yuan masters.
He paid the modest entry fee and took a seat in the general viewing section. The atmosphere was electrifying, thick with the anticipation of wealth and power.
The auction soon began. The items were presented with a flourish, starting with mundane healing herbs and low-grade Yuan Power weapons, quickly progressing to things of true value. Lin Yi maintained a bored expression, yet his mind was cataloging every detail.
'Fourth-rank weapons, fourth-rank spiritual herbs, complete sets of mid-tier third rank martial arts… The general level of items is higher than I initially expected. This confirms the Yan city's importance in this Tiandu province.' he calculated the city financial pattern based on the value of these items.
Then, the auctioneer, a beautiful woman with professional attire, who possesses a voice as clear as a bell, presented the next lot.
"Now, for an item of rare consumption! This is a special reserve. We have a set of five Top Grade Yang Yuan Pills!"
Lin Yi's eyes narrowed slightly, a spark of genuine interest finally appearing. The Yang Yuan Pill was a high-grade medicinal item used by cultivators to refine and increase the output of Yang energy, often used to break through to the Heavenly Yuan Realm.
"The starting bid is set at five hundred Yang Yuan Stones!" the auctioneer announced the price after introducing the Yang Yuan pills.
Lin Yi quickly processed the information. Yang Yuan Stones were a superior currency to gold, containing traces of pure Yuan Power, often used in large-scale transactions and by high-level experts. Only Yuan Dan experts like him can create Yuan Dan by compressing pure yuan energy gathered from fourth level elixir or Young Yuan stones.
The fact that the Top Yang Yuan Pills were being auctioned for such a currency provided a crucial data point. These top pills are extremely pure and they wont leave any impurity in physique and lay a good foundation after breakthrough.
'Yang Yuan Pills are pills without any rank, their quality is judged purely based on the impurities inside them. Also, the currency used to purchase them is the Yang Yuan Stone. A perfect cycle of sale and recreation, but few Yuan Dan experts can produce Top Yang Yuan Dan.' Lin Yi thought flickered as he gazed at the five pills that are being sold in the auction.
He watched the bidding war, noting the intensity of the Earthly Yuan masters desperate for the pills. They were clearly the primary resource for Heavenly Yuan breakthroughs in this region.
After the auction concluded, Lin Yi approached a secluded exchange counter in the auction house.
The clerk, a precise man in a gold-threaded vest, looked at his young fourteen or fifteen year old appearance with casual expression, but after sensing his Earthly Yuan power, deliberately leaked by Lin Yi.
The clerk expression condensed and hurriedly spoke flatteringly,
"How may I assist you, young master?"
Lin Yi placed the two strands of the fourth rank blue wave grass on the counter. The herbs were obtained as return of first rank vapour grass herbs found by Qing Tan, but he needed a physical exchange medium.
"I have two strands of a special Yin and Water attribute herb. I want to consign them for sale and receive Yang Yuan Stones."
The clerk followed his hand gesture and glanced down at the counter.
The two blades of Blue Wave Grass were a deep, mesmerizing azure, radiating a distinct, cool spiritual aura. The fourth-rank grass was already a high-value item, but the purity of the two strands before him was startling. They lacked the usual brown flecks and inconsistencies common to even freshly harvested herbs.
'Such pure Grass! It's almost entirely Yin essence. This quality is rarely seen in those first class cities,' the clerk thought, his casual demeanor instantly replaced by professional seriousness. He immediately confirmed his suspicion of Lin Yi, that he must be a young master of some powerful clan.
He cautiously used the back of his hand to test the herb's aura and then looked up at Lin Yi with a respectful, measured tone. "Young Master, these two strands of Blue Wave Grass are of extremely high purity. Our counter staff is not authorized to evaluate items of this grade. If you would permit me, I will have our chief appraiser assess their true value immediately. It will only take a moment."
Lin Yi nodded calmly, tucking his hands into his sleeves. "Proceed. I just demand a fair price for these herbs in Yang Yuan Stones."
The clerk bowed, taking the herbs and disappearing swiftly through a curtained doorway at the back of the counter.
Lin Yi remained standing, observing the bustling auction hall. 'The purity is really the important key in grading the resources. Thanks to the Primordial Chaos Stone Talisman, anything I store in it is instantly purified to its fundamental essence. A Fourth-Grade purified herb is worth far more than a standard one, making the exchange extremely profitable.'
After a few tense minutes, the clerk returned, followed by a stern-faced, gray-bearded old man whose aura was that of an Earthly Yuan Late Stage expert, the chief appraiser of this auction house.
The appraiser's eyes, however, were fixed on Lin Yi, filled with a deep, professional curiosity. He had spent his life dealing with spiritual herbs and had rarely seen such pure quality herb as if plucked freshly a few seconds ago.
"Young Master," the old man began, his voice low but respectful. "Your Blue Wave Grass is indeed exceptional. Its purity approaches that of a Top Fourth Rank Elixir. Due to this quality, we value each strand at one hundred and fifty Yang Yuan Stones."
He gestured to the clerk, who placed a small, silver tray containing a neatly stacked pile of luminous, faintly glowing red stones onto the counter.
"Totaling three hundred Yang Yuan Stones for both strands. This is thirty percent higher than the standard market rate for Fourth Grade herbs. Do you accept this offer?" the appraiser asked carefully, while observing his expression.
Lin Yi glanced at the stones. The price was indeed fair, even generous, proving the exchange house valued the relationship with the mysterious source more than the short-term profit.
"I accept," Lin Yi replied simply, gathering the Yang Yuan Stones and placing them inside his Primordial Chaos Talisman.
The appraiser sighed in relief, mainly because these herbs were of Yin attribute. He didn't want to miss this deal… he bowed slightly. "We look forward to any future transactions, Young Master. Please visit us again."
Lin Yi offered a courteous, neutral nod and turned away.
…