“Opal, you and Amber along with Harleen should split into two groups and wander around the city to gather information about the de Sect and Sword Sect,” Billy instructed.


    “I’ll go with Stout to check out the Alchemists’ Alliance,” he added.


    “Got it!” everyone responded in unison.


    “Don’t get into conflicts easily. If there’s an emergency, contact me immediately!” Billy reminded them.


    “Understood!” they nodded again.


    Billy and Stout then inquired about the location of the Alchemists’ Alliance from the inn staff and left.


    About half an hourter, they arrived at the entrance of arge estate. Inside, there was a uniquely designed building that resembled a giant pill. This was the standard architecture of the Alchemists’ Alliance in the mid-tier star domain. Seeing such a building meant it was their territory.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    “Why is it so lively here?” Stout remarked as they entered the courtyard, noticing the bustling crowd.


    “There must be some event. Let’s find out,” Billy suggested after scanning the surroundings.


    “Alright!” Stout agreed and approached an Alchemists’ Alliance staff member nearby.


    Two minutester, he returned and informed Billy, “Boss, we came at the right time. There’s an auction happening soon with some valuable items.”


    “Oh?” Billy smiled faintly. “Let’s go check it out!”


    “Sure thing!” Stout nodded eagerly. He had plenty of spirit stones and was looking for ways to spend them.


    A few minutester, they found themselves in arge auction hall on the third floor that could amodate around a thousand people. The ce was already buzzing with excitement, and they found seats randomly.


    Soon, a gray-robed elderly man took the stage and spent a few minutes on the opening remarks before officially starting the auction.


    The first items up for bid were some rare herbs, all fetching high prices. The most expensive herb sold for a thousand king-grade spirit stones.


    Next came the auction of pills, starting with ten Sky-Splitting Pills. The fierce bidding indicated that these pills were highly sought after even in the mid-tier star domain. After several rounds of bidding, an elderly man won the ten Sky-Splitting Pills for a thousand sovereign-grade spirit stones.


    “Wow, Sky-Splitting Pills are worth that much? A hundred sovereign-grade spirit stones for one?” Stout eximed in amazement.


    He then turned to Billy, “Boss, the ingredients for Sky-Splitting Pills shouldn’t be hard to find in the third-tier star domain. How about we make a few hundred of them to sell?”


    “Are you short on spirit stones?” Billy asked, ncing at him.


    “Spirit stones are always wee,” Stout retorted with a smirk.


    Time flew by, and an hour passed quickly. Besides the Sky-Splitting Pills, there were some high-grade healing pills and Chi Condensing Pills up for auction. However, these didn’t interest Billy and Stout as they could make them themselves, so they didn’t bid.


    “Didn’t they say there were good items? These are just ordinary stuff. How boring,” Stout muttered, drawing disdainful looks from two men nearby.


    “Can’t you stop bragging? These pills are ordinary?”


    “If you don’t have money, just admit it. Stop pretending to be rich!”


    “You’ve been sitting here all this time without bidding on anything, yet you call these items ordinary. Unbelievable!”


    “Let’s wait and see,” Billy replied calmly.


    “Ladies and gentlemen, next is the highlight of today’s auction!” announced the gray-robed elderly man on stage as he received a transparent pill box from a staff member.


    Billy and Stout looked over to see a blue pill inside the box, sparkling and translucent.


    “Some of you might already recognize this pill,” the elderly man smiled. “This is a low-tier Spirit Essence Pill!”


    The announcement caused a stir among the audience.


    “A low-tier Spirit Essence Pill! This trip wasn’t in vain!”


    “So there really is a Spirit Essence Pill up for auction today. No matter how many spirit stones it costs, I must get it!”


    “Finally, something worth waiting for!”


    “No wonder it’s the Alchemists’ Alliance; they really have a Spirit Essence Pill for auction!” eximed the middle-aged man sitting next to Stout.


    “Uncle, what exactly is a Spirit Essence Pill? Is it valuable?” Stout asked curiously.


    “You don’t know what a Spirit Essence Pill is?” The man nced at Stout.


    “I grew up in the mountains and was very poor as a child. I haven’t seen much of the world. Please enlighten me,” Stout replied with an innocent look.


    “The Spirit Essence Pilles in three grades: low-tier, mid-tier, and high-tier, corresponding to Entering Emptiness Realm, Perfection Emptiness Realm, and Breaking Emptiness Realm respectively,” the man exined without holding back.


    “If a martial artist at thete stage of Heaven Dao Realm takes a low-tier Spirit Essence Pill, it can not only trigger Thunder Tribtion but also significantly increase their chances of surviving it.”


    “This is something mostte-stage Heaven Dao Realm martial artists dream of!”


    “Really?” Stout’s eyes lit up.


    “Believe it or not!” The man snapped and ignored Stout after that.


    Billy’s eyes gleamed. In fact, his purpose foring to the Alchemists’ Alliance today was precisely for this pill!


    He knew that if there were Sky-Splitting Pills, there would also be corresponding pills to aid in advancing from the Heaven Dao Realm to Entering Emptiness Realm.


    Hispanions’ cultivation levels were still too low. If he could get high-grade pills, it would greatly elerate their progress.


    It seemed his luck was good today!


    “The uses of the Spirit Essence Pill need no further introduction,” continued the gray-robed elderly man on stage. “This pill was personally refined by our desong City Alchemists’ Alliance leader and is of superior purity.”


    “Interested parties may start bidding now. The starting price is one hundred supreme-grade spirit stones!”


    The announcement caused gasps around the room. Starting at one hundred supreme-grade spirit stones was steep!


    “A hundred supreme-grade spirit stones for one pill? Isn’t that robbery?” Stout eximed just as the man next to him ced a bid.


    “Two hundred supreme-grade spirit stones!”


    Stout’s jaw dropped. “Uncle, are you crazy? Why bid so high all at once?”


    “Stay out of it!” The man red at him. “This kind of pill is rare. The Alchemists’ Alliance rarely auctions one off in a year. No matter what it costs today, I must get it!”


    “Three hundred supreme-grade spirit stones!” another elderly man bid from not far away.


    Stout was wordless.


    Coming to the mid-tier star domain really made him realize how few spirit stones he had!


    “Four hundred!”


    “Five hundred!”


    “Six hundred!”


    Before Stout could finish his thoughts, the price had already reached one thousand supreme-grade spirit stones.


    The man next to him had given up by then, looking as if he had swallowed a fly. Clearly, the price had exceeded his expectations.


    “Sir, why aren’t you bidding anymore?” Stout asked insensitively.