Chapter 103: Ascending the Hall, Entering the Inner Chamber

“Heavens, this kind of pill can actually increase Strength by 30 points.” Lingtong covered her mouth in astonishment once again. As the chief auctioneer, she was intimately familiar with the value of every item. At present, all players were below level 30, and 30 points of Strength was enough to drive any melee class mad. She could even assert that the auction price of this Intermediate Mighty Pill would surpass that of the White Tiger Pill. After all, while the White Tiger Pill’s attributes were also extraordinary, it was restricted to level 25, which meant its market was nowhere as broad as that of the Intermediate Mighty Pill.

Then she glanced at the Spirit Awakening Pill. Though not as overpowered as the Intermediate Mighty Pill, its ability to instantly restore 300 mana was deeply coveted by spellcasters. Most crucially, there was currently no potion in the entire Lie Mountain City capable of restoring mana instantly. The Spirit Awakening Pill was bound to fetch an extremely high price at auction, and this unique item was exactly what the auction house needed to break into the market.

“We can supply both these herbs, at our purchase price: each Zhalong Grass for 3 gold, each Dreamflower for 2 gold. At present, we have 300 Zhalong Grass and 500 Dreamflowers. We can transfer them all to you, Nightfall, but we do have some conditions. You must not sell these pills to a third party. If you agree…” Lingtong’s expression grew serious, but before she could finish, Ye Chen waved a hand to interrupt her.

“Hold on. Not selling to a third party is fine, but Zhalong Grass at 3 gold each, Dreamflower at 2 gold each—such steep prices, plus other materials, I’m starting to wonder if I’ll be losing money.” Ye Chen smiled wryly. At this rate, the cost of an Intermediate Mighty Pill soared to 9.5 gold, and even the Spirit Awakening Pill cost 3.5 gold; he doubted anyone would willingly pay so much for consumables.

“Nightfall, does the cost of an Intermediate Mighty Pill exceed 15 gold? Does the Spirit Awakening Pill cost over 6 gold?” Lingtong blinked and asked.

Ye Chen quickly shook his head. If the costs were really that high, who would buy them?

Lingtong chuckled softly and said, “Then what’s there to worry about? I can guarantee the auction price for the Intermediate Mighty Pill will be at least 20 gold, and the Spirit Awakening Pill at least 8 gold. If not, Yinhua Flowing Gold will cover the difference for you at those prices.”

“Twenty gold? Eight gold? Are you sure you haven’t made a mistake? The Intermediate Mighty Pill is indeed powerful, but it’s still just a consumable. Twenty gold for ten minutes of thirty extra Strength? Who would be so extravagant? And the Spirit Awakening Pill only restores 300 mana. Though nobody in Lie Mountain City sells such potions, eight gold for 300 mana? Only a fool would pay that!” This time, Ye Chen was incredulous.

Lingtong smiled alluringly and spoke in a gentle, measured tone. “Nightfall, you underestimate the value of monopoly-effect pills—and the spending power of God Descends players. Yinhua Flowing Gold is in this business; we know the value of every item. Yes, my prices are high, even absurd for ordinary players, who would never pay for such things.”

When it came to her expertise, Lingtong radiated confidence. She brushed aside her bangs and continued, “But you’re targeting the wrong buyers. You shouldn’t market these monopoly-effect pills to ordinary players. Our boss at Yinhua Flowing Gold says that in the high-consumption business, making money off the poor only makes you poorer; making money off the rich makes you richer. These luxury items are meant for those who can spend with abandon. Even Dragon Soar doesn’t count—they’re a family, and must weigh gains and losses, consider practicality. But the wealthy are different. Thirty points of Strength can help them defeat an old rival, let them shine in front of others. Three hundred mana instantly restored can make their female companion stand out in the party. What they’re buying is that feeling. If everyone thought like you, then who would buy branded bags costing tens of thousands, or even pricier sports cars in real life? Trust me, if I say they’ll sell, they’ll sell. I’m a professional.”

Lingtong’s reasoning seemed sound. Besides, with Yinhua Flowing Gold backing him, Ye Chen needn’t worry whether the pills would sell. He just had to make them, and whatever happened, he’d profit. If they didn’t sell, he’d simply stop making unprofitable pills and focus on Blood Condensing Pills—he’d still earn.

He directly took all of Yinhua Flowing Gold’s stock of Zhalong Grass and Dreamflowers, agreeing that the cost would be deducted from auction proceeds. After bidding farewell to Lingtong, who was full of anticipation, Ye Chen headed straight for the second floor of the Alchemist Guild, intent on crafting 60 Intermediate Mighty Pills and 100 Spirit Awakening Pills. The pill fire and furnace alone cost 240 gold, and the Intermediate Mighty Pills required Strength Beast Souls—each costing 5 gold, totaling 300 gold. Watching his funds quickly drop by 540 gold, Ye Chen hardly dared to calculate further. This didn’t even include the herbs. Altogether, this batch would cost over two thousand gold. If not for Yinhua Flowing Gold’s guarantee, he wouldn’t dare attempt such an experiment—one misstep could ruin him.

Over a hundred pills took nearly two hours to craft. The Intermediate Mighty Pills were especially time-consuming, each taking about a minute; Spirit Awakening Pills took half a minute. Pill refining was tedious, but the one consolation was his alchemist title advanced to “Entering the Hall,” raising his pill success rate by 9%. This title would truly shine once his alchemy reached level four.

After tidying up, he saw it was already half past one in the afternoon. Lingtong had already urged him several times, so he hurriedly messaged her, saying he’d arrive soon. Then he dashed down the stairs and used the city’s teleport array, arriving near Yinhua Flowing Gold Auction House in the western city.

At this moment, crowds surged outside the auction house, with players already queuing at the main entrance, shoulder to shoulder. Ye Chen struggled to get in, and finally had to message Lingtong, asking them to open the side door. When the side door opened just for him, the waiting crowd erupted in boos and curses. Thankfully, Ye Chen wore a cloak and wasn’t recognized; otherwise, he’d surely be mobbed next time he walked the streets.

In a rush, he managed to enter before two o’clock. After handing the Intermediate Mighty Pills and Spirit Awakening Pills to the anxious Lingtong, both felt a weight lifted. Lingtong hurried off to oversee the auction, and Ye Chen, led by an elven girl, entered the auction hall.

He found a seat in a front corner and checked the time: 1:55 p.m. In five minutes, Lie Mountain City’s first auction would begin.