Tian Ji gave up on the bidding because the poisoning of his second uncle was not severe, and he could survive longer than the other two poisoned individuals; thus, his plan was similar to that of the ice-cold girl, thinking it wise to save the money for when a truly useful antidote appeared, and then it would not be too late to act.

When Lu Qiu learned he had secured the small elixir, he was excited; however, his joy lasted only a few seconds before Zhong Hongyan doused him with a "bucket of cold water."

"I just received a notification announcing another Hundred Steps Heart-Piercing Poison Antidote awaiting auction; now, I present the elixir here; if anyone needs it, hurry and start bidding; this might be the last antidote available, so I hope everyone seizes the opportunity," Zhong Hongyan said as she glanced meaningfully at the three bidders below, hoping they understood her implication.

Indeed, she was creating a sense of crisis to drive the auction of the elixir.

Sure enough, upon hearing her final reminder, Lu Qiu, Tian Ji, and the ice-cold girl started bidding again.

"One hundred fifty million!"

"Two hundred million!"

"Two hundred fifty million!"

.......

If this indeed was the last antidote, then they must do their utmost to compete. However, they wouldn't be too reckless, because the national auctions were not limited to Night Osmanthus; just because Night Osmanthus didn't have it didn't mean other auctions wouldn't; therefore, one should always keep a way out, and not spend all their wealth on one item.

Eventually, the second elixir was sold for fifteen billion, and the successful bidder was not Lu Qiu but Tian Ji.

"It's a good thing that the Tian Family also needs the Hundred Steps Heart-Piercing Poison Antidote," Yifan felt greatly relieved.

If he encountered that cultivator from the Tian Family who was covertly tracking his whereabouts, he knew how to deal with him. His identity from Medicinal Saint Valley might not scare them, but the Hundred Steps Heart-Piercing Poison Antidote should hold them at bay, or else he would fight it out; alternatively, he could lure him to his rental house and let the landlord's grandmother eliminate him.

The two elixirs netted thirty billion in total, and after deducting commission fees, he still had twenty-four billion, which truly made Yifan a fortune.

"This business really makes more money than running a company!" Yifan exclaimed.

Now, he was wealthy again.

"Tsk tsk! Those in Medicinal Saint Valley must have endless gold and jewels and inexhaustible Martial Arts Secret Manuals, truly fortunate."

Through this auction, he finally realized how valuable an alchemist could be; it was indeed easy to make big money. However, it was also thanks to Zhong Hongyan's persuasive skills; without them, earning over twenty billion would have been more challenging.

After waiting in the room for a while, Zhong Hongyan entered with a smile.

"Mr. Lin, congratulations! The auction of the elixirs was perfectly completed!"

She was extremely excited about securing such a high transaction price; after all, the auction house would receive a substantial amount of commission fees.

"Congratulations to us both! The cake belongs to everyone," Lin modestly replied.

"Now that both elixirs have been successfully auctioned, I'm wondering if Mr. Lin has prepared the next elixir?" Zhong Hongyan inquired tentatively.

"Refining the Hundred Steps Heart-Piercing Poison Antidote is no easy task; but, give me a few days, and I am confident I can produce it," Lin Yifan said understatedly before giving hope, letting Zhong Yanhong know his difficulties and then offering a glimmer of hope; letting her know he was still valuable.

"Then I'll wait for Mr. Lin's good news!"

On the other side, after obtaining the antidote, Luqiu Shaoge and Tian Ji hurriedly flew to Capital City to administer the captured antidote to their relatives.

After the two patients took the antidote refined by Lin Yifan, their conditions improved; however, they still appeared very weak and needed to consume large quantities of these insufficiently potent antidotes.

"Shaoge! Stop wasting money, this poison of mine can't be cured," Luqiu Shaoge's uncle pleaded.

He knew Luqiu Shaoge must have spent a lot of money to purchase the Hundred Steps Heart-Piercing Poison Antidote; so he felt a bit distressed, as money was not easily earned, especially within their prominent families.

The entire family was wealthy, but when divided among them, only a few households were actually affluent.

"Uncle! Rest assured, I will find a better antidote and rid you of the poison; please, heal in peace and don't worry too much," Luqiu Shaoge comforted in return.

He understood his uncle's intentions, but he couldn't just stand by and watch him die. Even if it meant spending all his wealth, he was determined to cure his uncle; after all, his uncle had been like a mountain of kindness to him.

If it hadn't been for his uncle, he would have died from a snake bite at the age of three; thus, he must repay this great kindness, or he would never be at peace.

"Ah! Why are you always so disobedient!" Luqiu Shaoge's uncle sighed, then closed his eyes and rested.

However, as Luqiu Shaoge left the room, tears slipped from the corners of his eyes. Over the years, his care for the boy had not been in vain.

In the Tian family, Tian Ji's situation was not as subtle as Luqiu Shaoge's.

Tian Ji was a straightforward person who would not shy away from speaking his mind.

"Uncle, you must not die! If you die, there will be no one left in this family to speak for me!" Tian Ji wailed beside the bed, utterly heartbroken.

Seeing his uncle's condition worsen on his return, he couldn't help but worry; although his uncle's poisoning was less severe, the Hundred Steps Heart-Piercing Poison was a vicious kind, difficult to eradicate completely. Over time, it would gradually corrode the heart until the poisoned person's heart failed, causing death; hence his deep concern about losing his uncle.

At that moment, he experienced a fear like never before.

"Ji'er, what are you saying? Your uncle will live a hundred years, how could he possibly die? Mind your words!" Tian Ji's mother scolded.

With the uncle's support, their family of three could live comfortably and freely in the intensely competitive large clan; if the uncle were to perish, those good days would be over; so, in any case, they hoped nothing would happen to the uncle—not even in words.

"Mom! How am I wrong? Uncle's breathing is weak, and his complexion worsens each day, if that's not nearing death, what is?" Tian Ji protested, feeling aggrieved; he really spared no words.

"You rude child, how could you speak such curses? It's infuriating!" Tian Ji's father also came over and rebuked.

It must be said, the father and son looked quite alike, both bearing faces that resembled a toad's, as if cast from the same mold.

"Enough! Stop scolding Ji'er; he's right, my life is indeed nearing its end," the uncle of the Tian family reasoned.

Though he had a wife but no children, his favorite was this nephew of his; thus, he allowed no one to bully Tian Ji. Even Tian Ji's parents were not exempted.

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