Chapter 55: Chapter 52: Snake Woman
Mu Chen was startled and quickly looked toward the stage. Just then, Elder Zhou took a jade box from his Storage Ring. The box wasn’t large, but a faint red glow could be seen emanating from within.
Elder Zhou chuckled and stroked the surface of the box. "This next item is a bit of a palate cleanser, brought out midway through the auction. It was originally one of the finale items, but to liven things up, I’ve decided to bring it out early."
After speaking, Elder Zhou carefully opened the lid of the Jade Box. The temperature in the entire hall instantly shot up. So people in the front rows were forced by the searing heat to release their Primordial Power and form defensive barriers just to remain standing. A few with lower cultivations were already on the verge of fainting from the heatwave.
Seeing that so people couldn’t hold on, Elder Zhou imdiately closed the lid. He then spread his hands, and a vast wave of Primordial Power instantly enveloped everyone in the front rows. In a matter of monts, they gradually recovered.
This act alone left everyone astounded. The Profound Old Ghost chuckled, his expression calm. "To think that in a small place like this, even an auction’s host is a Martial King Level expert. Kid, you still have a long way to go."
Hearing this, Mu Chen was surprised, but it only strengthened his resolve to beco stronger.
Seeing that everyone had recovered, Elder Zhou offered an apologetic smile. "My sincere apologies. I believe you’ve all had a glimpse of the next item. That’s right, inside this Jade Box is a stalk of a Gradeless Herb: the Fire Crow Grass. Not to ntion anything else, its effects are equivalent to a Fifth-Grade dicinal Herb, which alone proves its value. Now, allow
to provide a free explanation. The Fire Crow Grass grows in a Land of Extre Yang and Heat, making it incredibly rare. It can neutralize cold poisons and ward off the cold just by being carried. However, its most important function is this: if consud by a Fire Attribute Martial Artist, the purity of their Fire Attribute Elental Power will be greatly enhanced. It is an all-purpose dicinal herb, capable of detoxification, support, and amplification."
After Elder Zhou’s speech, the once-calm auction hall erupted into a clamor once again. His goal of livening up the atmosphere had been achieved.
"Fire Crow Grass? Master, what use is this to ?" Mu Chen asked his master in a low voice.
The Profound Old Ghost shook his head. "What use is it to you? It’s of imnse use! First, the temperature at Cang Mountain Peak is extrely low, more than ten tis colder than Frost Cold Town. Without sothing to protect your body, forget about retrieving the items I left behind—you wouldn’t even be able to reach the peak. Second, when you absorb the Extre Ice Attribute, having this Fire Crow Grass will significantly increase your chances of success. So, you tell , is it useful to you or not?"
Only then did Mu Chen have a mont of realization. He clenched his fists. "In that case, I must have it."
Just then, Elder Zhou began the auction. "The starting price for this item is 100,000. Each bid must be an incrent of at least 1,000. Let the bidding begin!"
"One hundred ten thousand!"
"One hundred twenty thousand!"
"One hundred forty thousand!"
"One hundred sixty thousand!"
The price shot up, reaching 160,000 in a matter of monts. This was already an incredibly high price. Mu Chen subconsciously touched his Storage Ring, where a hefty 230,000 Purple Elental Crystals lay.
"One hundred sixty thousand, are there no more bids?" Elder Zhou frowned. This price was still below the item’s upper limit. ’Could it be that no one brought enough money today?’ But his professionalism forced him to push on. "Going once for 160,000! Going twice for 160,000! Going..."
"One hundred seventy thousand!"
This was the first ti Mu Chen had called out a price, and his very first bid drew everyone’s attention. People turned to look behind them. Although Mu Chen was seated in a remote corner, he was also the only one there, so he quickly beca the focus of their gazes.
Elder Zhou was undoubtedly the most pleased. He smiled and said, "Distinguished guest number 14111 bids 170,000! Do I hear a higher bid? This is a Fifth-Grade Herb! If used properly, it can have an enormous effect. Are there any other bids?"
At that mont, another bidder gritted his teeth. His scorching Primordial Power began to leak out; he was clearly a Fire Attribute Martial Artist who also desperately needed the Fire Crow Grass. "I bid 175,000!"
Elder Zhou’s eyes lit up. This was exactly the kind of situation he loved to see. ’There’s hope yet,’ he thought. "Distinguished guest number 78 bids 175,000! Is there a higher bid?"
"One hundred eighty thousand."
Mu Chen was perfectly calm. He had already resolved to win this herb, so he was prepared to bid up to 220,000 for it.
"One hundred eighty-nine thousand!"
After shouting his bid, the Fire Attribute Martial Artist in seat number 78 said coolly, "Sir, I am truly in great need of this dicinal herb. I ask that you please be magnanimous."
Mu Chen was amused and retorted with a laugh, "If I didn’t truly need it, why would I be competing with you at such a high price? That just goes to show that I need it more than you do. One hundred ninety thousand!"
The man in seat number 78’s face turned livid. He shot Mu Chen a vicious glare, as if trying to burn his appearance into mory. But Mu Chen was completely obscured by his black robes and conical hat, making him impossible to see clearly. After staring for a mont, the man slumped back into his seat, dejected.
"Going once for 190,000! Going twice for 190,000! Going three tis... Sold! Buyer number 14111, please co backstage after the auction to collect your item." Elder Zhou’s face was flushed with success. While 190,000 wasn’t the absolute maximum for the Fire Crow Grass, it wasn’t far off.
"Next up..."
Mu Chen paid little attention to the subsequent items. With only 30,000 Purple Elental Crystals left, he was hardly qualified to participate in the upcoming bids. So, he simply closed his eyes and feigned sleep, only glancing up whenever a new item was brought out before showing no further interest.
The auction continued, with each subsequent item becoming more and more valuable. As they appeared one after another, Mu Chen found his horizons broadened. There was an endless stream of Forging Materials, weapons, Combat Skills, Cultivation Techniques, pills, and dicinal herbs.
Just as Mu Chen was marveling at the display, Elder Zhou suddenly let out a hearty laugh. "Distinguished guests, the preliminary portion of our auction is nearly over! Next is the long-awaited grand finale! By tradition, our auction house usually presents only three finale items for bidding. But today is different! To reward everyone for your patronage over the years, our auction house has decided to add two extra items to the usual three! Furthermore, any distinguished guest who successfully bids on any of these final five items will receive a VIP Certificate from our Shanjin Comrce Association!"
With that, a light flashed in Elder Zhou’s hand, and a simple-looking Jade Pendant appeared before everyone.
"Hehe, I imagine not everyone is familiar with this VIP Certificate, so allow
to explain. The so-called VIP Certificate is a unique Jade Pendant from our Shanjin Comrce Association. It has no special powers of its own, but if you present it at any Shanjin Auction House, you will receive special treatnt. First, any items you win will be sold to you at a ten percent discount off the final price. Second, any VIP holding this certificate may enter the VIP area at any auction, which includes a private auction room, special service, and the best viewing angle. Alright, I’ve said enough. I hereby declare that the grand finale of this auction begins now!"
This ti, the entire auction house completely erupted. Everyone’s spirits soared uncontrollably, their eyes fixed on the stage, as if blinking for even a second might cause them to miss a miraculous item.
Elder Zhou stroked his beard. With a flip of his wrist, a blue jade bottle appeared before everyone. "This is the first item of our grand finale. I’m sure that just by looking at this bottle, you can sense its value. That’s right, this is a Blue Crystal Jade Bottle, a vessel used to store precious pills. And inside are two Martial Power Pills."
"’Martial Power Pill?’ Mu Chen muttered. He had never heard of this pill, but he had seen that type of bottle before. The Martial King Essence Pill he had found in Morin’s ring last ti was stored in Blue Crystal."
The Profound Old Ghost chuckled from the side. "Kid, sothing you need has arrived. This is good stuff. Although it can’t compare to a Martial Artist’s Primordial Pill, it’s still a rare pill for advancing through the Martial Artist Realm. It just only works for the lower stages. This pill is only effective for martial artists below the Martial Spirit Realm."
Mu Chen turned to the Profound Old Ghost. "So it’s effective for the Martial Artist, Martial Master, and Grand Martial Master realms?"
"Yes, it works for all of them. However, there are limits. It can only be taken once at each of the Martial Artist, Martial Master, and Grand Martial Master realms. Each ti it is consud, it can raise a martial artist’s cultivation by one ring."
"’This really is the pill I need most right now, but...’ Mu Chen awkwardly fiddled with the Storage Ring on his finger. He only had 30,000 Purple Elental Crystals left inside."
"Idiot! Don’t you still have two scrolls of Profound Rank Battle Techniques? Forget a single bottle of Martial Power Pills, you have more than enough to buy all five remaining items! Hurry up and bid!" the Profound Old Ghost scolded, urging Mu Chen to call out a price as the bidding had already reached a high of 130,000.
"One hundred thirty thousand! Number 3773 bids 130,000! Are there any higher bids? Going once for 130,000..."
"One hundred thirty-two thousand!"
Elder Zhou imdiately cut himself off and continued, "Number 3333 bids 132,000! Does anyone else want to bid? Do I hear a higher price?"
"One hundred forty thousand!"
A raspy voice called out—it was Mu Chen. Everyone turned in unison toward the source of the sound. A single look was all it took for them to fall silent, then break into discussion, realizing it was the sa man in black who had just bought the Fire Crow Grass.
"Who is this guy in black? So loaded?"
"Who knows? But you can’t just throw money around like that, even if you’re rich. He keeps raising the bid by ten thousand at a ti. He’s not even letting people bid properly."
"Dammit, I don’t believe this! One hundred fifty thousand!"
The bidder was a handso young man. When Mu Chen followed the voice with his eyes, he felt a strong sense of fate. It was none other than the young master of Cold City, Han Jun—the very source of his conflict at the Celestial Fragrance Pavilion a few days ago. A mischievous thought suddenly sparked in Mu Chen’s mind. He asked in a low voice, "Master, what’s the maximum value of this bottle of Martial Power Pills?"
The Profound Old Ghost rubbed his chin. "By my estimation, this bottle of pills is worth 150,000 at most. Any higher and it’s not worth it."
"’Is that so...’ After replying to the Profound Old Ghost, Mu Chen’s lips suddenly curled into a smirk as he shouted, "Two hundred thousand!"
That shout stunned not only every buyer present but also left Elder Zhou frozen in place on the stage. It wasn’t that he’d never auctioned an item for 200,000—he had sold plenty for much more—but this was the first ti, the absolute first ti, he had ever heard of two Martial Power Pills fetching such a high price. After composing himself, Elder Zhou bood once more, "A distinguished guest has bid 200,000! Two hundred thousand! Is there a higher bid?"
Reviews
All reviews (0)