sinovels Chapter 20 The Auction Ends
Chapter 20 The Auction Ends
As soon as Master Ziyang finished speaking, after a brief silence, bids were placed one after another!
"Two thousand five hundred yuan!" A mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator from the southern region, carrying an ancient sword, spoke first, his eyes brimming with sword intent, clearly determined to obtain the sword.
"Two thousand eight hundred yuan!" An elder from the Huaxian Sect, one of the ten major sects of the Great Jin Dynasty and renowned for its swordsmanship, immediately followed up, his voice steady and powerful.
"Three thousand pieces!" The Iron Ape Demon King, who had remained silent until now, joined the fray. While demons are often known for their physical prowess and innate supernatural abilities, a powerful, heaven-reaching spiritual treasure is a strategic asset to any force.
"Three thousand three hundred yuan!"
"Three thousand six hundred yuan!"
Prices skyrocketed, driven by representatives of major powers and powerful Nascent Soul cultivators! Even a flawed Heaven-Reaching Treasure was enough to entice many Nascent Soul elders to vie for it. Many cultivators who had previously acquired their desired items now joined the fray again, their eyes red with greed.
The cultivators from the Seven Star Realm watched the intense scene with complex expressions. One of them whispered to Huanglong Shangren, "Brother Huanglong, the abundance of resources in this realm is truly beyond imagination. Even Heavenly Treasures are being auctioned off... It's a pity we suffered heavy losses when we crossed realms; most of our wealth was destroyed in the spatial storm. Otherwise, we might have been able to compete."
Master Huanglong's gaze lingered on the Azure Nether Sword for a moment, then he shook his head and replied telepathically, "Even if we were to win the bid, given our outsider status and lack of powerful allies, possessing such a treasure would be a crime, and we might not be able to protect it. The most urgent matter is to help me break through to the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm. Only with late-stage cultivation can we truly establish ourselves in this world, and then we can consider other matters. It's already extremely fortunate that we were able to win the 'Breaking Yuan Pill' this time."
Wang Tianlong sat upright, watching the price rapidly break through four thousand and approach the five thousand mark, his heart filled with turmoil. Even if he could only unleash eighty percent of the power of an offensive, heaven-reaching spiritual treasure, the boost to his strength would be obvious. Combined with his Wind Escape Technique and Sky-Stepping Boots, his offense, defense, and escape would be far more comprehensive.
However, reality was harsh. To acquire the Golden Thunder Bamboo, he had nearly emptied his pockets of spirit stones and even used talisman-making materials and his stockpile of talismans to offset a significant portion of the price. Now, the spirit stones and other readily convertible items he had left totaled no more than 1,500 high-grade spirit stones. In this battlefield where stakes often reached four or five thousand, he didn't even qualify for entry.
He could only shake his head with slight regret, suppressing his desire, and instead watched this struggle between true powerhouses with the mindset of a pure bystander. At the same time, he secretly noted down the cultivators and forces that offered the most aggressive bids and had the greatest financial resources; these people might be the ones he needed to keep an eye on or deal with in the mortal realm in the future.
Prices are still soaring.
The bidding for the Heavenly Treasure "Azure Nether Sword" deviated from the usual pace from the very beginning, quickly evolving into a battle of wealth and courage between top powers and top cultivators.
The price, like a runaway horse, surged forward at a breathtaking speed under the astonished gazes of the crowd. In just a few dozen breaths, it had brazenly broken through the threshold of five thousand high-grade spirit stones! At this level, only representatives of truly profound and long-standing top sects, as well as a few equally wealthy late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators who seemed to have a special need for offensive Heavenly Treasures, could continue to raise the price without changing their expressions.
"Five thousand five hundred dollars!" An old man from a reclusive family in the Central Plains, whose aura was as deep as an ancient well, spoke for the first time. His voice was not loud, but it silenced the entire room.
"Five thousand eight hundred coins!" The representative of the Great Jin royal family, a prince dressed in a python robe, exuding an imposing aura, followed up in a deep voice.
"Six thousand two hundred yuan!" The elder of the Immortal Transformation Sect stood firm, demonstrating the sword cultivator's unwavering determination.
"Six thousand five hundred yuan!" The Grand Elder of the Ancient Sword Pavilion, an old man with white hair and beard but a posture as upright as a sword, had sharp eyes and immediately raised the price by three hundred yuan.
On the demon race's side, the Iron Ape Demon King shook his head with a grim expression after the price broke through six thousand, giving up the competition. The other mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators who had been eager to participate had also long since given up and could only watch as spectators witnessing this astonishing contest of wealth.
The price steadily and firmly increased in increments of hundreds of yuan, hovering between several late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators and representatives of top sects. Each price increase felt like a heavy hammer blow to everyone's hearts. Seven thousand yuan, seven thousand five hundred yuan, eight thousand yuan…
When the Grand Elder of the Ancient Sword Pavilion announced the astronomical figure of "eight thousand coins," the entire hall fell into a deathly silence. This price exceeded the entire wealth of many small and medium-sized sects! Even the royal prince and the elder of the reclusive family showed extremely solemn expressions, clearly indicating that this price was approaching or even exceeding their bottom line.
Master Ziyang surveyed the entire room, his voice trembling slightly: "Eight thousand high-grade spirit stones! Are there any other fellow cultivators willing to bid?"
silence.
"Eight thousand dollars for the first time!"
Silence remained, broken only by heavy breathing.
"Eight thousand yuan, the second time!"
The prince's lips moved, but it ultimately turned into a barely audible sigh.
"Eight thousand yuan..."
"Eight thousand three hundred yuan." The calm voice of the Grand Elder of the Ancient Sword Pavilion rang out again, directly raising the price by three hundred yuan, with an unquestionable determination.
This time, no one answered. The old man from the reclusive family closed his eyes, as if calming the turmoil within him.
"Eight thousand three hundred high-grade spirit stones! Third time! Sold!" Master Ziyang slammed the gavel down, his voice echoing throughout the hall. "Congratulations to Ancient Sword Tower for winning the Heaven-Reaching Spiritual Treasure, the Azure Nether Sword!"
As the gavel fell, countless complex gazes fell upon the Grand Elder of the Ancient Sword Pavilion. There was envy, awe, and deep apprehension. To spend 8,300 high-grade spirit stones to acquire a flawed Heaven-Reaching Spiritual Treasure—this audacity and wealth were astonishing. It also indirectly proved the profound foundation of the Ancient Sword Pavilion as the leading sword sect among the ten great sects of the Great Jin Dynasty.
The Grand Elder remained expressionless, slowly rose, and walked towards the auction stage to complete the transaction. For a sword-cultivating sect like the Ancient Sword Pavilion, the symbolic significance and strategic value of a true Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasure-level flying sword, even with flaws, far exceeded what spirit stones could measure.
Wang Tianlong gazed at the scene from afar, his heart filled with countless emotions. Eight thousand three hundred high-grade spirit stones! This was almost equivalent to the value of several intact replicas of spirit treasures, or two nine-thousand-year-old Golden Thunder Bamboo stalks!
As the Grand Elder of the Ancient Sword Pavilion completed the astonishing transaction of 8,300 high-grade spirit stones and carefully put away the shimmering "Azure Nether Sword," this thrilling and magnificent Nascent Soul auction finally came to an end.
With a faint smile on his face, as if he had successfully completed his mission, Master Ziyang walked back to the center of the auction stage and looked around. Inside the hall, after several days of intense bidding, the atmosphere was somewhat complex. There were those who had returned with a full load of spoils, those who had missed their chance and sighed with regret, and those who were simply spectators and were completely satisfied.
"Fellow Daoists," Master Ziyang's voice boomed, echoing throughout the hall, "all items in this Nascent Soul stage auction have been sold. On behalf of the Great Jin Imperial Family and the Kunwu Alliance, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of you for traveling from afar to participate in this grand event!"
He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over the faces of those from all corners of the world, even from other realms, before continuing, "On the path of cultivation, wealth, companions, methods, and opportunities are all equally important. May what you fellow cultivators have gained today aid your path to enlightenment and help you reach new heights. May we, the fellow cultivators of the human realm, share our resources and explore the Great Dao together."
These were routine pleasantries, but they expressed the sentiments of all the cultivators present.
"This auction has now come to a successful conclusion!" Master Ziyang announced in closing. "A hundred years from now, I will hold another grand gathering in the capital city. At that time, I hope to once again gather with fellow Daoists to drink and discuss the Dao, and together seek the path to immortality!"