A Bizarre Assortment

Si Ming felt something must have gone wrong. Was it due to acclimatization issues, or was the longevity of the Elf Race derived from a special bloodline power, which was also being blocked?

Of course, it's also possible that the Elf Race of the Western Luo Continent simply have shorter lifespans.

The female elf was bought for 1.8 million, which wasn't too high or too low. It seems that Westerners are indeed frequently seen at Russia auctions, so everyone is used to it, just like the Kunlun slaves.

Wei Chunxi also raised his paddle once, but once the price exceeded one million, he stopped bidding. He said, "The Elf Race are just a bit more unique in that they have pointed ears. I'm more interested in the orcs. How exactly did they overcome reproductive barriers?"

Si Ming found it even harder to explain, so he changed the subject. "Doesn't Russia prohibit the slave trade?"

"The law explicitly prohibits it, of course, but the Russia government has never had a say, and they can't touch the big gangs."

This is the downside of gang rule. Although gangs can maintain order, don't believe they will abide by the law. Gang members have much lower moral standards than normal people and act recklessly.

Besides the Elf Race woman, there was also a woman from the Li State who was of average appearance and not particularly outstanding. However, she was a princess with distant royal blood, which made her more valuable than the elven woman. Clearly, the people attending the auction were not a group of superficial people who only judged by appearances.

As the auction progressed, more and more good items were brought out, and the atmosphere gradually became more lively. Wei Chunxi's goal for this trip also became clear.

"Please take a look, everyone. This is a Cultivation Method called 'The Sea-Upholding Demon Dragon Art.' As you all guessed, it's a Demon Race martial art with fierce and powerful moves, suitable for those with strong physiques. The starting price is 400,000, and each bid must be at least 50,000 higher."

In this era where advanced Cultivation Method are commonplace, martial arts manuals are practically worthless. Even if you bring out a rare copy not currently available in bookstores, martial arts won't become more powerful just because it's "rare." In many cases, publicly available manuals are actually more suitable for cultivation. Cultivation Method appearing at auctions often have a special background as an attraction, or other value; their content alone is insignificant.

"Five hundred thousand!"

Five hundred and fifty thousand!

Six hundred thousand!

As the bidding began, Wei Chunxi couldn't resist and, when the price reached 800,000, shouted "1.5 million," scaring away a large group of people.

Unfortunately, not everyone was frightened.

"One million six hundred thousand!"

A man dressed in a black robe began bidding against Wei Chunxi.

Chapter 243 Strange and Wonderful

In the end, Wei Chunxi won the "Sea-Upholding Demon Dragon Art" for ten million, which was twenty times the starting price. In an era when high-level Cultivation Method were worthless, this was undoubtedly a huge loss, and anyone would see it as a losing deal.

However, the man in black robes who was bidding against Wei Chunxi didn't see it that way. He stared at Wei Chunxi with a jealous and hateful look, as if he couldn't wait to rush up and snatch it away.

Si Ming cautioned, "Be careful when you leave; that person doesn't seem likely to let this go so easily."

Wei Chunxi didn't take it seriously and casually said, "That's why I asked you to be my bodyguard. I'm just a medical scientist who's passionate about research; I'm not good at fighting."

Si Ming felt that Wei Chunxi's cultivation was not weak and his martial arts skills were not bad, but since the other party said so, he could only take it as the truth.

Wei Chunxi went up on stage to receive the Cultivation Method Secret Manual, and then handed it to Si Ming for safekeeping.

Si Ming casually flipped through it a few times, and the cultivation methods inside were indeed completely unconventional. He asked in bewilderment, "What do you need this Demon Race's Cultivation Method for? It would probably take humans ten times longer to cultivate it, and they might not even be able to get the basics right."

Wei Chunxi said, "I am researching biochemical viruses related to the Demon Race. If we can understand the Demon Race's cultivation methods and make the virus originate from Yao Qi, it will undoubtedly save a lot of effort and also prevent humans from being harmed."

Biological weapons violate international humanitarian law, right? Si Ming thought for a moment. It seems that there are no relevant international laws or regulations in this world. After all, with Internal Cultivation, everyone has a strong resistance to biological weapons, unless it is an enhanced version, the kind of super virus that even experts would fall victim to. But such viruses often have many conditions and are difficult to spread.

"Isn't the 'Demon Blade Art' also Demon Race Cultivation Method? Moreover, this sword technique is widely circulated, and it's sold in many bookstores. There are also many versions with annotations and commentaries."

"It's different. The Demon Blade Art is too universal; Demon Race can practice it, and humans can practice it too, so it doesn't highlight the unique characteristics of the Demon Race. To be honest, many Grandmaster believe that the creator of the Demon Blade Art reached the realm of simplicity in the ultimate truth, which is why he was able to create a sword technique that any species can cultivate as long as they can wield a sword. Many experts believe that the Demon Blade Art may have other secrets, but none have been discovered so far."

After hearing Wei Chunxi's words, Si Ming became interested in the so-called Demon Race martial arts. If he could learn a thing or two, he might be able to use it to hide his identity or even frame someone when necessary, which is a feature that other human martial arts do not have.

Seeing that Wei Chunxi didn't seem to care much, he immediately began to read it carefully. Unless it was absolutely impossible for humans to cultivate the "Sea-Upholding Demon Dragon Art," as long as there was even the slightest hope, his talent could come into play.

The auction continued on the stage without any intervention despite the potential for conflict among the customers. After all, such incidents were all too common in chaotic Russia, and the organizers were only concerned with preventing them from happening on their own turf; otherwise, they would have to intervene to protect the business.

The auction items became increasingly bizarre and unusual as the auction progressed. In contrast, the earlier slave auctions were quite ordinary, and even some unscrupulous Merchant School could produce such items. This level of sophistication did not reflect the collector's Eclectic School collection abilities.

"This auction item is 'The Druid Balance Art,' which mainly discusses the understanding and insights of a profession called Druid on the continent of the Luo Continent regarding the way of natural balance. It also records various methods for cultivating herbs and magical plants, as well as formulas for special potions. It has been confirmed that the potion formulas are also effective in the Sea Continent. The starting price is 400,000, and each bid must be at least 50,000."

The item was eventually purchased by a Daoist for 1.1 million, presumably because he was interested in the so-called "nature" and "balance." From his conversation, it was clear that he considered Druids to be a branch of Daoist School.

"This auction item is a demonic spear, said to possess the supernatural Divine Ability to reverse cause and effect. Its method of use has not yet been tested. It also carries Curse that reduces luck, which is similarly unverified. However, setting aside these two effects, the spear itself is a rare and powerful weapon. Starting price is four million, with each bid no less than two hundred thousand."

"This auction item is a prosthetic mechanical arm, entirely crafted from black iron, making it indestructible. It comes equipped with a revolver-shaped pile driver, providing unparalleled breakthrough power in close combat. Its piles are infused with refined gold, making it virtually impossible for any shield to withstand its penetration. Additionally, it features a triple-barreled machine gun, ensuring a certain level of long-range firepower. It can be described as a culmination of ingenuity and modern technology. The starting price is three million, with each bid no less than one hundred thousand."

By the time Si Ming snapped out of his reverie while studying the "Sea-Upholding Demon Dragon Art," the auction was almost over. The item currently being auctioned also came from the Luo Continent and was called "Sevenfold Heaven." It was Divine Arts manual from the Holy Church of Light of the Luo Continent, and he didn't know how it had been obtained.

Despite the auctioneer's impressive claims—that it was a sacred text, only worthy of being practiced by the Pope and cardinals, capable of communicating with the four archangels, and granting mortals strength comparable to a Nascent Spirit Transformation —there were very few bidders.

Divine Dao Arts are indeed feasible in the Sea Continent, but gods from the outside world cannot enter the Sea Continent. Once they do, they will lose all their divine power and become just like ordinary people. Therefore, no one can guarantee whether Divine Arts from the outside world can communicate with gods and obtain Divine Arts under the influence of the Sea Continent's barrier.

Furthermore, there are differences between Eastern and Western Divine Dao Arts Divine Arts. Western Divine Arts focus on seeking divine intervention, while Eastern Divine Arts focus on controlling the gods.

For example, Western priests must worship the gods they believe in. The more devout they are, the more blessings they will receive from God. If they are disrespectful and the gods find out, they may take back all the blessings and they will not be able to use any Divine Arts.

But the East doesn't follow this rule. For example, Daoists often say "Supreme Elder Lord, hurry up and do as the law commands," which, in vulgar terms, means "Supreme Elder Lord is my buddy, you guys hurry up and do this for me." In essence, it is to use Divine Arts in the form of driving and commanding. For example, the shikigami in Yin-Yang Arts is also a kind of manifestation of controlling the gods.

Daoist priests may respect the Three Pure Ones and other famous figures, but they rarely pay attention to heavenly soldiers and generals, Yellow Turban warriors, or the Six Ding and Six Jia gods, often treating them as laborers. This kind of thinking is hard to understand in Western religions. Even the lowest-ranking angels are worshipped as masters by priests and clergy, who dare not have any blasphemous thoughts.

Despite numerous concerns, the legendary Holy Church of Radiance was auctioned off at a very low price, and the buyer didn't show any sign of having gotten a bargain.

"It's almost over, looks like there are only a few items left to auction. It's a shame I didn't even bid, what a wasted trip..." Si Ming reached into his pocket, touched his bank card, and suddenly remembered something, "Oh no, I almost forgot about that!"

At that moment, he suddenly remembered who was sitting to his left, and quickly turned around to ask, "Is there anything you want?"