Bidding

Though he still had 4,500 Low-Grade Spirit Stones left, Ye Xiwen was still desperately short on Spirit Stones. The rate at which he consumed them was simply terrifying—he traded Spirit Stones for cultivation speed.

Early in the morning, Ye Xiwen rose at dawn. Rather than continuing to lock himself away in his room, he planned to head for the largest auction house in the city, Tian Yin Auction House.

Ye Xiwen was going to Tian Yin Auction House because the City Lord's Mansion had finally made an announcement. Of the four Xiantian Pills refined this time, the City Lord's Mansion had kept two, while the remaining two would be auctioned at Sky Silver Auction House, the largest auction house in the city, three days later.

For a time, Sky Silver Auction House became the target of public criticism. Had it been an ordinary auction house, the martial artists would likely have trampled it flat before long. But it was Sky Silver Auction House. It had branches in many places, and its headquarters was located in the capital of the Dayue Kingdom. It was one of the foremost powers in the Dayue Kingdom—how could these people afford to provoke it?

Ye Xiwen intended to take a look first. Besides, today was Sky Silver Auction House's monthly auction, so perhaps something worthwhile might turn up.

Tian Yin Auction House was extremely famous in Tian Yuan City, and Ye Xiwen found it easily.

The moment Ye Xiwen laid eyes on Tian Yin Auction House, he was struck by its majestic grandeur. It truly deserved its reputation as a large auction house with branches throughout the country.

Sky Silver Auction House was usually bustling, but at this moment it was even more packed with voices rising like a boiling cauldron. Countless martial artists flooded inside. Fortunately, the auction house was spacious enough; otherwise, a great many of them would not even have been able to enter.

Just as Ye Xiwen was about to go in, a guard stopped him and told him he needed to pay an entrance fee of five Low-Grade Spirit Stones. Ye Xiwen immediately cursed inwardly at how blackhearted they were, but seeing everyone else obediently paying up, he said nothing more. After handing over five Low-Grade Spirit Stones, he entered Tian Yin Auction House.

Ye Xiwen soon found a seat. From what he had learned, Sky Silver Auction House held around ten auctions each day, each lasting roughly an hour. One could enter at any time and bid at any time.

He sat in the ordinary seating area. On the second floor were private rooms for distinguished guests, not somewhere ordinary martial artists could enter.

Bang! The sound of a wooden gavel striking the table rang throughout the auction hall. An elderly man in white robes appeared before the table, a wooden gavel in hand.

The instant Ye Xiwen saw him, he was greatly surprised. This white-robed elder was actually a Houtian Ninth Stage expert as well. Sky Silver Auction House truly had profound foundations, to send a Houtian Ninth Stage expert to preside over this auction.

However, because of the City Lord's Mansion's Xiantian Pills over the past few days, numerous martial artists had been drawn here. Nearly all those attending the auction were experts. Without an expert present, they likely would not have been able to keep these people in line.

"Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend the first auction held by our auction house today. As always, I trust that the auctions organized by our auction house will absolutely not disappoint you!" the white-robed elder said slowly.

"I believe everyone is well acquainted with our rules, so this old man will not repeat them. Let us begin this auction at once. The first item is an alloy longsword, unquestionably a fine-grade weapon and certainly an excellent blade!" the white-robed elder said.

At that moment, a maid stepped forward carrying a silver tray and placed it on the table. The white-robed elder lifted the red cloth covering the tray, revealing a finely crafted pale-red longsword lying quietly atop it.

Ye Xiwen had no use for the longsword. He practiced saber techniques and used a saber. Besides, he felt that the saber he currently wielded far surpassed this treasured sword.

Though Ye Xiwen had no interest in it, many others coveted it eagerly. Before long, the sword was purchased for two hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

Naturally, Ye Xiwen knew this was merely an appetizer; the true main course had yet to arrive. Sure enough, Sky Silver Auction House gradually brought out several fine weapons and rare materials afterward, but none stirred Ye Xiwen's interest. He had no use for them, so he did not join the bidding.

Gradually, even people in the private rooms for distinguished guests began competing, calling out bids one after another. Compared with those below, the people in the private rooms were undoubtedly far more lavish.

After a little over half an hour, the auction elder suddenly said something that caught Ye Xiwen's attention.

"The next item we will auction is a secret manual!" the white-robed elder said with a smile. "It is a body-tempering cultivation art. According to our appraisal, it may be a Xiantian Technique, though it is incomplete. Even so, cultivating it would be no worse than using a mid-grade cultivation art!"

As he spoke, he lifted the red cloth, revealing a somewhat tattered secret manual with the words Overlord Body Art written upon it.

"The starting price for this Overlord Body Art is two hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones!" the white-robed elder announced.

If it had been an ordinary Xiantian Technique, people might not even be willing to let you take a look for two hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones. But an incomplete one was another matter entirely—especially one so severely incomplete that it could only compare to a mid-grade cultivation art.

But that was true for others. To Ye Xiwen, it was not a problem at all. He had already tested it before: he truly could deduce cultivation arts. So long as he had enough Spirit Stones, he could completely deduce a Xiantian Technique.

For him, what he lacked right now was precisely a body-tempering cultivation art.

"Three hundred and fifty Low-Grade Spirit Stones!" Ye Xiwen called out first.

"Four hundred!" A voice called from one of the private rooms the moment Ye Xiwen finished speaking.

"Four hundred and ten!" Ye Xiwen added another ten.

"Five hundred!" The person in the private room raised the bid by another whole order of magnitude.

No way. Five hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones could buy even a somewhat inferior high-grade cultivation art. Did they have so much money they had nowhere to spend it?

"Five hundred and fifty!" Ye Xiwen said through gritted teeth.

"Six hundred!" The other party raised the price again.

At the scene, only Ye Xiwen and the distinguished guest in that private room remained in the bidding. For ordinary martial artists, spending six hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones on an incomplete cultivation art was practically asking to be screwed over!

For the distinguished guests in the private rooms, a mid-grade cultivation art was not worth such a price either. Thus, in the end, only Ye Xiwen and the distinguished guest in that private room continued raising the bid.

Brothers and sisters, the books ahead are too savage. Do you dare give this a little more support?