Auction

Leaving his residence, Zeng Fan walked through the Imperial City, taking in its prosperity, listening to the hawkers' cries and the laughter, curses, and chatter of the crowds. His entire body gradually relaxed. The nerves that had been taut for so long slowly loosened. At last, he had set foot on the path of cultivation in this world. Though he did not know how far he could go, compared with living a mediocre, aimless life, he was already deeply satisfied.

"Zeng Fan?" A doubtful voice rang out. Zeng Fan turned around to see a bright-eyed, white-toothed young woman standing prettily behind him. Two girls dressed somewhat plainly stood beside her, seemingly the lead girl's attendants.

"Murong Xue?" Zeng Fan was stunned. To run into her here too—what a coincidence.

"Where are you going? And where is that Yuan Jin? Didn't he come out with you?" Murong Xue asked Zeng Fan curiously, craning her head to look behind him.

"Yuan Jin is still cultivating, preparing to break through. I came out for a stroll alone." Zeng Fan smiled at Murong Xue. Then his gaze paused as he sensed that her aura was stronger than before.

"Miss Murong, did you break through?" Zeng Fan asked with a smile. Though they had clashed during the selection, there was no deep-seated hatred between them. Once it was over, it had drifted away on the wind. They would be in the same sect from now on, so it was no great matter.

"That's right. You noticed? I got lucky—after eating those Spiritual Fruits, I broke through." Murong Xue smiled with narrowed eyes, though a hint of pride still shone in them.

"That is because Miss Murong is talented and has a solid foundation, allowing you to break through so quickly. If it were me, perhaps eating them would not have done much at all." Zeng Fan gave her a small bit of flattery.

Hearing that little compliment, the girl's eyes curved into crescents. "Where were you planning to go? The Imperial City's annual auction has begun. Do you want to come take a look with me?"

Zeng Fan had intended to refuse, but suddenly, a tremor rose from his chest. This is? That feeling from before! Zeng Fan clutched his chest, his expression changing. He would never forget the feeling that had guided him beyond the city back then. It was that very guidance that had led him to obtain the Pulse-Breaking Pill and cultivation technique, allowing him to successfully step into the world of immortals.

"What's wrong?" Murong Xue looked at Zeng Fan clutching his chest in confusion.

"Nothing. I was simply too excited to hear Miss Murong's invitation. Respectfully declining would be worse than accepting, so I'll follow Miss Murong and have a look." Zeng Fan adjusted himself and smiled at Murong Xue.

"Hmph, men should not be so glib-tongued. Then come with me." Murong Xue rolled her eyes at Zeng Fan and walked ahead, with Zeng Fan following after her.

"That feeling's first appearance brought me a fortuitous opportunity no less than changing my life. I wonder what surprise it will bring me this time." Zeng Fan followed Murong Xue toward the Imperial City Auction House as he pondered.

"Welcome, County Princess Murong!" A burst of enthusiastic cries interrupted Zeng Fan's thoughts. The group had stopped before an enormous building. The voices had come from the welcoming maidservants lined up on either side of it.

So this was the Imperial City Auction House. Zeng Fan looked at the building before him. Its overall color was red, decorated with golden patterns. The walls on both sides stretched outward for an unknown distance, and directly above the main gate was the emblem of the Profound Spirit Dynasty, signifying that this was a royal auction house. Dozens of young women stood at the entrance to welcome guests, and they were currently kneeling on the ground in salute to Murong Xue.

A middle-aged man who looked like a steward hurried out from the building. He glanced around in all directions, then spotted Murong Xue and rushed over to bow respectfully. "I did not know County Princess Murong would be visiting the auction house today. I beg Your Highness's forgiveness."

Murong Xue nodded faintly. "Have these people rise. I only came by on a whim today. Arrange a private room for us, and do not make a fuss."

"Yes, please come this way, Your Highness," the steward answered respectfully. Bent at the waist, he led the group into the auction house. Once they arrived at a private room, the steward took his leave, instructing two maidservants to remain behind and await orders. Zeng Fan looked around. The private room was extremely spacious, large enough to hold dozens of people. From below the front of the room, they had a direct view of the auction platform. Judging by the scale of the auction house, it could accommodate several hundred people.

Tsk, tsk. As expected of royalty—the treatment really is excellent, Zeng Fan thought. What he did not know was that ordinary royal family members did not receive such treatment. Because Murong Xue's Earth-grade Spiritual Vein had caught Murong Yunhai's attention, she had been specially transferred from a collateral royal branch into the main line. Murong Xue had also been granted the title of County Princess of the Profound Spirit Dynasty and announced to the world, which was why she enjoyed such privileges.

As Zeng Fan surveyed the surroundings, the crowd below gradually entered the hall, and the noise began to grow louder. The maidservants also brought the catalogue for this auction for Murong Xue to inspect. She casually flipped through it twice before handing it to Zeng Fan. After all, she had merely come out for a stroll. With her Earth Vein aptitude, the Profound Spirit Dynasty naturally granted her every request.

Zeng Fan accepted the catalogue and examined it carefully. After looking through it once, he felt that every item was good, yet none seemed particularly useful to him at the moment. He simply stopped dwelling on it and waited peacefully for the auction to begin.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Following three strikes of a hammer against the table, the auction house gradually quieted. A beam of light shot down from the ceiling, illuminating the auction platform, where an elderly man appeared.

"Good morning, everyone. I am Chen Ren, auctioneer of the Imperial City Auction House. I will be presiding over today's auction. We hold this grand auction only once a year, and I trust it will not disappoint you all. Without further ado, hehe, let us begin." As the elderly auctioneer finished speaking, he waved a hand, and the first auction item was carried up.

An ice-blue treasured sword was carried forward by two burly men, sharp light glinting from its blade. "The Ice Spirit Sword, forged from high-grade cold iron. Once infused with Spiritual Energy, its attacks can send cold energy invading into an enemy's body and slow their movements. Starting bid: fifty Spirit Stones! Each increase must be no less than ten Spirit Stones!"

As soon as Chen Ren finished speaking, the crowd began shouting bids enthusiastically. "Sixty Spirit Stones!"

"Eighty Spirit Stones!"

"One hundred and twenty Spirit Stones! I am determined to get it!"

In the end, the first item sold for one hundred and fifty Spirit Stones. Zeng Fan clicked his tongue. His entire fortune was not even six hundred Spirit Stones now, since he had already used quite a few during cultivation. In this auction house, those Spirit Stones were simply not worth mentioning.

With the sale of the first item, the atmosphere gradually became heated. Item after item was brought onto the stage and sold off without pause.

Zeng Fan continued waiting for that feeling to return. Finally! As the second-to-last auction item appeared, that tremor surfaced once more. Zeng Fan raised his eyes and saw a maidservant carrying a wooden tray slowly onto the stage. Resting on the tray was a black Metal Fragment. It looked utterly unremarkable, with what seemed to be broken runes upon it, and not a trace of Spiritual Energy fluctuated from it.

Chen Ren stepped forward at that moment, rubbing his hands as he chuckled. "This is the second-to-last item of today's auction: a Metal Fragment."

"What use is a fragment like that? Don't let your auction house try to fool us with some piece of junk!" someone below shouted.

"Hehe, everyone, please do not be impatient. Listen to me first. This fragment was obtained by a Rogue Cultivator at the Spirit Control Realm from a cave dwelling. Though we do not know what it is, the dwelling's former owner clutched it tightly in his hand before death. It must have something noteworthy about it. Moreover, after our examination, it is very likely a fragment from a magical artifact used by someone in the Foundation Establishment Realm. If you can incorporate it while forging an artifact, perhaps it may become a divine weapon or sharp tool, hehe. We could not determine its secrets, so we are willing to offer it for you all to try. The fated shall obtain it. Starting bid: two hundred Spirit Stones." After speaking, Chen Ren cupped his hands toward the crowd.

Silence fell over the hall. Magical artifacts used by cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Realm were naturally precious treasures in the Profound Spirit Dynasty, but this was only a fragment, and it did not even look very large. Spending two hundred Spirit Stones on a single fragment required careful consideration.

"Two hundred and twenty." At last, someone was willing to bid and study it.

"Two hundred and fifty."

"Three hundred." The price finally began to rise slowly. Seeing people bid, Chen Ren also secretly let out a breath. They had studied this fragment for a long time and had even brought in someone from the Spirit Control Realm, but aside from its durability, they had discovered nothing else. It was only because even a Spirit Control Realm cultivator could not damage it that they claimed it was a Foundation Establishment Realm artifact. It was merely bait, to see who would take the hook.

Zeng Fan stared fixedly at the Metal Fragment. This is it! He desperately wanted to bid for it at once, get it in hand, and study it. But he could not rush now. If he raised the price too high, someone might catch the scent of something and compete with him at a high price. He could only watch others bid first, then raise the price at the end to take it.

The price slowly climbed all the way until it finally stopped at four hundred Spirit Stones. After all, for a fragment of a magical artifact, that was already about the right price.

"Four hundred Spirit Stones, once!" Chen Ren's shout rang out. Zeng Fan's eyes flashed. That should be enough. At this price, no one should make a move now.

"Four hundred and fifty Spirit Stones!" A voice rang out. Chen Ren, who had been about to announce the successful sale, immediately swallowed the words rising to his throat. He looked up. A royal private room? Which great figure has arrived today? But that was not his concern right now. A higher price only benefited him. There was no need to care why the royal family wanted this item.

"Four hundred and fifty Spirit Stones, once. Is anyone else raising the bid?" Chen Ren looked toward the person who had just bid four hundred Spirit Stones.

"Five hundred Spirit Stones!" The man hesitated briefly, then gritted his teeth.

"Six hundred Spirit Stones!" Zeng Fan's calm voice sounded, as though directly raising the bid by one hundred Spirit Stones meant nothing to him. Though it was nearly his entire fortune, he absolutely could not reveal any lack of confidence at a time like this.

The man's expression changed when he heard the immediate increase of one hundred Spirit Stones. He glanced at the private room again. Few who could enter the auction house were ordinary people, and he could naturally recognize that it was a private room reserved for great figures. A trace of apprehension flashed through his eyes. He slowly shook his head and sat down.

"Six hundred Spirit Stones, once. Six hundred Spirit Stones, twice. Six hundred Spirit Stones, three times! Sold!" Chen Ren's small hammer fell, and he spoke noticeably faster than before. If he dragged things out, who knew whether that great figure might become displeased and blame him directly? Then he would be unable to swallow the consequences.

Hearing Chen Ren declare the sale, Zeng Fan quietly let out a breath. It is mine. I wonder what kind of surprise it will bring me. Zeng Fan began looking forward to receiving the item.

"You seem very happy?" Murong Xue's voice sounded. Zeng Fan's heart jumped. He had been so focused just now that he had forgotten Murong Xue was still beside him.

"I have never seen a magical artifact from the Foundation Establishment Realm before. This is a rare opportunity, so I wanted to study it." Zeng Fan smiled at Murong Xue.

"You definitely have another reason. Do not underestimate a woman's intuition." Murong Xue waved her little fist at Zeng Fan, but did not pursue the matter further. Given her status, there was no need for her to entertain any designs over a so-called Foundation Establishment Realm artifact fragment. Whatever other thoughts Zeng Fan had, she could not control them anyway.

Seeing that Murong Xue would not press further, Zeng Fan secretly let out another breath. I need to be more careful in the future. If someone observant discovers it, merely raising the price would be one thing, but killing for treasure is also commonplace. Zeng Fan's vigilance toward such matters continued to rise.

"All right, next comes the main event of this auction! I believe many people came specifically for this item: a talisman created by a Third-rank Talisman Master, the Purple Lightning Talisman! Starting bid: five hundred Spirit Stones. Each increase must be no less than one hundred Spirit Stones. The auction begins!" Chen Ren's somewhat excited voice rang out.

"A Talisman Master? The Purple Lightning Talisman?