The true value of a mid Shapeshifting stage monster's soul usually did not exceed five million spirit stones.
That was because, judging solely by the soul-force energy contained within it, the energy one could obtain from pills bought with five million spirit stones would not differ greatly from it.
Someone had suddenly bid such an exorbitant price, stunning the thousand-plus cultivators present.
In the past, no one would have continued bidding. But things were different now. The Three Realms War was only a dozen or so years away—perhaps it would even erupt in five or six years. Thus, within this final stretch of time, which Old Monsters would not want to raise their cultivation a little further?
Therefore, after only a brief pause, before the old man presiding over the auction could urge them on, several people had already called out in succession, "Seven million one hundred thousand spirit stones."
"Seven million three hundred thousand spirit stones."
"Seven million five hundred thousand."
Seeing this, the two old men on the elevated platform could not help but beam with delight. They thought to themselves, The grand finale items haven't even appeared yet. With this soul alone, we might break the ten-million-spirit-stone mark.
Sure enough, just as the two old men presiding over the auction exchanged a glance, the smiles on their faces not yet faded, that extremely soft, cold, and piercing male voice rang out again: "Ten million spirit stones."
This price had already exceeded the reserve price by more than threefold. At past auctions, only exceptionally rare grand finale items had fetched prices three or four times their reserve.
Everyone in the hall turned their gazes toward the source of the bid. Beside a wooden table sat a pale-faced middle-aged man dressed in plain clothes. If not for his distinctly