The silver-robed old man finished his demonstration and continued, "The white metal turned into a shape, and Sword Qi surged in every direction. These are just one of the wonders of iron essence. Gentlemen, do you know how the Divine Intent Sword in the hands of Sword King Feng Xifeng, one of the Great Yue Royal Court's three Martial Kings, came to be? It was forged primarily from this very iron essence!"
"What! The Divine Intent Sword, whose blade's chill reached across fourteen provinces, was forged from this stuff? They say that years ago, Sword King Feng cleaved half a mountain with a single stroke. That shows just how mighty the Divine Intent Sword is!"
"The Divine Intent Sword's might is indeed astonishing, but Steward Li, don't make wild claims to deceive us. As far as I know, the Divine Intent Sword is deep red all over, like the blood-red glow of the setting sun. It's not white at all, so how can you claim it was forged from this iron essence?"
At those words, the whole hall erupted in an uproar.
The silver-robed old man struck his silver hammer hard and said coldly, "Linglong Pavilion has been established in Guang'an Prefecture for two hundred years. When have we ever deceived the world or traded on a false reputation? Gentlemen, don't be hasty. This fellow knows one thing, but not the other. Iron essence is no ordinary material, and the divine weapon forged from it is naturally extraordinary. As far as I know, twenty years ago, King Feng Jian was still young and had yet to earn the title of Sword King. The treasured sword in his hand was pure white. Twelve years ago, the sword was pale red. Eight years ago, the Divine Intent Sword became famous throughout the world, its blade deep red as blood. Do you really think King Feng Jian went through three swords in twenty years?"
"Could it be that weapons forged from iron essence can advance in rank? Over the past twenty years, the sword forged from iron essence changed again and again, going from white to red!" Xu Yi blurted out.
The silver-robed old man nodded lightly, his eyes brimming with pride.
The whole hall burst into an uproar, and quite a few tables and chairs were smashed to pieces on the spot.
What could be more alluring than a weapon that could keep advancing in rank?
Martial artists loved divine weapons. That was true throughout the world.
As martial artists cultivated, their strength grew. Divine weapons, however, stood still. Eventually, martial artists often had no choice but to part ways with weapons that could no longer keep up with them.
And a divine weapon that had been by one's side for years was hardly easy to give up.
First, people weren't made of grass and wood; they were full of feeling. Even a pen and paper, if used for long enough, could stir up affection—let alone a divine weapon that had accompanied its owner across the world.
Second, a divine weapon that had been with its owner for many years had long since become an extension of their hand. Replacing it suddenly meant a long period of adjustment.
Now, divine weapons forged from iron essence could actually advance in rank. That completely overcame both shortcomings, so it was only natural that everyone was tempted.
What was more, with a famous divine weapon like the Divine Intent Sword as proof, everyone knew that any weapon forged from iron essence would be extraordinarily sharp.
With both treasured armor and a divine weapon in hand, it was a double blessing. Though Xu Yi's heart surged with excitement, his mind remained clear. He called out, "I still have one question. Everyone knows that divine weapons matter most to us martial artists. Iron essence is so extraordinary, so why would its owner be willing to sell it?"
Xu Yi had not wanted to be the killjoy, but unless this mystery was solved, he could hardly feel at ease. After all, an iron essence nugget was lying safely in his own waist pouch.
When Xu Yi asked this, the whole hall fell silent, for he had hit the nail on the head.
Iron essence was not like the items sold earlier. Though extraordinary, it was not necessarily a rare treasure. In other words, it could very well be found again. Dragon Crocodile Hide, for instance, was a prized item, but as long as Dragon Crocodiles continued to exist, there would always be a chance for more hide to appear.
Iron essence alone was almost the stuff of legend. In all the Great Yue Royal Court, the only known weapon forged from it was the Divine Intent Sword in the hands of the Sword King. No one had ever heard of another piece of iron essence coming to light.
If it was such a rare treasure, why would its owner be willing to sell it? What secrets lay behind this decision?
Though his words had been challenged, the silver-robed old man remained unruffled. "That distinguished guest asked a good question! The owner is willing to sell it for a very simple reason: they had this piece of iron essence for many years, but were never able to forge it. I don't know why. Perhaps the method of forging it is hard to come by, or perhaps the technique is too difficult to master. In any case, the original owner was not blessed enough to enjoy it. Rather than keep it and grow sick of the sight of it, they decided to sell it. Now that I've said this, I must remind you all: a treasure may be wonderful, but it still takes the right connections and the strength to claim it. So when you bid later, please think carefully. Don't let a treasure blind you."
At those words, Xu Yi nearly slapped the table in admiration. The old fox was truly cunning, able to turn a disadvantage into an advantage like that.
Think about it: which martial artist whose cultivation had reached Body Tempering Peak or higher didn't consider himself extraordinary? Who would admit to lacking the strength?
The silver-robed old man's words were bound to set everyone's blood boiling. No one would think about how much effort and heart the original owner had spent over decades trying to forge the iron essence. They would only assume that the owner lacked skill or hadn't yet received their good fortune—and that they themselves would surely succeed.
Sure enough, after the silver-robed old man finished his explanation, he announced the starting bid: "Two thousand gold!" The scene instantly spiraled out of control.
Xu Yi was still wondering whether the final price would double, when the red-eyed crowd sent it soaring in the blink of an eye.
Elder Shui shouted himself hoarse as he called out, "Five thousand gold!" Before he could add any hard words, several voices immediately joined in, and the price quickly climbed to six thousand gold.
At last, amid Xu Yi's dazed, swimming vision, the auction came to a close.
In the end, the iron essence still went to Elder Shui.
When Elder Shui held a Golden Pill high and shouted, "I'll trade a Divine Essence Pill for it. Who dares to bid against me?" Xu Yi's nerves finally snapped, and stars filled his vision.
All the commotion was snuffed out at that moment. At last, no one else made a sound.
A crisp strike of the hammer rang out, and it was all over.
By the time he returned to his private room, paid for and collected the Dragon Crocodile Hide, then made his way through the deep, winding tunnels that branched in every direction, Xu Yi's surging blood still had not fully settled.
A Divine Essence Pill! It was the dream of every expert in the Body Tempering Realm.
Crossing from the Body Tempering Realm into the Qi Sea Realm was like ascending to immortality in a single step. Force became Qi, True Qi could be released beyond the body, and one became incomparably powerful.
The prerequisite for all this was opening the dantian and storing True Qi within it.
The Divine Essence Pill was specially used to open the dantian of Body Tempering Realm experts. It was extraordinarily precious.
Earlier, during the trade fair, Elder Qi of the Pill Cauldron Sect had only been bidding on the Ginseng Baby to test a Divine Essence Pill, and that alone had earned him extravagant flattery from everyone present.
But Elder Shui had brought out a genuine Divine Essence Pill. Its value was beyond measure.
Xu Yi had bitten down hard on his tongue to keep himself from blurting out, "I'll trade with you!"
Xu Yi emerged from the tunnel as cool as could be. He had already taken off his black robe and stowed the Dragon Crocodile Hide in his waist pouch. By all accounts, he had gained a great deal at Linglong Pavilion today, yet a feeling of loss lingered in his heart, impossible to shake.
"Boss, I've been waiting ages for you. Well, wasn't Linglong Pavilion's auction something else? I wonder if you managed to get anything."
Xu Yi was walking along in a daze when Yuan Qinghua suddenly sprang out from who knew where.
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