Snatch the Dragon Elephant Longevity Art

Upon arriving in Zhenping County, Lu Yuan made a brief inquiry and quickly learned where the auction was being held.

It was a five-story building, resplendent and magnificent, with carved beams and painted rafters.

Today was the day of the auction, and the entrance was bustling with heavy traffic, an endless stream of people flowing in and out.

The greeters at the door were all charmingly beautiful young women. Seeing Lu Yuan approach, one of them asked politely, "Sir, are you here for the auction?"

"That's right."

Lu Yuan wore a hood, its brim nearly covering his eyes, and replied in a low voice.

The greeter wasn't surprised. Among today's auction guests, all sorts of bizarre outfits could be seen—some wore masks outright to hide their identities. Lu Yuan was relatively normal.

"Apologies, sir. All auction participants must pay an entry fee of ten taels of silver. However, once the auction ends, whether you've made a purchase or not, the ten taels will be fully refunded," the greeter explained.

The Brilliant Merchant Guild's auction naturally had its standards—it wasn't a place for just any Tom, Dick, or Harry to gawk. The ten-tael entry fee could filter out most of the curious onlookers.

"Fine."

Lu Yuan glanced around. Most of those entering paid the fee, while a few seemed to produce something like an invitation and walked straight in.

Since it was their rule, he would follow it.

After paying ten taels of silver, he received a voucher and, guided by a staff member, entered the auction hall.

The venue was spacious, an estimated five to six hundred square meters. A raised platform stood in the center, surrounded by hundreds of seats. Above, there were small private boxes, offering a bird's-eye view of the auction stage.

Lu Yuan guessed that those in the boxes were guests specially invited by the Brilliant Merchant Guild—a crowd of the wealthy and powerful.

When he arrived, only half the seats were filled, but within half an hour, they were all taken.

Before long.

Clang, clang, clang, clang!

A bell rang, and soon a tall, graceful woman in a long dress stepped onto the auction stage.

"Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend our Brilliant Merchant Guild's auction. I am the auctioneer in charge of today's event."

"I won't waste words—I'm sure you've all been waiting. Let the auction begin!"

Time passed. For the first hour or so, Lu Yuan was purely spectating. Though some items tempted him, he kept his goal in mind and suppressed his desires, waiting for the martial arts manual segment.

"The first manual up for auction today: the Dragon Elephant Longevity Art!"

A server carried up a tray, and the female auctioneer's voice rang out:

"Legend has it that if one masters this art, they will enjoy a lifespan as long as a dragon or elephant, even achieving immortality, eternal youth, and boundless vitality. Rumor says that at its peak, it grants an indestructible body."

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is a mid-grade martial art. Don't take this the wrong way, but most of you here have probably never been this close to a mid-grade art before!"

At these words, Lu Yuan heard a few snickers around him, dripping with disdain. He turned to a man in his thirties nearby: "Brother, may I ask why everyone seems so dismissive of this Dragon Elephant Longevity Art?"

Low-grade arts were accessible to anyone with money—provided they had it.

For instance, the Ox Demon Fist and Great Gale Saber Technique he practiced were both low-grade.

Mid-grade arts, however, were a different story—they might have a price but no market.

Even if you had the money, you might not find one for sale. If someone was willing to sell, it rarely reached the open market, being absorbed within private circles.

As for high-grade arts, they were the core of any Great Power and never leaked out.

So Lu Yuan was puzzled why everyone sneered at a mid-grade art.

The man looked surprised. "First time here, huh? This Dragon Elephant Longevity Art has been with the Brilliant Merchant Guild for years. It's gone through three big auctions like today's and ten smaller ones without selling. Know why?"

"Please enlighten me, brother." Lu Yuan lowered his posture.

The man chuckled. "The auction only touts its strengths—and those are all castles in the air. It never mentions the shortcomings. Sure, this art can extend your life, but saying it grants a lifespan like a dragon or elephant, immortality, eternal youth, and an indestructible body? That's pure legend..."

After his explanation, Lu Yuan understood why the Dragon Elephant Longevity Art was so unpopular.

This art had a long history, originating from the Dragon Elephant Temple. After the temple was destroyed, the art was lost, only to reappear at the Brilliant Merchant Guild's auction a century later.

Indeed, it could prolong life, but that was it. Back then, Dragon Elephant Temple monks living to 150 were common, and even 200-year-olds weren't rare.

But the art's shortcomings were glaring: those who cultivated it were far weaker than peers at the same realm.

It seemed the art had no merit beyond extending life.

Worse, it was difficult to cultivate and progressed slowly. While many at the temple lived to 150 or 200, a large portion only reached about 100.

With martial arts, reaching a high level could also grant a lifespan of over a hundred years—why choose the Dragon Elephant Longevity Art, which only extended life?

If it cost a few hundred taels, people might buy it just to let it gather dust.

But the starting bid for the Dragon Elephant Longevity Art was two thousand taels!

Only a fool would spend that much on an art to collect dust.

And the Brilliant Merchant Guild refused to lower the starting price, having already dropped it from three thousand to two thousand.

After grasping this, Lu Yuan's spirits lifted. An art that could extend life was exactly what he needed.

To him, the art's power didn't matter—what he valued was the extended lifespan.

With a longer life, he could improve his talent.

Even better, no one seemed to care much, which meant there were almost no competitors.

"Dragon Elephant Longevity Art, starting bid, two thousand taels!"

The entire hall was dead silent. No one made a bid. Seeing no response, the auctioneer awkwardly called out again:

"Dragon Elephant Longevity Art, starting bid, two thousand taels!"

Still no response.

Just as the auctioneer thought it would be passed again, a voice suddenly rang out:

"Two thousand and one tael!"

The auctioneer's heart leaped with joy. "Guest number fifty-eight bids two thousand and one tael. Is there anyone else who wishes to bid?"

Lu Yuan was slightly nervous, afraid someone would compete with him. But clearly, he was overthinking it—no one wanted to bid at all.

"Two thousand and one tael, going once!"

"Two thousand and one tael, going twice!"

"Two thousand and one tael, going three times! Congratulations to guest number fifty-eight for winning the Dragon Elephant Longevity Art!"

In response to readers' requests, a VIP Member Ad-free feature is now available.

Click to view