Frenzied Scramble

"Consume one pill if below level twenty, and gain at least one level of soul power."

"Permanently increase Innate Soul Power by half a level to one full level."

"No limit on the number of pills that can be consumed."

With every point Ye Guchen stated, the crowd below grew quieter. It wasn't that they weren't shocked; they were so shocked that their breath hitched, leaving only the sound of heavy, ragged respiration.

When he finished the final sentence and closed the wooden box, the entire Hundred Treasure Pavilion fell silent for a full three seconds.

Then—

A buzz erupted, like a kicked hornet's nest.

"Ten pills! There are only ten in total!"

"If I could take these back, my two good-for-nothing sons..."

"Forget it. Do you really think something like this would ever reach us?"

The whispers from the casual seating area on the first floor merged into a wave of murmurs. Countless eyes were locked onto that dark wood box, filled with greed, fervor, and resentment.

Some were already calculating their entire net worth, while others sighed in defeat, knowing that a treasure of this caliber was far beyond their reach.

The reaction from the private boxes on the second floor was far more direct.

An elder of the Wind Sword Sect stood up abruptly, strode to the railing, and gripped it tightly. He stared down at the box on the auction stage as if afraid it might sprout wings and fly away.

The representatives of the other sects behind him also rose, their faces flushed and their breathing rapid.

In the private room occupied by the Elephant Armor Sect, Huyan Zhen's hand, which had just lifted a teacup, froze in mid-air. Ripples spread across the tea—his hand was trembling.

It wasn't fear; it was excitement. The frustration of being suppressed by that Douluo's pressure earlier had long since been cast to the winds. Now, only one thought filled his mind: take it! Take it at any cost!

As for the six private rooms on the third floor with their beaded curtains drawn, though no sound emerged, the fluctuations of soul power leaking from behind the screens were palpable to all—the big shots inside were also waiting with bated breath.

Ye Guchen took in everyone's reaction, the faint smile on his lips never wavering, as if he were looking not at powerful figures, but at a group of children who couldn't sit still upon seeing candy.

He raised a hand and pressed down gently.

With this simple gesture, the clamor of the entire hall miraculously died down.

"Before the auction begins, I have a few points to clarify," his voice remained unhurried. "This auction will be conducted in Gold Soul Coin, and the highest bidder wins. There is no limit to the number of bids, but please bid within your means—it is the rule of the Hundred Treasure Pavilion that those who maliciously drive up the price without the ability to pay will bear the consequences themselves."

When he spoke the words "bear the consequences themselves," his tone did not change, and the smile on his face did not fade in the slightest.

Yet, everyone felt a sudden chill crawl up their spines, an instinctual sensation of being watched by a predator.

The box on the fourth floor, which had remained silent throughout, seemed to silently confirm the weight of those words.

Ye Guchen shifted his tone, returning to a gentle demeanor: "Now, the first lot—ten Mystic Water Pills, divided into two groups of five. This is to ensure more friends have a chance to obtain them, rather than one party taking them all."

As soon as these words were spoken, the representatives of the major powers, who had already been planning to buy all ten, frowned slightly, while the smaller and medium-sized factions were invigorated.

"Divided into two groups? Doesn't that mean there's still a chance?"

"Then, the first lot officially begins!"

He reopened the dark wood box, and the medicinal fragrance drifted out once more.

"Starting bid—"

Everyone in the hall pricked up their ears. For such heaven-defying pills, the starting bid had to be at least five hundred thousand Gold Soul Coin, right? Even one million wouldn't be excessive!

"Two hundred thousand Gold Soul Coin."

Ye Guchen clicked his tongue inwardly. I'll be conservative with the first lot; the price has only quadrupled. In the Dou II timeline, they usually sell for ten thousand per pill, so I'll set the starting price at forty thousand each for now!

When Ye Guchen's voice fell, the entire hall was silent for a moment.

Two hundred thousand?

The heads of some small families on the first floor froze for an instant, then their hearts gave a violent thud.

Two hundred thousand Gold Soul Coin was a drop in the bucket for the Upper Three Sects and the two great empires, but for these small families, they could afford it by gritting their teeth, without even having to sell their assets!

This was a pill that permanently improved talent! Two hundred thousand Gold Soul Coin? It was practically a giveaway!

In an instant, the casual seating area on the first floor became restless.

Several family representatives who considered themselves to have some foundation began to stir; some were already reaching for the gold notes in their robes, calculating whether to shout out a bid.

However, before they could even open their mouths—

"Five hundred thousand."

From the private room on the left of the second floor, the elder of the Wind Sword Sect spoke in a steady, decisive voice, jumping from two hundred thousand to five hundred thousand in one go.

The commotion on the first floor was doused like a bucket of cold water. Five hundred thousand? More than double the price in one leap?

The faces of the small family representatives who had just been about to bid stiffened, and the words died in their throats.

But it wasn't over.

"Five hundred and fifty thousand." From the right side of the second floor, an aged voice followed immediately; it was someone from the Wuding Sect.

"Six hundred thousand," Huyan Zhen of the Elephant Armor Sect said in a muffled voice. It wasn't loud, but it pressed down on the entire venue, silencing it.

The boorish man who had been causing a scene at the second-floor staircase earlier now showed no sign of recklessness in his voice; it was pure, unadulterated determination.

"650,000."

"700,000."

"800,000."

Bidding voices rose and fell from the private booths on the second floor, each one striking the hearts of those on the first floor like a heavy hammer.

The initial starting price of "200,000" now seemed like a joke—everyone had thought it cheap, yet in the blink of an eye, the price had more than tripled, and the momentum showed no signs of slowing.

After only four rounds of bidding—

"One million."

A gentle yet authoritative voice drifted from a private room on the third floor. It was not loud, but it rendered the entire Hundred Treasure Pavilion instantly silent.

Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

The man known as Uncle Sword did not even speak the bid himself; the voice belonged to an attendant beside him, his tone as indifferent as if he were mentioning something trivial.

One million Gold Soul Coin was, indeed, trivial to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

But as that "one million" fell, the entire second floor plunged into a deathly silence.

The Wind Sword Sect elder slowly loosened his grip on the railing, deep indentations left on his knuckles.

He took a deep breath and sat back down, his face livid, yet he remained silent. It was not that he did not want to compete, but that he could not.

The combined annual income of his Wind Sword Sect was likely not enough to cover the figure that this Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect attendant had tossed out so casually.

Huyan Zhen of the Elephant Armor Sect remained silent for a moment before finally snorting, picking up his teacup to gulp down its contents, and saying nothing more.

He had enough Gold Soul Coin to bid a few more rounds, but he dared not. It was not for lack of money, but because his opponent was the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

He knew how to weigh whether it was worth offending the wealthiest sect on the continent for two Mystic Water Pill.

The general seating area on the first floor was so quiet one could hear a pin drop. The representatives of small families who had just thought 200,000 was "cheap" now wore complex expressions; some smiled bitterly, some shook their heads, and others simply leaned back in their chairs, completely abandoning their unrealistic fantasies.

The 200,000 starting price was indeed not expensive, but was it ever meant for them?

It was merely to give them the illusion of participation, but in the end, those truly qualified to sit at this table would always be the few on the third floor.

At this moment, the gazes of everyone in the Hundred Treasure Pavilion, whether overt or covert, turned toward the other private rooms on the third floor.

Only those few would dare to lock horns with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

"1.2 million!"

Yu Luomian, who had been silent until now, set down his teacup and spoke slowly.