Black Seal Auction (4k)

After experiencing the two defining features of the Black Domain Great Plains, Liu Yu and Yun Yun encountered no further trouble. Following the route on their map, they reached the edge of the Black Plains before sunset.

Compared with the monotonous, desolate interior of the Black Domain Great Plains, lush greenery had begun to appear here. At the sight of that splash of green, Liu Yu and Yun Yun turned into two streaks of light and headed toward Black Seal City!

After crossing a mountain ridge, Liu Yu and Yun Yun saw a vast city built from enormous black stones at its foot. At the gates on all four sides, countless tiny black figures converged like ants returning to their nest, pouring into the dark maw of the immense black city.

Within a few breaths, Liu Yu and Yun Yun, whose face was concealed by a light veil, approached the pitch-black gate. Their two powerful Dou Emperor auras radiated without restraint, stirring a commotion in the crowds below.

As Liu Yu and Yun Yun descended, the people below tactfully cleared an exceptionally wide path to the gate. Under their awed gazes, Liu Yu calmly entered the city with Yun Yun beside him. The dozen or so men in fitted black clothing stationed at the entrance likewise ushered them inside with great respect. As for the supposedly hefty entrance fee, it meant jack shit to Dou Huang experts!

Once Liu Yu and Yun Yun disappeared from the sight of those outside the city, the crowd, which had parted into two lines, converged again. The dozen black-clad men instantly resumed their icy expressions and continued demanding entrance fees from those wishing to enter. Naturally, everyone in line obediently followed the rules. Otherwise, they would not only fail to enter the city but lose their lives as well.

After entering Black Seal City, Liu Yu and Yun Yun wandered casually through its streets. The sights along the way gave Liu Yu a genuine taste of the Black-Corner Region's "chaos." Almost every few steps, they saw a brawl, sometimes even people drawing blades and fighting to the death. The area around Liu Yu and Yun Yun, however, remained remarkably peaceful.

Liu Yu's reason for coming to the Black-Corner Region was simple: to dominate it, use its resources to raise his strength again and again, and then head to the Central Plains. Of course, this was not something he could rush. He had to work toward it gradually.

At the end of the street, a sea of people surged around an enormous auction house. The words "Black Seal Auction" stood out with imposing grandeur.

The entrance was packed with people, and a din of chatter and curses rose and fell without end.

Yet the passage on the other side of the Black Seal Auction House's entrance was another Heaven and Earth entirely. A red carpet covered the broad walkway, where dozens of cold-faced men in black stood guard with sharp weapons at their waists. The five leading them radiated sinister, savage auras that intimidated the surrounding crowd.

Suddenly, all the noise came to an abrupt halt. Two figures approached together, and everyone retreated wherever they passed.

What an extraordinary youth he was: tall and slender, dressed in a luxurious, fitted purple robe, with his long silver hair loosely gathered to one side. His face was cool yet bewitchingly beautiful, and his eyes shone like rubies, swirling with boundless crimson.

Most shocking of all was the undisguised Dou Emperor aura radiating from him. At such a young age, he was already a Dou Huang expert! Had breakthroughs in cultivation on the Dou Qi Continent been able to restore youth rather than merely make someone look a little younger, they would have taken this "youth" for some old monster skilled at preserving his appearance!

Beside the youth with his almost supernatural beauty walked a voluptuous, lightly veiled woman of graceful, noble bearing. She, too, radiated a Dou Emperor aura, though compared with the youth beside her, that was easier to accept. After all, the leader of Rakshasa Gate in Rakshasa City was also a rather alluring female Dou Emperor.

The five black-clad men leading the guards at the passage hurried forward to greet them. These two were on par with their sect master! If poor hospitality displeased these two Dou Huang experts, their sect master would surely skin them alive!

And so, led by the five men in black, Liu Yu and Yun Yun walked along the red carpet and entered the auction house under the respectful gazes of dozens of guards. As for the VIP card required to use this passage? Their status as Dou Huang experts was enough to disregard all of that!

Inside a luxurious VIP room of the highest class on the third floor of the Black Seal Auction House, Liu Yu and Yun Yun reclined in exquisitely crafted chairs upholstered in soft material, attended by dozens of pretty maids.

A single glance from this VIP room took in the entire auction venue. Within Liu Yu's view, groups of people with formidable auras arrived near the crystal auction platform and settled into the VIP seats.

They included first-rate powers of the Black-Corner Region, such as the Blood Sect from Twilight City, the Black Skull Tomb from Black Skull City, and the Kui Wolf Gang from Kui Wolf City. There were even people from the Black Emperor Sect of Black Emperor City. That was a long-established major power in the Black-Corner Region, with a Dou Zong presiding over it!

Liu Yu silently watched the people in the VIP seats. He would inevitably have dealings with the powers behind them in the future. Ah, hopefully we can "coexist peacefully." Don't make me needlessly add to my burden of slaughter!

Just then, a burly, broad-backed middle-aged man entered the VIP room.

"Haha! Having Dou Huang experts visit my Black Seal Auction House is truly an honor!"

His hearty laughter rang out, prompting the maids in the VIP room to step aside of their own accord.

Liu Yu's expression remained unchanged. He had detected the arrival of the Eight Gates' sect master long ago. He said mildly, "You're too kind, Sect Master Yuan. I heard that precious items often appear at the Black Seal Auction House, so I came to see whether I could win a few good things."

"If anything at the auction catches your eye, sir, just let me know. I'll make sure it reaches your hands!" Yuan Yi laughed, then asked casually, "May I ask your surname, sir? And who might this lady be?"

"My surname is Liu, and this is my wife," Liu Yu replied calmly.

At Liu Yu's words, Yuan Yi frantically searched his mind for information about the pair. A Dou Huang expert surnamed Liu, whose wife was also a Dou Emperor... His thoughts raced, and he immediately reached a conclusion: these two were not from the Black-Corner Region!

Of all the known Dou Huang experts in the Black-Corner Region, Yuan Yi knew of none surnamed Liu!

Upon discovering that the pair came from outside the region, Yuan Yi's mind began to turn. For now, however, he said, "Mr. Liu, I won't disturb you any longer. If any auction item strikes your fancy, bid away. I'll cover it!"

With that, Yuan Yi withdrew from the VIP room.

As the auction venue grew increasingly crowded, a clear chime slowly rang out through the hall. The deafening clamor gradually subsided, and countless eyes turned toward the crystal platform, burning with eagerness and greed.

"Everyone, I'll keep this brief. The annual auction begins now!" A white-haired old man in fine robes clapped his hands and announced in a ringing voice. As an experienced auctioneer, he knew these people had come for the auction items, not to listen to his drivel.

The white-haired old man's simple opening immediately won cheers throughout the hall, while the various factions nodded inwardly in approval.

As his words fell, the enormous crystal platform suddenly erupted with dazzling light. A moment later, the glare faded, revealing a blue suit of inner armor on the auction stand before him. It gave off a faint chill, and an icy sheen flowed across its center.

"This inner armor is Ice Armor, forged from Cold Iron and inlaid with the magic core of a fourth-rank ice-attribute magical beast. For those with an ice or water attribute, wearing it not only increases cultivation speed but also provides protection. It benefits those with other attributes as well. Prolonged use can strengthen your physique and condense your dou qi. This Ice Armor is a rare treasure indeed!"

Holding the Ice Armor in both hands, the white-haired old man looked out at the audience and announced with a smile, "The starting price is one hundred and fifty thousand. Let the bidding begin!"

Liu Yu and Yun Yun, sitting in the third-floor VIP room, had no interest whatsoever in this so-called Ice Armor. Although it was quite impressive for an opening item, it was useless to them.

In contrast to the quiet VIP room, the auction floor was bustling. Even some of those in the VIP seats joined the bidding, but in the end, an icy-faced man seated toward the back won it for three hundred thousand gold coins.

Following the success of the first sale, a dazzling array of treasures appeared on the auction platform: weapons, Dou Techniques, medicinal ingredients, cultivation methods, and more. Near the end of the auction, a Sixth-Grade Pill appeared—the Dou Ling Pill!

The entire auction house instantly boiled over. This was a Sixth-Grade Pill, and a Dou Ling Pill at that, capable of helping a Dou Wang advance by one star.

Although everyone present knew that extraordinary items would certainly appear at the Black Seal Auction, they had never expected the first of the final two items to be a Dou Ling Pill!

"Everyone, the starting price for this Dou Ling Pill is two million! Each increase must be no less than one hundred thousand!"

"Two million five hundred thousand!" The moment the white-haired old man finished speaking, an elder from the Blood Sect in the front row shouted his bid, immediately raising the price by five hundred thousand. He seemed determined to win.

That staggering figure made those in the rear rows shrink back. They realized they were not even qualified to participate in bidding for a Sixth-Grade Pill. Even the wealthy among them dared not speak.

"Two million eight hundred thousand."

A calm voice suddenly rang out just moments after the Blood Sect elder's bid.

Everyone followed the voice to a middle-aged man in a gray robe patterned with skulls, seated in the front row. The Black Skull Tomb was a major power in the Black-Corner Region, and it happened to have a bitter feud with the Blood Sect. No one knew whether he merely wanted to disgust the Blood Sect or genuinely wanted the Dou Ling Pill.

At the sight of the middle-aged man from the Black Skull Tomb, the Blood Sect elder's face instantly darkened. He snorted coldly. "Three million!"

"Three million five hundred thousand," the middle-aged man called unhurriedly, his face expressionless.

"Four million!"

"Four million one hundred thousand."

Some factions in the VIP seats had intended to bid, only to stop themselves. The Blood Sect and the Black Skull Tomb were clearly locked in a clash, driving the price upward with wild abandon. In mere moments, it had already passed six million!

"Seven million!" Even the middle-aged man from the Black Skull Tomb's expression had changed as he finally called out that astronomical price!

Hearing the astronomical bid of seven million, the Blood Sect elder looked grim. Although the sixth-grade Dou Ling Pill was precious, a treasure scarcely available at any price, seven million exceeded both his means and the pill's value.

The other factions in the front row also looked toward the Black Skull Tomb in surprise. It seemed they truly wanted to obtain this Dou Ling Pill!

Even Liu Yu in the third-floor VIP room was somewhat surprised. Are Dou Ling Pills really worth that much? It reminded him of the few Dou Ling Pills in his Storage Ring that he had casually refined while with the Snake-People Tribe.

"Seven million gold coins! Does anyone wish to bid higher? If not, this Dou Ling Pill will belong to this gentleman from the Black Skull Tomb!"

And so, the white-haired old man on the crystal platform brought down his auction hammer and cheerfully announced the Dou Ling Pill's new owner.

With the appearance of a Dou Ling Pill, everyone in the auction house brimmed with excitement over the final centerpiece. For a moment, the entire venue seemed on the verge of erupting into unrest.

Just as the situation seemed about to spiral out of control, an intensely oppressive Dou Emperor aura surged from a dark corner of the auction house's second floor, forcibly quelling the chaos.

The white-haired old man on the crystal platform sighed in relief. Bending slightly, he carefully took a scroll interwoven with blue-green and silver from the counter below. Intangible blue-green currents of air flowed over its surface.

"Wind-Evolving Spirit-Slaying Finger, an Earth Tier Low-grade Dou Technique."

The white-haired old man's soft voice instantly plunged the entire auction house into deathly silence. Heavy breathing rose one after another, and even the front-row VIP seats stirred considerably.

The people from the Black Emperor Sect, the Blood Sect, the Black Skull Tomb, and the other factions were utterly shocked. None had expected the centerpiece of this Black Seal Auction to be an Earth Tier Dou Technique!

The sect master of the Eight Gates was a real bastard for not leaking word sooner. Still, in a sense, this benefited them. Had news spread that an Earth Tier Dou Technique would appear at the Black Seal Auction, the entire Black-Corner Region would likely have been shaken. All the major powers would surely have come, and the competition would have been unimaginable! (Yuan Yi: ...)

In truth, Yuan Yi could hardly be blamed. A mysterious person had only brought this Earth Tier Dou Technique to the Eight Gates for auction a few days earlier. He had simply decided not to bother promoting it. Plenty of factions attended the annual Black Seal Auction anyway, and with the value of an Earth Tier Dou Technique, he had no fear that it would go unsold. Besides, this way, he would have a chance to acquire the technique himself!

At that moment, Liu Yu's expression in the VIP room also grew interested. He had never expected such a thing to appear at this year's Black Seal Auction! An Earth Tier Dou Technique was exceptionally precious, and he himself had only mastered two. Judging from the name, it seemed to be wind-attributed. Perhaps it would suit Yun Yun.

He was determined to obtain this Wind-Evolving Spirit-Slaying Finger!

"The Wind-Evolving Spirit-Slaying Finger has no attribute requirements for cultivation. There is no starting price for this Dou Technique. You may bid with gold coins or exchange treasures of equivalent value. Barter offers will receive the highest priority."

Thanks to Momei and Yingting Yixi for their monthly votes.