Xiao Yan swallowed, a little shaken.
"Teacher, can we really afford a price like that?"
"That's why I told you to find your little girlfriend. That black card will definitely cover it. Hurry up and bid!"
At those words, Xiao Yan raised his left hand and spoke in a low voice.
"Six hundred thousand!"
"Six hundred thousand? Who is that?"
The once-heated auction hall instantly fell quiet after Xiao Yan raised the bid by nearly a hundred thousand in one go.
Quite a few people on the second floor cast curious glances at Xiao Yan. They had not expected another powerful contender.
"Tsk, tsk. Six hundred thousand? Where did Xiao Yan get that much money? Could Yao Lao have dug into his coffin fund?"
Han Chen had never imagined that Xiao Yan would be the first to suppress the other bidders. By his reckoning, only the Mittel Family and the Imperial Family could afford to take both the Foundation Establishment Pill and the Blood-Clotting Grass.
Yet the first person to drive the price up was actually Xiao Yan. This was completely beyond his expectations.
"You idiot! Why did you raise it so much at once? Afraid people won't know we're rich?"
Seeing Xiao Yan recklessly raise the bid, Yao Lao grew furious. Xiao Yan also realized his mistake and gave a sheepish smile.
"Then what should we do next, Teacher?"
Yao Lao sighed, a helpless expression appearing on his face.
"What else can we do? Now that we've flaunted our wealth, we might as well win it in one go and leave early, before anyone sets their sights on us."
Hearing Yao Lao's words, Xiao Yan dropped his cheeky grin and nodded. Before the crowd could recover, he raised his left hand again.
"I raise my bid to one million!"
"O-one million!"
Even Ya Fei, who had spent years working auctions, stood frozen at the enormous sum.
"Ya Fei!"
Seated behind her, Mittel Tengshan hurriedly called out a reminder when he saw her standing there in a daze.
Coming to her senses, Ya Fei quickly apologized, then announced loudly.
"One million! Will anyone bid higher? This Foundation Establishment Pill is one of a kind. You may never encounter another in the future, and its medicinal effects are exceptionally rare.
"One million, going once!"
Hearing Ya Fei announce the price, the auction audience fell unusually silent. What a joke-what family could afford to fork out a million? The only people still capable of competing were those from the Imperial Capital.
Inside a private box, two beautiful young women sat watching the black-robed figure below.
Each had her own distinct charm, and both possessed beauty that could topple kingdoms. The older one appeared to be sixteen, dressed in soft black-and-gold armor, her dark hair tied high. A trace of sorrow lingered on her stern face, stirring tenderness in anyone who saw her.
The younger girl was only thirteen or fourteen. Petite and dressed in a small, finely made alchemist's robe, she had lively eyes, while her little hands restlessly scraped at the table. She looked delicate and dainty.
"Sister, hurry up and bid! That black-robed man is about to snatch the pill away."
Watching Yao Ye hesitate, Yao Yue could not help urging her anxiously.
Hearing her younger sister's words, Yao Ye gave a bitter smile and reached out to stroke Yao Yue's head.
"He opened with a million. Clearly, he knows how this works. He definitely isn't anyone ordinary.
"Grandfather only gave us a little over a million in total. I'm afraid that won't be enough against him."
"But you still have to try! With this pill, you could break through to Da Dou Shi. How can you let an opportunity like this slip away?
"Besides, didn't Grandfather give you that money to buy this pill in the first place?"
Hearing her sister's reasoning, Yao Ye thought it over and finally nodded.
"All right, I'll raise it a little more. If that still doesn't work, we'll give up. The Imperial Family's finances haven't been very good these past few years. We should save what we can."
With that, Yao Ye called out through the window.
"One million fifty thousand!"
Seeing another bid, Ya Fei immediately beamed.
"One million fifty thousand. Does anyone offer more?"
Seeing that someone was still raising the price, Xiao Yan refused to be outdone and raised his hand again.
"One million one hundred thousand!"
"Little Yanzi, raise it slowly. This pill's maximum value is only around one million two hundred thousand. They won't go much higher. Take it slowly."
"Understood."
Seeing the black-robed man continue bidding, Yao Ye frowned.
"May I ask which senior you are? I am Yao Ye of the Jia Ma Imperial Family. This Foundation Establishment Pill is very important to me. I hope you will do me this favor, Senior. One million one hundred ten thousand."
Hearing Yao Ye's words, Xiao Yan's lips curved slightly.
"One million one hundred thousand and one gold coin."
"What? You!"
Inside the private box, Yao Ye's and Yao Yue's expressions changed at Xiao Yan's behavior. This was blatant provocation.
Ya Fei, standing on the auction stage, also looked troubled.
"Well... Senior, I'm afraid that doesn't comply with the auction rules..."
"Let me ask you something. Is anyone besides me and Her Highness Yao Ye bidding on this Foundation Establishment Pill?"
"Yes."
"Then shouldn't we decide how much to raise our bids ourselves? The highest bidder wins, after all."
"I understand. Please proceed as you wish, Senior."
After hearing this, Ya Fei first glanced at Mittel Tengshan behind her. Only when he nodded did she agree to Xiao Yan's proposal.
Seeing that Ya Fei had not stopped him, Yao Ye gritted her teeth.
"One million two hundred thousand!"
Seeing Yao Ye raise the bid again, Xiao Yan could not help marveling at her persistence.
"One million two hundred thousand and one."
Seeing Xiao Yan's behavior, Yao Ye knew that this pill was not destined to be hers. She sighed and sat back down.
"It seems this pill and I simply weren't meant to be."
Seeing how sad she was, Yao Yue came over to comfort her.
"It's all right, Sister. Once we get back, I'll ask Teacher to refine a Green Spirit Pill for you."
"Thank you."
"One million two hundred thousand and one. Any higher bids?
"One million two hundred thousand and one, going once!
"One million two hundred thousand and one, going twice!
"Sold! Congratulations, Senior. Now, let us bring out the next item."
"Little Yanzi, hurry up and leave."
"Teacher, they said there are more good things coming up."
"Forget those. We've spent over a million tonight, and some people already have their eyes on us. Having the money to buy something means nothing if you don't live to enjoy it. Learn to be satisfied."
Hearing Yao Lao's words, Xiao Yan nodded, immediately stood, and left the auction seating. Quite a few people's eyes darted about as they watched him leave, but the sight of Mittel Tengshan on the auction stage extinguished their schemes.
"One million two hundred thousand... Hehehe, hahaha!"
Seated in his private box, Han Chen was now laughing so hard that he forgot himself. One million two hundred thousand-even after the five-percent commission, he would still have a million.
"I've really struck it rich this time! A million for one Foundation Establishment Pill, plus that thousand-year-old Blood-Clotting Grass-that means I'll have at least two million. Two million! That's enough to rival the price of a Fifth-grade Pill."
The thought of having more money than he could spend once he walked out left Han Chen brimming with excitement.
"The next item is also the final item in this auction. It is truly something special.
"To some people, it may be nothing more than a blade of grass, but to practitioners of certain professions, it is a priceless treasure..."
Before you continue