When the first auction lot was brought out, Xiao Ning'er's eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes. She did not immediately move away from Shen Fei's shoulder, merely tilting her head to look down through the window.
A dark wooden tray sat on the display stand, lined with deep red velvet. A necklace lay on the velvet.
The chain was woven from fine, silvery-white metal wire. Every link had been polished smooth and rounded, and the connecting clasps were so finely crafted that their seams were nearly invisible.
The pendant was a pale blue crystal the size of a thumb. Fine patterns flowed slowly inside it, like a drop of living water sealed within a stone.
The auctioneer was a middle-aged man dressed in a dark gray robe, with the Red Moon Auction House's insignia pinned to his chest. His voice was resonant without being grating.
He pointed at the necklace on the tray with a slender silver rod and said, "Our first lot is a cultivation-aiding necklace unearthed from the Ruins. The chain is made of alloy wire refined from silver essence ore, and the pendant is a naturally formed Spiritual Power storage crystal, which has been verified to contain trace amounts of stardust sand. When worn, the crystal slowly absorbs ambient spiritual energy to improve the wearer's cultivation efficiency. Its effects are gentle, and it is compatible with cultivation methods of all attributes, making it especially suitable for cultivators below Gold Rank. The starting bid is fifty thousand Demon Spirit Coins."
The hall downstairs fell silent for a moment, then bidders began raising their paddles one after another.
A middle-aged cultivator seated in the front row raised his hand first and bid sixty thousand.
A young woman at a table by the wall followed with seventy thousand.