The mysterious beast hide-a seed?

Once the Golden Crow Precious Technique appeared, everyone grew more excited about the bidding, hoping that even better treasures would emerge.

"An ancient sacred artifact, the Dragon-Binding Lock. Though damaged, if it can be repaired, it may yet regain the divine might it possessed in ancient times." The alluring fox woman displayed a long, black sinew chain.

"To think it's this treasure! In ancient times, it was said to be able to bind gods. Its power was boundless!" someone exclaimed.

"What a pity. Several cracks have appeared on it, and some of its runes have dimmed, greatly reducing its power. I'm afraid it would struggle even to trap a Venerable," a noble lamented.

As for repairing it, the chances were slim. Apart from the difficulty of gathering all the materials, the method used to forge it had long since been lost, leaving no way to discover it.

Still, the artifact remained a rare treasure that could benefit nobles. If someone could further decipher the ancient gods' forging methods from it, that would be a tremendous opportunity as well.

Thus, the competition for the artifact was fierce, no less intense than for the first auction lot. By the end, they were even using primordial precious bones as currency. It was astonishing!

Lin Fan simply watched, utterly calm and still not particularly interested.

To him, his pockets were already full of artifacts, with plenty better than this one. There was no need to fight over a piece of junk and painstakingly repair it.

Most people in the lower realm simply had narrow horizons, trapped in this impoverished world. In the Upper Realm, artifact trading started at the Divine Flame level; anything less would be too embarrassing to offer.

Of course, the lower realm's poverty was relative. Its people merely failed to recognize the treasures they possessed. There were plenty of powerful magical artifacts and Precious Arts, and even immortal corpses and ancient monsters.

One could say that this scrap of a place was packed with secrets and mighty figures. Immortal Kings left over from Immortal Ancient and remnant souls of Kings of the Undying were all lurking in this lower realm.

"Hahaha, it's mine!"

At last, a clear, bright voice rang out. The Stone Kingdom's ninth princess won the bid with a pile of rune bones.

After securing the artifact, she even cast a defiant glare toward Lin Fan's private room, looking candid and adorable.

Naturally, Lin Fan would not bother with an immature little brat like her. They lived in completely different worlds and would likely never have another chance to meet.

"I think that ninth princess of the Stone Kingdom is rather nice. She'd be a good match for you. Why don't you marry her someday?" Yue Chan suddenly said.

"What, wife? Are you already so impatient to choose a concubine for your husband?" Lin Fan raised an eyebrow.

Yue Chan rolled her eyes at him. That was not what she meant at all.

Next, another treasure was brought out: a black-gold battle saber that gleamed with dark light. It was so terrifying that, in a moment of dazed awareness, people seemed to glimpse a sky-filling rain of blood.

Clearly, this weapon was extraordinarily powerful. It had been stained with the blood of countless living beings and developed a measure of spirituality, allowing it to retain scenes from its past.

"This saber is called the Black-Gold Ancient Saber. It previously belonged to a noble. Please place your bids." The fox woman spoke as she swayed her enticing figure.

At once, the Stone Kingdom's nobles competed fiercely. They were deeply fond of this saber, a formidable weapon for war, and its price was likewise driven sky-high.

The younger generation could only sigh. First, their resources were nowhere near those of the nobles, so they could not outbid them. Second, there was respect to consider; these were their elders, after all.

Soon, the item fell into the hands of a noble surnamed Shi, settling the ownership of this lot.

The auction was far from over, however. It had only just begun, and many more lots were brought onto the stage in succession.

The treasures came in all varieties, including rare medicinal treasures, talismans, and ancient antiques, but hardly any could move Lin Fan.

Then one item drew his attention. On closer inspection, it was an incomplete roll of beast hide, seemingly only about a third of the whole.

"Why did your auction house save something like this for the end?" someone asked in confusion.

That roll of beast hide was simply too ancient. Not only was it incomplete, even the runes on it were dim and indistinct. What qualified it to be auctioned near the end?

"Everyone, this beast hide is suspected to have come from a Primordial Heaven-Tier Ferocious Beast. Although it is incomplete, has lost its runes, and is not an artifact, it is sturdier than any artifact. We have tried many methods, including refining it with divine flame and bombarding it with artifacts, yet it remains completely undamaged."

The fox woman raised the beast hide high as she introduced it, then had it taken into the private rooms for everyone to examine.

After taking it in hand, Lin Fan secretly examined it with the Precious Mirror and confirmed that it was extraordinary. It might conceal a great secret. An incomplete image was hidden within it, along with a mention of a "seed."

If his suspicions were correct, this "seed" was very likely a Dao seed. Though he did not know its grade, he imagined it would not be poor.

Then he temporarily returned the roll of beast hide to the auction house attendant, who continued taking it to the other rooms for the remaining honored guests to examine.

"Well?" Yue Chan asked. From Lin Fan's expression, she could tell that there was probably something special about it.

"The beast hide may conceal a tremendous opportunity. I'm determined to get it." Lin Fan's tone was firm, but when he remembered that two-thirds were still missing, he added, "Help me keep an eye out for the other pieces of the beast hide in the lower realm."

Yue Chan nodded. From his serious expression, she knew he was not joking.

Someone who had barely cared about the earlier heaven-tier Precious Art was now so intent on an incomplete roll of beast hide. That meant the opportunity within was enough to make even someone from the Upper Realm's heart race.

"I bid one thousand essence jade!"

"One thousand one hundred essence jade!"

"..."

People began calling out bids. Although the competition was nowhere near as fierce as before, its material still attracted many bidders.

For many young people in particular, this was a rare item that the nobles had no interest in. They considered it too small to serve as a defensive artifact, leaving it useful only for collecting and studying.

"I bid ten thousand essence jade!" Lin Fan shouted outright, unwilling to waste time slowly raising the price with them.

"Hiss... whose kid is this? Ten thousand essence jade, just like that, to buy some unknown scrap of tattered cloth? It's not even big enough to wipe his mouth!" someone exclaimed, finding him far too wasteful.

Essence jade was a type of jade that contained the essence of heaven and earth. As the common currency of cultivators, it could also be used for cultivation and was extremely precious.

For an ordinary cultivator, possessing a thousand pieces of essence jade was already a considerable fortune. It was no wonder people were astonished.

Yet even after Lin Fan offered such a high price, someone still competed with him.

"I bid eleven thousand essence jade," the Stone Kingdom's ninth princess called from the private room opposite, sticking her tongue out at Lin Fan.

"Fifty thousand essence jade!" Lin Fan ignored her and called out another number.

"I bid fifty-one thousand!" After calling her bid, the Stone Kingdom's ninth princess pulled faces at him again, seemingly determined not to let him obtain the item easily.

"Damn it, you little brat. You've decided to pick a fight with me, have you?" Lin Fan could not help cursing, utterly speechless.

He had not wanted to bother with her, but every time he named a price, she offered a thousand essence jade more. Wasn't she simply here to cause trouble?

"So what if I have? Bleh, bleh, bleh... aren't you the little brat here?" The Stone Kingdom's ninth princess laughed smugly, folding her arms across her chest, utterly haughty and willful.

Everyone present was left dumbfounded. A perfectly good auction had turned into a squabble between two children.

One was the Stone Kingdom's deeply doted-upon ninth princess, spoiled and willful. Though no one knew who the other child was, judging by his clothes and lavish spending, he was probably no ordinary person either and might hail from some great power.

"Young master, would you like this old woman to give her a warning?" Granny Xihua asked.

"No need. She's just a rotten little brat. She dares to compete with me in wealth? She's nowhere close. Even the Stone Emperor couldn't do it, and you can take my word for that!" Lin Fan declared with the air of a seasoned elder.