On the upper levels of the auction hall, many people were so shocked by the flawless Nascent Soul Breakthrough Pill that their breathing grew unsteady. Down below, many low-level Foundation Establishment cultivators turned pale, doing their utmost to resist the pressure from above.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
"Please restrain your presence, everyone."
Wu Gang spoke solemnly. Faced with such a scene, even he could hardly contain his excitement. This was the most thrilling moment since he had begun holding auctions. Ten thousand miles.
From this day forward, anyone within ten thousand miles who had a treasure would choose Azure Feather Pavilion in Tianyue City first.
Inside a VIP room on the highest level, the Heavenly Eagle Elder looked excited. He had thought it was merely an ordinary Nascent Soul Breakthrough Pill, never expecting it to be a flawless one.
"Father, we must get this Nascent Soul Breakthrough Pill."
Beside the Heavenly Eagle Elder, a middle-aged man stared fixedly at the Nascent Soul Breakthrough Pill in Wu Gang's hand. He had been at the Golden Core peak for a hundred years and yearned intensely to break through to Nascent Soul. He was determined to obtain this flawless Nascent Soul Breakthrough Pill.
Elsewhere, City Lord Wang Yu wore a bitter expression.
"Alas, to think it's a flawless Nascent Soul Breakthrough Pill."
Wang Yu had never expected anyone to put such a precious pill up for sale.
If it had been an ordinary Nascent Soul Breakthrough Pill, Wang Yu could still have stretched his resources and managed to buy it.
But a flawless Nascent Soul Breakthrough Pill was far too precious. Its price would be at least three times that of an ordinary one.
Wang Yu had only recently become city lord and had not accumulated enough wealth. He could not even compare to some of the top Golden Core lineages, let alone contend with the Heavenly Eagle Elder watching like a tiger eyeing its prey. Obtaining the flawless Nascent Soul Breakthrough Pill this time would be difficult.
The younger generation of his lineage could only rely on their own efforts.
Seeing the hall gradually quiet down, Wu Gang spoke.
"I'm sure the Nascent Soul Breakthrough Pill needs little introduction from me. A flawless Nascent Soul Breakthrough Pill hasn't appeared in centuries. Both Spirit Stones and Law Artifacts will be accepted for this auction. The starting bid is one low-grade Spirit Stone."
Clang!
A bell rang, and the auction began.
The entire hall fell unusually silent. For a time, no one actually placed a bid.
But Wu Gang was in no hurry. All the Golden Core cultivators present had come for the flawless Nascent Soul Breakthrough Pill. He was not worried that no one would bid.
"One hundred thousand low-grade Spirit Stones!"
After a long while, a Golden Core cultivator finally could not hold back and placed the first bid.
"Two hundred thousand!"
"Three hundred thousand!"
"One million low-grade Spirit Stones!"
At that moment, a long-established Golden Core lineage from Tianyue City abruptly raised the price, cooling many people's thoughts.
An ordinary Golden Core expert's entire wealth amounted to no more than two hundred thousand low-grade Spirit Stones. The Demon Sect elders Ye Xuan had killed had possessed less than three hundred thousand between them. Now that a bid of a million Spirit Stones had appeared, it shattered the rogue cultivators' confidence in competing.
One million low-grade Spirit Stones was already the price of an ordinary Nascent Soul Breakthrough Pill, but it was still nowhere near the highest price for a flawless one.
Only now did the auction truly begin.
There was more than one long-established Golden Core lineage within ten thousand miles. Soon, the price of the Nascent Soul Breakthrough Pill continued climbing, and every bid drew cheers from the entire hall.
By the time the price reached 1.5 million low-grade Spirit Stones, only five parties were still bidding.
"1.5 million low-grade Spirit Stones, plus three supreme-grade Spirit Artifacts."
The patriarch of an artifact-refining lineage in Tianyue City spoke gravely. This was already the limit of what he could offer.
Supreme-grade Spirit Artifacts could only be found by chance, not sought at will. In his three hundred years of refining artifacts, he had only produced two supreme-grade Spirit Artifacts. His lineage could not bring out many of them at once now, either.
At market prices, a supreme-grade Spirit Artifact was worth at least one hundred thousand low-grade Spirit Stones. A high-grade Spirit Artifact spear had just sold at this auction for a final price of one hundred and ten thousand low-grade Spirit Stones.
"Two million low-grade Spirit Stones!"
The Heavenly Eagle Elder bid again. As a veteran Nascent Soul expert, he now possessed a large household and extensive holdings. Although two million low-grade Spirit Stones was no small sum, he could still manage by mortgaging some of his lineage's properties and borrowing from various sources.
Hiss!
A wave of sharp inhalations rose through the hall. This price had driven all the Golden Core lineages out of the bidding. Only City Lord Wang Yu had yet to give up.
Inside his VIP room, Wang Yu gently stroked his sword. It had accompanied him for centuries and had only entered the ranks of Law Treasures after repeated tempering.
Now, his lineage faced a gap between generations, with no one to carry on after him. He could only stake everything on this attempt.
"1.5 million low-grade Spirit Stones, plus a Law Treasure longsword!"
A Law Treasure!
Cries of surprise rang through the hall. Nascent Soul Breakthrough Pills were rarely seen, but Law Treasures were also exceedingly hard to come by. In a hundred years, Azure Feather Pavilion had auctioned only two damaged Law Treasures, each selling for no less than three hundred thousand low-grade Spirit Stones.
The Law Treasure longsword Wang Yu offered, however, was intact and undamaged. Its value was higher, even exceeding seven hundred thousand low-grade Spirit Stones.
When Ye Xuan heard Wang Yu stake his Law Treasure longsword, his heart gave a violent leap. His current weapon, Waning Moon, was only a Spirit Artifact. If he had a Law Treasure, his combat strength would receive an even more terrifying boost.
"Damn it!"
In another VIP room, the Heavenly Eagle Elder's son roared angrily and slammed his fist hard onto the table.
Two million low-grade Spirit Stones was already the limit of what their lineage could muster. That sum even included Spirit Stones the Heavenly Eagle Elder had personally borrowed.
The Heavenly Eagle Elder looked at his furious son, an inscrutable gleam flashing through his eyes, and slowly rose to his feet.
"Are there any further bids?"
Wu Gang shouted excitedly. If the Nascent Soul Breakthrough Pill sold this time, this auction would make history.
"Wait. 1.5 million low-grade Spirit Stones, plus a mid-grade Law Treasure."
The Heavenly Eagle Elder stepped out of his VIP room, opened his mouth, and spat out a blue-green pearl as he spoke calmly.
"The Wind Shadow Pearl! Heavenly Eagle Elder, have you gone mad? That's your life-bound Law Treasure!"
Seeing the Heavenly Eagle Elder stake the Wind Shadow Pearl, Wang Yu cried out in shock and rushed straight out of his VIP room.
Any Law Treasure could be refined into a life-bound Law Treasure. A life-bound Law Treasure was linked to its owner's mind, increasing its power by at least thirty percent.
Now that the Heavenly Eagle Elder had staked his life-bound Law Treasure, the Wind Shadow Pearl, his strength would fall by at least thirty percent.
"Father! You..."
"Say no more. City Lord Wang, will you continue raising the bid?"
The Heavenly Eagle Elder cut off his son's emotional words, turned toward Wang Yu, and asked calmly.
"No."
Wang Yu looked regretful. He glanced at the Heavenly Eagle Elder's Wind Shadow Pearl and gave up on raising the bid further. He knew he could not produce anything more precious than the Wind Shadow Pearl.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
"The flawless Nascent Soul Breakthrough Pill goes to the Heavenly Eagle Elder!"
Wu Gang brought down the hammer without delay and loudly announced the final result.
From this day forward, whoever mentioned the Heavenly Eagle Elder would inevitably mention how he had used his life-bound Law Treasure to bid on a flawless Nascent Soul Breakthrough Pill for his son today. They would inevitably mention Azure Feather Pavilion in Tianyue City as well.
Although Azure Feather Pavilion took no commission from the Nascent Soul Breakthrough Pill's auction, the reputation it had earned through this was an immeasurable fortune.
In the hall, Ye Xuan was also shaken by the Heavenly Eagle Elder's bid.
"A mid-grade Law Treasure! 1.5 million low-grade Spirit Stones!"
Ye Xuan could no longer wait to receive his proceeds from this auction.