Bright Moon Sword Record

"The incomplete low-grade tier-one martial skill sword manual was successfully auctioned. Congratulations, host, on triggering a thousandfold critical return. You have obtained..."

"A supreme-grade tier-three sword art-Bright Moon Sword Record!"

The system's voice echoed in his mind, and Gu Fan's gaze instantly froze.

A thousandfold critical return?

A tier-three... top-grade sword art?!

Had he heard that right? He had actually triggered a thousandfold critical return?

The previous auction had yielded four consecutive critical returns of only a few dozen times, making Gu Fan think this auction would be just like the last.

But unexpectedly, he had received a thousandfold return outright: a top-grade tier-three sword art!

As far as Gu Fan knew...

Even the royal capital's Gu Lineage possessed no martial skill like this!

He was a disciple of the main branch and knew quite a bit about the Lineage's affairs.

For instance, the Gu Lineage's patriarch currently practiced a high-grade tier-three martial skill.

If even he was like that, the younger generation was even worse off. Most only practiced tier-one or low-grade tier-two martial skills!

Yet he...

Here in remote Guangyang City, he had actually obtained a top-grade tier-three sword art that even the royal capital's Gu Lineage lacked-the Bright Moon Sword Record!

What delighted Gu Fan even more was...

He had gotten the damn thing for free!

Someone else had entrusted the incomplete sword art to the auction house, and he was using someone else's treasure to score freebies!

At this thought...

Gu Fan couldn't help grinning.

While Gu Fan was immersed in the joy of obtaining the Bright Moon Sword Record...

Inside the auction hall, voices congratulating Commander Mad Wolf on winning the incomplete sword art rang out incessantly.

"Commander Mad Wolf, congratulations on obtaining a treasure!"

"Congratulations, congratulations! A sword art with power comparable to a supreme-grade tier-one skill!"

"Brother Mad Wolf, it won't be long before your mercenary group's name spreads throughout Guangyang City!"

"..."

Everyone around him was filled with envy.

Even the other major mercenary groups looked at Commander Mad Wolf enviously.

In its complete form, that incomplete sword manual was a tier-two martial skill!

Unfortunately, they were weaker than the Mad Wolf Mercenary Group and could only watch helplessly as he won this martial skill.

As for all those congratulations...

Commander Mad Wolf was beaming as well.

A sword art with power comparable to a supreme-grade tier-one martial skill was the only one of its kind in Guangyang City!

Once he mastered this incomplete sword manual, his strength would surely rank among the best of Guangyang City's many Body Tempering Realm cultivators!

However...

The other major factions were probably thinking the same thing.

They might even strike at him from the shadows over it!

"It looks like I'll have to be extra careful..."

A trace of contemplation flashed across Commander Mad Wolf's unruly face.

He decided...

Once this auction ended, he would take his mercenary brothers to the Black Forest!

With the first item sold...

After a round of discussion, everyone in the hall gradually fell silent, waiting for the second item to be auctioned.

"Everyone! We will now proceed with the second auction item..."

Xiang Yin spoke onstage.

At the same time, a maid led a restrained black snake onto the stage.

The sight of that arm-thick black snake immediately made some of them frown.

"Is that... a low-grade tier-one demonic beast, a black snake?"

"Why are we back to low-grade tier-one treasures again?"

"A black snake? Its venom might be potent, but its agility leaves a lot to be desired. I could smash it dead with one swing of my hammer. Sigh..."

"..."

Murmurs of complaint quietly rose.

But Xiang Yin continued with a smile, as though she hadn't heard a thing.

"A low-grade tier-one black snake. The starting bid is one hundred low-grade spirit stones, with each increase no less than one low-grade spirit stone..."

As those words fell...

Everyone in the hall exchanged looks.

No one bid. They were all watching to see which fool would buy this black snake.

A black snake like this could be bought for a few dozen spirit stones at the marketplace outside.

Yet the auction house's starting bid was a hundred?

Only a fool would bid!

However, after a long silence, a "fool" really did place a bid!

"One hundred spirit stones!"

Hearing this fool's voice...

Everyone in the hall immediately looked toward its source.

When they saw who had bid, they were all dumbfounded.

That person... was none other than the city lord of Guangyang City!

He wore a smile. "A low-grade tier-one black snake. Just right for tonight's snake soup."

"Your lordship truly has refined tastes!"

"Indeed, indeed! Your lordship has a discerning eye for demonic beasts..."

"May I ask if your lordship needs any more black snakes? I'll go to the Black Forest and bring you one every day!"

"..."

No one dared mock Guangyang City's city lord. They all fawned over him instead.

That made sense, though.

The city lord was a Spirit Sea Realm cultivator. Wasn't it perfectly normal for him to make soup from a tier-one black snake?!

Seeing someone bid...

Xiang Yin's smile immediately became genuine. "His lordship has bid one hundred low-grade spirit stones. Are there any other bidders? One hundred spirit stones, going once!"

"One hundred spirit stones... going twice!"

"...Going thrice! Congratulations to his lordship on winning this low-grade tier-one demonic beast-a black snake-for one hundred low-grade spirit stones!"

"Congratulations, congratulations..."

The hammer fell, and everyone immediately plastered smiles on their faces as they congratulated the city lord.

For a time...

The entire auction house was filled with congratulations.

Meanwhile...

Xiang Yin was inwardly troubled as she stood onstage.

Even a low-grade tier-one demonic beast had drawn so many complaints.

If it were a mundane item... would someone leave in a rage?

After all...

The remaining eight auction items... were all mundane items!!!

She simply couldn't understand why the auction house master was so stubbornly set on holding an auction every day!

Clutching the voice-transmission artifact, Xiang Yin felt her palm drenched in sweat.

Time passed.

Soon, everyone in the hall quieted down and turned to look at Xiang Yin onstage.

However...

By now, most of them no longer held any expectations for the remaining items.

Just like the previous auction: aside from the opening item, the Four Symbols Pill, the four items afterward had all been commonplace low-grade tier-one treasures.

This time... would probably be no different.

"Everyone... we will now proceed with the third auction item... a mundane item, a red milk fruit!"

"The starting bid is one low-grade spirit stone! Each increase must be no less than one... low-grade spirit stone!"

"What?!"

Upon hearing what was being auctioned, a guest who was still holding a red milk fruit immediately exclaimed in disbelief.

Once the others registered it, they too stared at Xiang Yin, dumbfounded.

"A mundane red milk fruit? Did I hear that wrong?"

"This fruit... I remember buying some at the marketplace this morning for a few coins..."

"One spirit stone? That's daylight robbery!"

"They've gone completely mad!"

An uproar erupted.

Yesterday, they had already felt that the Profound Heaven Auction House had fallen on hard times, actually auctioning a mundane item like a hundred-refined saber!

But now, upon hearing that a red milk fruit was being auctioned, they felt even more strongly that the Profound Heaven Auction House was still breaking through their bottom line!

At least a hundred-refined saber was a military-issue weapon of good quality.

But a red milk fruit...

This was an everyday item they could buy in bulk with mundane coins!