Making a First Bid at the Auction
After a wait that was not too long, the auction finally began.
An attendant led the two of them into a hall and handed each of them a mask.
The hall was already packed with people.
Since neither of them was at the Golden Core Stage, they could not enjoy a private box, but that was no great matter.
The hall had been furnished with an array that blocked divine sense, so there was generally no need to worry about being targeted. Of course, the array was not completely effective against those at the Golden Core Stage, who could still release their divine sense and forcibly probe for what they wanted.
Before long, a graceful figure stepped onto the raised platform in the center. She chuckled as she looked around, then bowed slightly and said, "My name is Xiao Ya, and I am the auctioneer for this event. It is an honor to see you all here. I now declare the auction officially open."
"Now, please bring out the first item."
Two maids came up carrying a box.
Xiao Ya opened it and waved her hand, projecting a vast screen of light that showed what was inside.
"This is a high-grade Law Artifact that can unleash falling lightning. The starting price is six hundred Spirit Stones."
Shen Ge frowned slightly beneath his mask. The price was somewhat low for a high-grade Law Artifact, but there was no upper limit on auction prices, and with so many sellers present, setting the starting price a little lower would do more to spur competition.
The Law Artifact really was quite good, and Shen Ge was a little tempted. But he did not have many Spirit Stones on him, so he gave up on bidding. Good as it was, he still had to consider his own circumstances.
The bidding for the Law Artifact quickly reached one thousand Spirit Stones, then climbed no further.
That price was still on the high side. A high-grade Law Artifact usually cost between seven hundred and nine hundred Spirit Stones. Of course, a premium of just one hundred Spirit Stones did not even make it a successful sale in the auction house's eyes.
Soon, the second item, the third... One item after another was brought out. Almost all of them sold for more than their actual value, with only a few failing to sell.
During that time, neither Shen Ge nor Mu Wan bid. Although they were all good things, there was nothing the two of them absolutely had to have.
"This auction item was made by a master who wishes to remain anonymous. It is a top-grade defensive Law Artifact made from the shell of a peak second-tier myriad Spirit Turtle. It can withstand attacks from the Golden Core Stage. As for how many attacks it can withstand, we have not tested it. After all, the item is hard to come by, and no one would take responsibility if it were damaged."
"The starting price is one thousand Spirit Stones. Bidding begins now."
"One thousand two hundred Spirit Stones."
The very first bid raised the price by two hundred Spirit Stones. It seemed the bidder was determined to get it.
Shen Ge counted up his Spirit Stones and ventured a bid. "One thousand five hundred Spirit Stones."
The price had jumped by three hundred Spirit Stones at once, causing many people who had been interested to abandon their plans to bid.
The defensive Law Artifact was good, but the price was already close to the upper limit of its value. Any further bids would surely come at a considerable premium.
"One thousand seven hundred Spirit Stones."
The voice that had bid before rang out again, calm and unruffled, as if Spirit Stones meant nothing to the speaker.
Shen Ge shook his head and said no more. One thousand five hundred Spirit Stones was already his limit. Since he could not get it, he would let it go. He had only wanted a little extra protection for himself; it was not as if he had to have it.
Besides, if he spent one thousand five hundred Spirit Stones on materials, he could make two high-grade defensive Law Artifacts. They would not measure up to this one, but they would not be far behind, either.
To his surprise, however, Mu Wan, who was sitting beside him, spoke up. "Two thousand Spirit Stones!"
"What are you doing? Are you short of defensive Law Artifacts? Besides, the price you called is already too high!" Shen Ge whispered a reminder from beside her.
Mu Wan turned to glance at him and said, "This is for you. Of course, you'll have to pay me back for the Spirit Stones I spend, or make up for them with corresponding artifact-refining materials."
"Don't refuse. You're an artifact refiner too, but materials of this level are rare, and you might not be able to get them. Even if you can, given your skill at artifact refining, you won't meet the requirements to refine a Law Artifact like this for at least the next fifty years. With this Law Artifact, at least your safety will have some protection for those fifty years."
"You're lending it to me?"
But I don't want it! Besides, the bidding clearly hasn't stopped. If it keeps going up, we'll take a loss!
Though he kept shouting his refusal in his heart, Shen Ge glanced at the shield and ultimately could not bring himself to say no.
For no other reason than that the shield could withstand attacks from the Golden Core Stage. If he ever encountered a Golden Core cultivator, it would give him a little more hope of surviving.
"Two thousand Spirit Stones, going once!"
"Are there any higher bids? This is a top-grade defensive Law Artifact that can withstand the deadly attacks of a Golden Core cultivator. You may never come across another!"
"Two thousand Spirit Stones, going twice!"
"If you want to bid higher, hurry. You're really about to miss your chance."
On the platform, Xiao Ya worked hard to entice everyone, hoping someone would raise the bid again.
"Two thousand three hundred Spirit Stones!"
The calm voice rang out again, with a slight tremor this time. It was not loud, but it sent ripple after ripple through the room, like a pebble falling into a deep pool as still as an ancient well.
"Two thousand three hundred Spirit Stones. That's far more than the Law Artifact itself is worth. Who is this person, spending so lavishly?"
"So eager for a Law Artifact that can defend against Golden Core attacks. It looks like this person has run into some serious trouble. But if they can produce that many Spirit Stones, they can't be simple either."
"I wonder if the other person will raise the bid again. If they do, this will get interesting."
Similar remarks rang out without pause in those places, as some of the participants quietly spoke with acquaintances beside them.
"Two thousand three hundred Spirit Stones. Another three hundred added to the price. It looks like this person has some background." Shen Ge was just about to tell Mu Wan to give up bidding, but before he could speak, she raised the price. "Two thousand six hundred Spirit Stones!"
Shen Ge stared in astonishment at the young woman in the fox mask beside him. His heart sank into gloom. Two thousand six hundred Spirit Stones-that was enough to bankrupt him! With such an enormous debt, Shen Ge truly felt that the road ahead was dark.
"Someone has bid two thousand six hundred Spirit Stones! Are there any higher bids? Anyone willing to raise the price?" Xiao Ya looked excited, hoping the previous bidder would continue.
The auction house had internally expected the item to fetch around two thousand two hundred Spirit Stones. Now it had reached two thousand six hundred, three hundred Spirit Stones higher than the previously expected sale price.
Since Xiao Ya could take thirty percent of the Spirit Stones above the expected value, she eagerly hoped that person would bid again.
"Two thousand six hundred Spirit Stones, going once!"
"Two thousand six hundred Spirit Stones, going twice!"
"Anyone else willing to bid? There's only one last chance. Hurry, or this top-grade defensive Law Artifact will belong to someone else."
After coaxing the bidders for a while, Xiao Ya saw that the previous bidder was not raising the price again. A trace of disappointment flashed in her eyes, but then she put on an exuberant smile and called, "Two thousand six hundred Spirit Stones, going three times. Sold!"