The Ultimate Bidding War

"One hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones!"

The moment the voice rang out, the entire auction hall fell silent. A pin could have been heard dropping.

Everyone turned to look and saw a middle-aged man shouting, his face full of anger. He wore fine clothes, and every strand of his hair was meticulously groomed. He was clearly a wealthy man.

The man was Mo Xian, a fourth-tier alchemist from Myriad Phenomena City, and an advanced one at that, capable of refining supreme-grade fourth-tier spirit pills.

He had learned about the auction of the quasi-fifth-tier pill furnace long ago and had brought his entire fortune to bid for it in one fell swoop.

"One hundred and five thousand."

Before long, however, another voice followed.

Its owner was a woman with her hair piled high in a bun. Her gaze was calm, and the two pronounced lines beside her mouth made her look somewhat fierce.

"Hmph, Old Woman Jiang, since we're the only two left competing, let's see whose purse is deeper!"

The two top alchemists of Myriad Phenomena City immediately began a new round of bidding. Seeing the state they were in, the people around them couldn't help but admire them.

After so many years of open strife and hidden rivalry, they were finally going to settle who was superior at an auction.

Everyone was happy to see it happen. Most of them couldn't keep up with the bidding anyway and could only sit back and enjoy the show.

Ling Yun had not bid once.

It didn't matter which of the two won in the end; he would make his move. He could just sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, then take it in one fell swoop.

Ling Yun laughed a little wickedly to himself.

By the end, the two had slowed their bidding considerably.

"One hundred and thirty-five thousand!"

By this point, Mo Xian's entire face was flushed red. He spoke through gritted teeth, his eyes fixed on the woman opposite him as though he wanted nothing more than to swallow her whole and flay her alive.

Unfortunately for him...

"One hundred and forty thousand."

The woman opposite him glanced at him and spoke in a light tone.

In an instant, all the strength went out of Mo Xian's body. He slumped into his chair, his eyes vacant and his expression dazed.

He had lost.

Even after spending all the money he had brought, he still couldn't outbid her.

The woman's face remained impassive, but her lowered hand, hidden in the darkness, trembled slightly.

I won...

She let out a long sigh of relief in her heart.

On the auction stage, the steward's face was wreathed in smiles, like an old chrysanthemum in full bloom.

"One hundred and forty thousand, going once!"

The hammer fell, its crisp rap carrying throughout the hall.

"One hundred and fifty thousand low-grade spirit stones."

Just then, Ling Yun spoke casually.

The woman's expression froze. She snapped her head toward Ling Yun, who had just spoken.

The steward also looked at Ling Yun in surprise, and everyone around him turned their eyes on him.

"Hahahaha..."

In the midst of the strange atmosphere, a sudden, unrestrained laugh rang throughout the hall.

Mo Xian laughed wildly, tears seeping from the corners of his eyes. He didn't say a word, yet it was as though he had said everything.

The woman opposite him, however, looked as though a piece of flesh had been carved out of her. The pain was unbearable, her face was gloomy, and she remained silent.

"Make the announcement."

Ignoring their reactions, Ling Yun spoke calmly to the steward on the auction stage.

The steward came back to his senses, and his signature smile returned.

In the end, the hammer came down, sealing the sale.

The Simu Suppression Furnace had finally fallen into Ling Yun's hands, and his purpose in coming to the auction had been perfectly fulfilled.

Ling Yun finally felt a slight stir of emotion.

The atmosphere in the hall heated up again, because the final item about to be presented was bound to be the most precious item at the auction!

Having obtained the Simu Suppression Furnace, Ling Yun no longer cared about anything else. But seeing so many people grow restless, he couldn't help feeling a trace of interest.

On the auction stage, the steward had put away his smile, his expression now somewhat solemn and serious.

The crowd grew even more curious.

A spiritual light flashed in the steward's hand, and he brought out a crimson crystal core.

The instant the crystal core appeared, a wave of searing heat washed over the crowd, and the temperature throughout the space rose rapidly.

The expressions of those present changed, and they all formed protective shields around themselves to fend off the intense heat.

Ling Yun did the same.

The moment the crystal core appeared, the indifference vanished from Ling Yun's face.

This is... Spirit Fire?!

Ling Yun's eyes lit up, countless ripples surging across the lake of his heart. Beneath his mask, his face lit up with wild joy!

I actually came across Spirit Fire?

Ling Yun could hardly believe it.

He had only just crammed all kinds of knowledge about alchemy that day, so Spirit Fire had naturally left a deep impression on him.

How many cultivators sought it with all their might? Even for those who cultivated neither alchemy nor artifact refinement, Spirit Fire could serve as a trump card more formidable than divine abilities and spells.

All the more so for Ling Yun, who was about to start refining pills.

Ling Yun couldn't resist such an attraction!

No, how could true Spirit Fire possibly appear at an auction of this scale?

Suddenly, Ling Yun sensed something was wrong. His head, muddled by joy, gradually cooled.

Even the most ordinary Spirit Fire would be enough to make mighty Primordial Spirit Realm experts, or even Dao Palace Realm experts, fight over it. How could it be auctioned at a place where the strongest person is only at the Core Formation Realm?

Ling Yun felt the searing heat washing over him again and finally discovered what was wrong.

A fire without a source, its spirituality greatly diminished.

At last, Ling Yun reached a conclusion, and his expression grew considerably more disappointed.

He had countless ways to identify Spirit Fire. Once he had calmed his mind, he instantly realized that the Spirit Fire sealed within the crystal core was all show and no substance.

This is just a wisp of Spirit Fire flame separated from its source and on the verge of going out. Without the Spirit Fire's source, how could a cultivator absorb it? Ling Yun shook his head inwardly.

"What is that?"

Someone asked in shock.

There were quite a few people like him. Sensing the terrifying presence coming from the crystal core, everyone grew restless.

At the very front, the steward urged everyone to be patient, then began his introduction.

"Sealed within this crystal core is a wisp of Spirit Fire called Crimson Gold Spirit Fire."

"Crimson Gold Spirit Fire originates within Scarlet Gold Spirit Ore, but Scarlet Gold Spirit Ore does not necessarily produce Crimson Gold Spirit Fire. Only Scarlet Gold Spirit Ore that has lain undisturbed for a very long time has a chance of producing it."

"Crimson Gold Spirit Fire is a metal-attribute flame with terrifying killing power. Its heat can melt all metals, and for alchemy and artifact cultivators, it is an immense opportunity they cannot refuse..."

"Boom-"

Before he had finished speaking, the whole hall was already rumbling with noise, the crowd in an uproar.

None of the items in the earlier bidding had caused the atmosphere in the hall to erupt like this. It was enough to show that Spirit Fire held a deadly attraction for any cultivator.

The steward looked at the chaotic auction hall, feeling a headache coming on, but he still used his cultivation to amplify his voice. A single shout instantly quieted the hall.

At the same time, a presence far surpassing that of an ordinary Core Formation Realm cultivator spread out, finally bringing the situation under control.

"I haven't finished speaking yet!"

The steward snorted coldly before continuing his explanation. "Everyone, you're celebrating too soon. We at the Heavenly Treasure Tower don't conduct dishonest business, so I'll tell you the truth: although this wisp of Spirit Fire is powerful, it no longer has its source. It is merely a flame without a source."

"In other words, the chance of absorbing this wisp of Spirit Fire for your own use and having it give birth to a new Spirit Fire source is less than one in ten!"

When the steward finished speaking, the hearts of those present sank.