"Eight hundred thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones! Order number 7! Congratulations, Fellow Daoist number 7, for successfully acquiring the Sky Puppet Spirit Token!" Lin Baoqing shouted in a hoarse voice, overcome with excitement.
In the last breath, the bidding price surged by one hundred thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones, sealing the deal with one strike. This price astonished everyone present.
"My heavens, eight hundred thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones, that's more than enough to buy a seven-rank dao tool!" a Cultivator muttered in disbelief.
"Fellow Daoist Zhao, you've struck it rich!" a Soul Transformation Cultivator looked enviously at Zhao Kuangsheng, whose face was beaming with a bright smile, all traces of his previous reluctance and dejection gone.
"Tsk tsk tsk... too extravagant! Venerable Fallenwood of the Ji Family must be furious!" Celestial Venerable Kun Ling chuckled gleefully from VIP Room 2.
"Who is in VIP Room 7? I thought he was just driving up the price, deliberately targeting Fallenwood, but I didn't expect him to actually buy it!" Fang Yunjian asked curiously from VIP Room 1.
"Eight hundred thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones for a useless Spirit Token, he must have too many Spirit Stones to burn!" someone commented disdainfully.
...
The atmosphere of the entire Auction hall was instantly ignited. After a brief moment of shock, the Cultivators attending the Auction began to discuss animatedly, their attention unconsciously drawn to VIP Room 7. The owner of VIP Room 7 became the focal point of the entire hall at this moment.
Eight hundred thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones – this was a figure many Nascent Soul cultivators and Soul Transformation Cultivators could not even imagine. Even an immortal Cultivation Family with a thousand-year Legacy, or a medium-sized Sect, would find it difficult to produce such a huge sum.
However, this Fellow Daoist from VIP Room 7 unhesitatingly used this enormous sum to purchase a seemingly "useless" Spirit Token. This behavior absolutely exceeded the scope of normal understanding.
This person either had absolute confidence in unraveling the Cultivation Technique Legacy behind the Sky Puppet Spirit Token, or he was truly so wealthy that he didn't care about Spirit Stones and didn't mind spending a fortune to acquire a Spiritual Artifact that only had the name of a seven-rank dao tool. In either case, it was enough to spark intense interest in him.
For a time, the owner of VIP Room 7 became the focus of attention for many forces and Cultivators.
However, among the more than two hundred VIP rooms at this Auction, some major Families and powerful forces, such as the Ji Family, Kun Family, Xuantian Sword Sect, Taiyi Sect, and Ancient Moon Sect, did not activate the Divine Sense isolation arrays within their VIP rooms. Therefore, the identities of most people in these VIP rooms were clear at a glance.
The Spirit Array for Divine Sense isolation in VIP Room 7 was fully activated, and access was gained through Wanbao Pavilion's secret passage. Therefore, apart from Wanbao Pavilion, others found it difficult to ascertain his true identity.
"Damn it! Who is this person! You must find out his background!"
In VIP Room 3, Venerable Fallenwood's tiger-like eyes were wide with fury, as if he wanted to devour his three Soul Transformation subordinates alive. The raging anger was like a volcano, ready to erupt at any moment.
The three Soul Transformation Cultivators trembled uncontrollably in the face of the Void Refining Great Power's supreme might, their hearts filled with terror and dread.
"Old Ancestor, the owner of VIP Room 7 has a very close relationship with Wanbao Pavilion. I tried to inquire, but I couldn't find any useful information," one of the Ji Family's Soul Transformation Cultivators replied, trembling, to Venerable Fallenwood.
"Old Ancestor, two months before the Auction, I attended Wanbao Pavilion's Artifact Refining trade fair. If I'm not mistaken, the owner of VIP Room 7 is likely connected to the deaths of the two Nine Demon Sect Old Ancestors," a red-haired Soul Transformation Cultivator managed to maintain some composure as he analyzed.
"Yes, Old Ancestor, the owner of VIP Room 7 is very likely the Great Power behind the demise of Old Ancestor Xue Ming and Old Ancestor Yin Jiong!" the last Soul Transformation Cultivator echoed.
Venerable Fallenwood's expression changed slightly, and he asked in shock, "Is that true? Xue Ming and Yin Jiong died? When did this happen!"
"Old Ancestor, you were in secluded cultivation before, so it's normal that you wouldn't know. Old Ancestor Xue Ming and Old Ancestor Yin Jiong both perished on the same day. Their deaths seem to be related to a certain Great Power from Wanbao Pavilion," the red-haired Soul Transformation Cultivator explained in detail.
"Two months before Wanbao Pavilion held this Auction, there was a customization meeting for Artifact Refining slots. Great Master Li canceled his previously reserved Artifact Refining slot because he had to leave the Southern Barrens..." The red-haired Soul Transformation Cultivator looked at Venerable Fallenwood and began to explain in detail.
Upon hearing the name "Great Master Li," Venerable Fallenwood's expression darkened, showing displeasure. He recalled the previous incident where he failed to snatch the Azure Jade Ginseng King, and how that 'Great Master Li' had escaped. As a dignified Void Refining Great Power, failing to capture a mere Nascent Soul brat had always bothered him.
Thinking of this humiliating incident, Venerable Fallenwood, whose face was without honor, grew even more enraged. The pressure of a Void Refining Great Power caused his three Soul Transformation subordinates to tremble uncontrollably, terrified to the extreme.
The red-haired Cultivator, with bated breath and suppressing his fear, continued to explain: "The matter of reserving Spirit Treasure refining was settled long ago. Wanbao Pavilion's cancellation this time naturally displeased us. More than twenty Fellow Daoists collectively caused trouble, and Lin Baoqing couldn't handle it. To offset our dissatisfaction, he took out some High Grade Spirit Treasures with good quality and sold them to us."
"Among this batch of Spirit Treasures were the Green Cloud Sect's Legacy Treasure, the qingyun sword, and the Myriad Buddhas Sect's ultimate treasure, the Ten Thousand Buddha Pagoda... Some people questioned the origin of these Spirit Treasures... Later, Manager Lin brought out Old Ancestor Yin Jiong's Soul, confirming the source of these Spirit Treasures: they were spoils of war after the demise of Old Ancestor Xue Ming and Old Ancestor Yin Jiong!" The red-haired Soul Transformation Cultivator explained in detail to Venerable Fallenwood.
Venerable Fallenwood's expression changed repeatedly, growing increasingly grim. He never expected that Old Ancestor Xue Ming and Old Ancestor Yin Jiong, those two troublesome old fellows, had actually perished.
"What's that person's background? Didn't you find out clearly?" Venerable Fallenwood asked in a deep voice, looking at the red-haired Soul Transformation Cultivator.
"This... Wanbao Pavilion is extremely secretive about this person's identity. Xuantian Sword Sect and Taiyi Sect both inquired about his identity and background, but both returned empty-handed," the red-haired Soul Transformation Cultivator replied cautiously, lowering his head.
"Oh! Since you don't even know his identity, how dare you assert that the owner of VIP Room 7 is this person? Are you trying to deceive this Old Ancestor!" Venerable Fallenwood's gaze was chilling as he coldly questioned the red-haired Soul Transformation Cultivator.
Facing Venerable Fallenwood's questioning, the red-haired Soul Transformation Cultivator felt a surge of panic, but he mustered his courage and replied, "Reporting to Old Ancestor, among the Spiritual Artifacts put up for Auction at this event, quite a few were leftover Spiritual Artifacts from the previous trade fair."
"And, the owner of VIP Room 7 has abundant financial resources, and it's highly probable that it's because of the Spiritual Artifacts he put up for Auction. Therefore, this junior speculates that this person is related to the demise of Old Ancestor Xue Ming and Old Ancestor Yin Jiong," the red-haired Soul Transformation Cultivator added, inferring.
"Old Ancestor, Ji Yan's inference is not without reason. The owner of VIP Room 7 dares to snatch a Spiritual Artifact you value, and possesses financial resources no less than our Ji Family's. Aside from this person, there is likely no other possibility," another Soul Transformation Cultivator quickly chimed in, echoing the sentiment.
Hearing this, Venerable Fallenwood pondered for a moment, his eyes flickering with thought. He had to agree with their inference.
However, the owner of VIP Room 7 had ultimately slapped him in the face. Venerable Fallenwood could not swallow this insult, no matter what. Besides, that was the Sky Puppet Spirit Token! He had been collecting for some time, and it was so difficult to finally see another piece appear!
"In that case, I'll let you thoroughly investigate this person's identity. I'll give you one month. If you fail to find out, you will be punished for dereliction of duty," Venerable Fallenwood ordered decisively, seething with anger.
"Yes!"
The three Soul Transformation Cultivators' expressions changed drastically, and they responded in unison with difficulty.
On the Auction stage, Lin Baoqing adjusted his excited mood and continued to host the Auction: "Distinguished guests, next, please welcome the next Spiritual Artifact."
As soon as his voice fell, a flash of light appeared on the Auction stage, revealing a jade box.
Lin Baoqing reached out and opened the box, revealing a snow-white, jade-like Spirit Ginseng. He solemnly introduced it: "The next item for Auction is a six-order Spirit Medicine: Jade Dew Snow Ginseng, with an age of fifteen hundred years. It is the main ingredient for the five-order Soul Essence Pill, and can also be used as an auxiliary ingredient for the six-order Heavenly Calamity Pill."
Lin Baoqing held the jade box, displaying it to everyone.
The Jade Dew Snow Ginseng in the jade box was full of vitality, its snow-white roots strong and developed, exuding a heart-pounding medicinal power.
Lin Baoqing gently closed the jade box, then looked up and scanned the crowd present, his gaze finally resting on VIP Room 7, his eyes seemingly hiding some deeper meaning.
This Snow Ginseng seemed to be Great Master Li's favored item. Perhaps, there would be another astonishingly high price later.
Lin Baoqing withdrew his gaze and continued to introduce: "This Snow Ginseng is a rare and precious medicine. Even if it's not used for Alchemy, direct consumption can restore damaged Bloodline, improve Aptitude, enhance Primordial Spirit, and have many other extraordinary effects."
As soon as Lin Baoqing's words fell, it immediately drew exclamations of approval from many Cultivators below the Auction stage.
"Good medicine! Such an old Jade Dew Snow Ginseng is truly rare!" someone exclaimed.
"Alas! This kind of Spirit Ginseng is probably not something I can afford!" someone sighed.
"It truly is a precious medicine! Why are all the items at this Auction so valuable? Is there anything left for us to bid on?" someone also expressed doubt.
...
The shocking effect of eight hundred thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones still lingered, and many Cultivators present couldn't help but express their feelings, feeling powerless due to their poverty.
"Jade Dew Snow Ginseng, starting bid: five thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones, time limit: one hundred breaths. To whom will it belong! Bidding begins!" Lin Baoqing ignored their exclamations, tapped the Auction hammer lightly, and announced loudly.
The next second, the bidding Spirit Mirror below the Auction stage saw the bidding price instantly jump crazily.
In less than ten breaths, the bidding price directly exceeded ten thousand, and only then did the speed of the number's jump slow down.
Time flew by, and one hundred breaths were about to pass. The bidding price for the Jade Dew Snow Ginseng barely reached fifteen thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones.
Lin Baoqing was still wondering why 'Great Master Li' hadn't bid, feeling disappointed at this price.
At the last moment, the bidding Spirit Mirror displayed a new number.
"Congratulations! Congratulations to Order number 7, for acquiring the Jade Dew Snow Ginseng at a price of twenty thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones!" Lin Baoqing was overjoyed and shouted the bid loudly.
Seeing this scene, the Cultivators who participated in the bidding for the Jade Dew Snow Ginseng felt a pang of discomfort.
They found that once the owner of VIP Room 7 set his sights on a certain Spiritual Artifact, no matter how high their bid, they ultimately found it difficult to obtain.
Indeed, in the subsequent Auction, six-order nine yang spirit grass, purple gold spirit flower, six-order White Tiger Fiend Gold, and more than a dozen other high-grade spiritual materials and Spiritual Plants were successively acquired by this mysterious owner of VIP Room 7. The financial power displayed shocked and envied all the Cultivators.
However, some Cultivators also harbored hostility towards the owner of VIP Room 7, secretly plotting how to obstruct him. For example, the Ji Family in VIP Room 3 deliberately obstructed the bidding of the VIP Room 7 owner. Whenever he set his sights on a Spiritual Artifact and bidding began, they would follow by raising the price, attempting to make him spend more Spirit Stones.
However, the owner of VIP Room 7 was not an easy opponent to deal with. Realizing this situation, he adopted a corresponding strategy. He deliberately added bids for some unwanted Spiritual Artifacts, drove up the price, and then deliberately abandoned the bid.
After several rounds of this, the Ji Family ended up purchasing many high-grade Spiritual Artifacts in an attempt to obstruct him, resulting in a significant loss.
This scene instilled much reverence and fear in other Cultivators towards the owner of VIP Room 7. They realized that this mysterious Cultivator not only possessed immense financial resources but also possessed superb wisdom and stratagem, making him someone not to be easily provoked.
Fortunately, the owner of VIP Room 7 only had a special fondness for some high-grade Spiritual Plants, spiritual materials, and unique Spiritual Artifacts. Otherwise, almost all the good items in the entire Auction would not have been available to them.
Time flew by, and the Auction proceeded in an orderly manner.
With the appearance of the core Auction item of this event, a seven-rank spiritual material – Liu Jin Boundary Crystal, the Auction once again ignited another fierce bidding war after the Sky Puppet Spirit Token.
This seven-rank spiritual material, the Liu Jin Boundary Crystal, was only the size of a fist but weighed a million jin. It was like a fallen star, shining with golden light, extraordinary to the extreme. For many Soul Transformation Cultivators with a Metal Spiritual Root, this spiritual material was the preferred choice for refining their Natal Artifact, and they flocked to it.
Ultimately, this Liu Jin Boundary Crystal was sold at a high price of four hundred thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones, falling into the hands of the owner of VIP Room 7. This price left many people speechless, but quite a few also marveled at the immense financial power of the owner of VIP Room 7.
Afterward, in the subsequent Auction, Order number 7 was no longer seen participating in the bidding for subsequent Spiritual Artifacts.
At this moment, within the Ten Thousand Flowers Manor in Barren Ancient City, Li Mu appeared from the small teleportation array with Xue Er, a smile of abundant harvest on his face, filled with joy.
Wanbao Pavilion's VIP rooms were specially equipped with a short-distance, small teleportation array, which saved him a lot of trouble.
Li Mu was still calculating how to use this harvest to further enhance his strength. He had gained quite a lot from this Wanbao Pavilion Auction.
The spoils of war obtained from Old Ancestor Xue Ming and Old Ancestor Yin Jiong, various Spiritual Artifacts and Spirit Treasures, sold for a good price, and the several Spirit Treasures he refined were also highly sought after.
In addition, several favored high-grade Spiritual Plants and spiritual materials were acquired, and there was also the unexpected gain of the Sky Puppet Spirit Token, which made Li Mu's heart burn with excitement, eagerly awaiting the end of the Auction for Manager Lin to deliver the goods. (End of Chapter)
