117: Chapter 117: Picking Up a Bargain

Downstairs.

The auction was in full swing.

The first item, an Earth Rank spirit sword, finally sold for 150,000 Spirit Stones to an elderly Loose Cultivator on the first floor.

Immediately after, the second item, the third item... one by one, the auction items were brought onto the stage and sold off.

Medicinal Pills, Magical Artifacts, Materials, Incomplete Manuals... there was a wide variety, a dazzling array of items.

Each item was more valuable than the one before it.

This was the classic auction routine.

Doing this kept everyone's expectations high.

Moreover, through the earlier auctions, everyone's acceptance of the prices would involuntarily increase.

As a result, the final finale items often fetched high prices.

Xiao Ran leaned back on the soft couch, leisurely sipping tea.

To the current him, these things were not yet worth his attention.

Behind him, Liuer was still kneading his shoulders.

The pressure was neither too light nor too heavy, just right.

Xiao Ran was so comfortable he almost let out a moan.

“Miss Liuer, your technique is quite good.”

He offered a casual word of praise.

Liuer gritted her teeth, but a smile was forced onto her face.

“As long as Young Master Xiao is satisfied.”

In her heart, she had cursed Xiao Ran eight hundred times.

But there was no other way; to extract information, she had to endure.

Bai Linger sat quietly to the side, occasionally glancing at Xiao Ran before looking away.

Her fingers gently massaged Xiao Ran's calves with a soft touch.

Xiao Ran felt secretly delighted.

Now this is what life should be like!

Through the Soul link, Li Changsheng's voice came through:

“Xiao Ran, what are you doing over there?”

“I'm feeling very comfortable.”

Xiao Ran replied.

“What about you?”

Li Changsheng was silent for a moment.

“I'm... also comfortable over here.”

Xiao Ran raised an eyebrow.

“What kind of comfortable?”

Li Changsheng didn't answer.

Because he didn't know how to say it.

So he could only proactively open up a bit of his sensory permissions.

Thus, Xiao Ran vaguely heard the sound of rustling clothes from the Soul link, along with Liu Ruyan's low, flirtatious laughter.

Xiao Ran understood instantly.

“Holy crap, you're doing that at an auction?”

Li Changsheng said faintly.

“I didn't want to, she insisted on...”

Xiao Ran immediately interrupted him.

“She wanted it so you gave it?”

“Changsheng, how did I not see it sooner? You actually like playing with scenarios.”

“Should I call you Mr. Li 91 from now on?”

Li Changsheng's face turned red from being called out, and he could only stammer.

“Xiao Ran... this feeling is actually quite great.”

“You should try it when you get the chance.”

After saying that, he unilaterally cut off the link.

Xiao Ran chuckled in disbelief.

This dog, he's actually playing even wilder than I am.

I haven't even tried a scenario yet!

...

The auction continued.

An hour passed, and over thirty items had already been sold.

Some Cultivators on the first floor were happy while others were sad, but the VIP boxes on the second floor remained quiet.

Because everyone knew the real highlights were still to come.

“The next item... is somewhat special.”

At this moment, the white-bearded elder on the stage paused, his voice rising a few notches.

He took an object from his storage ring and placed it on the display stand.

It was a palm-sized fragment, pitch black all over and covered in cracks.

The edges were jagged, as if it had been broken off from some larger vessel.

Some faint, blurry patterns could be seen on the fragment, but they were incomplete, making it impossible to tell what it originally was.

“This object was obtained by our Wanbao Pavilion from an ancient ruin,”

the elder said slowly.

“Upon appraisal, this item is extremely old, at least ten thousand years old.”

“However, exactly what it is or what its purpose might be has yet to be determined.”

As soon as he finished speaking.

A wave of discussion broke out below the stage.

“Over ten thousand years? Doesn't that mean it's from the Ancient Era?”

“What use is it? It's broken into pieces like this.”

“If Wanbao Pavilion can't even appraise it, it's probably just a piece of junk.”

“What's the starting price?”

“...”

The elder waited for a moment, then raised his hand for silence.

“The starting price for this item is 10,000 Spirit Stones.”

As soon as he spoke, a round of boos erupted from the crowd.

10,000 Spirit Stones was not cheap for a fragment of unknown origin and purpose.

For a moment, no one placed a bid.

The elder was in no hurry and simply waited quietly.

On the second floor, in the Hong Room.

Xiao Ran's originally indifferent gaze suddenly sharpened the moment he saw that fragment.

In the Legacy of Daoist Duobao, there was a record regarding ancient artifacts.

“Eons ago, there was a wondrous object called the World-Breaking Stone, which could tear through the Void Realm and travel between worlds.”

“It was later shattered during a great war, and its pieces were scattered everywhere.”

“Although its fragments lost the ability to travel, they still retain a trace of spatial power, which can be used to refine storage Magic Treasures or World-Breaking Talismans.”

And the patterns on the fragment before him were identical to the patterns of the World-Breaking Stone recorded in Daoist Duobao's Legacy!

Xiao Ran's heart began to race.

But on the surface, he remained unperturbed.

“Miss Liuer.”

He suddenly spoke.

Liuer, who was kneading his shoulders, responded, “What are your orders, Young Master?”

“That item down there is quite interesting.”

“Start bidding and help me win it.”

Liuer was taken aback.

“Young Master, that thing... even Wanbao Pavilion couldn't appraise it. You might lose money. Are you sure?”

Liuer had personally looked at this item.

Even after spending some time on it, she hadn't been able to determine its use, so it was placed in the auction as a sort of curiosity.

After all, a treasure from ten thousand years ago sounded very prestigious.

Hearing this, Xiao Ran didn't answer, only offering a faint smile.

“Just bid!”

“It's only 10,000 Spirit Stones. Treat it as buying a novelty.”

A strange look flashed in Liuer's eyes, but she didn't ask further.

She immediately stopped her massage and walked to the crystal window, picking up the nearby Sound-Transmitting Jade Talisman.

“Hong Room bids 10,000.”

Downstairs.

The elder's eyes lit up.

“Good! The guest in the Hong Room bids 10,000. Are there any higher bids?”

The crowd below looked at each other.

“Someone's actually buying it?”

“A sucker, perhaps?”

“10,000 Spirit Stones for a piece of junk. They must have money to burn.”

Amidst the discussion, another voice suddenly rang out.

“Di Room bids 20,000.”

Xiao Ran's brow twitched.

The Di Room?

Wasn't that Su Wuhun's box?

Liuer also froze for a moment and looked at Xiao Ran.

“Young Master, someone is competing.”

Xiao Ran narrowed his eyes.

Su Wuhun, was he doing this on purpose to annoy him?

“30,000.”

He said indifferently.

Liuer picked up the sound-transmitting jade: “Hong Room, 30,000.”

“Di Room, 40,000.”

“50,000.”

“60,000.”

The two of them raised the price by 10,000 at a time, quickly bringing it up to 100,000.

The people below were already staring in shock.

“100,000 Spirit Stones for a piece of junk?”

“Are these two crazy?”

“No, that person in the Di Room seems to be intentionally driving up the price.”

“Do they have a grudge?”

Upstairs, Xiao Ran remained calm.

If he wants to follow, then I'll follow to the end.

“150,000.”

He added 50,000 in one go.

The Di Room went silent.

A moment later, a cold laugh came from that side.

“Since Young Master Xiao likes it so much, then this Young Master will not take away what you love.”

“However... spending 150,000 on a piece of trash, Young Master Xiao is indeed wealthy and imposing.”

The voice spread throughout the venue via the sound-transmitting jade.

Only then did the crowd realize that the one bidding was the winner of yesterday's Martial Arts Marriage Recruitment.

Xiao Ran.

“So it's that Xiao Ran!”

“No wonder he's so rich.”

“150,000 for a piece of trash... tsk tsk.”

Xiao Ran leaned back on the soft couch, completely unbothered.

Trash?

When you all find out what this is, it'll be too late for tears.

“Sold.”

The elder struck the golden gong.

“This item belongs to the guest in the Hong Room.”

Soon, an attendant delivered the fragment to the box.

Xiao Ran took it and casually put it into his storage ring, his face still calm.

But in his heart, he was already overjoyed.

A fragment of the World-Breaking Stone!

Although it was only a small piece, combined with the refining method from Daoist Duobao's Legacy, it could be used to create a World-Breaking Talisman.

It could save his life at a critical moment!

To the side, Liuer looked at him, a trace of suspicion flashing in her eyes.

“Young Master, what exactly is that fragment...?”

Xiao Ran glanced at her.

“Want to know?”

Liuer nodded.

Xiao Ran smiled.

“I'm not telling you.”

Liuer: “...”

She took a deep breath, struggling to maintain the smile on her face.

“Young Master really knows how to joke.”

Xiao Ran ignored her and continued looking downstairs.