41: Chapter 41 Auction

Suddenly, the rosy sky above the valley was slashed open by several powerful surges of Qi.

Streams of light descended like falling stars, and rainbows hung down like bridges, carrying the momentum of wind and thunder yet suppressing all sound, precisely plunging into the hazy halo on the third floor.

The entire auction instantly fell silent; not a single person dared to make a sound.

It was not until all the streams of light dissipated and the terrifying Spiritual Pressure vanished that the murmurs gradually began to rise, though they were not as chaotic as before.

A figure appeared silently on the central display stage.

It was an old man wearing dark blue Dharma robes, with white hair and beard, and a lean face. There was no oppressive Spiritual Pressure around him, yet he possessed a steady demeanor that calmed the heart.

He scanned the entire venue with a calm gaze, and within the large circular pavilion, the subtle commotion and whispers originally caused by the arrival of the Golden Core returned to silence.

"Greetings, Fellow Daoists." The old man's voice was not loud, yet it rang clearly in everyone's ears, gentle like jade striking jade. "I am surnamed Chen, and I am the manager of this auction. I will skip the pleasantries to avoid delaying your Opportunity."

After speaking, he lightly flicked his sleeve, and a small ebony mallet appeared on the jade table at the side of the display stage.

"The auction rules are all within the jade tokens in your hands; please review them yourselves." He paused slightly, then picked up the mallet and tapped it lightly but firmly on the jade table.

"Dong—"

The clear sound of the mallet carried a peculiar vibration that swept across the entire venue.

"I announce that this Sunset Glow Sect auction now begins."

As Manager Chen's voice fell, a phantom image of a miniature mountain range, resembling a swimming Dragon and wreathed in spiritual light, appeared on the central light screen. The details were clear, and one could even see the faint luster of Spirit Stones within the veins.

"The first auction item," Manager Chen introduced unhurriedly, "is a first-grade low grade Spiritual Vein, located in the newly exposed 'Sui Ji Mountain' three thousand li southeast of our Sect. This vein was accidentally revealed a month ago when Daoist Jian Xia of our Sect fought a fierce battle with the Blood Shadow Hall Master of the Heavenly Demon Hall, and his Sword Qi shattered the mountain. Because its mountain root spiritual hub was severed by the Sword Qi, the grade of this vein will be permanently fixed at first-grade low grade. However, after detailed assessment by the Deacon Hall, it contains one million Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

He paused briefly to let the information sink in, then continued: "According to custom, since this Spiritual Vein is within our Sect's territory, the winner cannot establish a Sect or build a permanent Foundation upon it; they only enjoy the right to mine it. During the mining period, they will be protected by our Sect's patrol teams to avoid large-scale bandit harassment. The starting price is one hundred thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones. Each bid increment must not be less than five thousand Spirit Stones. Now, please place your bids."

"One hundred thousand!" Almost as soon as Manager Chen finished the word "bid," a lean man in the front row of the first floor shouted out immediately, his voice filled with urgency.

"One hundred and ten thousand." A flat voice followed from behind a beaded curtain on the second floor.

"One hundred and twenty thousand!" The lean man gritted his teeth.

"One hundred and thirty-five thousand." From another direction, a female Cultivator's voice came.

The initial bidding was quite rapid, mostly concentrated among a few Loose Cultivators with decent financial resources on the first floor and some small factions on the second floor. The price quickly exceeded one hundred and fifty thousand Spirit Stones.

"Two hundred thousand." A slightly aged, slow, and leisurely voice came from an inconspicuous compartment on the second floor, raising the price by tens of thousands at once, instantly causing many competitors to give up. This was when the representatives of several small Families with deep Foundations in Luoxia Market began to exert their strength.

"Two hundred and ten thousand." That flat voice from before sounded again, unhurried and calm.

"Two hundred and twenty thousand." The aged voice followed up.

The bidding began to enter a slow tug-of-war, with each increment returning to the base of ten thousand or even five thousand Spirit Stones.

The third-floor boxes remained silent, clearly lacking interest in a Spiritual Vein of this grade.

Finally, when the price hovered at two hundred and seventy-eight thousand Spirit Stones for a moment, the flat voice announced "two hundred and eighty-five thousand," and the aged voice pondered for a few breaths before no longer following up.

"Two hundred and eighty-five thousand Spirit Stones, going once." Manager Chen's gaze swept across the venue.

No one responded.

"Going twice."

Still silent.

"Sold!"

The wooden mallet fell, emitting a crisp sound. The ownership of the first Spiritual Vein was decided, but the heat of the auction had only just begun to rise.

Yun Ming quickly calculated in his heart: A Spiritual Vein could yield one million Spirit Stones. After deducting the cost of winning the bid, and accounting for expenses such as labor needed for mining and Formation maintenance, making a net profit of over five hundred thousand Spirit Stones would be considered decent.

"It feels… a bit of a loss." He subconsciously muttered softly.

This remark, however, was overheard by the person in the adjacent compartment.

The voice that had mocked him earlier rang out again immediately, carrying undisguised ridicule: "As expected of a bumpkin, with only Spirit Stones in your eyes. Do you think those who bid for this Spiritual Vein are aiming for those few stones mined? They are aiming for the protection of the Sunset Glow Sect during the mining period!"

At this moment, a gentler voice came from the compartment on the other side. The person took over the conversation and explained: "This Fellow Daoist must be a Loose Cultivator, right? The one who just won the Spiritual Vein is likely a Foundation Establishment Family. The Old Ancestor in the Family is nearing the end of their Lifespan, and they fear that enemies will come knocking in the future. Nominally, it is for mining, but in reality, they are using this 'mining right' to exchange for a certain degree of protection from the Sect, effectively seeking an amulet for the entire Family."

"So that's how it is," Yun Ming nodded slightly toward the direction of the compartment that had explained, his tone sincere. "Thank you for your guidance, Fellow Daoist; I have learned much."

As for the compartment on the other side that was full of mockery, he didn't even lift an eyelid, completely pretending not to have heard it.

Turning his gaze back to the auction, as one item after another was presented and the mallet fell, coupled with Manager Chen's steady and skillful words, the rhythm of the entire venue was consistently guided.

He would occasionally point out the rare origin of a Magical Artifact, at other times emphasize the suitable timing for a Spirit Medicine, timely acknowledge the discernment of the bidders, and even reignite the sparks of competition with a well-placed sentence during brief lulls.

The atmosphere had been stirred up to an increasingly feverish pitch.

When a phantom image of a Medicinal Pill, gentle as jade and with faint rosy light flowing over it, appeared on the central light screen, there was a momentary stagnation in the venue, followed by a surge of suppressed commotion.

Many Qi Refining Cultivators straightened their backs subconsciously, their gazes burning.

Even in some compartments on the second floor, there were noticeable fluctuations in Spiritual Qi.

Manager Chen took in everyone's reactions, a knowing smile appearing on his face.

He did not speak immediately, but instead let the image of the Medicinal Pill float quietly on the light screen for two breaths, fully attracting all gazes.

"The next auction item," his voice rose slightly, clearly spreading to every corner, "surely requires no redundant words from me regarding its efficacy. The foundation establishment pill can assist a Qi Refining Perfection Cultivator in adding a thirty percent chance of Foundation Establishment Opportunity."

His words were concise, yet every word carried immense weight.

A thirty percent probability, for a Cultivator trapped at the Qi Refining threshold, was no different from a key separating the immortal from the mortal.

"In this auction, there are four in total. They will be auctioned individually in sequence." Manager Chen paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over the thousands of meditation cushions in the first-floor area, then passing over the many compartments on the second floor, as he slowly announced the price: "The first one, starting price, eighty thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones. Each increment must not be lower than five thousand. Fellow Daoists, please."

"Eighty-five thousand!"

"Ninety thousand!"

Almost before the lingering echo of the mallet had faded, the sound of bidding exploded simultaneously from several corners of the first floor, urgent and intense. The price, like a lit fuse, shot upward rapidly.

Some compartments on the second floor also quickly joined the fray, the bidding voices rising one after another, and it quickly broke through the one hundred and fifty thousand Spirit Stone mark. The competition had entered a white-hot stage from the very beginning.

Even Yun Ming subconsciously clenched his fists.

"Two hundred thousand!"