Volume 2: Shenzhou Academy & The Battle of Venice
Chapter 131
The Jinghai Grand Auction and Fierce Bidding
The Central Financial District of the Magic Capital super-metropolis was forever steeped in a suffocating, breathtaking pulse of luxury. Here, there were no slushy, mud-choked back alleys or the desperate hawking cries of the impoverished underclass; there were only mirror-smooth, granite-paved boulevards flanked by towering skyscrapers fortified with glittering gold-and-silver ward arrays. Fleets of polished magitech sedans, powered by exorbitant wind-crystal cores, sliced silently through the drizzling rain along the pristine asphalt, ferrying the most illustrious and powerful titans of the southern realm.
Dominating the busiest intersection of the Central District stood the Jinghai Grand Auction House.
The architectural marvel was sculpted in the likeness of a colossal leviathan breaching the ocean’s surface. Its sweeping vaulted dome was tiled with tens of thousands of deep cerulean quartz crystals engineered to harvest sunlight to sustain a continuous Tier-4 defensive ward. Beneath the towering spire of a gilded bronze clock tower, dozens of sentries clad in black dragon-scale armor stood rigid as stone monoliths, gripping mana halberds in gloved hands, their razor-sharp gazes scrutinizing every stream of arriving guests.
An unpretentious, mid-tier magitech carriage pulled to a curb along the opposite avenue. Three figures draped in dark cloaks emerged onto the sidewalk. Flanked in the center walked Lin Feng, tall, poised, and unhurried, his deep hood pulled low over the sharp angles of his face. To his left, Xie Zhaoyuan glanced about in high alert, while to his right strode Ye Qingwan in an elegant, navy-blue trench coat. Despite her deliberate effort to dress down, an innate noble poise radiated from her every graceful step.
“Follow me this way,” Xie Zhaoyuan murmured under his breath, steering them down a gray-marble walkway hugging the flank of the monument. “The grand portal is for the general ticket holders swarming in. My second uncle oversees the spiritual appraisal division, so we can take the priority passage reserved exclusively for elite consignors.”
Passing through two stringent mana security checkpoints, where concentric detection circles scanned for sinister auras and contraband without leaving a single blind spot, the trio entered the deepest sector of the first subterranean concourse. In stark contrast to the clamor above, this corridor was carpeted in plush, silver-threaded wool that swallowed all footfalls into absolute silence, illuminated only by soft, mellow golden lamplight emanating from recessed luminescent pearls along the polished walls.
Xie Zhaoyuan halted before a sandalwood double door carved with the motif of a sea gull clutching a jade pearl, rapping his knuckles three times in a distinct, rhythmic cadence.
The heavy door creaked inward. A subtle scent of agarwood incense mingled with the dry aroma of preserved herbs drifted out to greet them.
Inside a spacious chamber spanning some sixty square meters, a middle-aged man in his early fifties sat behind a gleaming desk of black ebony. Dressed in a chestnut-colored silk robe with neatly coiffed, salt-and-pepper hair, his right eye was fitted with an intricate, multi-lensed arcane monocular. Spread across his desk was an exhaustive array of mana spectrometers, soul-density balance scales, and dozens of vials filled with glowing reagent fluids.
This was Huang Bazhen—one of the five most revered senior appraisers at the Jinghai Grand Auction House, and maternal uncle to Xie Zhaoyuan.
“Zhaoyuan? You rascal, shouldn’t you be focusing on cultivation at Shenzhou Academy? What brings you running to my workshop?” Huang Bazhen looked up, sliding the multi-lensed monocular from his eye. Though his tone carried a mild scolding edge, his gaze brimmed with fond indulgence. “Today is Jinghai’s quarterly grand gala. Dignitaries are packing the halls, and I’m swamped up to my ears. I don’t have the luxury of entertaining you today.”
“Second Uncle! As if I’d come all the way down here just to fool around.” Xie Zhaoyuan stepped forward, pulling out a chair and sitting down, tilting his chin toward Lin Feng. “I’ve brought you an esteemed guest. My good brother, Lin Feng—the very man who stirred up a storm across the Battle Ranking just this afternoon. He has a few items he’d like you to appraise for this afternoon’s auction block.”
Huang Bazhen’s gaze instantly shifted to the youth standing before his desk. The name Lin Feng had indeed been ringing like thunder throughout the Magic Capital’s arcane circles lately—from his harrowing life-and-death ordeal on the desolate island to his shocking three-second obliteration of a top-150 upperclassman on the arena grounds. In the sphere of commerce, however, martial glory alone carried no purchasing power.
“Little Brother Lin, I have heard much of your renown,” Huang Bazhen remarked with a measured smile, maintaining the polished decorum of a veteran merchant. “May I ask what items you wish to consign? If they are merely Primary-tier magic gear or ordinary demon beast remnant souls, the appraisal counters in the outer concourse can process them swiftly. There is no need to trouble this high-tier chamber.”
Lin Feng wasted no breath on pleasantries. Taking two measured strides forward, he retrieved an obsidian-black brocade casket sealed with isolating runic wards from his inner coat pocket.
Click.
The latch released with a soft snap, and the lid swung back.
Nestled upon a cushion of crimson velvet, four radiant spheres of condensed energy drifted weightlessly in midair, pulsating with soul ripples so immaculately pure that the ambient temperature inside the chamber plummeted to an icy chill.
Three of them were thumb-sized, their pale azure luminescence swirling in gentle, unhurried orbits, untainted by even a single mote of terrestrial grime. Yet the centerpiece that instantly sucked the air from the room was the orb floating at the center—the size of a pigeon’s egg, enveloped in rippling, cerulean-scaled coils that resembled a dormant leviathan serpent. It radiated the raw, untamed killing intent and freezing dominance of an apex predator!
Huang Bazhen, who had just raised his teacup to take a sip, froze rigid as stone.
The blue-and-white porcelain cup slipped from his fingers, clattering loudly against its saucer with a sharp clink. Lukewarm amber liquid sloshed across the lacquered desktop, but the appraiser paid it no heed. His eyes dilated in sheer shock. Lunging forward, he snatched up his multi-lensed monocular, jamming it against his eye as his torso leaned halfway across the desk, his breath turning ragged and rapid as his chest heaved in violent palpitations.
“This... This is...”
His trembling hand swept above the protective velvet tray as vibrant spectral inspection beams lanced straight into the cerulean-tinted orb of pure soul force:
“A Warrior-class Soul Essence! It is a complete, pristine Soul Essence of a Warrior-class Blue-Patterned Poison Python! Heavens above... this level of purity...”
He frantically rotated the focal dials on his lens, channeling mana to activate the soul-testing array embedded in the desktop. A luminous ring of arcane runes bathed the glowing orb, and the crystalline diagnostic display immediately flared with a blinding emerald readout: 99.98%.
“No lingering malice? Not a trace of backlash trauma from the beast’s violent demise?” Huang Bazhen had completely stripped himself of an elder master’s composure, his voice choking with astonishment. “Even the most prestigious Soul Cleansing Grandmasters across the empire, using the most precious alchemical baths, can barely achieve ninety-five percent purity! This soul essence is practically born of the primordial void—so exquisite and flawless that it defies all reason! And these three beside it... supreme-grade Servant-class Soul Essences!”
Snapping his head upward, Huang Bazhen stared at Lin Feng as though beholding an alien monstrosity.
“Little Brother Lin, this treasure... where in heaven’s name did you obtain it?”
Lin Feng hooded his eyes calmly, his reply devoid of warmth or hesitation: “The trade regulations of the Jinghai Grand Auction House, if I recall correctly, do not include interrogating a client regarding the provenance of their goods.”
The words were spoken softly, yet their implicit weight brought Huang Bazhen back to his senses in an instant. Snatching his cooled teacup, the appraiser drained it in a single gulp to suppress the tempest within his chest. Wiping away the beads of sweat forming across his forehead, he let out a self-deprecating chuckle.
“Indeed, indeed! This old man overstepped his bounds. Jinghai’s ironclad covenant since its founding has always guaranteed absolute anonymity regarding our consignors’ identities.”
Fixing his burning gaze once more upon the Warrior-class Python Soul Essence, the shrewd fire of a veteran merchant flared in his eyes. “Little Brother Lin, do you comprehend what an unblemished Warrior-class Soul Essence signifies? Across the Magic Capital’s markets, noble clans and premier hunter legions are driven to near hysteria by the severe shortage of Warrior-grade essences to forge high-tier magic armor or evolve their contracted spirit beasts. An ordinary specimen plagued by emotional dross commands fifteen to eighteen million gold coins with ease. But this one... with nearly absolute purity and a fusion success rate exceeding ninety percent, its valuation will not fall below twenty-five million!”
With a resounding slap against his thigh, Huang Bazhen beamed: “Today’s grand auction originally had three scheduled finale lots, but this Warrior-class Soul Essence holds ample pedigree to serve as the pivotal centerpiece of our VIP session! I will personally arrange to slip it into the special showcase roster for this afternoon’s grand finale!”
Seated beside him, Ye Qingwan allowed a faint, knowing curve to touch her lips. She understood with absolute clarity that once Jinghai recognized this as a trump card to elevate the auction’s fervor to boiling point, Lin Feng held the supreme bargaining chip.
Lin Feng tapped his slender fingers rhythmically against the ebony desk. “Grandmaster Huang, consigning these items today serves an immediate purpose. I require a colossal reserve of liquid capital during this very auction to secure another prize. However, auction proceeds are traditionally settled only after the gavel falls on the final lot, which would fatally delay my plans.”
An old fox of the commercial arena, Huang Bazhen grasped the crux of the issue instantly. Without a second’s hesitation, he rose and approached an enchanted vault embedded deep within the stone wall. Unlocking it, he retrieved a pitch-black metallic card framed with resplendent gold filigree, etched with the insignia of a soaring leviathan riding crests of arcane runic waves.
“This is the Black Gold Prestige Card of the Jinghai Grand Auction House, issued exclusively to patrons whose transaction volume eclipses thirty million gold coins,” Huang Bazhen said, reverently laying the card before Lin Feng. “Jinghai hereby extends to you an immediate cash advance of twenty million gold coins of liquid purchasing credit! This sum will be deducted from the hammer price of your Soul Essence after accounting for our standard five-percent commission fee. Should the sale exceed twenty million, the surplus will transfer directly to your personal account. In the improbable event it falls short, Jinghai grants you an unconditional, interest-free credit line for an entire year!”
An advance credit of twenty million gold coins!
Xie Zhaoyuan sat agape, swallowing hard in sheer disbelief. He knew his second uncle wielded formidable authority, but to boldly authorize twenty million in liquid credit based on a single piece of collateral proved beyond all doubt how terrifyingly confident Huang Bazhen was in the explosive market value of that soul essence!
Combined with the 12,300,000 gold coins already sitting in his personal account, Lin Feng now commanded over thirty-two million gold coins in liquid purchasing power ready to be deployed at a moment’s notice!
A staggering fortune, sufficient to send shockwaves through any elite gathering in the Magic Capital.
“Agreed. Deal concluded.” Pocketing the Black Gold card, Lin Feng nodded slightly. “I must ask Grandmaster Huang to arrange a private vantage for us.”
“Rest assured, Little Brother!” Huang Bazhen beamed from ear to ear, promptly chiming an arcane bell for the attendants. “Escort our three honored guests straight to VIP Private Room 8 on the third tier! Serve our finest Frost Dew tea and premier enchanted fruits without delay!”
The third tier of the Jinghai Grand Auction House was reserved strictly for the core leadership of patrician dynasties, premier corporate conglomerates, and renowned Advanced-tier archmages.
VIP Private Room 8 was cavernously spacious. Its floor was draped in plush spirit-beast pelt carpeting, while deep-seated couches upholstered in snow-sheep fleece cradled the body in luxurious comfort. Spanning the entire front wall was an enormous sheet of one-way enchanted glass; from within, occupants enjoyed an unobstructed panoramic view of the semi-circular arena below, while those peering up from the floor saw only an inscrutable wall of dark, mirrored obsidian. Resting atop a jade tea table sat an enchanted bidding chime and an interactive crystal display detailing item profiles alongside real-time credit balances.
Ye Qingwan sank gracefully onto the couch, sipping from her cup of Frost Dew tea. Her crystal-clear eyes flicked toward the glass partition. “Room 8 offers an exceptional vantage point. But Lin Feng, take a look across the hall.”
Lin Feng narrowed his eyes, peering across the brilliantly illuminated expanse of the auditorium.
Directly opposite their box, situated squarely at the prestigious center of the third tier, stood VIP Private Room 1—the most palatial and opulent suite in the entire complex, customarily reserved only for entities commanding the highest echelons of influence across the Magic Capital.
At this moment, the heavy silk draperies of Room 1 were flung wide open, as if intentionally displaying its occupants for all the floor to behold.
Sprawled insolently across a white tiger-skin armchair at its center sat a youth around twenty-three years of age. He wore a crimson silk robe embroidered with gleaming golden threads; around his neck hung an amulet carved from jade marrow, and upon his fingers glittered half a dozen rings encrusted with elemental mana gems. His complexion was pallid, his paper-thin lips curled in cruel arrogance. With one booted foot propped atop a carved jade table, he swirled a goblet of enchanted vintage with languid disdain.
Flanking him stood four armored retainers radiating the razor-sharp mana signatures of Intermediate mages, accompanied by two scantily clad courtesans attentively massaging his shoulders and pouring his wine with fawning smiles.
“Zhao Jingshan!” Xie Zhaoyuan gritted his teeth until they audibly creaked. “Of all the rotten luck! That insufferable cur really showed up!”
Lin Feng observed the scion of the Zhao Clan in silence, his eyes devoid of the slightest tremor.
From the two-way enchanted loudspeaker array intentionally toggled to public broadcast within Room 1, Zhao Jingshan’s rasping, haughty laughter suddenly echoed across the third tier:
“Did all you Jinghai stewards hear that loud and clear? This young master has personally graced this venue today, bearing thirty million cold, hard gold coins fresh from the Zhao Clan’s development reserves! Whatever elemental ores or miraculous spiritual treasures cross the block today, this young master is sweeping them all! If any of you possess half a brain, back down now! Don’t waste my precious time or sour my mood!”
Zhao Jingshan’s blustering declaration ignited a ripple of hushed agitation through the main floor and adjacent private boxes alike. Wealthy merchants and representatives of smaller regional clans shook their heads in bitter resignation, quietly withdrawing their bidding paddles for the elemental lots.
Throughout the Magic Capital, who didn’t know that the Zhao Clan stood among the most formidable arcane commercial syndicates—deeply entrenched, fabulously wealthy, and notoriously tyrannical? Going toe-to-toe in a bidding war against a spoiled young master like Zhao Jingshan was akin to smashing eggs against granite; not only would it drain one’s treasury, but it was also an open invitation to lingering retribution.
“Is he always this unhinged in his arrogance?” Lin Feng asked mildly.
Ye Qingwan sighed softly, her velvety voice laden with sharp insight: “Zhao Jingshan has languished at the bottleneck of the Primary Fire tier for over six months. His natural aptitude is mediocre at best, having forced his way to this boundary solely through the clan’s excessive medicinal pills. To prepare for his breakthrough into the Intermediate tier and forge a potent Fire Nebula, the Zhao Clan mobilized a massive war chest to hunt down a mutated Fire Spirit Seed. His sole purpose here today is that very Scarlet Flowing Flame.”
“Thirty million gold coins...” Xie Zhaoyuan bit his lip nervously. “Lin Feng, even with my uncle advancing you twenty million, your combined balance is only slightly over thirty million. What if that lunatic grits his teeth and drives the bid well past thirty-something million? What do we do then?”
Lin Feng offered no reply. He leisurely poured himself another cup of Frost Dew tea, gazing at the delicate wisps of steam curling from the emerald liquid.
Thirty million?
Had it been half an hour ago, before he crossed the threshold into Huang Bazhen’s appraisal sanctum, thirty million might indeed have towered before him like an insurmountable peak. But now... that flawless Warrior-class Soul Essence was resting upon the grand auction ledger.
As for who would crush whom with raw gold, that remained to be seen.
Clang——! Clang——!
Two crisp chimes resonated from the center of the auction rostrum, extinguishing the ambient clamor throughout the grand hall.
The luminous crystal chandeliers suspended from the vaulted ceiling dimmed in synchrony, converging every radiant beam of illumination directly onto the semi-circular stage.
From behind a curtain of crimson velvet stepped a mesmerizing beauty. Around thirty years of age, she wore a tailored cheongsam of purple silk laced with golden embroidery that accentuated every alluring curve of her figure. Her hair was swept into an aristocratic updo, and an enchanting, practiced smile played upon her lips. Every swaying stride she took radiated an irresistible charisma, pinning the gazes of thousands onto her every movement.
“That is Gu Wanru—Jinghai’s most renowned Chief Auctioneer,” Ye Qingwan murmured. “She is a master of psychological manipulation and squeezing every coin from a buyer’s purse. An item under her gavel has never once sold below target valuation.”
Taking her station behind a podium of sculpted crystal, Gu Wanru bowed gracefully toward the grand hall, her voice pouring like warm honey through the enchanted acoustic array:
“A warm welcome to all distinguished guests, noble clan representatives, and esteemed archmages gathered for Jinghai’s Quarterly Grand Gala today! Without further ado, let our VIP auction officially commence!”
With the closing word, the jade mallet in her hand struck the bronze sound-plate with a crisp tap.
The opening lot was promptly wheeled onto the stage via an arcane hydraulic lift by two graceful maidens:
“Our inaugural treasure of the afternoon: the Blue Mirror Mystic Armor! A suit of Intermediate-tier, primary-grade defensive magic equipment, mastercrafted from the scales of a Coldwater Giant Crocodile interwoven with subterranean metamorphic granite. This mantle can neutralize sixty percent of all Intermediate Fire-tier magical impact and offers absolute immunity against physical assaults from peak Servant-class demon beasts!”
The interactive crystal screens inside the private boxes immediately rendered a rotating 3D projection accompanied by exhaustive tactical parameters of the emerald-scaled armor etched with glowing wards.
“Opening bid: 3,000,000 gold coins! Minimum bidding increments of 100,000 coins! The floor is open!”
“3,200,000!”
“3,500,000!”
“4,000,000!”
Bidding chimes clashed in rapid succession across the second-tier galleries. A suit of Intermediate defensive armor was a priceless lifesaver for any wilderness hunter; mercenary captains and mid-tier clans contested every inch. After nearly ten minutes of relentless sparring, the Blue Mirror Mystic Armor was ultimately secured by an elite mercenary commander for 4,800,000 gold coins.
The ensuing lots were rolled out in swift sequence, steadily stoking the chamber’s temperature higher with every fall of the gavel:
A flask of Mana Gathering Pills containing three supreme-grade elixirs concocted by a Grand Alchemist of the Magic Capital—accelerating Nebula condensation threefold without collateral side effects—was hammered down at 6,200,000 gold coins.
A stalk of Thousand-Year Snow Ganoderma Grass, harvested from the glacial peaks of the far north and revered for purging one’s spiritual sea while aiding in shattering psychic bottlenecks, commanded 5,500,000 gold coins.
Soon after, three supreme-grade Servant-class Soul Essences possessing unprecedented purity were swept up as a bundle by a representative of the Forging Syndicate for a clean 2,600,000 gold coins after a few lightning-fast paddle raises.
When the seventh lot arrived, Gu Wanru paused. She signaled subtly to her attendants, the smile upon her lips blooming even brighter as her voice took on an electrifying mystery:
“Distinguished guests, our next lot is an extraordinary treasure added to our VIP catalog at the eleventh hour! An item that no auction house in the Magic Capital has had the fortune to present for over six months!”
The central pedestal slowly ascended, revealing an obsidian casket housing the Warrior-class Soul Essence of the Blue-Patterned Poison Python, gleaming with brilliant cerulean radiance beneath its tempered containment dome.
“A complete Warrior-class Soul Essence of a Blue-Patterned Poison Python! Its measured purity in our appraisal laboratory reached an unbelievable 99.98%! Entirely devoid of lingering malice or violent spiritual backlash! The successful fusion rate for forging high-tier magic armor or evolving a battle mount to the Warrior tier exceeds ninety percent!”
“What?!”
“A Warrior-class Soul Essence? With near-absolute purity?!”
The first and second tiers erupted like a kicked beehive! Countless elders and veteran hunter captains leapt to their feet in the front rows, their eyes glued to the stage in ravenous hunger. For prominent factions, securing an additional Warrior-class entity was synonymous with elevating the martial backbone of an entire clan!
“Opening bid: 16,000,000 gold coins! Minimum bidding increments of 500,000 coins!” Gu Wanru struck the plate, her eyes shimmering with pride.
“18,000,000!” A representative from the Hunter Guild instantly chimed in.
“20,000,000!” Private Box 4 on the third tier bellowed.
“22,000,000!”
The bidding war erupted like a tempestuous hurricane. The chime rang incessantly as astronomical figures danced wildly across the crystal displays, leaving Xie Zhaoyuan dizzy with shock, his hands trembling uncontrollably:
“Holy shit... twenty-two million! Twenty-three million!”
Ultimately, after a suffocating clash among three major clans, the Warrior-class Soul Essence was claimed by an elder of the Baili Merchant Guild at a record-shattering price: 25,500,000 gold coins!
Bam!
Xie Zhaoyuan slammed his palm against the jade table, his face flushed scarlet with euphoria: “Twenty-five and a half million! Add the two point six million from the three Servant essences earlier, that’s over twenty-eight point one million! After deducting the auction house’s five percent commission, you net over twenty-six point seven million! After clearing the twenty million advance, Jinghai still has to refund you nearly seven million in pure cash!”
Ye Qingwan smiled softly, her eyes glowing as she looked toward the youth at her side: “Congratulations, Lin Feng. Combined with your existing twelve million three hundred thousand, your actual liquid wealth has now touched thirty-nine million gold coins.”
Lin Feng remained as calm as an autumnal lake. He merely took another sip of tea, his cold gaze drifting toward VIP Room 1 opposite them.
Over there, Zhao Jingshan had paid no mind to the items that had just traded hands. To a pampered scion who relied entirely on clan heritage and hungered only for personal might to flaunt, his entire focus was fixed solely on the lot to follow.
And that moment had finally arrived.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Three rapid strikes of the chime rang out, bearing an unusually somber and heavy reverberation.
The chandeliers throughout the Jinghai Grand Auction House cut out in an instant, leaving only four glacial blue spotlights focused upon the four corners of the stage. Concurrently, four colossal frost-quartz pillars rose from the arena floor, exhaling bone-chilling mists that instantly plunged the ambient temperature of the entire auditorium down to freezing levels.
Activating this glacial containment ward served only one singular objective: to counter the incinerating heat of the grand finale treasure about to be unveiled!
From the subterranean depths, an obsidian pedestal three meters in diameter slowly crested the stage. Atop it rested a hexagonal containment chamber forged from half-meter-thick myriad-year glacial quartz, its exterior intricately carved with hundreds of azure flame-suppressing runes.
Inside the glass cage, a blaze of incandescent crimson and gold churned like a ferocious fire lotus!
Without wick or fuel, it hovered freely in the void. Each petal of flame blossomed outward before folding back, spitting blinding fire motes like molten volcanic lava. Even with the formidable myriad-year quartz containment cage locking it down, a ferocious thermal wave permeated through the barrier, warping the air around the pedestal into distorted, shimmering heat mirages!
Every Fire-element mage present in the grand auditorium felt the Fire Star Dust within their spiritual sea tremble violently, overtaken by a suffocating urge of primal submission and insatiable craving!
“That is... a Fire Spirit Seed!”
“Good heavens! That mana pressure... it exceeds an ordinary Spirit Seed by at least twofold!”
Gasping exclamations and awestruck murmurs rippled across every tier.
Basking in the fiery gazes of the entire assembly, Gu Wanru’s striking features flushed rose-gold beneath the glow of the raging flames. Stepping beside the containment chamber, she projected her voice with ringing authority:
“Honored guests! Behold the supreme finale treasure of our grand gala today: the Fire-element Spirit Seed—Scarlet Flowing Flame!”
“Excavated from a subterranean magma vein three thousand meters beneath the crags of the Fire Thunder Mountain Range, this Spirit Seed harbors an extraordinarily rare mutated trait: Energy Incineration! Any Fire-element spell integrated with the Scarlet Flowing Flame is not only granted an absolute 2.5-fold power multiplier, but upon impact, the flames will tenaciously cling to and incinerate the opponent’s mana, transmuting the enemy’s arcane energy into raw fuel to feed its own inferno!”
“A 2.5-times power amplification! And it burns the enemy’s mana?!”
Gu Wanru’s introduction detonated like an arcane artillery shell throughout the hall. This was no ordinary Spirit Seed; it was a miraculous treasure that could grant a Fire mage absolute supremacy over peers of the same tier, enabling them to leap across ranks to challenge higher realms!
Inside VIP Room 1, Zhao Jingshan had shot to his feet. His eyes were bloodshot with ravenous greed, his hands gripping the balustrade so fiercely that his knuckles turned ghostly white.
“That’s it... that’s the one! The Scarlet Flowing Flame! With this Spirit Seed in my grasp, I will become the foremost Fire-element prodigy of Shenzhou Academy! Those mongrels will have no choice but to kneel at my feet!”
Upon the stage, Gu Wanru raised her jade mallet high, her crisp tone echoing across the hall:
“The Fire-element Spirit Seed, Scarlet Flowing Flame! Opening reserve: 20,000,000 gold coins! Minimum bidding increments of 1,000,000 gold coins! Let the bidding begin!”
Clang!
Before the reverberation of the mallet against the plate could even fade, an ear-splitting chime rang out from VIP Room 1.
Ting——!
Zhao Jingshan slammed his palm down onto the bidding pad, snatching the mana microphone and roaring with rabid arrogance that carried to every corner of the auditorium:
“Twenty-two million gold coins!”
Stepping directly against the edge of the viewing glass, he cast a haughty, domineering sneer over the entire assembly below, barking an overt threat:
“This young master will say it one last time—the Zhao Clan must have this Scarlet Flowing Flame at all costs! Whoever dares to raise their paddle against me is declaring open war against the entire Zhao family on the soil of this Magic Capital!”
A suffocating hush descended over the vast auditorium.
Twenty-two million gold coins! An immediate two-million leap right out of the gate, paired with a brazen threat invoking the formidable Zhao Clan, instantly poured a bucket of freezing water over the ambitions of all prospective bidders.
Several elders from prominent mid-tier clans who had just raised their paddles gritted their teeth and lowered them back to their laps, sighing in helpless defeat. Even if they commanded the coin, none wished to invite the vindictive wrath of a ruthless commercial powerhouse like the Zhao Clan over a single Spirit Seed.
On the rostrum, Gu Wanru’s brow furrowed faintly at Zhao Jingshan’s decorum-shattering conduct, yet auction rules did not forbid bidders from speaking. Raising her mallet, she initiated the customary countdown:
“Twenty-two million gold coins from VIP Room 1, going once!”
Zhao Jingshan threw back his head and laughed uproariously, pointing an arrogant finger down at the stage: “Bring that gavel down already! In this city, what stray dog would dare challenge my wealth...”
“Twenty-two million gold coins from VIP Room 1, going twice...”
The word “twice” had barely left Gu Wanru’s lips, and the jade mallet was poised to descend for the third and final strike, when suddenly——
Dong————!
A crystal-clear, resonant, and steely chime—like an unyielding blade slicing through the dead of night—exploded from the opposite quadrant of the third tier!
The sound originated from VIP Private Room 8!
Upon the colossal floating mana-crystal screen suspended above the auditorium, a brand-new figure surged upward in blinding, radiant script:
25,000,000 GOLD COINS!
The entire crowd of thousands seemed to stop breathing as one. Thousands of gazes snapped upward simultaneously, converging in shock upon the impenetrable dark glass of VIP Room 8.
From the arcane speaker of Room 8, a calm, chilling, and unyielding youth’s voice drifted forth, each syllable dropping with crystal precision into the petrified silence:
“Twenty-five million gold coins.”
A staggering three-million-coin leap, executed without a shred of hesitation!
The haughty smirk on Zhao Jingshan’s face froze solid. The wine goblet in his grip rattled violently as his pale complexion warped from chalky white into an ugly, mottled purple—as though an invisible hand had delivered a thunderous backhand across his cheek in broad daylight!
The fiercest bidding war of the season had officially detonated!