Duo Bao Pavilion, Auction Hall
"Auction rules need no lengthy spiel. Transactions use Supreme-Grade Spirit Stones. Highest bidder wins," Cheng Bi announced, her sultry gaze sweeping the stands. Many young cultivators, unseasoned by the ways of the world, felt their hearts race and breaths quicken under her allure.
Clap clap.
Cheng Bi clapped twice, summoning a graceful maid who presented a jade box to the stage's center.
Opening it, Cheng Bi revealed a fist-sized, crystalline fruit glimmering like glass. The hall's temperature plummeted noticeably.
"Our first item is an Upper Mysterious-Grade Ice Spirit Fruit. As you know, Bing Tian Frost Continent teems with Ice Spiritual Root cultivators. This fruit elevates a minor realm for Ice cultivators below Nascent Soul, with no side effects," Cheng Bi said, her voice smooth and enticing.
"Good stuff," Lan An murmured, impressed. Opening with an item coveted by many on the continent was a shrewd move. A minor realm's boost saved years of cultivation, and its lack of side effects made it irresistible.
Eager voices erupted, eyes greedy for the Ice Spirit Fruit. "Lady Cheng Bi, name the price!"
Smiling, Cheng Bi had heated the atmosphere as planned. "Starting bid: 10 Supreme-Grade Spirit Stones. Minimum increment: 1."
"15 Supreme-Grade Spirit Stones!" a middle-aged man shouted, jumping five stones.
"17!"
"20!"
"30!"
The price soared, finally claimed by Han Ming for 50 Supreme-Grade Spirit Stones. The Han Clan, masters of Ice attributes, valued the fruit immensely.
A maid swiftly facilitated the exchange—stones for fruit—under thousands of watchful eyes, the deal sealed smoothly.
"Our second item is an Upper Mysterious-Grade artifact, crafted by Duo Bao Pavilion's Fifth-Grade Refiner. It won't disappoint," Cheng Bi continued, signaling a male attendant.
He presented a brown shield etched with a majestic lion's head, placing it center stage.
"This is the Earth Lion Shield, ideal for Earth Spiritual Root cultivators. It resizes at will and blocks most attacks from Nascent Soul and below. Starting bid: 20 Supreme-Grade Spirit Stones," Cheng Bi announced.
Bids rang out, mostly from Golden Core cultivators, as Nascent Soul experts deemed it beneath them.
"Young Master, I'm an Earth cultivator," Chen Jiang said with a sly grin, hinting at Lan An's promise to buy him something. A defensive artifact was perfect.
"45 Supreme-Grade Spirit Stones," Lan An called out promptly. Chen Jiang had proven useful, and rewarding him was fair.
"Oh?" Cheng Bi's eyes flickered with curiosity. Lan An's strength suggested he didn't need this.
"From a VIP suite?" The crowd noted the voice from Suite 4, puzzled why a high-status figure would bid on such an artifact. None dared compete, wary of offending a VIP.
"That's him!" Li Zhu Lan's eyes sparkled, recognizing Lan An's voice.
Li Lin's face lit with excitement. His hunch was right—Lan An's backing was formidable. A VIP suite meant no ordinary status. He vowed to bridge Lan An and his cousin, eyeing Li Zhu Lan like a golden opportunity, baffling her.
"Suite 4 bids 45 Supreme-Grade Spirit Stones. Any challengers?" Cheng Bi scanned the silent hall, slightly disappointed at the low price but confirming the sale.
An attendant delivered the Earth Lion Shield to Suite 4.
Chen Jiang caressed the shield, eyes adoring it like a lover. Meeting Lan An was his life's greatest fortune—sitting in a Duo Bao VIP suite, sipping spirit tea, and owning an Upper Mysterious-Grade artifact was beyond his dreams.
His fervent gaze creeped Lan An out. "Disgusting fool, bind it!" Lan An barked, kicking him.
Grinning sheepishly, Chen Jiang bound the shield with blood, storing it in his ring.
Clap clap.
Cheng Bi signaled again, and a maid brought a sword to the stage.
The crowd stirred, many eyes turning to the Han Clan, whose faces twisted with fury, their killing intent seeping out.
"Hmph!" A stern snort, laden with authority, silenced them. The Han Clan paled, reining in their aura, cowed by a Duo Bao Pavilion Void Refinement expert's warning.
"Senior, forgive our lapse," Han You, the Han Clan's Fourth Elder, rose, apologizing with a grim face. The sword was their Ice Slaughter Sword, yet she could only swallow her rage. Duo Bao Pavilion was beyond a Seventh-Grade clan's reach.
"This is the Ice Slaughter Sword, Lower Earth-Grade artifact, suited for Ice Spiritual Root cultivators. Starting bid: 80 Supreme-Grade Spirit Stones," Cheng Bi said, unfazed by the Han Clan's ire. Duo Bao Pavilion dealt fairly—buying and selling for profit, fearless of reprisal.
Lan An chuckled wryly. He'd sold the sword, taken from Han Qing, to Duo Bao Pavilion for 80 stones, never expecting them to auction it. Their business acumen was sharp.
"85 Supreme-Grade Spirit Stones," Han Ming bid, determined to reclaim their clan's artifact.
Silence followed. Few dared cross the Han Clan, and the sword was theirs originally.
"90 Supreme-Grade Spirit Stones," a Golden Core youth bid, flanked by an elder and another youth, smirking at Han Ming and Han Lie.
"Hmph, Wei Clan," Han Lie snorted. The Wei Clan, another Seventh-Grade power, had longstanding feuds with the Han Clan. The youth aimed to provoke.
"100 Supreme-Grade Spirit Stones," Han You gritted, vowing to reclaim their honor and sword, even at a loss.
"120 Supreme-Grade Spirit Stones," the Wei Clan bid gleefully, relishing the Han Clan's discomfort.
"130 Supreme-Grade Spirit Stones. Bid again, and it's yours," Han You rasped furiously.
The Wei Clan fell silent, chuckling. They'd only meant to inflate the price, not win.
"Any further bids?" Cheng Bi asked, nodding at the silence. Buying from Lan An at 80 and selling at 130 netted Duo Bao Pavilion a tidy 50-stone profit.
The Han Clan seethed, buying back their own artifact with their own stones, the humiliation bitter. Their grudge against the late Han Qing deepened.
"Our fourth item will thrill our ladies—and gentlemen may gift it to their beloved," Cheng Bi said mysteriously, clapping.
A radiant maid presented a jade vial holding three glossy pink pills.
"No need for verbosity. These are three Upper Mysterious-Grade Beauty Nurturing Pills, preserving a woman's allure, smoothing skin, and healing scars," Cheng Bi said, beaming.
Women's eyes gleamed, some standing in excitement. Even the composed Qin Meng Ying perked up, staring intently.
"As you know, Beauty Nurturing Pills aren't high-grade, but their rare ingredients make them scarce. Duo Bao Pavilion crafted only a handful in a year. These three will be auctioned separately," Cheng Bi said, her smile captivating.
Impatient, a resplendent Nascent Soul woman shouted, "Name the price! I bid 100 Supreme-Grade Spirit Stones for one!"
"Very well, starting bid per pill: 100 Supreme-Grade Spirit Stones," Cheng Bi agreed, amused.
"150!"
"180!"
"200!"
Lan An's mouth twitched. Beauty's allure was lethal. The price outstripped Lower Earth-Grade skills. Recalling his Beauty Nurturing Pills from the Lucky Shop, his expression turned odd.
"Wait, Meng Ying!" Lan An grabbed Qin Meng Ying's hand as she moved to bid.
"What?" She glanced back, her smooth hand lingering in his, whether by chance or intent.
"I've got these. No need to bid," Lan An grinned, producing two pink pills, slightly larger than those on stage.
"Beauty Nurturing Pills? Let me see!" Qin Meng Ying snatched them, gasping behind her veil. "Supreme-Grade Beauty Nurturing Pills? A tier above Duo Bao's?"
"Not bad. One for you, one for Su Mei," Lan An said casually, forgetting Qin Meng Ying's once-marred visage. Did love care for looks?
Bai Su Mei, hearing her inclusion, nestled happily into him. Though her divine beauty gained little from the pill, Lan An's gifts warmed her heart.
"No politeness needed," Qin Meng Ying smiled, pocketing one pill and pressing the other into Bai Su Mei's hand.
"You've got a stash of treasures, you brat," she teased, her heart warmed. Lan An never stinted with her.
Outside, the pills' prices skyrocketed, each selling for 300 Supreme-Grade Spirit Stones, leaving men cursing spendthrift women.
"Hmph, infuriating!" Li Zhu Lan stomped, having failed to win a pill.
"Cousin, you're already peerless. Why need it?" Li Lin flattered.
Li Zhu Lan ignored him. Every woman understood the pill's value, restoring youthful vibrance against time's weathered aura.
The auction rolled on, hours passing with Mysterious and Earth-Grade items sold, yet nothing caught Lan An's eye after a day.
Then, two Golden Core burly men hauled a sealed ancient coffin onto the stage, sparking a buzz of confusion.
Crafted from a strange material—stone-like yet icy—it bore ancient, shifting runes, exuding an archaic aura. Divine senses probing it were repelled.
"This ancient coffin, unearthed from a primordial ruin, has baffled Duo Bao Pavilion for a decade. Despite exhaustive study, we can't open or decipher it. Today, we auction it, hoping its fated owner unlocks its secrets," Cheng Bi explained, a trace of frustration in her voice.
"Primordial ruin?" The crowd seized on her words. Such ruins, from the world's dawn, held lost legacies. Tales abounded of cultivators stumbling into ruins, gaining terrifying inheritances to dominate the continent.
"Can its grade be identified?" a cultivator asked.
"Apologies, nothing—name, material, or grade—is discernible," Cheng Bi said, her wry smile earning goodwill for Duo Bao's candor.
"No matter! Even without gain, owning a primordial relic is an honor. Lady Cheng Bi, name the price," Yan Feng, the Yan Clan's Spirit Transformation elder, said grandly.
Hmph. Many scoffed inwardly. Noble words masked his greed for the coffin's secrets.
Even Duo Bao Pavilion's failure to open it dampened most bidders' enthusiasm.
"Nothing special," Qin Meng Ying muttered, her probe futile.
Keng, side mission activated: [Seize the Coffin]. Success rewards one random summon of any grade. Failure deducts 20,000 Prestige Points, the System chimed.
"What the hell?" Lan An blinked, stunned. A random summon with no grade limit? Anything was possible?
Checking the mission details, he read: Soul-Settling Coffin, surpassing Spirit-Grade artifacts, hides astonishing secrets. Host must seize it at all costs.
Lan An inhaled sharply. Forget the secrets—its grade alone, beyond Spirit-Grade, justified a bold gamble.
"Jin'er, can you identify its exact grade?" he asked mentally.
"I can, but your authority level restricts access," Jin'er replied apologetically.
Lan An shrugged, unsurprised but itchy with curiosity.
"I thought the Heaven-Grade item was this auction's climax. This coffin might be the true prize…" he mused, clenching his fist. "Even if it bankrupts me, I'll claim it!"