Chapter 181: The Auction in Progress (Seeking Subscriptions, Seeking Rewards)

From their elevated vantage point, everyone could see that within the silver trays, each held several items emitting a faint, shimmering glow.

"Next, we present the first item of our auction—a mid-grade Xuan-tier weapon, the Starlight Sword!" The white-haired elder smiled warmly, gesturing toward the crimson sword displayed on the silver tray, and continued, "Skill in battle is vital, but a fine weapon is equally crucial. Sometimes, a good weapon is the key to victory or defeat. The starting bid for the Starlight Sword is one hundred thousand gold coins. If any of our esteemed guests are interested, don't let this opportunity pass you by!"

Clearly, this white-haired elder was a seasoned veteran, his auctioneering skills polished by years of experience. With just a few words, he had roused the atmosphere in the auction hall. For most attendees, one hundred thousand gold coins was hardly a prohibitive price, especially given that, just as he said, the true value of the Starlight Sword far exceeded its starting bid. The moment his words faded, bids began to rise in a wave throughout the vast auction hall.

Xiao Xie, however, had little interest in such low-tier items. None of the guests in the VIP section placed a bid either, their intentions clearly set on the more valuable treasures to come.

The bidding lasted for about fifteen minutes before gradually subsiding, finally halting at four hundred fifty thousand gold coins.

The white-haired elder beamed at the now-quiet crowd. The price had already surpassed the true worth of the Starlight Sword. With three light taps of his silver gavel on the podium, the mid-grade Xuan-tier sword was officially sold.

With such a strong start, the atmosphere in the auction house grew even livelier. Riding this wave of excitement, the white-haired auctioneer continued to bring out more items. Thanks to their excellent quality and the elder's persuasive praise, each fetched an impressive price. It seemed that the Tianyin Sect would indeed make a handsome profit from this event.

The sheer size of this auction was no coincidence. While Xiao Xie's elixirs were a significant draw, the grander the gathering, the more people brought their own treasured items to sell, hoping to fetch a good price.

As time passed, the auction continued in this fervent atmosphere for more than an hour. With each new round, the quality of the items improved, and the excitement in the hall grew even more intense.

By the two-hour mark, the items up for auction were already enticing the powerful figures seated in the VIP section to compete. Even the Little Doctor Fairy and Qinglin placed bids on a few things—naturally, with Xiao Xie footing the bill.

With such heavyweights now bidding against each other, the atmosphere became even more charged. The numerous factions present hailed from all corners of the Black-Corner Region, many with longstanding rivalries or outright enmity. Whenever these groups crossed paths, the bidding wars became fierce, with each side determined to outbid the other no matter the cost. The intensity of these contests left many observers secretly astounded—it was no wonder these factions had such formidable reputations in the Black-Corner Region, their wealth and audacity far beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Watching those who had become red-eyed and thick-necked in their efforts to outbid each other, Xiao Xie couldn't help but chuckle softly, lounging lazily against his chair and swirling the tea in his cup, sending ripples across its surface.

After the white-haired elder auctioned off a sharp weapon inlaid with a fifth-tier magic core, he took a silver tray from a nearby attendant with an air of mystery. On the tray sat a white jade bottle.

"The next item for auction is the Sovereign Extreme Pill, provided personally by Lord Xiao Xie. However, as per Lord Xiao Xie's request, this round of bidding will be barter only—you may use magic cores, medicinal herbs, magical beast corpses, or rare treasures in exchange!" the elder announced.

This was a specific instruction from Xiao Xie. Gold coins held little use for him; it was far better to trade these Sovereign Extreme Pills or Douzong Pills for things of real value.

Upon hearing this, many in the VIP section frowned and fell into silence. To them, gold could always be replenished; money was never truly scarce. But bartering for the Sovereign Extreme Pill required items of substantial value, treasures everyone preferred to keep for themselves. Yet the allure of the Sovereign Extreme Pill to Douhuang-level experts was undeniable.

Not long after the elder finished speaking, a shadowy figure in the VIP section, cloaked head to toe in black, slowly stood and broke the silence with a calm voice.

"Two sixth-tier magic cores!"

"A corpse of a sixth-tier magical beast, plus two sixth-tier magic cores!" No sooner had the black-robed figure spoken than another Douhuang expert made a counteroffer.

The white-haired elder glanced around, saw no further bids, and struck his silver gavel three times, smiling as he declared, "Congratulations to this guest for winning the first Sovereign Extreme Pill!"

The Sovereign Extreme Pill's allure to Douhuang experts was immense. The price—one sixth-tier beast corpse and two sixth-tier magic cores—was not especially high for the first pill, but many simply watched, knowing there were still nine more to come.

The auction now reached its climax. As each Sovereign Extreme Pill was sold, the competition among the major factions grew fiercer. For Douhuang experts, advancing even a single star could easily take a year or more, and a pill that could grant one or two stars' worth of cultivation was a prize impossible to ignore. Still, no single faction dared claim all the pills for themselves—not for lack of wealth, but for fear of becoming the enemy of every other power present. Only the Dragon Gate had the power to do so, but as all the pills were refined by Xiao Xie, the Dragon Gate members did not join the bidding.

By the end of the auction, all ten Sovereign Extreme Pills had been traded for a total of thirteen sixth-tier magic cores, six sixth-tier magical beast corpses, and thirty-two sixth-grade medicinal herbs.

"Excellent! That concludes the auction of the Sovereign Extreme Pills," the white-haired elder said with a smile after the last pill was sold.

Those Douhuang experts who missed out on the pills were naturally frustrated, but even more looked forward to the next items up for auction.

After waiting for all eyes to turn toward him, the white-haired elder beamed, "No more suspense! I’m sure everyone is eager for the next item. Up next, provided by Lord Xiao Xie himself, is the Douzong Pill. It can help a Douzong expert rise by one star, and once again, the terms are barter only!"

This time, no one was surprised—after all, the Sovereign Extreme Pills had also been bartered.

"A mummified magical beast on the verge of breaking through to Dou Zun!" came the voice of an elder in golden robes from the VIP section.

All eyes turned to him. Xiao Xie recognized him as Mo Tianxing, the sect master of the Black Emperor Sect, a Douzong-level expert. The Black Emperor Sect was one of the most powerful factions in the Black-Corner Region—second only to the Dragon Gate, yet still among the elite.

Mo Tianxing produced a massive magical beast corpse—a mummified bird, perfectly preserved and so large it occupied most of the auction stage. Its most striking feature was the pair of bone-white wings on its back.

Mo Tianxing's offering certainly caught the attention of the other major factions. A ferocious beast on the cusp of the eighth tier would be a terrifying existence for anyone present. If the creature had still possessed any trace of life, even the most powerful old hands in the room would have fled without hesitation. At their level, they knew far better than ordinary folk what a dreadful threat such a beast posed.