Chapter 149: The Strange Water Amber at Flying Fish City's Grand Auction House
The cultivators showed remarkable discipline, with no pushing or shouting. Instead, they patiently queued up, taking turns one by one.
Naturally, they didn't dare cause any trouble.
After all, Flying Fish City had a Qingxuan Sect elder stationed here.
Those without tickets could still gain entry by showing enough spirit stones.
Shen Mo definitely had a hundred high-grade spirit stones.
However, he knew that Luo Shuanghan hadn't entered the advanced auction hall but had instead participated in the final "Amber Gamble" event at the intermediate auction hall.
So, he only took out a hundred mid-grade spirit stones and entered the intermediate auction hall.
Upon entering the auction house, two disciples were already waiting.
"Those attending the advanced auction, please follow me," the disciple on the left called out loudly.
"Those attending the intermediate auction, please follow me," the disciple on the right also announced loudly.
Everything was orderly, with no sign of chaos.
Shen Mo was quite impressed.
It seemed that the elder stationed at Flying Fish City had some real skill.
Soon, Shen Mo was seated in the intermediate auction hall.
The seats were made of goose down, soft and comfortable.
As soon as Shen Mo sat down, someone immediately brought tea, offering excellent service with no faults to find.
"Luo Shuanghan… found you!"
Shen Mo scanned the crowd and quickly spotted his target, smiling faintly.
Luo Shuanghan had made no attempt to hide his face and was sitting boldly in the front row.
He must have paid a considerable amount of spirit stones to get a front-row seat.
Shen Mo, on the other hand, had only paid a hundred mid-grade spirit stones, so his seat was farther back.
Those who spend the money get the better seats—there's nothing to complain about.
As Shen Mo sat down, low voices of conversation surrounded him.
From this, he overheard many interesting bits of information.
For instance, many cultivators didn't enter the intermediate auction hall for the auction itself but for the final "Amber Gamble" event.
The so-called Amber Gamble referred to gambling on water amber.
Water amber was a strange item found in many cities along the Xuanjiang River.
Since the Golden River was a tributary of Xuanjiang, it also contained such items.
In the Xuanjiang River lived a demon beast known as the "Amber Fish," which had a particular fondness for shiny objects.
Whenever these fish found such objects, they would secrete mucus to cover them.
Over time, after being washed by mud and sand, these objects would eventually become irregularly shaped water amber.
Because they had been buried for so long, the surface of the water amber had turned pitch black, making it impossible to see what was inside.
Thus, this gambling method had emerged, similar to opening mystery boxes.
Cultivators could purchase a piece of water amber for the price of one mid-grade spirit stone.
If they opened it and found something valuable, they could make much more than just one mid-grade spirit stone—sometimes, they could even earn a high-grade spirit stone.
Of course, if they didn't find anything good, they'd simply lose the mid-grade spirit stone.
This game of gambling on luck had been popular since its inception.
Countless cultivators flocked to Flying Fish City from the surrounding areas daily, just for the chance to play.
For example, many cultivators had a copy of The Guide to Selecting Water Amber.
It was a book co-authored by several enthusiasts.
Rumor had it that these authors had a success rate of over 60% in choosing valuable water amber.
The book recorded many techniques for selecting water amber and had become a must-buy for many cultivators in Flying Fish City.
Shen Mo bought a copy from a nearby cultivator and flipped through it.
After reading for a while, he shook his head.
The so-called techniques were really just the results of accumulated experience.
However… the authors didn't have a very high success rate themselves.
It wasn't something that could be relied on for solid advice.
Shen Mo read a few pages before setting it aside.
Listening to the surrounding conversations, he also learned that there was a rogue cultivator in the nearby area known as "Water Tiger." He was in the Foundation Establishment stage and had a number of rogue cultivators in the Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment stages working under him.
They were notorious for committing all sorts of crimes, from robbery to murder, causing fear and reducing the flow of people near Flying Fish City.
The Qingxuan Sect elder stationed in Flying Fish City wanted to eliminate Water Tiger, but unfortunately, Water Tiger and his followers were extremely elusive, skilled in movement techniques, and could easily escape by taking advantage of the Golden River.
Thus, they still hadn't been able to punish him.
"With such strength, it's unlikely he's just a simple rogue cultivator," Shen Mo mused.
After a brief moment of commotion, all attention turned to the stage.
A stunning woman in a red dress, with a striking figure, gracefully stepped onto the platform.
Next to her was a cabinet being pushed by two slender young women.
The cabinet was covered in a red cloth, concealing whatever was inside.
After saying a few polite words to stir up the crowd's excitement, the woman in red quickly lifted the red cloth.
Revealed beneath it was a fish tank.
Inside the tank swam a small, palm-sized fish that was blood-red from head to tail.
What was remarkable was that it had two exceptionally large fins growing on its back.
Sensing the gaze of the many cultivators, the blood-red fish suddenly slammed itself into the tank, producing a loud thud.
It opened its mouth, revealing rows of densely packed sharp teeth, which were quite unsettling.
"Is that a Blood Essence Flying Fish?"
"I've heard that a lucky fisherman caught a Blood Essence Flying Fish yesterday, and now seeing it today, it truly lives up to the rumors!"
"Tsk tsk, this Blood Essence Flying Fish is no small thing. If you keep it at home and draw its blood regularly for consumption, it can gradually strengthen the body. If cooked, it can accelerate a child's intellectual development."
The cultivators were astonished, and the atmosphere grew even more intense.
The woman in red smiled and said, "Everyone, this is the first auction item of the day, the Blood Essence Flying Fish!"
"The starting price is thirty mid-grade spirit stones, with each bid increasing by no less than one mid-grade spirit stone. Let's begin!"
As soon as she finished speaking, bids came in instantly.
Within ten breaths, the price had soared to sixty mid-grade spirit stones, doubling in a flash.
Hearing that this beast's blood could be consumed, Shen Mo gave it a closer look.
However, he soon lost interest when he realized it was only a third-tier demon beast.
He had long tested that the only blood capable of catching his "Demon Armor's" attention was either his own or that of at least a sixth-tier demon beast.
Ordinary blood wouldn't even be absorbed by the armor; sometimes, the blood would even be repelled.
It was as if the armor was saying, "You're trying to feed me this trash? Get lost."
Before long, the Blood Essence Flying Fish was sold to a rotund man for seventy-one mid-grade spirit stones.
"Next, we have the second auction item."
With a gesture from the woman in red, another cabinet was brought up, similarly covered in a red cloth.
She swiftly removed the cloth, revealing what lay underneath.
It was a massive blade over ten feet in length.
The back of the blade was thick, and its handle was long and narrow.
From the tip of the blade to the handle, it was marked with countless signs of battle.
In some areas, there were even cracks.
Yet, instead of diminishing its appearance, these battle scars only added to the blade's fierce and imposing aura, casting a cold, murderous gleam.
As soon as the blade was revealed, it immediately caught the eyes of many ruthless cultivators.
True warriors knew that raw power was the path to victory.
A weapon like this was the perfect fit for their personalities.
"This blade is called 'Bear Mountain Cleaver,' a mid-grade Profound Tier spirit weapon. However, the seller is not asking for spirit stones; they require Profound Tier medicinal herbs in exchange."
The woman in red then listed the names of several herbs.
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