"Where is she?"
Not long after, Wang Qiang, the commander of Spey City's guards, arrived at the scene. He pushed open the door and entered, but there was no one in sight. The air inside carried a faint scent of something burnt.
Sniffing the air, Wang Qiang's sharp eyes scanned the room. He quickly spotted piles of ashes in a corner. Clearly, some papers had been burned.
"Did she notice I was watching?" Wang Qiang narrowed his eyes. He had been fixated on Lin Luoluo ever since he saw her wielding that sword from a distance earlier. The aura of the sword, even though suppressed, had been unmistakable. It wasn't just any sword. Moreover, the fact that she required a sheath made from Red Flame Meteorite proved that its killing aura was too strong for a regular sheath to contain.
"Interesting," Wang Qiang mused, a smirk forming on his lips as he left.
One week later.
Spey City's largest auction house was alive with activity! Today was, without a doubt, the most bustling day in the city, drawing countless warriors from all over.
"Any sightings?"
Wang Qiang walked down the main street, speaking quietly to the patrolling guards. The city was filled with people of varying backgrounds due to the auction, and the number of guards had been increased to prevent any incidents.
"None."
The guard shook his head. Over the past few days, Wang Qiang had distributed portraits of Lin Luoluo to all the guards, instructing them to report immediately if she was spotted. But so far, no one had seen her.
"I should've followed her that day," Wang Qiang muttered, now regretting his hesitation. The more he thought about it, the more certain he was that her sword was extraordinary.
"I've heard there are many valuable items up for auction this time."
"Lots of top-tier weapons, some A-grade swords too."
"There are also rare elixirs and materials..."
Warriors flocked to the auction house in the heart of the city, eager to secure a good seat. The venue was massive, and by the time the auction began, it was completely full—there wasn't an empty seat to be found.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Spey City Auction!"
A richly dressed man stepped onto the stage, his voice booming across the room.
The auction was about to begin!
After a lengthy introduction, the first item was brought out.
"Up first, an A-grade weapon: the Frost Blade, forged by Master Gunnar himself!" the auctioneer announced.
The crowd erupted with excitement.
"So, this is what an auction looks like," Lin Luoluo observed from her seat in one of the far corners, her eyes fixed on the stage.
"Quite lively, isn't it?" Ye Fan remarked, taking in the bustling atmosphere. He had never attended an auction before, not even back on Blue Planet. All he'd ever heard were stories.
"This woman has been busy. Hunting down high-tier beasts has earned her quite a bit of money," he added.
In the days leading up to the auction, Lin Luoluo had spent her time hunting powerful beasts outside the city. The crystals she harvested from their bodies fetched a hefty price when sold, bringing in a large sum of gold.
"My evolution points have skyrocketed," Ye Fan noted, glancing at his status screen. His points had accumulated to over three hundred thousand!
"Still need another four million points to advance to SS rank... What a headache."
But he knew that as Lin Luoluo grew stronger, the points would come faster.
As the auction progressed, the crowd's excitement grew with each item that came up for sale. Then, the auctioneer introduced the next lot.
"Up next, we have a particularly rare and precious item."
A man carried a long, shrouded object onto the stage.
"Has anyone here heard of the Silver Tribe from the Tianba Empire?" the auctioneer asked, a slight smile playing on his lips as he scanned the crowd.
"The Silver Tribe? Aren't they the ones whose hair and bones change under extreme emotion?"
"I heard their bones can be ground into medicinal powder..."
A murmur spread through the audience. Lin Luoluo's eyes narrowed at the mention of her tribe, but she quickly composed herself.
"Seems like it's the silver skeleton," Ye Fan commented.
"Behold, the Silver Skeleton!" the auctioneer announced as he pulled away the black cloth, revealing a long glass case containing the bones. The skeleton glimmered with a silver sheen, pristine and intact.
"A full Silver Skeleton is rare indeed," the auctioneer continued. "This particular one was obtained by Lord Speyta from Spey City, who used a special technique to melt away the woman's flesh at the height of her fear, leaving behind this perfect skeleton."
Crack.
The ground beneath Lin Luoluo's feet split open as an intense aura surged from her. The pressure was suffocating, and the warriors seated nearby began trembling uncontrollably. Some even fainted from the overwhelming force.
Taking a deep breath, Lin Luoluo forced herself to calm down.
"The starting bid is 100,000 gold!" the auctioneer shouted.
"200,000!"
"250,000!"
"260,000!"
Bids came in quickly as warriors raised their paddles, the excitement in the air palpable.
"180,000!" A middle-aged man called out, raising the bid even higher. The room fell silent for a moment. For most, the value of the skeleton wasn't worth the risk of spending so much money, as its benefits were still largely speculative.
"181,000," a soft but clear voice rang out.
"Bidder 1158 offers 181,000!" the auctioneer announced, his eyes scanning the crowd for the source. All eyes turned toward Lin Luoluo, who was still seated in the corner, her face hidden beneath her hat.
The middle-aged man who had made the previous bid glared at her, his expression darkening.
"185,000," he countered, his eyes locked on Lin Luoluo with a challenging glint.