"One million."
"One million five hundred thousand."
"You old coot, your grandson is almost thirty and he's just at the Spirit Martial Realm. It's a waste even if he uses it; better leave it for this old man!"
"Nonsense! What's so good about your grandson? He's just slightly better. Don't bother competing with me. It's a waste of money for such a useless person."
"What did you say? If you've got guts, let's settle this with a fight."
"Sure, let's fight. Who's afraid of you?"
The two old men quarreled fiercely, almost coming to blows.
"Silence." Shen Wansan's voice carried a complete Heavenly Martial Realm pressure, his face displaying signs of anger.
Only then did everyone remember that they were at an auction and fell silent. The two old men, still unwilling, glared at each other before taking their seats.
"Any further disruptions will result in a permanent ban from future auctions. Let the auction continue."
Shen Wansan's words served to close the matter, yet if there were a next time, he wouldn't mind intervening.
"Two million."
"Two million one hundred thousand."
Having learned from the previous incident, everyone proceeded more cautiously. The final bid settled at four million one hundred thousand, the purchase claimed by a faction from Qiu Ning Kingdom.
"The Violet Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill, capable of propelling a Late Earth Martial Realm into the Heavenly Martial Realm. Starting bid is five hundred thousand Lower Grade Spirit Stones, with each increment no less than ten thousand Lower Grade Spirit Stones."
"Two million."
This bid came from a Yellow-tier private room, a space occupied by Earth Martial Realm experts. Acquiring this pill, and successfully breaking through, would change their status dramatically. It would signify a qualitative leap.
The ruler of a region was, at best, at the Heavenly Martial Realm.
"Five million."
Ultimately, this pill was sold for five million.
"The Nine Blossom Jade Dew Pill, capable of unconditionally advancing a Heavenly Martial Realm expert by one level. Starting bid is one million Lower Grade Spirit Stones, with each increment no less than ten thousand Lower Grade Spirit Stones."
"Three million."
The bid from the third-floor private room raised the price by two million, yet it wasn't the limit.
"Three million five hundred thousand."
This pill truly provided substantial cultivation advancements. Even an increase of a single level was a world of difference, as realms were separated by a heaven-spanning chasm. One realm, one heaven.
Given the rarity of cross-tier battles, this was an unattainable feat. Moreover, most cultivators who could reach the Heavenly Martial Realm were similar in strength, and those who were particularly gifted didn't require the assistance of pills.
"Four million."
"Four million seven hundred thousand."
"Five million."
The price continued to climb and settled at seven million.
"Now, we shall proceed to the auction of the final items. The Kyushu Chamber of Commerce has prepared three remarkable items for this grand finale. I hope you all can consider adding them to your collections. Without further ado, let us begin with the first item."
A maid stepped forward, carrying a tray shrouded in crimson fabric. Its contents remained hidden, and none dared to probe its nature with their Spiritual Sense. Such an act would be viewed as provocation.
"This item is a pill, capable of enabling a Late Heavenly Martial Realm to successfully advance to the True Martial Realm. The True Martial Pill."
As Shen Wansan spoke, he unveiled the fabric, revealing a wooden box within. He opened the box, unveiling a round, milky-white pill, its rich aroma spreading in all directions.
"The fragrance of the True Martial Pill is both potent and enduring. The pill itself is milky-white and perfectly round, a top-grade pill! Unfortunately, I am not skilled enough to concoct it."
A man in his seventies, named Qing Yun Zi, spoke with a tinge of embarrassment upon seeing the pill.
He was one of the Three Fifth-Grade Alchemists in the Azure Cloud Kingdom.
The crowd reacted with surprise upon hearing this. Qing Yun Zi's alchemical prowess was well-known in the kingdom and ranked among the top three. First was the head of the Alchemist Chamber of Commerce, Jing Yuan Zi. Second was the chief alchemist of the Azure Cloud Kingdom's royal family, Cang Yun Zi. As for other hidden experts, none were known – or at least not publicly.
"Everyone should be familiar with the True Martial Pill, so I won't elaborate. Let the bidding begin. The starting bid is one million Lower Grade Spirit Stones, with each increment no less than one hundred thousand Lower Grade Spirit Stones."
After Shen Wansan's announcement, silence hung in the air for a considerable duration. No one dared to be the first to speak up, and Shen Wansan didn't rush them. He had no concerns about selling the pill – the company had no shortage of buyers.
"Five million." The first to break the silence was the Qingxue Palace. Moreover, their opening bid was a whopping four million higher.
With Qingxue Palace setting the tone, other major factions began to bid.
"Six million."
"Seven million."
"Eight million."
The three major families also joined the bidding. This pill represented a chance for a True Martial Realm expert, and for the three major sects and three major families, there was only one True Martial Realm ancestor each. Whoever secured the pill would bolster their faction's strength, potentially even counterbalancing the royal family.
But the royal family wouldn't let them have their way.
"Ten million." The Third Prince intervened. The appearance of this pill threatened to disrupt the balance, and the royal family naturally didn't want any faction to obtain it.
"Twelve million," the Qingxue Palace continued to raise the stakes.
The three major families restrained themselves and opted to observe for now, while the two major powers chose not to intervene.
"Thirteen million."
"Fifteen million."
The royal family refused to be outdone, raising the price by two million.
This offer exerted substantial pressure on the Qingxue Palace, yet they were determined to secure the pill. If their ancestor were to pass away without obtaining it, the palace's future would be in jeopardy.
"Seventeen million," the palace's master gritted her teeth and declared.
"Eighteen million," the royal family countered.
"Twenty million." The Qingxue Palace's master swiftly added two hundred thousand, her determination unwavering.
However, the Third Prince was about to raise the bid once more, but was stopped by an elderly eunuch.
The royal family deemed it unnecessary to contend for this pill. Instead, they could save their resources for bidding on the remaining two items. The palace might even outbid the royal family for this item, making it a better outcome. It was a situation where both parties might suffer losses.
The Third Prince understood this logic, and he composed himself, refraining from bidding further.
In the end, the Qingxue Palace acquired the True Martial Pill for a price of twenty-seven million. Nonetheless, this hefty sum did strain their resources.
"The next item up for auction is a cultivation technique, a Lower Earth Grade technique called the Vast Expanse Technique.
"I won't go into detail. The starting bid is one million Lower Grade Spirit Stones, with each increment no less than ten thousand Lower Grade Spirit Stones. Let the bidding commence."
As Shen Wansan spoke, he placed a jade slip on the auction stand, signaling that everyone could examine it.
After confirming through their Spiritual Sense, everyone nodded.
"Ten million." The royal family swiftly entered the fray, immediately raising the price to ten million.
Unlike pills, techniques could be passed down to descendants, serving as a foundation for an enduring power. Only the royal family could possess such a treasure, and no one else.
"Twelve million."
"Thirteen million."
"Fifteen million."
Apart from the Qingxue Palace, the other major powers all raised their bids. Even a prince from a neighboring kingdom made a bid. However, he only placed one bid, considering he wasn't the host. Furthermore, acquiring this technique might prove challenging to take back to his homeland, so he saw no need to waste his energy.