Soon, a woman with a proud and elegant figure entered the auction stage. She exuded an air of authority as she addressed the gathered crowd.
"Ladies and gentlemen, our first item for today's auction is a high-tier King-level secret technique!"
The announcement sent ripples of excitement through the crowd below.
"What? A King-level secret technique?!"
"As expected of the Thousand Treasure Pavilion! They're starting with something so rare right off the bat!"
"I must win this no matter what!"
The bidding began, with the starting price set at a staggering five million low-grade spirit stones.
Xiao Ming, seated comfortably in the VIP section, remained indifferent. Bai Xue, seated nearby, also showed no interest. For disciples of holy lands like them, King-level techniques were commonplace, accessible even to inner disciples. For core disciples, such as Xiao Ming and Bai Xue, these techniques were nothing more than stepping stones, with Holy-level techniques being the norm.
As the auction progressed, various items were displayed and sold, but Xiao Ming's demeanor didn't waver. He remained calm, uninterested in the offerings.
Suddenly, the auctioneer stepped forward with a scroll in her hands. Her expression was one of pride and anticipation as she spoke.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this next item is extraordinary. It was discovered in a secret realm by the master of the Thousand Treasure Pavilion. This scroll is indestructible, even against the full-strength strikes of the Pavilion Lord himself, who is in the False Saint realm. We believe it to be a treasure map of some sort. The Pavilion has decided to present it today for this grand occasion. Let's see who among you has the fortune to claim it!"
The crowd erupted into excited murmurs.
"What? Even the Pavilion Lord couldn't destroy it? That's incredible!"
"The Pavilion Lord is in the False Saint realm! If even he couldn't damage it, this scroll must be extraordinary!"
"Don't be naive. Do you really think the Thousand Treasure Pavilion would auction off such a priceless treasure if it was genuine? They've likely already taken whatever treasure it leads to."
Amid the varying reactions, Ye Chan stood with his arms crossed, a disdainful smirk plastered on his face. "What a cheap trick," he muttered, convinced it was nothing more than a ploy to excite the bidders.
But just as he was about to brush it off entirely, Elder Tianxuan's urgent voice rang out in his mind, startling him.
"Ye Chan! You must get that scroll!"
The elder's tone was unusually serious, laced with anxiety, which instantly caught Ye Chan's attention.
"Master, is this scroll really extraordinary? Or is it actually a treasure map?" Ye Chan asked, his confusion evident.
"I'm not certain if it's a map," Elder Tianxuan replied, his voice steady but firm. "But I am sure of one thing—this scroll carries the aura of the Primordial Star Flame."
Ye Chan's eyes widened in shock. "The Primordial Star Flame? What's that? Is it strong?"
Elder Tianxuan let out a sigh, as if trying to contain his excitement. "Strong? That flame is the foundation of the Star Clan, one of the ten Immortal God Clans. It is so powerful that it was said to have the ability to burn even an Emperor!"
"What?! Even an Emperor could be burned by it?" Ye Chan was stunned. The Emperors were the pinnacle of power in the three thousand big realms. The thought of something capable of harming them left him speechless.
"How could such a thing end up here?" Ye Chan asked, his voice trembling with both excitement and disbelief.
"A long time ago, a powerful Emperor waged war against the declining Star Clan. The battle was so intense that it shattered their entire realm. The Primordial Star Flame was lost in the aftermath," Elder Tianxuan explained.
Ye Chan's shock turned into ecstasy. The thought of possessing something so legendary ignited his ambition. He knew that his cultivation technique could grow stronger by absorbing heavenly and earthly flames.
Looking around, Ye Chan noticed the disinterest on the faces of the other bidders. A sneer formed on his lips. "Fools. They can't even recognize the value of this scroll." He conveniently ignored the fact that he had also dismissed it moments ago.
In the VIP section, Xiao Ming observed Ye Chan's sneer with an amused smile. He knew exactly what was going through Ye Chan's mind. Xiao Ming also understood the true significance of the scroll.
He had unactivated Silent Soul Threads so Bai Xue remained unaware of the scroll's value. If news of the Primordial Star Flame spread, it would attract countless powers, even the remnants of the Immortal God Clans. Xiao Ming couldn't allow that. This treasure had to fall into his hands.
the bidding for the mysterious picture scroll began. Despite the skepticism in the crowd, there were always those harboring a gambler's mentality. "What if this scroll really is a treasure map of something extraordinary?" Such thoughts drove many to participate in the bidding frenzy.
Within minutes, the price soared to 100 million low-grade spirit stones. At this astronomical amount, many bidders reluctantly dropped out, unwilling to risk such a large sum for an uncertain outcome.
Ye Chan, seeing the crowd thinning, smirked and raised his hand. "105 million!" he declared confidently.
However, no sooner had his bid been acknowledged than another voice rang out. "110 million."
The bidder was none other than Su Ming, seated in the same VIP section as Xiao Ming. Su Ming's sharp gaze was fixed on the scroll, a faint glimmer of interest in his eyes.
Noticing Su Ming's bid, Xiao Ming turned his attention toward him. Su Ming, sensing Xiao Ming's gaze, smiled politely. "I have a small hobby of collecting unique items," he said casually.
Xiao Ming simply nodded, masking his true thoughts. Inside, he couldn't help but smile to himself. Everything was going exactly as planned. In the original novel, this auction marked the beginning of the feud between Ye Chan and Su Ming, and Xiao Ming had subtly guided events to ensure the same scenario unfolded here.
As the bidding escalated, Ye Chan's irritation grew.
"Who dares to outbid me? Do they not know who I am?" he muttered angrily, glaring in Su Ming's direction.
Su Ming, for his part, remained calm but was internally frustrated. He hadn't come to the auction for the scroll; his real target was a special weapon set to appear later. He needed to conserve funds for it, yet Ye Chan's persistent bids were pushing him further than he'd intended.
The tension in the room thickened as the bidding war between the two continued.
"115 million!" Ye Chan declared, his tone sharp.
"120 million," Su Ming countered almost immediately, his voice steady but tinged with irritation.
Ye Chan clenched his fists, his face turning red with anger. "This guy! He's deliberately provoking me!"
Just as the heated exchange seemed destined to continue, another voice broke the tension.
"200 million."
The entire room fell silent. The sheer leap in the bid amount shocked everyone present, but it wasn't just the amount that silenced the crowd. It was the identity of the bidder.
Xiao Ming.