"60 gold coins!"
"90 gold coins!"
"100 gold coins!"
The bidding quickly escalated, reaching 100 gold coins in no time.
For an average person, saving 50 gold coins would take a lifetime—assuming they never spent anything on food or other necessities. That's how significant 100 gold coins were. Even for lower-stage martial practitioners, like those at Martial Apprentice Stage 1 or 2, it would take years to gather that much wealth unless they belonged to a powerful clan or stumbled upon a rare fortuitous opportunity.
Take the Red Axe Gang, for example—they'd found a treasure in a cave, yet in the end, all of it fell into Xenon's hands.
"200 gold coins!" shouted an elderly man. He was a blacksmith in Stone City and had amassed some wealth over the years. He desperately wanted the item to enhance his only son's qualifications to join a temple.
But others wouldn't let him have it so easily. Like him, they too sought the item for the benefit of their own talented youths.
"250 gold coins!"
Hearing this, the old blacksmith gritted his teeth. His limit was 500 gold coins—the accumulation of two years of crafting and selling weapons. But beyond that, he couldn't compete.
"1,000 gold coins!" Xenon's voice cut through the room.
The entire hall fell into stunned silence. 1,000 gold coins? The bid had leaped to an astronomical amount in an instant.
Moments later, murmurs spread like wildfire.
"Who is this young man?" the old blacksmith asked, his voice laced with disbelief. 1,000 gold coins for a Springbloom Pear? And the bidder was a mere youth!
"I saw him earlier at the entrance," someone replied. "He has a Martial Apprentice Stage 7 guardian with him."
"Could he be a top-tier talent or the son of a patriarch from some powerful clan in another city?"
"That must be it. But even so, spending 1,000 gold coins casually on a Springbloom Pear? Even most patriarchs wouldn't go that far."
The crowd continued their discussions.
"Perhaps he desperately needs it," someone suggested. "Maybe he's ignoring the other items in favor of this one."
The others nodded in agreement. It made sense. Most wealthy patriarchs wouldn't bid this high for a mere Springbloom Pear—they'd reserve their resources for rarer, more valuable items. To them, Xenon must truly need the pear to be willing to part with so much gold.
The old blacksmith sighed in resignation. He knew he had no chance of winning now.
The auctioneer's voice echoed through the hall.
"1,000 gold coins! Going once... going twice... sold!"
The Springbloom Pear was awarded to Xenon. A satisfied smile spread across his face. If he consumed it, he'd likely reach Martial Apprentice Stage 4 in just one week.
Xenon's talent was nothing short of monstrous. For most others, even with a Springbloom Pear, advancing from Stage 3 to Stage 4 would take years.
The auction moved on to the next item.