The middle-aged man in the dark chamber sat upright in his seat, his eyes mostly closed. Occasionally, he would open his eyes, which gleamed with an eerie light, only to close them again quickly. He sat there silently, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows.
The woman from the Blazing Fire Sect leaned back lazily in her chair, her fiery red outfit revealing her curvaceous figure. Her gaze casually swept across the auction stage, showing little interest in the items that had already been sold.
She yawned every now and then to show her nonchalance at the moment.
Amidst the bustling and noisy auction, the moment all the items were sold, the female host's clear and melodious voice rang out again, instantly attracting everyone's attention.
"Distinguished guests, what follows is the highlight of this auction: the final three items. Each one is a rare treasure, and I am sure you will find it worthwhile."
As the female host smiled charmingly, she gently waved her hand, and the curtain behind her slowly opened, revealing an even more intense fluctuation of spiritual energy.
Just as everyone was eagerly anticipating the auction and staring intently at what was behind the curtain, an item that left everyone somewhat puzzled was presented.
A small stone lay quietly in the exquisite tray. At first glance, it looked no different from any ordinary pebble that one might casually pick up on the roadside, all dusty and gray.
"Ladies and gentlemen, to be honest, I don't know much about the next item. I only know that the consignor said that someone destined to recognize this stone will recognize it. So the starting price is 10,000 top-grade spirit stones! Each bid must be at least 10,000 higher."
The words had barely left his lips when the entire auction hall erupted in an uproar. People exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with confusion and astonishment.
A starting bid of 10,000 top-grade spirit stones is no small sum. For such an ordinary-looking stone, it is ridiculously high. Many people were secretly thinking that the auction had gone mad, using such a thing as the grand finale and setting such a high price.
However, just as everyone was questioning the situation, a few people's expressions turned serious.
The woman from the Blazing Fire Sect instantly lost her languid expression, sat up straight, and fixed her gaze on the stone, her eyes revealing a hint of hesitation and assessment.
The middle-aged man in the dark chamber slowly opened his tightly closed eyes, a glint of light flashing in them as he stared intently at the stone.
When Dan Bingli, who had been seemingly indifferent, saw the pebble, her pupils suddenly contracted, and her breathing involuntarily became somewhat unsteady. A hint of barely concealed emotion flickered across her usually calm and composed face.
Just as Dan Bingli's thoughts were churning, the woman from the Blazing Fire Sect broke the brief silence.
A flash of realization crossed her eyes, and she spoke abruptly, her clear voice echoing in the somewhat somber auction hall:
"One hundred thousand top-grade spirit stones!"
This bid instantly silenced the entire auction hall. Everyone's gaze darted back and forth between the woman from the Blazing Fire Sect and the small stone, wondering if they had misjudged the situation.
Upon seeing this, the middle-aged man from the Dark Pavilion's eyes gleamed even brighter, and he said calmly:
"Since the Blazing Fire Sect has made a move, then this old man must also try his hand."
"150,000 top-grade spirit stones!"
......
"Three million top-grade spirit stones!"
As the middle-aged man from the Dark Pavilion and the woman from the Blazing Fire Sect continued to bid, the atmosphere became increasingly tense and heavy, making the air seem thick and suffocating. Everyone was astonished by the ever-increasing price, and their curiosity grew even stronger about what was so special about this little stone.
The intense back-and-forth competition between the two caused Dan Bingli, who was about to speak, to unconsciously clench her fists, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force.
This subtle movement went unnoticed by the others, but it did not escape Qin Luo's notice, who had been secretly watching her.
"It seems this thing must be of great use to her, which is why it caused such a big emotional fluctuation in her."
Qin Luo thought to himself that he was also quite curious about what the stone was. In the simulation, he didn't actively participate in the bidding because of his low emotional intelligence, so he never found out the origin of the stone.
In that instant Qin Luo was lost in thought, the woman from the Blazing Fire Sect shouted again:
"Three and a half million top-grade spirit stones!"
Her tone had become heavy, and anyone with eyes could see that she had done her best, pushing the number of top-grade spirit stones she could muster to the limit.
Upon seeing this, the middle-aged man in the dark pavilion hesitated for a moment, but this was quickly replaced by greed and determination. He slowly stood up, his voice low and powerful:
"Four million top-grade spirit stones!"
Upon hearing this, the woman from the Blazing Fire Sect immediately retorted angrily:
"Hmph! The Dark Pavilion is really willing to spend a fortune, spending so many top-grade spirit stones on this broken rock. Aren't they afraid of not having enough spirit stones when they compete for that thing later? I'll laugh my head off then!"
Her face flushed red, and her chest heaved with anger, clearly furious at the actions of the middle-aged man in the dark chamber.
The middle-aged man from the Dark Pavilion remained unmoved, a mocking smile playing on his lips as he looked at the woman from the Blazing Fire Sect, and replied:
"Hmph, my Dark Pavilion will know what to do, no need for you to worry. But you, if you're short of money now, you'll be left with nothing but empty eyes when the main event comes."
At this moment, everyone at the auction was stunned by the high price, and the entire auction hall was deathly silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The people who had been whispering and discussing amongst themselves fell silent, staring wide-eyed at the woman from the Blazing Fire Sect and the middle-aged man from the Dark Pavilion. They were all secretly amazed that these two major forces were willing to go to such lengths and compete with each other for a seemingly ordinary little stone.
Many people were secretly calculating in their hearts that even if they worked hard all their lives, they probably wouldn't be able to raise the price offered by any one of them. Such an astronomical price was simply an astronomical figure for them, and they could only look on in despair, not even qualified to participate in the bidding.
The female auctioneer on the stage was also taken aback by the sudden high price, but she quickly recovered, cleared her throat, and broke the dull atmosphere:
"The Dark Pavilion has offered four million top-grade spirit stones. Is there any other distinguished guest who wishes to raise the bid?"
The crisp sound seemed somewhat hollow in the quiet hall, and all that answered her was silence.
Just when everyone thought the auction for the stone was about to end with the middle-aged man from the Dark Pavilion winning, a calm and indifferent voice broke the silence:
"Five drops of the Origin Elixir!"
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