The atmosphere inside the Sanyuan Pavilion was more intense than ever before.
Hong Xiao's reversal in the square was like pouring hot oil on an already boiling flame. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the display stand, and even their breathing was filled with anticipation—the remaining three Rejuvenation Pills were finally about to make their appearance.
When Wanqiu stepped onto the stage, she wore a perfectly timed smile, and the jade bottle in her hand gleamed warmly under the lights. Without needing to say anything, everyone knew what was inside.
"You all witnessed the medicine's effectiveness in the square just now."
Wanqiu's voice was clear and melodious, yet penetrating: "Three Rejuvenation Pills are equivalent to three lives. For any force, they are the trump card to be played."
She raised the jade bottle and gently shook it: "I won't say anything more. The starting price remains 100,000 spirit crystals. Each bid must be at least 100,000."
This time, the bidding threshold has been raised tenfold, clearly targeting the previous frenzy—ordinary independent cultivators and small forces can basically withdraw from the competition.
Two hundred thousand!
"Five hundred thousand!"
"One million!"
The price skyrocketed like a rocket. Almost as soon as Wanqiu finished speaking, someone eagerly raised their paddle, and within a few breaths, it broke the million mark.
The three stones I just bought cost 600,000, and now these three stones have already doubled in value, which shows that Hong Xiao's fight completely dispelled everyone's doubts.
Xiao Chen sat on the second floor, watching the numbers below constantly changing, a slight smile playing on his lips. He noticed that the patriarchs of the major powers in the main seats had initially been observing coldly, clearly testing each other's limits.
"One million five hundred thousand!" A red-faced old man raised his paddle. He was the patriarch of the Blazing Fire Sect who had participated in the bidding earlier. His eyes were burning with desire, clearly wanting to build up a trump card for his sect.
"Two million!" Another cultivator in green robes followed closely behind. He was the leader of Black Wind Stronghold, a powerful figure in the Chaotic Star Belt.
Prices surged to 2.5 million before slowing down slightly. Ordinary forces were already struggling, leaving only the long-established major sects still observing.
"It's their turn now," Xiao Chen thought to himself, his gaze sweeping over the elderly men in the main seats.
Sure enough, a steady voice rang out: "Three and a half million."
The speaker was an elderly man dressed in a gray robe with the words "Mountain Moving" embroidered on his sleeves; he was none other than the patriarch of the Mountain Moving Sect. The Mountain Moving Sect was renowned for its body-refining techniques and constantly fought against demonic beasts, creating a great need for such life-saving elixirs.
"Heh, only three and a half million?" A soft laugh came from the side. An old man shrouded in a black robe spoke, his voice hoarse like sand. "Three pills are equivalent to three lives. So stingy, do you even deserve to be an ancestor? My Nine Nether Sect, three million eight hundred thousand."
The Nine Nether Sect is known for its bizarre techniques. Although they keep a low profile, no one dares to underestimate them. Their bid of 3.8 million instantly surpassed that of the Mountain Moving Sect.
The patriarch of the Mountain Moving Sect's expression darkened slightly, but he didn't immediately raise the price—he was waiting for a more powerful force to make a move.
Four million!
"Four million two hundred thousand!"
The price slowly climbed until an elderly man with white hair and beard spoke, his voice carrying an undeniable authority: "Four million five hundred thousand. Give my Changhe Sect some face."
The Changhe Sect is an established power in the western part of Xuanqiong, with a profound foundation. When the old man made his offer, many people hesitated—four million five hundred thousand was the entire fortune of many medium-sized sects.
"Face? When it comes to the Rejuvenation Pill, whose face is worth it?" A ruddy-faced old man sneered. "My Heavenly Gang Sect, five million!"
The Tiangang Sect and the Changhe Sect have a long-standing rivalry, especially in terms of medicinal resources. Naturally, the Tiangang Sect will not give the Changhe Sect any face at this moment.
"Fine! Fine! Fine!" The patriarch of the Changhe Sect laughed in fury, his fingers pounding the armrest. "Tiangang Sect, are you trying to make an enemy of my Changhe Sect?"
"I dare not accept such praise; it's all a matter of skill." The patriarch of the Tiangang Sect refused to yield an inch.
Just as the two factions were on the verge of conflict, a calm yet imposing voice suddenly rang out, like a thunderclap from a clear sky:
"Six million."
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw an old man in a plain Taoist robe slowly lowering his hand on the far left of the main seat. His face was calm and his aura was extremely restrained, yet no one dared to look directly at him—it was the patriarch of Taixu Mountain.
Taixu Mountain is one of the top forces recognized in the Xuanqiong Realm. It has a history of tens of thousands of years and has no fewer than ten Nirvana Realm ancestors. Its strength is unfathomable.
Six million!
The moment the price was announced, the entire room fell silent.
The patriarch of the Changhe Sect opened his mouth, but in the end he snorted coldly and lowered his hand—competing with Taixu Mountain would be a losing proposition.
The patriarch of the Tiangang Sect frowned and silently withdrew his hand.
Other forces didn't even dare to breathe loudly—with Taixu Mountain making a move, who would dare to compete?
Wanqiu looked around and, seeing that no one else was bidding, raised the auction gavel: "The Ancestor of Taixu Mountain bids six million spirit crystals!"
"Six million for the first time!"
"Six million for the second time!"
"Bang!"
The auction gavel fell, its crisp sound echoing through the silent hall.
"Congratulations, Ancestor of Taixu Mountain, on winning three Rejuvenation Pills!" Wanqiu smiled and gestured to the maid to bring over the jade bottle.
The patriarch of Mount Taixu nodded slightly, accepted the jade bottle, and casually handed it to the disciple behind him. He didn't say a word from beginning to end, but he had an aura that commanded respect from everyone present.
On the second floor, in the seats for independent cultivators, Shi Tou stared in disbelief, counting on his fingers for a long time: "Senior Brother... six million... how many zeros are there after that?"
Xiao Chen chuckled and patted his shoulder: "It'll be enough for us for a long time."
He did feel relieved, and even felt a little like laughing.
When he first arrived in the Xuanqiong Realm, he and Shitou were still busy earning a few hundred spirit crystals by completing a mine mission. In just a few days, he earned 6.6 million spirit crystals (600,000 the first time and 6 million the second time) solely from the pills given to him by his master.
This contrast reminded him of the cautiousness he felt when he first left the Cangxuan Realm.
It turns out that making money in the Xuanqiong Realm can be this "simple"—provided you have enough impressive treasures to offer.
All of this stemmed from Master Lin Zhou's seemingly casual remark, "Take this pill; you might need it in a critical moment."
Xiao Chen looked down at his palm, where the coolness of the rusty iron spear still seemed to linger. With the confidence left by his master, and with his own and Shi Tou's strength, it seemed he could indeed move more easily through this Xuanqiong Realm.
The auction continued, and the subsequent items remained rare, but none of them could create the same sensation as the Rejuvenation Pill.
Everyone's thoughts were still on the astronomical price of six million and the miraculous effects of the Rejuvenation Pill.
Unbeknownst to anyone, the two young men on the second-floor seats had quietly gotten up and followed the maids of the Sanyuan Chamber of Commerce toward the secret chamber at the back—they were going to collect their own spirit crystals.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com