Chapter 52: Chapter 33: Lotus Thrones of the Moon Pond, Dragon Pearl of the Treasure Assembly (Part 2)
He fixed his gaze on the black-robed figure, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
The Daoist’s brow twitched, the frown disappearing in an instant. "Six thousand Three Mountains Immortal Treasures. Any other fellow Daoists wish to make a bid?"
The Daoist suddenly realized something. The Sea Race were the de facto rulers of the East Sea, and the Dragon Palace was a taboo ordinary cultivators dared not provoke. Even if the Pengxuan Pavilion had the backing of an Immortal Sect and was bold enough to list the Dragon Pearl for auction, the guests present might not dare to bid. He sighed inwardly. ’Pavilion Master, oh Pavilion Master, why did you have to court disaster and insist on adding the Dragon Pearl to the Assembly’s catalogue?’
"Seven thousand!" Just then, another voice rang out. The Daoist followed the sound and saw two people side-by-side on a lotus-shaped dais. The one who had spoken was bowing humbly with his head lowered, clearly not the one in charge. The other was a cold-faced youth with long, flowing hair. He had a commanding presence, and his sharp gaze swept across the hall, openly displaying his determination to win.
This person made no effort to conceal his identity, yet he dared to bid on the Dragon Pearl. Was he just an ignorant youth, or did he have some extraordinary background?
His face was unfamiliar, and many were still silently wondering about his origins when the black-robed cultivator, who had disguised his identity, called out another bid. Perhaps to intimidate his rival, he raised the price by another one thousand Three Mountains Immortal Treasures all at once.
The cold-faced youth’s lips curled into a smirk, a chilling light in his eyes. Without any visible signal from him, the servant at his side spoke up, calling out a bid of nine thousand.
Both men were clearly determined to win, and the bids flew back and forth without pause. In just another round, the price of the Dragon Pearl soared to eleven thousand. When it was the black-robed cultivator’s turn again, there was finally a pause—unexpected, yet perfectly understandable.
"Damn it! Where the hell did this guy come from?" Veins bulged on Young Master Lian’s forehead as he stared dagger-like at the cold-faced youth, his eyes filled with a ferocity that could devour a man whole. The sight startled Zheng Zhang, who thought to himself, ’What is wrong with this Lian guy?’
The black-robed cultivator fell silent for several breaths. Just as the Daoist was about to declare the buyer, he finally managed to speak, his voice raspy. "Eleven thousand, five hundred."
"Hmph." Before the cold-faced youth could even react, his servant called out coldly, "Thirteen thousand."
Such a lavish bid, coupled with an aura of absolute certainty, drew astonished looks from all around. Just when many assumed the fate of the Dragon Pearl was sealed, another young male voice cut in, "Fourteen thousand!" Instantly, all eyes turned to the new bidder.
Following the sound, people saw three individuals seated together. In the lead was a young Daoist whose hair was not tied up in a formal crown, but loosely held by a simple jade-bamboo hairpin. He wore no disguise, and his face was utterly unfamiliar.
Beside him were two others. One was a woman in a white dress with a serene air. Though a white veil concealed her face, her graceful figure still drew appreciative glances from the crowd. The other man, however, was even more shocking. "Zhang Ji!"
Everyone present was a figure of some standing within the East Sea Territory. They might not be prominent enough to have dealings with the Three Mountains Immortal Sect, but they were certainly familiar with Zhang Ji, the Pavilion Master of Pengxuan Pavilion.
Yet another person had emerged, bidding openly for the Dragon Pearl, and seated right beside him was the Pavilion Master of Pengxuan Pavilion himself. This made the situation completely inscrutable. Someone had already started whispering to a friend, "Don’t tell me this is Zhang Ji’s doing? Does he want to keep the Dragon Pearl for himself?"
"That’s absurd. Zhang Ji already formed a Middle Grade Golden Core long ago. What would he do with a Dragon Pearl?"
"Just because Zhang Ji has no use for it doesn’t mean the people with him don’t. Even in the Three Mountains Immortal Sect, does everyone have the means to gather the Six Harmonies Great Medicine to forge a Middle Grade Golden Core, let alone a Top-grade Golden Core?"
"Heh, if Zhang Ji truly wanted the Dragon Pearl, why would he let it get to this Treasure Assembly? As the Pavilion Master of Pengxuan Pavilion, he could have just kept it for himself. There’d be no need for all this commotion."
"The way I see it, that young Daoist is clearly the one in charge of that group. What kind of background must he have for Zhang Ji to personally escort him... Don’t tell me he’s a True Disciple from the Three Mountains Immortal Sect!"
The one who bid was, of course, Xuzhuang.
Xuzhuang had no interest in the waves of speculation rippling through the crowd. He only felt that the current situation was somewhat unexpected.
Perhaps it was due to the intimidating presence of the East Sea Dragon Palace, but there were surprisingly few bidders. Xuzhuang had initially seen this as a good thing, hoping the final price wouldn’t be as high as he had anticipated. But with the price skyrocketing between just two bidders, the situation was quickly becoming difficult. Seeing that the black-robed cultivator could no longer keep up, he finally spoke and entered the fray.
The cold-faced youth had been certain the Dragon Pearl was his. When Xuzhuang suddenly joined the bidding, his expression stiffened. He glared over, his gaze meeting Xuzhuang’s, and for the first time, he spoke himself instead of through his servant. "Another thousand!" he barked.
The servant announced the new price as commanded. Xuzhuang felt things were getting even more difficult, but his expression remained calm and unhurried. His voice didn’t waver in the slightest as he said, "Sixteen thousand."
The cold-faced youth clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking. Without a second thought, he was about to go head-to-head with Xuzhuang to the very end. Seeing this, the servant behind him hastily leaned in and whispered, "Your Highness... Master, I... I don’t have any more Three Mountains Immortal Treasures on me."
"What?" The cold-faced youth’s expression soured, his gaze slicing across his attendant’s face. "Do you have any idea what you’re saying?"
The servant trembled and meekly explained, "Before we set out, we had no idea a Dragon Pearl would actually appear at the Pengxuan Treasure Assembly..."
The youth turned away, his gaze locked on the Dragon Pearl on the stage. His expression grew as dark as still water, but ultimately, he said nothing more.
Seeing the dust settle and the Dragon Pearl fetch the highest price of the night, the middle-aged Daoist finally breathed a sigh of relief. He announced in a clear voice, "Sixteen thousand Three Mountains Immortal Treasures! Congratulations, fellow Daoist. This Dragon Pearl now belongs to you."
Xuzhuang also let out a silent sigh of relief. He turned to see Fairy Shi smiling radiantly at him. "Congratulations, Young Master Xu," she said softly.
