Chapter 426: Chapter 426: They’ve All Gone Mad
Seeing that everyone had quieted down and was looking at him with confusion, the green-robed old man suddenly smiled.
"I imagine many of you are wondering why our Heaven-Reaching Pavilion would auction a Fifth Grade Pill as a finale item. To be honest, when I first received this news, I was also taken aback. I couldn’t understand the auction house’s decision."
"However, after I received the information on the item, I was immediately ashamed of my own ignorance."
"It is true that the Pill to be auctioned next is only at the Peak of Fifth Grade. But I dare say, this is the most miraculous item I will ever auction in my lifetime. It is a gift from the heavens to us mortals."
At first, the green-robed old man’s tone was rather gentle, but by the end, he had become completely impassioned, his voice filled with fervor.
His words immediately piqued everyone’s interest, capturing their curiosity.
"If you believe a Fifth Grade Pill doesn’t belong here, then by all means, close your eyes and ignore it. You can even turn around and walk away, accusing my Heaven-Reaching Pavilion of seeking undeserved fame."
"But I can tell you this unequivocally: if you do, you will miss the opportunity to witness an unprecedented and unrepeatable spectacle."
This speech stunned everyone present. From the start of the auction until now, the green-robed old man had maintained a detached expression while introducing every item. This was the first time they had seen him so impassioned.
"In this world, there are many forces, and they are filled with ruthlessness. Time is one such force."
"No matter how stunning the beauty or how handsome the man, no matter how high their cultivation, status, or power, time treats them all with the same ruthlessness."
"Beauty is fleeting. Unless one is a powerful expert at Tier Seven Martial King or above, they can perhaps slightly slow the process of aging, but only slightly. Under no circumstances can we resist the power of time or stop it from leaving its mark upon us."
"If the heavens themselves had feelings, they too would grow old. What hope, then, is there for us mortals?"
The green-robed old man’s voice was filled with sorrow. Then, after stirring everyone’s emotions, it took a sharp turn—
"But, while the heavens are ruthless, they have also left us a glimmer of hope."
"Alchemists, Soul Refiners, and other such noble professions have shown us the brightness of the future."
"Time no longer needs to flow forward so ruthlessly. Advancements in cultivation and miraculous medicines can make our own time pass more slowly."
"But this is merely a slowing. Even a Tier Nine Martial Emperor cannot achieve eternal youth, let alone ordinary people like us."
"And so, a certain supremely noble Spirit Medicine master dedicated his entire life to finally developing a Pill that allows us mortals, who are powerless against the flow of time, to feel the glory of the gods."
"And now, please allow me to formally introduce the next item up for auction..."
The green-robed old man looked around excitedly. The entire audience was captivated by his thrilling speech, holding their breath and staring intently at the tray before him.
The breathing of a few experts who had received news in advance also grew ragged.
Everyone awaited the moment the auctioneer would reveal the truth.
At this moment, time itself seemed to stand still.
Under the expectant gazes of the crowd, the green-robed old man slowly lifted the gilded red silk cloth. Ten plump, round Pills appeared before everyone, glittering with a dazzling light under the lamps!
"The Pill of Eternal Youth!"
The auctioneer’s voice suddenly became incredibly loud and high-pitched. His expression was ecstatic, his gaze reverent.
"Just as its name implies, this Pill of Eternal Youth can return anyone’s youth to its most brilliant moment."
"No matter your current age—thirty, forty, fifty, even sixty, seventy, or eighty... as long as you consume this Pill of Eternal Youth, your youth will instantly return."
"No matter who you are, man or woman, a single Pill is all it takes to instantly return your body and face to their most youthful state, and it will last for one year. Ten Pills means ten years."
"What’s even more miraculous is that after those ten years, your appearance will not rapidly revert to its pre-Pill state. Instead, you will age slowly and naturally with the passage of time."
"In other words, purchasing this Pill of Eternal Youth is tantamount to being granted a second youth."
"With a Pill such as this, do you still believe it is unworthy of the stage as the finale item at our annual auction?"
The auction hall instantly erupted into an uproar.
The green-robed old man’s question was met with an instant uproar. The entire auction hall was filled with the buzz of countless noisy discussions.
"Ten years... Did the auctioneer just say this Pill can let us reclaim ten of our most beautiful years?"
"It’s unbelievable! To return to the time when I was youngest and most beautiful... Oh, gods, are you performing a miracle?"
"How can such a magical Pill exist in this world? Can this really be true?"
For a moment, everyone in the auction hall turned to those around them in disbelief, trying to confirm they hadn’t misheard.
It was shocking. Utterly and completely shocking.
The women from the great clans, in particular, were excited beyond measure, their expressions bordering on madness.
For a woman, what is most precious?
Youth!
Youth!
And still more youth!
With a Pill like this, how could they not be thrilled, not be ecstatic?!
In truth, there were also some male Martial Artists who weren’t impressed by the Pill of Eternal Youth’s miraculous effects; instead, they found the whole thing baffling.
’It’s just ten years of youth. Is that really worth getting so excited about?’
However, amidst the shouts of countless fanatical female Martial Artists, their doubts failed to make even the slightest ripple.
"BANG! BANG! BANG!" After letting everyone digest the news, the green-robed old man raised his gavel and struck the table hard a few times. "Quiet! Everyone, please be quiet!"
The frenzied atmosphere in the hall finally subsided somewhat, but all the female Martial Artists were still panting heavily, their eyes bloodshot as they stared at the green-robed old man on the stage, their bodies trembling with excitement.
"Per the consignor’s request, these ten Pills of Eternal Youth will not be auctioned separately but will be sold as a single lot. The starting bid is five thousand Lower Grade Profound Stones, and each bid increment must be no less than one hundred."
"Remember, what our Heaven-Reaching Pavilion is auctioning today is not ten Pills, but decades of your most precious and beautiful youth."
"All things have a price, but youth is priceless!"
"Now, let the bidding begin!"
Having said all this, the green-robed old man quietly stepped to the side.
Silence. The entire auction hall fell completely silent!
After the green-robed old man announced the start of the auction, not a single Martial Artist, clan, or noble made a bid. For a moment, the entire auction hall seemed eerily quiet.
The auctioneer, however, stood there calm and composed, a smile on his face. He didn’t say another word, because he knew the real bidding was yet to come.
In his private box, Ye Xuan watched this scene, utterly dumbfounded...
’I knew my Pill of Eternal Youth would be auctioned as a finale item.’
’But I never imagined the auctioneer from the Heaven-Reaching Pavilion would give such a stirring speech.’
’This is simply insane.’
’This whole performance from the Heaven-Reaching Pavilion is undoubtedly an incredible advertisement for the upcoming opening of my Profound Pill Pavilion.’
An unknown amount of time passed—
"Six thousand!"
A weak voice piped up from the auction floor. It was a noblewoman from the general seating area. Her expression was emotional and her eyes were feverish. She looked to be in her early forties, and one could faintly tell that she must have been a beauty in her youth.
But her voice clearly lacked conviction.
"Sixty-five hundred!"
Another voice called out, also from the general seating area. This time, it was an old crone with graying hair, decked out in gold and silver. A glance was all it took to tell she was from some minor noble family in the Imperial Capital.
"Seven thousand!"
The voice came from the general seating area yet again. But this time, the bidder was an old man in his early sixties. He had a remarkable presence; he was a Tier Six Martial Venerable.
A young man beside him couldn’t help but ask, "Sir, you’re a man. Surely you don’t need this Pill of Eternal Youth?"
"Hmph, what’s wrong with being a man?" The old man shot the youth a disdainful glance. "When I was young, I was the most handsome man in Sui City, far more handsome than a punk like you. But I’m not buying this Pill of Eternal Youth for myself. I’m buying it for my wife. Back in her day, in Xuanyi County, she was a great beauty too. A shame she’s an old woman now. If my wife takes this Pill, then I’ll be a lucky man, heheh..."
The old man flashed a mouthful of yellowed teeth and gave a sleazy grin.
Everyone was floored.
"Eight thousand!"
"Eighty-one hundred!"
"Eighty-five hundred!"
"Ten thousand Lower Grade Profound Stones!"
For a time, bids were shouted one after another. The entire auction hall seemed to have gone mad, the atmosphere electric.
To everyone’s astonishment, most of the bids were coming from the general seating area. There were barely any bids from the private boxes, and the few that were made came from the lowest-tier, Yellow Level boxes.
Everyone who saw this was dumbfounded.
’Since when were the people in general seating this rich?’
’Ten thousand Lower Grade Profound Stones... that’s probably the entire fortune of an ordinary clan.’
"Twenty thousand!"
Just then, a resonant voice finally called out from the Earth Level private boxes.
Hearing this price, the nobles and royals in the general seating and Yellow Level boxes all let out pained sighs. A price like this was no longer something their small clans could afford.
"Twenty-one thousand!"
"Twenty-five thousand!"
"Twenty-eight thousand!"
"Thirty thousand!"
"Thirty-two thousand!"
Once the established families in the Earth Level boxes started bidding, the entire auction hall instantly exploded like a powder keg ignited by a spark. A flood of bids rose and fell in rapid succession.
And the price began to skyrocket wildly.
Some people would prepare to make a bid, but before they could even open their mouths, the price—which had been affordable just a moment ago—would instantly shoot up to a height they could no longer hope to reach.
They were mad. All the clans present had gone mad.
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