Chapter 410: Chapter 376: The Grand Finale
"The starting bid for this Celestial Essence Fruit is three hundred thousand taels of Silver, with each increase not less than ten thousand taels. The auction lasts for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and the highest bidder wins!" the auctioneer announced after introducing the Celestial Essence Fruit and setting the starting price.
As soon as the words fell.
Someone raised their sign and shouted, "Five hundred thousand taels!"
Wow!
To increase by two hundred thousand taels in one go, who is so bold? However, how precious is the Celestial Essence Fruit? The final auction price will surely exceed five hundred thousand taels. This gentleman’s attempt to seize the day and win the fruit is impossible.
"I’m just laying down the bricks to attract the jade; you all continue..."
"I bid five hundred and fifty thousand taels!"
Someone bid this time; it was Elder Liou from the Spirit Sword Sect. Evidently, even a top-tier sect like the Spirit Sword Sect has an interest in the Celestial Essence Fruit. Although top-tier sects have abundant resources, the distribution to each person is limited.
Especially something like this, which can aid in breaking through to the Celestial Essence realm, is extremely rare. One fruit can create a master of the Celestial Essence level. Many sects are willing to go bankrupt to purchase one. If successful, the sect will prosper, and the investment will be returned several times over.
"Sixty thousand taels!"
"Sixty-five thousand taels!"
In no time, the price for this Celestial Essence Fruit shot up to seventy thousand taels of silver, revealing the financial prowess of each party.
Some were already considering giving up. After all, if they couldn’t break through with it, such a large sum of money would have been thrown into the water.
Ordinary factions could scarcely bear such a burden.
Helian Wanwan finally made her move, raising her sign and calling out "Seventy-five thousand taels." Originally, her funds were just around one million, but after robbing Shen Hao, she became very wealthy. Still, she wouldn’t spend money recklessly, so she chose to enter the auction at this point after watching coldly for a while.
"Eighty thousand taels!"
Elder Liou from the Spirit Sword Sect gritted his teeth.
This was the highest bid he could afford. If it went any higher, he wouldn’t be able to handle it, and it would bring trouble to the Liou Family.
"Eighty-five thousand taels!" suddenly came a voice from the distinguished guest box upstairs. It was a woman’s voice, which sounded unfamiliar.
But this voice was very familiar to some in Li Hen City—Zhuang Rong, the manager of the embroidery house of the embroidery villa.
She actually wanted to spend eighty-five thousand taels of silver to buy this Celestial Essence Fruit. Could it be that she was also breaking through to the Celestial Essence, or was the fruit meant for her husband Min Xiaohai, who was an Upper Grade Meridian Passage Realm talent himself? He had once pursued Baili Bingyun but later settled for marrying Zhuang Rong. He was also a disciple of the previous generation of embroidered girls, and Baili Bingyun would call him Mr. Min.
According to the embroidery house’s rules, after marriage, the offspring of embroidery house women must take the mother’s surname, so after Min Xiaohai and Zhuang Rong got married, their son was named Zhuang Cheng.
...
"Mother..." Baili Yuyao called out when she heard that Zhuang Rong was bidding eighty-five thousand taels of silver to auction the Celestial Essence Fruit.
"Over the years, it seems they’ve made a lot." Baili Bingyun knew what her daughter wanted to say, but since Zhuang Rong offered a bid, it wasn’t appropriate for her, the head of the embroidery villa, to compete—that would be a laughingstock for outsiders.
The secret of internal strife within the embroidery villa couldn’t be exposed.
Even though she had prepared a lot of funds, it was still debatable whether they were necessary. If Zhuang Rong hadn’t come out to bid, she might have fought for it.
Now it seemed she could save some effort after all.
Eighty-eight thousand taels!
Helian Wanwan bravely added another three thousand taels.
Spending someone else’s money didn’t hurt at all, but at this point, raising the bid like five thousand or five thousand more was unsuitable.
This was already approaching the highest historical auction price for Celestial Essence Fruits.
The fruit was indeed good, but the most expensive one in history was ninety-eight thousand taels of silver, not exceeding one hundred thousand.
Eighty-eight thousand once!
Ninety thousand!
It was the Skull Association, the young master of the Skull Association, Yuan Dong, who finally made his move. Yuan Dong was the oldest among the three major forces’ young masters in Li Hen City, already forty years old. The Skull Association’s head, Tianya, had no offspring, and Yuan Dong was Tianya’s adopted son, naturally making him the young master.
While Yuan Dong’s natural talent wasn’t top-tier, at forty, being in the Middle Grade Meridian Passage Realm was already the peak of an elder in a super power.
But Yuan Dong was born with divine strength and extraordinary combat power; he walked the path of body refinement, capable of fighting beyond his level in the Middle Grade Meridian Passage Realm.
"This Celestial Essence Fruit is prepared for my adoptive father. Everyone, please give Yuan face; I’d be much obliged!" Yuan Dong’s voice echoed through the entire auction hall.
Such threats against other bidders were clearly against the rules.
As tonight’s auction host, Nie Yang had to step forward: "Yuan Dong, tonight’s auction, the highest bidder wins. If you don’t have the money, I can personally lend it to you, but rules cannot be broken!"
With these words, he gave face to the other party and provided a way out.
In other words, Yuan Dong just needed to bid, and if he couldn’t afford it, Nie Yang would cover the rest, knowing that the Heaven-Dominating Tower wasn’t afraid of the Skull Association defaulting on payment, right?
"Mr. Nie is so bold. Well, then Yuan won’t be polite!" Yuan Dong may look burly, but he’s quite meticulous.
Otherwise, why would the Skull Association head, Tianya, feel comfortable handing over the association to him while he was in seclusion?
And indeed, the Skull Association developed the fastest under Yuan Dong’s management these past few years.
"Uncle Master, do you want to make a bid?" Lin Miao quietly led Sun Youwei behind Dongguo Sun, nudging him quietly.
"Gods are fighting, and if I rush in, who knows how I’ll die." Dongguo Sun shook his head like a rattle.
"Isn’t Uncle Master also at the Great Perfection of the Meridian Realm and doesn’t want to advance to the Celestial Essence?" Lin Miao had long observed that his cheap uncle master, Dongguo Sun, was also a Great Perfection of the Meridian Realm expert, only hiding it so well that no one could tell.
Dongguo Sun’s eyes flickered and turned to look at Lin Miao, as if asking, "Mr. Lin, how did you know that?"
"I’m old. Even if I get the Celestial Essence Fruit, my chances of advancing are only fifty-fifty. If I fail, losing the money would be fine, but if something happens to me, how will I spend the rest of my life?"
"You seem open-minded, that’s great."
Ninety-five hundred thousand!
Helian Wanwan shouted a price, which was only thirty thousand less than the highest auction price for the Celestial Essence Fruit, ninety-eight hundred thousand.
One million!
Zhuang Rong called out!
One million, a record-breaking price. Whether it’s worth it for a Celestial Essence Fruit, many people lack the courage to bid this high.
One million and fifty thousand!
Yuan Dong walked to the window, supporting himself with both hands on the railing, eyes fierce, sweeping over everyone below in the hall, and said loudly.
Zhuang Rong also showed up. "Since Mr. Yuan is determined to get this Celestial Essence Fruit, I’ll let you have it."
Yuan Dong’s face turned instantly sullen upon hearing this.
Zhuang Rong had bid up until now only to back down, possibly acting as Heaven-Dominating Tower’s shill.
One million one hundred thousand!
Helian Wanwan was not afraid of the Skull Association. Backing her is the super powerful Snow Mountain Sect, and she has plenty of funds at her disposal.
So, she called out a higher price without any hesitation.
Yuan Dong’s face turned grim; Helian Wanwan, an Elder of the Snow Mountain Sect. Despite his discontent, he couldn’t do much unless he raised the bid.
But among the three major forces, the Skull Association has the weakest foundation. Even though he is the young leader, the funds he can draw are limited.
Further bidding would not be worthwhile.
The Snow Mountain Sect is far more resourceful than the Skull Association, and fearing continued competition, he’s likely to lose, making him somewhat hesitant.
But if his foster father advances to the Celestial Essence with this fruit, the chances will be greater, and the time shortened.
One million one hundred twelve thousand!
With gritted teeth, Yuan Dong raised the bid by another two thousand, intending not to raise further if the other party bids again.
Helian Wanwan, intending to raise again, was abruptly halted by Lianxin pulling her sleeve and whispering something in her ear.
Helian Wanwan immediately withdrew her intention to bid higher.
Helian Wanwan did not raise her bid!
Is she out of money, or has she exceeded her psychological limit?
One hundred twelve thousand, once!
One hundred twelve thousand, twice!
One hundred twelve thousand... three times!
For the final time, the auctioneer deliberately extended the sound, but no one else bid, leaving the Celestial Essence Fruit acquired by the Skull Association’s young leader, Yuan Dong.
Spending one hundred twelve thousand silver coins to buy one Celestial Essence Fruit, if it can aid the Skull Association’s leader Tianya in breaking through, it’s fine. Otherwise, if it fails to advance, it’d be quite a joke.
But the auction has concluded.
The Celestial Essence Fruit ultimately belonged to the Skull Association. Even it hasn’t yet left Li Hen City, which might be a good thing.
There’s one last auction item.
Also the most mysterious item tonight; no one knows what it is. Heaven-Dominating Tower has kept it very secret.
At the auctioneer’s command, a black cloth-covered iron cage was carried forward, arousing everyone’s curiosity.
Something inside the cage?
Could it be a living creature?
An exotic beast?
Live exotic beasts seldom appear at auctions; wild beasts aren’t unusual, but exotic beasts are rare, and grown exotic beasts are incredibly powerful, some surpassing the Meridian Passage Realm, like the silver python couple in Yingfeng Valley, with the male python being half-step Celestial Essence.
Even Li Hen City’s most powerful at the time might not rival it, especially with home advantage and allies.
Thus, the shadow pythons remained there, undisturbed by humans.
If it is an exotic beast, it’s likely the young, or a non-aggressive breed, making capture feasible.
Adult exotic beasts possess intelligence, and even if captured, are uncompromising, let alone tamable.
Only young exotic beasts have a slim chance of taming.
And it’s merely a possibility; most exotic beasts resist taming, their pride surpassing humans, not bowing to human command for exploitation.
"Everyone might guess that tonight’s last auction item is a young exotic beast. Our Li Hen City auctions have sold exotic beast young before, but I must say, you might have guessed wrong. Tonight’s final highlight is..."
Two beautiful attendants standing by the iron cage reached out and lifted the covering black cloth.
Inside was actually a little girl, with flaming red hair, dressed in animal skin, barefoot, hands and feet shackled, looking fearfully helpless at the many people suddenly appearing before her.
Exotic tribe!
Indeed, she was human too, but of an exotic tribe, different from the people living in the East Continent.
The Southern Wilderness tribes and Northern Wilderness nomads collectively known as exotic tribes.
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