Chapter 396: Chapter 61: The Start of the Departure
Staring at the image on the Light Screen, quite a few Cultivators found their breath quickening as they looked at the set of beads.
Wu Haidong paused for a moment before continuing, "More importantly, this is a foundational Extreme Dao Set Bead. It’s a perfect fit for both the Comprehensive Dao and the Extreme Dao.
As a foundational Wood Dao Vine Technique, it’s suitable for any Cultivator.
The starting bid for this item is one thousand, and each increment must be no less than one hundred."
Wu Haidong was clearly a very professional auctioneer. Zhang Deming could even sense the subtle use of Oratory.
It wasn’t mind control via a Technique, of course, just the most basic application of the Skill—much like how Zhang Deming could now raise his hand and conjure a Vine.
"Two thousand!"
"Three thousand!"
"Three thousand one hundred!"
"Three thousand five hundred!"
...
A standard Tier Three Technique Set would normally go for three to five hundred Spirit Stones on the market. But this five-piece Inheritance Set surpassed that price in an instant, and the atmosphere was electric.
Of course, no matter how heated the bidding got, a Tier Three Set Bead was unlikely to exceed the sky-high price of Qian Ruyan’s previous order, barring any special circumstances.
For the Set Bead he had provided, and at an auction of this caliber, Zhang Deming had originally thought five thousand Spirit Stones would be a high price.
But to his surprise, the price skyrocketed all the way to six thousand before it began to slow down.
"Six thousand five hundred!"
"Bidder 1763 offers six thousand five hundred Spirit Stones! Do I hear a higher bid? This is a rare full-Mastery Inheritance Set. It’s like getting two sets in one!"
"Six thousand six hundred!"
"Alright, bidder 234 offers six thousand six hundred! Are there any higher bids? A foundational Extreme Dao Inheritance Set—you absolutely can’t go wrong with this purchase."
"Six thousand six hundred going once! Six thousand six hundred going twice! Sold!"
"Congratulations to bidder 234 for winning this auction item!"
Zhang Deming was somewhat taken aback, quite surprised by the result. ’It seems the Huayue United Auction is indeed a considerable platform.’
’After all, the prices at an auction depend mostly on the platform itself; whether the crowd is fired up is actually secondary.’
After the small climax of the Spirit Nurturing Bead auction, the venue began to slowly heat up, and the sale prices for subsequent items were generally a bit higher.
This brought a wide smile to Wu Haidong’s face on the stage, and he auctioned the items with even more vigor.
Gradually, as the first day’s auction neared its end, the items became increasingly precious, and the atmosphere grew ever more intense.
"Next up is a material, a Two-Star material. It is the universal main ingredient for Summoning Category Duality Formulas—the Infant Spirit Hollow Jade.
I won’t waste words on a lengthy introduction for this item. The starting bid is one thousand, with increments of no less than one hundred."
"Five thousand!"
The moment Wu Haidong finished announcing the bid, Zhang Deming threw out a knockout price. For an Infant Spirit Hollow Jade, five thousand was already considered a high market price under normal circumstances.
The fiery atmosphere was suddenly plunged into a brief, awkward silence.
Backstage, Wugong Zong frowned slightly as he watched the situation unfold. The Disciple behind him immediately asked:
"Second Uncle, should we have our people join the bidding? After all, that person seems determined to win it. It’s highly likely he’s buying it for himself, so pushing the price up a few times shouldn’t be too risky."
Wugong Zong pondered for a moment before finally shaking his head. "Forget it. It’s not necessary. It’s not worth risking offending this person over a few hundred or a thousand Spirit Stones. If he were to find out, it would be difficult to approach him again."
Hearing this, the Disciple behind Wugong Zong said no more and fell silent once again, standing as still as a statue.
In the main auction hall, after a short lull, someone finally started bidding again.
"Five thousand one hundred!"
"Seven thousand!"
Zhang Deming once again called out a high price, and the room fell silent again.
"VIP 121 has once again called out an astonishingly high price! It seems this Fellow Daoist is determined to have the Infant Spirit Hollow Jade!
Any other Fellow Daoists? This is a universal main ingredient for Duality! You might not see another one for a hundred years. If you miss this, who knows when you’ll get another chance to advance. You absolutely must not miss this opportunity."
"Seven thousand one hundred! Bidder 543 offers seven thousand one hundred!"
"Eight thousand! VIP 121 bids eight thousand again! Is there any higher? The opportunity for Duality is right before your eyes, don’t miss it!"
Wu Haidong did his best to rally the bidders, but the room remained cold. No one else made a bid.
"Eight thousand going once! Eight thousand going twice! Sold! Congratulations to VIP 121 on winning this item."
As he brought down the gavel, Wu Haidong was slightly disappointed. While the price was relatively good and acceptable...
...it clearly hadn’t achieved the same fervor as earlier. Plus, the buyer was so obviously determined that pushing the price past ten thousand should have been easy.
But despite his repeated signals, the clan’s shills didn’t respond. And since the bidder was in a VIP room, Wu Haidong, who was no rookie, more or less understood the situation.
He didn’t continue with his hints or try to fan the flames; he knew when to stop.
To become the head auctioneer for the decennial auction, one needed to be skilled in more than just auctioning techniques.
Several of his clan brothers were no weaker than him when it came to the business of auctioneering. The reason he could securely hold this position every time wasn’t just due to his professional skills.
...
In VIP room 23, a stunningly beautiful woman sat quietly, watching as the bidding for the Infant Spirit Hollow Jade came to a close.
She tilted her head to look at VIP room 121 and said to the person beside her, "Room 121... that’s the person you mentioned who wanted to trade a Spirit Nurturing Bead with me, right?"
On the plush seat next to her sat a refined man of superior bearing and appearance.
Hearing this, he also glanced over. "Hm, that should be him. What’s this, Zhenzhen? Are you interested in that set of Spirit Nurturing Beads again? When I asked you before, didn’t you say the Vine Technique wasn’t suitable for your Dao?"
