Death... and me

Frandin's group knew nothing regarding Firmel and the talk in the Portin Clan. Instead, they used their time to do their own things. Frandin and Agis helped Rean finish forging his weapons while the girls continued in their room. Roan seemed to be testing his Soul Mark, though.

A few hours later, Rean completed his first Earth Peak Level weapon for sale. As mentioned before, it didn't have the ability to draw Elements, but it was definitely better than common ones. With that said, he could finally go to the auction before it began.

He then contacted Roan through their Soul Connection, telling him that they would be leaving. Agis also asked to go out with Rean and Frandin since he didn't get the chance to go out yet. Roan didn't seem to mind, nor did he want to follow them. Rean could simply send his memories of the items that appeared in the auction and then tell Roan while it happened. If there was something he needed, Rean could bid it for him.

The girls didn't even consider going out either. The three of them were in their own world, playing with the things they got from the shops. And so, only Rean, Frandin, and Agis went to the auction. Of course, Rean made sure to change their appearances to what they used in the auction house, which was different from the appearance Frandin used when he visited the clans. To make sure, Roan also used his incredible make-up skills at the level of a Hollywood crew to make them look exactly as they were before they left.

As their appearance was different and their group consisted of only three males, no one found them suspicious at all. Once they arrived in the Imperial Auction House, they went straight to the appraiser, where Frandin passed him Rean's Earth Peak Level weapon.

This time, the appraiser was quite surprised.

"Oh! This one isn't too bad. Its quality is also above average by quite a lot. Are you sure you want to sell such a good weapon?"

Frandin nodded with a smile, saying.

"Just like before, I'm in dire need of money. I believe the Imperial Auction House is the best place to sell my equipment instead of selling it to the treasure houses. Could it be that I'm wrong?"

The appraiser laughed before saying.

"Hahaha! Indeed, considering the higher quality of your weapons, they're a good fit for our Imperial House. Especially this Earth Peak-Level equipment. There will definitely be a few Nascent Soul Cultivators very interested in it."

The appraiser was quite satisfied with the last item, so he also gave Frandin's group an extra service.

"Now, then. I'll transfer you to one of the private chambers where you can make your bids. The auction is going to start an hour from now, so you can head there already if you want to. Also, I doubt you'll make less than fifty thousand Rank Two Spirit Stones this time around, so you're free to use this amount in the auction. Of course, that is already considering our 30% cut."

Rean then sent a Spiritual Message to Frandin, who quickly asked a question.

"What about the Earth Peak-Level weapon? Is it also worth Rank Two Spirit Stones?"

The appraiser shook his head as he replied.

"Of course not. This is a very high-quality item, so it won't sell for less than Rank Three Spirit Stones. I estimate that the initial bidding will be around 1000 Rank Three Spirit Stones, but it should sell for much more than that."

Frandin smiled and nodded soon after. With that, they went to the chamber, where they waited for the auction to start. Little by little, the auction house was filled with customers. As one could expect, most of them were sent to the benches below. Only the influential ones and those who had very good items in the auction were rewarded with private chambers like Rean's group.

Eventually, the lights were turned off, leaving only the stage illuminated. The host then went up and started the event.

"Welcome, everyone. Our once-a-month Imperial Auction is about to start. This time, we have quite a few good items that most of you will be delighted to bid for. Anyway, I know you're all excited to see the treasures, so let's start!"

A female Zasfin then went up to the stage with a pillow. On top of it, there was a pendant that glistened a beautiful blue. It was quite an exquisite pendant that immediately caught the female customers' attention.

"The first item is an Earth High-Level defensive treasure. It's called Blue Sea. It's capable of creating a barrier of Water Element that reduces around 10 to 20% of the damage received. It operates through Spiritual Energy and Soul Power in unison. Of course, if your opponent's cultivation is higher than yours, the effects will be reduced. Though, the opposite is also valid against weaker enemies. It's a very good item in case you're ambushed by many enemies with lower cultivation, which is pretty common when they know they aren't a match for you alone."

"The initial price is 2000 Rank Two Spirit Stones. Any bidding shall be at least 200 stones above the previous price."

In an instant, several female voices were raised in the auction house. Although it was truly a good item for battles, the ladies were a lot more interested in its appearance. 

"2200!"

"2600!"

"3000!"

"3500!"

"4000!"

It wasn't before the price reached 5500 Rank Two Spirit Stones that the bidding war was finally over.

Rean looked at the pendant and could tell that it had a formation with Soul Runes inside.

'Sure enough, Soul Power allows one to use Weapon Arrays in pieces of equipment that aren't at the Heaven Level yet. I have to learn how to use Soul Runes as soon as possible.'

Rean then looked at Frandin before saying.

"After the auction is over, we'll go to the Formation Master Guild. Qia and I already taught you enough for you to pass an Earth Low-Level Test. Once you finish that, make sure to take as much study material as possible, especially the ones related to Soul Runes."

Frandin nodded, not minding it too much. He was already requested for that before, so he was basically waiting for it to happen.

Surprisingly, one of Rean's weapons was already the second item to be auctioned.

"We have here an Earth High-Level saber. This is just one of several of this type in this auction. For those without a good weapon, you've lucked out to have appeared on today's event."

The host then continued.

"We already had our appraiser analyze this saber, and he said that it was of a much higher level than common weapons at the same level. It can almost compete against an Earth Peak-Level weapon on its own, even without a Weapon Array. If you bring it to the Formation Master Guild and have it inscribed, it definitely will reach the level of an Earth Peak Level weapon."

This time, it was the male Zasfins that were excited by that. Well, there were a few females that used sabers, so they were ready to give it a try.

"The initial price is 2300 Rank Two Spirit Stones. Each bidding must be of at least 200 Stones or more."

"3000!"

"3400!

"4000!"

"4200!"

"4400!"

"4800!"

Rean was very satisfied with that outcome. This weapon alone was already worth much more than he expected. In the end, the saber was sold for 5950 Rank Two Spirit Stones, much to Rean, Frandin, and Agis's delight. 

The auction continued as more of Rean's Earth High-Level equipment came out. Of course, Rean's group was also captivated by a few items available in the auction house.

"The next item is a drop from the Imperial Bloodline."

*WOW!*

Immediately, the auction house went into an uproar.

However, Agis and Rean were puzzled.

"Is there any use for that?"

Frandin, who looked as excited as all the other Zasfins, immediately nodded as he replied.

"Of course! Did you forget that the thicker the Zasfin Bloodline, the easier it is to use and train Soul Power? Sometimes the Imperial House elders gather some of their bloodlines when they need money. Obviously, Zasfins can use it to strengthen their own bloodline. You must understand that bloodline is an extremely important issue for us Zasfins. Unfortunately, it's just a drop, though."

Rean and Agis nodded in response after listening to his explanation. It had no use for them, but it might be of good use to Frandin.

"By the way, is a single drop worth it?"

Frandin nodded as he said.

"It's sad that it's just a drop. However, the lower the purity of your bloodline, the higher the drop's effect. That's why most of the Zasfins in the auction house are excited. After all, not everyone is part of a clan with Rank Five Bloodline Soul Mark owners. Most of them don't have the talent enough to be accepted into a higher trial."

Rean shrugged his shoulders as he said.

"It's not that they don't have talent, but that they aren't willing to risk it out. Don't forget how much your Soul Power increased even though you came from a low-nobility rank."

Frandin nodded, responding. 

"Of course I know that. Still, my progress would have been even faster if I had that drop before."

Rean and Agis laughed in response as it was obvious that Frandin wanted to get permission to bid for that drop.

"Fine, fine! Considering that this item came in the first part of the auction, it should be a drop of a low member from the Imperial Family, probably those with earned Rank Seven Marks. You can bid for it."

Frandin became excited as he said soon after.

"Thanks!"

On the stage, the host finished talking about the items before finally announcing the starting price.

"The initial value is 3400 Rank Two Spirit Stones. Each bid can't be less than 500 Stones. That's all."

Sure enough, the bidding war started right after.