Chapter 97: Bidding

"Starting bid, one hundred mid-grade spirit stones. Each increment must be no less than ten."

Dong Yanwei's voice rang through the Grand Hall once again. As he spoke, his gaze unconsciously drifted toward the private boxes above. Such a treasure could only be afforded by those Nascent Soul cultivators.

Even if other cultivators could afford it, they wouldn't dare flaunt their wealth. After all, who would dare snatch a treasure from amidst a group of Nascent Soul powerhouses.

The moment Dong Yanwei's words fell, someone eagerly picked up the thread.

"One hundred and ten."

No sooner had that bid been called than another immediately raised it.

"One hundred and thirty."

"One hundred and fifty."

The bidding was so fierce that within a short time, it had surged to two hundred mid-grade spirit stones. Yet some still refused to give up, gritting their teeth and continuing to raise the price.

The lower-stage cultivators below listened to price after price they had never dared to dream of, each one both shocked and dumbfounded, silently marveling at the extravagance of these Nascent Soul powerhouses. At the same time, their hearts were filled with reverence and aspiration.

Jiuyou waited unhurriedly, letting the bidding gradually slow down.

A moment later, when a hoarse, cold voice from the private box across from his called out two hundred and fifty mid-grade spirit stones.

Only then did Jiuyou speak slowly, unhurried and calm.

"Two hundred and eighty."

The hoarse voice from the opposing box sounded once more.

"Three hundred."

Jiuyou continued to raise the bid.

In these hundreds of years, he had slaughtered countless foes, and the spirit stones he had plundered had naturally piled up like mountains.

Since advancing to the Nascent Soul stage, especially in that region of the Tianyuan Sea, any treasure effective for Nascent Soul cultivators was basically exchanged through barter, with spirit stone transactions rarely used. Day after day, he had accumulated a vast fortune, especially in the last few decades when he had killed no small number of Nascent Soul cultivators. He had been worrying about how to spend it all.

"Three hundred and thirty."

That voice came again, seemingly determined to win this item. Within those words, there was even a faint trace of aura belonging to a Mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, carrying a hint of pressure.

Jiuyou's face remained expressionless.

Through the Crystal Screen, he glanced down at Dong Yanwei below. Seeing the man's brows slightly furrowed yet making no move whatsoever, no intention to intervene. This was clearly someone unwilling to make an enemy of the other party. It seemed the person in that private box was probably no ordinary figure.

The other private boxes had also fallen silent, no further bids coming forth. Whether it was because the price was too high to be worth it, or because they didn't want to provoke the person in the box across from Jiuyou.

A trace of displeasure flickered in Jiuyou's eyes.

He had come to Qian Prefecture alone, without sect or affiliation, without ties or attachments. No matter who the other party was, even if their background reached the heavens, at worst he could simply turn around and walk away.

A cold snort escaped his nose. A more powerful aura than before, the suppression of a peak Mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, faintly yet unmistakably permeated the entire hall.

Everyone present, from the Foundation-Establishing cultivators below to the Nascent Soul cultivators in the dozen or so private boxes above, instinctively turned their astonished gazes toward his box.

A peak Mid-Nascent Soul cultivator was among those closest to Late Nascent Soul powerhouses. In any imperial dynasty or any faction, such a figure was held in the highest esteem.

"Friend Dong, I seem to recall that according to your Precious Heaven Pavilion's rules, no one may threaten another during an auction, or they will be expelled from the pavilion and forbidden from ever setting foot inside again. If you cannot give me an explanation for today's matter, then I, Ghost, am afraid I will have to seek justice on my own."

The instant those words fell, a sinister chill spread outward from Jiuyou's private box. Though the cold aura was frigid, it carried no killing intent, only a heavy note of warning.

In that moment, the entire Grand Hall was enveloped in the freezing aura. Those cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage hurriedly circulated their magical power to resist it, each wearing an ugly expression, staring at Jiuyou's box with terror-filled eyes, swallowing nervously.

Dong Yanwei's brow furrowed even deeper at this moment, his gaze darting back and forth between the two boxes.

On one side was the Fifth Elder of the Blood Abyss Sect, one of the three great sects of the Dayong Imperial Court. Though Precious Heaven Pavilion's business covered vast territory, they only had two Late Nascent Soul cultivators on the surface, naturally unable to compare with the Blood Abyss Sect. They simply wanted to conduct business in peace, unwilling to provoke such a behemoth.

But on the other side was a peak Mid-Nascent Soul rogue cultivator, without ties or attachments, and still so young, with great potential to break through to Late Nascent Soul in the future. If they provoked this one, it might not be any easier than offending the Blood Abyss Sect.

For a moment, he found himself in a difficult spot. A branch pavilion master, unwilling to offend either side. But at the end of the day, it was the Blood Abyss Sect's man who had broken the rules first.

Just as he was wrestling with his dilemma, the hoarse voice came from the Blood Abyss Sect's box once more, its tone laced with confusion and surprise, clearly because it had sensed that Jiuyou's aura was unfamiliar, and that he was actually a peak Mid-Nascent Soul powerhouse.

But as a grand elder of a major sect, how could he be easily intimidated?

"Four hundred mid-grade spirit stones."

After a pause, he spoke again.

"This fellow cultivator, may I ask which sect or school you belong to? I am the Fifth Elder of the Blood Abyss Sect, the True Lord Youluo. This Soul Netherstone has caught the eye of my sect's Grand Elder, the Heaven-Swallowing Demon Saint. I hope this fellow cultivator will do the Blood Abyss Sect a favor, how about it?"

Jiuyou let out a cold laugh. Still trying to trot out their backing, and now he was already irreconcilably at odds with the Blood Abyss Sect.

"Four hundred and fifty."

"Friend You, I am merely an unknown rogue cultivator from the Southern Frost, not worth your concern. This Soul Netherstone is equally important to me. If you wish to continue bidding, I don't mind matching you to the very end."

Jiuyou spoke calmly without batting an eye, his face betraying no emotion. The moment his words landed, he immediately observed the other party's reaction.

From the earlier statement, it was clear this Soul Netherstone wasn't just coveted by that Ye-surnamed Nascent Soul cultivator, but by the entire upper echelon of the Blood Abyss Sect, enough to draw their Grand Elder's personal attention.

That meant the true value of this Soul Netherstone needed to be reassessed. The hidden benefits behind it might far exceed simply enhancing a magical treasure's power.

If the other party continued to raise the bid, it would only be expected. But since this sect was at odds with Jiuyou, there was naturally no way he would let them have what they wanted.

In the opposing box, the True Lord Youluo's brow furrowed, his expression strange, yet he did not open his mouth to bid again.

Although the Grand Elder had instructed him, it was only to bid if possible, and to let it go if he couldn't secure it. This item held no decisive role in their future plans. What truly mattered was its accompanying spirit herb...

Especially when he heard that Jiuyou came from the Southern Frost and was a rogue cultivator, a flash of shock crossed his face.

Cultivators who could emerge from a place as treacherous as the Southern Frost were all extraordinary individuals, with extremely formidable combat power at the same cultivation level. Moreover, this one was a rogue cultivator, even less to be trifled with.

After weighing the pros and cons, his tone softened.

"Hehe, so you're a fellow cultivator from the Southern Frost. Since Friend Ghost fancies this item, I shall not contend with you for it."

Jiuyou hadn't expected the other party to back down so quickly. Though surprised and unsure what scheme these Blood Abyss Sect people were cooking up, he ultimately paid the spirit stones and obtained the Soul Netherstone.

He planned to study it carefully once he returned. Even if he couldn't figure anything out, he could still incorporate it into his magical treasures to enhance their power.

...