Chapter 97: Gathering Of Powerhouses!

It was past 10 PM, inside a VIP room on the second floor of Winters Tower.

"Sir Ryan, here you go. There are a total of 152,650 Low-Grade Origin Stones."

Elena handed a brocade pouch filled with Origin Stones to Ryan, who sat opposite her. A look of surprise crossed her face as she asked, "Aside from these treasures, are you sure you want to sell the Tier 3 Black Flame Leopard as well? It’s such a valuable exotic beast. Aren’t you going to keep it for yourself?"

She was genuinely surprised. The other treasures were one thing, but the Tier 3 Black Flame Leopard was undoubtedly a high-end commodity. The fact that Ryan was willing to sell it showed just how determined he was to part with it.

She also hadn’t expected him to return with such a large batch of valuable goods so quickly. His ability to acquire treasures and convert them into Origin Stones was truly impressive.

Ryan accepted the brocade pouch, checked that the amount was correct, and casually tossed it into his spatial ring. He then nodded firmly.

"Yes, sell it. Can you handle the transaction now?"

A short while earlier, he had rushed to Winters Tower before its 11 PM closing time.

He had sold all the miscellaneous treasures he had recently created but couldn’t use, excluding the Black Flame Leopard, to Elena at the usual 30% discount off their market prices.

Elena hadn’t disappointed him. She quickly calculated the value of each treasure and promptly gathered the required Origin Stones to complete the transaction.

Among the items, only a few were particularly valuable. Some had been created earlier, while the others were more recent acquisitions.

[Enhancement-Type, C-Grade Excellent, Bloodline Essence Drop, Self-Healing Armor: Valued at 120,000 Low-Grade Origin Stones; discounted price: 84,000.]

[Transformation-Type, C-Grade Ordinary, Bloodline Essence Drop, Mystic Yin Lightning: Valued at 40,000 Low-Grade Origin Stones; discounted price: 28,000.]

[Spirit Rank Low-Grade Weapon, approaching the middle range, Phantom Meteor Hammer: Valued at 40,000 Low-Grade Origin Stones; discounted price: 28,000.]

Treasures of the same rank generally followed similar pricing standards, although their actual market values could fluctuate.

Highly sought-after items, for instance, often commanded prices well above their standard valuations.

The three valuable treasures, together with the remaining miscellaneous items, had a combined market value of 218,070 Low-Grade Origin Stones.

After applying the 30% discount, Ryan received 152,650 Low-Grade Origin Stones.

Unfortunately, he was still far short of the more than 230,000 Origin Stones he needed.

In the past, having more than 150,000 Low-Grade Origin Stones at his disposal would have sent Ryan jumping for joy.

Now, however, he could barely feel happy about it.

The shortfall was simply too enormous. He had no choice but to sell the Black Flame Leopard as well.

He hadn’t expected the spoils of his previous battles to disappear so quickly once converted into Origin Stones. Even after selling so many treasures, he still couldn’t afford the creation energy required for that Tier 2 Beast Core.

If not for the Black Flame Leopard’s considerable value, he might have struggled to make any further progress.

At that moment, the beast pouch containing the Tier 3 Black Flame Leopard rested on the table in front of him.

It was the last item he had yet to sell.

"Very well. Since Sir Ryan has made up his mind, I won’t try to persuade you otherwise."

Seeing how firm he was, Elena nodded and abandoned her attempts to change his mind. Instead, her expression grew serious as she proposed an alternative.

"Winters Tower also purchases high-end treasures of this caliber, but their value is difficult to determine precisely. If we were to acquire it at a 30% discount off the market price, you would clearly be getting the short end of the deal."

She paused briefly before continuing.

"How about this? I’ll contact a few major clients and arrange a small private auction right here in this VIP room. We’ll auction the Tier 3 Black Flame Leopard on the spot, and Winters Tower will charge only a 10% commission on the final selling price. What do you think?"

Given her established relationship with Ryan, Elena didn’t want Winters Tower to purchase such a valuable item at a steep discount when doing so would clearly disadvantage him.

Normally, treasures of this caliber were sold through auctions, where competing buyers could drive up their prices.

Elena wanted to strengthen her relationship with Ryan, and she certainly didn’t want him to feel that Winters Tower had taken advantage of him on such an important transaction.

Of course, she wouldn’t have proposed this arrangement if she hadn’t sensed how urgently Ryan needed to convert the Black Flame Leopard into Origin Stones. Gathering buyers at such a late hour was no easy task, and some might even take offense at being summoned without sufficient notice.

"Alright. No problem. Let’s do that."

Ryan nodded and readily accepted her proposal.

At this point, he simply wanted to cover his Origin Stone deficit as quickly as possible. A 10% commission was nothing compared to what he stood to gain.

Besides, every business had to make a profit.

Winters Tower was providing the venue, gathering potential buyers, coordinating the auction, and handling the transaction. Expecting them to do all that without compensation would be unreasonable.

The commission was perfectly acceptable, so Ryan agreed without hesitation.

"Good. Please wait here for a moment."

Elena nodded before opening the door and stepping outside to make the necessary arrangements and notify the relevant parties.

Left alone in the VIP room, Ryan waited restlessly.

He didn’t even bother tasting the expensive fragrant tea beside him, allowing its delicate aroma to drift through the air as he focused on the problem at hand.

His Origin Stone deficit was still nearly 100,000.

Could Elena really find enough wealthy buyers at this late hour to purchase the Black Flame Leopard?

If the auction couldn’t be completed tonight, he wouldn’t have enough Origin Stones to create the mysterious Thunder Attribute Beast Core.

It was an agonizing feeling, like standing before a mountain of gold and silver while being unable to use any of it.

He simply couldn’t afford to wait any longer.

More than anything, he wanted to discover the Bloodline behind that bright red electric arc. What were its abilities? What was its true grade? And, most importantly, was it suitable for him to seal and control?

Fortunately, Elena’s business experience and organizational skills were far more impressive than her youthful appearance suggested.

Before long, she returned with three people, each dressed differently, and ushered them into the VIP room one after another.

The moment Ryan saw the unfamiliar newcomers, his curiosity was piqued, and he began examining them carefully.

Likewise, the three visitors were somewhat surprised to see Ryan, whose figure resembled a shadow beneath the Gray Light Shield’s concealment.

Their Mental Awareness swept over him but failed to penetrate the protective technique, leaving them unable to discern anything useful about his identity or strength.

All three grew slightly more solemn as they suppressed their curiosity.

After all, those at the Origin Ascendant Realm or below couldn’t easily see through the Gray Light Shield.

Moreover, concealing one’s identity and strength during auctions was hardly unusual. They therefore didn’t dwell on the matter, merely concluding that Ryan was no ordinary individual and was unlikely to be someone they could casually provoke.

Once everyone had taken their seats, Elena stood beside Ryan and addressed the three visitors.

"First, I’d like to apologize for troubling you all by asking you to come here so late tonight. It’s simply because I have an exceptional treasure in my possession, and I didn’t want any of you to miss the opportunity and regret it later."

"Elena, is this really something good? Don’t tell me you’ve dragged me out here for nothing."

The first to speak was a beautiful young woman dressed in an extravagant palace gown. Her graceful figure was captivating, while her bright, enchanting eyes seemed to possess a peculiar charm of their own.

Seated elegantly in a carved dragon chair, she glanced around the room before complaining in a delicate voice.

"You summoned me so late without even telling me what I’d be bidding on. All you said was that I should bring plenty of Origin Stones! If this treasure turns out to be ordinary, I’ll be very upset with you!"

"Exactly!"

The second visitor was a corpulent man dressed in luxurious clothing. He lounged carelessly in another carved dragon chair, his legs propped up on a redwood Eight Immortals table as his crossed ankles swayed lazily.

"You dragged me away in the middle of the night when I was enjoying myself at Velvet Garden. Ah, what a wonderful place it was! Like drifting through clouds and mist, a true paradise on earth..."

He sighed dramatically before continuing, his tone carrying a subtle hint of warning.

"Then you had that Poison-Eyed Fenwick forcibly drag me over here. Are you deliberately trying to ruin my mood? If it weren’t for the promise of a valuable treasure, I’d already be furious. If you don’t show me something worthwhile, don’t blame me if I take my business to other treasure houses from now on!"

As for the third visitor, he was a middle-aged man dressed in black night-traveling clothes.

A broad bamboo hat concealed most of his face, leaving only the lower half of his resolute features and a faint trace of stubble visible.

He appeared to be a man of few words. Sitting quietly in his carved dragon chair with his arms crossed over his chest, he hadn’t uttered a single word since entering the room.

Nevertheless, the powerful aura emanating from him was impossible to conceal completely. It spread through the room with a vastness reminiscent of the sea.

Ryan immediately became curious as he examined the three newcomers.

He paid little attention to the first two, whose behavior seemed relatively ordinary for wealthy clients accustomed to dealing with treasure houses.

The third man, however, caught his attention.

Who wore a bamboo hat in the middle of the night?

His attire was strange, and his silent demeanor gave him the air of a wandering cultivator.

Unable to suppress his curiosity, Ryan stole another glance at him.

But the moment he sensed the faint aura radiating from the man, his heart suddenly tightened.

That aura was astonishingly powerful!

Even though the man wasn’t deliberately releasing his full strength, the pressure he exuded seemed no weaker than that of Mortimer, who had previously stood at the peak of the Origin Transcendent Realm.

Could this man also be a peak Origin Transcendent Realm powerhouse?

Ryan’s expression remained composed beneath the Gray Light Shield, but his thoughts raced.

Among the three visitors, the man in the bamboo hat was clearly the strongest. If he truly stood at the peak of the Origin Transcendent Realm, then the other two were unlikely to be weak either.

Good heavens! Elena had actually managed to bring three formidable powerhouses here in one go!