"Ladies and gentlemen, the next item is indeed what you're thinking—a legendary-grade herb, the Biscuss Rose, found only in the Murl Mountains, home to legendary beasts. This herb can be refined into a pill capable of helping a cultivator break through to the King stage. Starting bid: one million diamonds."
"Whoa… that's incredible," Brian whispered.
I want it… but is it worth it now? I haven't seen everything yet, and the price is already climbing fast, he thought.
"Three million! I am Elder Rockk of Sky Blue Academy—let's see who dares to compete!" an old man in the VIP section declared.
"Apologies, Elder Rockk, but I, Carl of the Brown family, will bid three and a half million for my grandfather," Carl said.
"Hmph, four million," Rockk snorted.
"My apologies to Young Master Carl and Elder Rockk, but this young lady wishes to gift the herb to His Majesty the Emperor—five million diamonds," a young woman said disdainfully, casting a glance toward Brian.
"Ah, since Princess Linlin is bidding, I'll withdraw," Carl said.
"I'll step back as well," Rockk added—not out of fear for the empire, but because he was out of funds. Damn… I wanted to reach the King stage, but this is beyond my limit, he thought.
Seeing that only the princess remained, Helyi sighed inwardly—the herb could have gone for six million.
"No further bids? Counting down… one, two, three—sold to Princess Linlin," Helyi announced.
After the item was claimed, whispers returned to the hall.
"Why didn't Young Master Brian bid?" someone asked.
"Yeah, with his status as the auction owner's grandson, he could've easily taken it."
"Maybe he didn't want to offend Princess Linlin."
"True enough."
"Alright, let's proceed," Helyi continued.
The auction sped along. Brian didn't bid again—nothing really caught his interest.
"And now… the final item of the night."
A palpable pressure filled the room as the last item was revealed.
"What the—this thing is strong!" someone exclaimed.
"Could this belong to an Emperor-tier cultivator?!"
"Maybe… but no Emperor has appeared on this continent for a thousand years," another said knowingly.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we don't know exactly what this is or what it does, but given its overwhelming aura, we've saved it for last. Starting price: five million diamonds."
"What? Five million for something unknown? Has the auction house lost its mind?" a VIP voice scoffed.
But almost immediately, a bid came in: "Five and a half million." It was from an elderly man in a VIP room who had been quietly observing Brian all night.
"Is that old fool serious?" some murmured.
"Kakek, I want that box," Brian said.
"Alright, boy. I'll let Helyi know," Laad replied, doing exactly as he had with the Darkstell sword.
"Our Young Master bids seven million diamonds!" Helyi announced.
"Oh? You want the Mysterious Box, boy? Then this old man will yield," the earlier bidder said with a smile.
"Thanks, old man," Brian replied.
The auction ended with Brian claiming the final item.
He and Mina bid farewell to Laad and were about to leave when a girl of about fifteen or sixteen bumped into him.
"Handsome brother, don't you have eyes? How could you bump into a pretty girl like me?" she said sweetly.
"Ah, sorry then," Brian replied flatly, walking away without a second glance. He could tell she had done it on purpose, and he had no interest in getting involved.
The young girl who had bumped into Brian earlier stepped in front of him, blocking his path.
"Since handsome big brother already apologized, shouldn't you at least give me some compensation?" she said sweetly.
"Compensation? Young Lady Rin, how could Brian possibly owe you compensation?" Mina asked. Wasn't this her future sister-in-law? Why was she trying to cause trouble for Brian?
"Hehe, because he bumped into me. How about handsome big brother gives me that sword from earlier as compensation?" Rin suggested with a sly smile.
Brian chuckled. "Haha, no way. If anything, as my future sister-in-law, you should be giving me a wedding gift for marrying your sister." He winked.
"Eh? You already knew I'm Amber's younger sister?" Rin asked, genuinely surprised.
"Mm. I knew the moment you bumped into me earlier. I just didn't feel like getting dragged into trouble," Brian replied casually.
"Hmph! As my future brother-in-law, you should be giving me a gift! Otherwise, I'll oppose your marriage to my sister!" Rin declared, standing in his way.
Brian just laughed. "Do as you like. Anyway, I'm off now, little cutie. Come on, Mina—let's go home." He patted Rin's head as he walked past her.
Rin's cheeks flushed pink with both embarrassment and frustration. "Hmph, just you wait!" she huffed, stomping her foot before walking away.
Brian and his group stayed for three days before it was time to leave for the Sky Blue Academy—registration had finally begun.
"Grandpa, we're heading out. Oh, and yesterday I set up a teleportation array in my room that'll send you straight to my territory in an instant," Brian told his grandfather via voice transmission.
"Oh? You can create a teleportation array?" Henry asked, startled.
"Yeah. And my parents are usually in my territory… well, most of the time," Brian replied.
"Alright. I'll give it a try later," Henry said.
Brian then explained how to use the teleportation array before saying goodbye to the entire Scoot family.
The journey to Sky Blue Academy took two days. When they finally arrived, they stood before an enormous front gate.
"There are a lot of people registering," Brian remarked in surprise.
"Of course, young master. There are only three top academies in the entire Tan Continent. Plus, they only recruit new students once every three years," Leo explained.
"Mhm. Alright, Dre, big brother will walk you there and wait at the inn until you're accepted," Brian said warmly. He didn't want his little brother to suffer bullying like in the novels he'd read back on Earth.
"Okay, big brother. I'll work hard so I won't disappoint you, Mom, or Dad," Adre promised.
"Good."
Only Brian, Leo, and Adre headed to the academy—everyone else stayed back at the inn.
"Brother, let's go over there. That's where they're registering," Adre said when he spotted an elderly man examining applicants.
Brian could tell the man was incredibly strong, even without releasing any pressure. Curious, he activated his Divine Eyes to check his status.
Name: Giovan (Head of Sky Blue Academy)Level: …Race: HumanAffinity: 45Loyalty: 0Equipment: Legendary Robe
Brian was shocked—not only was this man the academy head, but even his cultivation level was hidden.
System, why can't I see this old man's cultivation? Brian asked inwardly.
If your Divine Eyes cannot display it, it means their level exceeds your eyes' current rank, the system replied.
Brian stepped forward politely. "Sir, I'd like to register my younger brother."
"Oh? Not you?" Giovan asked, surprised. "I've been watching you for a few days now, and I thought you'd be the one registering. In fact, after the auction, I was planning to visit the Scoot family—but when I heard you'd be coming here, I decided to wait."
"H-Huh? What do you mean, sir?" Brian asked nervously.
"I've seen you twice now—once during your conflict with Lax, and again with Gunt. You've already reached Grandmaster at such a young age. I'm interested in you. How about becoming my disciple?" Giovan offered.