After a soft cough from the host, she resumed her presentation once again:
"The next item we have was discovered deep inside the Navar Volcano. No one knows its origin or nature, but it is certainly something great."
After that, another small cart was pulled onto the stage, and upon its arrival, Zhang Yong felt a strange sensation. He recognized it immediately—his soul was reacting. It was the same feeling he had experienced from the Seed of Life and the Seed of Death. There was a seed here!
When the cover was lifted, a red stone appeared, looking extremely hot and on the verge of burning.
"Starting price: five thousand spirit stones."
Zhang Yong stood up immediately and shouted, "One crystal coin!"
His sudden outburst made everyone turn to him in astonishment. It was obvious Zhang Yong had seen something in the red stone that far exceeded its apparent value. Many of the attendees raised their eyebrows.
But Zhang Yong realized—no matter what happened, he had to obtain that stone. His intuition never lied.
The host was about to continue the bidding, but another voice interrupted:
"One crystal coin and one thousand spirit stones!" The voice came from the Third Prince's private room.
Zhang Yong stared in disbelief. "Does this prince know about the seed? Impossible. Even if he saw inside, he couldn't possibly know."
The Third Prince smirked maliciously. "What's the matter? If you want it, bid higher. This is an auction, isn't it?"
Zhang Yong clenched his teeth. "Two crystal coins!"
"Three crystal coins," the prince replied indifferently.
"Four crysta—"
"Five crystal coins," the prince interrupted without care.
Zhang Yong sighed but smiled. "Wow, Your Highness, that's quite a fortune to spend on something like this. For you, only—ten crystal coins!"
The Third Prince smiled, but his smile was filled with contempt. Zhang Yong had crossed his limits several times today, so forcing him to spend such an amount felt delightful. "Well, since you want it so badly, out of generosity I'll let you have it."
Still, doubt gnawed at the prince's heart. With such a high price, he couldn't risk bidding further. If the other party backed out, he wouldn't be able to pay—and it was impossible to spend so much on something that wasn't even worth a quarter of that price.
After three calls, the old auctioneer's voice rang out:
"The red stone is sold to the guest in VIP room seven for ten crystal coins!"
A wave of shock spread among the audience.
Everyone could only wonder about the kind of power standing behind this person. Fourteen crystal coins total! An unimaginable fortune. It would be even funnier if they knew he earned some of those coins simply by selling herbs—they'd cough blood on the spot.
Herbs themselves were rare. Excellent herbs were guarded by beasts, and once they matured, the beasts ate them, leaving no trace behind. Thus, high-grade herbs were few, and no one would risk their life to obtain them. Only a reckless few mercenaries would dare such a thing.
After this purchase, Zhang Yong kept his hand down for a while. Nothing seemed worth the trouble.
A while later, the host raised her hand again:
"Now, for the next item. This herb was found in the Ancient Fields, and it possesses extremely pure cleansing abilities. In this auction, we present to you—a fifth-grade herb, the Buddhist Heart Grass!"
As soon as the Buddhist Heart Grass was announced, silence fell over the hall. Everyone instantly expected Zhang Yong to bid. Against someone like him, what was the point of competing?
Zhang Yong smiled calmly. This herb was exactly what he had been searching for. There was no need to show excessive interest.
"We'll start the bidding at two crystal coins!" announced the host with a wide smile.
Zhang Yong waited briefly, but no one raised the price. He finally lifted his hand and declared: "Four crystal coins."
All eyes were fixed on him. Nobody dared to challenge him this time. A fifth-grade herb was indeed rare, but the value Zhang Yong placed on it was far more than anyone else could afford—especially after the enormous sum he had already spent on the red stone. If necessary, Zhang Yong would put every coin he had into this herb.
He originally had 17 crystal coins, gained 3 more from selling herbs, and 11 from the Third Prince's generosity, totaling 31. After spending 14 coins on the seed and the black fragment, he had 17 left. If he needed more, he could always sell Su Ming's recipe.
Inside his private room, the Third Prince smirked once more. He still held a grudge from losing the earlier bidding.
"Six crystal coins," he said.
The hall froze, turning toward him again. The battle between Zhang Yong and the Third Prince was clearly far from over.
Zhang Yong raised his head and looked upward toward the prince's room, his eyes narrowing as he calculated. This prince never gave up.
He sighed. "Your Highness, do you really enjoy raising my bids this much?"
The Third Prince sneered. "I simply enjoy bidding. What's the matter? You can bid, but I can't?"
Zhang Yong crossed his arms and was silent for a few moments, before calmly raising his voice:
"Six crystal coins and five thousand spirit stones."
At that, everyone realized what it meant. Until now, Zhang Yong had bid like a madman, always using only crystal coins. But now he was forced to add spirit stones. That could only mean one thing—he was reaching his limit.
The Third Prince grinned and said: "Seven crystal coins."
Zhang Yong frowned, pressure building, but he wasn't ready to give in. "Seven crystal coins and five thousand spirit stones!"
The hall was tense. This was no longer just about money—it had become a personal duel between the two, one that could end in blood.
The Third Prince hesitated. Though he wanted to crush Zhang Yong, continuing this could backfire. His resources were nearly depleted.
Finally, he raised his voice again, but there was a hint of hesitation: "Eight coins."
Zhang Yong swallowed hard. If the price rose further, he'd have to give up. But it was all or nothing—if he lost the herb here, who knew when he'd see another one?
"Nine coins," Zhang Yong declared calmly.
Silence.
Everyone waited for the prince to continue—but he didn't. Eyes turned toward his room, but no sound came.
Inside, the prince's blood boiled. His fist clenched the armrest of his chair until his veins bulged. He had no choice but to admit defeat. Rage burned within him. "I'll make him pay! After this auction, Zhang Yong must die!"
"Sold! The Buddhist Heart Grass goes to room seven for nine crystal coins!" the old auctioneer announced.
Zhang Yong leaned back in his chair with a faint smile. "At least we secured the herb."
Su Ming finally relaxed. "Good. The mission's complete. We should head back now."
Zhang Yong chuckled sarcastically and adjusted his glasses. "What's the rush? We still have a few coins left. Let's see what else comes up before the auction ends."
Truthfully, Zhang Yong was curious. He had already obtained three unexpected treasures. What if another caught his attention?
The auction continued, but neither Zhang Yong nor the prince made any more bids.
The host then stepped forward with renewed excitement:
"And now, we present something exceedingly rare. Opportunities like this do not come often in our auctions."
All eyes turned to the stage as curtains were pulled aside, revealing a massive black iron cage. Inside stood two beautiful twin girls, with calm expressions and a pitiful appearance. They wore simple clothing, but their beauty was enough to shock the crowd.
Su Ming spat in disbelief. "Slaves!?"
The old auctioneer smirked slyly. "Hehe, as some of you might have guessed, our auction does not deal in ordinary slaves. These twins possess traces of spirit beast bloodlines. In short, they are hybrids. For any master wishing to use them for special services—or other purposes—they are ideal."
Hybrids were extremely rare. After all, once a beast reached the sixth rank, just like in the Douluo world, it could take human form. Hybrids were the result of a union between such a transformed beast and a human.
"Starting price for these rare jewels: five crystal coins!" the old man announced, clearly expecting enthusiasm.
But the hall froze. Perhaps this time, they had a chance. For once, the nobles might not bid—because of reputation. And ordinary people wouldn't dare either. After all, one of the parents was definitely a sixth-rank beast. Who would risk angering such a being?
"Zhang Yong, let's buy them," Su Ming suggested calmly.
Zhang Yong glanced at the twins, then at Su Ming. "Su Ming, have you fallen for them? Heh, I didn't expect you to be that type."
Su Ming's face flushed instantly. "N-no, it's not that! I just think slavery is wrong. It shouldn't exist!"
Zhang Yong thought for a moment, then replied: "Well, I suppose they could work in the shop. That'd be better for them."
At first, he hadn't been interested. But when he heard about the spirit beast bloodline, his eyes gleamed faintly. "Spirit beast bloodlines… in this world, those with strong bloodlines are given superior talent. The higher the bloodline, the greater the potential."
Calmly, he raised his hand. "Six crystal coins."
The hall remained silent, but everyone noticed. Few expected Zhang Yong to bid on something like this, especially after what he'd already spent.
In the royal family's private room, the Third Prince twitched when he heard Zhang Yong's voice. "I'll bid too—"
But a hand gripped his shoulder. He turned to see the First Prince holding him firmly.
"Don't bid. We are the Imperial Family. Our reputation would suffer. Father's wrath would be worse."
Feeling his brother's grip, the Third Prince hesitated. His desire to challenge Zhang Yong was strong, but if he continued, he'd only harm himself.
Below, the rest of the audience dared not move. If even the prince could not compete, then how could they? Zhang Yong's status in their hearts had become truly intimidating.
"Six crystal coins, any higher?" the old auctioneer called out excitedly.
No one moved. After three calls, his voice rang with finality:
"Sold! The twins go to room seven for six crystal coins!"
A faint glimmer shone in Zhang Yong's eyes as he leaned back, smirking. "Well, it seems no one dares compete with me."
The host raised her arms with dramatic energy:
"And now, the final item of this auction—a fifth-rank beast egg! This egg was obtained from the Ancient Chaos Region, home to many powerful beasts. No one knows what lies inside, but the egg radiates immense spiritual power, hinting at extraordinary potential."
A stir ran through the crowd. Fifth-rank beast eggs were unimaginably rare.
The old auctioneer smiled mysteriously. "The starting price for this rare egg is ten crystal coins!"
The First Prince smiled faintly. This was why he had come. With a fifth-rank beast, trained from birth, he could raise it to be loyal.
He confidently raised his hand. "Ten crystal coins."
This time, the First Prince dominated. None dared to oppose him. His victory was assured. Unlike Zhang Yong, no one else would be foolish enough to go against him here.
Zhang Yong studied the egg thoughtfully but didn't raise his hand. He smirked faintly to himself and leaned back. "I won't fight for this one."
Su Ming immediately understood. They didn't even have enough for the starting price. Besides, neither of them truly wanted it.
Zhang Yong's thoughts flickered inward. "Why would I need this beast… when my dear system has given me a mission?"
[Mission]
Difficulty: A (3/3)
Description: Create an organization / every organization needs a cover.
Requirement: Find a cover to protect your organization.
Reward: Beast Egg – World Cub (a naturally nurtured egg) + 1 Free Draw
Failure: ???
Still, he frowned. "I don't get it. How can a cub be born from an egg? Damn it."
"Ten crystal coins once… ten crystal coins twice… ten crystal coins three times… sold to VIP room one!" the old auctioneer announced.
The host then stepped forward with a bright wave of her hands:
"And with that, we conclude this auction. We hope our honored guests enjoyed themselves, and we look forward to seeing you at the next one."
As the auction ended, the guests rose and departed one by one. Zhang Yong and Su Ming were among the first to leave their VIP room, heading toward the payment and collection area.
At the main desk, the same old man who welcomed them greeted them with a professional smile. "Congratulations on acquiring several rare items, especially the Buddhist Heart Grass and the twins. Please confirm payment now and receive your goods."
Zhang Yong clasped his hands politely. "Thank you." He took out his spatial bag and handed over the required crystal coins.
After confirming the amount, the old man motioned for the servants to bring the items.
They brought out the twins in an iron cage, trembling and holding each other in fear. They handed over the Buddhist Heart Grass carefully sealed in a jade box, and finally placed the red stone.
BAM!
A thunderous explosion shook the hall. Smoke erupted, and a black shadow flashed through it, smashing through the ceiling before vanishing.
In that instant, Zhang Yong looked toward the treasures—only to see them gone! The Buddhist Heart Grass had been stolen!
At once, he summoned his map and shouted: "Su Ming, after him—quickly!"
Slamming his foot on the ground, Zhang Yong shot through the hole in the ceiling, giving chase without hesitation.