Translator: AnubisTL
The auction commenced amidst a tense, volatile atmosphere. In the vast, spacious hall, Si Kong ascended the platform with his usual composed demeanor, seemingly unaffected by the earlier conflict between Wild Bull Ridge and the Flying Spirit Clan.
He delivered a brief opening address, but due to his human origins, the other races paid little attention, yawning and feigning disinterest.
Chi Xiao of the Flying Spirit Clan chuckled. "Brother Tun Hai, I heard your Giant Spirit Race even ceded some entry slots to the Heavenlight Secret Realm to the humans this time. Such generosity!"
Tun Hai replied, "These slots were earned. The humans distinguished themselves in the recent great war against the Tree Demon Clan, earning this reward."
"Heh, the humans are working so hard. Their City Lord Lingxu's next great heavenly tribulation must be approaching soon."
"I heard City Lord Lingxu nearly failed his first great heavenly tribulation," Chi Xiao remarked casually, his eyes flashing with disdain.
As a cultivator in the void refinement realm himself, though he had yet to face his own great heavenly tribulation, he clearly looked down on City Lord Lingxu, who had nearly failed his first tribulation.
The existence of Creation Origin Liquid within the Heavenlight Secret Realm was no secret. This spiritual object served as a powerful aid during the great heavenly tribulation.
Though it could only be used once in a lifetime, many void refinement realm cultivators from the four great clans highly valued it.
Creation Origin Liquid was practically unsellable; even the Giant Spirit Race wouldn't offer it, as it represented the survival of their clan's elite.
Soon, the auction finally began.
The overlooked Patriarch Si Kong showed no resentment, having long grown accustomed to this treatment. Such was the human race's status on the Tonggu Continent—rarely taken seriously by others.
"Now, let me introduce the first item up for auction. This was crafted by a pill refiner from our own Profound Ancient City: the Jade Bone Pill!"
"The Jade Bone Pill is a fifth-rank elixir. Consuming it strengthens one's bones and tendons. With sufficient doses, it can even transform one's bones into jade, granting a significant boost to physical power!"
"This pill has been authenticated by our company's chief appraiser, guaranteeing its efficacy!"
Li Qing, seated on the terrace, hadn't expected his Jade Bone Pill to be auctioned off so quickly, let alone as the opening item.
He had clearly underestimated the pill's value. If Patriarch Si Kong was presenting it as the first item, it must hold significant appeal for the other races as well.
Sure enough, after Si Kong's introduction, the powerful figures from the various races straightened in their seats, their attention fully focused.
The first to speak was the hot-tempered Old Black Bull from Wild Bull Ridge. White steam billowed from his nostrils as he demanded, "Does this pill truly possess such miraculous effects? Will it work on us demons as well?"
Si Kong produced a white jade porcelain bottle and nodded. "The Golden Abundance Trading Company guarantees that the Jade Bone Pill benefits not only humans but any race with bones and tendons. However, whether it retains its miraculous efficacy for beings at the void refinement realm or higher remains unknown."
The Jade Bone Pill could enhance one's physical strength out of thin air. For both the demon race and the Giant Spirit Race, this was akin to unlocking their latent potential.
Chi Xiao narrowed his eyes and asked, "How many Jade Bone Pills are needed to forge a Jade Bone?"
Si Kong smiled and replied, "Based on my personal experience, a cultivator in the divine transformation stage or a fifth-tier body refiner can forge a Jade Bone with a maximum of one hundred Jade Bone Pills."
One hundred pills!
That was a considerable quantity, but if the pills truly delivered such potent effects, it would be a worthwhile investment.
The Giant Tun Hai of the Giant Spirit Race spoke up, "How many Jade Bone Pills have you prepared for this auction?"
Clearly, the current supply of Jade Bone Pills was far from sufficient. Even Li Qing himself didn't possess enough to forge a complete Jade Bone.
This was Li Qing's primary concern, as the limited quantity might drive up the auction price of the pills.
But Si Kong, a seasoned merchant, had anticipated this.
"That's precisely what I was about to address. There are twenty Jade Bone Pills available at this auction, divided into four batches for bidding!"
"I understand that a mere twenty pills won't satisfy the appetites of all you seniors. However, please understand that due to the scarcity of the spirit herbs required, the quantity of Jade Bone Pills is indeed limited."
"However, I can guarantee that our Golden Abundance Trading Company will continuously supply Jade Bone Pills in the future. Furthermore, those who successfully bid for Jade Bone Pills at today's auction will have priority access to purchase them from our company!"
The announcement was met with a brief silence across the fairground.
Li Qing's eyes lit up, thinking this was a rather clever solution.
After all, if the Golden Abundance Trading Company would continue selling Jade Bone Pills in the future, why bother competing fiercely here? They could simply wait and buy the pills at a standard price later.
Patriarch Si Kong's proposal perfectly addressed the risk of the Jade Bone Pills going unsold at today's auction.
"The first bottle of Jade Bone Pills will start with a bidding price of five thousand merit points!"
This meant each Jade Bone Pill would cost one thousand merit points, and the competitive bidding would inevitably drive the price even higher.
A long silence hung over the auction field. Li Qing's heart pounded, wondering if he had priced the pills too high.
But soon, the Giant Tun Hai of the Giant Spirit Race boomed, "Six thousand merit points!"
This was Giant Spirit Royal City, so everyone showed Tun Hai respect. No one bid against him for the first Jade Bone Pill, allowing him to secure it at nearly the reserve price.
The second and third pills followed suit, with Chi Xiao of the Flying Spirit Clan and the Old Black Bull of Wild Bull Ridge each claiming a pill for 6,000 merit points.
Li Qing's lips twitched slightly as he watched. Is this an auction or a face-saving contest? he wondered. Why even bother holding an auction if everyone's just going to defer to the great clans?
Fortunately, the situation improved with the fourth Jade Bone Pill.
Having shown due respect, the bidding for the fourth pill finally proceeded normally.
"I bid 8,000 merit points!" a Fur Clan member with rabbit ears declared.
The Old Black Bull of Wild Bull Ridge quickly countered, "9,000 merit points. My clan's Little Bull King would be interested in this pill."
Chi Xiao of the Flying Spirit Clan coldly retorted, "10,000 merit points. What a coincidence—my clan has two heavenly prodigies. One pill wouldn't be enough to share."
The Flying Spirit Clan and Wild Bull Ridge resumed their heated bidding war, the lingering tension between them palpable.
Neither Chi Xiao nor Old Black Bull lacked merit points. To them, a mere ten or twenty thousand merit points was hardly a significant sum.
Finally, Old Black Bull gritted his teeth and raised the bid to twenty thousand merit points, forcing Chi Xiao to withdraw from the auction.
Everything has its limits; neither of them could afford to escalate the bidding indefinitely.
A flicker of delight flashed in Li Qing's eyes as he sat calmly on the high platform. At this rate, his twenty Jade Bone Pills had fetched a staggering thirty-eight thousand merit points, far exceeding his initial expectations.
(End of the Chapter)
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