*Clang——*
A crisp bell chime slowly echoed through the venue.
As the bell rang, the extremely noisy chatter in the venue gradually subsided. Countless gazes turned towards the crystal platform, filled with fervent anticipation.
Hearing the bell, Zhao Li also opened his eyes and looked at the auction hall again. The densely packed seats were now completely full.
Tsk, there's even a Dou Sect hidden among the crowd. Did the Black Emperor Sect not discover them, or are they outsiders?
Besides the Dou Sect experts in the private rooms on the second floor, Zhao Li also detected a Dou Sect aura among the crowd.
Although he was a little curious, he didn't think too much about it. If there was truly something useful to him here, he wasn't a rigid person; he would act when necessary.
After looking around, Zhao Li turned his head to look at the dazzling crystal platform in the center. At this moment, a white-haired old man was standing on it with a smile. He was the auctioneer for this event.
"Heh heh, everyone, I presume you've been waiting a bit impatiently. Since that's the case, I won't bore you with any more official pleasantries."
The white-haired old man in luxurious robes looked at the dense crowd in the venue with a smile, then his gaze subtly swept over the second floor. That was where the real focus of this Auction was.
His clear voice echoed throughout the hall. As an experienced auctioneer, he knew exactly what the people below wanted to see and what they didn't. Therefore, he skipped the introductory nonsense of the opening ceremony and got straight to the point.
As expected, this move by the old man instantly ignited the emotions in the hall, winning a round of applause.
"Perhaps this isn't the first time many of you have attended the Black Emperor Sect's Auction. Rest assured, this time will certainly not disappoint you either."
The old man said, then his tone shifted, and he said in a deep voice:
"Before the Auction begins, I'll remind everyone of the Black Emperor Sect's Auction Rules, as is customary. I believe everyone knows them. If anyone is so foolish as to cause trouble on the Black Emperor Sect's territory, I'll say this harsh word in front of so many people: I will make sure they wish they were dead but cannot die!"
Zhao Li was somewhat surprised upon hearing this:
Tsk, this is the Black Corner Region. A single Dou Emperor of the Black Emperor Sect can't possibly suppress a scene like this. Is the Black Emperor Sect being this arrogant? Or do they simply not care?
If those words had been spoken by the Dou Sect from a few days ago, they might have intimidated the crowd. As for this old man...
Zhao Li couldn't help but shake his head. He felt several disdainful gazes fall upon the old man. With just his Dou Emperor strength, it was impossible for him to intimidate the experts from all corners of the Black Corner Region gathered here.
However, this was just Zhao Li's assumption. Leaving aside himself, those other disdainful gazes belonged to well-known figures in the Black Corner Region who were certainly qualified.
As for the majority of others, under the old man's words, which held a hidden chilling intent, they still became serious. For a moment, the huge Auction hall was silent. Even some extremely vicious individuals, upon seeing the old man's momentarily emotionless eyes, had a slight change in expression and then quietly restrained some unusual thoughts.
The old man swept his gaze over the crowd and nodded inwardly. Although he was only a Peak Dou Emperor, he represented the face of the Black Emperor Sect. His words just now could be said to have carried significant weight.
Seeing that the deterrent effect had been achieved, the old man smiled again. The chilling intent in his eyes instantly vanished, returning to his previous amiable appearance and easing the heavy atmosphere in the hall:
"I announce that the Black Emperor Auction now begins! Next, please enjoy the Black Emperor Sect's auction feast."
As the old man's clear voice fell, the huge crystal platform suddenly erupted with a burst of energy light. As the energy halo extended upwards, the ground of the auction platform also slowly cracked open with a low grinding sound of metal axes.
A specially made crystal Circular Platform rose up, appearing under the gaze of countless people in the Auction hall. Immediately, several beautiful Maids, each holding a silver tray, flitted across the stage like butterflies, then respectfully placed the silver trays on the auction Circular Platform.
What was surprising was that as soon as the auction item was placed on the Circular Platform, it instantly formed a Phantom, gradually growing larger and slowly rotating in the center of the Auction hall, allowing everyone to see it clearly.
The auction item at this moment was a Scroll contained within an energy shield with a slightly faint halo.
"Heh heh, next up is the appetizer for our Auction, a Scroll of Finger Technique Dou Skill."
The old man smiled and pointed at the snow-white Scroll.
"One Sun Finger, Mysterious Tier, High Grade. Finger Technique Dou Skills have always been quite rare. Although they are slightly difficult to cultivate, they can achieve unexpected results when fighting against others. The people present are not ordinary, and I presume you also know how difficult Finger Technique Dou Skills are to deal with."
He rotated the Scroll on the Circular Platform, allowing everyone to see it more clearly, and the white-haired old man continued to praise it:
"This One Sun Finger is not only extremely powerful, but it also overcomes the problem of attack range that is difficult to solve with other Finger Technique Dou Skills. When cultivated to a profound Realm, a single point can subdue an enemy a hundred zhang away."
Under his words, everyone's eyes showed fervent desire. Some impatient people even urged him on:
"Just tell us how much it costs."
The old man smiled:
"Don't rush. To talk about its true value, the starting price should be at least above 300,000, but because it's the first item, the Sect Master said that the auction price will only be set at 100,000, and the ceiling price is 800,000. Whoever is the first to bid this price, then no matter how high someone bids afterwards, this One Sun Finger will belong to you. Everyone, you can't miss such an opportunity."
He was clearly battle-hardened and extremely experienced in auctions. With just a little effort, the atmosphere within the Auction hall was instantly stirred up by him. 100,000 Gold Coins was not an expensive price for most people present, and this One Sun Finger was indeed as he said, its true value far exceeding this 100,000 price, but...
This Black Emperor Sect is really fast. Could it be that the things I wrote have all been made into such Scrolls and put up for auction? Tsk, they've even made me tempted.
Zhao Li was speechless. Although the Dou Technique he casually wrote down was not bad in effect, its drawbacks were also obvious.
For example, the Realm of subduing an enemy a hundred zhang away with the One Sun Finger is unthinkable below the Dou King Realm. As for above the Dou King Realm, someone in the same Realm can flash a hundred zhang in an instant. For someone in a lower Realm, they can subdue an enemy a hundred zhang away without even using a Dou Technique...
Of course, Zhao Li knew this, but the people below didn't. As soon as the old man's voice fell, bidding sounds instantly echoed in the huge Auction hall.
"100,000!"
"101,000."
"200,000."
"800,000."
In just four bids, the price was directly raised to the ceiling price. For a moment, the hall fell silent. Many people who genuinely liked and wanted this Dou Technique felt regret:
I was really foolish, truly. I only thought of this as an Auction, raising the price little by little, but I forgot the Rules just now.
Sure enough, as soon as 800,000 was bid, the auctioneer directly struck the hammer:
"Congratulations to this guest for so decisively and directly winning the first auction item! 800,000, absolutely worth it!"
For the next few auction items, Zhao Li slumped in the soft chair, looking utterly dejected.
Suddenly, Zhao Li sat up straight and cast his gaze towards the auction item that had just been presented.
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