"5,000 Spirit Stones!"
The first bid came from VIP Room No. 1.
It was none other than the current Emperor of the Eldoria Empire—Emperor Dazon.
"10,000 Spirit Stones!"
A voice echoed from VIP Room No. 3.
It came from the Thunder Cloud Temple. The one placing the bid was their Temple Master, Albert—a Peak Tier 2 powerhouse.
When Emperor Dazon heard this, he sneered.
"Temple Master Albert, you dare challenge me? Is your Thunder Cloud Temple truly that capable now?" Emperor Dazon said coldly.
This was all part of his plan. He intended to use the authority and power of the Eldoria Empire to suppress other factions and obtain items at low prices.
Albert clenched his teeth in anger, but he could do nothing. It wasn't Emperor Dazon he feared—it was Dazon's grandfather, Dazel, the Ancestor of the Eldoria Empire and a formidable early-stage Tier 3 powerhouse.
But what happened next shocked everyone.
A powerful wind technique shattered the tinted glass of VIP Room No. 1. The Rank 3 protective formation in that room let the attack pass, Because the attacker was none other than Lilith.
Emperor Dazon was caught off guard and slammed into the wall.
Fortunately for him, Dazel—who was in the same realm as Lilith—quickly dispersed the energy to protect his grandson.
"W-What is this?" Dazel asked.
Everyone in the auction was stunned by what had just occurred.
"Hmph… This is just a warning."
"Everyone, remember the rules of the Monarch Auction House:
Fighting is strictly prohibited.
Threatening others with power or influence to manipulate bidding is not allowed.
Weaker factions, do not be afraid to bid. We will provide free Peak Tier 2 Guards and a Demonic Beast to escort you home safely. The number of guards depends on the value of the items you win.
It is forbidden to deliberately raise bids if you don't actually have the Spirit Stones to pay." Lilith announced.
Excitement rippled through the crowd, especially among the weaker factions.
Emperor Dazon grew furious, but Dazel immediately slapped him, snapping him back to his senses.
"I'm sorry, Royal Grandfather. I was wrong…" Emperor Dazon apologized.
He was used to holding power, and this situation was unfamiliar to him.
The bidding continued.
"20,000 Spirit Stones!" the Patriarch of the Thorne Clan shouted.
The Thorne Clan was one of the strongest families in the Eldoria Empire, rivaling even some temples despite temples being large organizations.
"21,000 Spirit Stones!"
"22,000!"
In VIP Room No. 7, where the Ice Domain Temple representatives were seated.
"Sir Calyx, do you also want to bid for the Nightshade Grass?" Larisha asked.
"I'm not interested in bidding for anything here. What about you, Temple Master?" Calyx replied.
"I want to try, but I don't think I have enough Spirit Stones."
"How much did you bring?"
"About 30,000 Spirit Stones," Larisha sighed.
"I have five million Spirit Stones here," Calyx said casually.
"W-What did you say!?" Larisha snapped, eyes wide with shock.
"My master gave me these Spirit Stones," Calyx explained.
"I'll give them to you. Use them for whatever you wish, Temple Master."
"No... no, those Spirit Stones are yours. I absolutely can't accept them. I already owe you my life," Larisha said, breathing heavily.
"Why not use them for yourself? You could use them to increase your cultivation!"
"My cultivation technique is different. I can't use pills or resources—I can only cultivate naturally. But I have an incredibly long lifespan.
All I need is a safe and peaceful place to stay."
Larisha was shocked again, but she didn't ask further—she respected that it was Calyx's secret.
Calyx smiled.
"So if you grow stronger, and our Ice Domain Palace becomes powerful, that's enough for me to stay safe and cultivate for hundreds of years. That would be repayment enough. It's a win-win, right? So take these Spirit Stones."
Larisha went silent for a moment.
She didn't want to shamelessly accept it, but she trusted Calyx.
By now, the Nightshade Grass had already been won by the Eldoria Temple for a total of 60,000 Spirit Stones.
The next items were a Rank 2 Breaking Pill and a Rank 2 Yellow Pattern.
Some elders from the Ice Domain Temple also tried to bid—Elder Lushon, Elder Maco, and Elder Lina—but they all lost.
That was expected. What could mere early-stage Tier 2 like them do when competing in wealth against the top powers of Eldoria?
"Now, only three items remain. I'm sure everyone will be surprised by the next three! The first of them is…"
"A Rank 3 Ice Sword!" Lily announced excitedly.
"This Rank 3 sword has an ice affinity, as its name suggests."
The crowd gasped. A Rank 3 sword was extremely rare! Anyone who obtained it would surely rise in power.
Ancestor Dazel's eyes gleamed.
"Get it! We must get that sword!" he said excitedly.
Their empire only had two Rank 3 items—a herb and a piece of armor.
Now, an offensive Rank 3 weapon was up for grabs. He absolutely had to obtain it, no matter the price.
Even without an ice affinity—so what? It was still a Rank 3 weapon!
At that moment, Larisha clenched her fists and stared at the Rank 3 Ice Sword displayed at the front.
The Ice Domain Palace practiced energy techniques related to cold.
"Temple Master, I know you want that sword. Use the five million Spirit Stones now. If you want, you can repay me in the future to ease your conscience. But truly, I'm fine with it. You don't need to feel burdened—just grow stronger and create a place where I can cultivate in peace," Calyx said.
Larisha bit her lip and took a deep breath.
"I'll repay you in the future… I promise," she said.
Calyx nodded, then placed a storage ring filled with Spirit Stones into her hand.
"The starting bid is only 50,000 Spirit Stones! Each next bid must be at least 10,000 higher!"
"100,000 Spirit Stones!" Emperor Dazon shouted.
"200,000 Spirit Stones!" the Temple Master of the Lethem Cloak Temple shouted.
Many were shocked. Lethem Cloak Temple was only ranked 9th among the temples of Eldoria, so it was surprising that they had so many Spirit Stones.
"300,000 Spirit Stones!" shouted Albert, Temple Master of the Thunder Cloud Temple.
"320,000 Spirit Stones!" shouted Emperor Dazon.
"330,000!"
"Grandson, how many Spirit Stones did you bring?" Dazel asked.
"Royal Grandfather, I brought around 500,000 in total… Only 450,000 are left, since I spent 50,000 on the Breaking Pill…"
"Lend me the 450,000 Spirit Stones. I want that sword to be my personal weapon."
Dazon was stunned. He thought his grandfather would lend him money to bid for the Rank 3 Ice Sword—but instead, it was the other way around.
He could only smile bitterly.
Of course, in situations like this—when the stakes are high and the item can change your life—people prioritize themselves.
At that moment…
A female voice rang out from VIP Room No. 7.
"I bid 500,000 Spirit Stones!"