22: Auction 2

Lin Feng was dazzled, gaining a deeper understanding of the wealth and resources within the Cultivation Realm.

He suppressed the urge to bid several times, patiently waiting for his target while observing Chen Fatty—who seemed very interested in several offensive Magical Artifacts and bid quite generously.

“This is a first-tier Jade Emperor Bee hive, containing an Ice Spirit Jade Emperor Bee Queen! As everyone knows, the jade emperor honey brewed by Jade Emperor Bees can be used by Qi Refining Late Stage Cultivators for Cultivation, with effects comparable to Peiyuan Pills, and even better because it has no pill toxins. Its jade emperor nectar is an even greater treasure that can increase the success rate of Foundation Establishment by ten percent!”

“Bid now and receive a complimentary copy of 'Bee Control Art'! Starting bid is one thousand Spirit Stones!”

The auction hall fell silent, then discussions began to rise.

“Jade Emperor Bee? Isn't this a spirit bee that can only be raised in Spiritual Veins of the second tier and above?”

“No! They feed on second-tier spirit flowers or the nectar of some Advanced fruit trees, but to brew jade emperor honey, they need a large amount of flowers. Where can an ordinary first-tier Spiritual Vein supply a large amount of flowers! Let alone the jade emperor nectar.”

Those so-called Foundation Establishment Families only occupy the highest Spiritual Veins, which are merely second-tier Advanced Spiritual Veins.

From this perspective, for Foundation Establishment Families to come for this Jade Emperor Bee is simply a waste of effort.

Cultivators in the Purple Mansion Realm and above would not value this Jade Emperor Bee.

Lin Feng found it a bit strange, but he had Rain Prayer and didn't need Spiritual Veins to support spirit plants. In that case...

“Is no one going to bid?” As if anticipating the scene, Jin Buhuan smiled, his hammer poised to strike.

“One thousand Spirit Stones!”

“Oh?”

“Someone actually bid?”

“Which Family is it?”

“One thousand Spirit Stones, any higher? No? Good, congratulations to this Fellow Daoist for winning the bid…”

The auction proceeded to the twenty-fifth item.

“The next item is quite special,” Jin Buhuan’s voice carried a hint of mysterious amusement.

A servant presented a long jade box. As the lid opened, a chilling cold light instantly illuminated the front of the stage.

Inside the box lay a peculiar weapon—shaped like a ship’s anchor, but reduced in size by several times. It was entirely crafted from a dark, deep blue metal. The anchor’s tip was exceptionally sharp, and its body wasentanglement with intricate silver rune chains, ending in a ferocious barbed hook! A cold, heavy, and restrictive Spiritual Qi fluctuation emanated from it.

“Made primarily from deep-sea sunken iron, supplemented with ‘Soul-Imprisoning Silver,’ and crafted by an Artifact Refining Great Master, this is a first-tier High Grade Magical Artifact—the ‘demon binding hook’!” Jin Buhuan declared loudly, “This hook specializes in countering water and demon-attributed beings. Once activated, the hook cable moves like a spirit snake emerging from its lair, imbued with ‘Water Breaking’ and ‘Imprisonment’ runes. Once hooked, even ordinary Qi Refining Late Stage Yao Beasts will find it difficult to break free! Starting price is eight hundred Spirit Stones, with each bid not less than fifty!”

Lin Feng’s heart pounded! This demon binding hook was practically tailor-made for him! His passive [Demon Slayer] focused on offense, but with this hook for restraint and control, the efficiency and safety of hunting Yao Beasts would greatly increase! Especially against those slippery or tough-skinned foes!

“Eight hundred fifty!” Someone immediately bid.

“Nine hundred!”

“Nine hundred fifty!”

The price steadily climbed.

Lin Feng took a deep breath and spoke in a deep voice: “One thousand one hundred!” He directly jumped the bid by one hundred fifty, attempting to deter competitors.

Indeed, the hall fell silent for a moment. Many gazes turned towards the “gray-clad man” in this corner. Chen Fatty in the front row also glanced back, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.

“One thousand one hundred fifty!” A slightly hoarse voice rang out, surprisingly from a bearded man wearing a bamboo hat next to Chen Fatty in the front row! He provocatively lifted his chin towards Lin Feng’s direction.

Lin Feng’s gaze sharpened, and he instantly understood. This person was Chen Fatty’s follower! He had seen him at the fish stall during the day! The other party might not truly want this hook; he was purely trying to recognize him as the “sucker” who consigned the spirit fruits and wanted to raise the price to annoy him!

“One thousand three hundred!” Lin Feng didn’t hesitate, again increasing the bid significantly. His voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable resolve.

“One thousand three hundred fifty!” The bearded man followed closely, his tone playful.

The atmosphere in the hall became subtle; many people saw that these two were clashing.

“One thousand five hundred!” Lin Feng’s voice suddenly rose, carrying a hint of cold anger, his gaze shooting towards the bearded man like lightning. He wasn’t acting impulsively; he had calculated the immense value of this hook to him, and also harbored the thought of taking the opportunity to intimidate and vent his frustration from earlier in the day!

The bearded man seemed to be pricked by the coldness in Lin Feng’s eyes and subconsciously wanted to speak again, but was stopped by a subtle gesture from Chen Fatty in the front row. Chen Fatty slightly turned his head, a cold, sinister smile on his lips, as if saying: “Kid, you’ve got guts.”

“One thousand five hundred Spirit Stones! This Fellow Daoist has bid one thousand five hundred Spirit Stones!” Jin Buhuan spoke at the opportune moment, his voice carrying a hint of warning as his gaze swept over the bearded man and Chen Fatty, “Within Juzhen Pavilion, the highest bidder wins, and harmony brings wealth. Are there any other Fellow Daoists who wish to bid?”

No one responded. The bearded man, at Chen Fatty’s signal, snorted coldly and said no more.

“One thousand five hundred Spirit Stones, sold! Congratulations to this Fellow Daoist!” Jin Buhuan brought down the hammer, sealing the deal.

Lin Feng snorted coldly in his heart, but his face remained impassive as he sat back down. These one thousand five hundred Spirit Stones hurt to spend, but they were worth it! More importantly, he subtly slapped the other party, silent but loud enough.

The auction continued, and the atmosphere returned to being lively. Finally, it was time for the twenty-ninth item.

“For this next item, I believe many Fellow Daoists have already heard about it.” Jin Buhuan revealed a mysterious smile, personally taking the small cold jade box from the maid’s hands. The moment the lid opened, that unique, sweet, rich fragrance, mixed with a fiery aura, once again permeated the entire venue!

“crimson flame jujube pear! Ten of them!” Jin Buhuan’s voice carried a hint of allure, “The finest among first-tier High Grade spirit fruits! Its fire and wood Spiritual Qi are pure and balanced, and its most precious quality lies in its gentle and continuous power to nourish Divine Sense! For Qi Refining stage Fellow Daoists, it has endless wonderful uses for stabilizing the mind, breaking through Bottlenecks, and enhancing Divine Sense perception! And with ten of them, it’s enough to increase a trace of Divine Sense, even beneficial for Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment. Starting bid is one thousand five hundred Spirit Stones, with each bid not less than one hundred!”

“One thousand six hundred!”

“One thousand eight hundred!”

“Two thousand!”

“Two thousand two hundred!”

The bidding instantly became white-hot! Spirit fruits that nourish Divine Sense were too tempting for Qi Refining Late Stage Cultivators stuck at a Bottleneck! The price soared like a rocket! Even a few Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the front row, who had been resting with their eyes closed, opened their eyes and watched with interest.

Chen Fatty also seemed to want to join the fun, shouting “Two thousand five hundred” once, but was quickly drowned out by higher prices.

“Two thousand eight hundred Spirit Stones!” A clear, cold female voice came from a small private room on the second floor marked with the character “Yellow.”

“Two thousand nine hundred!” Another voice came from a corner.

“Three thousand!” The female voice in the private room was decisive, carrying a sense of determination to win.

The entire hall fell silent! Three thousand Spirit Stones for ten first-tier spirit fruits, this price already far exceeded their intrinsic value! Everyone looked towards the private room with the “Yellow” character.

Jin Buhuan scanned the hall: “The esteemed guest in the Yellow private room has bid three thousand Spirit Stones! Are there any other Fellow Daoists who wish to bid?” He asked three times, and no one responded.

“Three thousand Spirit Stones! Sold! Congratulations to the esteemed guest in the Yellow private room!” Jin Buhuan brought down the hammer with a beaming smile.

Lin Feng’s lips, hidden beneath his mask, finally couldn’t help but curve into an arc. After deducting a ten percent commission, two thousand seven hundred Spirit Stones were in hand! Coupled with the proceeds from previously sold Materials, his Storage Pouch was once again filled with wealth that would make even Foundation Establishment Cultivators envious!

The auction ended, and Lin Feng, guided by a maid, settled the payment for the demon binding hook and the Jade Emperor Bee, and received one thousand seven hundred Spirit Stones after the commission was deducted.