101: Chapter 101 The Auction Ends

"Taiji Soul-Condensing Technique? This name sounds profound, but what's with the '0.5 Version' at the end... what does that even mean?"

Someone in the audience whispered, eyes fixed on the new Cultivation Technique on the display stand.

Although the name was different, the addition of "0.5 Version" at the end, just like the previous one, left many confused about its meaning.

"5 billion!"

The bidding was even faster this time; almost as soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, someone raised their paddle. Clearly, the factions that failed to snatch the first one were putting all their effort into this.

"5.5 billion!"

"6.5 billion!"

The price soared all the way up, even more fiercely than the first one, and soon broke through 10 billion.

Vice Squad Leader watched with sweaty palms and couldn't help but advise again: "Uncle, this second one seems even more powerful... maybe we should..."

"Shut up!" Zhao Kun's face turned livid. He refused to believe that Master Yu Daruan's finale piece would lose to these "amateurs."

"Just wait! Once Master Yu's Cultivation Technique comes out, I guarantee these people will regret it!"

But his inner unease grew heavier and heavier.

The fact that "Old Wang" could bring out several Cultivation Techniques to auction at once showed that his foundation was far deeper than he had imagined.

In Master Yu Daruan's private box, the atmosphere was so heavy it felt like it could drip water.

"10 billion..." Master Yu Daruan muttered to himself, his voice filled with despair.

Even if he bragged about his "Three-Element Soul Gathering Technique" to the heavens, it was only a 0.8x Cultivation Technique; it was impossible for it to fetch this price.

Tang Shan looked at his teacher's pale face and finally mustered the courage: "Teacher, should we just slip away? No one will notice..."

Master Yu Daruan stared blankly at the auction stage.

A moment later.

"Withdraw... withdraw it, go withdraw it quickly..."

At this moment, even if he had to pay the penalty fee, he did not want to lose face in front of the public.

Although this would damage his reputation in the future, he couldn't care about that anymore.

Tang Shan didn't care about anything else and immediately rushed out.

On stage, the second [Taiji Soul-Condensing Technique 0.5 Version] was quickly sold for 12.2 billion.

The buyer was a major businessman from the south who dealt in combat suits.

He was so excited that he bowed to the display stand on the spot, as if thanking the mysterious "Old Wang."

Immediately after, the third, fourth... one 1.5x speed Cultivation Technique after another appeared, with each one's transaction price firmly locked above 9 billion.

Every sound of the gavel falling was like a heavy hammer striking Master Yu Daruan's heart, making his face turn increasingly pale.

At this moment, he had only one thought in his mind: hoping Tang Shan would hurry and withdraw his Cultivation Technique—if this dragged on any longer, he feared he would lose all the face he had in his entire life today.

Just as the female auctioneer was preparing to present the last one.

A waiter quickly walked to her side and whispered a few words.

Her expression clearly faltered for a moment.

Then, she raised that charming smile again and announced loudly:

"Dear guests, we have just received news from backstage that Master Yu's work has been temporarily withdrawn due to special reasons. Therefore, the item being auctioned now is the final Cultivation Technique, and also today's grand finale piece."

As soon as these words were spoken, the venue instantly fell into dead silence.

In those private boxes where people had been holding back, waiting for Master Yu's work to appear as the finale, everyone was dumbfounded.

They had wanted to wait for Master Yu's "main event" to appear before making a move, never expecting to have missed the previous opportunities, and now even their last hope was gone.

"No... how is that possible?"

In the private box where the Kyoto Zhao Family was located, Vice Squad Leader's uncle stood up abruptly, his face filled with disbelief, his hands tightly clenched into fists.

Meanwhile, the representatives of small families who had acted decisively earlier, even picking up a bargain at 9 billion, now had grins stretching to their ears, secretly rejoicing that they hadn't been trapped by empty reputation.

The female auctioneer didn't care about the commotion in the audience and immediately began introducing the last one: "The mysterious Great Master's final work, starting bid at 5 billion!"

"I bid 10 billion!" As soon as the words fell, someone roared to raise the price.

"15 billion!"

"16 billion!"

The few private boxes that had been holding back earlier went completely crazy; bidding shouts rose one after another, and no one was willing to back down.

This was the last one; once this opportunity passed, there would be no more.

In the end, this Cultivation Technique was secured by Vice Squad Leader's uncle at the sky-high price of 21 billion.

"I am so angry! If I had known this, I should have listened to you earlier!" He slapped his chest in distress, his face livid.

Vice Squad Leader also frowned from the side, his expression like he had eaten bitter herbs.

The female auctioneer on stage didn't give them much time to regret, and her voice rang out again:

"Alright, all the works of the mysterious Great Master 'Old Wang' have been sold. Today's auction concludes here..."

She paused deliberately, a glint of cunning flashing in her eyes, "Oh no, there is one more thing. At the request of that mysterious Great Master, we are announcing a piece of news through this auction."

The venue immediately became noisy again.

"There's more about that Great Master? Are they going to reveal their identity?"

"Wait a bit longer, don't leave yet!"

The guests who had intended to leave sat back down, and even the big figures in those private boxes pricked up their ears.

The female auctioneer smiled brightly and said, word by word:

"The mysterious Great Master Old Wang cares about ordinary Awakened ones and knows deeply that it is difficult for them to access Cultivation Techniques. Therefore, he has specially released a batch of Cultivation Techniques on the Patent Network.

By paying a patent fee of only 100,000 dragon soul coins, one can learn a 1x speed Cultivation Technique. For specific details, everyone can log in to the Patent Network to check."

As soon as this was said, the whole venue fell into dead silence.

Everyone was stunned.

A 1x speed Cultivation Technique, for only 100,000?

This wasn't selling a Cultivation Technique; it was clearly dropping a thunderbolt onto the entire Cultivation world!

Those Family representatives who had just spent over 10 billion to bid for 1.5x speed Cultivation Techniques now had expressions that were quite colorful, as if someone had poured a bucket of ice water over their heads.

Normally, a 1.5x speed Cultivation Technique was indeed worth that price, but they just felt very uncomfortable inside.

But they couldn't vent it.

Vice Squad Leader's uncle even spat out blood.

"This is bullying, this is going too far!"

Buying a 1.5x speed Cultivation Technique for 21 billion was already considered an inflated price!

Now to be told that one could learn a 1x speed Cultivation Technique for 100,000 was simply rubbing salt into his wounds.

And in the VIP box where Lin Mo was, Lu Jianjie looked at the crowd outside that instantly boiled over.

He couldn't help but gasp: "Little Mo... this move of yours is likely to make the entire Soul Master world explode."

Lin Mo leaned back on the sofa, picked up his teacup, took a light sip, and a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "None of my business. I already said earlier not to waste effort bidding; they were the ones who wouldn't listen."

And in Master Yu's private box.

Master Yu heard the news announced by the female auctioneer.

He spat out a large mouthful of blood with a "pfft" sound, his whole body trembling.

He was angered to that point.

He had originally thought that his 0.8x speed Cultivation Technique, even if it couldn't be auctioned, could be offloaded to some sucker outside.

He could have at least made 2 or 3 billion, but now with this news out, selling it for 50,000 would be the absolute limit.

"Bastard, this damn bastard..."