108: Successfully captured the strange fire!

Ding!

As the final hammer fell, the black strange stone that Lin Fan was determined to acquire finally settled.

Inside the private room, Lin Fan held the stone, which was as warm as jade to the touch but incredibly heavy, a heartfelt joy appearing on his face.

The moment the stone was in his hand, his Ancient Desolate Body within him let out a joyful hum, like a traveler who had been thirsty for ten thousand years finally seeing a clear spring.

“Senior Brother, what kind of treasure is this?” Xiao Huohuo leaned forward, his face full of curiosity.

“I don’t know,” Lin Fan shook his head, then grinned, “But it’s definitely a good thing!”

He didn't rush to study it, but carefully put it into his Magic Treasure.

During the subsequent auction, the four of them reverted to their listless, 'salted fish' demeanor, lacking even the slightest interest in taking an extra look at the so-called “rare treasures” on stage.

Finally, when everyone was growing impatient.

On stage, the charming hostess, Hongxiu, wore a smile more mysterious and… solemn than ever before.

“Esteemed guests, next up is the final and most mysterious highlight of our auction!”

As soon as her voice fell!

Two powerful individuals, both at least Great Grandmaster Realm, jointly carried a jade box made of ten-thousand-year-old cold jade and slowly walked onto the auction stage.

The jade box was inscribed with dense, profound Formation patterns, and a bone-chilling aura emanated from within it, causing the temperature of the entire auction hall to drop by several degrees!

Everyone’s gaze was deeply drawn to that jade box!

Hongxiu took a deep breath, her slender, fair hand gently pressing on the switch of the jade box.

“Click—”

A soft sound.

The jade box slowly opened.

The next instant!

“Buzz!”

A ball of fire, about the size of a fist, entirely a strange, eerie blue, as if from the netherworld, suddenly shot up from the box!

It violently crashed against the cage made of ten-thousand-year-old cold jade and Formation, emitting unwilling roars, like a peerless Vicious Beast imprisoned for eons, wanting to break free and burn everything in its sight!

“This… what kind of flame is this?!”

“What terrifying pressure! Just looking at it makes me feel like my Soul is going to be frozen and burned!”

“Where did Gathering Treasures Pavilion get such a fierce item from?!”

Everyone in the audience, without exception, looked as if they had seen a ghost, their eyes wide and their jaws dropped!

However, there was one person present who was even more excited than all of them!

That was… Xiao Huohuo!

Almost the instant that eerie blue flame appeared!

His eyes, which always burned with flames, instantly erupted with terrifying brilliance!

His Endless Flame Body and the two strange fires he had recently refined, actually trembled and hummed violently at this moment!

That wasn't fear, it was… excitement! It was desire!

“Strange Fire!”

Xiao Huohuo’s voice carried an uncontrollable tremor, “This is definitely a Strange Fire!”

“Although I don’t know which kind, this Origin aura cannot be mistaken!”

Lin Fan, Ling Ke'er, and Nanny in the private room also perked up at his words!

On stage, Hongxiu looked at the shocked and horrified faces below, nodding with satisfaction.

This was the effect she wanted!

“This fire was accidentally found by my Gathering Treasures Pavilion in an ancient ruin.”

Her voice carried a hint of temptation, “When it was first found, it was already Sealed in this cold jade box. My Gathering Treasures Pavilion once invited several Martial Emperor powerhouses who were proficient in the Dao of Fire to jointly investigate, but they were unable to ascertain its Origin, only knowing that its spirituality is extremely strong and its power boundless.”

“The starting price for this item is ten million taels of silver! Each bid must not be less than one million taels!”

“Now, the bidding begins!”

Boom!

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire auction hall instantly erupted!

“Fifteen million taels!”

“I offer twenty million taels!”

“Hmph! How can such a divine object be tainted by the likes of you? My Black Moon Sect offers thirty million taels!”

The price soared!

Soon, only two parties remained in the field, still bidding frantically.

One side was a luxurious private room on the second floor, and judging from the occasional voices emanating from it, it seemed to be a Hidden Family of considerable power from the Southern Region.

And the other side, naturally, was Lin Fan and his companions.

“Fifty million taels!” Lin Fan’s voice was calm and light, as if he were saying “fifty cents.”

The Hidden Family side was silent for a moment, and in the end, they reluctantly gave up.

Just when everyone thought that this mysterious Strange Fire was about to be acquired by this mysterious “esteemed guest” of Profound Sword Sect.

A slightly lazy, yet undeniably magnetic voice, came leisurely from another, even more luxurious private room on the third floor.

“Heh heh, interesting.”

“This little flame, this Young Master has also taken a liking to it.”

“One hundred million.”

Hiss—!

Gasps of cold air rose and fell!

One hundred million?!

What kind of divine bid was this?!

Everyone’s gaze collectively swept towards the private room from which the voice came.

They saw that the crystal window of that private room had been opened at some point.

A young man, dressed in a luxurious blue Profound Robe, with a handsome face and a faint, wicked smile always playing at the corner of his lips, was leaning against the window, playing with a white jade wine cup in his hand, looking down at everything with interest.

Behind him stood several old men whose Qi was as deep as the sea, as if they were one with the heavens and earth!

Martial Emperors!

And, more than one!

What was the Origin of this Young Master?! To have such a grand gesture and such terrifying bodyguards?!

Lin Fan’s brows also furrowed slightly.

He could feel that the young man in the blue robe was not simple.

However…

Who did the people of Tai Xuan Immortal Sect fear?

“Two hundred million.”

Lin Fan’s voice was still as calm, as if two hundred million was truly just a number in his eyes.

“Heh heh, interesting.”

Hearing this, the blue-robed young man showed no anger, but the smile at the corner of his mouth grew even wider.

He drained the wine in his cup and said faintly to an elder beside him, “Go, find out who the esteemed guests in the next private room are.”

Immediately, he stopped bidding, actually giving up directly.

…

In the end, this mysterious Strange Fire was successfully acquired by Lin Fan and his three companions for the “heavenly price” of two hundred million.

The auction concluded.

In less than an hour.

A piece of intelligence about Lin Fan and his three companions was already laid on the blue-robed young man’s desk.

The young man picked up the intelligence, quickly scanned it, and then, the face that always wore a wicked smile suddenly stiffened!

His eyes and mouth twitched uncontrollably and wildly!

He even had an urge to curse on the spot!

The intelligence clearly stated:

[Name: Lin Fan, Xiao Huohuo, Ling Ke'er, Lu Nuannuan (suspected)]

[Origin: Unknown.]

[Revered Master: Unknown. Their Revered Master is suspected to be a Martial Venerable powerhouse.]

[Cultivation Realm: Unknown. (Extremely dangerous)]

[Known Intelligence: The four were once pursued by a Loose Cultivator Martial Emperor outside Haizhou, and later killed him; in the Star Dou Mountain Range of Qing Province, they annihilated nearly a hundred Prodigies from over a dozen Sect forces including Black Moon Sect and Tang Sect; currently being hunted throughout the Southern Region by Black Moon Sect with an Earth Rank Cultivation Technique bounty… ]

“Damn it…”

After reading, the blue-robed young man felt his head buzzing, and it was a long while before he squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth.

“This is a damn waste of time!”