121: Auction

"Silence!" Jin Buhuan's roar, imbued with cultivation, suppressed the clamor once more. He surveyed the entire hall, his gaze lingering particularly on the private boxes of the top-tier powers and those few old monsters whose auras felt ancient, and announced loudly:

"The star frost nirvana pill, only one available! Starting bid—one hundred thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones! Each subsequent bid must increase by no less than ten thousand!"

One hundred thousand! An astronomical figure that could bankrupt a medium-sized Sect! But this was only the beginning!

"One hundred and fifty thousand!" A hoarse voice, like sandpaper rubbing, sounded immediately. It came from a figure shrouded in a gray cloak in a corner of the auction hall. The decaying aura was almost tangible—it was some hidden old monster!

"Two hundred thousand!" In the Red Flame Sect's private box, a red-haired old man abruptly stood up, phantom flames surging around him. He was at the ninth level of the Heaven-Reaching Realm, just one step away from the tenth. This Pill was also critically important to him!

"Two hundred and fifty thousand!" The Elder of the Pill Cauldron Sect spoke in a deep voice, his manner suggesting an intense desire for research and possession.

"Three hundred thousand!" A sinister voice rang out from the private box of the Ten Thousand Poisons Villa. They needed this Pill to neutralize the terrifying poison accumulating in their bodies, and also to aid in a Breakthrough for extending life.

"Three hundred and fifty thousand!" An old woman from the Azure Lotus Sword Sect spoke. Her aura was pure, but a hint of encroaching twilight lingered between her brows.

The price soared like an unbridled wild horse! Every increase drew gasps of astonishment.

The small and medium-sized powers were already slack-jawed, relegated to spectators.

The contention unfolded between only a few parties, the atmosphere thick with intense hostility.

"Four hundred thousand!" The middle-aged Alchemist from the Alchemy Gate finally couldn't hold back, placing a bid with a grim expression.

He not only wanted to obtain the Medicinal Pill but also to study its mysteries.

"Four hundred and fifty thousand!" The old monster in the gray cloak’s voice carried a trace of madness.

"Five hundred thousand!" The Red Flame Sect's red-haired Elder’s hair stood on end; he was determined to have it.

Just as the price stalled at five hundred thousand, a cold and arrogant voice sounded from another luxurious private box, carrying undisguised malice:

"Hmph! What Key to Nirvana? It’s just Di Clan’s trick to draw attention! I bid five hundred and fifty thousand! I’ll buy it back to study and see if this so-called Saint Pill has anything unsavory mixed in!"

At this moment, a discordant voice arose.

In the Number One Heaven Box, Di Tianlan's face turned ashen, his fists tightly clenched.

Di Tianxiao’s eyes flashed with cold light. The iron-blooded Evil Qi around him suddenly condensed, and an invisible, heavy pressure, like battlefield slaughter, instantly pierced through the protective Restriction separating the boxes, accurately stabbing towards the box where the speaker was located!

Boom!

A muffled groan and the sound of shattering furniture came from that box! The speaker, as if struck by a heavy blow, instantly turned pale, looked toward the direction of the Number One Heaven Box in terror, and dared not utter another word!

The pressure of the War God Physique was overwhelmingly domineering! The entire venue fell silent for a moment, and everyone looked toward the Number One Heaven Box with awe.

"Five hundred and fifty thousand, first call!" Jin Buhuan continued the process expressionlessly.

"Six hundred thousand!" The old monster in the gray cloak gritted his teeth and raised the bid; this was nearly all his life savings.

"Six hundred and fifty thousand!" The Alchemist from the Alchemy Gate closely followed.

The price hovered between six hundred thousand and seven hundred thousand. Every bid felt like a heavy hammer striking the hearts of the crowd.

Those old monsters’ eyes were bloodshot, and their auras became extremely unstable.

Just then, an aged voice, one that sounded like it could break at any moment yet carried an unquestionable authority, emerged from a box at the very top of the auction hall—a box that had remained silent and shrouded in shadow until now:

"One million... Low-Grade Spirit Stones..."

The voice was not loud, yet it exploded like thunder deep within everyone's Soul!

One million!

This number plunged the entire grand hall into a dead silence! One could hear a pin drop!

Even Jin Buhuan was momentarily stunned, looking towards that shadowy box in disbelief.

One million Low-Grade Spirit Stones! This was no longer just an overbid; it was a terrifying fortune capable of draining the accumulated wealth of a top-tier power over several years!

All for a Heaven-Grade Low Grade Medicinal Pill! Although it was a six-pattern Pill, possessing Heaven-Defying effects!

After a brief silence, an even more fervent uproar erupted!

"One million?! They’re insane!"

"Is that... is that 'Withered Wood Elder'?! He’s still alive?!"

"It's over... If this old monster makes a move, who would dare contend?"

The Alchemist from the Alchemy Gate turned deathly pale and slumped back down in defeat.

The old monster in the gray cloak let out a mournful cry of unwillingness, his aura instantly weakening. The Red Flame Sect Elder sighed deeply, filled with helplessness.

Jin Buhuan took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the shock in his heart. He knew what this price signified, and he was even more aware of the weight of the existence in that box. He surveyed the hall, his voice carrying unprecedented solemnity:

"One million Low-Grade Spirit Stones! The VIP of Heaven-Grade A has bid one million! Are there any higher offers?"

"One million, first call!"

"One million, second call!"

"One million, third call!"

Dong!

The heavy jade mallet fell, striking the specially made golden chime, emitting a crisp, long resonance that echoed throughout the sky!

"Sold! Congratulations to the Heaven-Grade A VIP for acquiring the peerless treasure—the star frost nirvana pill!"

Inside the Number One Heaven Box, Di Tianlan’s tense body suddenly relaxed. He collapsed into the wide seat as if utterly drained, the clothes on his back completely soaked with cold sweat.

The hand gripping the armrest slowly loosened. His fingertips trembled slightly from excessive force. One million... this number roared in his mind like a massive bell, making his eardrums buzz. He could hardly believe what he had heard.

Immense ecstasy, like a bursting dam, instantly washed away all the anxiety, fatigue, and unwillingness he had accumulated over the past few days.

Di Tianxiao still stood before the crystal wall, like an iron statue. While his emotional fluctuations were not as intense as Di Tianlan’s, within the depths of his sharp, falcon-like eyes, a fierce Battle Intent and icy sharpness burned.

He stared intently below. The pressure resembling a tangible blade, which had been unleashed earlier, had been withdrawn, but the residual Evil Qi was still faintly permeating the box.

He looked even more towards the deep purple Pill shrouded in a pillar of starlight on the auction stage, feeling an unprecedented level of respect for Di Qingge, who had single-handedly secured such a situation for the Family.

Inside the auction hall, after the dead silence, the noise erupted completely! The sound waves were almost enough to overturn the great hall!

"One million! My heavens! Withered Wood Elder is actually alive! And he spent a million Spirit Stones!"

"Eternal Night Merchant Guild... Di Clan... this name is about to resonate throughout the Eastern Desolate Continent!"

"Quick! Immediately send messages back to the Sect (Family)! At any cost, investigate the Eternal Night Merchant Guild and make contact with this Guild!"

Countless Divine Thoughts, filled with shock, greed, calculation, and reverence, intertwined and collided wildly within the venue.

The name Eternal Night Merchant Guild, like a spark thrown into boiling oil, instantly ignited the nerves of every power present.

The representatives of the major powers who had previously looked down upon the Eternal Night Merchant Guild now all had extremely complex expressions.

The Elder of the Pill Cauldron Sect's eyes flickered as he pondered something unknown.

In the shadowy box, a withered hand, resembling old tree bark, slowly stretched out and beckoned in the air.

The profound ice jade plate holding the star frost nirvana pill within the starlight pillar, along with the jade box isolating its aura below, vanished instantly. In the next moment, it appeared in that hand.

The withered fingers gently brushed over the jade box, feeling the immense vitality and the true meaning of Nirvana contained within. A sigh, so faint it was almost inaudible, filled with endless vicissitudes and a trace of hope, quietly sounded. Then, the shadow of the box deepened, isolating it from all external probing.

On the auction stage, Jin Buhuan’s face was flushed red, and his voice was even louder due to excitement: "Everyone! Although the grand finale treasure has found its owner, the fine Medicinal Pills commissioned by the Eternal Night Merchant Guild still have lingering value! Next, we will auction the remaining three star frost nirvana pills!"

Boom!

The venue, which had just begun to settle down, exploded into chaos again!