The auction hall was packed to the rafters.
Golden light spilled down from the domed ceiling, and the air thrummed with a mix of excitement and greed.
Even before the auctioneer's gavel could fall, a restless energy had taken hold of the crowd.
A man in his forties stepped onto the stage, his presence as solid and imposing as a mountain.
Eren's eyes narrowed—this man's cultivation was just half a step away from the Grandmaster-tier Warrior.
Tch. The Sixfold Trade Guild's foundations are deeper than I thought.
"Bring out the first item!" the auctioneer announced loudly.
A woman in a qipao ascended the stage, holding a jade tray.
On it rested a small, intricately carved porcelain vial, simple yet exquisite. Just the sight of the container was enough to make the audience hold its breath—this was no ordinary object.
"Behold, esteemed guests—the Black Jade Rejoining Salve!" the auctioneer declared.
He removed the lid, and a refreshing fragrance instantly filled the hall, causing an immediate stir.
The crystalline salve shimmered with a jade-like luster, almost mesmerizing to behold.
A sacred healing medicine. An extra bottle meant an extra chance at life.
The hall erupted into a frenzy, waves of discussion crashing through the crowd.
A light ignited in Seraphine's eyes—this was the very salve she had been dreaming of. She raised her paddle:
"One million! I bid one million!"
Hearing that voice, Eren's heart jolted.
Seraphine? She's here too?
A cold smirk then twisted his lips.
Who needs healing? Damien Vale? Pathetic. Unfortunately for you—I won't let that happen..
He had considered intervening at first, but changed his mind just as quickly.
A better plan was already forming in his thoughts.
Just as the crowd was buzzing with anticipation, Erskine suddenly stood up, his voice booming like a bell:
"Friends! Lady Seraphine is the fiancée of my young master, Damien Vale. I ask you to show some courtesy and allow her to secure this item."
Instantly, the clamor ceased.
The Vale name.
That alone was enough to silence everyone present.
The auctioneer looked awkward but dutifully called out,
"The lady bids one million! Do I hear any higher? One million, once—twice—thrice!"
The gavel fell. The matter was settled.
Seraphine nearly wept with joy, hurriedly completing the payment and cradling the small bottle of Black Jade Rejoining Salve in her palms.
With this, Mother's legs can be healed!
Inside the VIP room, Eren watched through the glass as her face lit up with radiant happiness.
He muttered a cold laugh, "Seraphine, this joy you feel now—is only to make your despair later all the more bitter. When the time comes, I will make you weep until even the gods can't bear to look."
---
The second item was presented in a long sandalwood box.
All eyes in the hall converged upon it, the atmosphere growing tense.
—What could be hidden inside?
The auctioneer curled his lips into a sly smile. "Allow me to build a little suspense. Can anyone guess what lies within?"
"Cut the act! Just open it!"
"Stop wasting our time!"
Several martial artists shouted impatiently, their tones arrogant.
The auctioneer cursed them inwardly: Bunch of humorless brutes.
Aloud, he smiled and said, "Since everyone is so eager, I shall reveal the answer."
He gently lifted the lid—
"Behold, everyone! This is a stick of—Mirage Incense!"
Inside the box lay a single stick of incense, gold and red in color. It seemed ordinary, but in an instant, it sent shockwaves through the entire hall!
For it was a product of the Vigil-Wyrm Order,
A top-tier incense reputed to be capable of incapacitating even a Grandmaster-tier Warrior! It was almost never seen on the open market!
Inside his VIP room, Eren shot to his feet, his face darkening.
That incense stick—he could never mistake it.
It was identical to the one found at the Veyne family massacre site!
—A clue had finally surfaced!
"Overlord, you— want that Mirage Incense too?" Darius asked, utterly bewildered.
He thought: With the Overlord's power, why would he need such a thing?
But Eren remained silent, his gaze locked fiercely on the incense stick.
The auctioneer announced loudly, "The opening bid is ten million! Let the bidding begin!"
"I bid twenty million!"
"Twenty-five million!"
"Thirty million!"
"Fifty million!"
In less than a minute, the price skyrocketed!
But the value of this incense clearly hadn't peaked yet.
"Sixty million!"
"Eighty million!"
"One hundred million!"
"Friends—" Erskine stood up again, attempting to use the Vale family's influence to control the room.
This time, however—no one paid him any heed.
"One hundred twenty million!"
"One hundred thirty!"
"One hundred forty!"
Erskine's face sank. He shouted decisively, "Five hundred million!"
The hall plunged into dead silence.
—Five hundred million!
This price exceeded most people's expectations.
No further bids were heard.
The auctioneer's gavel fell. "Sold!"
Erskine, like a triumphant general, strode proudly onto the stage to claim the Mirage Incense.
Eren remained standing, his gaze profound the product.
Could it be—that the Veyne family tragedy is connected to the Vigil-Wyrm Order?
If so, then the Caelthorn family massacre twenty-three years ago... might share the same root.
An icy premonition spread through his heart.
A vast conspiracy was beginning to take shape from within the mist.
---
The next item presented was—
the "Yellow Dragon Pill," capable of helping a Adept-tier Warrior break through to a Grandmaster-tier Warrior in one step!
The hall erupted into chaos once more.
Becoming a Grandmaster-tier Warrior was a barrier that only one in ten thousand could cross.
It required innate talent, insight, and years of accumulation—none could be omitted.
And now, a single pill could replace thirty years of bitter cultivation!
The martial artists present were nearly losing control.
"One hundred fifty million!"
"Two hundred million!"
"Five hundred million!"
"Eight hundred million!"
"One billion!!"
In just a few breaths, the price soared into the stratosphere.
Darius's eyes lit up. "Overlord, should we also—"
"Unnecessary." Eren raised a hand to stop him, his tone calm to the point of indifference.
"Once I find a suitable cauldron, I can easily refine a hundred of these low-grade pills myself."
He had already probed it with his spiritual sense—it was merely the most basic herbal formula.
With sufficient skill from the alchemist, producing a Yellow Dragon Pill would be effortless.
"O-Overlord— you know alchemy?!" Darius was almost too stunned to speak.
In the end, the Yellow Dragon Pill was sold for a staggering 3.2 billion.
Eren merely smiled faintly.
—If I ever need money in the future, pill refinement might be a convenient path.
As soon as she finished speaking, the woman in the cheongsam took out a small bronze cauldron.
The cauldron was no larger than a basketball, with three legs and round handles. Its surface was dull, covered in a bluish-green patina, yet it carried an ancient, simple charm.
Eren's eyes sharpened instantly—
This was it.