The bidding for the first lot continued to climb.
"Seven hundred billion dao stones!" the Scarlet Emperor declared.
"Eight hundred billion," the Ghostlight Sovereign countered without hesitation.
A moment later, a second mysterious voice rang out from another VVIP chamber. "We shall take one lot for nine hundred billion."
The hall fell into an uproar. Nine hundred billion dao stones for ten bottles of elixir!
These mysterious guests, who had ignored countless precious pills throughout the auction, were finally participating in earnest- and their wealth was astounding!
In truth, the Primordial Origin Essence Elixir was simply too valuable to ignore.
Even if a Fiendgod possessed an almost inexhaustible supply of energy, replenishing that energy was not at all effortless. The higher one climbed, the more demanding the process became.
Some ancient beings had spent thousands of years recovering from battles that had occurred in distant eras.
An elixir that could accelerate that recovery while refining the quality of their energy was a treasure worth serious consideration.
And for those still seeking to advance? Its value was even greater.
"First lot sold!" Liu Yue announced. "Nine hundred billion dao stones!"
"Let us proceed to the second lot!"
The next tray was brought forward and the bids instantly begun to climb.
This time, however, the mysterious guests were less aggressive. Several of them remained silent, apparently content to observe the contest between the established powers.
The second lot was eventually sold to the High Druidess for eight hundred and twenty billion dao stones.
The leader of the Myriad Spirit Sanctuary gave no indication of her satisfaction, but the attendants carrying the elixirs into her chamber were greeted by a brief flash of emerald light.
Evidently, she intended to put them to use immediately.
The third lot sold for seven hundred and ten billion dao stones to the Scarlet Emperor.
The fourth went to the Forge Masters for six hundred and eighty billion.
The fifth was acquired by the Ghostlight Sovereign for eight hundred and fifty billion, after she outbid a mysterious guest who had apparently decided that the lot was worth pursuing after all.
Then came the sixth.
"This King shall take this one for five hundred billion," an ancient voice declared.
No one else challenged the bid, and so the lot was sold.
The seventh, however, sold for far less. Now that the bigwigs seemed content and no longer bid much for these items, several other lesser figures stepped in and drove the price to one hundred and fifty billion dao stones.
A moment of silence followed, then Liu Yue and Liu Ning suddenly spoke up. "Forgive us for withholding, honored guests. We have only just received confirmation."
Liu Yue went on, "Although there was speculation, the owner of the Obsidian Treasury informed us not to treat rumor as fact. However, it seems the genius disciple of Lord Duotian has confirmed something regarding these elixirs."
Liu Ning smirked, her seductive eyes blinking slowly. "Not only are these elixirs extraordinary. They were made by Lord Duotian himself, before he vanished from the Realm all those years ago!"
The entire auction house went quiet as the eight lot went up for sale. Then...
"One trillion." A voice came from above in the VVIP area.
Even the named VVIP guests, each possessing immense wealth, could not help but pause at the figure. How was it possible that yet another of these unknown guests could bid such an insanely high number.
They each thought back to the rumors regarding Lord Obsidian's special clientele, and wondered. Could it be...
The Forge Masters withdrew after a brief exchange. The Scarlet Emperor remained silent, while the Ghostlight Sovereign appeared to be considering whether another bid was worthwhile- or perhaps possible.
In the end, neither challenged the mysterious buyer. The seventh lot was sold for one trillion dao stones.
And so the bidding continued. A few mysterious guests acquired lots with single bids, speaking in their peculiar, ancient manner before retreating into silence once more.
Yet, each declaration sent another ripple through the hall.
The named VVIPs were more measured now. The Scarlet Emperor had already secured a lot, as had the High Druidess, the Forge Masters, and the Ghostlight Sovereign.
The Beast Master and Beast Grandmaster, meanwhile, had been unusually quiet.
Ximen Ming finally entered the bidding for another lot after observing the elixirs for some time. "Six hundred and fifty billion dao stones."
A competing voice answered almost immediately. "Seven hundred billion."
Ximen Ming's eyes narrowed. "Seven hundred and fifty."
The price rose to eight hundred billion before the Beast Master withdrew. He leaned back in his chamber, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.
"Interesting," he murmured.
The Beast Grandmaster glanced at him. "You aren't going to continue?"
"No. It's not that important to acquire this now." The Beast Master gave a knowing smile and said nothing more.
The Beast Grandmaster also fell silent. That was enough for him.
By the time the final lot was sold, the Obsidian Treasury had accumulated a fortune that would have been difficult to imagine even for the wealthiest factions in the Scarlet Dominion.
And yet, Xiao Chen was not finished smiling.
Far from it. The elixirs had accomplished precisely what he had intended.
The wealthy guests had taken the bait. Some had spent heavily on ancient medicines, while some others who seemed to be deliberately holdig back their wealth, decided they couldn't pass up on the opportunities presented during the second segment.
More importantly, even the mysterious Fiendgods had shown interest and spent quite a bit.
They had been watching, calculating, and occasionally competing with the other guests. But only when Lord Duotian was mentioned was their interest truly piqued.
That alone was valuable information.
Xiao Chen rested one hand against the arm of his chair. As his gaze drifted from the auction stage to Jin Huang.
This young man was, truly, his lucky star.
The second segment had done more than generate an extraordinary amount of wealth. It had also encouraged the guests to commit themselves.
The final segment would be a guaranteed success now that their purses had begun to lighten.
Naturally, Xiao Chen had no intention of letting them leave with anything.
"Distinguished guests!" Liu Yue's voice rang across the hall, drawing everyone's attention back to the stage.
"The second segment of today's auction has now concluded!"
A wave of applause followed.
Some guests were visibly pleased with their acquisitions. Others sat quietly, calculating their remaining funds. A few mysterious VVIP chambers had gone completely dark, their occupants apparently satisfied with what they had obtained.
Liu Ning stepped forward.
"Before we begin the third segment, we would like to thank all our distinguished guests for their enthusiastic participation and, again, offer refreshment."
She paused, then smiled.
"We trust that you have found today's offerings worthwhile."
Several people laughed. Worthwhile?
They had just spent hundreds of billions, sometimes trillions, of dao stones. If the Obsidian Treasury intended to offer anything more expensive, some of them would need to reconsider their entire financial strategies.
Others, however, were already looking forward to what came next.
The first two segments had contained treasures that were rare, ancient, and sometimes entirely unique. If the third segment was even remotely comparable, then the remaining proceedings might prove unforgettable.
In his chair, Jin Huang stretched lazily. "Finally. I'm starved."
Luo Ran slowly turned his head. "Boss, you haven't even done anything. How are you hungry again?"
Shrugging, Jin Huang admitted, "I haven't the faintest, Luo Ran. What do you think the reason could be?"
Luo Ran gave him a puzzled look, then covered his face. "You're asking me, but who am I meant to ask?"
Meng Lan, sitting nearby, let out a quiet laugh. Even Xiao Chen's shoulders moved slightly with amusement. He was in a good mood now, after all.
Then the masked auctioneer turned his attention toward the stage.
The third segment was soon going to begin.
And this time, he intended not only to dangle precious items in front of their faces, but to also spoon feed them bitter regret and boiling indignation.
He would make them experience such intense frustration that they would seethe with rage and find themselves incapable of tolerating it.
It was unavoidable now. All he had to do... was wait.