Chapter 344: The Auction Begins
"Rise!"
With a loud shout from Chu Feng, the lid of the pill furnace flew open. At the same moment, Great Sage Jinchi plucked a feather and cast it into the air, golden light instantly enveloping the entire villa.
The next second, a violet radiance surged out from the furnace, followed by three pills shrouded in violet light shooting into the air.
Chu Feng did not immediately reach out to seize them, instead waiting calmly for the tribulation lightning to arrive.
Rumble!
Within the span of a single cup of tea, heavenly thunder descended from the sky.
The thunderclap on a clear day instantly drew countless gazes.
Wushuang City was now filled with experts, and sensing tribulation lightning, many extended their divine sense toward Chu Feng's villa.
The thunder pierced through the golden light barrier, part of it striking the pills.
Thanks to the golden light's protection, the three pills were not destroyed into useless waste.
Without hesitation, Chu Feng casually collected the pills into his storage ring.
Great Sage Jinchi sensed countless auras probing toward the villa and bellowed, "Begone!"
The might of a Great Sage was not something ordinary cultivators could withstand.
Many who had been spying coughed up blood on the spot and fell to the ground. Though their lives were not in danger, their faces showed terror as they muttered, "A Great Sage… it's a Great Sage refining pills."
Other Great Sages within Wushuang City also felt this shout. They immediately withdrew their divine senses. Since a peer of their level was present, continuing to pry would be outright provocation.
They hadn't come to Wushuang City to fight, so there was no need to stir unnecessary conflict.
"Brother, you succeeded."
Great Sage Jinchi walked forward curiously, wanting to see the three pills.
Chu Feng smiled. "Of course. Now I plan to rest. The auction begins in a few days, and when the bidding starts, I'll leave it to you."
Hearing this, Great Sage Jinchi could only step back helplessly.
The tribulation caused by refining had not led to further disturbance. That very afternoon, Wanbao Pavilion sent a gilded invitation. Great Sage Jinchi accepted it without hesitation.
…
In Wushuang City, Wanbao Pavilion's auction opened as scheduled.
Though this was not the grand ten-year auction, the presence of a supreme-grade saint artifact drew many powerful figures to attend.
When Chu Feng's group arrived, the venue was already packed.
A moment later, Great Sage Jinchi presented their gilded invitation to the guards. They were smoothly admitted and even assigned a spacious private box.
Once seated, several maidens entered, delivering a jade slip and refreshments.
Chu Feng ignored the jade slip, turning instead to the two girls. "Look through the items up for auction. If you see something you like, bid for it."
He lacked nothing in wealth. If not for the fact Thunderclap Manor's cultivators sought resources to break through to Half-Saint, he would not have bothered refining pills.
"Master, may we really?"
Chen Qianqian asked cautiously.
"Of course."
"Thank you, Master!"
Chen Qianqian eagerly picked up the jade slip, scanned it once, then passed it to Bai Qian.
After a glance, Bai Qian frowned and muttered, "The items in this Wanbao Pavilion auction are rather ordinary. None appeal to me."
Chu Feng only smiled. The girl had grown up under a Saint, so her disdain for such things was natural.
Before long, the auction commenced.
Chu Feng casually placed a bottle of pills from his storage ring onto the table.
"Brother Diao, the bidding will be yours to handle."
Great Sage Jinchi accepted the bottle, opened it for a quick look, and nodded. "No problem. I've accompanied foster father to auctions before. I know how this works."
Chu Feng said nothing more, closing his eyes to rest.
Bai Qian and Chen Qianqian, however, looked on with eager anticipation.
Inside the auction hall, voices rose and fell in heated bids.
Some even shouted until their faces flushed red, utterly devoid of the dignity of cultivators.
Watching this, the two young girls suddenly felt an urge to join in the shouting themselves.
Time passed, moment by moment.
Soon, the auction reached its final item.
Elder Liu, who presided over the auction, smiled and said, "I imagine all of you have already heard many rumors in Wushuang City regarding the Thunder Saint Hammer, haven't you?"
At those words, the cultivators in the hall immediately began speaking at once.
"Indeed! Elder Liu, are the rumors true?"
"Elder Liu, stop keeping us in suspense."
"..."
Elder Liu stroked his beard and chuckled. "Patience, everyone. The Thunder Saint Hammer will be brought out shortly. Before that, however, I must state clearly: the seller does not want spirit stones. They only ask for…"
Inside his private box, Chu Feng listened to Elder Liu and confirmed that Bai Xiaosheng's words back in the restaurant had been correct.
When Elder Liu finished stating the seller's conditions, eight burly body-refiners carried a massive chest slowly onto the auction platform.
Boom!
When the chest was set down, it emitted a heavy thud.
With a wave of Elder Liu's hand, the chest opened. Before everyone's eyes appeared a massive hammer, wreathed in lightning and radiating holy light.
After a brief silence, gasps of astonishment filled the hall.
"It truly is the Thunder Saint Hammer!"
"A supreme-grade saint artifact—worthy of its name!"
"..."
Once the uproar subsided, Elder Liu announced, "The auction begins now!"
The cultivators seated in the front did not speak, instead turning their eyes toward the private boxes behind them.
Soon, from one of the boxes, an elderly voice declared, "I am willing to offer a thunder-attribute saint medicine."
Hiss—
The cultivators in the hall instinctively drew in a sharp breath.
To begin with such a price—who knew how high it would go from here?
Another voice called out, "Fellow Daoist, you are being stingy. That is a supreme-grade saint artifact, a treasure rare even within a Holy Land! I offer one Enlightenment Pill and one saint medicine."
The crowd muttered in awe. "So this is the boldness of a Great Sage?"
Before they could finish marveling, another voice immediately raised the bid.
"One Enlightenment Pill, plus a manual of insights for breaking through to the Great Sage Realm, and a personal favor from me."
With this declaration, several other Great Sages in private boxes began to bid.
"Two Enlightenment Pills and a saint medicine, plus a manual for breaking through to Great Sage."
"Two Enlightenment Pills, and one opportunity for me, this Great Sage, to personally act."
"..."
As the bids climbed higher and higher, Elder Liu's lips curved into a faint smile. His earlier decision to have Bai Xiaosheng leak Thunderclap Manor's conditions had indeed been wise.
Still, he knew the price for this supreme-grade artifact would likely cap at three Enlightenment Pills, or three saint medicines, along with a Great Sage's insights and a Great Sage's personal favor. It would be difficult to push it further.
Just as several Great Sages finished declaring their bottom-line offers, a voice dripping with disdain echoed through the hall.
"Three Enlightenment Pills, and I will assist Thunderclap Manor in raising one of its King-level experts to the Great Sage Realm."
At those words, the entire venue fell silent. All eyes turned toward the box from which the voice had come.
After a long moment, one Great Sage finally spoke. "Fellow Daoist, do not spout such wild claims, lest you disgrace the title of Great Sage!"
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