As soon as those words left his mouth, everyone was stunned.
Otto couldn't help but speak up. "Frank, you better think this through! That Qianlan Crystal was personally gifted to you by the royal family. If you refine it, you might be able to gain control of the Qianlan Water Flame! Haven't you always lacked a special flame?"
"That's right, President! Isn't this too precious? What if that kid's just bluffing and we end up giving it away for nothing?"
Even Linfei couldn't hold back anymore.
Although she was a little afraid of Lin Ran, the moment Frank mentioned offering the Qianlan Crystal, her heart ached.
'That was the Qianlan Crystal!'
The Qianlan Crystal was a royal treasure gifted to Frank by the imperial family. It was said to originate from the mythical guardian beast of the Jia Ma Empire—the Youhai Jiaolong.
This crystal contained incredibly unique energy. If someone could absorb it, they could acquire the exclusive beast flame of the Youhai Jiaolong—Qianlan Water Flame!
For an Alchemist, the value of a powerful flame was beyond imagination. Countless Alchemists spent their entire lives in search of a flame strong and pure enough to aid them in their path.
Although the Qianlan Water Flame didn't reach the level of a legendary Heavenly Flame, it was still among the top-tier beast flames. It could significantly enhance an Alchemist's ability, from processing medicinal ingredients to refining pills, and even in combat.
"Teacher, weren't you planning to use the Qianlan Water Flame to try and break through to Tier-5 Alchemist? Why would you suddenly…" Xue Mei also spoke, unable to remain silent.
"You don't understand. With my talent, I'll never reach Tier-5. What's the use of having the Qianlan Water Flame? What I need is true refining skill, not external resources!"
Frank shook his head, his expression solemn.
"My mind is made up. Xue Mei… never mind, I'll go get it myself!"
With that, Frank turned and walked straight out of the private room, heading for the auction hall exit. He didn't even glance at the Tier-4 pills he had originally come to auction.
His decisiveness left everyone speechless.
Only Otto stood there stunned, lips parted, before clenching his fist and punching the air. "Wait for me, I'm coming too!"
The two top Alchemists of Black Rock City were now running around because of a single sentence from that mysterious young man—an unbelievable scene to both Linfei and Xue Mei.
'Could that youth really be a Tier-6 Alchemist?'
Even the City Lord, a Dou Ling expert, looked pensive, deep in thought.
"Next, we'll be auctioning another pill. But unlike the ones before, this one is even more valuable."
The black-robed auctioneer's voice rang out again. On the silver tray now rested a jade-green pill.
A strong medicinal fragrance wafted through the air, and everyone in the auction hall could smell its refreshing scent.
"The pill scent is condensed—this is a Tier-5 pill?!"
"I heard Black Rock Auction House prepared three Tier-5 pills for this special auction. I didn't expect one to appear already!"
"Such a rich aroma… this is what a Tier-5 pill smells like?!"
As soon as the Tier-5 pill was revealed, the atmosphere in the room turned blazing hot. In particular, the noble clans and powerful families in the second-floor booths were practically gearing up for a showdown.
"As you can see, the condensed aroma confirms that this is indeed a Tier-5 pill. After being evaluated by Master Otto and Chairman Frank, it has been identified as a Recovery Pill, a Tier-5 healing medicine."
Seeing the crowd fired up, the auctioneer didn't delay and began explaining.
"This Recovery Pill is specifically designed to treat extremely severe injuries. Its medicinal properties are very gentle and won't further damage an already-injured body. It's a perfect remedy for life-threatening wounds!"
"Starting price—one million gold!"
"One million five hundred thousand!"
A commanding voice boomed from one of the second-floor booths, and the entire hall fell silent. All eyes turned.
Black Rock City's City Lord stepped out of his booth, standing proudly as he looked down over the crowd, as if proclaiming one thing:
'This Recovery Pill—I'm taking it.'
With a single bid, raising the price by five hundred thousand in one go, and with the authority of his position, the City Lord's move instantly silenced the competition.
Even those who were tempted gave up without a fight, wary of clashing with such power.
The entire auction house fell into silence.
"As expected of the City Lord—truly decisive and generous!"
A few seconds later, the black-robed auctioneer broke the silence with a flattering laugh. After asking three times per protocol and receiving no further bids, he finally dropped the hammer.
Sold!
This Tier-5 pill was now in the hands of Black Rock City's ruler.
"Tch, the City Lord is so overbearing. Who would dare compete after a bid like that?"
Inside the private booth, Xiao Yixian grumbled softly in dissatisfaction. "Even though 1.5 million is a lot, didn't that appraiser guy say this pill could go for up to 1.8 million? That's a 300,000 loss!"
Lin Ran could only smile wryly in response.
The City Lord's tactic might've been domineering, but 1.5 million for a Recovery Pill was still fair.
What puzzled Lin Ran, though, was that the City Lord didn't appear to be injured. Why spend such a fortune on a healing pill?
Surely the Dou Ling Pill would've been a better choice?
Because of the City Lord's bold move, the excitement stirred up by the Recovery Pill quickly settled. But the moment the next item appeared, Lin Ran's eyes snapped open.
On the silver tray was a crimson medicinal plant.
It was completely red, as if soaked in fresh blood, shaped like a chrysanthemum.
Strangely, each petal had a fuzzy, curled appearance—like the sinuous body of a dragon. The flower radiated no fragrance, yet at its center, the pistil shimmered with a faint golden-red glow, both strange and noble.
"Dragonblood Furred Chrysanthemum…" Lin Ran's eyes lit up with excitement.
Lin Ran's alchemy was taught by the Scorpion Demon Three Ghosts, and most of his pill formulas came from the Cloud Rain Sect's collection.
And everyone knows what kind of special pills Cloud Rain Sect collected…
For instance, the Heavenly Spirit Blood Dragon Pill, a Tier-7 pill that could replenish one's vital energy—its recipe required the Dragonblood Furred Chrysanthemum.
Even more critically, the chrysanthemum was one of the three essential ingredients for refining the Tier-7 Vajra Dragonbone Pill.
The Vajra Dragonbone Pill, a Tier-7 elixir, could massively strengthen the user's physical body, energize their limbs, and open their meridians—granting a near-indestructible body.
"I didn't expect to find such a surprise here." Lin Ran murmured, his eyes gleaming with interest.
The Dragonblood Furred Chrysanthemum was incredibly rare. It only formed under extreme conditions—it needed to be a spiritual variant of the chrysanthemum to begin with, and then be infused with the blood of a dragon-type magic beast.
Dragon-type beasts were among the most powerful on the continent. The odds of finding one whose blood just so happened to spill onto a Furred Chrysanthemum and give rise to this plant… were astronomically low.
As a Pure Yang constitution, if Lin Ran could also consume a Vajra Dragonbone Pill, the benefits would be beyond simple arithmetic.
This herb… he had to have it.
(End of Chapter)