Chapter 144: The Azure Lotus Cauldron! The Auction Concludes!

"Alright, next up, we will auction the eighth item of this session—the Nether Yin-Yang Fruit!"

As Liu Qingqiao’s voice faded, a fruit glowing with two contrasting colors—gloomy dark and blazing red—appeared before everyone's eyes.

The surface of the Nether Yin-Yang Fruit was covered in faintly curved patterns, split down the middle into crimson and jet-black. A soft, reddish glow surrounded the red side, while the dark side emanated an indescribable sense of gloomy eeriness.

An endless, uncanny luster radiated from the entire fruit.

Liu Qingqiao began to explain: "The Nether Yin-Yang Fruit grows in the dark and freezing Nether realm, where one side is shrouded in endless yin Qi while the other is bathed in boundless sunlight. It grows precisely at the boundary between darkness and light. It sprouts every one hundred years and bears fruit every five hundred. It possesses two major uses: first, it is an indispensable ingredient for refining the grade-nine Yin-Yang Pill; second, consuming it directly gives you a chance to acquire the Yin-Yang constitution."

"The starting bid is ten million crystal stones, and each increment must not be less than one hundred thousand! Let the bidding begin!"

After a brief pause, Liu Qingqiao shouted.

With the fall of the wooden mallet, the bidding officially commenced!

"Eleven million!"

"Twelve million!"

"Fourteen million!"

"Fifteen million......"

"........."

".......Eighteen million!"

......

Countless loud voices rang out as many people joined the bidding frenzy.

Sword Mystic Sect:
"The Nether Yin-Yang Fruit? It's not of much use to us, so we might as well leave it to those who need it. Besides, we already possess the Extreme Yin Sky Sword Totem," Sword Xuan said, rubbing his chin.

He stroked the storage ring in his hand; inside rested the Extreme Yin Sky Sword Totem!

"Indeed, it is of little use to us," the elder beside him nodded in agreement.

Demon Fiend Sect:
"Consuming the Nether Yin-Yang Fruit directly only gives a chance at the Yin-Yang constitution? If we miss out, wouldn't we be wasting money? Furthermore, there is only one here. If we use it for alchemy and it fails, that would be disastrous. We won't participate this time," Demon Fiend said, tapping the armrest of his chair in contemplation.

"Yes, Sect Master," the elder next to him nodded, sharing the exact same sentiment.

The representatives of several other major factions also discussed among themselves and decided to sit this one out. They were unwilling to gamble, preferring to leave the item to the rogue cultivators in the lower seating areas and let them have their fun.

The fierce competition among the crowd below was unrelenting, with competing shouts echoing back and forth intensely.

"Twenty million!"

As this shout fell, the bidding finally ceased.

In the end, the Nether Yin-Yang Fruit was successfully won by a rogue cultivator.

........

"Next, we will auction the ninth item of this session!—Yao Tao Liquor Spring!" A small, transparent red-and-white crystal bottle appeared before everyone.

"The Yao Tao Liquor Spring has formed through ten thousand years of precipitation. If consumed by someone below the Five-Star Dou Sheng but above the One-Star Dou Sheng, it can directly raise their strength by two stars. If consumed by a Nine-Turn Dou Zun, it can instantly advance them to a Two-Star Dou Sheng! The effect scales accordingly, with greater boosts for lower realms," Liu Qingqiao stated directly, introducing the item.

"Goodness me, is it really that powerful? This is defying the heavens! A direct two-star boost?!"

"Though it's restricted to those below the Five-Star Dou Sheng, it's already incredible."

The crowd was shocked. As expected, the Heavens Pavilion possessed all sorts of bizarre and miraculous treasures!

Meanwhile, in the Sword Mystic Sect:
"What? It can actually raise one's cultivation by two stars?!"
"This is a heaven-defying item!"
Sword Xuan cried out in astonishment.

"Sect Master, should we bid for this?" the elder beside him asked.

"We can't. Our funds are limited, and the others won't give us a chance," Sword Xuan stroked his beard and shook his head.
"Let's just sit back and watch the show. This one is bound to be very entertaining," Sword Xuan added after a pause.

Gu Wu Sect:
"A direct two-star increase? This is a supreme treasure for anyone stuck at the Nine-Turn Dou Zun level or cultivators below the Five-Star Dou Sheng. However, we have already surpassed that limit, so it's useless to us."
"However, we could buy it for my son. He is currently a Three-Star Dou Sheng; with this, he might be able to break through to the Five-Star Dou Sheng realm, giving us a better chance of winning the martial competition half a year from now," Gu Wu remarked.
"True. The Young Master is already formidable; advancing to the Five-Star Dou Sheng would make him truly extraordinary," the elder nodded.
"Bid for it!"
"Yes!"
Up to this point, the Gu Wu Sect had not successfully won a single item.

Demon Fiend Sect:
"Although it can raise one's cultivation by two stars, we are out of money. The rule of the Heavens Pavilion is that payment must be made immediately after winning," Demon Fiend shook his head and said.
"Should this subordinate have someone return to the sect for more funds?" the elder suggested.
Demon Fiend turned and looked at him with the expression one might reserve for a fool: "Is this your first time at the Heavens Pavilion?"
"Uh... ahem, this old man was merely speaking casually, just speaking casually..." the elder said awkwardly, waving his hand.

Tianba Sect:
"Although this is powerful, it's of no use to us," Tian Yi said.
"Then we won't get involved," Tian Yuhan nodded.
"Agreed."

..........

"The starting bid is fifteen million, and each increment must not be less than one million!" Liu Qingqiao's voice rang out at that moment.

"Gu Wu Sect, twenty million!" Just as Liu Qingqiao's words fell, a voice echoed from the Gu Wu Sect's box.

"Heavenly Ghost Gate, twenty-five million!"
An unfamiliar voice sounded.

"What? It's actually the Heavenly Ghost Gate?"
"This Heavenly Ghost Gate is no ordinary faction!"
"They are terrifyingly strong!"

As the voice of the Heavenly Ghost Gate appeared, the crowd gasped in astonishment, surprised that the faction, which had remained silent until now, had finally spoken up.

"Gu Wu Sect, thirty million!" Gu Wu frowned and shouted. He hadn't expected the Heavenly Ghost Gate to meddle in this. Originally, his chances of winning were high, but the appearance of the Heavenly Ghost Gate made things troublesome.

"Sect Master, I didn't expect the Heavenly Ghost Gate to show up as well," the elder beside him said with a grave expression.

"Hmph, regardless of them! An auction is won by the highest bidder!"

Heavenly Ghost Gate:
"Oh, it seems that old man Gu Wu intends to buy this for his precious son. But it's useful to us as well, hehe!" Inside one of the VIP rooms, a man dressed entirely in black, wearing a half-face mask resembling a ghost's fangs, smiled wickedly.

He exuded a dark, evil, and terrifying aura. An inexplicable pressure seemed to radiate from his very presence.

"Gate Master, let's show Gu Wu the wealth of our Heavenly Ghost Gate!" A gloomy voice, carrying a trace of deep chill, echoed from the ceiling wall. The speaker was a red-eyed bat!

"Heavenly Ghost Gate, forty million!" the Gate Master of the Heavenly Ghost Gate said slowly.

........

"The Heavenly Ghost Gate is fierce! They raised the bid by ten million in one go!"
"Impressive, truly impressive!"
"How can small fries like us compare to them? Too powerful!"

Hearing this, the crowd below started chattering excitedly once again.

"Dammit!"
Gu Wu slammed his fist onto the table in anger.
"Gu Wu Sect, forty-five million!" Gu Wu pressed the button and shouted.

"Heavenly Ghost Gate, fifty million!"

"Th-Th-The Heavenly Ghost Gate is intentionally setting themselves against our Gu Wu Sect!!" Gu Wu roared in fury, utterly enraged!

.......

"Fifty million, going once!"
"Fifty million, going twice!"
"Fifty million, going three times! Sold!"

"Congratulations to the Heavenly Ghost Gate for winning the ninth item of this session—the Yao Tao Liquor Spring for fifty million!"

Clap, clap, clap—
The crowd below broke into a unified wave of applause.

.........

"Alright, the auction is drawing to a close. Next, let us present the tenth item of this session!"
"The Green—Lotus—Cauldron!"

"What?!"
"It's actually the Green Lotus Cauldron!"
"Truly beyond imagination, completely unpredictable!!"

As Liu Qingqiao's voice dropped, another wave of uproar erupted from the crowd below.

Tianba Sect:
"What?! The Heavens Pavilion is actually auctioning the Green Lotus Cauldron?!" Tian Yi gasped, violently clutching his beard with wide eyes.

Sword Mystic Sect:
"Unbelievable, unbelievable! It's actually the Green Lotus Cauldron!!" Sword Xuan muttered repeatedly in disbelief.

Demon Fiend Sect:
"It's the Green Lotus Cauldron?! Has the Heavens Pavilion gone mad?" Demon Fiend cursed out loud.

Gu Wu Sect:
"It's the fifth-ranked Green Lotus Cauldron on the Cauldron Ranking!! What on earth is the Heavens Pavilion trying to do?!" Gu Wu roared!
They were completely baffled. Anyone who didn't know better would think the Heavens Pavilion had gone frantically broke.

........

"As everyone knows, the Green Lotus Cauldron is the fifth-ranked legendary cauldron on the Cauldron Ranking. I won't say much more; its utility is clear to all."
"The starting bid is forty million! Each increment must not be less than five million! Let the bidding begin!"
Liu Qingqiao shouted.

This was a dirty trick by the Heavens Pavilion!

"Gu Wu Sect, eighty million!!"
Gu Wu threw out the entirety of the savings he had brought with him.

"Good grief, the Gu Wu Sect is going all out! They raised it by forty million in a single leap, but this price is truly worth it!"
The crowd below muttered incessantly.

"Heavenly Ghost Gate, eighty-five million!" the Heavenly Ghost representative shouted.

Hearing this, Gu Wu grew furious. It was those bastards from the Heavenly Ghost Gate again!

"Gu Wu Sect, eighty million, plus three peak grade-eight medicinal pills!" Gu Wu said, his heart aching as he gritted his teeth.

"Heavenly Ghost Gate, eighty-five million, plus two peak grade-eight medicinal pills!" the Heavenly Ghost Gate countered.

"Damn it! They are intentionally opposing us!!" the elders of the Gu Wu Sect roared angrily.

"Hmph, you thought you could win the Green Lotus Cauldron with just eighty million? This is the fifth-ranked existence on the Cauldron Ranking, what a joke!" the Heavenly Ghost Gate laughed mockingly.

Inside the Super VIP Room:
"It seems the competition between these two is fierce," Qian Mo observed the scene outside. He had just consulted the Myantsu Encyclopedia regarding the value of the Green Lotus Cauldron and learned it was worth 150,000 Myantsu Coins!
One hundred million crystal stones equaled 10,000 Myantsu Coins, meaning he would still make a profit of 140,000 Myantsu Coins. This was truly a good bargain.

Qian Mo swallowed the last bite of his roast meat and said, "This cauldron should be quite comfortable to use as a hot pot later, seeing as it's so large."
With a smirk at the corner of his mouth, he walked over, pressed a button on the wall, and spoke slowly: "Reincarnation Hall, one hundred million."

.......

Reincarnation Hall, one hundred million————one hundred million—————one hundred million——
The voice instantly echoed throughout the entire venue.

"Wow!"
"Another one hundred million!"
"One hundred million!"
"I heard it again!"
"This Reincarnation Hall is filthy rich!"
"They throw out one hundred million right off the bat!!"

The crowd lost their composure, shouting out collectively!
The scene was extremely agitated.

Gu Wu Sect:
"Reincarnation Hall, one hundred million? Another one hundred million, this Reincarnation Hall is ridiculously wealthy," the members of the Gu Wu Sect muttered in a daze.
"Heh, even if it goes to the Reincarnation Hall, we cannot let the Heavenly Ghost Gate have it!" Gu Wu sneered.

Heavenly Ghost Gate:
"What on earth is this Reincarnation Hall?! I've never even heard of it! Why did they show up today?!" Tian Gui was losing his composure, blown away once again by the Reincarnation Hall's bid of one hundred million.
"Gate Master, this Reincarnation Hall possesses terrifying strength. A single burst of pressure suppressed everyone present here; they are not to be made enemies of!" the bat on the wall said with a hint of fear.
"Hmph! Fine, as long as that old man Gu Wu doesn't get it!" Tian Gui slammed his fist on the table and roared.

.........

"One hundred million, are there any higher bids?!" Liu Qingqiao was also stunned for a moment before recovering and shouting.
A glance at the scene below made it obvious that no one else would top that.

"One hundred million, going once!"
"One hundred million, going twice!"
"One hundred million, going three times! Sold!"
"Congratulations to the Reincarnation Hall for winning the Green Lotus Cauldron for one hundred million yuan!! Congratulations, congratulations!!"
Liu Qingqiao announced, taking the lead to applaud—
Clap, clap, clap————
The crowd below joined in and applauded along.

......

"It seems there's nothing more. Let's disperse; the Heavens Pavilion at most auctions ten items."
Thinking the auction had concluded, most people stood up, preparing to leave.

"Hey, what are you all doing? The auction isn't over yet!"
Seeing them stand up one after another, Liu Qingqiao quickly spoke up.

"What? It's not over? Weren't there only supposed to be ten items?" the crowd asked in confusion.

"This time is special, there is one final item—the eleventh item!" Liu Qingqiao explained.

"What? There's more? That's wonderful!"
"The Green Lotus Cauldron wasn't the last one?"
The crowd was astonished and quickly scrambled back to their original seats.

The various sect leaders murmured in disbelief: "There's still a final item? The Green Lotus Cauldron wasn't the last one!!"
Goodness gracious! The venue instantly exploded into chatter...

..........

"Next, we will proceed with the auction of the eleventh item, and also the final item of this year's session!" Liu Qingqiao announced.

In an instant, seven small bottles rose before everyone's eyes.
Inside each of the seven bottles was a single medicinal pill radiating a brilliant red glow.

"Th-This is a medicinal pill?"
That was the first thought that flashed through everyone's minds.

Could there be something so special about these pills that they were left for last, even breaking the Heavens Pavilion's tradition of many years?

"As you might have guessed, yes, these are medicinal pills!"
"However, these pills are different from the ones you usually see. There are seven bottles here, meaning you have seven opportunities. This kind of pill can cure all diseases and mend all injuries. Whether your meridians are shattered, your dantian is ruined, or your body is crippled, they can be instantly healed!" Liu Qingqiao explained.

"What? These pills are this heaven-defying?!"
"Such pills actually exist between heaven and earth, why didn't we know about them!"
"How could such pills exist!"

No one could believe it; it simply felt unreal.
Could they be fakes?

"I know this sounds unrealistic, but I can guarantee with the entire reputation of the Heavens Pavilion that what you see before your eyes is real!"
"The name of this pill is—the All-Curing Crimson Light Pill!" Liu Qingqiao declared, extending a hand.

"The All-Curing Crimson Light Pill?!"
The crowd was baffled. What on earth was that?

"That's right, and they are even half-step peak grade-nine medicinal pills," Liu Qingqiao added.

If they weren't shocked before, this statement hit them hard. They were actually half-step grade-nine pills!

"They're actually half-step grade-nine pills!"
"Just which legendary master refined these!"
The crowd broke into fervent discussions.

Meanwhile, the master of those pills, Qian Mo, was leisurely sipping fruit juice.
"Husband, your pills are out," the two women naturally recognized those medicinal pills.

As their words fell, the five members of the Spirit Heaven Sect lost their composure. These... these miraculous pills were actually refined by His Imperial Highness!
This was a momentous deal!!

.........

"These pills were not refined by the Heavens Pavilion, but by another party. However, that person does not want crystal stones in exchange; they require items of equal value. There are seven pills in total here, let the bidding begin!" Liu Qingqiao stated.

"The Gu Wu Sect offers five peak grade-eight medicinal pills for one!" Gu Wu shouted.
"The Burning Sky Pavilion offers seven refined grade-eight medicinal pills for one!"
"The Tianba Sect offers eight grade-seven pills plus two grade-eight pills for one!"
"The Demon Fiend Sect offers seven high-grade grade-eight pills for one!"
"The Sword Mystic Sect offers ten high-grade grade-seven pills for one!"
"The Heavenly Ghost Gate offers one peak half-step grade-nine pill for one!"
"The Nine Heavens Gate offers five peak grade-eight medicinal pills for one!"

The voices of all the major superpowers rang out in unison.

Inside the Super VIP Room:
Listening to the massive quantities of medicinal pills being offered, Qian Mo's eyes lit up. He could sell all these for a tidy sum of money.
It was just a pity these Crimson Light Pills couldn't be sold directly to the system; otherwise, Qian Mo would have exchanged them all for divine power and gotten rich long ago. Still, he could trade other items to the system instead—recycling them yielded great profits.

"Very well, I need to consult the owner of the pills regarding this," Liu Qingqiao said, just as a single word—"Approved"—echoed directly in her ear.
"Alright, congratulations, the owner of the pills has agreed to these transactions," Liu Qingqiao nodded and announced.

The crowd handed pouch after pouch of medicinal pills over to the Heavens Pavilion's managers, and subsequently, pill after pill fell into their respective hands.

........

In Qian Mo's hands, pouches were bulging with medicinal pills: "Not bad, such high-grade pills can fetch a decent amount of money. Though it's not a fortune, having them is enough," Qian Mo thought to himself with satisfaction.

As this round of transactions came to an end, Liu Qingqiao spoke from below: "With the final transaction concluded, today's Heavens Pavilion auction comes to an end. We are dismissed, and we look forward to next year's auction!"

As Liu Qingqiao's voice dropped, the crowd began to stand up and leave.

Only the occupants of the VIP rooms remained behind, gazing at the red pills inside the small bottles in their hands, studying them intently. Were they truly that miraculous? These had cost them a small fortune in pills to acquire, but they trusted the Heavens Pavilion's guaranteed reputation. Besides, the Heavens Pavilion had never sold fake goods over all these years, so they didn't need to worry anxiously.

Soon, the remaining patrons also followed suit and departed.

Only Qian Mo's VIP room remained occupied.

"Everyone has dispersed," Qian Mo said as he stood up, turning to the five members of the Spirit Heaven Sect. "Let's go, I'll take you to the back to pick out some things."

With a gentle wave of his hand, the useless items in the room were incinerated into nothingness by a wisp of white flame. He took the lead in walking out of the door, and the rest followed closely behind.
Each of them held several skewers of grilled meat, eating as they walked.

.....

Qian Mo arrived back at the earlier reception room, where Long AoGu stood drinking tea. Suddenly recalling Qian Mo, the "Star-Picker," Long AoGu hurriedly set his teacup down.

However, no sooner had he put it down than Qian Mo and his group appeared right before him.

Long AoGu choked on his saliva and looked at Qian Mo: "Cough, cough! Why are you all back here? I was just about to go pick you up."
Despite saying this, his old face flushed red.

"Hehe, old man Long, don't be so formal. We're all friends here!" Qian Mo said with an utterly harmless expression, handing him a skewer of grilled meat. "Here, old man Long, try the grilling skills of a few people in my household; they're quite good."

Upon hearing this, Long AoGu felt like he wanted to die. They hadn't even known each other for a full day, who was friends with him?!
Don't try to buddy up with me, because he had a bad feeling that nothing good was going to follow. Glancing at the five people trailing behind Qian Mo, he seemed to guess what was coming...

He looked at the skewers in front of him and sniffed the lingering aroma. Goodness gracious, did it have to smell this good? He had a feeling that once he ate this, he'd be getting onto a pirate ship.

"Don't stand on ceremony, go ahead and eat!" Qian Mo said in a calm tone, though his intentions were utterly malicious.

"I always have this ominous feeling that something is about to happen," Long AoGu said.

"Oh, come on, old man Long, you saying that really breaks my heart. You actually doubt my sincerity!" Qian Mo put on a heartbroken expression.

The more Long AoGu thought about it, the more wrong it felt, but he still took the skewer from Qian Mo and shoved a piece into his mouth. Better to eat free food than none! The moment it touched his tongue, his eyes lit up. The texture! The flavor! Good grief, this was insanely delicious!!
Incredible, simply incredible!

He looked back at Qian Mo, only to catch Qian Mo's mischievous grin.
Long AoGu's pupils contracted. He just knew nothing good was coming.

"Alright, everyone sit down," Qian Mo said to the group behind him.
He took the lead in finding a seat, and the others followed suit, sitting down as well.

"Here, let me introduce you. This is the master of the Heavens Pavilion, Long AoGu! And let me tell you, he is magnanimous and generous!" Qian Mo said.

The group stared in astonishment. They hadn't expected the legendary, deeply mysterious master of the Heavens Pavilion to be right before their eyes!!
They were shocked, but Long AoGu was different—his heart skipped a beat. Magnanimous? Generous? What the hell was that! His ominous premonition grew stronger by the second.
He had a sinking feeling he was about to be heavily fleeced today!!!

"Ha... haha, hello there, young lads," Long AoGu nodded awkwardly, greeting them.

The group looked at Qian Mo, amazed at how formidable their Imperial Highness truly was! Even the master of the Heavens Pavilion treated him with such deference. They naturally figured that the Pavilion Master was smiling so amiably entirely because of their Imperial Highness. They hadn't expected His Highness to command such enormous prestige—though considering he had suppressed everyone present earlier, they suspected this Pavilion Master might have been suppressed as well.

"Greetings, Pavilion Master," the group nodded politely. Regardless of the reasons, the man was still a senior expert!

"Old man Long," Qian Mo watched Long AoGu finish eating the meat, and once he was nearly done, he finally spoke.

Here it comes, here it comes! Did he really think he didn't know this brat's character? Wicked to the core!!
It was definitely, certainly, absolutely malicious intent!!

"Ahem, old man Long, you've finished your food. If it's not enough, we have more right here, you can eat your fill. Now, the reason I'm looking for you today is—well, look at these people. Firstly, they're young, and secondly, they didn't bring enough money, so naturally, they couldn't win anything at the auction. Therefore, you understand! They couldn't win at the auction, but what about items that aren't being auctioned?" Qian Mo placed his hands in front of him and gave a couple of dry coughs.

Waaahhhh!! This brat, he knew it! How could he possibly be so kind?! This was the very same punk who had once literally pissed him off enough to spit blood!
Shameless bastard!! The fox had finally shown its tail!

Long AoGu forced himself to remain calm and said, "Lord Qian, this old man doesn't quite understand your meaning, are you..."

"Old man Long, just take us straight to the storage vault where you keep all those items that weren't put up for auction. These five need to pick out some suitable gear. Don't worry, they'll pay for it. Isn't that right, you guys?" Qian Mo cut straight to the chase, too lazy to keep beating around the bush with this old fogey!

Hearing this, the group hurriedly nodded and chimed in, "Yes, yes, we will pay for them!"

Long AoGu hadn't expected Qian Mo to be so direct. Stunned by this bold move, he found himself momentarily speechless. Now that the other party had laid it out so blatantly, if he refused, who knew if he'd end up coughing up blood again!

"Ah! So that's what Lord Qian meant! This old man thought it was something else. Sure, no problem at all, I'll take you over right now," Long AoGu put on an expression of sudden realization, trying to look unconcerned on the outside, while his heart was bleeding profusely on the inside!

The items in that vault weren't auctioned, but there were countless treasures in there. He was so reluctant to part with them! That Green Lotus Cauldron had already been snatched away by this fellow—he had only made it the tenth item as a last resort to save face. Otherwise, where would his dignity go? It was all to preserve the prestige of the Heavens Pavilion!
That was why he had let the Green Lotus Cauldron go, though he had regretted it afterward... Heartache! It hurt like hell! That was the fifth-ranked cauldron on the Cauldron Ranking!
Though they possessed the fourth-ranked cauldron themselves, it still hurt. But at least it was this brat who won it and not some other major family, which made it slightly easier to swallow—though only slightly!!