Chapter 106 - Kongtan Bamboo Slip
The next lot was brought out immediately. A single red feather rested inside a transparent glass case on the pedestal. It was long and bright crimson, radiating a warm light that cast a pleasant glow over the stage.
"Our next item is the Crimson Bird Feather," Elder Feng announced, his smile inviting. "It was recovered from the nest of an ancient fire-bird. According to our experts, it carries a trace of the legendary phoenix bloodline. For cultivators of the fire element, this feather is an invaluable tool for refining or cultivation. Bidding starts at thirty thousand spirit stones."
In the lower tier, a young female cultivator from the Heavenly Phoenix Sect sat forward, her eyes shining with greed. She wore the golden-ribboned robes of the Heavenly Phoenix Sect, and her gaze was fixed on the crimson feather.
"Forty thousand!" she called out, raising her bid token high.
Su Ming looked at the feather and casually activated his Essence Sight once more. He inspected the red feather closely, looking for the legendary phoenix bloodline. There was no trace of it. The red glow was simply the natural heat of a high-level fire element. It was a real feather, but it possessed no unique bloodline signature. The claim of phoenix heritage was simply false.
The bidding continued to rise, but the young female cultivator remained dominant.
"Fifty thousand!" she roared.
A merchant on the floor hesitated, then lowered his token.
"Fifty-five thousand," another voice bid from the corner.
"Sixty thousand!" the girl countered immediately, her tone sharp and final.
The hall went quiet. Elder Feng scanned the room, raising his gavel. "Sixty thousand spirit stones, going once. Going twice."
*Bang!*
"Sold to the young disciple of the Heavenly Phoenix Sect," Elder Feng announced.
The girl sat back, a look of smug satisfaction on her face as she gestured to her attendants. She looked as if she had secured a legendary treasure.
In Room Nine, Su Ming took a slow sip of his tea, resting his hands in his sleeves. The grand hall hummed as the attendants prepared the next lot. He remained silent, watching the crowd continue their struggles below.
***
"Honored guests," Elder Feng announced, his voice booming as he raised his hands to quiet the hall. "The initial items are now complete. We shall now proceed to the true treasures of the Auction. Let the final section of our grand auction begin."
The audience sat up, their attention sharpening.
The silver-robed attendants walked onto the stage, carrying a jade container. Inside was a set of yellowed bamboo slips bound by thin silver threads. A faint, glowing restriction array rippled across the surface of the bamboo, sealing the contents from any external probe.
"This is the Kongtan Bamboo Slip," Elder Feng said, his expression solemn. "It was recovered from the primary ruins of the Green Lotus Valley. Our experts believe it is the personal log of a disciple of the Holy Land. As you all know, such records often contain rare, lost alchemy formulas and refining methods."
He paused, letting his words sink in.
"The bidding starts at forty thousand spirit stones," Elder Feng announced.
Excited whispers immediately broke out across the floor. Rogue alchemists and sect elders leaned forward, their eyes fixed on the stage. The prospect of recovering a lost formula from the ancient era was highly tempting.
"Has the auction house verified these formulas?" a clear, commanding voice asked. It projected from the window of Room Two, carrying the authority of a royal princess.
Elder Feng bowed slightly toward the second tier, a brief flash of hesitation crossing his face.
"We must be honest with our guests," Elder Feng replied, his tone respectful. "The restriction array sealing the slip is ancient and exceptionally complex. Our formation masters have not been able to decipher the seal to inspect the inner records. Therefore, the formulas remain unverified."
The excited whispers died down instantly. Murmurs of disappointment ran through the crowd.
"Unverified?" a cultivator on the floor grumbled. "So it is a complete gamble. It might be nothing but a record of the disciple’s daily chores."
"Forty thousand stones for a blank piece of wood is too much," another agreed, shaking his head.
Behind the light screen of Room Eight, Shen Tianyu, the young master of the Nine Rivers Clan, stared down at the stage.
Unlike the ordinary cultivators who cowered at the mention of the undeciphered seal, Shen Tianyu felt supreme confidence. His clan possessed some of the finest array masters in the region, and he was certain that they could unravel any ancient restriction. If the slip contained even a single lost recipe, it would allow his family to dominate the local market.
Shen Tianyu pressed his hand against the communication array, his voice projecting clearly into the hall. "Fifty thousand."
The crowd murmured. Room Eight was stepping in, and everyone knew it belonged to the Nine Rivers Clan.
In Room Nine, Su Ming stared at the yellowed bamboo slip.
His hand rested on his chin as he calculated the risk. Forty thousand spirit stones was a significant amount. If he bought the slip and could not crack the array, he would throw away a massive portion of his funds for nothing. But he believed in his Lampy. With his Essence Sight and the Halo of Insight, he had deciphered Saint Rank cultivation techniques flawlessly, so what was this ancient formation?
The greed for a potential Saint Rank Alchemy inheritance burned within his chest. If the slip truly contained a formula from the Green Lotus Valley, its value would be immeasurable.
’A gamble, then,’ Su Ming thought, his eyes narrowing.
He reached for his token. "Sixty thousand," he spoke into the array.
In Room Eight, Shen Tianyu glared toward the dark screen of Room Nine, his brow furrowing in anger. That room had already taken the seeds and the meteorite core, and now they were interfering again.
"Seventy thousand," Shen Tianyu countered immediately, his hand tightening on the armrest of his chair.
"Eighty thousand," Su Ming answered without hesitation.
"Ninety thousand!" Shen Tianyu called out, his voice sharp with rising anger. He would not allow a nameless buyer to look down on his clan.
"One hundred thousand," Su Ming said, his voice flat.