Before long, Chris’s Sharpfin Shark Heartstone was auctioned off for five thousand Essence Stones.
Chris was quite satisfied with the price. While five thousand wasn’t a huge amount, every little bit counted.
As the first auction item was sold, the value of subsequent items quickly escalated. With each item auctioned off, the atmosphere in the venue grew increasingly intense.
The auction went on until nighttime, boasting nearly a thousand items in total. As the event neared its conclusion, Jane Clarkson, the auctioneer, smiled at the crowd and announced, “Next up is today’s final item: the Monster Stone!”
The room fell into stunned silence.
No one had expected the last item to be a Monster Stone.
Monster Stones were incredibly rare, only found in ancient beasts like the Titan Beast, and their value far exceeded that of a typical Heartstone.
The moment the Monster Stone was revealed, the audience erupted into a frenzy of bids.
Chris, however, remained calm and composed. After all, that Monster Stone belonged to him. He had acquired it in Fort Dragon.
Chris had handed over several Monster Stones to the mission hall, and they had decided to auction them off separately. This strategy was intended to attract more Aetherbinding cultivators to bid, ensuring higher prices overall.
In the end, Chris’s Monster Stone sold for fifty thousand Essence Stones.
With that, the first day of the auction came to a close.
The first day had merely been a warm-up. The real excitement would begin on the second day.
Even so, Chris couldn’t help but feel a little worried. He was concerned that the materials he needed might fetch extremely high prices in tomorrow’s auction.
For Chris, no matter how high the cost, he was determined to secure those materials. His top priority now was to strengthen himself.
Essence Stones held little meaning for him. Unlike Aetherbinding cultivators, he couldn’t use them to directly enhance his cultivation. For Chris, they were only useful for purchasing items.
In Aethelgard, strength was everything. Only the strong could avoid being oppressed.
—
The Second Day
By the time Chris arrived at the auction on the second day, the venue was already packed with people.
Just as he was about to enter, a guard stopped him.
“Please show your invitation,” said the guard, an Aetherbinding cultivator at the Solstice Realm.
Today’s auction was particularly special. As it was the final day, all items up for bid were exceptionally valuable. Without an invitation issued by the mission hall, no one was allowed entry.
Chris pulled out his invitation. After a thorough inspection, he was granted access.
Only representatives of major families, factions, or individuals with a net worth of over one hundred thousand Essence Stones had received invitations to today’s event.
As Chris entered, a staff member approached him.
“Hello,” they said. “We’ve prepared cloaks that can conceal one’s aura, cultivation level, and appearance.”
Chris was momentarily surprised but quickly understood the reasoning. Given the value of the items being auctioned, it wasn’t uncommon for people to resort to robbery after the event.
He nodded in agreement.
Soon, Chris donned the black cloak provided by the mission hall. It was long and hooded, effectively hiding his aura and features. Even Chris himself realized he couldn’t see through the cloak’s concealment.
“Impressive,” he thought, marveling at its effectiveness.
With this cloak, Chris could bid without fear of being targeted afterward. Without such protection, independent cultivators without strong backing could easily become victims of robbery after winning an auctioned item.
The venue filled quickly, with most attendees wearing identical black cloaks. Only a small number of people chose not to wear them. These individuals were either backed by powerful forces or possessed immense strength, making them unafraid of potential threats.
In addition to the bidders, numerous guards were stationed throughout the venue. Each guard was at least at the Pinnacle Realm, a testament to the mission hall’s formidable power.
—
Soon, Chris was handed a numbered bidding paddle, which corresponded to his seat. All he needed to do was raise the paddle to place a bid.
Chris scanned the crowd. There were no fewer than ten thousand attendees.
An hour later, the auction finally began.
Jane Clarkson took the stage once again, addressing the audience with a bright smile.
“Thank you all for joining us again today. This auction features nearly one thousand items…”
Though one thousand items seemed like a lot, with over ten thousand Aetherbinding cultivators in attendance, it was far from sufficient. The competition would undoubtedly be fierce.
“I now declare the auction open,” Jane announced. “Let us bring out the first item.”
A staff member walked onto the stage, carrying a tray.
Jane lifted the cover to reveal the item.
“The first item up for auction today is the Heartstone of a Level Seven Beast, the Steel Wolf,” she said.
The crowd gasped in shock.
No one had expected the auction to begin with such a rare item.
A Level Seven Beast like the Steel Wolf was equivalent to a Solstice Realm cultivator. Compared to the Fifth-Grade Sharpfin Shark Heartstone from the previous day, this was on an entirely different level.
Jane continued, “The starting bid for this Level Seven Steel Wolf Heartstone is ten thousand Essence Stones. Each subsequent bid must increase by no less than one thousand Essence Stones. Let the bidding begin!”
The room erupted into chaos.
Though the initial price of ten thousand Essence Stones was steep, everyone present had a minimum net worth of one hundred thousand Essence Stones.
“Ten thousand Essence Stones!”
“Fifteen thousand!”
“Twenty-five thousand!”
“Fifty thousand!”
In mere moments, the Steel Wolf Heartstone had reached a price of fifty thousand Essence Stones.
The Heartstone was eventually sold for that amount.
—
One by one, the auctioned items appeared, each with a starting bid of no less than ten thousand Essence Stones.
As more items were sold, Chris felt his anticipation mounting.