Divine Beast Ascension

Chapter 480: Perennial Bids

Everyone throughout the auction hall peeled their eyelids back as they watched the auctioneer throw the cloth aside. But Oli snickered and didn’t seem fazed by the item’s arrival and reveal.

“Ladies! Gentlemen! We have a lightning battle art, early-perennial grade!”

The auctioneer’s voice filled the hall and perked the ears of quite a few people. Of course, not everyone had lightning essence to wield such an art. But there were still enough people present to spark at least a small bidding war.

Oli paid close attention to Karos specifically. He was the only person there that Oli was certain had lightning essence. Yet Oli also knew that this particular battle art hadn’t yet been placed in Iron Academy, according to his knowledge. Oli had only passed his ring’s “hidden” battle arts and techniques about a moon ago, when he had awoken from his formation and spent the day with his family. And Vloz had said that not every art or technique would be put inside since they screen them before letting the public have access through the academy. So Oli was certain that Karos would be instantly interested.

Continuing, the auctioneer announced, “This battle art will leave anyone and anything shocked and incapacitated! Known as the Stunning Web art, this battle art will help any cultivator with electric affinity control the battlefield and delay all opponents! And the first level of the Stunning Web art can be learned as an adept, making it perfect for clans and noble families to pass down for generations!”

Karos was unblinkingly staring at the furled scroll on the stage. After his father’s betrayal and crippling, Karos had effectively become the clan chief even though there was a clan perennial acting as the interim chief until Karos could form a divine core. With all the clan matters he had handled and debated for the last few years, how could Karos not long for such a battle art, both for his own sake and the sake of his clan?

“The bidding will start at nine thousand gold!”

.....

Instantly, Karos felt his heart twitch. He already knew it was impossible to get the battle art.

Oli started laughing in his seat, startling Fulkar though Oli quickly stopped and acted like it never happened. That battle art was the last of Oli’s four up for sale in the day’s auction, but Oli couldn’t help but admire how sly Icicle Palace was. All three of the peak elder scrolls had sold for just under three thousand gold or just over three thousand gold, making Oli just over nine thousand gold after removing the auction house’s cut. However, for the perennial art, the bidding was starting at the exact price they had offered Oli. That meant it would’ve guaranteed to get their money back while also guaranteeing a solid profit. Oli didn’t know if that was because of the market prices for battle arts, Icicle Palace’s astuteness, or both. But Oli admired the move nonetheless and committed the lesson to memory.

“Nine thousand!”

“Nine thousand five-”

“Ten thousand!”

Right away, the bidding eclipsed everything that had been sold up to that point, which further threw Karos’s heart into turmoil. Oli noticed the pained expression behind Karos’s silent gaze and could only sigh given Oli’s current circumstances as “Oliver”.

“Eleven thousand-”

Eleven thousand two hundred-”

“Eleven thousand five hundred gold!”

As the bid finally slowed, the auctioneer got a chance to speak. “What a bid! And what a treasure to take home! We have eleven thousand five hundred gold going once! ... Going-”

“Twelve thousand gold!”

The entire auction hall glanced back at one of the private booths. Finally, someone in the private booths had spoken up. And for such a battle art, one that could be used across three whole realms of cultivation, it made sense that some people would want it so badly.

“Twelve thousand five hundred!”

Another voice called out from a different booth, immediately challenging the other.

“Incredible!” the auctioneer shouted with joy and enthusiasm. “We have twelve thousand five hundred gold going once! ... Going twice!”

“Twelve thousand seven hundred and fifty!” the first booth shouted again, reclaiming the top bid.

The auctioneer glanced at the other booth and waited a second for a reply that never came. “... Twelve thousand seven hundred and fifty gold going once! ... Going twice! ... Sold!”

Dong! Dong! Even the bell rang twice as if congratulating the lucky winner. Some people even joined the auctioneer in a quick round of applause.

Oli was grinning from ear to ear under his mask, ecstatic to see it sell for thousands more than he’d anticipated. The elder battle arts had mostly covered the cost of Oli’s new gauntlets, and the early-perennial scroll shot that up incredibly. He now understood that the appraiser had given him great advice about selling the elder grade arts and auctioning the perennial grades.

“Moving along, we have some of our last peak-elder items before the next perennial grade piece!” announced the auctioneer, moving things along.

Things in the lounge calmed a bit more and there were no more bets from the private booths. People didn’t even know how many of the booths were filled at the moment, so the lower levels just focused on the lounge section and who won most of the bids.

Eventually, they brought out the second perennial grade item, an early-perennial icy dagger. Again, the private booths eventually took over the bidding and won the dagger for eleven thousand seven hundred and fifty gold. Then the last peak-elder item followed, leaving only the two perennial grade pieces to finish off the auction.

“Ladies! Gentlemen! Here we are, watching the second to last piece hit the stage!” the auctioneer shouted. “This is one of Permafrost Region’s specialty items! Though it doesn’t offer much protection from physical harm, it’s the perfect cover from the icy storms of the Permafrost Region. Here we have it, a frosted mantle! An item unique to regions like Permafrost Region, and an item that you’ll never find on the streets or in the market. You’ll only find frosted mantles in auctions, like today!”