Chapter 51: The Auction
Chapter 51: The Auction
News about the Tianyuan Fragment World spread throughout the Immortal Phoenix Emperor Dynasty. Initially, they paid little attention to it, as the fragment world had never directly affected the dynasty before. However, this time, it was different. When they heard about the actions of a ruthless man who once resided in the original fragment world, interest began to grow rapidly.
Rumors spread quickly, and the name of the man, Jiang Yun, Sect Master of the Fallen Heavenly Blood Sect, became widely known. He had managed to steal all the resources from the Tianyuan Fragment World and annihilate nearly all the forces that had entered. Even the Ninth Princess, along with 300,000 soldiers, had entered the fragment world. However, the powerful army, consisting of Immortal cultivators, was unexpectedly slaughtered, leaving only a handful of survivors.
The surviving soldiers could not explain how this man had achieved such devastation. They only reported that Jiang Yun had used weak or severely injured cultivators, who had no combat strength, but somehow, their bodies were transformed into devastating weapons. The explosion from these bodies instantly killed the Immortal soldiers. The subsequent colossal explosion resulted in the collapse of the Tianyuan Fragment World, leaving almost no survivors from the catastrophe.
Jiang Yun's name spread, associated with terror and brutality. Many sought to kill him, but fear held them back, as they suspected Jiang Yun might be a significant figure within the Immortal Jiang Emperor Clan. They sent people to investigate before taking any action.
Later, the Golden Commerce Pavilion in the Immortal Phoenix Emperor Dynasty was bustling. People from all over the world had gathered for a grand auction. The Golden Commerce Pavilion was known as one of the most influential and wealthiest auction houses in the empire. High-level cultivators, nobles, and leaders from both the Phoenix Dynasty and other Immortal Emperor forces had come to compete for the valuable items to be auctioned.
In a high-level auction room, a woman's voice echoed through the air. Her gaze was cold yet resolute.
"What is the current situation?"
From one corner of the room, a dark shadow appeared from the void. He bowed respectfully before answering in a calm voice.
"More than 40% of the forces have already surrendered to us."
The woman nodded slightly, satisfied. She waved her hand, signaling for the shadow to leave. Once the shadow disappeared from the room, she sat gracefully on her throne. Shortly after, her younger sister entered the room with another man. The two bowed to her respectfully, and the man spoke.
"Greetings, Princess Feng Yi."
She nodded in acknowledgment and turned her gaze to the auction that was about to begin.
In another equally luxurious room, a young man with a commanding presence sat on a high chair, flanked by two women. This man was not from the Immortal Phoenix Fire Dynasty but was Zi Hao, the Holy Son of the Immortal Sword Emperor Sacred Land from the Immortal Wind Continent. He gazed out the window, his eyes filled with determination.
"I hope this journey is worth the time I've spent," the young man said in a quiet yet sharp tone.
The two women beside him immediately clung to him affectionately. One of them spoke in a soft but confident voice.
"You will not be disappointed, my lord."
The young man smiled faintly and gently stroked both women's heads, his eyes gleaming with confidence.
"Let's see if this place has anything that can pique my interest."
In yet another room filled with warmth, a young woman sat with an elderly man and woman. They conversed in a friendly manner.
The young woman, named Xue Ting, asked with concern, "How is our family doing now?"
The elderly woman chuckled softly before explaining the family's growth, the accomplishments of the siblings, and the changes within the clan. "They are all growing well, so don't worry."
The gentle laughter of the elderly woman filled the room with a peaceful atmosphere.
Shortly after, a woman stepped out with her guards at her side. She exuded elegance and power as she walked up to the stage and spoke with a resonant voice that echoed throughout the auction hall.
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jin Ling, and I will be your auctioneer for today."
Excited cheers erupted from the men in the audience. Many were drawn to Jin Ling's extraordinary appearance and bearing. Even some of the women were impressed by her beauty and strength.
In the auction hall filled with high-level cultivators, all eyes suddenly turned to a man who walked in with an arrogant demeanor. Dressed in black with gold embroidery, he exuded a menacing aura. Amidst the noisy crowd, the man took a seat among the regular auction attendees, causing many to show clear signs of surprise.
Zi Hao was slightly taken aback when he saw the man enter so calmly amidst the tense atmosphere. Xue Ting furrowed her brows and softly spoke.
"A truly dangerous individual... Have someone use a photo stone to capture his appearance and inform the family that he is an ally only, never an enemy. Anyone who disobeys will face severe punishment."
Feng Yi, sitting nearby, chuckled softly before speaking with an undertone of intrigue, "How interesting..."
Meanwhile, Feng Ling, who was sitting not far away, expressed shock mixed with anger when she saw the man everyone was talking about. "Jiang Yun! How dare you walk into the territory of the Immortal Phoenix Emperor Dynasty!" She almost leapt from her seat in fury.
Whispers filled the auction hall as everyone was stunned to realize that this was Jiang Yun, the Sect Master of the Fallen Heavenly Blood Sect, the man who had once slaughtered many of the Immortal Phoenix Emperor Dynasty's soldiers. The murmurs grew louder.
"He's truly terrifying... but doesn't he fear death?"
"I'd like to see if he's really as strong as they say."
"A peak Heavenly Immortal at the age of 20... What kind of monster is this?" A voice from the void murmured.
Feng Yi gently waved her hand, signaling Feng Ling to stop. However, before Feng Ling could calm down, the man accompanying her rushed forward in a fit of rage, his energy surging wildly as he charged directly at Jiang Yun, intending to kill him on the spot.
Before the attack could reach Jiang Yun, the auction house's guards intervened, trying to stop the imminent fight. But as the attacker closed in, a mysterious force suddenly radiated from nowhere. As soon as he got near Jiang Yun, the invisible power ruthlessly cut through his body, nearly killing him in an instant.
The staff of the Golden Commerce Pavilion couldn't discern the source of this power until the head of the auction branch hurried over to stop the situation, shouting loudly.
"Young man, you cannot kill anyone within the Golden Commerce Pavilion!"
Jiang Yun chuckled softly, "I was a little surprised myself." He glanced around before speaking in a bored tone, "So, can the auction begin already?"
The atmosphere in the auction hall was heavy with silence. No one dared speak further. With Jiang Yun's words, Jin Ling, the auctioneer, stepped onto the stage, smiling slightly before announcing the start of the auction.
"Let's set aside the conflict for now and begin the auction."
In the high-level auction room, after the man returned from his swift action, Feng Ling turned to him, speaking shyly, "Thank you so much..." The man smiled slightly, feeling pleased that he could help her.
But suddenly, Feng Yi, sitting not far away, tossed a vial of medicine toward the man. He caught the vial in confusion, but before he could react, his body began to tear apart as if something had sliced through it. However, the medicine Feng Yi had given him immediately began to work, healing and restoring his body quickly.
Feng Ling rushed over. "Are you alright...?"
The man sighed in relief before expressing his gratitude.
"I'm fine now, thank you so much, Princess..."
Feng Yi merely waved her hand dismissively, signaling that no thanks were necessary. She then shifted her gaze from the man and turned her attention to Jiang Yun, who was sitting across the room. Her eyes gleamed with curiosity, as if she was intrigued by him. In contrast, Feng Ling, sitting beside her, was filled with burning anger, her spirit blazing like an uncontrollable fire.
The tension in the auction hall escalated, but before anything could happen, Jin Ling, the auctioneer, stepped up to the stage and announced the first item with a commanding voice.
"The first auction item is the Immortal Emperor Rebirth Pill! This pill can resurrect anyone below the Half-Emperor level and can also heal injuries for Immortal Emperors."
Excited murmurs spread throughout the hall upon hearing the pill's miraculous abilities. Jin Ling smiled slightly before continuing.
"The starting price for this pill is 500 million high-grade Immortal Spirit Stones. Bids must increase by no less than 100 million stones each time. Let the auction begin!"
As soon as Jin Ling announced the start, the bids echoed loudly throughout the room.
"600 million!"
"700 million!"
"1 billion!"
"1.5 billion!"
"2 billion!"
The auction raged fiercely until Jin Ling raised her hand to declare the final bid.
"2 billion, going once! 2 billion, going twice! 2 billion, going thrice! Congratulations to the bidder in the high-level auction room!"
Jiang Yun seemed slightly bored as soft applause spread among the auction participants. Meanwhile, several pairs of eyes turned to the high-level auction room, where the winner of the bid was located.