Ethereal City was a large city with trees shading the streets. The population was huge as well, probably numbering more than a hundred million. Countless flying vessels travelling across the city, and there were many cars shuttling back and forth on the ground.
As for the dense horde of passers-by inside the city, all of them appeared to be in a rush, as though they were very busy.
Thankfully, Wang Baole's voice transmission ring had a map and location functionality. Furthermore, he had plenty of time. He headed toward the auction house according to the directions.
Along the way, he engaged in sightseeing. He looked at the buildings and stores that lined the streets and experienced the bustle that was different from his hometown, Phoenix City. Although there was nothing new that surprised him, there were many things that caught his eye.
For instance, he was looking at a building not far from him as he unwittingly exhaled in awe.
The building looked like an ancient Roman Colosseum, but it was massive, more than ten soccer fields large. If one looked at it from the sky, the entire building looked like a giant fist!
And high in the sky, there were roaring disturbances as though many battles were taking place simultaneously.
This is probably the legendary fight club where free-style fighting is employed, right? Wang Baole took another few glances. He had read an introduction of the place before on the news. When he looked at the club's entrance, there were quite a number of strongmen dressed in black uniforms standing outside. They were Blood Qi realm experts, each looking quite threatening simply by standing there.
I'll be heading to the auction house today, so I'll have to come back another time. Although Wang Baole was usually wise beyond his years, he was still a youth. He was nevertheless very interested in such hot-blooded combat fighting.
Filled with anticipation, Wang Baole took another few more glances before leaving. He marveled at his surroundings until noon, finally arriving at his destination—Cloud Hawk Auction House!
As one of the four biggest auction houses in Ethereal City, Cloud Hawk Auction House might not have been as magnificent as Ethereal Auction House, but it was still a grand sight. From afar, it looked like a male hawk with its wings spread. It was erected in the northern region of Ethereal City, spanning more than fifteen kilometers.
Tall walls split off from its periphery, and it was swarming with guards. As for the auction venue's interior, it was even more luxurious. It was enough to host ten auctions simultaneously, each holding ten thousand people.
That was especially so for the large venue in the middle, the Cloud Hawk Auction House's premier venue. Any auction that happened there would be able to stir up Ethereal City.
The auction that was being held this time was not qualified to be held in the main venue. Instead, it was held at Auction Hall No. 3 in the right wing. Wang Baole did not have an invitation, but he had long learned of the rules. He had reserved a spot through the Spirit Internet with his status as Ethereal Dao College's specially-recruited student.
With his identity jade token in hand, Wang Baole was checked by the guards at the door. He successfully entered the venue, and as he was relatively early, there were not many people present. He was guided by beautiful attendants into Auction Hall No. 3.
Although it was numbered third, it was able to seat ten thousand people. Each seat had autonomous functions. Not only was it comfortable, it also provided Ice Spirit Water as well as snacks. One could see the surroundings clearly from that spot as well as the high platforms ahead.
This place is way too extravagant. Wang Baole drank the Ice Spirit Water and ate the snacks. He felt that the entrance fee of one Spirit Stone was worth it.
As he enjoyed the service happily, more people entered. The auction hall slowly became lively. Many people knew each other and sat together, chatting and laughing in the process.
There was no lack of Ethereal Dao College students. They came in groups, but most of them were senior students. Occasionally, there were freshmen. They discussed the auction with excitement and wonder.
Wang Baole, who was drinking the Ice Spirit Water, even saw Zhuo Yifan among them. As for Zhuo Yifan, he also noticed him. Immediately, his smiling face turned cold.
The setback that Wang Baole had caused him was just too intense. Wang Baole was an extremely sore sight for him. With a snort, he turned around and began chatting with a few newly acquainted senior students.
What's his deal? Thinking how great he is and all. Wang Baole snorted as well, finishing the Ice Spirit Water in one gulp before opening a second bottle. After a long wait, a rousing musical tune boomed throughout the venue when the auction hall reached an adequate number of people. Everyone turned silent as a bright beam appeared on the stage in front of them.
Beneath the beam was a decently-dressed, middle-aged man. He slowly walked out and, with a smile, bowed to the audience.
"Everyone, welcome to Cloud Hawk Auction House. I'm Li Jingtao, your auctioneer for today. Alright, without further ado, let the auction begin!" The middle-aged man's voice was loud and clear, reaching every corner of the hall. He waved his right hand, and immediately, a projection appeared behind him. In it was a huge bone.
The bone was purple in color, emanating a lustrous glimmer. A ferocious feeling could be felt through the projection, causing many people to feel shaken.
"Lightning Bird, an extremely savage creature that lives in Electromagnetic Storms. Upon maturing, it will grow a lightning bone. This bone is extremely beneficial when it comes to the refinement of pills or Dharmic Armaments, or even the cultivation of warriors.
"Although it's an ordinary adult Lightning Bird, the difficulty of obtaining this lightning bone is equally difficult. The starting price is… 20 Spirit Stones!"
After the middle-aged man spoke, there was a temporary silence in the auction hall. Wang Baole widened his eyes, too. Although he knew of the beast war and knew how powerful ferocious beasts were, this was the first time he was seeing the lightning bone of a Lightning Bird. He could not help but take a few more glances at it.
The bidding soon started, and to Wang Baole's astonishment, the lightning bone was eventually auctioned off at the high price of 60 Spirit Stones.
It's worth so much! Wang Baole touched the tiny bag he carried. His confidence dropped immediately. However, he turned confident once again when he thought of his 75% pure Spirit Stones. After all, the auction house used 50% pure Spirit Stones to settle the payment. Every 10% increase in purity increased the price manyfold.
As the auction proceeded, one item after another appeared through a projection. Things were constantly snapped up. Although some items failed to receive any bids, most of the items were bought by someone. Wang Baole felt his horizons broaden. Apart from the various materials from the different beasts, there were also pills, Dharmic Artifacts, and even cultivation techniques. However, most of them were incomplete fragments.
There were a few times that Wang Baole was tempted by the items, but he endured the enticement, waiting for the Cleansing Pill's appearance.
Finally, the auctioneer smiled when the auction was halfway through. He waved, and a milky-white pill manifested behind him!
The pill was not crystalline, but it would give anyone who saw it an impulse to swallow it. It was as though it was an innate desire.
The moment the pill appeared, its herbal fragrance permeated the entire auction hall. Immediately, many people felt energetic, especially Zhuo Yifan and some of the senior students. Their eyes were bright.
Wang Baole sat straight up as well, his heart racing while his eyes stared intently at the pill.
"I won't go into detail about the Cleansing Pill. I believe many of you are here for this pill. The starting price is… 100 Spirit Stones!"
"101!"
"102!"
"103!"
Instantly, bidding voices erupted in the auction hall. Zhuo Yifan had also bid, looking bent on obtaining it.
"I offer 150 Spirit Stones!"
Wang Baole turned anxious as he suddenly shouted, "160 Spirit Stones!"
"170!" Zhuo Yifan frowned as he grunted.
"180!" Wang Baole did not hesitate as he raised the price once again. The others gradually gave up, leaving only Wang Baole and Zhuo Yifan as the remaining bidders. The price went from a hundred plus to more than five hundred.
Such a price—even if the Cleansing Pill was something rare—made it overvalued. Everyone exchanged looks before looking at Wang Baole and Zhuo Yifan, whose faces were red.
Zhuo Yifan clenched his teeth as he stood up and said angrily, "Wang Baole, do you dare compete with me when it comes to Spirit Stones? My family is filthy rich. I bid 700!"
He was a scion with no lack of Spirit Stones, and due to the prior running and weight-lifting incidents, he found Wang Baole a very sore sight. Worst of all, he was in desperate need of the Cleansing Pill. Therefore, he bit the bullet and bid a stunning price.
"Screw you!" Wang Baole's breathing turned heavier. Although he had accumulated quite a number of Spirit Stones, he had about a thousand or so when converted to 50% purity. He stood up as well, staring angrily at Zhuo Yifan before shouting, "1,000 Spirit Stones!"
The moment this price was offered, there was a silence before an uproar broke out. They felt that the price was already ridiculous.
Zhuo Yifan was also shocked. His breathing heavy, his neck tensed, he shouted once more. He was from the Combat faculty and was just short of the Pulse Enrichment realm. In his agitation, his voice was extremely loud.
"1,100 Spirit Stones!"
Wang Baole widened his eyes. His ears hurt from the tumultuous voice. Hence, he took out the megaphone from his bag and pointed it at Zhuo Yifan, shouting, "1,500 Spirit Stones!"
The voice was so loud that, not only did it give Zhuo Yifan a fright, the surrounding crowd drew a gasp as well. Even the auctioneer's body faltered. He looked at Wang Baole with an odd expression.
If this was the end, one could only claim that Wang Baole's voice was loud. After his bellow, he did not wait for anyone to react. He took out an Empty Stone in front of everyone's watchful gazes. With it in hand, he began refining Spirit Stones!
As a large amount of Spirit Qi was condensed, the Empty Stone in his hand rapidly transformed, turning into a Spirit Stone at a discernible rate. This scene could be said to be an absolute blow to everyone present!
"You want to match the Spirit Stones I have? Screw you! I can create them on the spot. Come! Let's see who has more!" Wang Baole roared, staring at the dumbfounded Zhuo Yifan, his eyes filled with disparagement.
"He… He can actually refine on the spot?"
"I recall that he's from the Dharmic Armament faculty."
"Then what's there to compete over?"
While the crowd smiled bitterly, Zhuo Yifan nearly went mad. Even in his wildest dreams, he had never imagined that such a thing could happen at an auction. Although it was known that the Dharmic Armament faculty was well known for its Spirit Stone refinement, he had never witnessed it personally before.
But at that moment… Wang Baole's actions were like a critical strike on him. Although his family was rich, he also shrank back. After all, the number of Spirit Stones he had was limited, but… Wang Baole was practically printing money!
The feeling was identical to the running and weight-lifting incidents; it left Zhuo Yifan trembling. The senior student beside him, who he had just become acquainted with, looked at Zhuo Yifan pitifully as he shook his head with a sigh.
"This is the Dharmic Armament faculty.
"To think you attempted to compete with him. Did you not notice that all the senior students shut up once they noticed him? The Dharmic Armament faculty is known for being a walking money-printing machine. Who can compete with that?"
When the other senior students heard that, they sighed as well. Clearly, people from the Dharmic Armament faculty had left a deeply buried scar in each of these senior students.
When Zhuo Yifan heard that, the anger and disappointment in him could hardly be described. He felt disconsolate upon seeing Wang Baole create Spirit Stones on the spot.
"This is unfair!
"How can the Dao College leave such unbalanced matters unchecked? If this goes on, won't the auction house end up being reserved specially for people from the Dharmic Armament faculty?" Zhuo Yifan was trembling in anger. It felt impossible for him to vent the aggrieved feelings and anger in him.
However, before he could finish, a senior student beside him laughed.
"You are really naive."
"They specialize in the art of printing money. Why would the Dao College interfere in that? But what you said is right. Auction houses are prepared for the Dharmic Armament faculty. Didn't you notice? The moment he bid, everyone fell silent. You are still a freshman and lack experience."
The senior student sighed. Many of his peers beside him sighed as well.
"Once people from the Dharmic Armament faculty appear in an auction house, they will always have first dibs. Once they are done picking, the rest will be left to us from the other faculties. There's no other way about it. We earn money, and if we are lucky, snatch money, but they… they create money."
"Isn't that so? They can create as much as they want. How can you compete with that?"
The senior students had a lamentable tone to their words. It drove Zhuo Yifan crazy once again. In his rage, he felt like he had suddenly become a pauper. However, he caught wind of the term 'snatch money' and could not help but ask, "The Dao College allows the snatching of money?"
The senior students did not reply and only smiled.
Zhuo Yifan felt despondent that even the senior students did not reply to him. He glared at Wang Baole, feeling extremely indignant. He felt that he had a lot of Spirit Stones, and even if Wang Baole could print money, he would ultimately be slower. There was no way he could snatch the pill from him. Therefore, when the auctioneer had struck the hammer twice and was about to deliver the third final strike, he shouted, "I offer 1,700 Spirit Stones!"
Wang Baole turned his head and glared at Zhuo Yifan. He found Zhuo Yifan an increasingly sore sight and was bent on going all out.
"I offer 2,000 Spirit Stones!" The moment he said that, Wang Baole finished refining a Spirit Stone and began to refine a second one. He had already made up his mind. At worse, he would stay back for a period of time after the auction, leaving only after he was done refining all the Spirit Stones. Even if he became fat again, he had to win the auction. He needed to get the last say to vent his anger.
"You!" Zhuo Yifan's eyes turned red. Just as he was about to speak further while Wang Baole had taken out the second Empty Stone to refine, the auctioneer laughed bitterly. He saw that Wang Baole was a specially-recruited student of the Dharmic Armament faculty. He felt that the Cleansing Pill's price was already sufficiently high and did not wish to offend the Dharmic Armament faculty. He immediately said aloud, "This student from the Dharmic Armament faculty, there's no rush. As a member of the Dharmic Armament faculty, all you need to provide is an IOU and spend it like Spirit Stones at my Cloud Hawk Auction House. After which, you simply need to make up for the amount within a stipulated amount of time. There's no rush."
The moment that was said, no one seemed to react except the freshmen who drew a gasp. Many people immediately regretted choosing the wrong faculty.
"Ah? That can be done?" Wang Baole was taken aback. His eyes widened, apparently somewhat uncertain. When he saw the auctioneer nod his head in confirmation, Wang Baole felt a rush of excitement. He immediately felt enlightened, as the adrift him finally realized at that very moment… that the Dharmic Armament faculty was truly formidable!
Compared to Wang Baole's excitement, Zhuo Yifan was completely dumbfounded. If his seniors' words had dealt a blow to him, then what the auctioneer had said was like using a sharp blade to stab deep into his nascent and tiny heart.
He felt faint as his body stumbled. The setback and helpless emotions overwhelmed him. When he saw Wang Baole's smug look, he recalled the running and weight-lifting incidents. He then noticed the strange looks that people around him were sending his way. His eyes turned crimson-red as he roared, "Wang Baole, I challenge you!"
With that said, he directly issued Wang Baole a challenge.
The moment that was said, there was an uproar once again. Wang Baole frowned as well.
When he saw Wang Baole hesitate, Zhuo Yifan felt a lot better. He had nearly been driven crazy just moments ago. Although he might not have been as rich as Wang Baole, but his martial strength was sufficient. He definitely needed to vent his anger.
He had thought it through. Even if Wang Baole did not accept his challenge, he could forcefully attack to teach him a lesson. With his challenge issued, he was about to walk out the auction house and wait outside.
However, at that moment, Wang Baole snorted. He was completely uninterested in such a challenge and could not be bothered with it. His goal was to become Head Prefect, not be caught up in meaningless challenges.
He recalled the auctioneer's words and drew inferences from it. He immediately wrote an IOU of a hundred Spirit Stones and raised it high up in the auction house, shouting proudly, "This IOU for one hundred Spirit Stones will be given to whoever deals with him for me!"
The moment he said that, everyone drew a gasp once again. This act that caught people by surprise left Zhuo Yifan dumbfounded once more. Before he could react, the eyes of the senior student who he had recently become acquainted with lit up. With a loud laugh, he charged forward and grabbed the IOU and ran toward Zhuo Yifan.
"I'll do it!"
The other senior students were reeling in excitement as they charged at Zhuo Yifan with loud roars. They were even saying things like…
"He's mine! Don't you snatch it from me!"
"Darn it, all of you are too fast! This opportunity is a rare one!"
Instantly, Zhuo Yifan was surrounded by at least dozens of senior students.
"Seniors…" Zhuo Yifan trembled. He wanted to escape, but it was too late. He was pummeled by the dozens of people surrounding him. Amid the blows, Zhuo Yifan's tragic cries sounded.
"I'm… a specially-recruited student. How can you…"
"That's right. I've long wanted to beat one up!"
The senior student who had sat beside Zhuo Yifan was especially enthusiastic. He explained as he delivered his blows, "You previously asked me what snatching money is. Well, this is what's snatching money!"
Immediately, the auction house was thrown into chaos. Some even took out video equipment to begin a live stream.
Zhuo Yifan uttered an aggrieved cry. It was tragic, but thankfully, this was an auction house. Soon, massive numbers of guards came in to pull the crowd apart.
If others had been fighting, the Cloud Hawk Auction House would definitely have dealt with it harshly, but since the fighting parties were students of Ethereal Dao College, it did not dare offend Ethereal Dao College, which always took the side of its students. These students were always a trouble for it, despite its powerful background. The students were like ancestors: entities not to be provoked.
Therefore, all they could do was persuade them and pull them away. Only when everyone was sent out did the commotion come to an end.
As for Wang Baole, he had long left. A young lady working at the auction house led him around while looking curious and charming. He wrote an IOU and took the Cleansing Pill away before he was sent out the auction house. The service was excellent, and before he Wang Baole left, the lady even deliberately leaned toward him and asked for his contact details.
This made Wang Baole realize how impressive he was. Pleased with himself, he returned to the Dharmic Armament faculty. He sat in his cave abode and felt the desire to become Head Prefect become more intense.
The Dharmic Armament faculty is indeed impressive. If I can become Head Prefect, that will be my first step toward the pinnacle of my life! Wang Baole was delighted. Just as he was about to take the Cleansing Pill, he suddenly smacked himself on the forehead.
I can't be so careless. I need to remember many of the lessons written in the high officials' autobiographies. I was too rash today and ended up being high-profile. I should keep a low profile. Wang Baole approved of his realization and, after some reflection, calmed his agitated emotions. Only then did he take out the Cleansing Pill that he won at the auction. After looking at it carefully, he took a whiff and swallowed it.
The pill instantly melted the moment it entered his mouth. A warmth immediately rose up from his abdomen, like a roaring wave, and spread through his body rapidly and forcefully. This was the first time Wang Baole had eaten a pill. Furthermore, it contained a sizable number of precious herbs, making it extremely potent. Wang Baole's body trembled as a result.
Wang Baole's breathing hastened as he began to sweat profusely all over. He hurriedly took off his clothes and sat there naked. He was alarmed when he saw his sweat pores secreting black impurities that looked like slag.
That's scary!
As the impurities were purged, he clearly felt that his body seemed to turn more permeable. Even his Blood Qi was much richer than before.
Amid Wang Baole's delighted surprise, the impurities continued purging for three full days until the medicinal effects wore off. After he washed his body thoroughly, he looked at his round body and smooth skin before laughing loudly.
It's indeed a good pill!
After he admired what he felt was a perfect bodyline, he put his clothes back on and took out some Ice Spirit Water. He finished a huge bottle before eating some snacks. Filled with anticipation, he began refining Spirit Stones. He wanted to know if he could break the bottleneck of 75%!
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