After delivering his warning, Gao Yi indeed wasted no words and declared the auction officially underway.
At that moment, a slender, graceful young woman stepped out from the darkness behind him. She held a square tray in her hands, simply draped with a piece of red cloth.
Yet, cowed by Gao Yi's display of authority, no one dared rashly push their spiritual sense to peek, patiently waiting for him to make the announcement.
Having played the part to the full, Gao Yi lifted the red cloth.
"The first item of this auction: a high-grade magic tool, the Blood Flame Fork!"
As the red cloth came away, a fork-shaped magic tool appeared in everyone's view. It was entirely blood-red with two exceptionally sharp tines, only as long as an adult's palm. However, everyone understood this was not the magic tool's true form.
Once activated, it certainly would not remain so small.
Qin Sang also knew this was standard practice at auctions: the quality of the treasures would rise step by step, gradually building until the grand finale item appeared to bring the event to its peak.
By then, everyone's passions would be thoroughly stoked.
Though the first item was merely a high-grade magic tool, no one seemed disappointed. For Foundation Establishment cultivators, talisman treasures were beyond reasonable hope. For rogue cultivators in particular, most were fortunate if they had one or two top-grade magic tools to their name; what they used most often in daily life were still high-grade magic tools.
The trio of Yu Daiyue and his companions who had ambushed Qin Sang were no exception.
The young man in martial attire had owned two top-grade magic tools—the seven-colored parasol and a flying sword—but their quality belonged to the lowest tier of top-grade magic tools, fetching at most one thousand five hundred low-grade spirit stones. Even together, they could not match the scar-faced man's flying sword.
As for the scar-faced man, he had only recently broken through to the middle Foundation Establishment stage. Gathering the spirit herbs to assist his breakthrough had cost him dearly, leaving him with only that flying sword and the Thunderclap Talisman as his trump card.
They had thought killing Qin Sang, a Shaohua Mountain disciple, would bring a massive windfall, never expecting they would forfeit their own lives instead.
Although Yu Daiyue had also striven hard to break through, he was a sect disciple after all, with deeper pockets than the scar-faced man. His flying sword and octagonal bronze mirror both ranked in the upper-middle tier of top-grade magic tools, each worth over two thousand low-grade spirit stones.
Of course, this was only an estimate. In actual transactions, prices fluctuated greatly depending on the tool's effects and how urgently the parties wanted it.
Take the scar-faced man's flying sword, for instance: it was undeniably a rare spirit sword, and a weapon-type tool—the most prized category. If one met someone who truly fancied it, selling it for five thousand low-grade spirit stones was hardly unthinkable.
Quietly calculating his own wealth, Qin Sang listened to Gao Yi's introduction.
"Once activated, the Blood Flame Fork conjures thousands of fiery phantom forks to confuse the foe, while the true body hides amidst the silhouettes. Naturally, if that were all, it would not have qualified to appear here. Its true killing move is a kind of venomous fire sealed within. Once an opponent's spiritual power comes into contact with it, the venomous fire clings like maggots to bone, spreading through their entire body in an instant..."
Qin Sang thought to himself that it was just as expected—any high-grade magic tool worthy of the auction stage was far from ordinary. Thanks to that sealed venomous fire, the Blood Flame Fork's value was not inferior to the flying sword of the young man in martial attire.
Gao Yi demonstrated the fork's abilities as he explained. At last, the phantom forks dispersed entirely, and he placed the weapon back onto the tray. "The owner of the Blood Flame Fork has set a starting price of five hundred low-grade spirit stones, or an aura-concealing magic tool!"
Trading the Blood Flame Fork for an aura-concealing tool showed that its owner understood the art of self-preservation well. However, aura-concealing magic tools were even rarer and more valuable; Qin Sang doubted he could pull off such a trade.
No sooner had Gao Yi finished speaking than someone called out a bid.
"Five hundred and fifty low-grade spirit stones..."
"Five hundred and eighty..."
Surprisingly, the price quickly soared to one thousand three hundred low-grade spirit stones before the enthusiasm began to cool.
Qin Sang had predicted correctly: everyone uniformly offered spirit stones; no one offered a magic tool in exchange.
"One thousand seven hundred low-grade spirit stones!"
After several more rounds, only a handful of people remained in contention. A cultivator in brocade robes suddenly jumped the bid by two hundred spirit stones, then gave a slight bow and smiled. "I happen to lack a weapon of this sort, and this is my limit. If fellow Daoists wish to bid higher, I will bow out."
This price far exceeded Gao Yi's expectations.
Securing such a high price on the very first item was an auspicious start, lending a hint of pleasant surprise to Gao Yi's tone. "This fellow Daoist bids one thousand seven hundred low-grade spirit stones! Are there any further bids, or an aura-concealing magic tool of equivalent value?"
No one responded.
Gao Yi waited a moment longer before declaring the Blood Flame Fork sold to the brocade-robed cultivator.
Thereafter, item after item was auctioned off, and the hall's atmosphere finally began to heat up. A few items even sparked fierce bidding wars, driving prices higher and higher.
With his goal clearly in mind, Qin Sang remained calm throughout. Seeing a couple of decent magic tools along the way, he participated in the bidding twice, but chose to bow out after weighing his options.
"The Nethermind Fruit!"
Gao Yi's voice took on an edge of excitement and allure. He swept aside a red cloth, revealing a purple fruit resting on the tray for all to see.
The fruit closely resembled a plum, with an exceptionally thin skin through which pulp and juice appeared to flow. Its surface was sealed with a layer of restrictions to prevent the medicinal potency from leaking.
At the sight of the Nethermind Fruit, Qin Sang's eyes flickered.
He had heard Yunyouzi mention the Nethermind Fruit before—it could nourish a cultivator's origin soul.
Furthermore, if a cultivator suffered an injury to their soul, consuming a Nethermind Fruit directly would help it recover. Yunyouzi had once taken one, but unfortunately it had been useless in his case.
Qin Sang had the protection of the jade Buddha and had no need of such things, so he leaned back against his chair, ready to watch the spectacle unfold.
Just then, Qin Sang noticed to his surprise that the burly cultivator in the corner suddenly sat bolt upright, hands gripping his thighs tightly, staring fixedly at the Nethermind Fruit.
Even through the mask, Qin Sang could sense his agitation.
Throughout the auction so far, the burly man had not spoken a word. The first time he moved, he looked thoroughly impatient.
Could his soul be injured?
Qin Sang quietly examined the man, feeling that did not seem quite right.
"The Nethermind Fruit! Starting bid: one thousand low-grade spirit stones, or a flying-sword-type magic tool!"
No sooner had Gao Yi spoken than the burly man cried out anxiously, "Can it only be traded for a flying sword or spirit stones? Would other spirit herbs work?"
Gao Yi's brow creased slightly, his tone firm. "The owner of the Nethermind Fruit only desires spirit stones and flying swords. If fellow Daoist has no flying sword yet desires the fruit, you may present your spirit herb and trade with other fellow Daoists present..."
This was a long-established rule of the auction. Gao Yi would also serve as a witness to private transactions among the audience, for the price of taking a cut.
At once, a black-robed person called out, "May I ask what spirit herb fellow Daoist holds? If it is of sufficient value, I can win the Nethermind Fruit for you and then make the trade."
Qin Sang's interest was piqued, and he also sent a voice transmission to inquire.
He had three spirit swords on hand. If the man's spirit herb proved valuable enough, there was no harm in bidding for the Nethermind Fruit.
Everyone could see the burly man's desperation, and hoping to score an unexpected bargain, quite a few people were transmitting their voices to him.
Chapter 322