And You Say You're Not Loaded?

If Lu Qingshan remembered correctly, the two sisters, Ling Yu and Ling Xi, seemed to carry the bloodline of the One-Horned Ghost King within them. Ling Yu likely possessed a bit more, as it had shown up on the System. At the time, Lu Qingshan had specifically instructed Nesethes to search for information regarding the One-Horned Ghost King, but they had turned up nothing. According to Nesethes's speculation, his clearance level had simply been insufficient. Yet now, at the Qianwu Auction, an item related to the One-Horned Ghost King had actually appeared before his eyes. The horn of the One-Horned Ghost King? Judging by the name alone, this object was very likely a crucial part of that One-Horned Ghost King's body. "If there's a chance, it might be worth taking!" Lu Qingshan quietly calculated his assets. Purchasing the Lanke Fruits just now had consumed nearly two Hunyuan, leaving him with sixty-five Hunyuan. He had no idea whether he could afford it. Lu Qingshan knew nothing about this supposed One-Horned Ghost King. He merely had an instinctive feeling that he should secure it. What if this thing was vital to Ling Yu? What kind of Return would he receive then? Lu Qingshan glanced around. There were many World Masters just as bewildered as he was, all murmuring to one another in hushed voices, seemingly discussing this object they had never seen before. The host appeared to have deliberately set aside time for discussion, allowing everyone to exchange thoughts without offering an immediate introduction, thoroughly whetting the crowd's appetite. "Han Li, do you know what that is?" Beside him, the three-eyed dragonman Kuntu looked over with curiosity. "No idea." Lu Qingshan shook his head. He truly did not know, though he suspected it was likely some sort of special lifeform. "Strange. I've flipped through the treasure catalogs in our imperial archives several times, but I've never heard of this thing..." After muttering that, Kuntu fell silent, his mind drifting elsewhere as if he were inquiring about it across the Virtual Universe. Of course, just because most people did not know did not mean nobody did. In a section where a group of Undyings had gathered, a burly man clad in silver armor suddenly had his eyes light up. "It's actually this! I wonder if the Time Origin Law secret engravings on that single horn are still intact. If they are, coming to this auction was definitely the right choice." He immediately sent a transmission to his subordinates. "Pool money. Scrape together as much as you can for me. You must deliver the funds into my hands within a single day!" ... In a secluded corner of the auction hall, a man in a white robe carrying a golden broadsword on his back stared at the horn on stage, a glint of delight flashing in his eyes. "To think the core horn of a One-Horned Ghost King would actually appear at a low-level event like the Qianwu Universe Kingdom's auction! What luck..." "If this were in the company's treasury, it would require at least a hundred thousand points to redeem. As long as the auction price doesn't exceed twenty thousand Hunyuan, I'll turn a profit!" "Even if I can't use the engravings on it to step into the Time Law, reselling it will still net a massive fortune! Hehehe..." ... During the ten-minute discussion window, a few people managed to learn the item's origins from external sources, but the vast majority remained completely baffled, waiting for the host's explanation. Batuo was an expert at building suspense. Only now did he display the information on the massive holographic screen. Lu Qingshan glanced at the synchronized information displayed on his token: [One-Horned Ghost King: A special lifeform from the Prison Race territory. Gene multiplier fifty times standard. A natural darling of the Time Origin Law, possessing extraordinary talent in the Time Origin Law!] "Indeed!" It was exactly as Lu Qingshan had guessed. This thing truly was a special lifeform, originating from the distant Prison Race territory. Because they were exceptionally rare and subject to information embargoes within the Virtual Universe, very few people knew about them. "Incredible! It's actually a special lifeform!" Kuntu was thoroughly shocked. Even his father hadn't known anything about it just moments ago; it turned out to be an extremely rare special lifeform. How could something like this end up at the Qianwu Universe Kingdom's auction? It made no sense at all! He took a deep breath. "This auction has really broadened my horizons. I have no idea who consigned such an extraordinary treasure to the Qianwu Auction. This is simply defying the heavens! If someone possesses a clone technique and uses this thing to nurture a clone, that would be insane—this is a darling of a superior law, the Time Law!" Soon enough, Kuntu's daydream was shattered. Batuo wore an apologetic expression. "Regrettably, I must inform everyone that, for reasons unknown, the Time Origin Law engravings on this horn were completely wiped clean. Thus, it cannot be used as a reference to cultivate the Time Law. Furthermore, the horn of the One-Horned Ghost King is composed of a unique metal and contains none of its genetic material, meaning it cannot be used to nurture a clone!" The moment those words were spoken, the expectant crowd nearly burst into curses. You strung everyone along for that long, and now you tell us it's useless garbage? A horn with no capacity to nurture a clone, whose only purpose would have been contemplating the Time Law engravings, and now even the engravings are gone—what good is it? The Undying who had just ordered his subordinates to pool money darkened, hurriedly sending another transmission: "Hold off on selling those treasures. I don't need the capital for now." In the corner, the white-robed man carrying the golden sword wore a similarly disappointed expression. "What a pity. I knew my luck couldn't be that good... A treasure worth a hundred thousand points—how could it possibly be picked up for a bargain so easily?" "Is that bastard playing us on purpose? Dawdling all that time over something completely useless!" Kuntu was speechless. He had thought it was some incredible treasure, only for it to turn out to be nothing more than a collectible. "Please don't be disappointed, everyone. This horn is not entirely without value. After all, it is extremely rare, isn't it? If you happen upon the right collector, they might pay a handsome price for it. Furthermore, the horn is forged of a unique metal, making it an excellent material for crafting divine weapons..." "Without further ado, the opening bid is one Hunyuan unit!" Compared to a special lifeform, an opening bid of one Hunyuan was as low as it could possibly get. Hearing that starting price, even Kuntu, who had scoffed moments before, put in a bid of two Hunyuan, instantly doubling the price. Whether something was good or bad was relative. If it was sold at an exorbitant price, it was garbage; but if it could be secured for a few Hunyuan, it was unquestionably an extraordinary bargain. Naturally, finding a bargain was never that simple. Before long, the price was pushed past ten Hunyuan. Kuntu gave up on bidding, his face reverting to a scoffing look. "Fifteen Hunyuan!" Once the competition slowed down, Lu Qingshan submitted his bid. "Holy crap, Brother Han Li, are you insane?!" Seeing Lu Qingshan enter a price, Kuntu hurriedly tried to dissuade him. "This thing really is useless! Don't throw your money away!" "It's fine. I'll just bump it a few times. If I end up buying it, I'll treat it as a collectible," Lu Qingshan said, acting nonchalant. Kuntu shook his head in admiration. "You were saying you were broke earlier. Is this how a poor man talks?" "Sixteen Hunyuan." "Sixteen point five Hunyuan!" "Seventeen Hunyuan! That's my final bid; if anyone follows, I'm out." "Eighteen!" The price continued to climb. Most of the bidders were Undying Deities or exceptionally wealthy World Masters who didn't care about parting with this amount, bidding to take it home as a novelty. "Twenty Hunyuan!" Lu Qingshan placed another bid. This time, quite a few people were dissuaded. Yet the price still didn't stop. "Twenty-one Hunyuan!" "Twenty-two Hunyuan!" "Thirty Hunyuan!" Lu Qingshan drove the bid straight into the thirties, instantly bringing all other bidding to a halt. Thirty Hunyuan was equivalent to the entire net worth of three World Masters. Even for the Undying Deities present, that was not an amount to squander lightly. When the countdown reached zero, Batuo brought down the gavel. "Congratulations to bidder KND56480!" Lu Qingshan let out a quiet breath. Fortunately, no one else had stepped in to cause trouble, and he had successfully secured the horn with its special significance.