Chapter 226: Obtaining the Fire Obsidian, Mysterious Map
"Fifty thousand!"
As soon as the starting bid for the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Sword was announced, someone from the back seats immediately shouted out their offer.
"Fifty-two thousand!" It was clear that there was a lot of interest in this mid-tier weapon, as the bidding quickly surpassed the initial offer within a minute.
Mo Yu sat quietly in his chair, fingers intertwined, listening to the ever-increasing bids. A faint smile appeared on his face under the black robe. The popularity of a fourth-tier weapon in the Black-Corner Region far exceeded his expectations. Judging by this trend, he would certainly have enough funds to purchase all the materials needed to forge the Soul-Merging Sacred Cup.
The bidding continued to rise steadily, and within ten minutes, the price for the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Sword had reached around eighty thousand gold coins. However, as the price approached this mark, the bidding slowed considerably. For many, the price was becoming too steep.
"Eighty-five thousand," a sharp voice finally called out from the front row as the price stalled at eighty thousand.
Hearing this sudden five-thousand increase, Mo Yu looked up, his gaze settling on the bidder. The man was in his thirties, with a long scar running across his left cheek, covering half his face. Though the scar was unsightly, it added a certain intimidating presence to the man. While his aura was restrained, a sharp, almost dangerous energy radiated from him.
The man's expression remained calm, but a flicker of desire flashed in his eyes as he looked at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Sword.
Mo Yu's silver eyes gleamed as he thought to himself, "So, he's an eight-star Dou Ling swordsman with both ice and fire attributes. This sword will have a worthy owner."
The scarred man's bid immediately quieted the noisy auction hall. Those who had been considering raising their bids exchanged glances, suddenly hesitant.
Mo Yu raised an eyebrow, realizing that this scarred man was likely quite well-known in Di Yan City, as his bid had discouraged so many others. Indeed, an eight-star Dou Ling was very powerful, especially in the Black-Corner Region, where Dou Huang and Dou Wang experts were not exactly common.
However, this turn of events wasn't entirely favorable for Mo Yu. With fewer bidders, the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Sword might only sell for eighty-five thousand. While this was still a good price, it felt a bit underwhelming.
"Ninety thousand."
Just as Mo Yu thought the price might stall at eighty-five thousand, a rough voice suddenly called out.
Following the direction of the voice, Mo Yu's eyes landed on Gao Ba, the young master of the Savage Beast Sect, sitting in the front row. Mo Yu murmured to himself, "This guy practices body refinement. Why would he be interested in a sword?"
Upon hearing a competing bid, the scarred man's gaze turned colder. However, when he saw that the bidder was the young master of the Savage Beast Sect, he furrowed his brow but said nothing. The Savage Beast Sect was a top-tier second-rate power, rumored to be on the verge of becoming a first-rate force. Despite his own strength, the scarred man knew he was no match for such an influential sect.
"Ninety-five thousand," the scarred man continued, his voice steady.
"One hundred thousand!" Gao Ba immediately countered.
After making his bid, the young master of the Savage Beast Sect stood up and addressed the scarred man, "Master Qiushui, I've long heard of your excellent swordsmanship and formidable strength. Even my father holds you in high regard. If you are willing to join my Savage Beast Sect, I will personally purchase the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Sword and present it to you as a gift. Additionally, the position of Enforcement Elder in our sect will be reserved for you."
The auction hall fell silent as all eyes turned to the two men. Even the other major factions were surprised by this turn of events. No one had expected that Gao Ba's interest in the sword wasn't to compete with Qiushui but to recruit him.
Offering a sword worth one hundred thousand gold coins as a gift to recruit a powerful swordsman, it seemed Gao Ba was not as straightforward as he appeared—his rough exterior concealed a keen and calculating mind.
At the same time, the other factions grew wary. Master Qiushui had earned the nickname "Death Sword" in just a few years after arriving in the Black-Corner Region. Although he was currently an eight-star Dou Ling, his youth suggested that he might break through to Dou Wang soon. If the Savage Beast Sect could recruit such a talent, their power would undoubtedly rise, threatening the interests of other factions.
As the various factions contemplated their strategies, many in the audience watched Qiushui with interest. The offer of a sword worth one hundred thousand gold coins, along with the position of Enforcement Elder, was highly enticing. In Di Yan City, Qiushui was already a well-known figure, often mentioned in awe. He had previously declined several recruitment offers, preferring to remain independent and take on tasks for payment. However, this offer from Gao Ba was generous, appealing to both his pride and his practical needs.
Many believed that Qiushui would accept the offer. After all, a sword worth one hundred thousand gold coins, combined with a prestigious position, was an offer too good to refuse.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the scarred man pondered for a moment, his expression serious. Surprisingly, he shook his head slightly.
"Thank you, Young Master Gao, and your esteemed father, for your generous offer. However, I am accustomed to walking my own path and do not wish to be bound by the constraints of any sect. As for the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Sword, though I admire it greatly, it is not something I absolutely must have. I will offer one hundred twenty thousand gold coins. If you wish to bid higher, I will reluctantly step back."
With that, Qiushui closed his eyes, as if withdrawing from the worldly affairs around him.
Seeing this, Mo Yu's silver eyes glinted with intrigue. This strategy of retreating to advance was clever indeed, putting Gao Ba in a difficult position. However, Mo Yu noticed that despite Qiushui's outward calm, his breathing was slightly irregular, indicating that he wasn't as composed as he appeared. By feigning indifference, Qiushui had made it more difficult for Gao Ba to gauge his intentions.
Mo Yu couldn't help but smile. Qiushui was indeed a shrewd man.
"Young Master, while the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Sword is valuable, it is not particularly useful to our sect. We've already offered one hundred thousand, which is quite generous. If we bid any higher, it would be unwise, especially since we need to reserve funds for the final item. As for Qiushui, if we can recruit him, that's great. If not, we should focus on more important matters," the middle-aged bodyguard advised, noticing that Gao Ba was considering raising the bid further.
Gao Ba frowned deeply, glaring in the direction of the scarred man. "Ingrate! If not for his potential to reach Dou Wang and his exceptional swordsmanship, I wouldn't have bothered to make the offer myself."
"Since he refuses to give face to my Savage Beast Sect, once my father's plan is complete, that man won't need to exist in this world anymore!" After delivering this threat to the middle-aged guard, Gao Ba's inner fury slightly subsided, so the anticipated bidding war didn't continue as the crowd expected.
"Hehe, Mr. Qiushui has bid one hundred and twenty thousand. Is there anyone else who would like to increase the bid? If not, then this Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Sword will belong to him!" The white-haired auctioneer was quite pleased with the price but still smiled as he asked, his gaze lingering on the Savage Beast Sect's young master for an extra couple of seconds.
"Hmph!"
Gao Ba naturally noticed the auctioneer's glance and intentions, and he let out a dissatisfied snort. Being treated like a fool angered him, and the fire that had just calmed down inside him began to rekindle. However, since this was the territory of the Di Yan Sect, Gao Ba, though domineering, wasn't foolish. Despite his anger, he wouldn't do anything rash.
Seeing the darkened expression on the young master's face, the white-haired auctioneer realized his mistake. After receiving no further bids, he gave an awkward laugh before bringing down the auction hammer.
"One hundred and twenty thousand, not a bad price," Mo Yu thought with a faint smile under the shadow of his hood. One hundred and twenty thousand gold coins would soon flow into his previously empty wallet.
After the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Sword sold for a good price, the white-haired auctioneer quickly brought out the Breaking Array Overlord Spear. Compared to the sword, the spear's powerful and domineering appearance immediately drew more attention.
As Mo Yu had anticipated, the strong in the Black-Corner Region, who admired bloodshed and violence, were particularly keen on this kind of large weapon. The competition for the Breaking Array Overlord Spear was noticeably more intense.
However, despite its broad appeal, the spear didn't have any particularly unique features, so when the price reached one hundred thousand, it suddenly halted.
The white-haired auctioneer, seemingly dissatisfied, called out several more times, but no one increased their bid. With no other choice, he finally brought down the hammer.
In the end, the Breaking Array Overlord Spear sold for one hundred thousand gold coins to a small, wiry Dou Ling expert. It was hard to imagine how such a small man would wield the large, imposing spear—the contrast between the two was quite striking.
Though a bit disappointed with the final price, Mo Yu was still content. Together, the two fourth-tier weapons fetched a total of two hundred and twenty thousand gold coins. Even after deducting the auction's commission fee, Mo Yu would still net over two hundred thousand.
With his wallet now full, Mo Yu turned his attention to the rest of the auction, curious to see if he could find anything valuable.
However, after his two weapons were sold, the subsequent items were somewhat underwhelming. Not only did they fail to fetch high prices, but some were even sold after just a single bid.
Fortunately, this lull in the auction lasted only about ten minutes before the excitement suddenly ramped up, even catching Mo Yu's attention.
On the crystal stage, the auctioneer instructed the attendants to place five wooden boxes in a row. After they retreated, the white-haired auctioneer opened one of the boxes, revealing two bright red stones radiating intense fire energy.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the next items up for auction are likely well-known to many of you—the famous treasures of our sect, Fire Obsidian. Fire Obsidian is found deep within magma, absorbing vast amounts of fire energy. Whether for crafting weapons or enhancing fire-attribute cultivation techniques and combat skills, it is an excellent treasure. This time, our Di Yan Sect has prepared five sets of Fire Obsidian, each set containing two stones, with a starting bid of thirty thousand gold coins per set!"
Hearing this, Mo Yu couldn't help but click his tongue. Each box contained two pieces of Fire Obsidian, starting at thirty thousand gold coins. Who knew how high the final price would go?
Although Fire Obsidian was precious, a single vein contained tens of thousands of pieces. The Di Yan Sect's periodic auctions were clearly a form of deliberate scarcity, aimed at driving up the price.
Though Mo Yu didn't approve of their tactics, he was determined to obtain the Fire Obsidian, so he didn't dwell on it.
As Mo Yu made up his mind, many others also fixed their fiery gazes on the Fire Obsidian on stage.
For Mo Yu, Fire Obsidian was essential for forging the Soul-Merging Sacred Cup. For most others, the powerful fire energy contained within the Fire Obsidian made it a valuable asset for cultivating techniques and combat skills.
The bidding for the first set of Fire Obsidian quickly escalated to sixty thousand gold coins and showed no signs of slowing down.
In the end, the first set sold for an astonishing ninety-seven thousand gold coins.
Two palm-sized pieces of Fire Obsidian sold for such a high price—it was no wonder the Di Yan Sect had risen to power in the Black-Corner Region. With a steady stream of income like this, their rise was inevitable.
After the first set was sold, the second and third sets quickly followed.
Seeing the fierce competition, Mo Yu wasted no time. When the fourth set of Fire Obsidian went up for auction, he secured it for eighty-five thousand gold coins.
With the Fire Obsidian in hand, Mo Yu finally felt relieved. He now possessed one of the key materials needed to forge the Soul-Merging Sacred Cup.
Just as Mo Yu thought the auction couldn't get any better, the next item caught his attention.
"Hehe, the next item up for auction is a bit of a mystery. We aren't entirely sure what it does, but after thorough examination by our experts, we believe it to be some sort of ancient treasure map," the white-haired auctioneer said, as he carefully lifted a silver tray and removed the silk cloth covering it. A piece of old, black cloth, exuding an ancient aura, was revealed to the audience.
"Ugh," the crowd groaned in disappointment as they saw the plain, black cloth. After a moment of silence, the auction hall erupted in boos.
Hearing the disdainful jeers, the auctioneer's smile became somewhat awkward. He picked up the ancient cloth with two fingers, holding it up for everyone to see, and pointed to the strange markings on it.
"Although we aren't entirely sure what this map signifies or what it hides, we believe it's not just an ordinary item. Sometimes, you have to take a gamble—who knows? If you're lucky, the secrets hidden within this map could shake the entire Black-Corner Region!"
(End of Chapter)
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