The hall fell silent.
An instant later, a thunderous uproar erupted!
"No more questions, no more! Lady Ya Fei, please begin!"
"It was our own ignorance that made us doubt! We beg Lady Ya Fei to overlook our previous offense and start the auction!"
Many people urged her on, their gazes fixed on the sword in the box, burning with heat and greed.
With Nalan Xun's endorsement, they would be true fools to harbor any further suspicion. It was impossible for two of the capital's three great families to conspire together just to deceive them all, right?
Besides, they had seen everything that transpired on the auction stage with their own eyes!
Though they hadn't experienced it firsthand, what they witnessed was enough to form a judgment. Lady Ya Fei's strength, based on her Dou Qi fluctuations, was indeed only at the Dou Zhe level. Yet, this mere Dou Zhe, wielding this sword, could unleash an attack that forced a high-rank Dou Ling to actively defend against it.
Did that not say it all?
Such a treasure was enough to make anyone below the Dou Ling realm see red with envy.
Even the Dou Lings present had a flicker of heat in their eyes. Their perception and vision were far superior to those of the Da Dou Shis and Dou Shis. As a result, they understood the situation on the stage even more clearly than the others.
"To think this sword truly possesses such power. In that case, the Tier 4 Magic Weapon on the list... I must have it!"
This single thought now dominated the minds of all the Dou Lings.
The atmosphere in the hall instantly reached its peak. Zhou Changqing could feel the sheer intensity of their enthusiasm, even from his private room.
A faint smile touched his lips. It seemed this auction would yield a handsome harvest.
Seeing this, Ya Fei smiled and announced, "Since no one has any further questions, the auction will continue. For our guests who have taken a fancy to this sword, you won't want to miss this opportunity~"
"I bid one hundred thousand gold coins!"
"Fool, didn't you hear what Lady Ya Fei said earlier? Refining materials take precedence! And only a hundred thousand gold coins? How can you even say that with a straight face? Lady Ya Fei, I offer a portion of refining materials equivalent in value to a Tier 3 Low-Grade Medicinal Pill!"
"Only Tier 3 low-grade? This old man offers a portion of Ice Silkworm Jade Silk! Its value is comparable to a Tier 3 Mid-Grade Medicinal Pill!"
"I offer the Rock Crystal Armor of a Tier 4 Low-Rank Magical Beast, the Rock Crystal Tiger!"
"This old man bids..."
In a flash, the attendees began bidding one after another. The competition was fierce, and the prices soared rapidly. Fortunately, the Miteer Auction House had advertised beforehand, so most who came had prepared some forging materials, preventing a situation where no one had anything to bid.
As for the guests in the private rooms, most remained silent. Their target was the final item: the Tier 4 Low-Rank Magic Weapon. Thus, even though they were very interested in this Tier 3 High-Rank Monster Core Sword, they were unwilling to waste their materials. If they lacked the chips for the grand finale, the loss would be immense.
Before long, the sword was won by Nalan Xun, the same man who had tested it earlier, for a piece of Crimson Sun Peachwood.
Next came the second and third Tier 3 High-Rank Magic Weapons. The bidders were just as numerous and the competition even more intense.
Finally, it was time for the grand finale: the Tier 4 Low-Rank Magic Weapon.
The moment it was presented, the entire hall fell quiet. Many people simply shut their mouths. Most of them were not qualified to bid on this item. Even if they wanted to, they lacked the financial power and resources.
"A portion of Illusory Dream Ice Crystal!"
"A portion of Starlight Sand!"
"A piece of Earth Essence Copper Motherlode!"
"Everyone, my apologies, but I am determined to have this item. A portion of Star-Patterned Steel!"
"What a coincidence. So am I. A portion of Blazing Sun Jade Marrow!"
"...A portion of Star-Patterned Steel, plus a piece of Nine Tribulations Astral Jade!"
"You!"
After a round of fierce bidding, the Tier 4 Magic Weapon was finally sold to an unknown individual of unknown origin. With that, the Xuan-tier auction came to a successful conclusion, and the attendees began to depart one by one.
Many left still wanting more. Although most had come away empty-handed, witnessing the so-called Magic Weapons and the rare sight of powerful Dou Ling experts vying with one another had been a real eye-opener.
After the auction ended, Zhou Changqing left his private room and returned to the quarters the Miteer family had arranged for him. He did not have to wait long before footsteps approached his door.
Ya Fei knocked once, then, without waiting for a reply, sashayed in with a sway of her hips. Her face was wreathed in a smile, a clear sign of her satisfaction with the auction's results.
"Little Changqing, Big Sister has brought you something."
Spotting Zhou Changqing sitting and reading a book, Ya Fei gracefully approached, took a seat beside him, and placed a storage ring on the table with a smile, nudging it towards him with a slender finger.
Putting down his book, Zhou Changqing picked up the storage ring. He scanned its contents—a variety of precious materials—and smiled. "Thank you for your trouble, Sister Ya Fei."
"So formal, Little Changqing. Are you not treating your Big Sister as one of your own? Or are you perhaps dissatisfied with the auction results?" Ya Fei's eyes glistened, and she put on a pitiful expression, covering her face as if in mourning.
Seeing her act, Zhou Changqing couldn't help but pinch her tender cheek. "Alright, what's with the theatrics? I won't say it again."
At his words, Ya Fei's smile returned. She swatted his hand away and huffed playfully, "That's more like it. If you ever say things like 'thank you' or 'trouble' again, see if I'll even talk to you."
"Alright, there are still some things to wrap up from the auction, so Big Sister can't stay and chat. See you later."
Humming a cheerful little tune, Ya Fei left the room, her ample hips swaying with every step.
Suppressing the urge to give those hips a firm slap, Zhou Changqing turned his attention back to the storage ring.
"With all this, I hope this time will be a success."
"No need to rush. I'll take a few days to adjust first."
Setting the ring aside, Zhou Changqing resumed his reading.
A few days later.
On this day, after instructing the servants not to let anyone disturb him, Zhou Changqing sealed himself in his room.
"Hooo..."
He took a deep breath to center himself, then brought out all the materials he had acquired from the auction, laying them out beside him. His eyes, full of anticipation, swept over each and every item.
"Nine Tribulations Astral Jade, Flame-Scaled Python Tendon, Crimson Sun Peachwood, Abyssal Silver Motherlode, King Azurewood Vine, Star-Patterned Steel..."
"Which ones to choose? First, definitely the Nine Tribulations Astral Jade. Its properties are compatible with my own. Then, the Star-Patterned Steel; not only is it a metal, but it's also incredibly sturdy. And finally... you, the Abyssal Silver Motherlode!"
After some careful selection, he put away the other materials, leaving only his chosen few. Zhou Changqing extended his hand, channeling his Dou Qi to manifest the Golden Thunder Refining Cauldron.
Unlike alchemy, which required precise formulas and careful consideration of ingredients' age, dosage, and properties, weapon refining was more straightforward. As long as one had the runic inscriptions and the materials didn't have conflicting elemental properties, it was generally feasible.
In just a moment, the great golden thunder cauldron appeared before him. Arcs of lightning crackled and raged as the temperature inside the cauldron began to rise, and the golden patterns on its surface bloomed with light.
Clearing his mind of all distractions, Zhou Changqing tossed the Star-Patterned Steel, with its surface resembling constellations, and the lustrous Abyssal Silver Motherlode into the cauldron to begin the refining process.
These two materials were extraordinarily precious. It was only because the Dou Qi Continent lacked a true profession of weapon refiners that common smiths couldn't utilize them to their fullest potential. Even if a master smith forged them with all their skill, the resulting weapon would be little more than a heavy and durable piece of metal to its user. Even with an inlaid monster core of a matching tier and element, the combat power increase for the wielder would be a mere twenty to thirty percent.
Furthermore, such weapons would only be useful up to the Dou Wang realm. Beyond that, the material's strength wouldn't be sufficient to make a difference. This led to these precious forging materials being undervalued, which was why people were willing to use them as bidding chips. It was a bargain that Zhou Changqing was more than happy to take.
Due to the exceptional resilience of the materials, the refining process took him nearly an entire day.
Night fell.
When the two materials finally fused completely, the molten metal, a blend of Star-Patterned Steel and Abyssal Silver, began to take the shape of a greatsword under Zhou Changqing's control. Having grown accustomed to greatswords, and with a powerful physique well-suited for heavy weapons, he had no intention of using any other type of blade.
Next, Zhou Changqing manipulated the Metal-attributed Dou Qi within the cauldron, beginning to carve runic inscriptions into the core of the greatsword's embryonic form.
"Spirit Gathering Runic Inscription... Dou Gang Runic Inscription... I hope you two won't disappoint me!"