Chapter 162: Intense Bidding
"Let the auction begin!"
The moment Madam Rou's voice fell, the crowd erupted.
Seeing this, she smiled with satisfaction, her figure swaying elegantly as she gestured toward the first treasure.
"Starting bid: 500 gold coins."
Immediately, jade tokens shot up across the hall—identical to the one given to Su Tianhao upon entry.
"600!"
"800!"
"1,000!"
The price climbed rapidly, voices overlapping in eager competition.
---
Su Tianhao watched with quiet focus, his golden eyes tracking the flow of the bidding. The Flame Serpent's Core held no interest for him—Fire Qi wasn't his path—but observing how the auction operated was valuable in itself.
Each bidder raised their jade token as they called out their offer. Madam Rou tracked every bid with practiced ease, her gaze sweeping the hall like a hawk watching prey.
"1,200 gold coins!" a masked man in the middle rows called.
"1,500!" countered a woman near the front.
"2,000!"
The bids climbed higher, faster, excitement building with each increment.
Finally, after a tense back-and-forth, the gavel fell.
Bang!
"Sold! 3,000 gold coins to the gentleman in seat 342!"
Applause rippled through the crowd as attendants moved swiftly to collect payment and deliver the item.
Madam Rou's smile never wavered. "An excellent start. Now, let us continue."
The pedestal sank back into the stage, and another rose to replace it. Resting on the platform was a transparent container holding a spiritual herb—six translucent jade-green petals edged in frost, emitting a natural aura of cold.
"Next, we have a grade 5 spiritual herb—the Verdant Ice Flower, suitable for those who cultivate Yin-attributed techniques!" Madam Rou announced, her voice carrying effortlessly across the hall.
Her smile was flawless, her presence commanding every eye without effort. "Beyond its Yin attribute, the Verdant Ice Flower is the signature ingredient for the Verdant Ice Pill—capable of raising a Yin practitioner's cultivation base by one minor realm."
The moment her words landed, the crowd held its breath. One minor realm might not seem like a much, but in the Martial Soul Realm a single breakthrough meant months even years of cultivation for most. Eyes gleamed with enthusiasm as they fixed on the flower. Though it wasn't the finished pill, securing the Verdant Ice Flower was as good as securing a Verdant Ice Pill in the future.
"Without further ado..." Madam Rou raised one delicate finger. "The starting price is 1,000 gold coins."
Almost immediately—
"2,000 gold coins!"
"Directly doubling the starting price? Who could that be?"
Heads turned toward a young man seated in the back rows, jade token raised high. He wore a tiger mask that concealed everything but his hair—short and black, tipped with frost-white. Beyond his appearance, he radiated a natural cold aura that caused the temperature in the surrounding area to drop noticeably.
A Yin-attribute cultivator.
"No wonder he moved so quickly. He must cultivate a Yin-attributed method," someone murmured nearby.
"It's more than that," a more experienced voice replied. "This young man has a Yin-attributed physique. The Verdant Ice Flower would be far more beneficial to someone like him than to an ordinary Yin cultivator."
Before the discussion could continue, another token rose.
"3,000!"
The voice belonged to a young woman in a cat mask, her aura radiating quiet, chilling confidence.
Hiss!
The crowd drew a collective breath. Everyone turned back to the young man in the tiger mask.
"3,500!"
He called out, clearly unwilling to yield.
"4,000."
The girl countered, her voice calm and even.
Within moments, the bidding had become a financial battle between the two youths. The rest of the hall fell silent—there weren't many who cultivated Yin-attributed methods, and the flower's true benefit was concentrated on Martial Soul Realm experts anyway.
---
In the third private box on the VIP floor, Su Tianhao watched the exchange with calm, calculating eyes.
"Who do you think will win, Tian Hao?" Wang Bing asked with a playful smile, leaning slightly forward.
"The man in the tiger mask," Su Tianhao said without hesitation.
Wang Bing looked unconvinced. "Really? That woman seems far more composed. The man looks almost desperate—I'd say she has the better chance."
"You have to learn to read people, Bing'er," Su Tianhao replied, his tone even. "That woman is merely testing the waters—she wants it, but she's not committed. The man is willing to bet everything. From the look of him, he's likely standing at a critical juncture in his cultivation, and this flower may be the final push he needs."
"Really?" Wang Bing's eyes widened slightly.
Su Tianhao nodded. "When you know how to read intent, everything becomes clear. She wants the flower. He needs it."
"Hahaha!" Elder Xuan laughed heartily. "Another surprise from you. For someone so young, you are remarkably perceptive."
"Thank you, Elder Xuan. It's nothing special." Su Tianhao smiled faintly. As someone who had cultivated the nine fundamental sword moves to Assimilation and reached the Realm of Perfect Edge, reading intent came as naturally as breathing.
Outside, the bidding had already climbed to 6,000 gold coins, neither side showing any sign of yielding.
"It's already six times the starting price!"
The young man in the tiger mask clenched his fist, his entire bearing carrying fierce, unyielding will.
"7,000!"
The moment his voice rang out, the hall fell silent. Raising the bid by a full thousand at this stage? Most bidders slowed down when the price had already surpassed market value. The Verdant Ice Flower's worth had long since been exceeded.
The young woman in the cat mask studied him for a moment—then slowly lowered her token.
Madam Rou clasped her hands with a radiant smile. "7,000 gold coins... going once..."
"Going twice..."
Bang!
"Sold to seat number 426 for 7,000 gold coins!"
The moment the gavel fell, the young man leaned back and exhaled—long and heavy, as if releasing something he'd been holding for far longer than this auction.
In the private box, Wang Bing turned to Su Tianhao, autumn eyes bright with quiet admiration. "You were right."
Su Tianhao smiled faintly but said nothing. His eyes were fixed on the stage below, a thread of unease running beneath his composed exterior.
'Will what I need actually appear?'
---
The auction continued, each round more spirited than the last—but all still within the range of grade 5 spirit herbs. Su Tianhao watched, waited, and said nothing.
Then his composure slipped—just slightly. A frown settled onto his face.
'What is happening? This is supposed to be a grand auction!'
Elder Xuan noticed the slight change to his expression and smiled knowingly. "Relax, Tian Hao. There's still plenty of time. The Drifting Cloud Auction ensures everyone has a fair opportunity."
"What do you mean?"
"The Grand Auction is divided into three tiers," Elder Xuan explained. "Introductory items, intermediate items, and major items. What we've seen so far is only the beginning."
"I see," Su Tianhao murmured, the frown easing.
Wang Bing nudged his shoulder lightly, eyes curving with warmth. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for."
"I hope so."
As if answering her, Madam Rou's voice rang out from below—bright and deliberate, like wind chimes in a spring breeze.
"Time to unveil the intermediate items."
The curtains on the raised platform parted. A new pedestal emerged, bearing a jade box sealed with golden inscriptions that pulsed faintly with spiritual energy.
Madam Rou's eyes gleamed. "Honoured guests, behold—the Bloodroot Vitality Pill. A grade 5 medicine capable of nourishing and strengthening the blood, fortifying the heart, and enhancing circulation throughout the entire body."
She let the anticipation build for a breath.
"This Bloodroot Vitality Pill is of peak grade, refined by Master Alchemist Shen of the capital."
Boom!
The crowd erupted. Discussions broke out across every section of the hall, particularly among the alchemists present. A Master Alchemist was the equivalent of a grade 6 alchemist—studying a medicine refined by such a figure could open new doors in one's own mastery of the Alchemy Dao.
'The Bloodroot Vitality Pill... it actually appeared.'
Su Tianhao's hands tightened around the armrests. His mind was already running calculations, mapping out every angle of what was to come.
'I must secure this. No matter what.'
Wang Bing glanced at him from the side, taking in the barely-contained tension in his expression. It was rare to see him like this. The thought brought a quiet smile to her face, hidden behind her veil.
On stage, Madam Rou's eyes shone with the particular brightness of someone who knew they had the crowd exactly where they wanted it. "Without further ceremony—the starting price is 5,000 gold coins!"
"5,100!"
"5,200!"
"5,500!"
The price climbed steadily, interest spreading across multiple sections of the hall.
"6,000!" A weathered voice cut through the noise.
"Old Fu, you're so wealthy and that's the best you can do?" Another voice followed—hoarse and cold.
"7,000!" the second speaker declared, raising the bid by a full thousand.
"Alchemist Xu! Everyone has the right to bid however they choose!" Old Fu snapped, voice rising with indignation.
"Hmph. Save the lecture. Speak with your bid!" Alchemist Xu laughed mockingly.
Before Old Fu could respond, a third voice entered from another section entirely.
"7,500!"
Old Fu gritted his teeth. "8,000!"
---
"It's getting intense down there," Wang Bing said, glancing at Su Tianhao. "Aren't you going to move?"
Elder Xuan looked over as well. Su Tianhao had made his interest in the pill unmistakably clear—yet now he sat watching in complete stillness. It made no obvious sense.
"Sometimes it's not about the struggle," Su Tianhao said quietly. "It's about the timing."
Wang Bing repeated the words under her breath, brow furrowing as she turned them over.
Elder Xuan paused. Then understanding crossed his face, and he let out a soft, appreciating sound. "Indeed. The young shall surpass the old."
Below, the bidding continued its slow, grinding climb.
"8,000!"
"8,200!"
"8,500!"
"9,000!"
"9,200!"
"9,500!"
Then, from the VIP floor—calm, measured, and carrying the particular weight of someone with absolute confidence:
"10,000 gold coins."
Wang Bing turned to him. "Finally making your move?"
Su Tianhao didn't respond. His eyes stayed fixed on the hall below.
The crowd fell quiet. Hundreds of heads turned toward the third private box.
"A VIP guest entering the bid."
"Dammit!" Alchemist Xu muttered under his breath. "Why can't those big shots leave the rest of us to enjoy the auction in peace..."
He gritted his teeth.
"10,500!"
Hmph.
The sound came from the third box—sharp, cold, carrying a chill that seemed to bleed into the surrounding air.
"12,000 gold coins."
Hiss!
The collective breath of the crowd rushed inward like a tide crashing against rock.
Madam Rou's voice rang out with practiced poise. "12,000 gold coins... going once..."
"Going twice..."
Silence.
No one moved to counter. Raising the bid by 1,500 coins in a single breath at this stage sent a clear message—and no one in the hall was interested in testing what came next.
"Sold to the gentleman in the third private box for 12,000 gold coins!"
Bang!
Su Tianhao exhaled quietly, leaning back. His golden eyes gleamed.
'One down. One to go.'
Wang Bing looked at him with something new in her expression. "That was impressive."
Elder Xuan chuckled. "Waiting until emotions ran high, then striking decisively to close off competition before it could recover. You didn't just purchase a pill, Tian Hao—you asserted dominance."
Su Tianhao's lips curved slightly. "Sometimes the best move is knowing when to act—and when to let others exhaust themselves first."
Below, the auction moved on.
Su Tianhao's focus had already shifted.
'Now... where is the Raging Viscera Tonic?'