Chapter 1997: This Treasure, I Like It

"Oh, I see," Ye Chen nodded in sudden understanding.

"Come on, come on, it's starting." The skinny old man rubbed his hands together, looking ready for some serious action.

On the stage, Youming Laoren had already brought out an item.

It was a crimson xianjian, humming with energy. The blade was etched with ancient runes, and the tip was stained with blood. The sword exuded an overwhelming aura, radiating a fierce killing intent that made it seem bloodthirsty and sinister.

"Saint King Soldier." Gasps of surprise erupted, especially from the Saint Kings and Saints among the cultivators. Even many Great Saints couldn't help but open their eyes, as the crimson xianjian was truly exceptional.

"It must be forged from Chilian Gold, having drunk the blood of countless beings," an elder Great Saint murmured.

"The first item is already this impressive?"

"What do you know? It's standard for auctions—start with a rare treasure to bring good luck."

"A bunch of ants." The Honghuang Zhundi sneered mockingly, not even bothering to open their eyes fully as they continued their feigned slumber.

"Youming Continent is really going all out, even auctioning off a Saint King Soldier." The skinny old man clicked his tongue in amazement.

"The sword is nice, but it doesn't catch our eye," Ye Chen said, sprawling bored on the table. He already had Saint King Soldiers, not to mention countless Great Saint weapons and even Zhundi weapons. He wouldn't stoop to something like this. As for xianjian, that crimson one was miles behind his Chixiao Jian.

What he was interested in was true fire and immortal gold. He had no real appetite for weapons like this—unless it was at least a Great Saint weapon to pique his curiosity.

"The xianjian Chihong, starting bid at ten million. Bidding starts now, with each increase no less than five hundred thousand," Youming Laoren announced, his voice echoing mysteriously throughout the auction hall.

"I'll take it for eleven million."

"Thirteen million."

"Up two hundred million from you—fifteen million."

No sooner had Youming Laoren spoken than the bidders erupted into a frenzy. In just a few moments, the Chihong Xianjian had soared to thirty million. Such a sky-high price left over ninety percent of the Saint Kings and Saints shaking their heads in resignation—they wanted it, but their pockets were empty.

The competition was fierce, and in the end, the xianjian sold for thirty-five million to a Great Saint who had kept a low profile. This drew envious glares from all around, and more than a few were already plotting murder.

Youming Laoren had put away the Chihong Xianjian and with a casual wave of his sleeve, the second item appeared suspended in midair. It was a divine pearl, radiating silver light and wrapped in dragon breath. If you listened closely, you could hear a powerful dragon roar, and if you looked carefully, you'd see a small dragon coiling inside the pearl.

"Long Yuan?" someone exclaimed in surprise.

"It's not Long Yuan, just something tainted with dragon blood," an elder figure explained slowly.

"It must be a secret treasure for strengthening the foundation and nurturing essence—worth going for."

"Let me know when the true fire comes up." Ye Chen glanced at the divine pearl and then laid his head back down on the table, dozing off. If he wasn't interested in the Chihong Xianjian, he certainly wasn't in this half-baked pearl. He had carts full of such things in his storage bag.

The skinny old man just stood with his hands tucked in, eyes fixed on the silver divine pearl. Ye Chen might not care, but he saw its value clearly.

"Eight million."

"Up five hundred thousand from you—thirteen million. Got the guts to go higher?"

"Fifteen million."

"You're something else."

The auction hall was buzzing, not just with bids but with shouts and curses. Though everyone was cloaked in black robes, if you lifted the veils, you'd likely see faces flushed with anger.

The bidding on the silver divine pearl was quick and ended just as fast. It wasn't as high-level as the Chihong Xianjian, so the price didn't climb as much—just fifteen million, snagged by a Saint. For him, it meant emptying his coffers.

"Quiet down." Youming Laoren said calmly, then produced the third item.

This time, it was a bagua pan—nothing particularly remarkable about it, not even a hint of immortal light. Its only notable feature was the heavy yin energy it emitted.

The bidders below squinted and scrutinized it from all angles.

"This treasure, I like it." The skinny old man chuckled.

Ye Chen, who had been sound asleep, was jolted awake by that remark. He lifted his head slightly, glanced at the bagua pan, and then laid back down. He could tell at a glance what it was—a treasure, sure, but not for everyone. Only those who enjoyed grave robbing would find it useful. The bagua pan's ability was for seeking gold and locating burial sites.

"What's this thing anyway?" someone asked in confusion.

"Are you blind? It's a bagua pan—what's there to ask?"

"Hey, you want to fight?"

"Think I'm scared?"

The auction hall turned chaotic, like a powder keg ready to explode at the slightest spark.

"Starting bid at three million. Bidding starts now," Youming Laoren said indifferently.

The noise died down, but the bidders still glanced around warily, with no one jumping in. A bagua pan for seeking gold and graves was basically a useless gadget—unless you were in the grave-robbing business.

"Three million one hundred thousand." Seeing no takers, the skinny old man raised his sign, breaking the silence.

He was dead set on that bagua pan, and Ye Chen, sitting nearby, couldn't help but look up with a knowing expression. He didn't even need to ask—this old man was clearly a frequent visitor to ancestral tombs, probably bidding on it to find graves and dig up treasures.

The skinny old man's bid set off a chain reaction, with others jumping in one after another, driving the price up. Who knew if they really wanted it or were just stirring trouble.

"Shills, there must be shills," the skinny old man grumbled. "Nobody wanted it until I bid, and now they're all piling on."

"Is this your first auction?" Ye Chen laughed, not even bothering to lift his head.

"It's all tricks, just tricks." The skinny old man's face darkened. As an old hand, he knew auctions were full of planted bidders.

"Five million."

"I'll go six million. I really like this bagua pan."

"I like it too—seven million."

"Hey." The skinny old man rolled up his sleeves and bellowed, "Eight million."

Well, that did it. His shout made everyone else back off—it wasn't worth the hassle for that amount.

The skinny old man got what he wanted, but his forehead was lined with frustration as he shot glares at the earlier bidders, convinced they were shills who had cost him an extra five hundred thousand.

The auction rolled on, with one item after another brought out—weapons, pills, secret scrolls, and more—pushing the excitement to new heights. There were even scuffles over treasures, and things nearly got out of hand, but Youming Laoren kept it under control. Otherwise, the place might have turned into an all-out brawl.

Youming Pavilion was certainly bold; the items they auctioned were top-notch, which was why everyone was so fired up.

During it all, Ye Chen opened his eyes more than once to glance at the Honghuang Zhundi. They were all relaxed, not lifting a finger since the auction started—they were clearly waiting for the immortal gold.

One item was removed, and another took its place.

Huh?

The moment the new item appeared, Ye Chen, who had been lying on the table, sat up and stared at it. It was a small purple-gold gourd, shimmering with light and exuding an extraordinary aura.

Ye Chen examined it, then pulled a small gourd from his own pocket—it was also purple-gold and identical to the one up for auction. His had been with him for years, obtained from the Wanbao Pavilion at Hengyue Sect back in the day. It was a secret treasure that could detect hidden restrictions in other items, and it had led him to quite a few opportunities.

"How interesting," Ye Chen muttered to himself, feeling the gourd in his hand tremble slightly, as if it had found a long-lost kin.

"These two wouldn't be twins, would they?" The skinny old man stroked his chin, comparing the one on stage to the one in Ye Chen's hand. The two gourds were identical in appearance and origin, clearly from the same source. Maybe they really were a pair.

"I get the feeling one might be male and the other female," Ye Chen said meaningfully.

"Put them together, and who knows—they might even produce a little one," the skinny old man replied with a serious nod.

"Starting bid at three million. Bidding starts now," Youming Laoren said coolly, as straightforward as ever.

"Five million." To Ye Chen's surprise, the first bid came from the Taotie Clan's Zhundi. The guy had been sitting like a mountain until now, not joining any bidding, so he must have spotted something special about the purple-gold gourd.

"Eight million." The next bid was from another Honghuang clan, the Tao Wu Clan's Zhundi. After bidding, he glanced at the Taotie Zhundi, a playful smirk curling under his black robe.

But his smile froze when someone else jumped in—it was the Qiongqi Clan's Zhundi, clearly throwing shade.

Ye Chen couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. These three Honghuang Zhundi had come all this way to settle scores with him, but instead of finding him, they were duking it out at the auction. Still, their involvement only confirmed that the purple-gold gourd was no ordinary treasure.

"Fifteen million."

"Up three million from you—eighteen million."

"Twenty million."

"Twenty-five million." The Qiongqi Zhundi raised the bid aggressively, tacking on five million at once and silencing most of the competition. Even the Taotie and Tao Wu Zhundi backed off—not because they couldn't afford it, but because they had more important missions and couldn't waste their resources.

"Why stop now?" the Qiongqi Zhundi taunted with a laugh.

"If you want it that badly, it's yours." Both the Taotie and Tao Wu Zhundi snorted coldly and slipped back into their feigned sleep.

"Any further bids?" Youming Laoren scanned the crowd.

"I'll raise it—add five hundred thousand, making it thirty million in source stones." Ye Chen's words were casual, but they drew everyone's attention.

"Thirty million?" The skinny old man swallowed hard, sizing up Ye Chen with new respect. He had no idea his companion was such a tycoon, casually throwing out figures like that. Too bad, with Ye Chen's face hidden, he couldn't tell if it would make him weep in shock.