"Esteemed guests, today marks the final day of our Nine Domains Auction. I trust the treasures you've acquired over the past six days have met your expectations.
For those who haven't yet secured their desired items, worry not. Today's auction boasts a diverse array of goods, and as the grand finale, the quality of our treasures will undoubtedly be even higher. I, your humble host, wish each and every one of you success in bidding for what your hearts desire.
Now, for the first item of today's auction: the Phoenix Cry Flame Essence. As the saying goes, 'from the ashes one is reborn,' and this essence is precisely such a remnant.
Classified as a rare celestial treasure, it offers unparalleled benefits to fire cultivators, making their training twice as effective. Even ordinary spiritual masters will find significant fortune in possessing this item. The starting bid is one hundred million Tai Yuan Crystals, with each subsequent bid no less than one million Tai Yuan Crystals.
You may now begin bidding." Jiang Wan'er said, bowing slightly before retreating.
"Five hundred million Tai Yuan Crystals!"
Perhaps due to it being the final day, as soon as Jiang Wan'er finished speaking, someone immediately placed a bid, driving the price to a staggering five hundred million Tai Yuan Crystals.
"Pavilion Master Wang, this item seems perfectly suited for your Fire Pavilion's needs. However, with the first bid reaching five hundred million Tai Yuan Crystals, I fear the final price will be quite substantial."
Among the Five Pavilions, only Li Xuan's Mu Pavilion and Wang Jianye's Fire Pavilion had yet to acquire their required items. The appearance of the Phoenix Cry Flame Essence immediately drew everyone's attention to Wang Jianye.
Wang Jianye, his expression already filled with excitement, nodded relaxedly at Zhou Qingzi's words. "Although this price is a bit high, it's still within our acceptable range. Furthermore, if it hadn't appeared, this trip might have been in vain. Now that it has, completing our mission would be ideal."
"That is true. Pavilion Master Wang, if you require assistance later, my Earth Pavilion can provide you with one billion Tai Yuan Crystals," Ma Tianyu replied, nodding.
In the previous days' auctions, Ma Tianyu had spent a total of three billion nine hundred sixty million Tai Yuan Crystals, leaving him with only one billion forty million Tai Yuan Crystals. Being able to offer one billion Tai Yuan Crystals now was his limit.
"Thank you," Wang Jianye replied, not refusing the offer. After all, the Phoenix Cry Flame Essence was no ordinary item, and it was rumored that the Primordial Phoenix Clan was also participating in this auction, clearly unwilling to miss out on it.
"One billion six hundred seventy-eight million Tai Yuan Crystals!"
"One billion six hundred eighty million Tai Yuan Crystals!"
"..."
"Two billion fifty million Tai Yuan Crystals!"
As time passed, in just five minutes, the bidding for the Phoenix Cry Flame Essence had already surpassed two billion Tai Yuan Crystals. Wang Jianye and Elder Huo Tian, though silent, kept their eyes fixed on the wall-mounted screen.
"Three billion Tai Yuan Crystals!"
"Three billion five million Tai Yuan Crystals!"
"Three billion ten million Tai Yuan Crystals!"
"..."
"Thirty-five billion Tai Yuan Crystals!"
With a clear, crisp voice, Li Xuan and Wang Jianye exchanged glances. The voice was familiar; it belonged to someone from the Phoenix Clan.
In the preceding days, Li Xuan and his companions had engaged in some conversations with the Primordial Phoenix Clan. Hearing that voice now, they naturally recognized it. Each private room was equipped with a unique formation that altered the voice of the bidder.
However, the Primordial Phoenix Clan's voice remained unchanged, seemingly intending to send a signal to others. But it appeared that the Fire Pavilion alone might thwart their plans.
"Thirty-five billion five hundred million Tai Yuan Crystals!"
"Thirty-five billion five hundred fifty million Tai Yuan Crystals!"
"Thirty-six billion Tai Yuan Crystals!"
"Thirty-six billion five million Tai Yuan Crystals!"
"..."
As time trickled away, Li Xuan, Zhou Qingzi, and the others could only exchange wry smiles. The only bidders remaining were Wang Jianye and the Primordial Phoenix Clan, and the bidding was escalating with palpable tension.
Each time Wang Jianye raised the bid, the Primordial Phoenix Clan's representative would directly tenfold the increase, demonstrating an unmistakable determination to acquire the Phoenix Cry Flame Essence.
Yet, as the Pavilion Master of the Fire Pavilion, Wang Jianye was unwilling to let the mission-critical item slip through his fingers on the final day of the auction.
"Forty billion Tai Yuan Crystals!" After placing his bid, Wang Jianye looked at Ma Tianyu with a helpless expression. "Pavilion Master Ma, the situation has become such that I truly require your assistance."
Ma Tianyu nodded upon hearing this. "Pavilion Master Wang, please bid freely. I will certainly assist as I have promised."
"Forty billion one hundred million Tai Yuan Crystals!"
"Forty billion one hundred fifty million Tai Yuan Crystals!"
"..."
"Forty-four billion three hundred million Tai Yuan Crystals!"
With Ma Tianyu's assurance, Wang Jianye's bids became more resolute. After a few more minutes, the bidding for the Phoenix Cry Flame Essence had been driven up to forty-four billion three hundred million Tai Yuan Crystals by the representative of the Primordial Phoenix Clan.
"Forty-five billion Tai Yuan Crystals!"
Wang Jianye did not back down. Instead of engaging in a protracted bidding war, he directly increased the bid by seventy million Tai Yuan Crystals. This move was born of necessity, as the previous incremental bids were too slow and unlikely to deter the Primordial Phoenix Clan.
"Forty-six billion Tai Yuan Crystals!"
However, Wang Jianye's increase prompted the Primordial Phoenix Clan's representative to raise the bid by a full one hundred million Tai Yuan Crystals. It was clear they intended to force Wang Jianye to retreat.
"Fifty billion Tai Yuan Crystals!" At this point, Wang Jianye was too weary to continue haggling and declared his entire fifty billion Tai Yuan Crystals.
A collective gasp of surprise rippled through the audience as they exchanged glances, yet no one spoke. Perhaps, faced with the same circumstances, they too would have bid so boldly. After all, to complete a mission, and given the extreme rarity of the Phoenix Cry Flame Essence, fifty billion Tai Yuan Crystals was a justifiable price.
"Fifty billion five hundred million Tai Yuan Crystals!" After a moment of stunned silence, the representative of the Primordial Phoenix Clan placed another bid.
However, perhaps due to their limited reserves, this bid was only an increase of fifty million Tai Yuan Crystals, suggesting they were nearing their limit.
"Fifty-one billion Tai Yuan Crystals!" Seeing the Phoenix Clan falter, Wang Jianye's eyes lit up, and he immediately placed his bid.
Indeed!
After Wang Jianye's subsequent bid, no further sound came from the private room occupied by the Phoenix Clan.
"Fifty-one billion Tai Yuan Crystals. Are there any other esteemed guests who wish to place a bid?" After a minute of silence, Jiang Wan'er stepped forward again, smiling.
As Jiang Wan'er's words echoed, there was still no response from the hall.
After a few more seconds of waiting, Jiang Wan'er, with a smile, addressed the private room occupied by Li Xuan and his party. "Congratulations to the esteemed guest in private room number seven for successfully acquiring the Phoenix Cry Flame Essence at the price of fifty-one billion Tai Yuan Crystals."
"What a magnificent auction! Even I am in awe. I believe this first round has ignited everyone's passion. Now, I shall present you with another treasure, also a rare celestial treasure."
"This item is known as the Reverse Scale Wood."