"One hundred million."
"110 million..."
"200 million..."
"300 million..."
The price kept soaring rapidly. The final bid was 380 million USD, won by a Cultivator.
Keep in mind, the unit was USD.
Zhang Bin was completely speechless. Damn, a single Spiritual Medicine for 380 million USD? How many Spiritual Medicines could I possibly buy with my money?
Immediately, anger surged within him like a tidal wave. Fei Yiming, representing the Daoyi Sect, had confiscated so many of his four-hundred-year-old Spiritual Medicines. How much were they worth?
The second item up for auction was a True Essence Pill.
Its price was also so shocking that Zhang Bin was stunned; it sold for a whopping 1 billion USD.
He felt even more pained and furious. If he had kept his Spiritual Medicines until now, they would be over five hundred years old. If he had refined them into True Essence Pills and auctioned them here, how much would they have been worth?
"Haha... Master, you're shocked, right?" Ma Rufei laughed strangely. "That's why I know my limits. I never even thought about buying any treasures at the Hero Auction. That would just be throwing money away."
Chen Chaoyue rubbed his forehead and added, "It's even more terrifying this year. The price of Spiritual Medicines has gone up so much. If someone bought a batch now and sold them in ten years, they would make an absolute fortune."
"That's not making a fortune, that's courting death," Zhang Bin said grumpily. "Powerful experts would come knocking on your door to take both your life and your Spiritual Medicines."
"Exactly, exactly. That's why we don't dare do that. We're just here to pick up girls," Chen Chaoyue said with a sly laugh.
"Hehe... We've already gotten contact info from more than a dozen beauties..." Ma Rufei added with a smug look on his face.
"You two animals," Zhang Bin said, exasperated. "So am I just a spectator here today?"
"Pretty much," Chen Chaoyue said. "I reckon you can only afford a few Spiritual Medicines."
"Then lend me your funds; otherwise, I won't even dare to bid," Zhang Bin said. "I'll pay you back as soon as possible. Hmm, within three months."
"Using our funds is no problem," the two schemers said in unison, exchanging a glance and laughing mischievously, "but you have to take us to Las Vegas for some fun."
They had already discussed going with Zhang Bin to make a killing in Las Vegas. They never even considered the potential danger. They were just that reckless.
Looks like I'll have to take these two animals to raise hell in Las Vegas next time, Zhang Bin mumbled to himself, seeing no choice but to agree.
Right now, he had to secure the medicinal ingredients for the Liquefaction Pill and break through to the Liquid State. Having his Cultivation Level stagnate was a very dangerous thing. This world was too dangerous, filled with powerful experts.
More and more treasures were brought up for auction.
"Five pounds of thousand-year Tie Pi Shi Hu, to be auctioned in five one-pound lots! The starting price is 100 million USD per lot!" the Auctioneer announced loudly.
Tie Pi Shi Hu is a rare plant that grows on the sheer cliffs of Jiangxi Longhu Mountain. Though its appearance is unassuming, it is ranked first among China's nine great immortal herbs, surpassing even the Tianshan Snow Lotus and Polygonum Multiflorum.
A thousand-year-old Tie Pi Shi Hu was incredibly precious.
It was one of the three main ingredients for refining the Liquefaction Pill, along with the Thousand-Year Tianshan Snow Lotus and Thousand-Year Fuling.
Zhang Bin was also missing a few auxiliary ingredients, but they didn't require such ancient herbs—three-hundred-year-old ones would suffice. So, as long as he could buy the three main ingredients, refining the Liquefaction Pill would become much easier. He had already cultivated some of the auxiliary herbs himself and stored them in his Space Ring.
The thousand-year Tie Pi Shi Hu was the most difficult to obtain. Zhang Bin had once asked Liu Ruolan to acquire such a Spiritual Medicine, but she couldn't find any, not even a hundred-year-old specimen.
Now, he finally had a chance. There were five pounds available, and he only needed one pound to refine a furnace full of Liquefaction Pills.
Therefore, Zhang Bin began to bid without hesitation.
Many other powerful figures started bidding as well.
"120 million."
"150 million."
"200 million."
"300 million."
"400 million."
"450 million."
In the end, Zhang Bin spent 450 million USD to obtain one pound of Tie Pi Shi Hu, equivalent to three billion RMB. It meant he had spent all the money he had earned from founding his company.
Zhang Bin felt the pinch, but it was worth it. He had to break through to the Liquid State as soon as possible.
Soon, the pound of Tie Pi Shi Hu was delivered to Zhang Bin. He examined it closely and saw that it was indeed a thousand-year-old specimen, emitting a strange, refreshing fragrance. Instantly overjoyed, he immediately stored it in his Space Ring.
Seeing Zhang Bin spend 450 million USD in one go, Galina, the beauty from White Swan Country, looked at him with amazement. She saw the youth in a completely new light; he was clearly a super-rich tycoon!
The remaining four pounds of Tie Pi Shi Hu were also quickly auctioned off, with no lot selling for less than 450 million USD. The final pound even reached a price of 520 million USD.
Here, money wasn't money; it was just a number.
Zhang Bin silently rejoiced that he had acted quickly to win the first lot; otherwise, he would have had to spend even more.
"A Flying Sword! The starting bid is 5 billion USD!" the Auctioneer suddenly shouted.
A hostess raised a tray high, upon which lay a Sword Box and a Flying Sword.
Zhang Bin's expression changed drastically. An unprecedented rage surged within him, his eyes nearly shooting flames.
That Flying Sword was his—the very one Fei Yiming had confiscated.
Initially, he had simply planned to grow powerful enough to go to the Daoyi Sect and reclaim his confiscated Flying Sword. But he never dreamed that the Daoyi Sect would actually bring it here to be auctioned.
This was downright bandit logic, treating his Flying Sword as their own property.
What he didn't know was that the Daoyi Sect had noted that many days had passed without any elders from the Taiqing Sect coming to protest the confiscation. They figured the Taiqing Sect must be a very weak Sect, likely without even a single Golden Core Realm Cultivator. Thus, they completely dismissed the Taiqing Sect and concluded that they wouldn't dare demand the Flying Sword back. So, they decided to auction it off, hoping to exchange it for a vast fortune to buy the treasures and Spiritual Medicines they needed. For Cultivators, the smartest path was to quickly use any acquired wealth to enhance their own strength.
"There's actually a Flying Sword for auction this time? Which powerful and wealthy Sect could be behind this?"
All the Golden Core Realm Cultivators were shocked. They, too, became frenzied—at least, those who didn't already possess a Flying Sword.
They began to bid fiercely.
"15 billion."
"20 billion."
"30 billion."
"50 billion."
The price soared. It eventually shot past 120 billion USD, finally selling for 125 billion to a Golden Core Realm Cultivator.
Daoyi Sect, you just wait! Zhang Bin roared furiously in his heart. I will make you pay a hundredfold!