lǎo wēng tīng le ， què bù zhì kě fǒu ， tā zuò zài rú jīn de wèi zēng ， shén me bǎo wù méi yǒu jiàn guò ， qū qū yī míng yuán yīng chū qī de xiū xiān zhě ， néng gòu ná chū shén me hǎo dōng xī le 。
老翁听了，却不置可否，他坐在如今的位罾，什么宝物没有见过，区区一名元婴初期的修仙者，能够拿出什么好东西了。
The old man listened but said nothing. He had seen countless treasures in his current position, and a mere初级 cultivator could hardly offer anything of value.
lín xuān jiàn le duì fāng jù ào de tài dù ， què yě bìng bù shēng qì ， xiù páo yī fú ， yī kuài bā zhǎng dà xiǎo de lín piàn chū xiàn le 。
林轩见了对方倨傲的态度，却也并不生气，袖袍一拂，一块巴掌大小的鳞片出现了。
Seeing Lin Xuan's arrogant attitude, he was not angry at all. With a wave of his sleeve, a palm-sized scale appeared.
zuò tǔ huáng sè ， biǎo miàn de huā wén xuán ào ér gǔ piáo 。
做土黄色，表面的huā玟玄奥而古朴。
It was yellowish-brown with intricate and ancient patterns on its surface.
lǎo wēng yuán běn bìng bù zěn me zài yì ， kě kàn zhe cǐ wù ， yǎn jīng què yī xià zi liàng le 。
老翁原本并不怎么在意，可看着此物，眼睛却一下子亮了。
The old man wasn't particularly interested before, but his eyes lit up when he saw the object.
hǎo nóng zhòng de tǔ shǔ xìng líng qì ， nán dào shì jiāo lóng shēn shàng de dōng xī ？
好浓重的土属性灵气，难道是蛟龙身上的东西？
Such a heavy earth attribute essence qi... Could it be from a dragon's body?
zhēng dé lín xuān de tóng yì ， tā jiāng shēn qián de lín piàn ná qǐ ， yǎn jīng wēi mī ， móu zhōng de jīng guāng shǎn shuò bù yǐ 。
征得林轩的同意，他将身前的鳞片拿起，眼睛微眯，眸中的精光闪烁不已。
With Lin Xuan's consent, he picked up the scale. His eyes narrowed as he flickered with excitement.
kě yuè kàn biǎo qíng yuè shì yà yì ！
可越看表情越是讶异！
The more he looked, the more surprised he became!
zhè bú shì jiāo lóng zhī wù ， rán ér hái yào gèng zhēn guì yī xiē ， rú guǒ zì jǐ méi yǒu liào cuò ， yīng gāi shì cóng gǔ shòu shēn shàng lù xià lái de 。
这不是蛟龙之物，然而还要更珍贵一些，如果自己没有料错，应该是从古兽身上录下来的。
This wasn't from a dragon; however, it was even more precious. If his guess was correct, it should have come from an ancient beast in the Separation Stage!
ér qiě nà gǔ shòu de děng jí ， yīng gāi shì lí hé qī ！
而且那古兽的等级，应该是离合期！
And that ancient beast's level could be the Separation Stage!
jiāng qí ná dào ěr biān ， qū zhǐ dàn le dàn ， yī zhèn gǔ piáo de shēng yīn yuǎn yuǎn chuán kāi 。
将其拿到耳边，屈指弹了弹，一阵古朴的声音远远传开。
He brought it to his ear and flicked it with his fingers, emitting a distant sound.
“ rú hé ， cǐ wù dào yǒu hái mǎn yì me ……” lín xuān wēi xiào zhe shuō 。
“如何，此物道友还满意么……”林轩微笑着说。
"How about this, friend, are you still satisfied with this item?" Lin Xuan said with a smile.
“ hē hē ， bù cuò ， bù cuò ， gāng gāng shì zhǎn mǒu shī lǐ le ， zhè yàng de bǎo wù ， bù lùn zuò chéng fáng yù shǔ xìng de fǎ bǎo hái shì kǎi jiǎ yī lèi de bǎo wù ， dōu shì shàng jiā cái liào de ， yóu qí shì xī nóng zhòng de tǔ yuán qì ， gèng huì ràng xiū liàn tóng shǔ xìng de xiū xiān zhě ， qū zhī ruò wù ， zhǐ bù guò ……”
“呵呵，不错，不错，刚刚是展某失礼了，这样的宝物，不论做成防御属性的法宝还是铠甲一类的宝物，都是上佳材料的，尤其是牺浓重的土元气，更会让修炼同属性的修仙者，趋之若鹜，只不过……”
"Haha, not bad, not bad. I was just being rude before. Such treasures would be excellent materials for either defensive artifacts or armors. Especially the heavy earth elemental energy, it will attract cultivators of the same attribute like moths to a flame. However..."
“ rú hé ？” lín xuān yī jiù shén sè dàn rán de shuō 。
“如何？”林轩依旧神色淡然的说。
"How so?" Lin Xuan said calmly.
“ jiù shì shù liàng tài shǎo le ， wèi miǎn měi zhōng bù zú ， bù zhī dào dào yǒu shǒu zhōng ， hái yǒu méi yǒu lèi sì de bǎo wù ？” lǎo wēng xiǎo xīn yì yì de shuō ， néng gòu shōu dào zhè zhǒng děng jí de dài pāi zhī wù ， tā zhè ge jiè shào rén yě huì yǒu mò dà hǎo chù ， suǒ yǐ tài dù zài yī shùn jiān zhuǎn biàn zhuǎn biàn guò lái le 。
“就是数量太少了，未免美中不足，不知道道友手中，还有没有类似的宝物？”老翁小心翼翼的说，能够收到这种等级的代拍之物，他这个介绍人也会有莫大好处，所以态度在一瞬间转变转变过来了。
"It's just that there are too few in number, making this slightly imperfect. Do you have any similar treasures in your possession, friend?" The old man spoke cautiously, his attitude having changed instantly. Receiving such high-level items would be a big deal for him.
shì shì wú cháng ， jiē wèi lì wǎng ！
世事无常，皆为利往！
Lin Xuan had over a hundred scales in his possession, but he knew the value of rarity and wouldn't sell them all at once. Although his wealth was substantial, as his cultivation improved, the cost of materials and medicinal pills would skyrocket, so he couldn’t afford to waste any.
lín xuān tīng le ， què bìng méi yǒu huí dá zhī yì ， ér shì zì jǐ dào le yī bēi líng jiǔ màn màn de pǐn cháng 。
林轩听了，却并没有回答之意，而是自己倒了一杯灵酒慢慢的品尝。
After all, in the Spirit Realm, he was just an independent cultivator without a powerful backing.
lǎo wēng jì rán néng zài cǐ dì dài kè ， zì rán yě shì méi yǎn tī tòu de rén wù jiàn lín xuān rú cǐ biǎo qíng ， bù jǐn bù nù ， fǎn ér àn zì huān xǐ ， lüè yī chóu chú ， jiù chén yín zhe kāi kǒu le ：“ àn zhào fāng shì de guī jǔ fán shì dài pāi de bǎo wù ， dōu yào yào féng bǎi chōu yī ， zhǎn mǒu zuò zhǔ ， dào yǒu de dōng xī ， wǒ men zài yuán yǒu de jī chǔ shàng shǎo chōu yì chéng rú hé ？”
老翁既然能在此地待客，自然也是眉眼剔透的人物见林轩如此表情，不仅不怒，反而暗自欢喜，略一踌躇，就沉吟着开口了：“按照坊市的规矩凡是代拍的宝物，都要要逢百抽一，展某做主，道友的东西，我们在原有的基础上少抽一成如何？”
The lake rippled gently, and they had been traveling for over a cup of tea before reaching the center. A painted boat appeared before their eyes.
yī biān shuō ， yī biān xiǎo xīn kàn zhe lín xuān de liǎn sè ， zhè kě shì dà zhǔ gù ， yī jiàn hǎo de dài pāi zhī wù chú le fēng hòu de tí chéng ， duì yú pāi mài huì rén qì de zēng jiā ， yě yǒu mò dà hǎo chù 。
一边说，一边小心看着林轩的脸色，这可是大主顾，一件好的代拍之物除了丰厚的提成，对于拍卖会人气的增加，也有莫大好处。
Though it looked like a small boat, it could accommodate thousands of people. Soft music filled the air as beautiful young girls danced gracefully. It seemed more like a place for wealthy laymen to enjoy themselves on the lake than an auction in the Secret Market of the cultivation world.
zhè yě shì wèi shén me ， tā men zài tì kè rén dài pāi yǐ qián ， xiān yào jiàn dìng yī xià ， fǒu zé néng gòu chōu qǔ de lì rùn suī gèng duō ， dàn rú guǒ shén me ā māo ā gǒu de dōng xī dōu néng ná dào pāi mài huì de huà ， duì yú tā men de shēng yù yě shì yǒu mò dà yǐng xiǎng de 。
这也是为什么，他们在替客人代拍以前，先要鉴定一下，否则能够抽取的利润虽更多，但如果什么阿猫阿狗的东西都能拿到拍卖会的话，对于他们的声誉也是有莫大影响的。
"Senior, please follow me. The auction is about to begin," said the gentle attendant who had brought him here. Elder Xu had instructed her to treat guests well; offending them would result in dire consequences.
duǎn qī nèi huì yǒu xiǎo lì ， dàn duì cháng yuǎn de fā zhǎn ， què dà wèi bù lì 。
短期内会有小利，但对长远的发展，却大为不利。
"Hmm..."
“ dào yǒu wù huì le ， lín mǒu suī qióng ， dàn pāi mài de guī jǔ hái shì qīng chǔ ， féng bǎi chōu yī zài zhèng cháng bù guò ， zài xià bú shì lái áo jià qián de ……” lín xuān dàn dàn de shuō 。
“道友误会了，林某虽穷，但拍卖的规矩还是清楚，逢百抽一再正常不过，在下不是来熬价钱的……”林轩淡淡的说。
Lin Xuan nodded and moved into the painted boat. It was even larger than he imagined, with opulence that could make one’s hair stand on end.
“ ó nà dào yǒu yǒu shén me yāo qiú ， jǐn guǎn shuō ……” lǎo wēng lüè yǒu diǎn chà yì de kāi kǒu le 。
“哦那道友有什么要求，尽管说……”老翁略有点诧异的开口了。
With his crimson badge, Lin Xuan entered a private room, which only the most esteemed guests were allowed to use. There were only a dozen or so such rooms.
“ bì rén yāo qiú bù duō ， jǐn yí gè ， zài xià xī wàng néng gòu nì míng pāi chū zhè yàng dōng xī ， duì wǒ de shēn fèn jué duì bǎo mì ……”
“敝人要求不多，仅一个，在下希望能够匿名拍出这样东西，对我的身份绝对保密……”
The other cultivators waited in the main hall, and Lin Xuan's divine sense swept over them, revealing around a thousand people. Such an auction was not small.
“ wán quán méi yǒu wèn tí ， zhè yì diǎn dào yǒu fàng xīn ， zhǐ yào chēng hái néng ná chū sān wǔ kuài zhè yàng bǎo wù wǒ men xiàn zài jiù kě yǐ qiān dìng xuè qì wén shū 。”
“完全没有问题，这一点道友放心，只要称还能拿出三五块这样宝物我们现在就可以签订血契文书。”
Inside the private room, there were spirit tea and fruits. He slowly savored them, eagerly anticipating what treasures would be offered at this Spirit Realm auction.
“ sān wǔ kuài me ？” lín xuān liǎn shàng lù chū yī sī gǔ guài zhī sè ， xiù páo yī fú chén mèn de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， èr shí yú kuài tóng yàng de lín piàn diào luò zài chuán shàng le 。
“三五块么？”林轩脸上露出一丝古怪之色，袖袍一拂沉闷的声音传入耳朵，二十余块同样的鳞片掉落在船上了。
After some time, the auction began.
lǎo wēng bèi xià le yī tiào ， liǎn shàng shǎn guò xīng fèn ér tān lán de guāng máng 。
老翁被吓了一跳，脸上闪过兴奋而贪婪的光芒。
The noisy hall quieted down as everyone was wealthy enough to participate in such auctions for treasure hunting.
yī zhǎn chá yǐ hòu ， lín xuān yóu yī míng shì nǚ sòng zǒu ， tā shǒu zhōng de yāo pái ， yě biàn chéng le fēi hóng sè ， zhè shì zuì gāo jí de guì bīn cái yǒu de 。
一盏茶以后，林轩由一名侍女送走，他手中的腰牌，也变成了绯红色，这是最高级的贵宾才有的。
A simple wooden table stood before a white-haired old man who stepped forward.
lín xuān shǒu zhōng de lín piàn ， qí shí yǒu bǎi yú zhī duō ， dàn wù yǐ xī wéi guì de dào lǐ ， tā qǐ huì bù qīng chǔ ， zì rán bú huì yī cì quán bù chū shǒu 。
林轩手中的鳞片，其实有百余之多，但物以稀为贵的道理，他岂会不清楚，自然不会一次全部出手。
Though not tall, he was an Initial Separation cultivator. His appearance caused a stir of curiosity.
suī rán zì jǐ shēn jià fēng hòu ， dàn suí zhe xiū wèi de zēng zhǎng ， xū yào de cái liào dān yào ， jià gé yě huì yuè lái yuè lí pǔ ， suǒ yǐ bài jiā de xíng wéi shì bù néng yǒu de 。
虽然自己身价丰厚，但随着修为的增长，需要的材料丹药，价格也会越来越离谱，所以败家的行为是不能有的。
"Master Mo, did I see correctly? Master Mo is actually hosting the auction himself?"
bì jìng zài líng jiè ， zì jǐ jǐn shì sàn xiū ， ér bú shì yǒu páng dà shì lì kě yǐ zhī yuán de nà zhǒng 。
毕竟在灵界，自己仅是散修，而不是有庞大势力可以支援的那种。
"Humph, what’s the big deal? Just an Initial Separation cultivator."
bì bō dàng yàng ， hú miàn kuān guǎng ， zú zú guò le yī zhǎn chá de gōng fu ， tā men cái lái dào zhōng xīn chù ， yī sōu huà fǎng chū xiàn zài yǎn lián le 。
碧波荡漾，湖面宽广，足足过了一盏茶的功夫，他们才来到中心处，一艘画舫出现在眼帘了。
"Humph, you know nothing. Though Master Mo's cultivation isn't high, he is the most renowned appraiser in this vast sea region. Even when Immortal Wood was alive, he treated him with great respect. It’s said that a hundred years ago, a senior from the Profound Understanding Stage passed through here and asked him to appraise treasures..."
shuō shì huà fǎng ， què dǎ dé bù kě sī yì ， róng nà shù qiān rén yě méi yǒu wèn tí 。
说是画舫，却打得不可思议，容纳数千人也没有问题。
"What? Profound Understanding Stage! Friend Xu, are you sure?"
yōu yáng de sī zhú zhī shēng piāo rù ěr duǒ ， hái yǒu měi lì de shào nǚ piān piān qǐ wǔ ， guāng cóng biǎo miàn shàng kàn ， nǎ xiàng xiū xiān jiè mì shì pāi mài de chǎng suǒ ， dào gèng xiàng shì sú de fù jiā zǐ dì dài jiā juàn shì nǚ lái yóu hú 。
悠扬的丝竹之声飘入耳朵，还有美丽的少女翩翩起舞，光从表面上看，哪像修仙界秘市拍卖的场所，倒更像世俗的富家子弟待家眷侍女来游湖。
"Humph, this matter is well-known among many cultivators. How could I possibly lie about it? The senior from the Profound Understanding Stage praised Master Mo highly."
“ qián bèi ， qǐng ， pāi mài huì mǎ shàng jiù yào kāi shǐ le 。” sòng tā lái de shì nǚ wēn wǎn de shuō ， zhǎn zhǎng lǎo kě shì mìng lìng tā hǎo shēng zhāo hū ， dé zuì le kè rén yào jiāng zì jǐ chōu hún liàn pò 。
“前辈，请，拍卖会马上就要开始了。”送他来的侍女温婉的说，展长老可是命令她好生招呼，得罪了客人要将自己抽魂炼魄。
"So, Master Mo must be very skilled..."
“ ń ……”
“嗯……”
"Of course, and he rarely hosts auctions. Could there be a great treasure to be revealed today?"
lín xuān diǎn diǎn tóu ， shēn xíng yī dòng ， jiù jìn rù dào le huà fǎng zhī zhōng 。
林轩点点头，身形一动，就进入到了画舫之中。
The old man's words stirred curiosity, and as the auction had not yet begun, the atmosphere grew lively.
lǐ miàn bǐ zì jǐ xiǎng xiàng de hái yào kuān kuò ， fù lì táng huáng dào lìng rén fà zhǐ de dì bù 。
里面比自己想象的还要宽阔，富丽堂皇到令人发指的地步。
Many people widened their eyes in relief that they had come.
píng zhe nà fēi hóng sè de yāo pái ， lín xuān zì jǐ jìn rù yí gè bāo jiān ， zhè shì zuì zūn guì de kè rén cái yǒu de dài yù ， shù liàng bù duō ， cái shí jǐ gè 。
凭着那绯红色的腰牌，林轩自己进入一个包间，这是最尊贵的客人才有的待遇，数量不多，才十几个。
Master Mo nodded satisfactorily before clapping his hands. Soft footsteps sounded as a servant brought out a silver tray covered with red cloth, which blocked divine senses.
zhì yú qí tā de xiū xiān zhě ， zé zài dà tīng zhōng luò zuò ， lín xuān shén shí sǎo guò ， dà yuē yǒu qiān rén zhī duō ， zhè zhǒng guī mó de pāi mài huì ， dào yě bù suàn xiǎo le 。
至于其他的修仙者，则在大厅中落座，林轩神识扫过，大约有千人之多，这种规模的拍卖会，倒也不算小了。
The beauty of the item enhanced its allure.
bāo jiān zhōng yǒu líng chá ， guā guǒ ， lín xuān màn màn de pǐn cháng zhe ， líng jiè de pāi mài huì ， jiū jìng huì chū shén me bǎo wù ， tā xīn zhōng hái shì mán qī dài de 。
包间中有灵茶，瓜果，林轩慢慢的品尝着，灵界的拍卖会，究竟会出什么宝物，他心中还是蛮期待的。
"Since I haven't hosted auctions for a long time, let's start with this first item to add some excitement. How about we have a blind bidding?" Master Mo didn’t remove the red cloth but smiled.
bìng méi yǒu děng duō jiǔ ， dà yuē yī zhù xiāng de gōng fu yǐ hòu ， pāi mài huì jiù kāi shǐ le 。
并没有等多久，大约一炷香的功夫以后，拍卖会就开始了。
"Blind bidding?"
yuán běn yǒu xiē chǎo nào de dà tīng ， ān jìng xià lái ， néng gòu lái dào cǐ chù ， xiū wèi zàn qiě bù shuō ， jī běn shàng dōu suàn shì tóng jiē zhōng yǒu qián de zhǔ ér ， lái pāi mài huì de mù dì ， jiù shì wèi le táo dào bǎo wù 。
原本有些吵闹的大厅，安静下来，能够来到此处，修为暂且不说，基本上都算是同阶中有钱的主儿，来拍卖会的目的，就是为了淘到宝物。
Lin Xuan frowned. He had seen many things in his travels, but he had never experienced such an auction before. What did it mean by blind bidding?
dà tīng qián miàn de bǎi shè hěn jiǎn piáo ， jǐn jǐn yǒu yī zhāng mù zhuō 。
大厅前面的摆设很简朴，仅仅有一张木桌。
Fortunately, others were equally confused and didn't need him to ask. "What is blind bidding? Please explain," someone asked.
rán ér yí gè bái xū bái fà de lǎo zhě zǒu shàng lái le 。
然而一个白须白发的老者走上来了。
"Haha, even if you don’t ask, I will explain. Blind bidding means I won’t reveal what the item is but only give a starting price for everyone to bid."
sǔn wèi bìng bú shì tài gāo de yàng zi ， yuán yīng chū qī ， rán ér tā de shàng chǎng ， què yǐn qǐ le yī piàn jīng yí 。
榫为并不是太高的样子，元婴初期，然而他的上场，却引起了一片惊疑。
"Ah?"
“ mò dà shī ， wǒ méi kàn cuò ba ， mò dà shī jū rán qīn zì zhǔ chí ？”
“莫大师，我没看错吧，莫大师居然亲自主持？”
Before he could finish, many cultivators exchanged glances. They had come with some wealth and were eager to find treasures, but not knowing what was in the tray made this auction seem... unfair.
“ hēng ， yǒu shén me zi bù qǐ ， bù jiù shì yī míng yuán yīng chū qī ？”
“哼，有什么子不起，不就是一名元婴初期？”
What if it was just a piece of broken stone? Would they be wasting their money?
“ hēng ， nǐ xiǎo zi dǒng shén me ， mò dà shī xiū wèi suī rán bú shì hěn gāo ， dàn què shì zhè fāng yuán qiān wàn lǐ hǎi yù ， zuì yǒu míng de jiàn bǎo shī ， biàn shì kū mù zhēn rén zài shí ， duì tā yě lǐ jìng yǒu jiā ， tīng shuō bǎi yú nián qián ， yǒu yī míng lù guò cǐ chù de dòng xuán qī qián bèi ， hái qǐng tā jiàn shǎng guò bǎo de ……”
“哼，你小子懂什么，莫大师修为虽然不是很高，但却是这方圆千万里海域，最有名的鉴宝师，便是枯木真人在时，对他也礼敬有加，听说百余年前，有一名路过此处的洞玄期前辈，还请他鉴赏过宝的……”
Of course, not everyone thought so.
“ shén me ， dòng xuán qī ， mǎ dào yǒu ， nǐ méi yǒu nòng cuò ba ！”
“什么，洞玄期，马道友，你没有弄错吧！”
Among the thousand cultivators, there were those who were willing to take risks for more excitement. After all, such an auction wouldn't really offer trash; one could always sell what they won.
“ hēng ， zhè shén shì qíng ， hěn duō dào Ｏ。 dōu xiǎo de ， mǎ mǒu rén yòu zěn me kě néng hú shuō ， nà wèi dòng xuán qī qián bèi suī zǒu lù guò ， dàn duì mò dà shī ， yě shì zàn bù jué kǒu de 。”
“哼，这什事情，很多道Ｏ。都晓得，马某人又怎么可能胡说，那位洞玄期前辈虽走路过，但对莫大师，也是赞不绝口的。”
Reactions varied. Some agreed, but most showed disapproval. However, no one opposed it as it was still an auction. If they feared being cheated, they could simply not bid, and there was no need to dampen others' spirits.
“ zhè me shuō ， nà mò dà shī hái zhēn de hěn lì hài le ……”
“这么说，那莫大师还真的很厉害了……”
Master Mo understood this well and showed no signs of discomfort.
“ fèi huà ， ér qiě dà shī qīng yì shì bú huì zhǔ chí ， nán dào zhè cì pāi mài huì shàng yǒu shén me bù dé le de bǎo wù jí jiāng chū shì ？”
“废话，而且大师轻易是不会主持，难道这次拍卖会上有什么不得了的宝物即将出世？”
"Very well, the auction will begin now. The item in the tray starts at 20,000 crystals. Each increase must be at least 1,000. Remember, only middle-grade items are accepted for payment."
liǎng rén de yì lùn shēng suī bù suàn hěn dà ， cǐ shí dà tīng zhōng yòu yǒu xiē cáo zá ， dàn lín xuān hái shì tīng dé qīng qīng chǔ chǔ ， bì jìng tā de shén shí ， kě shì bù shū yú lí hé hòu qī cún zài de 。
两人的议论声虽不算很大，此时大厅中又有些嘈杂，但林轩还是听得清清楚楚，毕竟他的神识，可是不输于离合后期存在的。
This last statement left many first-time bidders speechless. They had thought blind bidding was just a way to liven up the atmosphere, but it involved starting with 20,000 middle-grade crystals.
mò dà shī ？
莫大师？
At one hundredth of that, many condensation stage cultivators, though wealthy, couldn't afford such an amount even if they pooled their resources.
The old man listened but said nothing. He had seen countless treasures in his current position, and a mere初级 cultivator could hardly offer anything of value.
Seeing Lin Xuan's arrogant attitude, he was not angry at all. With a wave of his sleeve, a palm-sized scale appeared.
It was yellowish-brown with intricate and ancient patterns on its surface.
"Ah..."
The old man wasn't particularly interested before, but his eyes lit up when he saw the object.
Such a heavy earth attribute essence qi... Could it be from a dragon's body?
With Lin Xuan's consent, he picked up the scale. His eyes narrowed as he flickered with excitement.
The more he looked, the more surprised he became!
This wasn't from a dragon; however, it was even more precious. If his guess was correct, it should have come from an ancient beast in the Separation Stage!
And that ancient beast's level could be the Separation Stage!
He brought it to his ear and flicked it with his fingers, emitting a distant sound.
"How about this, friend, are you still satisfied with this item?" Lin Xuan said with a smile.
"Haha, not bad, not bad. I was just being rude before. Such treasures would be excellent materials for either defensive artifacts or armors. Especially the heavy earth elemental energy, it will attract cultivators of the same attribute like moths to a flame. However..."
"How so?" Lin Xuan said calmly.
"It's just that there are too few in number, making this slightly imperfect. Do you have any similar treasures in your possession, friend?" The old man spoke cautiously, his attitude having changed instantly. Receiving such high-level items would be a big deal for him.
Lin Xuan had over a hundred scales in his possession, but he knew the value of rarity and wouldn't sell them all at once. Although his wealth was substantial, as his cultivation improved, the cost of materials and medicinal pills would skyrocket, so he couldn’t afford to waste any.
After all, in the Spirit Realm, he was just an independent cultivator without a powerful backing.
The lake rippled gently, and they had been traveling for over a cup of tea before reaching the center. A painted boat appeared before their eyes.
Though it looked like a small boat, it could accommodate thousands of people. Soft music filled the air as beautiful young girls danced gracefully. It seemed more like a place for wealthy laymen to enjoy themselves on the lake than an auction in the Secret Market of the cultivation world.
"Senior, please follow me. The auction is about to begin," said the gentle attendant who had brought him here. Elder Xu had instructed her to treat guests well; offending them would result in dire consequences.
"Hmm..."
Lin Xuan nodded and moved into the painted boat. It was even larger than he imagined, with opulence that could make one’s hair stand on end.
With his crimson badge, Lin Xuan entered a private room, which only the most esteemed guests were allowed to use. There were only a dozen or so such rooms.
The other cultivators waited in the main hall, and Lin Xuan's divine sense swept over them, revealing around a thousand people. Such an auction was not small.
Inside the private room, there were spirit tea and fruits. He slowly savored them, eagerly anticipating what treasures would be offered at this Spirit Realm auction.
After some time, the auction began.
The noisy hall quieted down as everyone was wealthy enough to participate in such auctions for treasure hunting.
A simple wooden table stood before a white-haired old man who stepped forward.
Though not tall, he was an Initial Separation cultivator. His appearance caused a stir of curiosity.
"Master Mo, did I see correctly? Master Mo is actually hosting the auction himself?"
"Humph, what’s the big deal? Just an Initial Separation cultivator."
"Humph, you know nothing. Though Master Mo's cultivation isn't high, he is the most renowned appraiser in this vast sea region. Even when Immortal Wood was alive, he treated him with great respect. It’s said that a hundred years ago, a senior from the Profound Understanding Stage passed through here and asked him to appraise treasures..."
"What? Profound Understanding Stage! Friend Xu, are you sure?"
"Humph, this matter is well-known among many cultivators. How could I possibly lie about it? The senior from the Profound Understanding Stage praised Master Mo highly."
"So, Master Mo must be very skilled..."
"Of course, and he rarely hosts auctions. Could there be a great treasure to be revealed today?"
The old man's words stirred curiosity, and as the auction had not yet begun, the atmosphere grew lively.
Many people widened their eyes in relief that they had come.
Master Mo nodded satisfactorily before clapping his hands. Soft footsteps sounded as a servant brought out a silver tray covered with red cloth, which blocked divine senses.
The beauty of the item enhanced its allure.
"Since I haven't hosted auctions for a long time, let's start with this first item to add some excitement. How about we have a blind bidding?" Master Mo didn’t remove the red cloth but smiled.
"Blind bidding?"
Lin Xuan frowned. He had seen many things in his travels, but he had never experienced such an auction before. What did it mean by blind bidding?
Fortunately, others were equally confused and didn't need him to ask. "What is blind bidding? Please explain," someone asked.
"Haha, even if you don’t ask, I will explain. Blind bidding means I won’t reveal what the item is but only give a starting price for everyone to bid."
"Ah?"
Before he could finish, many cultivators exchanged glances. They had come with some wealth and were eager to find treasures, but not knowing what was in the tray made this auction seem... unfair.
What if it was just a piece of broken stone? Would they be wasting their money?
Of course, not everyone thought so.
Among the thousand cultivators, there were those who were willing to take risks for more excitement. After all, such an auction wouldn't really offer trash; one could always sell what they won.
Reactions varied. Some agreed, but most showed disapproval. However, no one opposed it as it was still an auction. If they feared being cheated, they could simply not bid, and there was no need to dampen others' spirits.
Master Mo understood this well and showed no signs of discomfort.
"Very well, the auction will begin now. The item in the tray starts at 20,000 crystals. Each increase must be at least 1,000. Remember, only middle-grade items are accepted for payment."
This last statement left many first-time bidders speechless. They had thought blind bidding was just a way to liven up the atmosphere, but it involved starting with 20,000 middle-grade crystals.
At one hundredth of that, many condensation stage cultivators, though wealthy, couldn't afford such an amount even if they pooled their resources.