xià miàn de gǔ mó miàn miàn xiāng qù ， wēng wēng de yì lùn shēng chuán rù ěr duǒ ， guò le piàn kè ， yǒu yí gè jiā huo fā wèn le ：“ zhēn de jiǎ de ， zhēn yǒu nà me shén qí me ？”
下面的古魔面面相觑，嗡嗡的议论声传入耳朵，过了片刻，有一个家伙发问了：“真的假的，真有那么神奇么？”
The ancient demons looked at each other, buzzing with discussion. After a moment, one of them asked: "Is it really as magical as you say? Is there such a thing?"
“ rú jiǎ bāo huàn ， zài xià gǎn yòng wǒ fù jiā de míng yù dān bǎo ， wǒ de jiè shào ， jué duì méi yǒu fēn háo kuā dà zhī chù 。” fù tiān héng zhǎn dīng jié tiě de shuō 。
“如假包换，在下敢用我付家的名誉担保，我的介绍，绝对没有分毫夸大之处。”付天衡斩钉截铁的说。
"Absolutely true," Fu Tianhang said firmly. "As the head of the Fu family, my word carries weight."
zuò wéi fù jiā jiā zhǔ ， zhè fān bǎo zhèng hái shì hěn yǒu shuō fú lì de 。
作为付家家主，这番保证还是很有说服力的。
Indeed, the Fu family's reputation for crafting talismans was good. Unless someone had gone mad, they wouldn't risk their family’s honor by making such a claim.
bì jìng fù jiā zhì fú de kǒu bēi yí xiàng bù cuò ， duì fāng chú fēi tóu nǎo huài le ， fǒu zé zěn me huì ná jiā zú xìn yù qù kāi wán xiào ne ？
毕竟付家制符的口碑一向不错，对方除非头脑坏了，否则怎么会拿家族信誉去开玩笑呢？
With this in mind, the ancient demons' faces lit up with interest. Ordinary healing items were generally not favored, but something like the resurrection talisman introduced by Fu Tianhang was another matter entirely.
xiǎng tōng zhè yì diǎn hòu ， gǔ mó men de biǎo qíng ， dùn shí biàn dé huǒ rè ， yào xiǎo de ， yì bān de liáo shāng zhī wù ， què shí shì bù shòu dài jiàn de ， dàn ruò shì dào dá yí dìng chéng dù ， bǐ rú shuō duì fāng gāng gāng jiè shào de qǐ sǐ huí shēng fú ， nà yòu lìng dāng bié lùn le 。
想通这一点后，古魔们的表情，顿时变得火热，要晓得，一般的疗伤之物，确实是不受待见的，但若是到达一定程度，比如说对方刚刚介绍的起死回生符，那又另当别论了。
If it really worked as described, it could be life-saving in critical moments.
zhēn yǒu nà me shén zé ， zài guān jiàn shí kè kě shì néng gòu jiù mìng de 。
真有那么神责，在关键时刻可是能够救命的。
Fu Tianhang's gaze swept over the crowd, seeing that their interest had been piqued. He stopped speaking, leaving them to wonder, which kept the air of mystery.
fù jiā jiā zhǔ mù guāng sǎo guò ， jiàn jiāng rén men de xìng qù yǐ jīng diào jí qǐ lái le ， yě jiù bù zài duō shuō ， diǎn dào jí zhǐ fǎn ér gèng néng bǎo chí shén mì de 。
付家家主目光扫过，见将人们的兴趣已经调集起来了，也就不再多说，点到即止反而更能保持神秘的。
"This resurrection talisman can be auctioned for魔 stones. The starting price is five million魔 stones, with each bid increasing by at least twenty thousand."
“ zhè zhāng qǐ sǐ huí shēng fú ， yòng mó shí pāi mài jí kě ， dǐ jià wǔ bǎi wàn mó shí ， měi cì jiā jià ， bù dé shǎo yú èr shí wàn 。”
“这张起死回生符，用魔石拍卖即可，底价五百万魔石，每次加价，不得少于二十万。”
This statement immediately dampened the enthusiasm of many ancient demons who were eager to bid.
cǐ huà yī chū ， dùn shí jiāng bù shǎo yuè yuè yù shì ， zhǔn bèi chū jià de gǔ mó de rè qíng ， gěi yī yī jiāo miè le 。
此话一出，顿时将不少跃跃欲试，准备出价的古魔的热情，给一一浇灭了。
Five million魔 stones wasn't a particularly large sum for a Core Formation existence. Even some Spirit Transformation period ancient demons could afford it.
wǔ bǎi wàn ， duì yú dòng xuán jí bié de cún zài lái shuō ， bìng bù suàn yí gè tè bié dà de shù mù ， jiù suàn shì lí hé qī gǔ mó ， yī jiù yǒu bù shǎo néng gòu ná chū 。
五百万，对于洞玄级别的存在来说，并不算一个特别大的数目，就算是离合期古魔，依旧有不少能够拿出。
However, one must consider whether it was worth it.
rán ér fán shì zǒng yào kàn zhí bù zhí dé 。
然而凡事总要看值不值得。
After all, this was a talisman, not a magic weapon or treasure.
yào zhī dào ， zhè kě shì yī zhāng fú lù ， ér bìng fēi mó qì huò zhě shì fǎ bǎo 。
要知道，这可是一张符箓，而并非魔器或者是法宝。
The attributes of the two were different. The biggest difference was that talismans were consumables; once used, they were discarded. Magic weapons and treasures could be reused as long as they weren't broken.
liǎng zhě de shǔ xìng ， nà shì bù yí yàng 。
两者的属性，那是不一样。
From this perspective, using a talisman was convenient but also quite expensive.
zuì dà de bù tóng ， jiù shì fú lù shǔ yú xiāo hào pǐn ， yòng yī cì ， jiù zuò fèi diào le ， bù xiàng mó qì yǔ fǎ bǎo ， zhǐ yào méi yǒu huài diào ， jiù kě yǐ fǎn fù shǐ yòng 。
最大的不同，就是符箓属于消耗品，用一次，就作废掉了，不像魔器与法宝，只要没有坏掉，就可以反复使用。
Paying five million魔 stones for such a talisman… it might not be so bad if it really only cost that much. The problem was, this was just the starting price. Based on the auction's previous dynamics, the final price would likely far exceed this amount.
shèn zhì jí shǐ shì yǒu yī xiē pò sǔn ， yě kě yǐ xiū fù 。
甚至即使是有一些破损，也可以修复。
Buying a talisman wasn't too extravagant.
cóng zhè ge jiǎo dù ， shǐ yòng fú lù ， suī rán yǒu fāng biàn kuài jié de tè diǎn ， dàn yě shì bǐ jiào shē chǐ de 。
从这个角度，使用符箓，虽然有方便快捷的特点，但也是比较奢侈的。
Even with its supposed healing effects, what use could one have for it in battle?
yòng wǔ bǎi wàn mǎi zhè me yī zhāng fú …… jiǎ rú zhēn zhǐ shì wǔ bǎi wàn mó shí dào yě bà le ， wèn tí shì ， zhè jǐn jǐn shì dǐ jià 。
用五百万买这么一张符……假如真只是五百万魔石倒也罢了，问题是，这仅仅是底价。
The ancient demons considered this as one large, fat ancient demon raised his head with an air of satisfaction. He was so fat that even his facial features were nearly hidden by the excess flesh on his face. Seeing no one else bidding against him, he looked smug.
ér gēn jù gāng cái pāi mài de qíng xíng tuī cè ， zuì hòu de chéng jiāo jià jué duì yuǎn yuǎn bù zhǐ zhè ge shù é 。
而根据刚才拍卖的情形推测，最后的成交价绝对远远不止这个数额。
Unfortunately, his joy lasted only a few moments before another cold voice entered his ears: "Eight million魔 stones."
mǎi yī zhāng fú lù wèi bì tài shē chǐ le 。
买一张符箓未必太奢侈了。
"Who dared to oppose me at such a critical moment?"
jiù suàn zhēn yǒu nà me hǎo de liáo shāng xiào guǒ yòu yǒu hé yòng ， nán dào hái néng zài zhàn dòu zhōng shǐ yòng ？
就算真有那么好的疗伤效果又有何用，难道还能在战斗中使用？
The fat ancient demon was furious and turned his head, but when his eyes fell on the bidder, it was like a cat seeing a mouse. His demeanor instantly wilted. It wasn't surprising; the bidder was an unremarkable old man, but appearances can be deceiving. This was Yan Mountain Patriarch, a peak spirit formation existence. He couldn't afford to provoke him.
xīn zhōng rú cǐ xiǎng zhe ， dà bù fèn gǔ mó dōu dǎ qǐ le tuì táng gǔ 。
心中如此想着，大部分古魔都打起了退堂鼓。
Although the auction went to the highest bidder, no one wanted to risk offending someone of higher rank than themselves.
tā men jué de wèi qū qū yī zhāng fú lù ， huā fèi rú cǐ jù é de mó shí ， shí zài shì zhí bù dé 。
他们觉得为区区一张符箓，花费如此巨额的魔石，实在是值不得。
Such actions could bring untold trouble.
dāng rán ， zhè zhǐ shì dà bù fèn gǔ mó de xiǎng fǎ ， qí zhōng zǒng yǒu yī xiē cái dà qì cū ， huò zhě xiǎng fǎ yǔ páng rén bù tóng ， yú shì zài duǎn zàn de chén mò zhī hòu ， hěn kuài jiù yǒu rén jiào jià le 。
当然，这只是大部分古魔的想法，其中总有一些财大气粗，或者想法与旁人不同，于是在短暂的沉默之后，很快就有人叫价了。
Fu Tianhang's brow furrowed as he considered the price. He had expected it to be even higher. With Yan Mountain Patriarch interfering, no one dared to continue bidding. This was why he disliked peak spirit formation existences participating in auctions.
“ wǔ bǎi wàn mó shí 。”
“五百万魔石。”
But since they were here, he couldn't offend them and reluctantly accepted a lower price.
“ wǔ bǎi èr shí wàn 。”
“五百二十万。”
"Is there anyone else willing to bid? If not, this talisman will go to Senior Yan Mountain."
“ wǔ bǎi sì shí wàn 。”
“五百四十万。”
However, before he could finish speaking, another voice interrupted: "Nine million魔 stones!"
jì rán yǒu rén kāi tóu ， dāng rán hěn kuài yě jiù yǒu xū yào cǐ fú lù de rén gēn shàng le ， ér qiě hái bú shì yí gè liǎng gè ， nà jià gé zài yī lù pān shēng zhe 。
既然有人开头，当然很快也就有需要此符箓的人跟上了，而且还不是一个两个，那价格在一路攀升着。
"What?"
lín xuān yī jiù shì duān zuò zài zì jǐ de wèi zhì shàng ， rán ér yě dòng xīn le ， ruò zhēn yǒu duì fāng jiè shào de hǎo chù ， zài guān jiàn shí kè yě shì néng jiù mìng de ， dāng rán ， zuì guān jiàn de yì diǎn shì ， lín xuān shēn jiā fēng hou， tā bù quē mó shí 。
林轩依旧是端坐在自己的位置上，然而也动心了，若真有对方介绍的好处，在关键时刻也是能救命的，当然，最关键的一点是，林轩身家丰hou，他不缺魔石。
"Are there really people who dare to risk it?"
suǒ yǐ ， tā de kǎo lǜ ， yě jiù yǔ bié rén bù tóng ， zhǐ sī lǜ yǒu méi yǒu yòng ， zhì yú zhí bù zhí dé ， zé gēn běn bù zài qí kǎo lǜ de fàn wéi zhōng 。
所以，他的考虑，也就与别人不同，只思虑有没有用，至于值不值得，则根本不在其考虑的范围中。
The ancient demons were shocked. Fu Tianhang was overjoyed and turned his head, but when he saw Lin Xuan, he sighed in relief.
bù guò lín xuān bìng méi yǒu mǎ shàng chū jià ， tā kě méi yǒu xìng qù yǔ duì fāng nǐ lái wǒ wǎng de zhēng duó ， lín xuān dǎ suàn děng jià wèi dào dá yí gè gāo diǎn zài chū shǒu ， nà yàng jiù kě yǐ yī jǔ ná xià cǐ fú 。
不过林轩并没有马上出价，他可没有兴趣与对方你来我往的争夺，林轩打算等价位到达一个高点再出手，那样就可以一举拿下此符。
"It's him."
děng le yuē yǒu yī zhù xiāng de gōng fu 。
等了约有一炷香的功夫。
He had already heard about Lin Xuan from his little sister. He judged that Lin Xuan was a peak spirit formation existence. This scene confirmed his suspicions; only someone of such rank would dare to challenge Yan Mountain Patriarch.
“ qī bǎi wǔ shí wàn 。”
“七百五十万。”
In an instant, Lin Xuan became the center of attention, but he didn't care. One couldn't have everything—wanting both a quiet auction and a good item was impossible.
yī bù wēn bù huǒ de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， cǐ jià wèi yī chū ， hái zài gēn pāi de shēng yīn dùn shí tíng zhǐ le ， zhè bǐ dǐ jià ， yǐ gāo le wǔ chéng zuǒ yòu ， ruò zài chū gèng gāo de jià gé ， zé yǒu xiē zhí bù dé 。
一不温不火的声音传入耳朵，此价位一出，还在跟拍的声音顿时停止了，这比底价，已高了五成左右，若再出更高的价格，则有些值不得。
He had to choose between the two.
zhòng mó rú cǐ xiǎng zhe ， ér chū jiā de ， zé shì yī dà pàng zi mú yàng de gǔ mó ， zhè jiā huo zhēn shì pàng dào le jí chù ， lián wǔ guān méi yǎn ， dōu chà diǎn bèi liǎn shàng de féi ròu gěi zhē zhù le ， cǐ shí jiàn zài yě méi yǒu rén yǔ zì jǐ zhēng duó ， zhèng lù chū yī liǎn de dé yì zhī sè 。
众魔如此想着，而出加的，则是一大胖子模样的古魔，这家伙真是胖到了极处，连五官眉眼，都差点被脸上的肥肉给遮住了，此时见再也没有人与自己争夺，正露出一脸的得意之色。
Lin Xuan wasn't willing to give up on this talisman: "Ten million魔 stones."
kě xī tā jǐn kāi xīn le jǐ xī de gōng fu ， jiù yǒu yī lěng lěng de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ 。
可惜他仅开心了几息的功夫，就有一冷冷的声音传入耳朵。
"Twelve million魔 stones," Lin Xuan countered, increasing his bid by more than Fu Tianhang. He wanted to show his determination, avoiding a protracted bidding war that would only drive up the price. A swift decision was best.
“ bā bǎi wàn mó shí 。”
“八百万魔石。”
Yan Mountain Patriarch was taken aback by Lin Xuan's decisiveness and turned his head slowly. Although he didn't release his pressure, his gaze was like a venomous snake. Any Core Formation ancient demon might have shivered in fear.
“ shuí ， jū rán zài zhè guān jiàn shí kè yǔ zì jǐ zuò duì 。”
“谁，居然在这关键时刻与自己作对。”
But who was Lin Xuan?
pàng zi gǔ mó dà nù ， xún shēng zhuǎn guò le tóu lú ， rán ér mù guāng zài jiào jià zhī rén de liǎn shàng sǎo guò ， dùn shí rú māo jiàn le lǎo shǔ ， zhěng gè rén de qì shì yī xià zi jiù yān le ， zhè yě shì nán guài de ， jiào jià de shì yī qí mào bù yáng de lǎo zhě ， rán ér rén bù kě mào xiàng ， yān shān lǎo zǔ ， kě shì fēn shén qī lǎo guài wù ， nǎ shì tā gǎn zhāo rě ，
胖子古魔大怒，循声转过了头颅，然而目光在叫价之人的脸上扫过，顿时如猫见了老鼠，整个人的气势一下子就焉了，这也是难怪的，叫价的是一其貌不扬的老者，然而人不可貌相，燕山老祖，可是分神期老怪物，哪是他敢招惹，
He had offended Ice Soul and the Holy Serpent before; what did this old man matter?
suī shuō pāi mài shì jià gāo zhě dé ， dàn ruò bú dào wàn bù dé yǐ ， méi yǒu shuí yuàn yì dé zuì bǐ zì jǐ gāo jiē de cún zài de 。
虽说拍卖是价高者得，但若不到万不得已，没有谁愿意得罪比自己高阶的存在的。
Thus, Yan Mountain Patriarch's intimidating stare went unnoticed by Lin Xuan, as if he were looking at air.
hòu huàn wú qióng ， hé bì wèi yī jiàn pāi mài pǐn rě lái shā shēn zhī huò 。
后患无穷，何必为一件拍卖品惹来杀身之祸。
"Good, good courage."
fù tiān héng de méi tóu bù jīng yì de yī zhòu ， xīn zhōng bù shuǎng ， jià gé zhǐ néng dào bā bǎi wàn me ， yuán běn zhào tā de tuī cè ， yīng gāi hái kě yǐ gèng gāo yì diǎn de 。
付天衡的眉头不经意的一皱，心中不爽，价格只能到八百万么，原本照他的推侧，应该还可以更高一点的。
Yan Mountain Patriarch's cold voice echoed. The tone seemed to praise him, but there was a hint of threat in his words.
rán ér yǒu yān shān lǎo zǔ dǎo luàn ， yě jiù nán guài méi yǒu rén zài gǎn jì xù chān huo ， zhè yě shì tā wèi shén me tǎo yàn fēn shén jí bié de cún zài lái cān jiā pāi mài huì de 。
然而有燕山老祖捣乱，也就难怪没有人再敢继续掺和，这也是他为什么讨厌分神级别的存在来参加拍卖会的。
Lin Xuan ignored it.
kě duì fāng jì rán lái le ， tā yě bù gǎn dé zuì ， zhǐ néng niē zhe bí zi rèn le ， shǎo mài yì diǎn jiù shǎo mài yì diǎn ba 。
可对方既然来了，他也不敢得罪，只能捏着鼻子认了，少卖一点就少卖一点吧。
The other ancient demons were silent, too afraid to get involved and secretly hoping Lin Xuan would fail.
xīn zhōng rú cǐ xiǎng zhe ， fù tiān héng biǎo miàn què bù dòng shēng sè ：“ hái yǒu méi yǒu rén chū jià ， ruò shì méi yǒu ， cǐ fú ， kě jiù guī yān shān qián bèi le ……”
心中如此想着，付天衡表面却不动声色：“还有没有人出价，若是没有，此符，可就归燕山前辈了……”
Fu Tianhang, the head of the Fu family, spoke respectfully: "Is anyone else willing to bid? If not, this talisman will go to Daoist Friend Lin."
rán ér huà yīn wèi luò ， yī dàn dàn de shēng yīn jiù xiǎng qǐ lái le ：“ jiǔ bǎi wàn ！”
然而话音未落，一淡淡的声音就响起来了：“九百万！”
He was delighted. The competition between two peak spirit formation existences had benefited his family. The final price of twelve million魔 stones was much higher than expected.
“ shén me ？”
“什么？”
The auction concluded and a second servant approached with an ornate sandalwood box. Inside were even more precious talismans, as the box was more luxurious than the previous one.
“ hái zhēn yǒu bù pà sǐ de ？”
“还真有不怕死的？”
Fu Tianhang opened it carefully: inside was a silver-colored talisman with strange inscriptions. Lin Xuan recognized them but found them unfamiliar; there was a contradictory feeling about them. The same went for most of the demons present, who were mostly Core Formation or higher.
zhòng gǔ mó dà jīng shī sè ， yǔ zhī xiāng duì de ， fù tiān héng zé dà xǐ guò wàng le ， máng xún shēng zhuǎn guò tóu ， bù guò kàn qīng chǔ lín xuān zhī hòu ， yě jiù wèi zhī shì rán le 。
众古魔大惊失色，与之相对的，付天衡则大喜过望了，忙循声转过头，不过看清楚林轩之后，也就为之释然了。
"The talisman I hold is familiar yet strange," Fu Tianhang said. "This is a substitution talisman, which you should be familiar with."
“ yuán lái shì tā 。”
“原来是他。”
"Buzz!"
cóng xiǎo mèi nà lǐ ， tā yǐ jīng tīng shuō le lín xuān de xiàng mào ， ér qiě pàn duàn ， zhè shì yī míng fèn shén jí bié de lǎo guài wù ， yǎn qián de yí mù ， ràng tā yuè fā kěn dìng zì jǐ de cāi cè ， bì jìng chú le fēn shén qī cún zài ， qí tā de xiǎo bèi ， shuí gǎn yǔ yān shān lǎo zǔ jiào jìn ne ？
从小妹那里，他已经听说了林轩的相貌，而且判断，这是一名分神级别的老怪物，眼前的一幕，让他越发肯定自己的猜侧，毕竟除了分神期存在，其他的小辈，谁敢与燕山老祖较劲呢？
Discussions resumed. Even if they hadn't seen one, many had heard about it from others. Substitution talismans were practical and highly sought after, offering the chance to survive a deadly attack by acting as a substitute for the user.
zài nà yī shùn jiān ， lín xuān yíng dé le wàn zhòng zhǔ mù ， rán ér tā bù zài hū ， yú yǔ xióng zhǎng bù kě jiān dé ， yòu xiǎng dī diào ， yòu xiǎng pāi mài dào hǎo de bǎo wù ， nà gēn běn jiù shì bù kě néng de 。
在那一瞬间，林轩赢得了万众瞩目，然而他不在乎，鱼与熊掌不可兼得，又想低调，又想拍卖到好的宝物，那根本就是不可能的。
Thus, substitution talismans were rare items that were in high demand but low supply.
zhè liǎng zhě zhī jiān ， kěn dìng yào zuò yí gè qǔ shě 。
这两者之间，肯定要做一个取舍。
"Since you're familiar with substitution talismans, this one is different," Fu Tianhang said. "Substitution talismans have only a 30% to 50% success rate. In other words, using it doesn't guarantee survival; luck plays a role. If your luck isn't good, the talisman won't save you."
fú lù ， tā xiǎn rán yě bù yuàn yì qīng yì fàng qì shén me ：“ yī qiān wàn 。”
符箓，他显然也不愿意轻易放弃什么：“一千万。”
"Unlike substitution talismans, this one has a 100% success rate," Fu Tianhang said proudly.
“ yī qiān èr bǎi wàn 。”
“一千二百万。”
"What's so special about yours?" an ancient demon asked eagerly.
duì fāng huà yīn gāng luò ， lín xuān jiù kāi kǒu le ， ér qiě jiā jià de fú dù ， hái yào bǐ tā dà dé duō ， lín xuān yě shì yòng cǐ lái biǎo míng zì jǐ shì tài dù ， zhì zài bì děi ， miǎn de xiàn rù lā jù zhàn bān de zhēng duó ， nà yàng jiāng fú lù de jià gé yuè tái yuè gāo duì zì jǐ méi yǒu hǎo chù ， kuài dāo zhǎn luàn má shì zuì jiā xuǎn zé 。
对方话音刚落，林轩就开口了，而且加价的幅度，还要比他大得多，林轩也是用此来表明自己是态度，志在必得，免得陷入拉锯战般的争夺，那样将符箓的价格越抬越高对自己没有好处，快刀斩乱麻是最佳选择。
"If it works as described, its benefits are beyond description," Fu Tianhang replied. "This perfect substitution talisman indeed has a 100% success rate."
"What?"
The ancient demons looked at each other, buzzing with discussion. After a moment, one of them asked: "Is it really as magical as you say? Is there such a thing?"
"Absolutely true," Fu Tianhang said firmly. "As the head of the Fu family, my word carries weight."
Indeed, the Fu family's reputation for crafting talismans was good. Unless someone had gone mad, they wouldn't risk their family’s honor by making such a claim.
With this in mind, the ancient demons' faces lit up with interest. Ordinary healing items were generally not favored, but something like the resurrection talisman introduced by Fu Tianhang was another matter entirely.
If it really worked as described, it could be life-saving in critical moments.
Fu Tianhang's gaze swept over the crowd, seeing that their interest had been piqued. He stopped speaking, leaving them to wonder, which kept the air of mystery.
"This resurrection talisman can be auctioned for魔 stones. The starting price is five million魔 stones, with each bid increasing by at least twenty thousand."
This statement immediately dampened the enthusiasm of many ancient demons who were eager to bid.
Five million魔 stones wasn't a particularly large sum for a Core Formation existence. Even some Spirit Transformation period ancient demons could afford it.
However, one must consider whether it was worth it.
After all, this was a talisman, not a magic weapon or treasure.
The attributes of the two were different. The biggest difference was that talismans were consumables; once used, they were discarded. Magic weapons and treasures could be reused as long as they weren't broken.
From this perspective, using a talisman was convenient but also quite expensive.
Paying five million魔 stones for such a talisman… it might not be so bad if it really only cost that much. The problem was, this was just the starting price. Based on the auction's previous dynamics, the final price would likely far exceed this amount.
Buying a talisman wasn't too extravagant.
Even with its supposed healing effects, what use could one have for it in battle?
The ancient demons considered this as one large, fat ancient demon raised his head with an air of satisfaction. He was so fat that even his facial features were nearly hidden by the excess flesh on his face. Seeing no one else bidding against him, he looked smug.
Unfortunately, his joy lasted only a few moments before another cold voice entered his ears: "Eight million魔 stones."
"Who dared to oppose me at such a critical moment?"
The fat ancient demon was furious and turned his head, but when his eyes fell on the bidder, it was like a cat seeing a mouse. His demeanor instantly wilted. It wasn't surprising; the bidder was an unremarkable old man, but appearances can be deceiving. This was Yan Mountain Patriarch, a peak spirit formation existence. He couldn't afford to provoke him.
Although the auction went to the highest bidder, no one wanted to risk offending someone of higher rank than themselves.
Such actions could bring untold trouble.
Fu Tianhang's brow furrowed as he considered the price. He had expected it to be even higher. With Yan Mountain Patriarch interfering, no one dared to continue bidding. This was why he disliked peak spirit formation existences participating in auctions.
But since they were here, he couldn't offend them and reluctantly accepted a lower price.
"Is there anyone else willing to bid? If not, this talisman will go to Senior Yan Mountain."
However, before he could finish speaking, another voice interrupted: "Nine million魔 stones!"
"What?"
"Are there really people who dare to risk it?"
The ancient demons were shocked. Fu Tianhang was overjoyed and turned his head, but when he saw Lin Xuan, he sighed in relief.
"It's him."
He had already heard about Lin Xuan from his little sister. He judged that Lin Xuan was a peak spirit formation existence. This scene confirmed his suspicions; only someone of such rank would dare to challenge Yan Mountain Patriarch.
In an instant, Lin Xuan became the center of attention, but he didn't care. One couldn't have everything—wanting both a quiet auction and a good item was impossible.
He had to choose between the two.
Lin Xuan wasn't willing to give up on this talisman: "Ten million魔 stones."
"Twelve million魔 stones," Lin Xuan countered, increasing his bid by more than Fu Tianhang. He wanted to show his determination, avoiding a protracted bidding war that would only drive up the price. A swift decision was best.
Yan Mountain Patriarch was taken aback by Lin Xuan's decisiveness and turned his head slowly. Although he didn't release his pressure, his gaze was like a venomous snake. Any Core Formation ancient demon might have shivered in fear.
But who was Lin Xuan?
He had offended Ice Soul and the Holy Serpent before; what did this old man matter?
Thus, Yan Mountain Patriarch's intimidating stare went unnoticed by Lin Xuan, as if he were looking at air.
"Good, good courage."
Yan Mountain Patriarch's cold voice echoed. The tone seemed to praise him, but there was a hint of threat in his words.
Lin Xuan ignored it.
The other ancient demons were silent, too afraid to get involved and secretly hoping Lin Xuan would fail.
Fu Tianhang, the head of the Fu family, spoke respectfully: "Is anyone else willing to bid? If not, this talisman will go to Daoist Friend Lin."
He was delighted. The competition between two peak spirit formation existences had benefited his family. The final price of twelve million魔 stones was much higher than expected.
The auction concluded and a second servant approached with an ornate sandalwood box. Inside were even more precious talismans, as the box was more luxurious than the previous one.
Fu Tianhang opened it carefully: inside was a silver-colored talisman with strange inscriptions. Lin Xuan recognized them but found them unfamiliar; there was a contradictory feeling about them. The same went for most of the demons present, who were mostly Core Formation or higher.
"The talisman I hold is familiar yet strange," Fu Tianhang said. "This is a substitution talisman, which you should be familiar with."
"Buzz!"
Discussions resumed. Even if they hadn't seen one, many had heard about it from others. Substitution talismans were practical and highly sought after, offering the chance to survive a deadly attack by acting as a substitute for the user.
Thus, substitution talismans were rare items that were in high demand but low supply.
"Since you're familiar with substitution talismans, this one is different," Fu Tianhang said. "Substitution talismans have only a 30% to 50% success rate. In other words, using it doesn't guarantee survival; luck plays a role. If your luck isn't good, the talisman won't save you."
"Unlike substitution talismans, this one has a 100% success rate," Fu Tianhang said proudly.
"What's so special about yours?" an ancient demon asked eagerly.
"If it works as described, its benefits are beyond description," Fu Tianhang replied. "This perfect substitution talisman indeed has a 100% success rate."