Chapter 25, Auction Finale, Mountain-crushing Staff

"The starting price for this unnamed jade slip is 10,000, with increments not less than 1,000."

The old auctioneer seemed quite forceful, setting a relatively low starting price for this object with an unclear origin. To be honest, if it weren't for the face of the Black Rank Mid-Level Dou Technique seller, Miteer Auction House wouldn't have accepted such a mysterious item.

The entire venue fell into silence, and unsurprisingly, there was no one willing to spend money on this junk.

"10,000, and it's a deal. Anyone interested?"

The old auctioneer tentatively shouted twice.

"At least come up with a story, some marketing ploy. Like the patterns on the jade slip, they resemble some ancient race or something."

Ya Fei rolled her eyes again, disdainful of the old auctioneer's lack of professionalism. Then, she turned her gaze to Yun Tianming beside her and asked, "Brother Tianming, aren't you interested in this thing? It's not a loss to buy it for 10,000 and study it."

"No rush."

Yun Tianming looked excited but made an effort to restrain himself.

If he shouted the price in a hurry now, it might attract the interest of other bidders, and it would be awkward if the cooked duck flew away then!

"10,000 for the first time, 10,000 for the second time, 10,000 for the third time."

Just when the old auctioneer was about to give up and categorize the damaged jade slip as unsold, a somewhat immature voice came from a VIP box.

"10,000, I'll take it."

Yun Tianming made his move at the last moment.

"Deal!"

As if afraid that Yun Tianming would change his mind, the old auctioneer immediately confirmed the transaction with a hammer strike.

"Tsk~ The interests of the rich are different; with 10,000, one could buy quite a few healing Pills instead of this broken thing."

"That voice sounds quite young; perhaps it's some prodigal young master from the Imperial Capital."

People discussed, but they didn't pay much attention to it.

After a while, the staff of the auction house delivered the damaged jade slip to Yun Tianming.

"How is it? Have you figured out the deal with this thing?"

Ya Fei leaned in, curiously examining the broken jade slip in Yun Tianming's hand.

Yun Tianming remained silent, his eyes closed tightly, focusing on injecting Soul Power into the jade slip. However, he sensed nothing, as if his efforts were in vain.

There's a problem!

A big problem!

Because ordinary objects can't withstand his Soul Power infusion, they would directly burst from the inside out into powder. However, the seemingly broken jade slip in front of him showed no signs of movement, like an unfathomable abyss, swallowing all the power injected into it!

"I'll study it slowly when I get back."

Yun Tianming suppressed the palpitations in his heart and stored the broken jade slip in his Spatial Ring. After all, this was a public place, and if he really unearthed the secrets hidden in the jade slip, it might cause a huge commotion.

"Well, the finale's valuable item is coming up soon, a weapon that sister thinks is very suitable for you."

As an insider at the Auction House, Ya Fei knew some internal information and wanted to prepare Yun Tianming in advance.

"Oh? A weapon suitable for me?"

Yun Tianming suddenly became interested. His current preferred weapon was a staff-type long weapon. The most advanced Black Rank Mid-Level Dou Technique he practiced, "Overhead Strike" required the use of a staff weapon. The weapon he used during the Dou Disciple stage, the Black Gold Bamboo, had worn down considerably in daily sparring with Nalan Yanran.

"Now, it's time for the final treasure of this auction."

The old man opened a long wooden box and revealed a brown-gold staff approximately 2.5 meters long. Its surface shimmered with a metallic luster, but when the fingers tapped it, it produced a long and resonant sound typical of wood.

The entire audience was captivated; anyone with a discerning eye could tell that this was a remarkable weapon!

"This weapon is named the 'Mountain-crushing Staff.' It carries the imposing might to shake mountains and tigers, suitable for users of Wood attribute Dou Qi. Moreover, it can freely change the length of the weapon, increasing the attack area."

The old man explained the details of the weapon.

"It's a great weapon, but it seems to be an exclusive weapon for Wood attribute Dou Qi."

"Unfortunately, its applicability is too narrow."

While users of other Dou Qi attributes could technically use it, they wouldn't be able to unleash the weapon's special effects, rendering the performance of the weapon unnecessary.

"Brother Tianming, I've looked into the origin of this Mountain-crushing Staff; it is a token from the royal family of the Luo Yan Empire."

Ya Fei scorned the old auctioneer for not being professionally adept, failing to delve into the story behind the Mountain-crushing Staff, and failing to generate a lively bidding atmosphere.

"Luo Yan Empire? The country where the Gold Geese Sect is located? How did their royal token end up in the Jia Ma Empire?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Yun Tianming's eyes. In the original work, Luo Yan Empire was an adversary to the Jia Ma Empire, and the Gold Geese Sect, with a Dou Ancestor powerhouse, barely made it into the ranks of top forces in the northwest continent, while the Jia Ma Empire couldn't even secure a notable position.

"Brother Tianming, there's something you don't know. Luo Yan Empire was previously known as the Sky Ape Empire. Several decades ago, dissatisfied with the Gold Geese Sect's dominance, the Sky Ape royal family engaged in a bloody battle. In the end, the Gold Geese Sect emerged victorious, and the Sky Ape royal family perished, leading to the disappearance of the Mountain-crushing Staff."

Ya Fei explained the reasons in detail.

"I see."

Yun Tianming showed a look of sudden understanding, thinking that the Gold Geese Sect was akin to the Misty Cloud Sect, exerting influence beyond the empire and inevitably conflicting with the royal family. If the Misty Cloud Sect in the original work successfully dominated the Jia Ma Empire, it would probably have eradicated the royal family, renaming the country "Misty Cloud Empire."

No wonder the current Jia Ma royal family harbors such fear towards the Misty Cloud Sect; after all, the demise of the Sky Ape royal family serves as a warning!

"Mountain-crushing Staff, starting bid: 200,000, each increment not less than 10,000!"

The bidding began.

"I bid 210,000!"

"220,000!"

"230,000!"

".

After a round of intense bidding, the number of bidders gradually decreased. After all, the Mountain-crushing Staff was an exclusive weapon for Wood attribute Dou Qi, limiting its applicability to a narrow range of users.

"I bid 450,000!"

The bidder was clad in sturdy armor, revealing explosively muscular physique. He was the renowned mercenary captain with 3-Star Dou Spirit from the Imperial Capital!

"I, as a member of the Jia Ma royal family, am willing to offer 460,000!"

The other person, dressed in luxurious brocade, holding a folding fan with an elegant and amiable appearance, was a member of the Jia Ma royal family with a 1-Star Dou Spirit.

"Captain Qin, could you give this prince some face?"

"Prince Yao Jian, you jest. A good weapon is equivalent to life for a mercenary. Why bother with killings and conflicts when you're living a life of luxury?"

The two exchanged glances, sparks evident in their eyes. Judging from their movements, Yao Jian, the royal family member, was obviously more powerful. However, in the Dou Qi Continent, strength was respected, and Captain Qin, originating from mercenaries, was not inferior.

"Hmph! Let's compete in financial strength then!"

After a round of bidding competition, the price of the Mountain-crushing Staff surpassed the threshold of 500,000.

"510,000! If you dare, continue bidding!"

"520,000! I'll bid whatever you bid!"

Captain Qin and Yao Jian were heatedly competing, both showing a determined attitude to acquire the auction item.

Onlookers were dumbfounded, and exclamations filled the air.

"Wow, with this over 500,000, you could buy a Black Rank Qi Method or five or six High-level Pills, right?"

"Is this weapon really worth so much money?"

"Who do you think will ultimately win this bidding war, Captain Qin or Prince Yao Jian?"

"How interesting! How about we place a bet?"

Just as everyone's attention was focused on the bidding pair, unexpectedly, a third person emerged out of nowhere!

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