Chapter 68 Stealing A Protagonist's Opportunity
Stealing a Protagonist Opportunity
Under the cloth was a Jian-type sword that was about a meter long. However, what made it special was that the entire sword was smoldering red as if pulled right out of a lava pit.
"As you can see, this sword right here is, as you guessed. It was made from a Lava Essence Ore! It is also a High Yellow Grade Sword. However! From Blacksmith Guo's mouth himself, he said that this sword isn't any worse than a Peak Yellow Grade Sword. It was only because of his unfamiliarity with the ore that lowered its potential grade." Ling Yun spoke calmly.
But before the crowd could speak up, Ling Yun raised her hand, indicating that she wasn't done. And with Ling Yun's beauty, no man dared to disobey for fear of angering her or her pursuers.
Smiling, Ling Yun spoke, "Since you all are so obedient, I'll make an exception and make this quick. This sword, because it was made out of Lava Essence Ore, can amplify the Fire Element of the user by almost 50 percent!"
Hearing that, the suppressed excitement of the crowd erupted. A 50 percent amplification was a huge amount that could help cultivators leapfrog multiple stages. It could also be a powerful trump card to help a weaker cultivator surprise and sneak attack his stronger opponent.
Even Xue Bai, up in the booth, was slightly surprised. But he was for a different reason. That sword was the signature weapon of Huo Long for most of his Southern Continent journey until it broke in the final climactic battle against Wang Yu.
The sword that Huo Long named Fire Breath was a gift from his father, Huo Ming after Huo Long regained his cultivation base. Though the reason wasn't known, Xue Bai guessed that either Huo Ming won the auction or killed the person who did and stole it from the corpse.
But now that the sword was in front of Xue Bai, how could he let Huo Long have it?
Though Huo Long and Xue Bai were very close friends, who would be able to resist such a good weapon? Also, it wasn't as if Xue Bai was stealing it from Huo Long himself. Huo Long wasn't meant to get the sword for another 3 years.
Adding on the fact that this sword would be perfect for the Fire Element that he planned to show to the world, this sword was a chance that Xue Bai wouldn't let go.
'Sorry, Brother Long, I'll make it up to you later.' Xue Bai thought mentally.
"This sword made by Blacksmith Guo doesn't have a name, as he left it to the owner to name it themselves. The starting price is 300 Spirit Stones!" Ling Yun announced as she waved her arms down, indicating the crowd to start bidding.
The prices of High Yellow Grade treasures would vary, but they would usually be in the 100 to 500 Spirit Stone range. 500 Spirit Stones and above were meant for the Peak Yellow Grade, while below 100 was meant for Middle Yellow Grade. So having such a starting bid for Fire Breath, a sword that was almost a Peak Yellow Grade Weapon, was reasonable.
After all, a bid was meant to escalate slowly. What was the point of having an auction if they started the bid at the asking price for the sword?
After getting permission to start bidding, the crowd immediately started.
"310 Spirit Stones!"
"320 Spirit Stones!"
"330 Spirit Stones!"
And slowly but surely, the price was increasing until suddenly, a big shot in one of the private booths made their presence known.
"400 Spirit Stones! Please give my father, Marquis Huang, some face, and let this sword be mine." A deep-sounding voice echoed out from one of the private booths.
Inside the booth sat a young, ferocious-looking teen that looked to be around 18 years old.
Standing to his side was an equally ferocious-looking middle-aged man that wore a set of bronze armor that covered everything but his face and an old man in a butler uniform.
"Young Master Wei, this isn't our territory. You can't use Master's name to suppress the citizens of Snowy Wind City." The old man in the butler uniform spoke up with disapproval in his tone.
However, the young man just waved off the concern as if he had done so dozens of times already.
"It's fine, Old Chen. It's only a High Yellow Grade Sword. Duke Xue won't go against our Huang clan over such a small thing. Besides, even if he does, we still have the Wang Clan behind us." Huang Wei spoke in a relaxed tone as if he didn't even care about Xue Feng's threat.
"Young Master, no matter how unpopulated Duke Xue's Dukedom is, he and his wife still are in the Domain Lord Realm. Adding on Zhou Beizhan and Marquis Luo, our Huang Clan won't even last a day underneath their attacks." Old Chen couldn't help but say.
To be conferred as a Marquis, one had to be at least in the late stages of the Law Manifestation Realm and have an equal amount of merit to The Great Xuan Empire. And as one of the strongest Marquis', Marquis Huang, Huang Wei's father, was at the Peak of the Law Manifestation Realm.
But under the siege of 3 Peak stage Domain Lords and 1 Early stage Domain Lord, Marquis Huang wouldn't last even an exchange before falling.
"Relax, Old Chen. We aren't mortal enemies with Duke Xue. It's only one sword. At worst, I can give some compensation, and we'll be square." Huang Wei spoke as he waved away Old Chen and continued to ogle Ling Yun down below.
Old Chen, seeing Huang Wei still arrogant even in foreign territory, sighed to himself and didn't speak any further.
'I can only hope that something can break his arrogance soon before he brags in front of the wrong person.'
Down below, ignorant of the discussion in the private booth, the crowd was shocked after one of the guests in a booth revealed themselves.
"Oh my heavens, even a Young Marquis is here!"
"Who is in the other private booths then?"
"Idiot, that's not what you should be asking! If a Young Marquis is only allowed to be in one of the dozen private booths, then which bigshots are in the 5 VIP booths?"
After somebody made that observation, the crowd started to guess which big shots were in them, but even after a few minutes, no one could make a good one.
However, Ling Yun was angered after hearing Huang Wei's invisible threat. He had completely taken away the liveliness that the sword generated.
After all, most of the guests weren't strong enough to be unphased by an angered Marquis Clan.
"Young Marquis Huang, this will be your first and only warning. Our Golden Hall Auction House is made by Duchess Li. No one's identity means anything here unless you're above the Duchess!" Ling Yun said coldly as she looked at the private booth Huang Wei was in.
"This also goes to anyone else thinking of using their outside identity to suppress our guests. In the Golden Hall Auction House, it doesn't matter who you were before you came in. After coming in, all of you are our guests, nothing more!"
After threatening the rest of the big shots, Ling Yun put back on her signature smile and continued the bidding war.
"400 Spirit Stones, I heard from Young Marquis Huang. Is there anyone else who would like to make another offer?"
However, no one in the crowd dared to bid anymore. Though Ling Yun had suppressed the big shots in the booths from threatening publically, Huang Wei was a known scoundrel throughout The Great Xuan Empire. And if they bid against him, they wouldn't live very long after.
Even Ling Yun was visibly annoyed. But just as Ling Yun was about to speak up again, a woman's voice boomed out from a private booth.
"430 Spirit Stones! Huang Wei, this isn't your territory but Snowy Wind City. Keep your dirty mouth shut before someone takes your head." A cold but alluring voice spoke out.
Huang Wei, in his booth, was sipping wine peacefully as he awaited his victory to be announced. Because after announcing his name Huang Wei was confident that no fool in the crowd would be dumb enough to bid against him, even if Ling Yun had berated him earlier, lowering his prestige.
But after hearing the cold voice from afar, Huang Wei couldn't help but shiver. So after hiding the wine he was drinking and any other age-inappropriate items, Huang Wei opened the window and put on a fawning smile while looking in the direction of the female voice.
"Oh, my dear Mei'er, I didn't know you were coming to this auction as well. Forgive me for not greeting you earlier. Also, on behalf of our long relationship, you can have this sword." Huang Wei spoke in a tone full of affection.
However, his love talk seemed to make the cold voice become full of disdain and anger instead of seducing it.
"Huang Wei, I have told you countless times to call me by my full name, Li Mei, not that disgusting Mei'er. And I am winning this auction with my own ability, not from your handout." Li Mei coldly shouted without even bothering to open the window.
Huang Wei ignoring the tone of Li Mei's voice, still kept a fawning tone and spoke, "Mei'er, you know I'm sincere. Why must you be so reproachful towards me?"
Sadly Li Mei didn't bother to reply to Huang Wei anymore and waited for Ling Yun to continue the bidding war. Huang Wei sensing this, closed his window while keeping a smile on his face until he disappeared behind the array.