Genshin Impact: I, the Winter Prince, reign supreme.

"Please look carefully, everyone—"

Ji Fang had the staff draw the curtains in the auction hall, plunging the hall into darkness.

But from the cracks in that large rock, faint rays of light refracted out!

"Let me introduce this strange stone to you. It comes from deep underground in the Abyss of Layered Rocks."

“I heard someone say that this is a rough stone, and that’s right! This rough stone has not been cut at all, and no one knows what is inside.”

"It might contain gold, agate, jade, amber, or the rarest elemental crystals, or even ancient luminescent creatures. But it could also be a swarm of fireflies!"

Ji Fang's half-joking introduction piqued everyone's interest.

"In short, what treasure you get depends entirely on luck. And whatever treasure you get, it belongs entirely to the buyer!"

Exclamations of amazement rippled through the crowd.

Even in Liyue, a land rich in minerals, glowing stones are extremely rare, and one of this size has never been seen before.

Glowing stones are usually quite valuable in Liyue, and their prices vary depending on the cause of the glow, but without exception, each one can sell for a high price.

Starting bid: 888 million Mora!

Chapter 60 The Auction (Part 3)

"888 million Mora? That seems a bit expensive."

There were complaints in the auction hall.

"This stone weighs at least four or five hundred kilograms, and its shape is very intact. Even if it's not gold or jade, it's still a good deal if it turns out to be a gemstone. If it yields a rare item like an elemental crystal, wow, the wealth it brings would be enough to put you on the throne of the 'Liyue Seven Stars'."

"Stop dreaming. Boss Ji warned you, there might be a swarm of fireflies inside. This is called jade gambling. If you cut out something good, you'll make money; if you cut out garbage, you'll have nowhere to cry."

"Wang Lao Er, are you trying to keep this rough stone all to yourself? Everyone here today has been through thick and thin; who are you trying to scare with your petty tricks? Let me start by giving you a price to liven things up: 1200 million Mora!"

"I'm taking this rough stone, 1500 million Mora!"

"2000 million Mora! You guys aren't as lucky as me, you won't get anything good from this, you might as well give it to me."

After the first round of bidding, the starting price rose from 888 million Mora to over 2000 million Mora, nearly tripling.

Su Yu marveled at the purchasing power of these wealthy merchants; Liyue Harbor truly lived up to its reputation as the most prosperous commercial port on the Teyvat continent.

Moreover, the proprietress Ji Fang was quite eloquent. If it weren't for the need to conceal his identity and not reveal his divine power in front of Zhong Li, Su Yu would have liked to use his elemental vision to investigate that raw stone to pass the time.

Zhongli calmly said, "There's an old saying about Liyue's raw gems: 'One cut makes you poor, one cut makes you rich.' Mr. Su Yu could try buying them; there might be a pleasant surprise."

Elemental power can only allow people to perceive some states inside the rough stone, but it cannot give people the ability to see through things. Therefore, even if someone wears the Eye of God to gamble on stones, they can only judge whether to buy or not through observation and experience.

Only a god or someone like Su Yu, who is comparable to a god, could accurately determine what is inside by using divine power to investigate.

Zhongli's hint clearly indicated that he was certain there was something good inside.

However, Su Yu was at the same level as him and was quite certain that Morax had not used any divine power to investigate. Therefore, there was only one possibility: Zhongli knew about this raw stone beforehand!

"Want me to help you raise the price? Sure, no problem."

Zhongli was slightly surprised and asked, "You've figured out that I'm the owner of this raw stone?"

"Everyone was curious about this rough stone, but you kept your head down and drank your tea the whole time, as if you had no interest in it at all. But then you suddenly reminded me to bid. The answer is obvious, isn't it?"

"I admire your keen eye. This raw stone came from the depths of the layered rock abyss and contains a high concentration of elemental crystals. After thousands of years of sedimentation and complex underground reactions, the elemental power has become very mild, and ordinary people can absorb it."

Su Yu nodded and said, "That is indeed very valuable. Such a large piece can allow an ordinary person to use elemental combat skills tens of thousands of times. It is perfect for self-defense or saving one's life, and it can also greatly enhance the strength of someone who has the Eye of the Rock Element."

"I hope to sell it for a good price so that I can repay the Mora I owe. To be honest, I still owe a friend hundreds of millions of Mora, so I have no choice but to resort to this. Although I know he is the executor of the Fools, my intention to befriend him is genuine."

If that brat, D'Artagnan, were there and heard Zhongli's words, he'd feel better the next time he's criticized by Pantalone for wasting money.

According to Liyue's historical records, before the war between gods and demons, when the Emperor was young, a celestial star fell in the western wasteland of Liyue. From the abyss grew almost inexhaustible jade and gold, which led to Liyue's mining history of thousands of years.

Upon hearing this, Zhongli seemed immersed in that period of history, and said with a deep expression, "The truth is not as beautiful as imagined. Every star in the sky may be an enemy of mankind..."

Zhongli did not explain much to Su Yu.

But Su Yu knew that the "celestial star" actually came from the Frost Nail in the sky—

In order to destroy the ancient civilization beneath the layered rock abyss.

The city that appears upside down in the air deep within the layered rock abyss is the ruins of that ancient civilization.

Perhaps Sky Island showed mercy, perhaps Zhongli reached some kind of pact with Sky Island, or perhaps Zhongli protected Liyue with all his power. In any case, only Liyue was smashed into a huge rock crater, while the other ancient kingdoms were destroyed by the falling Frost Spikes.

“Zhongli, I never believed that humanity has any real enemies.”

Zhongli looked at Su Yu: "What do you mean by that?"

"In the eyes of evil gods and demons, humans are nothing more than ants that can be crushed at any moment. Those beings that regard humans as enemies must have recognized humanity's infinite potential and felt awe for it, because the power in this world that surpasses the gods comes from the billions of mortals. The sun, moon, and stars will eventually decay, but humanity's courage to explore the sky and its spirit to pursue the mysteries of the universe will be immortal!"

Zhongli's expression was complicated, and he fell into a long silence.

But the tea swirling in his teacup seemed to be telling a story of intense inner turmoil.

After Su Yu raised the price three times, the price of the raw stone doubled again.

Finally, it was auctioned off to Joseph Koss, the president of the World Merchants Association, for 50 million Mora.

Without hesitation, the proprietress, Ji Fang, moved on to the next item in the auction.

"The sixth item for auction comes from the Montreux Ridge: a broken branch of a honeysuckle tree!"

A murmur of dismay immediately rippled through the hall.

"What's so special about a piece of firewood?"

"There are plenty of broken tree branches in Liyue."

"Boss Ji, don't try to pass off this defective product as something else. If you find a more complete one, I might be able to get a little more Mora."

Hearing the many questions from the audience, Ji Fang did not dare to be negligent and answered them carefully.

"Similar to the Lava Abyss in Liyue, about three thousand years ago, the ancient kingdom of Fendnir on Dragonspine Snow also experienced the spectacle of a meteor falling from the sky. However, this once civilized snow kingdom was destroyed almost overnight. The Honeysuckle Tree, which symbolized the fate of Fendnir, died at that time."

"Our adventurers have now found a broken branch in the most remote snow mountain cave. Experts have determined that it contains a trace of the honeysuckle tree's memory. Whoever can thoroughly study these memories will be able to recreate the long-extinct honeysuckle fruit."

"The Honeysuckle Fruit is a peculiar fruit with a cold will. When thrown, it forms ice crystals above the enemy and falls, causing widespread freezing damage."

In fact, the Honeysuckle Fruit is a one-time consumable elemental item that can be used even by those without the Eye of God. Its main feature is its area-of-effect attack.

It is incredibly effective against Hilichurls or fire elemental creatures in the wild, greatly aiding caravans that spend long periods in the wilderness, or it's also good for self-defense and exploration.

After Ji Fang finished her introduction, someone asked, "Why would its original owner put such a good item up for auction?"

"Studying the memories of the honeysuckle tree requires a great deal of manpower and financial resources; in the hands of ordinary people, it's just an ordinary wooden stick. Only in the hands of those with power can its greatest value be realized!"

"Mastering this technology will allow us to mass-produce and sell honeysuckle fruits—it's a guaranteed win! Starting bid: ten million Mora!"

Chapter 61 The Auction (Part 4)

Zhongli sighed, "Actually, what guards Fendnir is an ancient silver tree. The Snow Kingdom was destroyed by the falling of a celestial star, and the ancient silver tree could not escape that disaster. Later, about 500 years ago, the dragon Durin died on the Dragonspine Snow in Mondstadt, and its poisonous blood merged with the remnants of the ancient silver tree to give birth to the Honeysuckle Tree."

Su Yu was equally disappointed.

"This honeysuckle tree must embody the hopes and longings of the people of the snow country."

That silvery-white ancient tree was essentially a newly grown ley line tree. The people of the Snow Kingdom used it to utilize the power of the ley lines and developed a glorious civilization.

Kanria once sent a large number of people to the ruins of the Snow Country, probably to search for the remaining branches of the Silvery Ancient Tree.

Su Yu wasn't very interested in the honeysuckle tree, and as for the honeysuckle fruit, which was a one-time use item, it wasn't as useful as the ice-type Evil Eye. So he and Zhong Li sat there drinking tea and listening to the other people bidding and scrambling for it.

After three rounds of fierce bidding, the honeysuckle branch was auctioned for 4500 million Mora and acquired by a local Liyue merchant.

Although the process was rather tedious, Su Yu's expectations for the auction had increased slightly.

Before entering the auction house, Zhongli told him that they were just some "ancient objects." Now it seems that the auction items are not just "ancient," but are all relics from the ancient Teyvat civilization.

After auctioning off the honeysuckle tree twigs, the proprietress, Ji Fang, said, "The seventh item up for auction is quite remarkable; it's a relic from a Daedric Lord in Liyue's history!"

People on the continent of Teyvat often hear of all sorts of rare and precious treasures, but relics related to gods or demons are definitely the most precious treasures. If ordinary people use them properly, they can defy fate.

Sure enough, before Ji Fang could finish speaking, everyone present couldn't sit still any longer.

"There are too many demon gods in Liyue, which one is it?"

"Yes, Mr. Ji, stop keeping me in suspense."

"The last time I heard about the discovery of artifacts was ten years ago... Ten years ago, an expedition team accidentally discovered the tomb of the Valley Demon in a ruin. After going through many hardships, they unearthed the Valley Demon's artifacts, which were eventually bought by Mr. Li, a wealthy merchant from Liyue, for 500 million Mora. Mr. Li told me personally that he was later received by the Geo Archon and exchanged the Valley Demon's artifacts for three hundred years of lifespan."

"Nonsense. That Mr. Li and I had drinks together. He said he made a pact with the Rock King using a sacred relic. The pact stipulated that the Rock King would forever protect the safety of his Li family's descendants."

"Hehe, what I heard is completely different from what you heard. Boss Li sold it to the Rock King Emperor for 5 billion Mora, which means he made a pure profit of 4.5 billion Mora."

"How could that be? Let alone whether he could even meet the Rock King Emperor, even if he did, he probably wouldn't have gained anything. That Mr. Li went bankrupt not long after buying the relic and later went back to his hometown in the countryside to retire."

The discussion naturally reached Su Yu and Zhong Li.

Before Su Yu could even ask, Zhong Li spoke up, "As far as I know, that Boss Li has never met the Rock King Emperor. The reason he lied is that the so-called relic of the Valley Demon God is a fake. And he spread rumors everywhere just to save face for himself and avoid being ridiculed by everyone."

"Cough cough..."

At this moment, Ji Fang coughed a few times and said, "Please be patient and let me finish. The relics to be auctioned this time come from the Salt Demon God Heuria. There are not one, but two. One is called the Salt Ruler, and the other is called the Salt Cup!"

"The salt cup contains salt that can never be poured out, it is inexhaustible. The salt ruler, when inserted into the ground, can create large salt fields, representing the authority of the Salt God. Unfortunately, these two sacred relics have now lost their former divine power and have become special souvenirs."

"But ultimately, it belongs to the relics of the Demon God. It is priceless in the eyes of those who cherish it, and worthless in the eyes of those who despise it. The auction will now begin, with a starting price of 20 million Mora!"

"Thirty million Mora!"

"Fifty million Mora!"

"Seventy-six million Mora!"

The crowd below the stage immediately stirred.

Even something that has lost the power of a demon god is still enough to drive ordinary people crazy. In addition, the starting price is not high among similar holy relics, so the bidders are very enthusiastic and quickly push the price to 100 million.

Seeing that Su Yu remained calm and showed no intention of making a move, Zhong Li said, "Heureia was a kind but weak demon god. During the demon god war, she constantly compromised and retreated to the enemy, always trying to hide with her people. However, in the end, she was betrayed and abandoned by everyone. She was not killed by the enemy, but by her own people in the name of 'helping her to be free'."

"However, Heureia is, after all, a legitimate demon goddess. Even though her relics have lost their power, they are still very precious. As personal belongings of a demon goddess, they may contain some of her power, or even some secrets. You seem completely unmoved. Could it be that you have noticed something wrong with these things?"

Su Yu said calmly, "If these people were even slightly rational, they should be able to figure out that the Salt of the Earth was once the last place where the people of the Salt Demon God lived, and there is a sealed underground cave there. If Heureia left behind any relics, then they must be in that secret realm."

"But the seal on the cave has remained unbroken for thousands of years. Even the treasure-hunting teams skilled in exploring secret realms have tried every possible method to enter, so it's even more impossible for others."