Battle Through the Heavens: Starting with Cao Ying as an apprentice

"Selling pills." Su Baichen said succinctly, waving his hand.

Several streaks of light flew out from the sleeves and landed lightly on the mahogany table, transforming into five jade bottles. These jade bottles were translucent, and the outlines of the pills inside could be vaguely seen. The bottles were carved with intricate cloud patterns, and the containers themselves were quite valuable.

Master Mo was startled, and his respect deepened. He stepped forward slowly, carefully examined the jade bottles, and then cautiously opened the first one.

The moment the cork was pulled out, a refreshing medicinal fragrance filled the entire appraisal room. The scent wasn't strong, but it seemed to penetrate the soul, invigorating the spirit.

"This is... the Three-Pattern Clear Spirit Pill!" Elder Mo's pupils shrank, and he quickly poured the pill onto a specially made velvet cloth.

Three cyan pills rolled down, each with three clear golden lines encircling its surface, shimmering faintly in the light. The pills were round and plump, their fragrance subtle yet lingering, truly the finest of the Three-Pattern Clarity Pills.

Mo Lao's hands trembled slightly as he opened the second jade bottle.

A purple glow emanated from the area, accompanied by a gentle energy fluctuation.

"Fu Zi Ling Dan... a fifth-grade pill!" The old man's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement.

The third bottle, Dragon Power Pill, had a pale golden surface with what appeared to be the shadow of a dragon moving about; the fourth bottle, Purple Essence Pill, had a purple surface that emitted star-like sparkles; the fifth bottle…

After all the jade bottles had been opened, fine beads of sweat appeared on Elder Mo's forehead. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, but his voice still trembled noticeably:

"Three-Patterned Spirit Pill, Purple Spirit Pill, Dragon Power Pill, Purple Essence Pill... and this one, if I'm not mistaken, should be a peak Rank 5 'Spirit Breaking Pill,' which can help peak Dou Ling experts increase their success rate by 30% when attempting to break through to Dou Wang!"

He suddenly looked up at Su Baichen, his eyes filled with shock: "And these pills... all of them have reached the top quality among their kind! The fragrance is so pure, the efficacy is estimated to be at least 20% higher than the same kind of pills circulating on the market!"

Su Baichen nodded slightly, seemingly satisfied with Elder Mo's ability to recognize valuable items: "You have quite the eye for quality. Since you can recognize these pills, you must also know their value."

Old Master Mo immediately bowed deeply, his waist bent extremely low: "Distinguished guest, your items are extremely valuable and numerous. According to our rules, we need to arrange a special auction for you. However…"

After a moment's thought, he cautiously suggested, "We can buy the fourth-grade Three-Pattern Clear Spirit Pills at market price right now, one for 600,000 gold coins. As for the other fifth-grade pills... we will arrange them in today's final auction, and we are sure to get the best price for them."

"Of the total auction proceeds, we only take 10% for the appraisal and auction fees, and the rest belongs to our valued guests."

Mr. Mo paused for a moment, then added, "This is the highest level of treatment that our auction house offers to its top VIPs. We will use all available channels to promote this and ensure that your interests are maximized."

Normally, the Black Seal City auction house takes a 30% cut. But Elder Mo knew that anyone who could casually produce so many top-grade pills must have an unfathomable background. Rather than being greedy for immediate gains, it was better to do someone a favor and build a good relationship.

After a moment's thought, Su Baichen nodded in agreement: "Okay."

A single word brought a huge sigh of relief to Elder Mo, and his face broke into a wide smile. He quickly took out a card from his pocket, entirely black with dark gold patterns along the edges, and presented it with both hands:

"Distinguished guest, this is your Black Gold VIP Card for this auction. Please keep it safe. After the auction, you can collect your coins backstage with this card. With this card, you will have priority bidding rights in all auctions of this auction and will be permanently exempt from admission fees."

After saying that, he gave a wink to the maid standing to the side.

The maid understood and stepped forward with a graceful bow: "Honorable guests, please follow me. I will lead you to the VIP room numbered 'Tian'."

Chapter 166 Auction in progress!

Follow the maid through the long corridor, up the spiral staircase, and finally arrive at the VIP area on the top floor of the auction house.

Unlike the hustle and bustle downstairs, it was exceptionally quiet here, with a thick carpet of monster fur on the floor that completely absorbed the sound of footsteps.

The VIP room, the highest-class box in the auction house, occupies an entire half-floor space.

Upon entering, the first thing that catches the eye is a huge one-way crystal wall, which clearly shows the auction stage and the entire auction hall below, but the interior of the private boxes cannot be seen from the outside.

The room was furnished with extreme luxury: tables and chairs made of rosewood, soft chairs covered with ferret fur, and an incense burner in the corner emitting a calming fragrance. A long table on one side was filled with various exquisite pastries and spiritual fruits, while a wine rack on the other side displayed fine wines of various vintages.

After the maid respectfully withdrew, Cao Ying and Little Fairy Doctor immediately relaxed.

"Wow!" Cao Ying exclaimed, running to the soft chair and sinking into the plush ferret fur.

"So this is the VIP room at the auction house! But this chair isn't as comfortable as the one at home. The one in my dad's study is covered with the fur of a sixth-tier magical beast, the 'Cloud Dream Beast,' and sitting on it feels like sitting on a cloud!"

Little Fairy Doctor carefully touched the gemstones embedded in the table, her eyes filled with amazement: "This place is already very, very good... It's a hundred times more luxurious than the best inn in our Green Mountain Town. Sister Cao Ying, your home is really amazing."

Cao Ying proudly raised her little face, but then her expression fell: "What's the use of being smart? Father never lets me come to places like this, saying I'm still too young..."

Su Baichen walked to the crystal wall, his gaze sweeping over the gradually filling auction hall below, his expression calm.

Cai Die gracefully walked to his side, naturally took his arm, and said sweetly, "Brother-in-law, is there anything you like at this auction?"

Cai Lin sat quietly on a chair by the window, took out an ancient book, and read it with her eyes lowered, as if she were isolated from everything around her.

Qinglin was the quietest. She silently walked to a corner and began to meditate and cultivate, with faint blue energy swirling around her.

Su Baichen did not answer Cai Die's question, but simply looked at the bustling crowd below, a barely perceptible smile curving his lips.

The auction in Black Seal City seems like it might be interesting.

Meanwhile, in a private box at the auction house, a middle-aged man dressed in fine clothes was staring intently through the crystal wall at the direction of the private box where Su Baichen was, his eyes gleaming with greed and calculation.

"Have you found out who was in that private room?"

"Reporting to the elder, it is not clear yet... but Elder Mo personally received him and gave him a black gold card directly."

"Black Gold Card..." The middle-aged man narrowed his eyes. "To be able to produce something that Old Man Mo values ​​so much... Give the order to keep a close eye on them after the auction."

"Yes!"

As the bell tolled, its heavy metallic resonance slowly spread throughout the venue, gradually silencing the previously noisy crowd.

The auction hall was dimly lit, with only the crystal platform gleaming with a cool, hazy light.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The three chimes were solemn, like a ritual.

"Snapped!"

The lights suddenly went out, and the sudden darkness made everyone's hearts tighten.

Immediately afterwards, a beam of cool light descended like heavenly light, precisely enveloping the high platform carved from a single piece of crystal.

Light passes through the crystal, refracting into a delicate and colorful halo, making the platform look like a dream.

An elderly man dressed in a long black robe slowly emerged from the depths of the light and shadow. His hair and beard were all white, his face was thin and gaunt, and his long, narrow eyes were slightly narrowed as he slowly scanned the audience below.

The gaze wasn't sharp, but it seemed to carry weight; wherever it passed, whispers vanished, leaving only a breathless silence.

"The Black Seal City Auction is now beginning."

The old man's voice was not loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly, carrying a certain unquestionable authority.

"The first item up for auction—"

He paused briefly, and a maid dressed in a light blue dress gracefully emerged from the side curtain, carrying a gilded tray.

The tray was covered with a deep red velvet cloth, on which lay a long sword. The sword was slender and its entire body shimmered with a warm, blue luster, like a piece of living ancient wood.

"A fourth-tier weapon, the Green Wood Sword."

The old man reached out and firmly grasped the longsword, raising it to the center of the beam of light. The sword's blue radiance intensified, with faint patterns rippling like water.

"This sword is ranked fourth, but the magic core embedded in its core can be considered half a fifth-order core."

The old man's words instantly drew everyone's attention.

"This core was taken from a blue dragon that was about to break through to the fifth rank. Unfortunately, the blue dragon failed in the heavenly tribulation and was hunted down and killed when it was on the verge of death. The swordsmith used the earth's core blue jade as the body and supplemented it with seven kinds of wood-attribute spiritual materials. It took three years to perfectly melt this core into it."

With a slight flick of his wrist, a burst of cyan sword energy suddenly erupted. Although it was only a fleeting moment, the pure, vigorous, and seemingly life-pulsating wood-attribute fluctuations invigorated many people in the front row.

"If the user's battle qi attribute is wood, this sword can briefly activate the remaining power of the Azure Dragon, unleashing a strike comparable to a fifth-tier weapon!" The old man's eyes gleamed. "A rare opportunity indeed, starting bid—500,000 gold coins!"

"Five hundred and fifty thousand!" A man in a tight-fitting outfit in the front row immediately raised his sign.

"Five hundred and eighty thousand!" A hoarse voice came from the left-hand box.

Six hundred thousand!

……

Bidding was fierce, and in the end, the Green Wood Sword was acquired by a cultivator wearing a bamboo hat for 700,000.

The auction proceeded rapidly, with weapons, armor, rare medicinal herbs, and cultivation scrolls appearing one after another, sparking waves of bidding and gradually heating up the atmosphere. Then, after about half an hour, a maidservant gracefully walked onto the stage carrying a jade bottle, and the atmosphere suddenly changed.

"The next item up for auction is a medicinal pill." The old man's voice was steady, but he deliberately slowed down his speech.

The maid uncorked the bottle, and an indescribable fragrance instantly filled the air, invigorating everyone and making their fighting spirit seem to leap with joy.

“Rank—” the old man said, looking around the room, enunciating each word slowly and deliberately.

"Fifth rank!"

"Whoosh—!"

The room fell silent for a moment, then erupted in exclamations and murmurs! A fifth-grade pill appearing at an auction in a place like Black Seal City was an unprecedented highlight of the year! Countless burning gazes were fixed on the small jade bottle.

"This pill is called the 'Dragon Power Pill'."

The old man lowered his hand and waited for the noise to subside before continuing, "After taking it, it can grant the user an extremely powerful and pure force within a short period of time."

"Note that this power originates from the elixir itself. It is a pure physical burst of power that does not consume one's own battle qi. It is particularly effective when counterattacking in desperate situations, fighting against opponents of higher levels, or cultivating certain secret techniques to strengthen the body."

The introduction is brief, but every word strikes a chord with practitioners. Having an extra trump card that can be unleashed in an instant often means having an extra life.

Starting bid: 850,000 gold coins.

"Nine hundred thousand!"

"Nine hundred and fifty thousand!"

"one million!"

……

The price skyrocketed like a runaway horse, finally settling at 1.2 million, and was won by a robust-looking elderly man.

Chapter 167 Ancient Serpent Clan Blood Essence

Subsequently, the Purple Spirit Pill and the Purple Essence Pill were auctioned off one after another, both fetching prices far exceeding those of ordinary fifth-grade pills, drawing gasps of amazement. When the final pill, the Spirit Breaking Pill, appeared, the atmosphere reached a new climax.

"Breaking Spirit Pill, peak fifth grade." The old man's introduction became even more solemn. "Its effect is singular: it helps those at the peak of the Fighting Spirit realm to condense their Qi, comprehend opportunities, and break through the invisible barrier leading to the Fighting King realm! Success or failure depends on oneself, but this pill undoubtedly increases the success rate by at least 30%!"

"boom!"

The excitement truly reached its peak! The Battle King realm—that's the true threshold to entering the ranks of the strong! Countless exceptionally talented individuals have spent their entire lives stuck at the peak of the Battle Spirit realm, dying with regret. A 30% increase in the chance of breaking through to a higher realm—it's practically a divine item!

The bidding was fierce from the start, with the price quickly surpassing 1.5 million and continuing to climb wildly. In the end, after intense competition among several VIP boxes, the Spirit Breaking Pill was bought by a mysterious person with a deep voice for an astonishing 1.8 million.

A moment of silence fell over the room, many still reeling from the astronomical figures.

The old man coughed softly, drawing everyone's attention back. The wrinkles on his face appeared even deeper in the beam of light, and his eyes held an unusual solemnity.