"Finn Doria?!" Seve exclaimed in shock. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He had been convinced that this young man's skull had been left behind on the training ground, yet now he could clearly see Finn's body standing on the other side of the auction house.
The old man beside him noticed Seve's strange reaction. He turned to see where the young man was looking and whispered in surprise, "Finn Doria? I thought…"
The old man glanced meaningfully at Seve. When Seve met his eyes, his whole body tensed, and he ground his teeth in frustration.
'Useless old Xuan! You couldn't even kill a mere 5th—What?! A 7th Level Bronze Rank?! How…?!' Seve's mind reeled in disbelief.
He distinctly remembered that six days ago, Finn Doria had been nothing but a 5th Level Bronze Rank. But now, he could also clearly sense the powerful aura radiating from him. Confused by everything happening, Seve remained silent.
'You're only giving me more reasons to kill you, Finn Doria!' he thought grimly.
When Finn noticed Seve's reaction, he gave him a mocking smile. Now, he no longer had any doubts—the Black Tiger Family truly had tried to take his life.
He paid Seve no further attention and instead listened to the conversation between father and son.
"Father, by the way—why are all six Aristocrat Clans here? Is there something especially valuable being auctioned today?" Isake asked with a frown.
Augustus looked at his son and smiled faintly, his expression complicated. "You could say so. But in time, you'll learn for yourself why all six clans have gathered."
Isake simply nodded. Though he was eager to know the truth behind this event, he chose to stay quiet.
While everyone was still talking among themselves, a beautiful woman stepped onto the stage. As soon as people noticed her arrival, the noise died away, and all eyes turned to her seriously. The heads of every clan watched with admiration and respect. This woman was none other than Alicia, the manager of the Heavenly Auction House.
Alicia slowly swept her gaze over the crowd. She smiled and began to speak in a soft yet clear voice. "Honored guests of the Heavenly Auction House, I wish to thank you for attending and participating in this month's auction. As all preparations have been completed, I now officially declare the start of the auction!"
"This month, we will be presenting seven treasures, and I'm certain each one will capture your interest," she continued.
She clapped twice, and a woman approached carrying a box draped with a red cloth.
"Just earlier today, we received a remarkable potion from a client," Alicia announced, smiling as she removed the cloth. "This is a Rank 1 potion—the Body Strengthening Potion."
"A Rank 1 potion? Isn't that rather low in quality to be auctioned here?" the head of the Scarlet Flame Family asked skeptically.
In terms of overall power, the Scarlet Flame Family was weaker than both the Golden Lion Family and the Black Tiger Family. It was well-known that those two clans were the strongest and most influential among the six Aristocrat Clans.
"A good question," Alicia replied with another smile. "While it is only a Rank 1 potion, its effect rivals that of a Rank 1 pill. The Body Strengthening Potion can fortify and strengthen an adventurer's body. And if the user is fortunate, it may help them advance to the next level. However, since it is only Rank 1, it is effective solely for Bronze Rank Adventurers."
She also explained how to properly use it. When everyone heard this, they became excited, including many from the younger generation.
'It could raise one's level? I must get that potion for my child and grandchild!' the heads of the clans thought to themselves.
"May we know the starting price of that potion?" asked the female leader of the Calm Water Family.
"The owner of these potions and I have agreed to auction all three bottles starting at fifteen gold coins. Now, shall we begin?" Alicia asked, smiling at the clan leaders.
"Sixteen gold coins from the Heavenly Thunder Family!" shouted its leader.
"Eighteen gold coins from the Silver Star Family!"
When Finn Doria heard the bidding on his potion increasing, his heart swelled with joy. Never had he imagined he would find himself in this situation—about to earn such a large sum of money. This was just the beginning; soon he would be able to help his clan.
The price climbed higher and higher until—
"Thirty gold coins from the Black Tiger Family! My friends, isn't that price already too high for you to keep matching? Why not simply step aside and let our clan have it?" declared Frederick Marren, head of the Black Tiger Family, in a serious tone.
The other clan leaders frowned when they heard him. It was obvious the Black Tiger Family was determined to win these potions. None of them wanted to continue arguing over just three Rank 1 potions.
Finn frowned too as he realized the others had no intention of bidding further. He was now certain the Black Tiger Family was a thorn in his side.
"No one else will raise the bid—"
"Fifty gold coins from the Golden Lion Family!" Augustus declared with a snort. "Even if it's just a Rank 1 potion, it will be of great help to my son, Isake. What are fifty gold coins if it can aid my youngest child?"
The other leaders nodded in agreement. Even so, none of them planned to challenge the two powerful clans any longer.
Frederick's expression darkened, and he shot Augustus a cold glare.
"Father…"
"There's no need to compete with that old man any further. There will be other chances for me to obtain such a potion," Frederick said firmly.
Seve forced a smile and nodded, though he felt bitter and regretful. He had truly wanted that potion, but with his father having spoken, he could do nothing but watch it go to Isake—his rival.
"Does anyone wish to raise the bid further?" Alicia asked, her gaze sweeping the hall. When she saw no one else intended to compete, she announced the winner.
Alicia ordered the potions delivered to the Golden Lion Family. When Augustus received them, he immediately handed one to Isake. He also offered one to Finn, but the young man quickly declined.
"Thank you very much, Chief Augustus. But that potion is too expensive for me to accept. Besides, I wouldn't be able to protect it if someone with ill intent tried to steal it from me," Finn said firmly.
He didn't need that potion—he had already used one himself, and its effects had been even better than this batch, so it would only be wasted on him.
"The next items to be auctioned are identical to the previous ones—three more Body Strengthening Potions!" Alicia announced sweetly to the audience.
Aside from Finn Doria, almost everyone was shocked to hear this.
"Fifty gold coins from the Black Tiger Family!" Frederick declared at once.
No one dared to challenge him this time. The other leaders and the younger generation could only look on with envy.
The auction continued. After Finn Doria's potions had been sold, he lost interest in the proceedings—he was simply too happy to care, knowing he would soon have a hundred gold coins.
Many other items were auctioned off, including a Rank 3 Adventurer Skill found by a rogue adventurer in a remote cave. The Silver Star Family acquired it for one thousand five hundred gold coins. Finn's clan could never afford such an amount—at least, not yet.
In the future, he vowed, his clan would not remain merely an Aristocrat Clan. He would do everything in his power to elevate them to Noble Clan status and surpass the Black Tiger Family. Thanks to his skills as an Alchemist, this was no longer just a dream.
"I sincerely thank all of you for attending our auction. Now, we will present the final—and most important—item of the month: the Rank 6 Soul Enhancing Pill, the Profound Nurturing Pill!"
As Alicia spoke, she held up a small bottle.
Everyone fixed their serious gaze on its contents. Inside lay a round, purple object gleaming like a pearl. The leaders of the Aristocrat Clans nearly drooled at the sight.
"I'll be brief about the effects of this pill," Alicia said. "With this remarkable pill, there is a thirty percent chance for a 9th Level Scarlet Gold Rank Adventurer to advance to the next level—the Profound Rank. Once an Aristocrat Clan possesses a Profound Rank Adventurer, they may register with the palace to become an official Noble Clan. Moreover, this pill was personally crafted by the Grand Elder of the Alchemist Association—it is an honor to obtain it."
"Let's begin. The starting price for the Rank 6 Soul Enhancing Pill is… nothing. We will start from zero," Alicia declared meaningfully.
Finn couldn't help but admire her sales tactics. Start from nothing? Ridiculous.
"Ten thousand gold coins!"
"Twenty thousand gold coins!"
None of the clans wanted to back down. Finn could hardly keep up with the numbers being called. Compared to these elders' fortunes, his hundred gold coins were mere pocket change.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a clan leader. If they secured this pill and succeeded, their clan would be elevated to Noble Clan status.
Throughout the Sacred Dragon Kingdom, there were only four existing Noble Clans. The power of each was something no one dared underestimate.
The eyes of every clan leader grew red as the bidding continued to soar.
Before long, only the Golden Lion Family and the Black Tiger Family remained in contention.
"Three hundred thousand gold coins!" Frederick shouted forcefully.
"Three hundred fifty thousand gold coins!" Augustus countered immediately.
The two locked glares, their rivalry reignited. Even in their youth, they had competed in everything.
The Golden Lion Family was famed for their extraordinary defense, while the Black Tiger Family was renowned for their overwhelming offense.
Whenever they clashed, it often ended without a clear victor—and neither side could accept it. But today, they would finally see which of them would triumph.
Frederick gritted his teeth and roared, "Five hundred thousand gold coins! Old Augustus! Do you really want to challenge me?!"
Augustus trembled when he heard that sum. Though he had five hundred thousand gold coins, he couldn't risk spending so much—it could severely impact his clan. He could only sigh heavily and sit down.
"It seems no one else wishes to bid on the Profound Nurturing Pill? Then it is settled—the leader of the Black Tiger Family has won this extraordinary pill," Alicia announced with a smile.