All eyes turned in unison, eager to see who was so foolishly extravagant.
When they saw the bidder, everyone froze in surprise.
It was none other than Ye Chu.
A sneer rippled through the crowd. "Ah, so it's the Jiang family's son-in-law. Truly a fool with too much money to spare."
Murmurs of mockery and disdain flickered through the onlookers' eyes.
Ye Chu, however, remained utterly indifferent, his gaze lazily fixed upon the bronze cauldron displayed on the stage.
His spiritual sense was powerful, and he could faintly discern that the cauldron was no ordinary object. Conveniently, he also lacked a pill furnace—so he intended to bid for it.
Huangfu Shiyue frowned. "Brother, isn't that little cauldron a bit too shabby?"
Ye Chu shook his head. "It doesn't matter, as long as it works."
Shiyue said no more.
The earlier display of Ye Chu's strength was still vivid in everyone's minds, and none dared to compete against him. The bronze cauldron was finally sold to him for eleven million gold coins.
Of course, the main reason was that the cauldron itself wasn't particularly valuable—otherwise, competition would have been fierce.
Even so, the auctioneer, Dandan, was clearly delighted.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the next item will be our eleventh lot."
Faces in the crowd brightened with anticipation—everyone knew the main attractions were about to begin.
A staff member carefully carried a simple yet elegant wooden box onto the stage, drawing curious glances from all sides.
The box was a pale violet hue, carved with intricate patterns that spoke of both age and value.
From its craftsmanship alone, one could tell the treasure within was extraordinary.
After letting suspense build, Dandan slowly lifted the lid. Instantly, a rich medicinal fragrance filled the air.
Inside lay a delicate, lavender-hued herb.
"What is that?"
Puzzlement gleamed in the eyes of the spectators; though they sensed its rarity, none could name it.
"Could it be… the Rejuvenating Herb?" Ye Chu's eyes flashed with astonishment. Such a thing was exceedingly rare.
On stage, Dandan smiled. "Indeed, this is the Rejuvenating Herb. Consuming it will preserve one's youthful appearance for ten years. Refined into a pill, its effects will be even greater."
The hall erupted in shocked exclamations.
The women, especially, could no longer conceal the heat in their eyes.
To preserve one's beauty—how could that not drive them mad?
Even if only for ten years, it was still priceless.
Ye Chu could clearly hear the women beside him breathing faster.
Huangfu Shiyue turned to him and whispered, "Brother, if I were to give you this herb, could you refine it into a pill?"
"I can," Ye Chu nodded. "But I'll need a few other auxiliary herbs."
Her eyes sparkled with sudden excitement.
"This Rejuvenating Herb," Dandan continued, "was discovered in the Hundred Herbs Valley of Shennongjia. It was brought out at great risk and cost—its rarity cannot be overstated."
After a brief introduction, she announced the starting price.
"The opening bid—one hundred million gold coins. Each increment no less than ten million."
"One hundred and ten million!"
"One hundred and twenty million!"
"One hundred and fifty million!"
"One hundred and seventy million!"
"Two hundred million!"
Though the price soared quickly, bids continued unabated—most of them from women.
Before long, it had reached four hundred million, surpassing even the previous Buddha beads.
At that height, only a few bidders remained. After all, few could afford such sums.
"Five hundred million."
The calm, unhurried voice silenced the hall.
An increase of one hundred million at once—such audacity defied comprehension.
All turned to see the bidder—Huangfu Shiyue.
A wave of respect rippled through the crowd. To know Master Long himself—her presence alone commanded awe.
Ye Chu secretly clicked his tongue. His sister truly was a woman of means.
For a fleeting moment, he wondered if living off her wealth might not be such a bad idea.
With that bid, no one else dared to compete.
No one wished to offend the enigmatic Huangfu Shiyue, nor did they believe they could win against her.
Just as the hall began to settle, a languid voice rang out:
"Six hundred million."
The crowd froze once more. Another hundred-million leap!
Heads turned, and this time, the bidder was yet another stunning beauty—seated right beside Huangfu Shiyue.
Gasps spread like wildfire. When had Jiangdu birthed not one, but two women of such beauty and wealth?
Huangfu Shiyue cast a cold glance toward Zhuge Zheya, then raised again.
"Seven hundred million."
"Eight hundred million," Zheya countered smoothly, her tone indifferent—as though she were merely spending pocket change.
"Nine hundred million."
"One billion."
The entire hall was struck dumb. Such extravagance bordered on madness.
At last, Huangfu Shiyue's brows furrowed. Her expression darkened, and lightning seemed to flash in her eyes.
"Zhuge Zheya, must you truly contend with me?"
Zheya smiled faintly. "Contend? This is an auction. The highest bidder wins, does she not?"
Backstage, Master Long could only smile wryly. "These two girls… why did they both have to come here today?"
As tension crackled between the two women, Ye Chu finally stepped forward to ease the situation.
"Elder sisters," he said softly, "let's not quarrel. Give the herb to me. Once I refine it into pills, I'll give each of you one."
Huangfu Shiyue hesitated, then nodded. "Very well. I'll trust your judgment."
Zhuge Zheya, however, looked doubtful. Their relationship was clearly closer than hers with Ye Chu, and she found it hard to believe the young man was truly an alchemist.
Ye Chu smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, I won't deceive you. And if I do, you can come to the Jiang residence and find me anytime."
After a pause, Zhuge Zheya nodded. "Very well, I'll trust Doctor Ye."
With the matter settled, the bidding ended. The Rejuvenating Herb was sold for the astronomical price of one billion gold coins, officially claimed by Zhuge Zheya.
Many in the audience were left bewildered—moments ago the two women had been fierce rivals, and now, suddenly, the storm had passed.
Their quiet exchange had gone unheard by others, and the crowd quickly turned its attention to the next item.
This time, it was a scroll of martial techniques. Though it only reached the Body Tempering peak stage, it still sparked a frenzy.
In Jiangdu, a single peak-stage expert was enough to command respect.
After an intense bidding war, the scroll sold for twelve billion gold coins.
"And now," Dandan announced, her voice ringing clear, "we present the final and most anticipated treasure of the evening."
At once, every gaze fixed upon the stage.
She lifted a crimson cloth, revealing eight small jade bottles—four blue and four white—each bearing tiny labels too small to read.
The crowd's curiosity burned brighter than ever. What could these possibly contain, to merit such prominence?
Dandan gestured gracefully toward the white bottles first.
"These contain Antidote Pills, capable of neutralizing a hundred poisons."
A murmur of astonishment rippled through the hall. Even with a hint of exaggeration, such a pill was incredibly precious.
When the noise subsided, she continued, pointing to the blue bottles.
"And these hold Minor True Essence Pills. For those at the Body Tempering stage, they can grant breakthroughs of one or two minor realms. For peak practitioners, there's even a chance to advance to the rank of Grandmaster."
The announcement struck like thunder.
In an instant, the hall erupted into chaos once more…