Free Web NovelChapter 230: Chapter 228: A Country for a Sword
The Qin Family wasn’t afraid, though. Experts from the Lin Family, the Thousand Mechanism Sect, and many other allied families and sects were currently staying at the Qin estate. Even if the Cui Family wanted revenge, they would have to consider whether it was worth it.
At that moment, Li Sihai’s voice boomed, "I don’t need to repeat the main theme of today’s auction. However, before we get to that, we have a few other items that I’m sure some of you will find interesting!"
A low murmur immediately spread through the crowd below. Everyone understood that an event of this scale was a once-in-a-century occurrence. Unless there was something that could attract the interest of every family and sect on Profound Island, who would travel thousands, even tens of thousands of miles, to come all the way to Fengsha City?
If the Four Seas Auction House didn’t know how to seize this opportunity to promote itself, they’d have to be out of their minds.
Many people’s gazes drifted toward the circle of luxurious private boxes on the second floor. ’The Qin Family is truly incredible,’ they thought. ’To turn such a situation around, and to do it so beautifully... it’s truly worthy of both envy and admiration!’
"First, the first item up for auction today is an ancient sword! This is a famous sword forged in his later years by the great sword-smith of the Ancient Era, Ou Liangzi. It is named Cold Ice!"
Although the vast majority of people had come for the Qin Family’s Pill Formula, many still showed surprise on their faces after hearing Li Sihai’s announcement.
Their gazes toward Li Sihai now held a newfound respect.
Originally, many hadn’t given a second thought to a minor sect like the Four Seas Sect or a place like the Four Seas Auction House. They probably figured that after visiting once today, they would never think of it again for the rest of their lives.
But to their surprise, the auction house actually had some real treasures!
On Profound Island, Ou Liangzi’s name was known to almost everyone; he was a legendary master sword-smith of his generation! Legend had it that Ou Liangzi’s power had reached the Venerable Realm. He lived for over nine hundred years, yet he forged no more than fifty swords in his entire life!
Every single one was madly sought after!
In the present day, the swords Ou Liangzi forged back then were almost all lost. Even if some survived, they were carefully guarded by their owners and rarely used in combat. Even Martial Artists at the Venerable Realm couldn’t help but be tempted by a sword forged by Master Ou Liangzi.
Qin Li narrowed his eyes, listening to the gasps of surprise from the Qin Family members in the box and their reverence for Ou Liangzi. ’I wonder whose swords are better,’ he thought, ’Ou Liangzi’s or Prince Wu’s?’
Li Sihai watched the crowd’s expressions with a sense of pride. He had acquired this sword by chance years ago from a direct disciple of a declining sect. In the Ancient Era, that sect had been a glorious major power, filled with experts as numerous as the clouds, and had even ranked among the top ten on Profound Island.
However, one of its Sect Leaders discovered a massive set of Ancient Ruins within a forbidden area on Profound Island. Unable to resist the immense temptation, he led over half of the sect’s elites on an expedition to explore it. Unexpectedly, before they could even enter the Ancient Ruins, they were viciously attacked by powerful Spirit Beasts in the forbidden area, suffering heavy losses. When they finally struggled their way inside, they found that the Ancient Ruins were like a terrifying ghost city!
It was filled with countless traps; even Martial Artists at the Celestial Integration Realm and Celestial Embracing Realm could not withstand them!
In the end, that Sect Leader, who wielded the power of a Venerable, escaped the forbidden land alone, carrying only this Ice Sword. The incident caused a massive stir at the time. Most people never found out why the once-thriving sect had suddenly lost over half of its elite members.
Li Sihai had learned of this incident from that disciple and traded his entire fortune at the time for this sword, which the sect considered inauspicious. Likewise, Li Sihai was also extremely interested in the Ancient Ruins within that forbidden land.
That was why, in front of everyone today, he recounted the details of this story, which had long been buried in the dust of history.
The entire auction hall fell deathly silent. Everyone was dumbstruck. Even the members of the four great families and three great sects in the luxurious second-floor boxes couldn’t help but gasp in shock after hearing the tale.
Countless people sighed in unison with the same thought: ’So that’s what really happened!’
Seeing the crowd’s reaction, Li Sihai smiled and said, "To kick things off and add some excitement to today’s auction, we at the Four Seas Auction House have reluctantly decided to put this masterpiece by Master Ou Liangzi, Cold Ice, up for auction. The starting price... is unlimited! Everyone may begin bidding now. The highest bidder wins!" ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
The hall erupted.
The faces of the crowd below lit up with excitement. ’An unlimited starting price? Doesn’t that mean if I bid one hundred thousand taels of silver and no one else bids, this famous sword by Master Ou Liangzi will be mine?’
Quite a few people entertained this notion. It wasn’t that they took everyone else for fools; people are just always susceptible to a bit of wishful thinking.
But, was that even possible?
"I bid five million taels of gold!" a refined-looking middle-aged man in the front row of the first-floor hall was the first to shout. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
The hall was instantly plunged into silence!
Many who recognized the man couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath.
"Isn’t that Qian Duoduo, the Patriarch of the Wealthy Qian Family? What’s he doing here? Could it be his family also wants to compete for the Pill Formula?"
"Gods, it really is someone from the Wealthy Qian Family. Damn it, five million taels of gold right off the bat. He really lives up to the name Qian Duoduo. And here I was thinking of bidding one hundred thousand taels of silver!"
"Alright, stop embarrassing yourself. Compete with the Qian Family in wealth? Can you win? They control at least ten small kingdoms in the Mortal Realm! And all of them are extremely prosperous ones!"
A new wave of discussion instantly swept through the crowd.
Even Qin Li was a bit dumbstruck. He looked at Qin Suo, who wasn’t far from him, and asked, "Didn’t you say no one would care about gold and silver?"
Qin Suo couldn’t help but laugh awkwardly. "Well, uh, when it’s that much money, it’s useful, it’s useful..." he said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. For a great clan of Profound Island, no one would bat an eye at a mere eight thousand taels of silver. But five million taels of gold? If you piled it all up, the glittering gleam alone would be enough to blind someone, if not crush them to death. Who would dare ignore that?
Li Sihai’s smile froze on his face. ’That’s... so much money,’ he thought. ’But the problem is, money isn’t what I want!’ Still, five million taels of gold was a goddamn astronomical sum!
Even the Seven Great Powers would probably feel the sting of parting with so much gold at once, right? The representatives from the Seven Great Powers in the second-floor boxes couldn’t help but twitch their lips when they heard the bid. Yet, looking back at the refined middle-aged man, he sat there with a tranquil expression, as if he weren’t the one who had just shouted out a bid of five million taels of gold.
Li Sihai swallowed hard. Looking down at the deathly silent crowd, he gave a dry laugh and said, "The Patriarch of the Wealthy Qian Family, Qian Duoduo, has bid five million taels of gold! Is there a higher bid?"
There was still no movement from the crowd below.
Li Sihai couldn’t help but give a bitter smile inwardly. ’Well,’ he thought, ’after today, I’ll be a super-millionaire!’
He paused for a moment, then continued, "Five million taels of gold, going once! Five million taels of gold, going twice! Five million taels of gold..." Just as he raised his auction hammer, ready to grit his teeth and bring it down, a light, yet extremely cold voice drifted from one of the second-floor boxes.
"A nation in the Mortal Realm, five thousand miles across."
PFFT!
Qin Li, who had just taken a sip of tea, couldn’t help but spit it all out. Fortunately, his reactions were extremely fast, and he sprayed it onto the luxurious, soft carpet at his feet.
Qin Hanyue, Shangguan Shiyu, and the others, who were experiencing this for the first time, were so stunned they were left gaping, not even noticing Qin Li’s mishap.
Was five million taels of gold a lot? Yes! It was an absolutely astronomical figure!
For the clans of Profound Island, gold was more than just currency. Master refiners could extract refined gold from it. The uses for refined gold were extremely varied; in particular, Martial Artists above the Venerable Realm could use materials like refined gold, secret silver, and Celestial Meteorite Iron to forge their own personal weapons.
These materials could be used to maximize the output of one’s Primordial Power! However, for Martial Artists below the Venerable level, the effects of using such weapons were not as significant.
Furthermore, legends claimed that those above the Venerable Realm could even use these materials to craft Magical Treasures, but since almost no one had ever seen such a thing, it was mostly treated as a myth.
The reason Ou Liangzi’s Ice Sword was so valuable was that the sword was surely forged with these very materials.
Still, five million taels of gold couldn’t possibly be worth more than an entire nation!
For someone to trade a nation for a single sword... that was just... too ruthless!
"It’s someone from Ice Edge. They seem desperate for this sword!" Qin Haiyang spoke up, explaining to the others, "Almost everyone from Ice Edge cultivates Cold Attribute Combat Skills. This sword should allow them to unleash even greater combat power!"
"But that’s still no reason to trade a whole nation for it!" Qin Suo chimed in, his tone filled with disbelief.
"What do you know? A weapon like this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Acquiring one depends on fate! Besides, do you really think they’re buying this weapon for someone below the Venerable level?" Qin Haiyang shook his head slightly and sighed, "The Seven Great Powers truly have a well-deserved reputation. Their foundations run far too deep!"
Li Sihai finally broke into a wide grin. This was what he wanted! A nation in the Mortal Realm, spanning five thousand miles. While it might not be much on the Celestial Essence Continent, it was still... huge!
Qian Duoduo’s face showed no surprise. He simply gave a faint smile, without a hint of disappointment.
As expected, the sword fell into the hands of Ice Edge.
Afterward, a number of other items were auctioned off, such as antique calligraphy and paintings from the Ancient Era. Don’t be fooled by the fact that these great clans revere martial prowess above all; some among them still have a fondness for such things. Later, some decent Combat Skill Heart Methods were also sold.
It could be said that the Four Seas Auction House had thoroughly made a name for itself with this event.
Finally, it was time for the last item: the Qin Family’s... uh, the Pill Formula that Qin Li had called a piece of junk. Nearly everyone held their breath, not daring to even breathe too loudly.
Many people hadn’t come to compete for the Pill Formula. They simply didn’t want to miss such a grand event and wanted to witness for themselves who would ultimately win this Unparalleled Pill Formula!
