Free Web NovelChapter 231: Chapter 229: The Dust Settles
"Five mortal kingdoms, each with a radius of five thousand li!" The first to speak was, once again, Qian Duoduo, the Patriarch of the Wealthy Qian Family, who sat in the main hall with a serene expression.
Even though the crowd had braced themselves, they were still left reeling from the shock of his bid.
"Heavens, is he trying to drive us all to an early grave? Five kingdoms, just like that! That’s five kingdoms... not five goddamn households!"
"That settles it. Coming here today was definitely worth it! To witness a spectacle like this makes the whole trip worthwhile!"
"So this is what a truly wealthy person looks like. I’m thoroughly impressed!"
"Haha, as if you had a choice! Right now, I’m more envious of the Qin Family. Tell me, with this, won’t the Qin Family ascend to the ranks of the first-rate families?"
"Isn’t that obvious? Any family that suddenly gains control of five kingdoms gets their pick of countless prodigies. Add to that the fact that they’re an Alchemy Family—how could they possibly not become a first-rate family?"
"I’m more envious of that peerless young genius from the Qin Family. If my family had a descendant like that, I’d die a happy man right now!"
"Just focus on living a long life, brother. You’re in no danger of dying from happiness!"
"..."
Just as everyone had anticipated, the moment the auction for the Pill Formula began, the entire venue erupted into a fierce bidding war.
A chilling voice echoed from a private box on the second floor. "Three large mortal kingdoms, each with a radius of ten thousand li. They are rich in resources, with countless Spirit Medicines and Spirit Flowers and several forbidden lands. Plus... a Spirit Stone Vein with an annual output of one thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones!"
GASP!
The clamorous hall fell instantly silent as all eyes turned toward the private box where the voice had originated: Sky-tier Box Number Two, the Cui Family!
Qin Li’s eyes narrowed slightly. He had just received a list of the families occupying the luxurious private boxes on the second floor—a gesture of goodwill from the Four Seas Auction House.
’The Cui Family sent three of their direct descendants this time, along with a dozen or so Martial Artists at the Celestial Embracing Realm, forming a terrifyingly powerful team. If they win this Pill Formula, will the Qin Family... really be able to collect on the deal so easily?’
’Even if the Cui Family doesn’t renege on the deal and hands everything over, that Spirit Stone Vein... it’s the very lifeblood of a family! Usually, only a few direct descendants know its precise location; most of their own clan members are kept in the dark!’
’How could they possibly offer something like that up for trade?’
’The Cui Family is definitely up to no good!’ Qin Li thought.
The astronomical price offered by the Cui Family silenced the entire auction hall. Nearly everyone was waiting to see which family would dare to top their bid.
Qian Duoduo, Patriarch of the Wealthy Qian Family, gave a faint smile, his expression unchanging as he said, "My apologies, I forgot to mention. Those five kingdoms of mine include two such Spirit Stone Veins!"
BOOM!
An irrepressible wave of gasps erupted from the hall. Nearly everyone was utterly stunned, staring dumbfounded and speechless at the elegant, calm-faced, middle-aged man.
On the second floor, inside the luxurious Sky-tier Box Number Two, the members of the Cui Family all wore grim expressions. A white-haired elder spoke hatefully, "The Wealthy Qian Family... What do they think they’re doing? Are they trying to pick a fight with our Cui Family?"
"Exactly. A mere first-rate family dares to contend with a super family like us. They must have a death wish!" a man in his thirties said coldly.
"The Wealthy Qian Family also dates back to the Ancient Era. Some people say they control a dozen or so mortal kingdoms, but from what I know, they actually control no fewer than fifty!" a bald elder said faintly, his eyes narrowed to slits.
"How is that possible?" someone asked, unable to believe it.
"What’s so impossible? There are thousands upon thousands of such kingdoms on the Celestial Essence Continent! We may have been a super-power since the Ancient Era, but don’t forget, after so many years of development, some of the more low-profile families might be just as formidable as us! Look at the Qin Family. Didn’t they just come out of nowhere and give us a vicious slap in the face?" the bald elder stated calmly, his face devoid of expression.
"The Qin Family? Hmph, an insignificant little clan. We’ll annihilate them sooner or later!" someone spat hatefully.
"We can’t do that now. I suspect the Qian Family has seen the predicament our Cui Family is in," a direct descendant of the Cui Family said faintly. "We’re not competing for it anymore. Let them have it."
The bald elder nodded slightly and gave a faint smile. "Precisely. Let him have it. As for the Qin Family... they still have the formula, don’t they!" freēwebnovel.com
HISS!
The others in the box couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath as understanding dawned on them. That’s right! Even though the Qin Family sold this one, they must still have the formula! They just lost the right to sell more copies, but they can still use it themselves!
"Brilliant! Truly brilliant!"
For a moment, a tide of flattery washed over the luxurious private room.
’Brilliant, my ass!’
Qin Li sneered internally. ’Scheming for the Qin Family’s Pill Formula? Dream on! Cui Family, I’ll just wait and see how long a behemoth like you can continue to run rampant!’
All this time, Qin Li had left a sliver of his Divine Sense on the wall of the Cui Family’s private box, evading the senses of their Martial Artists to eavesdrop on their conversation.
For others, this would be nearly impossible even for someone at the Venerable Realm. However, for Qin Li, a cultivator of the Innate Purple Qi Technique, a distance like this didn’t even require him to expend any Spiritual Power!
Just then, a voice came from another box on the second floor. "Five mortal kingdoms, each with a five-thousand-li radius, two Spirit Stone Veins, plus one Sub-Divine Level Fire Attribute Combat Skill, and one Sub-Divine Level Primordial Power Heart Method!"
"It’s the Fire Sword Wang Family!" Qinling Mountain whispered, his expression having shifted from shock to utter numbness.
As for Qin Li, he was simply sitting there, at a complete loss for words. ’Is this the gap between a super-power and a middle-tier one? It’s just too incredible!’
’In a place like the Cyan Dragon Kingdom, the imperial family would turn on itself—father against son, brother against brother—all for the throne. Yet here, a position they valued above all else was being tossed around in lots of three and five... I don’t know whether to find it ironic or just tragic.’
Qinling Mountain was grinning from ear to ear. He looked at Qin Li and laughed, "My dear great-great-grandson, you should hurry up and have lots of children! If any of them can’t cultivate, we’ll just send them off to the Mortal Realm to be emperors! Hahaha!"
Qin Li was speechless, Shangguan Shiyu’s face flushed crimson, but Qin Hanyue and Qin Wenxuan actually looked intrigued by the idea.
Li Sihai’s voice was trembling. Forget his Four Seas Auction House—in the entire history of Profound Island, spanning thousands of years, there had probably never been an auction as thrilling as this one!
"Is there... a higher bid?"
"Five kingdoms, two Spirit Stone Veins, one Sub-Divine Level Combat Skill, and one Sub-Divine Level Primordial Power Heart Method... Going once!"
The hall was dead silent.
"Going twice!"
Li Sihai’s voice cracked. For a Martial Artist at the Celestial Integration Realm, this was both an embarrassing and an incredible thing to happen. However, no one noticed his lapse in composure; they were all waiting for the final moment.
Many people cast their gazes toward Qian Duoduo, the Patriarch of the Wealthy Qian Family, in the front row. But the mysterious Patriarch seemed to have dozed off, his eyes narrowed to slits. The formidable-looking elderly guards beside him were also perfectly calm, showing no signs of disappointment.
"Thir... d... time!"
Li Sihai’s voice shook, and he could barely breathe. His face was flushed as he stammered out the final words. Afterward, he looked completely drained, bent over and panting, his head beaded with sweat.
The dust had settled.
Qin Li, Shangguan Shiyu, and the others let out a long sigh of relief.
As for the three Qin Family ancestors—the brothers Qin Haiyang, Qin Haijiang, and Qin Haihe—their eyes were already rimmed with red, and they were deeply moved. After today, the Qin Family would truly enter the ranks of Profound Island’s top-tier families!
Yes, it would take time to take possession of everything, especially the five mortal kingdoms. A change in imperial power would require a period of integration, but for the families of the Mysterious Land, time was the one thing they had in abundance.
Within a hundred years, the Qin Family would surely become a truly great power, a major family!
For now, as long as they used the Elixirs Qin Li secretly provided to the other families to secure their unwavering alliance, then even the Cui Family would be powerless to stop the Qin Family’s ascent!
It had practically become an inevitability.
The auction was over, but the crowd lingered, unwilling to leave. In a fit of magnanimity, Li Sihai booked more than half the restaurants in Fengsha City to host the powerful experts from all over Profound Island. An opportunity like this came once in a blue moon. After today, the fame of the Four Seas Auction House would surely echo throughout all of Profound Island.
Qin Li kept his Divine Sense locked onto the Cui Family’s box, but they had fallen completely silent after the final bid, and there was no further activity.
At the entrance, Qin Li’s group had just stepped out when a member of the Qin family approached with a stack of calling cards. They were all from people who had come to Fengsha City today hoping to meet the Qin Family’s new rising star.
The Wealthy Qian Family! Ice Edge! The Fire Sword Wang Family! The Anger Sword Xiao Family! The Thousand Mechanism Sect! The Sword Killing Lin Family... There were countless more cards below. Besides the Cold Sword Cui Family, nearly every prominent family on Profound Island present in Fengsha City had sent one. A single Pill Formula and one peerless genius had captured the attention of the entire world.
Qin Li casually flipped through the stack. When he saw one of the cards, his brow furrowed. The Thousand Kills Sect! He flipped it open, and his expression changed dramatically.
A surge of fury rose in his heart. freeweɓnovel.cøm
Just then, a group of people walked out from the entrance. Upon seeing Qin Li, all of their eyes locked onto him. A few of them couldn’t even conceal the murderous intent in their gaze.
The leader, a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties or fifties, addressed Qin Li faintly, "You must be Qin Li. Good. Very good."
