Heroes' Prison

Chapter 247 - 242 Blocking the Black Serpent

"Brother, why is this rune stone not auctioned off for gold coins?" Xiao Chunzi asked, puzzled.

"Because gold coins can depreciate, but Holy Crystal Stones won’t. Look at those people in the VIP seats, who would be short on gold coins? Some Holy Domain Warriors can easily shell out tens of millions, but last time I attended an auction, there were plenty of people with gold coins, but only one with a Holy Crystal Stone," Huang Yi said, then turned his gaze to the stage below.

"One Holy Crystal Stone for the first time, the second time..." the auctioneer raised his hammer, announcing loudly.

The crowd was silent. Holy Crystal Stones were something that most players could hardly ever possess, and even if they did, they would keep them for themselves rather than trading them for something else.

"Bang!" In the end, the hammer fell, and the top-level rune was taken by Dugu Lengcang, just like at the last auction.

The auctioneer looked around at everyone and said, "With that, all the rune stones have been auctioned off. Next, we’ll start auctioning materials."

After that, Huang Yi didn’t pay much attention. He wasn’t a lifestyle player and didn’t need materials much.

He thought for a moment and sent a message to Dugu Lengcang: "Are you at the Tiantai City auction?"

"Huh? How did you know!" Dugu Lengcang replied quickly.

"I’m in the next seat to your right, just like last time," Huang Yi replied.

"Huh? Wait, that’s not right. Didn’t you just raise a bid? How come I didn’t recognize your voice?"

"I’ve gone through one evolution, so you wouldn’t be able to recognize it. I have an enemy here too. I know you have plenty of money, later on, help me block him," Huang Yi replied.

"No problem, I’m not short on gold coins, you can ask for as much as you need. But my Holy Crystal Stones are limited in quantity; I want to save them to see what the final auction item is. If it’s nothing good, then I can use the Holy Crystal Stones to help you block him."

"Just wait, I’ll go check out the final auction item for you." Huang Yi said, activating the Eye of Time to look at the upcoming auction items.

Next, apart from a batch of materials, there were sets of equipment, treasures.

The final showpiece was a palm-sized, flame-erupting, round metallic object, with no one sure what it actually was.

"Got it, the final auction item is a flame-erupting, round metallic object with a diameter of about 15 centimeters, but I don’t know what it does," Huang Yi briefly described the final auction item.

"You can find that out? How did you do it?" Dugu Lengcang was taken aback, then continued, "I don’t know what that thing is either. Later, when your enemy makes a move, let me know, and I’ll compete with him in bidding."

"Thanks!" With that, Huang Yi owed Dugu Lengcang another favor.

...

"That concludes the material auction. Next up, we will start bidding on a batch of equipment," said the auctioneer as he commenced the next phase, "This is a level 60 Orange Gear Chainmail Belt with the following attributes... The starting bid is 400,000 Gold Coins! Each increment must be no less than 50,000 Gold Coins!"

"Brother, this piece of equipment suits you!" Xiao Chunzi said at that moment.

"Right, I’ll bid for it." Saying this, Huang Yi began to bid.

After a round of bidding, Huang Yi won the Orange Gear Belt for 850,000 Gold Coins. His current gear, except for those Legendary Boots, was starting to fall behind his level, and it was time for an upgrade.

During the subsequent auction, Huang Yi also acquired a level 60 Orange Gear Chainmail Bracer, but was left with only 600,000 Gold Coins, probably not enough to win another equipment piece.

"Next up is a level 60 Orange Gear Chainmail Helmet, with the following attributes... The starting bid is 500,000 Gold Coins, and each increment must be no less than 50,000 Gold Coins!"

"500,000!" Soon, some Warrior-Type Class players joined the bidding.

"600,000!" Huang Yi shouted his bottom line directly, his last bit of money. If it went over this amount, he planned on bowing out.

"650,000!" The next moment, a bid shattered Huang Yi’s hope.

After a series of bids, the equipment piece stopped at an offer of 1 million.

"1 million for the first time!" the auctioneer started the countdown.

"Brother, aren’t you going for it?" Xiao Chunzi asked anxiously, frowning slightly, "It’s all my fault for not having money, otherwise I could have bid for you!"

"It’s okay, we must live within our means," Huang Yi reassured her, hugging her tightly.

"1 million for the second time!" the auctioneer initiated the second confirmation.

"1.5 million!" Just then, Dugu Lengcang, who had been quiet for a long time, suddenly announced a bid, echoing through the hall and instantly exceeding the original price by half.

Now, nobody could surpass that price, and in the end, Dugu Lengcang secured the piece of equipment for himself.

Afterward, Huang Yi received a message from Dugu Lengcang, "This one was bid on for you, if you run out of money just let me know."

The message was brief, but the forthright generosity within it was genuinely conveyed.

Huang Yi smiled faintly without saying much.

Next, various pieces of equipment were auctioned off, including Cloth Armor, Plate Armor, and Leather Armor, but Huang Yi didn’t bid on any.

"The equipment auction is now complete, next we will start auctioning treasures..." Finally, the auction reached its last round.

Huang Yi waited patiently. Up until now, he hadn’t seen Black Serpent make a move, and wondered what he could be up to.

Gradually, one treasure after another was sold, and the final highlight treasure grew nearer.

"Next up, is the last treasure of this auction, as well as the finale!" Finally, the auctioneer announced the moment that Huang Yi had been eagerly anticipating, stirring up the atmosphere in the room.

The auctioneer brought out a box, inside which lay a palm-sized round metal chunk, radiating flames. The temperature of the entire auction house seemed to rise a few degrees because of it.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, the auctioneer said, "This treasure was surrounded by a circle of Fire Dragon smoke when it was discovered, an extraordinary omen. It took Zi Wuya’s Adventure Group a great deal of effort to acquire it. But they have studied it for a long time without understanding what it is; our auction house appraisers have also been studying it for a long time to no avail. However, there’s no doubt it’s a powerful treasure."

This made the auction item seem rather mysterious. A treasure whose purpose is unknown is difficult to value; it might never reveal its effects and become as worthless as junk.

"This treasure will not be auctioned off for Gold Coins but for Holy Crystal Stones instead. The starting price is one Holy Crystal Stone, and each bid must increase by at least one Holy Crystal Stone," the auctioneer explained, turning his head to glance at Dugu Lengcang’s private box, as before he was the only one who had bid with Holy Crystal Stones.

"One Holy Crystal Stone." Just then, from within another private box, a sinister and hoarse voice sounded, reminiscent of a venomous snake.

Huang Yi’s heart skipped a beat—Black Serpent had finally made a move!

He had remained silent until now, choosing to speak only for this last item, clearly indicating he had learned through some channel that this treasure would be auctioned here and had come specifically for it.

Black Serpent must know about the treasure’s functions, which is why he was participating in the bidding. What exactly did he want to use this treasure for?

Huang Yi intently studied the fiery metal chunk on the stage, then lowered his head to ponder carefully. After a moment, his gaze inadvertently fell on the Legendary Boots on his feet, and a speculation suddenly emerged.

The Heart of the Sand Thief King was filled with Extreme Cold Power, which required Extreme Heat Power to Dispel, just as Huang Yi had used Lucifer’s Legs to dispel the Extreme Cold Power from the Heart of the Sand Thief King. And that treasure on the stage obviously had something to do with fire—was Black Serpent buying it with the intention of dealing with the Heart of the Sand Thief King?

The Sand Thief King was already trapped, having lost control over the Desolate Sands. The only one willing to seek vengeance for him was Guifu Heilang (Ghost Axe Black Wolf). Black Serpent had made no moves until now, but his sudden interest in purchasing such a flame-related treasure signaled a change of heart, wanting to betray the cause, discard the remaining Heart of the Sand Thief King, and then rise as the new ruler of the Desolate Sands.

At this thought, Huang Yi decided he had to obstruct Black Serpent. Although he had grievances with the Sand Thief King too, with the king trapped, those 98 hearts wouldn’t be difficult to deal with, essentially tantamount to a trove of Treasure awaiting his claim. Now Black Serpent wanted a share, something Huang Yi was not keen to see happen.

The next moment, Huang Yi sent a message to Dugu Lengcang, "That bidder just now is my enemy. Help me block him. Whatever Holy Crystal Stones are spent, I’ll repay you later."

"No need to return them. Consider it as if I’ve bought the treasure," Dugu Lengcang replied succinctly.

"One Holy Crystal Stone for the first time!" The auctioneer raised his gavel at this point, surveying the crowd and particularly lingering on Dugu Lengcang’s box.

"Two Holy Crystal Stones," Dugu Lengcang now stepped in.

"Hmph!" A cold snort came from Black Serpent’s box, resonating throughout the venue. Everyone seemed to feel his Rage, "Three Holy Crystal Stones!" His hoarse voice, filled with fury, echoed in the auction house.

"Four Holy Crystal Stones!" Dugu Lengcang, unafraid, continued to bid.

"Seeking death!" Black Serpent could no longer restrain himself, and with a burst of anger, was about to intervene!

"General Black Serpent, please afford me this courtesy. An auction is a fair competition; if you intervene by force, our auction house’s reputation will suffer," spoke an elderly voice suddenly throughout the venue. The voice had no discernible source; it wasn’t clear where it came from. But clearly, it belonged to a powerful guard of the auction house, responsible for maintaining order.

"Fine! I’ll give up," Black Serpent, seeming somewhat cautious of the voice, refrained from any further action.

The crowd was on edge, taking another look at the final auction item, unsure of what it actually was but aware that it had caused quite a commotion.

"Four Holy Crystal Stones for the first time!" The auctioneer then wiped the dense beads of sweat on his forehead, beginning the first confirmation.

The room fell silent; four Holy Crystal Stones was already an astronomical price!

"Four Holy Crystal Stones for the second time!"

"Four Holy Crystal Stones for the third time! Bang!"

Finally, the auctioneer’s hammer fell, declaring the treasure belonged to Dugu Lengcang.(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, we invite you to come to Starting Point (qidian.com) to cast your Recommendation Ticket and Monthly Tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile readers please visit m.qidian.com to read.)