The Journey of Immortal Cultivation

Chapter 1060 - 579: Sky-High Price = Shady Deal

"This Peach is indeed delicious. Is it the legendary Western Peach?... Hmm, these three rings, I’ll offer fifty-five thousand Spirit Stones."

On the Black Stone Plate in Private Room 732, "fifty-five thousand Spirit Stones" immediately lit up in red light.

She saw clearly that once the price exceeded fifty thousand Spirit Stones, only five bidders remained.

The real show starts now.

Private Room 211 didn’t hesitate to follow with a bid of sixty thousand Spirit Stones.

She continued, "Bid, sixty-five thousand."

The opponent continued to follow, "Seventy-five thousand."

Ning Xiaoxian smiled and remained silent.

"The Storage Rings are currently being auctioned at seventy-five thousand Spirit Stones! The three rings with a combined capacity of thirty thousand pounds ensure you’ll never worry about having nowhere to store your belongings again! Are there any guests willing to bid higher?" The auctioneer on the stage was invigorated. Originally, he thought reaching fifty thousand would be good enough, but now the price had surpassed seventy thousand. The better the items sell, the more commission he earns, so his voice was full of enthusiasm.

She almost burst into laughter; the auctioneer’s lines were quite comical.

The auctioneer on stage shouted twice, then began counting down. When he reached "three," a sign lit up from a private room, and his eyes brightened. He loudly declared, "Private Room 927, bids ninety thousand Spirit Stones! Ninety thousand Spirit Stones! Is there a higher bid?"

Private Room 211 seemed very angry and as soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, they boldly raised the bid to one hundred thirty thousand. This was the same strategy Ning Xiaoxian had used the previous day to win the Dragon Piercing Halberd, aiming to scare off competitors with a sudden high price.

Unfortunately, the opponent didn’t fall for it.

Outside Private Room 927, the Black Stone Plate flashed, "One hundred thirty-five thousand Spirit Stones!"

This price already exceeded the original value of the three rings by more than double.

...

Elder Qi’s Quiet Room.

Elder Qi was resting with closed eyes, regulating his breathing. Although he often mingled with the Red Dust, he was still a cultivator; cultivation was fundamental, and earning Spirit Stones shouldn’t come at the expense of his own progression. All elders had to attend during the Bai Yujing sale event to handle any significant situation that might arise.

Suddenly, urgent footsteps approached outside the door, and he frowned slightly. Indeed, the next second, there was a knock, and the anxious voice of a maid was heard, "Elder, Elder!"

"Come in!" he said with displeasure. As the maid entered and stood obediently, he continued, "Good-for-nothing, how many times have I told you that the Heavenly Residence maids should not be so flustered while attending!"

His authority was imposing; with his intense glare, the maid froze, then spoke softly, "Little Four asked me to quickly report to the elder, that the price for the three Storage Rings has already been raised to one hundred seventy thousand Spirit Stones!"

What? Elder Qi’s eyes went wide with anger, "Say it again!"

The maid’s legs trembled fearfully as she swallowed, saying, "Before I came over, the price for the three Storage Rings had been raised to... one hundred seventy thousand Spirit Stones."

"Impossible, those rings wouldn’t be worth more than sixty thousand!" Elder Qi could no longer sit still, pacing back and forth, suddenly stopping in thought, "Could it be that she discovered? Such a hidden matter, how could it be possible?"

He asked in a deep voice, "Is it Room 732’s top bid?"

"Room 732 bid once and then stopped, the subsequent prices were led by Room 927," the maid replied.

Elder Qi stood still, "Room 927? Isn’t it her? But who else would know about this besides me and her?"

As an experienced business player, the term "third party" flashed across his mind, sparking realization, "Indeed, indeed, there is a third party involved! Damn Bian Jingshan! Are you and Ning Xiaoxian teaming up against me, aren’t you?"

The room that had felt so tranquil before now only felt irritating. Elder Qi could no longer stay idle and stepped out, saying, "Follow me to take a look!"

...

In the auction hall, the price of the three rings has been bid up to 2,350,000 Spirit Stones!

This price for storage containers is indisputably a sky-high price, easily breaking the highest record for such auction items over the years. As a result, not only the spectators on the eleventh floor but also the VIPs on other floors have turned their attention here.

For an item to suddenly sell for four or five times its original price, and with the adoption of a fully enclosed auction method here, excluding any element of rivalry, the greatest possibility is that there might be some intrigue involved.

When Elder Qi arrived at private room No. 211 to watch, the auctioneer had just announced a price of 2,950,000 Spirit Stones. This number, like a boulder, smashed down on his heart, and despite his self-confidence in his cultivation, he suddenly felt a moment of blackout. What’s more crucial is that this price wasn’t offered by his subordinate Little Four, nor by the so-called No. 927 room, but was raised by a VIP from another room.

Undoubtedly, the abnormal auction of the Storage Ring has piqued many people’s interest, prompting them to jump into this competition. Most of these people hold the mindset: since there’s intrigue and benefits, why not buy it to see what’s going on? Maybe I’ll make a huge profit!

If they buy these rings, perhaps they really could make a huge profit.

Ning Xiaoxian sat on a soft couch, observing the auction from start to finish, and couldn’t help but exclaim: "There are truly many rich people in the Central Capital, able to casually throw over two million Spirit Stones just for their interest to hear the sound of money! Extravagant, truly extravagant! Wasteful, truly wasteful!"

This occurrence was quite unexpected for Ning Xiaoxian. She initially thought that as the auction progressed, only Elder Bian’s and Elder Qi’s subordinates would remain in a lonely price raise, unaware that there would be so many people who fear the world won’t be chaotic entering the scene to cause trouble.

Hehe, let it be chaotic, the more chaotic the better. She beamed with delight.

The servant stood quietly beside her, not even lifting his head, but silently muttering to himself: "Granny, you’ve been squandering wealth like dirt for the past three days, buying all sorts of messy ores, isn’t that also wastefulness?"

Time passed amidst her cold observation, Steward Wu’s anticipation, and Elder Qi’s enduring as if the days were years for two quarters.

At this time, the price of these three rings has risen to 3,800,000 Spirit Stones!

Little Four, who is also an experienced auctioneer himself, intentionally delayed bidding until the auctioneer started the countdown before shouting out the price. This was partly to allow Elder Qi to make a decision and partly to apply psychological pressure on the opponent. This approach was no different from what Ning Xiaoxian originally adopted, aiming to make the opponent feel like she might abandon at any time, leaving them stuck with an overpriced bid.

He ultimately didn’t understand the importance of these rings to Elder Qi, otherwise, he would know that no matter what, Elder Qi must obtain them!

By now, the big players with purely experimental interest have already withdrawn from this auction. After all, no matter how extravagant one is, there is a limit, and spending over 3,000,000 Spirit Stones for these rings has exceeded their interest tolerance.

However, the atmosphere on site was completely ignited. The central hall on the eleventh floor was buzzing with chatter, and Ning Xiaoxian could imagine the VIPs on other floors watching this spectacle with great enthusiasm. To know, the precious "Mixed Element Silk Robe" sold on the first day of the auction only fetched 3,700,000 Spirit Stones. How could these three broken rings surpass that?

Elder Qi sat in the private room No. 211, his hand trembling slightly as he stroked his mustache. This matter had escalated to such a degree, likely attracting attention from other elders at the Heavenly Residence, making it inevitable for these rings to be investigated for any special attributes after the auction. Though confident in concealing the fact he had "borrowed" the rings, it doesn’t mean he enjoys having his actions scrutinized. Minds harboring guilt often experience such sentiments.

Watching the auction hall often fall into silence, with only Little Four and the 927 room interchanging bids, Elder Qi knew this matter couldn’t end well. He suppressed his raging anger, gritting his teeth as he stood up, and before leaving, said hoarsely, "Bring Juan Niang over, let her see what good deed she has done!"

#####

"Amazing, it’s already reached 4,120,000." Ning Xiaoxian rested her chin on her hand, lazily yawning. Beside her, Steward Wu could not stop smiling.

Sitting in room 927 are indeed Elder Bian’s subordinates. She guessed perhaps Elder Bian himself was also there.

By now, this auction has little to do with her; what’s left is the rivalry between these adversaries, Elder Bian and Elder Qi. She casually watched the drama unfold, feeling utterly relaxed.

At this moment, there was a light knock on the door. The servant went to answer, then returned to softly inform Ning Xiaoxian, "Elder Qi from the elder council has arrived."

"Oh?" She suddenly became spirited, sat upright, and said, "Please let him in."

Elder Qi entered, sweeping his gaze over her and Steward Wu, his countenance somewhat stiff but quickly smoothing into a smile, "Elder Ning!"

"The esteemed Elder Qi personally attending, it’s an honor." She replied smilingly; indeed, he should have come.

This place isn’t her home, "honor" referring to Room Bai Yujing’s private chamber? She’s being truly brazen. Elder Qi muttered to himself silently and coldly addressed the servant standing aside, "Leave!" Then, turning back, his demeanor transformed into the warmth of a spring breeze, "Elder Ning, I’ll be straightforward. Could you please be magnanimous with the three rings currently being auctioned?" His tone was surprisingly sincere.

This old fox, not simple. Following his words, Ning Xiaoxian immediately regarded him differently. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)