“0500!”
“0600!”
……
The price for the Wen Lei Arrow crept up in almost imperceptible increments; it seemed few people truly desired them.
“Alright, eleven pieces each. Does anyone else wish to raise the bid?” Abellett’s voice echoed through the auction hall via specialized transmission devices.
“Boom…” A massive crystal stone before him suddenly flared to life, displaying a set of numbers: “12000!”
Given the sheer number of people packed into the ten-thousand-seat hall, shouting bids would only descend into chaos. Thus, every seat was equipped with a special device linked to the central crystal display. Once a person stated their offer into the device, the crystal would instantly show the bid. The crystal could display prices or even the quantity of goods, as the auction house could accept inventory as collateral if ready cash was unavailable.
Abellett called out three more times, confirming no one would raise the price further before slamming down his gavel. The winning bid of 12,000 had, of course, come from Chen Feng.
Nearly everyone present at Dimu had come solely for the Perfect Crystals; consequently, they paid little attention to these preliminary appetizers.
Eleven items were auctioned off in the blink of an eye. Among them, Chen Feng had only purchased those few Wen Lei Arrows. The others, though peculiar, did not capture his discerning gaze.
“The twelfth item is exceptionally precious, something our auction house has never before offered,” Abellett announced, pausing to survey the crowd. He continued in a slow, deliberate tone: “It is… Perfect Crystals. Fifty Perfect Crystals!”
His words instantly sent a ripple of shock through the assembly. Selling fifty Perfect Crystals all at once—this was truly an unprecedented move!
“They are selling all fifty to the bidders? Doesn’t the Parson Auction House care about offending me?” Chen Feng wondered inwardly. It was common practice for auction houses to acquire clients’ items and then resell them under the house’s banner. However, this move was akin to killing the goose that laid the golden eggs; it was certain to alienate a customer. The resale price would undoubtedly skyrocket. While the house gained a short-term profit, they sacrificed the possibility of future collaboration with the client. Since Chen Feng had already announced his intention to sell a thousand Perfect Crystals, the auction house’s actions seemed utterly illogical to him.
On the central stage, five young women stood, each holding a golden tray draped with red cloth. Abellett suddenly whisked the coverings away, and dozens of dazzling rays immediately captivated everyone’s attention! Each tray held exactly ten Perfect Crystals, their brilliance almost blinding.
“The starting bid for one Perfect Crystal is… Six hundred million!” His face was flushed crimson as he roared the amount.
Chen Feng sighed upon hearing this price. It seemed the auction house was indeed determined to profit; they were turning a quick fifty million in profit just on the markup, and that was only the starting bid!
“611 billion!”
“63 billion!”
“66 billion!”
……
The moment the Perfect Crystals appeared, the price began to soar. Chen Feng hadn't anticipated such fervor. Before long, the bidding had already surpassed the seven-hundred-million mark, meaning Chen Feng had lost fifteen million in mere moments!
Finally, the price settled at 7.3 billion. To pay that much for fifty crystals meant an average of 146 million per piece—a truly astronomical sum. Hearing this, Chen Feng felt no anger. Merchants existed to fleece people; otherwise, how would they make money? It was just like the scalpers at a train station demanding 200 yuan for a 100-yuan ticket. Everyone knew they were profiteering, yet many still bought. If there were no profit to be made, they wouldn't be merchants; they would be saints! And even saints don't offer benevolence for free; they earn incense and faith!
Once the Perfect Crystals auction concluded, the hall erupted in louder chatter, as everyone was curious to know who had secured the coveted stones.
The auction house had offered twelve items in total, and they were all now sold. Just as everyone prepared to leave, Abellett, standing center stage, called out once more.
“Wait! Before you go, someone has consigned an item for sale—an item far rarer and more precious than the Perfect Crystals!” he exclaimed, his voice ringing with excitement.
The crowd stopped moving. Those who had failed to win the crystals suddenly had their eyes shining with renewed curiosity. What could possibly be more valuable than a Perfect Crystal?
Chen Feng’s member gold card indicated only twelve items were slated for auction, so he knew this was an unscheduled addition.
“You may find it hard to believe what this item is, but I will now announce the thirteenth item being auctioned at the Parson Auction House tonight… It is the Gate of Nature!” Abellett announced, visibly thrilled.
“The Gate of Nature?” Everyone gasped. This news was perhaps even more astonishing than the announcement of the Perfect Crystals. The Gate of Nature was a spatial portal left by the God of Justice, capable of long-distance teleportation, usually controlled exclusively by religious orders. To see it appear on the open market was shocking.
Chen Feng’s heart skipped a beat at the name. If he possessed a Gate of Nature, he wouldn't have to make the tedious journey back to the church; he could teleport freely wherever he wished.
“The Gate of Nature is the ultimate conduit for long-distance travel. They come in pairs. Establish one here, and another at your desired destination, and you can achieve unrestricted, rapid transit between the two locations! This magnificent device was personally forged by Lord Yufengmen of the Nether Saints using vast quantities of rare ores, and its effects are unparalleled. The starting bid… is eight hundred million!” Abellett stated.
“Yufengmen? What a strange name!” Chen Feng thought. “And a starting bid of 800 million is truly steep!”
“900 million!” A light flashed on the central crystal stone. Someone had immediately jumped the bid by a hundred million, clearly determined to acquire the Gate of Nature.
“910 million!”
“1 billion!”
“1.2 billion!”
……
The price soared rapidly, quickly climbing past 1.5 billion. The competition here was even fiercer than for the fifty Perfect Crystals. While Perfect Crystals were hard to synthesize, it was achievable. But the Gate of Nature had always been monopolized by the Church, making an auction impossible until now. Many bidders had resolved to win at any cost, carrying ample funds and prepared to raise their bids as long as they weren't bankrupted.
Finally, the ascent began to slow after hitting 2 billion. The numbers showed that the bidding was clearly alternating between two individuals or two powerful factions.
“2.3 billion! Does anyone dare bid higher than this price?” Abellett was beside himself with excitement. This was likely the highest price ever commanded for an item he had auctioned, shattering most people’s psychological limits.
2.3 billion—nearly triple the starting price!
“Is there anyone who will bid higher than this? Three… two…” Just as Abellett was about to shout “One,” the crystal before him flashed, revealing a line of text.
“Three hundred… Perfect Crystals!”
A hush fell over the entire auction house. Everyone rubbed their eyes, hoping they had misread the display. Three hundred Perfect Crystals? How could anyone possess that many? Based on the previous sale price, 300 *Perfect Crystals