Chapter 4831 — Fierce Bidding
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
He had prepared several other lots, but this set of Nurturing-Infant Golden Elixirs was the one he valued most. In his calculations, even if it failed to reach three million, it should have fetched at least two and a half million; instead, Box Four's sudden intervention had lopped a full five hundred thousand off the price, leaving him on the verge of tears.
"It's fine, it's fine—two million is still a rare and rousing opening success. Counting the other lots, the total should reach at least five million, enough to crush the other guilds!" Steward Hao could only console himself thus.
And indeed it went as he expected. The next five lots all came from the Grand Metropolis of the Nobles. Though none caused the sensation of ten superior-grade Nurturing-Infant Golden Elixirs, not one was common goods, and together they brought in a colossal five million three hundred thousand—his projected target reached at last, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the next lot comes from the Wantong Grand Gathering: a single seventh-grade Great Restoration Elixir, starting at one million two hundred thousand spirit jade!" the white-bearded elder announced.
A gasp of amazement swept the hall, and even Wei Zhao, who until then had shown no reaction, let out a faint sound of surprise.
As an alchemist, Wei Zhao of course knew the seventh-grade Great Restoration Elixir. It was among the rarer of all seventh-grade pills, capable of restoring, within a short time, the injuries and true qi of a formidable cultivator at the Mystic Ascension stage. Back when Leng Rufeng had fought him for half a month on end, he had taken one—without it, he could never have held out.
Wei Zhao had merely been mildly surprised; in Box Twelve, Steward Hao's eyes nearly started from his head. He had been quite sure his ten superior-grade Nurturing-Infant Golden Elixirs were a rare and formidable stroke, never imagining that the Wantong Grand Gathering would quietly produce a seventh-grade Great Restoration Elixir!
A sense of profound foreboding rose in Steward Hao's heart. There was only one, true—but to a Mystic Ascension cultivator, this seventh-grade Great Restoration Elixir was nothing less than a second life, far more alluring than his Nurturing-Infant Golden Elixirs. And looking over the whole hall, it was precisely those Mystic Ascension experts in the VIP boxes who were the true moneyed mainstay of the bidding!
"Two million!" Box Six's opening bid chilled Steward Hao to the bone—by the heavens, that already matched the final price of ten Nurturing-Infant Golden Elixirs.
"Two million three hundred thousand!" Box Four again.
"Two million five hundred thousand!" This time, however, Box Six had no intention of backing down; on the contrary, it looked determined to win.
"Three million!" Box Four bid once more.
The whole hall stared in unison, struck dumb with awe. Even for a seventh-grade Great Restoration Elixir, three million spirit jade was an out-and-out astronomical sum. Just who was sitting in Box Four, to be so utterly indifferent to spirit jade?!
"Three million one hundred thousand," Box Six said after a moment's hesitation.
"Three million five hundred thousand." Box Four immediately raised the stakes by a wide margin. Now not only was the crowd stunned into silence—Box Six had lost its temper as well. In the end this seventh-grade Great Restoration Elixir, like the ten Nurturing-Infant Golden Elixirs before it, fell into the hands of Box Four.
Box Four truly was a big spender! Wei Zhao shook his head with a wry smile. Though it had bid only twice from start to finish, both bids had been lavish strokes; the others were not even in the same league. It seemed that from here on, whatever Box Four set its sights on, the rest would find it hard to compete. (To be continued.)