Chapter 83: The Auction (Part Seven)

Dao Sansheng had just opened the scroll when it vanished instantly, leaving him dumbfounded. The item he had spent four hundred thousand mid-grade spirit stones on was simply gone. A flash of light swept across his sea of consciousness; the scroll soared above the land within it. The Soul Disc was sitting by the riverbank, washing its feet, when the sky darkened. The once-bright heavens were obscured by something that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

That object hung in the air, growing ever larger, until it nearly burst the entire sea of consciousness; even the little island and the waters were swallowed up. Yet Dao Sansheng felt nothing, as if his sea of consciousness had been severed from his body, becoming something else, another realm entirely.

The scroll was gone, so Dao Sansheng took up the bottle of Foundation Establishment Pills—ten in all, he gave two to each companion and kept four for himself.

“Now, we present the highlight of today’s auction, the item everyone has been eagerly awaiting!” Linna deliberately raised her voice, amplifying her tone as if afraid the crowd might not hear.

“We’ll reveal the treasure momentarily, but first, let’s have a little guessing game. If anyone can guess what today’s final item is, they’ll receive a magnificent reward—a bottle of Soul Gathering Pills crafted by Master Wang.”

Her words ignited the hall; excitement surged among the crowd. Earlier, just one pill had fetched one hundred thousand top-grade spirit stones, and these were Master Wang’s own concoctions, raising the chance of breaking through bottlenecks by thirty percent. In the open market, thirty thousand top-grade stones per bottle would be considered reasonable.

“I want to guess! I want to guess!” voices echoed.

While the second and third floor private rooms remained calm, the main hall below was a cacophony, voices booming until throats were hoarse.

Linna picked up the microphone and gestured for silence, her face adorned with a smile.

“I knew it wouldn’t be that easy. What are the rules?” A young man near the auction stage stood up, waving something in his hand and shouting loudly.

“Of course there are rules. With so many people here, we must ensure fairness. We’ll play a game—ten individuals will come up; if no one guesses correctly, those ten will draw lots, and the winner will share the prize. If you wish to join, come up now.”

No sooner had the rules been explained than ten people rushed forward, forming a neat line behind Linna.

“You may write your guesses now. We’ll collect them shortly. Think carefully—most of you have probably never seen anything like this.”

Dao Sansheng took a jade tablet, wrote his name and a single phrase: “You are a pig.” He smiled and placed it beneath the number plate outside his private room.

The entries were collected. “Now, let’s unveil today’s grand treasure—a talisman. But this is no ordinary talisman; perhaps none of you could have guessed it. This is an item that can open a portal to another realm, a talisman from the Upper World. It is the most powerful talisman on this continent—none here can compare.”

Linna brushed her hair aside and, seeing the crowd’s lack of enthusiasm, paused before continuing, “This talisman is appearing for the first time. You may not know its purpose, but once you do, I believe you will be amazed. It can open the gate to the Upper World, allowing one to ascend without enduring the heavenly tribulation. Do you understand now?”

“What? You can ascend directly? Even my newborn could ascend!” cried a young woman.

“Yes,” Linna replied.

The girl below ripped off her mask and screamed, her eyes burning with anticipation to see the treasure.

The main hall erupted again; everyone was abuzz. Even the upstairs rooms became lively as elders from various sects sent transmission talismans to their factions. Dao Sansheng could only marvel at the commotion.

In the third-floor private room, Lin Zhi watched, nodding in satisfaction. “That scrap from the Upper World turned into a treasure here. Breaking through realms is trivial for this thing—who knows where it might send its user? Perhaps straight into a wolf’s den. As long as I pocket the money, I care little.”

The black-robed Nascent Soul cultivator who had appeared earlier personally carried a tray with a wooden box atop it—the box presumably contained the legendary ascension talisman.

The black-robed man walked slowly to Linna’s side. Linna took the box but set it down again.

“We haven’t finished the game yet. None of you guessed correctly, so now it’s time for the drawing. Let’s see what each jade tablet says.”

A man reached into the pile of jade tablets placed on a formation that blocked spiritual sense, ensuring fairness.

Soon, all ten had drawn, lining up beside the black-robed man. Two more black-robed Nascent Soul cultivators appeared.

“Just read them aloud,” Linna explained, smiling as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

A short, green-robed middle-aged man picked up his jade tablet and looked at it. His hands trembled, the tablet shaking as well.

“Don’t be nervous, read it boldly. It doesn’t matter what’s written,” Linna encouraged him, making a fist in a gesture of support.

“You... it says: You are a pig,” he read.

The hall fell silent. The middle-aged man was so close to Linna he could hear her heartbeat.

“I... I... I am a pig,” Linna said loudly, her voice ringing out as laughter exploded throughout the hall, drowning her out.

Her entire face flushed crimson; hearing the laughter around her, she wished she could vanish into the earth. But the auction was not over; she had to finish hosting.

“I’ve said it. You can read it now,” she whispered to the man, not daring to meet his eyes, staring at the floor.

“Say, I am a pig,” the man repeated, his face pale, his voice trembling.

The hall erupted once more in laughter, waves of mirth rolling through the crowd.

Linna strode over and snatched the jade tablet from the green-robed man, seeing clearly the four characters: “Say, you are a pig,” and below, the name Dao Sansheng, along with the private room number.

In the second-floor private room, several people doubled over with laughter, clutching their stomachs, while Linna fixed her gaze on Dao Sansheng’s room, her eyes blazing.

Those in the hall who could barely control their laughter saw Linna’s glare locked on the room of Zi Chenyu. In that instant, everyone understood: aside from that notorious spendthrift, who else would play such a childish prank?