Ascension of The Unholy Immortal-Chapter 363: Penultimate item
The auction of the Imperial Essence Ascension Pill continued amidst the heightened excitement and rivalry between the experts.
"One billion and six hundred million!"
"One billion and eight hundred million!"
The bids kept escalating, surpassing imaginations. Many experts had reached their limits and dropped out of the competition. Only three bidders remained: the Martial Lord, Shi Tian, and an unknown expert from a private room on the third floor.
Eventually, it came down to a fierce duel between the Martial Lord and Shi Tian. With each bid, the tension in the auction hall intensified.
"Two billion!" Shi Tian announced.
The Martial Lord hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth and raising his bid. "Two billion and one hundred million!"
A hush fell over the crowd as they witnessed this intense rivalry unfold. The atmosphere in the auction hall had reached boiling point.
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Suddenly, the unknown expert from a private room on the second floor made a bold move. "Two billion and five hundred million!"
Silence descended once more as all eyes turned to the mysterious individual. Shi Tian’s expression darkened, and he narrowed his eyes towards the private room.
"Interesting," he muttered under his breath.
The Martial Lord was taken aback and his eyes flickered with a hint of disbelief. He had never thought that another expert would dare to intervene in his and Shi Tian’s bidding war. Strangely, he could not sense the mysterious individual or their true appearance.
"Two billion and six hundred million!" Shi Tian’s indifferent voice resounded through the hall, shattering the silence.
"Two billion and seven hundred million!" The unknown expert responded promptly, as if unconcerned about the amount they were spending.
"Two billion and eight hundred million!" The Martial Lord gritted his teeth and raised his bid.
The back-and-forth bidding between the two powerhouses kept the crowd on the edge of their seats. The price steadily climbed until it reached a staggering three billion spirit stones.
The auction hall erupted in chaos as the attendees witnessed such an extraordinary expenditure. Even Xia, the host of the auction, could not help but stare wide-eyed at the unfolding drama.
"Three billion once!" Xia announced with trembling hands.
"Three billion twice!"
The hall grew deathly silent as all eyes turned to Shi Tian and the Martial Lord, the only two individuals still in contention.
"Three billion... thrice!" Xia’s voice echoed through the silence.
"Three billion and one hundred million." An old voice unexpectedly interrupted, startling everyone present. It was none other than the Divine Alchemist, Elder Song.
Many experts regarded him with disbelief. Why would he, of all people, covet this pill?
"Old Man Song?" The Martial Lord’s expression darkened. Even this aging turtle now dared to challenge him?
"Elder Song, what is the meaning of this? Why do you want the Imperial Pill?" the Martial Lord voiced the question on everyone’s minds.
Elder Song looked at the Martial Lord with a helpless expression. "Don’t misunderstand me; I only wish to study the Imperial Pill," he replied, shaking his head. "Who knows? I might even achieve a breakthrough in my alchemical skills after examining it."
The Martial Lord stared intently at Elder Song, his eyes filled with suspicion and a hint of irritation. Despite harboring doubts, he could not outright accuse the elder alchemist of any malicious intentions. After all, Elder Song was renowned for his integrity and unwavering pursuit of alchemy.
Undeterred, Shi Tian raised his bid again. "Three billion and two hundred million."
Elder Song frowned slightly as Shi Tian persisted in driving up the price, but he remained steadfast in his pursuit of the Imperial Pill. "Three billion and three hundred million."
The fierce bidding war continued relentlessly. With each successive bid, the audience gasped in astonishment, their eyes glued to the three titans battling it out.
"Three billion and four hundred million!" Shi Tian countered again.
Elder Song’s brow furrowed, and he glanced at the Martial Lord, whose expression remained inscrutable. After a moment of contemplation, Elder Song raised his bid once more. "Three billion and five hundred million."
The Martial Lord had almost reached his financial limit and his patience, but he was determined not to let Shi Tian outmaneuver him. Gritting his teeth, he announced his bid, "Four billion!"
"Four billion once!" Xia announced eagerly.
"Four billion twice!"
The hall grew deathly silent as all eyes turned to Shi Tian, the expert in the second floor, Elder Song, and the Martial Lord.
"Four billion... thrice!" Xia’s voice echoed through the silence.
In a surprising turn of events, Shi Tian abruptly withdrew his bid, much to the astonishment of the crowd. Elder Song and the mysterious expert from the second floor followed suit, leaving the Martial Lord as the sole winner of the Imperial Essence Ascension Pill.
A collective gasp filled the auction hall as the Martial Lord emerged victorious from the intense bidding war. He had managed to secure the pill at a staggering price of four billion spirit stones.
Many experts could not help but wonder about Shi Tian’s sudden change of heart. Some speculated that he had simply reached his financial limit and could not compete any further.
Regardless of his reasons, Shi Tian’s withdrawal left the Martial Lord triumphant.
Xia regained her composure and announced, "Congratulations to the Martial Lord for acquiring the Imperial Essence Ascension Pill. This marks a historic day in the annals of our auction."
Despite his victory, the Martial Lord wore a somber expression, lost in his own thoughts.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are finally approaching the climax of this event—presenting the penultimate item," Xia announced softly, gesturing towards the screen.
"That’s it!" Mi Ling felt her heart race as her gaze locked onto the object displayed.
What they saw was an unusual eye, suspended within a crystalline sphere.
"Behold something truly extraordinary—an Eye obtained from the Abyssal Rift," Xia continued, her demeanor serious. "As you may know, the Abyssal Rift is a perilous region at the edge of our domain. It is not just teeming with bizarre creatures; it also possesses an incredibly potent corrosive effect. Even the body of a True Spirit at the Void Return Realm would disintegrate into dust without the protection of spiritual energy."
A murmur of agreement rippled through the crowd of experts. This fact was well established; few had dared to venture into the Abyssal Rift and come back unscathed. There were even whispers about a handful of late-stage Void Return Realm experts who had met their demise there.
"Although its origins are unknown, it was found within the crystalline substance that is oddly protecting it from the Abyssal Rift’s corrosive effects. Who knows, it might be the eye of a primordial entity or perhaps a fragment of a powerful cosmic being."
The experts present were intrigued and keenly interested in learning more about this enigmatic artifact, which seemed to defy the corrosive power of the Abyssal Rift. The Martial Lord glanced at it with an inscrutable expression.
Even Elder Song could not resist a glance at the Abyssal Eye.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Xia’s voice echoed through the hall, "the bidding shall begin at one billion crystals."