"There’s nothing we can do. Compared to the great clans, we Loose Cultivators are just too poor."

Many Loose Cultivators gritted their teeth, their hearts filled with resentment.

A price of two hundred million was extraordinary. The vast majority of Loose Cultivator Martial Artists couldn’t afford it. Only someone like Luo Min, a Tier Six Peak Martial Artist who was also the head of an established family, could join the bidding.

However, given Luo Min’s personality, it was clear she wouldn’t spend a fortune of two hundred million on a single Spiritual Treasure.

The ones still bidding were all heads of established families at Tier Six Peak, or disciples from the great clans and major powers. As for ordinary Tier Six Third Layer Martial Venerables, they had already lost the right to compete.

Two hundred million Profound Coins was no small sum.

But clearly, the price hadn’t hit its peak yet.

"Two hundred and ten million."

A cold, sharp voice came from the Zhou family’s private room.

"It’s that Zhou Qingyu."

The crowd was in an uproar, clicking their tongues in amazement. The Zhou family was truly a great clan. Zhou Qingyu had just spent one hundred fifty million on a piece of profound armor, yet he still had the financial power to bid on this Wind-Breaking Feather. This made many Loose Cultivators sigh in resignation.

"Two hundred and twenty million."

"Two hundred and thirty million."

Qin Yu and Yuan An also placed successive bids.

"Three hundred million."

Just then, a cool, detached voice rang out.

"It’s private room number seven."

"From the sound of that voice, it seems to be the empire’s Third Prince."

"The Third Prince actually joined the bidding too."

The auction hall was buzzing with excitement.

In the Zhou family’s private room.

Zhou Qingyu’s gaze sharpened.

’I didn’t expect the Third Prince to come to this auction and join the bidding. I’ve already spent so much. If I spend even more to buy the Wind-Breaking Feather, even if my father agrees, the clan elders will have objections.’

Although the Zhou family was a great clan, it had many disciples. Even though Zhou Qingyu was exceptionally talented, he couldn’t use the family’s resources without limit.

With this in mind, Zhou Qingyu reluctantly gave up on the Wind-Breaking Feather.

But Yuan An, it seemed, was unwilling to give up.

"Three hundred and ten million."

"Three hundred and fifty million."

The Third Prince called out coldly, directly raising the bid by forty million.

Yuan An hesitated for a moment. "Three hundred and sixty million."

"Four hundred million."

The Third Prince spoke again without the slightest hesitation.

Yuan An gave a bitter smile and reluctantly gave up bidding.

In the end, the Wind-Breaking Feather was won by the Third Prince for a price of four hundred million.

This was the highest price of the auction so far, leaving everyone dumbfounded.

"Hehe, the next item up for auction was also once owned by the Sky-Soaring Bandit. Furthermore, it is a secret manual that integrates a Cultivation Technique and martial skills into one..."

The green-robed elder deliberately left them in suspense.

A secret manual?

Another wave of excitement swept through the auction hall.

Compared to weapons and the like, secret manuals were far more sought-after by Martial Artists. Weapons could only enhance a Martial Artist’s strength externally, but a secret manual could improve it from the very foundation.

To give the simplest example, if the same Martial Artist cultivated a Mortal Grade Cultivation Technique versus an Earth Grade Cultivation Technique, the heights they could reach in the future would be completely different.

"The name of this secret manual is the Heaven-Burning Fire Skill. It is a Celestial Grade, middle-tier technique suitable for Fire Attribute Martial Artists to cultivate. It includes both the Cultivation Technique and a set of complementary martial skills. Once mastered, it grants the user world-destroying power."

"Furthermore, this Heaven-Burning Fire Skill has a very special origin. I’m sure any Martial Artists present from the Sky Empire, especially those from the Imperial Capital, will be familiar with it."

A faint smile appeared on the green-robed elder’s face.

WHOOSH.

The moment the name Heaven-Burning Fire Skill was announced, the entire auction hall instantly erupted as if a bomb had gone off.

"It’s actually the Heaven-Burning Fire Skill."

Even Luo Min and Luo Cheng were horrified, jumping to their feet with looks of shock.

"Does this Heaven-Burning Fire Skill have some special origin?" Ye Xuan wasn’t from the Sky Empire’s Imperial Capital, so he was baffled by everyone’s reaction.

Luo Min said excitedly, "Young Master Ye, you don’t know, but this Heaven-Burning Fire Skill is actually the Qin family’s ancestral Cultivation Technique."

Ye Xuan heard this and was nearly stunned. ’The Qin family’s ancestral Cultivation Technique?’

As if sensing Ye Xuan’s confusion, Luo Min quickly explained, "The reason the Qin family was able to become one of the four great clans back then was not just due to their powerful influence in the world of Pills, but also their formidable strength, which played a crucial role. In the empire, almost every great clan has an exclusive, clan-defining Cultivation Technique. The Qin family’s is the Heaven-Burning Fire Skill."

"Back then, when the Sky-Soaring Bandit ran rampant in the Imperial Capital, his main targets were the great clans. All of them suffered heavy losses. Among the losses, the Qin family’s clan-defining Cultivation Technique, the Heaven-Burning Fire Skill, was stolen by that Sky-Soaring Bandit. To think it would suddenly appear at an auction in the Imperial Capital today..."

At that same moment, the Qin family’s private room was in an uproar.

"Damn it, how could the Heaven-Burning Fire Skill appear here?"

The face of Qin Feng, the Patriarch of the Qin family who had arrived quietly, was dark and stormy.

For the magnificent Qin family’s clan-defining Cultivation Technique to be auctioned at the Imperial Capital’s annual auction... if word of this got out, it would be a colossal humiliation for the Qin family.

"Your Excellency, this Heaven-Burning Fire Skill is, as everyone knows, my Qin family’s clan-defining Cultivation Technique. It was stolen by the Sky-Soaring Bandit years ago. For the Heaven-Reaching Pavilion to openly auction it now seems... improper, does it not?"

From the private room, a majestic and domineering voice boomed, echoing throughout the auction hall, tinged with anger.

The terrifying aura was so oppressive that many Martial Artists present felt their hearts clench and their blood churn.

"That voice... is that Qin Feng, the Patriarch of the Qin family?"

"I’ve heard the Patriarch of the Qin family is a Tier Seven Martial King. Such pressure... truly terrifying."

"The Heaven-Reaching Pavilion actually dares to auction the Qin family’s clan-defining Cultivation Technique. No wonder Patriarch Qin Feng is furious."

Many Martial Artists in the auction hall broke into discussion.

"Haha, the Qin family’s Cultivation Technique is actually being auctioned off. This is delightful!"

Luo Min, however, laughed heartily, absolutely thrilled.

Facing Qin Feng’s accusation, the green-robed elder on the stage simply smiled faintly. "Patriarch Qin, you are mistaken. The Heaven-Reaching Pavilion acquired this Heaven-Burning Fire Skill at great cost. It is perfectly normal for us to auction it. If Patriarch Qin requires it, you are more than welcome to bid for it. As for anything else, there is no need to say more."

With the Heaven-Reaching Pavilion’s background, it was obvious they had no fear of the Qin family whatsoever.

The green-robed elder’s gaze swept over the crowd. "Everyone, after some fierce competition, this annual auction has now reached the finale items. Starting with the Heaven-Burning Fire Skill, all bids will only be accepted in Profound Stones, not Profound Coins. I hope you will all abide by the rules."

"The Heaven-Burning Fire Skill. Bidding starts at five thousand Lower Grade Profound Stones. Each increment must be no less than one hundred. Let the bidding begin."

The green-robed elder announced.

No one had any objections.

This was a long-standing rule. The finale items of the annual auction were always priceless treasures, so it was a requirement to bid for them with Profound Stones.

"Six thousand Lower Grade Profound Stones."

"Seven thousand Lower Grade Profound Stones."

"Ten thousand Lower Grade Profound Stones."

In the auction hall, the calls of bids were endless.

The Heaven-Burning Fire Skill was the clan-defining Cultivation Technique of the Qin family, one of the empire’s great clans. Its power was heaven-shaking and earth-shattering.

Any family that obtained it could, within a few decades, become at least a major established family, and might even have hopes of becoming a great clan in the future. Naturally, this made countless families’ eyes burn with envy.

A Cultivation Technique was different from a weapon. A weapon could only be used by a single Martial Artist, but a powerful secret manual could be cultivated by an entire family. Its value was immeasurable.

Thus, the bids soared, easily breaking past ten thousand Lower Grade Profound Stones.

Seeing this, a smile suddenly touched the corners of Ye Xuan’s lips.

"Twenty thousand Lower Grade Profound Stones."

From the Qin family’s Celestial Level private room, Qin Feng’s icy voice rang out, instantly adding ten thousand Lower Grade Profound Stones to the bid.

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Everyone knew the Qin family had made its move.

The Heaven-Burning Fire Skill was the Qin family’s clan-defining Cultivation Technique. The Qin family would absolutely not allow such a technique to fall into outside hands.

Some of the people below who had wanted to compete weighed their options, and most of them gave up.

The Qin family was one of the four great clans of the empire, a transcendent power within it.

Ordinary families were completely unwilling to offend a colossal power like the Qin family, to say nothing of the Loose Cultivators.

The Cultivation Technique was good, but one had to be alive to use it.

For a moment, the auction hall actually fell somewhat silent.

"Twenty-one thousand Lower Grade Profound Stones."

"Twenty-two thousand Lower Grade Profound Stones."

But there were a few major powers who were not afraid of the Qin family’s background. Even Qu Aoyun, the Patriarch of the Qu family, was among them.

"Thirty thousand Lower Grade Profound Stones."

In the Qin family’s Celestial Level private room, Qin Feng immediately raised the bid by another ten thousand Lower Grade Profound Stones.

"Everyone, do me, Qin Feng, a favor. This old man will never allow the Heaven-Burning Fire Skill to fall into outside hands. My Qin family will win it, no matter the cost. Anyone who continues to bid will be making an enemy of my Qin family. You will have to bear the consequences yourselves."

The voice that spoke was as cold as ice.

The auction hall fell silent once again.

Qin Feng’s words were devoid of any emotion, but even a fool could understand that the Qin family was determined to get this secret manual.

Most of those who had wanted to compete now hesitated.

Many of them had only wanted to annoy the Qin family, not start an all-out war. But with Qin Feng’s declaration, if they continued to bid, it would be an open act of defiance. Given the Qin family’s temperament, they would absolutely not let the matter rest after the auction.

On the auction stage, the green-robed elder’s face darkened and his brow furrowed, but in the end, he didn’t say anything.

Just as it seemed no one else would bid, a loud, clear voice suddenly echoed through the auction hall.

"What’s going on with this Heaven-Reaching Pavilion’s annual auction? Why is everyone asking for ’face’? Are we here to bid, or to give people face?"

Ye Xuan curled his lip, speaking with a speechless expression, "That Wind-Breaking Feather just sold for four hundred million Profound Coins, yet this Heaven-Burning Fire Skill, a Celestial Grade, middle-tier technique that’s so much stronger, has no takers at thirty thousand Lower Grade Profound Stones? If that’s the case, then my Luo family bids thirty thousand and one hundred. I’ll ask you all to give me, Xuan Ye, some face as well."

Ye Xuan’s carefree voice, tinged with mockery, rang through the auction hall.

Everyone froze, staring in utter shock at private room number twenty-one, where Ye Xuan was.

"It’s that kid again? Has the Luo family gone completely insane?"