From the fake emperor to the concubine

"The thousand-year-old Blood Spirit Mushroom that Master Zhou is planning to buy for fifteen million will probably cost about the same," Zheng Yi thought to himself.

The next few items were also precious elixirs and spiritual medicines, with prices ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions.

Then, it's time for today's main event—the incomplete Heavenly Origin Divine Skill scroll.

When the yellowed ancient book was carried onto the stage, the entire hall fell silent.

"The incomplete Heavenly Origin Divine Skill scroll, starting bid is ten million spirit stones, and each bid must be at least one million spirit stones higher." Sun He's voice rang out in the silence.

"Eleven million!" Bai Yutang of Baiyun Manor was the first to make a bid.

"Thirteen million!" the white-haired elder from Medicine King Valley also spoke up.

"Fifteen million!" the masked woman from Tianji Pavilion bid.

"Twenty million!" The young man in the golden robe from the Prince of Zhennan's mansion added five million in one go.

There was an uproar.

Twenty million spirit stones—this price is beyond the reach of most people.

But the auction was not over.

"Twenty-one million." Bai Yutang remained calm.

"Twenty-three million," the masked woman retorted, not to be outdone.

"Twenty-five million." The young man in the gold robe raised the bid again.

The three of them went back and forth, and the price kept rising, soon exceeding 30 million spirit stones.

Zheng Yi watched with his heart pounding.

Thirty million spirit stones—he couldn't earn that much money in a lifetime hunting demonic beasts. The extravagance of these people opened his eyes.

“Thirty-five million!” Bai Yutang’s voice finally carried a hint of tension.

“Thirty-eight million.” The masked woman remained calm.

"Forty million!" The young man in the golden robe made the final decision.

The entire room fell silent once again.

Forty million spirit stones—that's an astronomical figure. Even White Cloud Manor and Heavenly Mystery Pavilion probably couldn't come up with more money.

As expected, neither Bai Yutang nor the masked woman continued to bid.

"Forty million spirit stones, first time, second time, third time, sold!" Sun He struck the gavel.

The young man in the golden robe smiled slightly, a hint of smugness flashing in his eyes.

Zheng Yi noticed that Bai Yutang's expression was rather unpleasant, while the masked woman remained calm and composed, showing no emotion whatsoever.

"The Prince of Zhennan's Mansion is indeed incredibly wealthy," Master Zhou remarked from the side. "They didn't even blink an eye at forty million spirit stones; that's true power."

Zheng Yi nodded, gaining a deeper understanding of the strength of the Zhennan Prince's Mansion.

The auction continued, and several more valuable items were sold.

Zheng Yi observed quietly, memorizing the price of every bidder and every item in the auction.

This information is a valuable resource for him, and it will definitely come in handy when he enters the core area later.

In the afternoon, a minor incident occurred at the auction.

An item was brought to the stage for auction; it was an antique token with the character "镇" (zhen, meaning town) engraved on it.

“This is a ‘Zhenbei Order’,” Sun He explained. “With this order, one can move freely within the Zhenbei Army’s territory and also request their protection. This order is a token issued by the Zhenbei Army to meritorious officials and is extremely valuable.”

"The starting bid is three million spirit stones, and each bid must be at least three hundred thousand spirit stones higher."

"Three million three hundred thousand!" Zhao Tianxiong was the first to bid, his eyes gleaming with greed.

“Three million six hundred thousand,” Zhao Tieshan of the Zhenbei Army said coldly.

"Four million!" Zhao Tianxiong gritted his teeth and raised the price.

“Four and a half million,” Zhao Tieshan said calmly.

But just then, an unexpected voice rang out.

Five million.

All eyes turned to the direction from which the voice came, and they discovered that the person who made the bid was none other than Li Youming of the Netherworld Sect.

"What does the Netherworld Sect want the Zhenbei Token for?" someone whispered.

"Who knows? Maybe they want to establish a connection with the Zhenbei Army?"

Zhao Tieshan's expression turned serious.

The fact that the Zhenbei Token has fallen into the hands of the Youming Sect is not good news. The Youming Sect is an evil sect, and it has always been at odds with the Zhenbei Army. If they have the Zhenbei Token, who knows what kind of trouble they will cause.

"Five million five hundred thousand." Zhao Tieshan raised the price.

"Six million," Li Youming said coldly.

"Six and a half million." Zhao Tieshan gritted his teeth.

“Seven million.” Li Youming remained calm.

Zhao Tieshan's expression grew increasingly grim. Although he was the deputy general of the Zhenbei Army, his personal wealth was limited, and he couldn't afford to spend too much money on the auction.

“Seven and a half million,” he said with difficulty.

“Eight million.” Li Youming’s lips curled up slightly.

Zhao Tieshan remained silent.

Eight million spirit stones were beyond his means.

"Eight million spirit stones, the first time. The second time."

"Eight and a half million."

A new voice rang out, interrupting Sun He's countdown.

All eyes turned to the direction from which the voice came, and they discovered that the person who made the bid was actually the masked woman from the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion.

Li Youming's face darkened, and he looked coldly at the masked woman.

“Nine million,” he said.

"Nine and a half million." The masked woman remained calm.

"Ten million!" Li Youming gritted his teeth and said.

The masked woman remained silent for a moment, then shook her head.

"Ten million spirit stones, deal!" Sun He struck the gavel.

Li Youming snorted coldly, a smug smile on his face.

Zhao Tieshan's face was terribly gloomy, clearly indicating his extreme dissatisfaction with the outcome.

Zheng Yi witnessed this scene and secretly made a mental note of it.

The Netherworld Sect spent ten million to buy the Zhenbei Token; they must have some ulterior motive. This matter may cause quite a stir in the future.

The auction continued until evening.

The second day's auction was even more spectacular than the first, with total sales exceeding 80 million spirit stones.

Zheng Yi observed quietly from the side, his feelings growing deeper and deeper.

The power struggles among these major forces were far more intense than he had imagined. Behind every item up for auction lay a complex web of vested interests.

"Tomorrow is the last day," said Master Zhou. "The thousand-year-old Blood Spirit Mushroom will be auctioned off tomorrow; that's when the real show begins."

The next day.

Tianbao Pavilion was even more bustling than the previous two days, with the hall packed with people and even the VIP boxes completely full. Everyone knew that today's auction would feature some of the most precious treasures of the event, including the thousand-year-old Blood Spirit Mushroom.

Zheng Yi accompanied Master Zhou to Tianbao Pavilion early in the morning.

Mr. Zhou was unusually tense today, his smile somewhat stiff. He kept wiping the sweat from his brow, his gaze constantly scanning the hall, seemingly observing his other competitors.

“Master Zhou, don’t be too nervous,” Zheng Yi said. “With me here, nothing will happen.” “Young Master Zhang is right,” Master Zhou took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. “It’s just that this Blood Spirit Mushroom is too important to me, so I can’t help but be nervous.”

"Does the Blood Ganoderma have any special significance for Master Zhou?" Zheng Yi asked.

Master Zhou was silent for a moment, then said, "To be honest, I have a son who is twenty years old this year. He has been frail and sickly since childhood, with blocked meridians, making cultivation impossible. I have sought out renowned doctors and tried all sorts of elixirs, but to no avail."

"Later, Zhou learned by chance that the thousand-year-old Blood Spirit Mushroom could unblock meridians and rebuild one's foundation. If he could obtain this Blood Spirit Mushroom, Zhou's son would have a chance to recover and even begin cultivation."

After hearing this, Zheng Yi felt a greater sense of goodwill towards Master Zhou.

It turns out that he spent such a huge sum of money bidding for the Blood Spirit Mushroom not for himself, but to save his son. This fatherly love is truly touching.

"Don't worry, Master Zhou," Zheng Yi said. "As long as the Blood Spirit Mushroom is still at the auction, I will definitely help you get it."

"Thank you very much, Young Master Zhang," said Master Zhou gratefully.

The auction had already begun while the two were talking.

Sun He was still the auctioneer today. He stood on the stage, looked around, and had an excited smile on his face.

"Distinguished guests, today is the final and most spectacular day of the auction!" he announced loudly. "The treasures to be auctioned today are all top-quality items that Tianbao Pavilion has treasured for many years, guaranteed to satisfy you all. Without further ado, let's begin!"

The first item up for auction is a divine sword called "Frost," said to be the sword of an ancient sword immortal, incredibly sharp and capable of cutting through iron like mud.

"The starting bid is two million spirit stones, and each bid must be at least two hundred thousand spirit stones higher."

"Two million two hundred thousand!" Bai Yutang of Baiyun Manor was the first to make a bid.

"Two and a half million!" Zhao Tianxiong of the Ziyun Gang followed closely behind.

The two went back and forth, and the price quickly rose to five million spirit stones.

“Five and a half million!” Bai Yutang said.

"Six million." A new voice rang out.

All eyes turned to the direction from which the voice came, and they discovered that the person making the bid was a middle-aged man in a blue robe, with a refined appearance and extraordinary demeanor.

"That's Su Qingyun, the leader of the Qingyun Sword Sect," Master Zhou introduced in a low voice. "The Qingyun Sword Sect is the most famous sword sect in the Tianyuan Domain, renowned throughout the world for its swordsmanship."

Zheng Yi nodded and kept this information in mind.

Another major power.

"Six million five hundred thousand!" Bai Yutang raised the price.

"Seven million," Su Qingyun said calmly.

Bai Yutang frowned, seemingly hesitant.

"Seven and a half million." He finally raised the price.

“Eight million.” Su Qingyun remained calm.

Bai Yutang fell silent.

Eight million spirit stones was no small sum for him, and he also had other items he wanted to bid on today, so he couldn't spend all his money here.

"Eight million spirit stones, first time, second time, third time, sold!" Sun He struck the gavel.

Su Qingyun nodded slightly, her face expressionless.

The auction continues.

The next few items were all precious magical artifacts and elixirs, with prices ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions. Zheng Yi observed quietly, memorizing the names of each bidder.

Time ticked by, and the atmosphere in the hall grew increasingly tense.

Everyone knows that the Thousand-Year Blood Spirit Mushroom is about to make its appearance.

"The eighteenth item in the auction: a thousand-year-old blood-red Ganoderma lucidum!"

Sun He's voice finally rang out, and the entire venue immediately fell silent.

Two maids carried a crystal box onto the stage. Inside the box was a blood-red lingzhi mushroom, emitting a faint glow and fragrance. The lingzhi had a peculiar shape, resembling a blooming flower or a burning flame, beautiful and mysterious.

"The Thousand-Year Blood Spirit Mushroom can unblock meridians, rebuild one's foundation, and prolong life; it is one of the most precious spiritual herbs in the world," Sun He introduced. "The starting bid is five million spirit stones, and each bid must be at least five hundred thousand spirit stones higher."

"Five and a half million!"

Six million!

"Six and a half million!"

The price broke through seven million spirit stones in just a few breaths.

Master Zhou's expression turned serious. He had originally thought that five million spirit stones would be enough, and eight million would be the limit, but now it seemed that he had clearly underestimated the allure of this Blood Spirit Mushroom.

"Seven and a half million!" a voice rang out.

Zheng Yi looked in the direction of the voice and found that the person who made the bid was an old man with white hair from Medicine King Valley.

This was to be expected. Medicine King Valley is an alchemy sect with the greatest demand for spiritual herbs, so they naturally wouldn't let go of a rare treasure like the Thousand-Year Blood Spirit Mushroom.

“Eight million!” another voice rang out.

This time, the bidder was a young man in a golden robe from the Prince of Zhennan's mansion.

Master Zhou's face darkened further. The Prince of Zhennan's Mansion was incredibly wealthy; they had spent forty million yesterday to buy the incomplete Heavenly Origin Divine Skill scroll. If they were to compete with them today, their chances of winning would be slim.

"Eight million five hundred thousand." Old Master Zhou gritted his teeth and made the offer.

The young man in the golden robe glanced at Master Zhou, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.

"Nine million," he said calmly.

"Nine million five hundred thousand!" The old man from Medicine King Valley raised the price.

“Ten million.” The young man in the golden robe remained calm.

A gasp of surprise rippled through the hall. Ten million spirit stones—this price was beyond the reach of many.

Master Zhou's face had turned pale. The eight million spirit stones he had prepared were now clearly not enough.

"Master Zhou, shall we continue?" Zheng Yi asked in a low voice.

Master Zhou remained silent for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Continue! Even if it means going bankrupt, I, Zhou, will obtain this Blood Spirit Mushroom!"

“Ten million and five hundred thousand!” he shouted.

The young man in the golden robe raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised. He looked Master Zhou up and down, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

“Eleven million,” he said.

"11.5 million!" Mr. Zhou raised the price without hesitation.

The old man from Medicine King Valley shook his head and withdrew from the competition. The price was beyond his budget.

But the young man in the golden robe did not give up.

“Twelve million,” he said, a hint of arrogance in his voice.

Cold sweat beaded on Master Zhou's forehead. Twelve million spirit stones—that was all the money he could muster. If the price went up any further, he would truly be bankrupt.

"Master Zhou," Zheng Yi looked at Master Zhou, hesitating to speak.

Master Zhou took a deep breath, a resolute glint in his eyes.

“Twelve and a half million!” he shouted.

This time, his voice was a little hoarse, clearly indicating that he had reached his limit.

The young man in the golden robe looked at Master Zhou, a cold smile flashing in his eyes.

“Thirteen million,” he said, his voice unhurried, as if thirteen million spirit stones were nothing more than a drop in the ocean to him.

Master Zhou's face had turned deathly pale.

He really couldn't come up with thirteen million spirit stones.

"Master Zhou, let it go," Zheng Yi said in a low voice. "We can't risk our entire fortune for a single Ganoderma lucidum."

Master Zhou fell silent. (End of Chapter)