My father is the main character, but the female leads want to kill me.

Lin Ran shrugged and laughed, "What's so surprising about that? It would be strange if they didn't come. Putting such a treasure up for auction, those people from the Medicine King Sect have really got their hands on something."

After all, if you can't handle such a hot potato, it's better to throw it away and get something else in return.

This time, the Medicine King Sect's auction house was expanded, creating an inner and outer arena. The outer arena was for watching the excitement, while the inner arena was a place where a large group of powerful forces competed for bids.

After all, if you don't have the strength and capital to participate in such a high-end auction, and you still bid wildly at the auction, wouldn't that be disrupting the auction? What about the reputation of the Medicine King Sect?

Therefore, those who can enter Luofeng Pavilion have actually obtained a ticket to enter the inner area of ​​the auction house in advance, which also makes it easier for the Medicine King Sect to filter out those who do not meet the requirements.

When Lin Ran and her companion arrived near the auction venue, they saw that the outer area was completely surrounded by people, prompting Lin Ran to exclaim, "Wow, there are so many onlookers!"

Wen Qianyi, who understood the meaning of the word, also said softly from the side, "After all, this is a once-in-a-century event, and everyone wants to come and witness it, to be a witness to history."

The two walked through the dense crowd and arrived near the side entrance of the auction house.

Here, elders from the Medicine King Sect led their guards in a tight security perimeter. They stood upright, holding long spears that gleamed with a sharp, cold light. Their imposing presence made it impossible for anyone to approach this side gate area.

This is the passage to the inner area. A few days ago, the Medicine King Sect specifically informed the people of Falling Maple Pavilion that they could enter by showing their waist tokens.

Many famous people or unknown individuals who keep their faces hidden, when they enter through this side door, can attract whispers and murmurs from those around them, but what they say is mostly envy and hidden jealousy.

"The group that just went in were from the Corpse God Sect!"

"The pale-faced man leading the group seems to be Youmingzi, the sect leader of the Corpse God Sect."

"He smells awful!"

"Be careful, that should be corpse energy. If we inhale too much, we'll get corpse poison in our bodies."

When the group of people a little ahead of Lin Ran entered the auction hall, many people dared to whisper among themselves.

From the conversations of those around her, Lin Ran gleaned some information about the Corpse God Sect. She couldn't help but send a telepathic message to Wen Qianyi, saying, "It seems we've found out who's about to 'die'."

"Senior, don't you know your puns are really lame?" Wen Qianyi said with a smile. She didn't know why her senior could always say something that made people burst into laughter out of nowhere.

When Lin Ran and his companion arrived, Elder Yan took the waist token Lin Ran handed over and examined it. He paused for a moment, then asked, "Is this Mr. Cao?"

"Oh, what's wrong?"

Lin Ran replied indifferently, not understanding what this greasy, chubby middle-aged man wanted to do. If the other party was looking for trouble, he wouldn't mind disciplining him on behalf of the Medicine King Sect.

Sensing the murderous aura, Elder Yan quickly and respectfully handed the waist token back to Lin Ran with both hands, saying, "We were just confirming Mr. Cao's identity. Mr. Cao, you may enter!"

"Well, thank you very much."

Lin Ran casually said something and led Wen Qianyi through the passage into the inner area. Elder Yan breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the two figures. He was only at the Spirit Core Realm, and as soon as he spoke, the other party's powerful aura immediately locked onto him, making the circulation of spiritual energy in his body sluggish.

Elder Yan wiped the sweat from his brow, cursing inwardly, "This damn job, I shouldn't have volunteered to take it in the first place!"

Why not go to Miss Xin's suite and watch the auction with her? We might even be able to snag a small bargain, which would be much more enjoyable than standing guard here.

Of course, that's what he was thinking. But when Elder Yan saw the next group of people coming, he smiled and went to greet them. After all, life still goes on.

……

Lin Ran and her companion walked through a luxurious red-carpeted corridor, and the vast and enormous auction hall came into view. It was unclear whether the Medicine King Sect had heard that the Liezhou Jinling Chamber of Commerce was also holding an auction in this way, but this one was set up like a stadium, with densely packed seats arranged in an orderly manner.

Since quite a few people had already entered, the noise and chatter made the entire auction hall quite chaotic.

As soon as Lin Ran and her companion entered, a beautiful maidservant dressed in a distinctive cheongsam greeted them with a sweet smile, saying, "My lords, may I see your tokens? I will guide you to the appropriate location."

Lin Ran handed over the token, intending to peek secretly, but a soft hum reached her ears, causing her to shift her gaze from the cheongsam to the auction hall. Looking at some small private rooms closer to the auction stage, she couldn't help but ask, "Are those private rooms all VIP seats?"

"Yes, sir, you can go there with the sect's VIP pass!"

After explaining the situation and confirming the location of Lin Ran's token, the maid smiled and said, "I'll take you two to the inner area!"

The two followed the maid to the inner area, to a quiet corner. As for a private room? What kind of private room could two invisible people have? They were lucky to have a seat in the inner area.

The altitude here is also quite good, allowing one to overlook most of the people inside. Lin Ran sensed quite a few powerful Nirvana Realm auras, and even one or two auras that he couldn't see through. Those that he couldn't see through were only at the Dragon Transformation Realm level.

"As expected of the Tree of Wisdom, its allure is truly immense!" Lin Ran couldn't help but exclaim to himself. The Tree of Wisdom was an important plot point in the original story, but Lin Ran didn't plan to join in the fun. He'd let his son solo this dungeon!

"Now that Xiao Chong is here, will the tree heart fragment end up in his hands?" Lin Ran suddenly wondered about this. However, if he got his hands on it, he would give it to Xiao Chong as soon as possible to help him.

Once the huge auction hall was gradually filled with people, the noise from the entire hall almost reached the sky, becoming even more deafening.

When the inner hall was full, all the entrance and exit doors were closed in an instant, and a loud bell rang out on the auction stage. The sound of the bell echoed throughout the auction hall, drowning out the noisy commotion and instantly silencing the audience.

When the bell stopped ringing, a dazzling cyan rune array lit up the auction stage. A cyan barrier enveloped the entire auction stage, and then was slowly adjusted to a transparent color. Such protective arrays are never lacking when auctioning important items, because if something really goes wrong, it's the one who will lose face!

After the entire venue quieted down, an elderly man dressed in fine clothes slowly walked out from the side of the auction stage. Many sharp-eyed people immediately recognized him as Mei Su, the sixth-level alchemist who had been receiving guests at the entrance of Luofeng Pavilion and also the vice sect master of the Medicine King Sect.

"Such an important auction, why send the deputy sect leader? Won't he be able to control the atmosphere?" Wen Qianyi asked with a hint of doubt.

Lin Ran, however, took some spare time to catch up on the information about the relevant forces in the dangerous triangle area and explained to Wen Qianyi: "I heard that the sect leader of the Medicine King Sect wants to break through to the seventh-level alchemist, so he is currently in seclusion to cultivate. All the affairs of the sect are being handled by this vice sect leader."

"So that's it!"

Wen Qianyi nodded knowingly. If the Medicine King Sect really produced a seventh-level alchemist, then the strength and status of the Medicine King Sect would probably rise even higher.

"I am Mei Su, the vice sect master of the Medicine King Sect. I'm sure many of you old friends know me and have asked me to refine pills for you. Today, our Medicine King Sect, together with the Nebula Pavilion and the Spirit Treasure Sect, is holding an auction. Thank you all for gracing us with your presence."

I won't waste any more words, old man. I'm sure you're all eagerly anticipating the auction, but there are a few things I need to say beforehand.

Mei Su paused for a moment, a faint smile on her face, and surveyed the vast auction hall. She said, "Today's auction is jointly organized by my Medicine King Sect, Nebula Pavilion, and Spirit Treasure Sect. If anyone tries to break the rules of our auction, or dares to offend all three of us at the same time, I can guarantee that you will remain in my Pill City forever."

After these words were spoken, Yue Rou, the Pavilion Master of Xingyun Pavilion, and Jin Ge, the Sect Master of Lingbao Sect, both experts at the Dragon Transformation Realm, also stepped forward to express their opinions.

This initial show of force calmed down many of the restless individuals in the room. With two Dragon Transformation Realm experts present, anyone who tried to cause trouble at the auction would likely perish here, let alone stay in Dan City.

Seeing that the opening act went well, Meisu didn't say much. She clapped her hands, and an elderly professional auctioneer came up. The first part of the auction was handed over to this auctioneer. As for Meisu, she would probably come out to host the second half of the auction.

However, even though it was just the opening item, the auctioneer's actions enlivened the atmosphere, with many people in the inner room standing up to bid, pushing the prices of each item higher and higher.

Lin Ran found it rather boring. Before the Soul Jade Essence appeared, he felt like he could go to sleep, because all those cultivation techniques, martial arts skills, and weapons being sold were too useless for him at this stage.

However, when Wen Qianyi saw some precious medicinal herbs, she kept mentioning them to Lin Ran. Helpless, Lin Ran could only get up and join the bidding, eventually acquiring some of the precious herbs.

After the auctioneer finished auctioning the item, he thanked everyone and left through a side aisle. Mei Su returned to the stage, and her appearance immediately ignited the atmosphere. Many people in the private boxes inside the venue opened their eyes.

The auction is only just beginning!

.......

18. Achieve the small goal at the auction.

The previous auction items, while of excellent quality, were only for the average person.

These top-tier powerful forces might not even consider them worthwhile, but some of their smaller items, such as rare medicinal herbs, have attracted interested alchemists like Wen Qianyi to make offers.

With Meisu returning to the auction stage as the host, it means that the second half of the auction will bring the event to a climax, and it will also be a time for major players to compete for the same price. Watching the bidding war between the two sides, and the clash of their power and wealth, will certainly be a good show.

Watching Mei Su make polite remarks on stage, Lin Ran couldn't help but lean close to Wen Qianyi's ear and whisper, "Little rich girl, do you have enough money?"

"If we don't compete for the last item, it should be enough!"

In order to deal with unexpected situations, Wen Qianyi actually refined quite a few more pills of slightly lower grade. As long as she didn't participate in the final bidding, she would have more than enough capital.

As the two were discussing, Meisu on the auction stage officially began the second half of the auction. He took a jade box from a maid who came up from the side and placed it on the display table.

Under the intense gazes of the crowd, Meisu opened the jade box, inside which was a piece of golden, crystal-clear amber.

If viewed from a different angle, this amber looks like an extremely viscous golden liquid, almost as if it has a spirit, and you can vaguely feel it flowing.

"Many people may not recognize what this is. Please be patient and let me explain."

Seeing the many questioning gazes cast upon him, Meisu had clearly anticipated this situation. Pointing to the treasure in the jade box, he slowly said, "This item is called Soul Jade Marrow, an extremely rare treasure. It can only be produced when a powerful being in the Undying Realm or even the Saint Realm dies and happens to be buried in a strange place that can absorb life force and soul. After being tempered by time, it can finally produce a piece of Soul Jade Marrow the size of a palm."

Soul Essence can greatly expand the ocean of the soul and enhance soul power. We all know that soul power is extremely difficult to cultivate, and even the techniques for cultivating soul power are almost non-existent now.

According to our Medicine King Sect's appraisal, this treasure should have been formed after the death of a powerful expert at the high level of the Undying Realm.

"Such a treasure, if used properly, will surely become a great help to you all in the Nirvana Realm. We all know that if a solid soul foundation is laid in the Nirvana Realm, it will be of great benefit to the future Dragon Transformation Realm and even the Immortal Realm..."

Upon hearing what Mei Su said, many people in the auction hall couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, clearly not expecting that the first treasure to appear in the second half of the auction would be so stunning.

It can only be condensed after the death of a powerhouse at the Undying Realm or above, which is enough to drive up the price of this Soul Jade Marrow, not to mention that it has real uses.

Lin Ran and Wen Qianyi exchanged a glance, both seeing the astonishment in each other's eyes. They clearly hadn't expected that the key to the second half of the competition would be Soul Jade Marrow, and that it would be praised so highly by Mei Su. Some people in the room were already eager to try their luck, and some of the bolder ones even shouted out the starting price.

With a gentle smile, Wen Qianyi nestled her slender fingers between Lin Ran's and said softly, "We will definitely win the auction!"

With Wen Qianyi's encouragement, Lin Ran gained some confidence. At worst, he could become a murderer and treasure hunter who blocked people's way later.

As for my own treasure? Please, if I can get it for free, why should I let others make extra money?

"Ladies and gentlemen, the price we've set for this Soul Jade Essence isn't in gold coins, but in spirit stones. The auction price is set at 500,000 spirit stones, and each initial bid must be at least 10,000 spirit stones." Seeing the room suddenly become noisy, Mei Su chuckled, "Ladies and gentlemen... let's begin bidding!"

The 500,000 spirit stones mentioned here are not calculated based on the highest level, but on the lowest level. If calculated based on the unit of high-level spirit stones, one high-level spirit stone can be exchanged for one hundred low-level spirit stones, then the price of Soul Jade Marrow would not be so high as to reach such an astronomical price of tens of millions.

Even 500,000 low-level spirit stones immediately silenced the crowd; no one was a fool.

Your Medicine King Sect has been touting this thing as so good, but the problem is how people will use it after they get it, and what the drawbacks are. They don't want to waste such a treasure, so in the end they still have to ask your Medicine King Sect for help. Either way, you're the one who profits.

As the saying goes, it's more painful to see others make money than to see yourself lose money. Even if the Soul Jade Marrow is very good, people still maintain a wait-and-see attitude without knowing how to use it or its dangers.

Of course, this rational silence was quickly broken by a shout of bidding coming from behind.

"Five hundred and one thousand spirit stones!"

The bid came from Lin Ran, and his corner seat became the first place in the auction hall to attract so much attention since he entered.

Lin Ran's voice seemed to immediately influence everyone in the room, and one after another, many people began to bid.

Whether it was a honey trap or someone genuinely wanted to buy, the price that started with Lin Ran at 510,000 was immediately raised to 1 million spirit stones.

"I really @#%..."

Lin Ran cursed under his breath. He thought he could get it for 510,000 directly, but these people kept jumping out and bidding. Lin Ran would write down whoever was bidding, one by one, and find these guys to compensate for the loss after leaving the auction. He would make sure they experienced the local customs of the dangerous triangle.

"1.2 million!"

Lin Ran immediately bid 200,000, which caused a stir in the auction hall. His corner seat once again became the focus of attention, and many people were curious about who this man and woman were.

On the stage, Mei Su looked over there. He knew that this was the mysterious Mr. Cao who had been reported by the sect that day. He couldn't help but think to himself, "It seems they might know how to use this Soul Jade Marrow?!"

When Lin Ran made her high bid, no one followed suit. Firstly, it was unnecessary; with so many items up for auction in the second half, it would be a bad move to bid so much money on the first item. Secondly, it was a classic tactic of the "danger triangle": "If a problem can be solved by killing someone, then it's not a problem."

"One million two hundred thousand, is there a higher bid?" After shouting three times in a row, Mei Su finally brought down the auction hammer. With a "thud," Mei Su's loud voice rang out: "Then this Soul Jade Essence will be auctioned off to this gentleman for one million two hundred thousand spirit stones!"

Seeing that Mei Su finally decided to strike the gavel, Lin Ran breathed a sigh of relief. Their goal for coming to the auction had been initially achieved, and they could now relax and enjoy the rest of the auction.