Wizard: My skills can be upgraded indefinitely.

The next night.

Outside the banquet hall at the bow of the ship, the sea breeze howled.

The dark silver metal door opened, and soft light flowed out from within, mixed with a faint fragrance, the bitter smell of medicine, and dozens of scents of varying strengths.

Ian stood in the doorway, the hem of his dark gray robe fluttering slightly in the wind.

Its shoulders were tucked deep into the hood, with only a pair of small eyes peeking out, warily surveying its surroundings.

He gripped the passenger token in his hand.

The crystal at the center of the token was slightly warm, projecting a line of pale blue characters.

Access: Middle Class - Passage Allowed.

From inside the door, the sounds of commotion could be faintly heard.

Ian stepped inside, and a bright and clear view opened up before him.

The banquet hall is several hundred meters square, with a high dome inlaid with thousands of tiny luminous crystals arranged in a slowly rotating star map.

Soft, moonlight-like rays of light fell, illuminating nearly a hundred figures below.

Groups of two or three level-two wizards occupied the most comfortable high-backed soft chairs in the center.

They were mostly dressed in magnificent or uniquely patterned robes, each with its own distinctive emblem, and they conversed in hushed tones, occasionally raising their crystal glasses for a sip.

The crystallization force field naturally emanating from his body forms invisible ripples in the air.

The first-level wizards stood in the slightly outer area.

Most of them lowered their heads and looked away, not daring to look around casually. Occasionally, someone would whisper, but their voice was kept very low.

The few senior apprentices who came with their masters could only squeeze into the shadows in the farthest corner.

His face was tense, and he was even breathing cautiously.

Ian glanced around and then led Gaga to an inconspicuous corner on the left.

There were a few empty low stools near the porthole.

Outside the window, the endless sea stretches into the pitch-black night sky, occasionally punctuated by glowing deep-sea monsters that streak trails of eerie blue light.

"So many people..." Gaa transmitted her voice through the soul link, her little paws gripping Ian's robe collar tightly.

"Um."

Ian sat down on the low stool, his gaze calmly sweeping across the room.

The spiritual power spread out quietly, like invisible tentacles.

He didn't investigate further, but only sensed the general distribution of the aura.

The oppressive aura of the two level-three archmages, like invisible mountains, loomed over the high platforms in three directions of the banquet hall.

They did not appear, but everyone could clearly feel the vastness and weight of that feeling.

No one dared to act recklessly.

In the central area, there were more than a dozen level-two auras.

Two of them were exceptionally solid, likely representing the late stage of level two, or even approaching its peak.

"Gentlemen."

At the front of the banquet hall, a second-level wizard dressed in a silver-blue uniform and with a refined appearance walked to the central platform.

He was one of the key figures in charge of this voyage of the Giant Sail Alliance, Derek.

Ian met him once in Wilt Harbor.

Derek surveyed the room, his voice gentle yet clear, drowning out all the whispers.

"The first exchange meeting of the Leapfrog is now beginning."

"The rules are simple: auctions in rounds."

"Sellers come up on stage, display their items, and state their starting price. Buyers bid, and the highest bidder wins."

"Giant Sail Alliance provides the venue and notarization, and takes 10% of the transaction price as commission."

"False reporting, forced buying and selling, and malicious price gouging are prohibited. Violators will be expelled from the spaceship."

He spoke the last four words very softly.

But the temperature inside the hall seemed to drop several degrees.

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines as they were expelled from the spaceship on the endless sea...

Below the level two wizard, it's basically equivalent to a death sentence.

"Now, round one." Derek said, stepping aside.

A short, stocky wizard wearing brown leather armor strode onto the stage.

He took out three deep red potions from his dimensional bag and placed them on a display stand covered with black velvet.

The potion gleamed with a viscous, blood-like light under the lamp, with fine golden threads moving within it.

"【Heart and Blood Elixir】, Tier 1 Top Grade".

The short, stocky wizard had a loud voice.

"Within half an hour of taking it, the power of fire magic increases by 30%, and physical resistance is slightly enhanced."

Starting price: 80 high-grade magic stones per item, or equivalent materials.

As soon as he finished speaking, several bids immediately rang out from below the stage.

"Eighty-five!"

"ninety!"

"Ninety-five!"

Ian watched quietly, without making a move.

The [Heart and Blood Elixir] is quite effective, but he doesn't even consider first-tier elixirs right now.

Moreover, the effects of this medicine are limited and it does not provide a permanent boost.

In the end, the three potions were auctioned off to a red-robed witch for 110 magic stones each.

The transaction was completed, and a waiter in a silver-blue uniform stepped forward, collected the potion and magic stone, and recorded it.

The process was straightforward and efficient.

The second batch was a "life-giving water" with a purity of nearly 30%.

The third round: five complete "Molten Lizard" leathers.

The fourth round: ten bottles of "Moonlight Dew"; the fifth round...

Ian did not make a move.

These materials were good, but they weren't something he urgently needed.

What he needs is something more crucial, rarer, and preferably something that can support his path to Level 3.

Gaga perched on his shoulder, blinking its little eyes, looking somewhat bored.

"Ian, aren't we going to buy something?"

"No rush."

Ian's gaze remained calm, but his mental perception permeated the entire area.

He was observing.

Observe who has abundant financial resources, who focuses on specific areas, and who... may become potential competitors.

It's unclear which round it was before Derek returned to the stage.

"Next, let's begin the Tier 2 item trading."

He paused, then looked towards a certain spot in the audience.

An elderly man dressed in a gray robe with a withered face slowly rose and walked onto the high platform.

The old man exuded a calm and composed aura, indicating he was at the mid-stage of level two.

The grey robe was of ordinary style, but the cuffs were embroidered with very faint silver runes.

There was a faint spatial fluctuation.

He took something out of his dimensional ring.

A soft snap.

A piece of dark silver metal, about the thickness of an arm, landed on the black velvet table.

The metal surface is covered with fine, spiderweb-like cracks, and deep within the cracks flows an extremely faint dark color that seems to devour light.

The cross-section is jagged, as if it had been forcibly torn apart by some enormous force.

"Void Crystallization".

The old man spoke, his voice hoarse, like sandpaper scraping against a stone.

"It weighs four pounds and three ounces."

"It originates from the eastern border of the Central Continent, on the outskirts of the 'Yuangu Clan' ruins."

He raised his head, his dark brown pupils sweeping across the audience.

"The core material for crafting spatial artifacts."

He paused for a second.

"It is also...one of the main ingredients in balancing potions."

The words fell.

Ian's heart skipped a beat, and his fingers tightened slightly inside his sleeve.

But his face showed no change in expression, and even his breathing rate remained the same.

Only a glint of golden light flashed swiftly deep within his eyes.

A balancing potion... is that the kind of potion he imagined?

A low gasp rippled through the audience.

The eyes of all the second-level wizards instantly turned fervent.

"Balancing potions are among the rarest auxiliary potions in the late stage of level two."

"Void Crystal... is also the most difficult main material to obtain."

"It's such a big piece, we absolutely have to get our hands on it."

……

Even the three level-three great wizards who had been resting with their eyes closed experienced a slight fluctuation in their aura for a moment.

Clearly, this thing also appealed to them.

"Lowest price..."

The old man slowly recited the numbers.

"One hundred magic crystals, or... the equivalent value of elemental crystals, rule fragments, or biological materials of level three or above."

The hall was completely silent.

One hundred magic crystals are equivalent to ten thousand high-grade magic stones!

For many first-level wizards, this is an astronomical figure; even for second-level wizards, it is a considerable fortune.

But no one thought the price was outrageous; the second-tier main material for balancing potions was worth the price.

One hundred and ten.

In the corner, a level-two early-stage wizard wearing a dark blue robe and a silver anchor badge on his chest spoke first.

His voice sounded a little strained.

One hundred and thirty.

Another red-haired witch followed.

One hundred and fifty.

"One hundred and eighty..."

Bidding sounds gradually rose, but the increases were not significant, indicating that everyone was testing the waters.

Ian did not make an offer immediately.

He waited quietly, his gaze sweeping over the few second-level wizards who were participating in the bidding.

The dark blue robe with the anchor emblem likely belongs to a maritime family.

The red-haired witch's robes have flame patterns, possibly indicating a school specializing in fire magic.

There were also two men in gray robes with a chilling aura, their sleeves embroidered with snake patterns.

"two hundred."

A deep voice rang out from the central area, from a high-backed armchair.

The one who spoke was a male wizard in his early thirties.

He wore a dark purple robe embroidered with gold patterns, and had a handsome face, but his eyes and brows carried an undisguised arrogance.

He leaned back in his chair, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest.

His gaze swept over the section of crystalline void on the stage, as if he were looking at a toy that was within easy reach.

"Two hundred and twenty." The dark blue-robed wizard gritted his teeth and followed.

"Two hundred and fifty," the wizard said lazily, raising the price.

"Two hundred and sixty..."

"three hundred."

The wizard announced a round number, and the hall fell silent once more.

Three hundred flawless magic crystals have exceeded the psychological threshold for many people.

The dark blue-robed wizard's expression shifted, and he finally slumped down in dejection.

The red-haired witch bit her lip and didn't speak again. The two gray-robed men exchanged a glance and slowly shook their heads.

Derek stood to the side of the stage with a professional smile on his face.

"Three hundred flawless magic crystals, for the first time."

"Three hundred flawless magic crystals, for the second time..."

Just as he was about to bring down the hammer.

A calm voice rang out from the corner.

"Three hundred and one."

All eyes turned to the source of the sound.

Ian sat on a low stool, his dark gray robe plain and unadorned, the black raven on his shoulder tucked into his hood, revealing only half of its face.

He looked up, his gaze calmly meeting that of the purple-robed sorcerer.

The wizard stopped tapping his fingers on the armrest, sat up slightly, squinted, and sized up Ian.

His eyes held a scrutinizing gaze, along with a hint of displeasure at being offended.

"Three hundred and twenty."

The wizard spoke again, his tone turning colder.

"Three hundred and thirty." Ian followed without hesitation.

"Three hundred and fifty."

……

The bidding process is extremely fast.

The two worked almost without pause, and prices continued to climb.

The atmosphere in the hall gradually became heavy.

The other wizards held their breath, watching the sudden outbreak of the fight.

Many people's eyes revealed schadenfreude or curiosity.

Daring to bid head-on against that purple-robed male wizard... just who is this gray-robed wizard?

"five hundred."

The sorcerer's voice had turned completely cold; he stared at Ian with eyes like poisoned knives.

As he announced the number, a cold smile curled at the corner of his lips.

He wanted to see if this guy, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, dared to follow him.

Fifty thousand high-grade magic stones is a huge sum of money, even for a level two wizard.

Many small wizarding families may not even have this much income in a year.

Ian was silent for a second.