Fantasy, starting with a treasure bowl

"I never expected that the host of this year's Beijing auction would be that old scoundrel Jin Buhuan..."

"Hmph, that old bastard really has a lucky life...!"

Beside the floor-to-ceiling window, Jia Youqian was seen gently waving his feather fan. His gaze was also fixed on the auction stage below the arena, with a hint of hostility flashing across his eyes. He had clearly recognized the old man in black robes and had a considerable grudge against him.

"Brother Jia, this man is very powerful. Even if you and I join forces, we would not be a match for him."

Lu Feng's expression was solemn.

Although he was inside the VIP Tiger Room, hundreds of meters away from the auction stage below, he could still sense the faintly terrifying aura emanating from Jin Buhuan!

Even a master at the tenth level of the Qi Opening Realm could not exert such great pressure on Lu Feng!

It is evident that Jin Buhuan's Yuan Power cultivation has already reached the Spirit Soul Realm level, and he is not a half-baked cultivator who has just entered the Spirit Soul Realm; he is at least at the third level of the Spirit Soul Realm!

"Hehe, Brother Lu certainly has a good eye."

Jia Youqian nodded as well, and said in a meaningful tone, "Although this old scoundrel is just a rogue cultivator, he had already stepped into the Spirit Soul Realm twenty years ago. Even my godfather himself was no match for him. And looking at the entire world of merchant guilds, only our ancestor... Jia Taihang can barely contend with him."

"Speaking of which, that old scoundrel Jin Buhuan still owes our entire merchant community a blood debt from the past..."

At this point, Jia Youqian's tone became more forceful, and a hint of murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

"A blood debt?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Feng was taken aback at first, then said with a playful tone, "Brother Jia, if I may be frank, this old fellow's appearance here shows he doesn't take your Tianxia Merchant Guild seriously..."

After all, Jin Buhuan knew he had a grudge against the Tianxia Merchants, yet he still appeared openly and even became the host of this year's Beijing auction, clearly showing that he looked down on the Tianxia Merchants and was not afraid of their retaliation.

"About fifteen years ago, this old scoundrel took advantage of my godfather's momentary lapse in vigilance to launch a sneak attack, not only stealing a great deal of treasure from the treasury, but also looting several banks and branches under the Tianxia Merchant Guild, and causing countless deaths and injuries to the guards..."

The murderous intent in Jia Youqian's eyes did not diminish. At this moment, his right hand, which was holding the feather fan, clenched even tighter. "Now that this old scoundrel has reappeared in the world, he probably knows that Jia Taihang is in seclusion and that no merchant group in the world can threaten him for the time being."

"As for becoming the host of this year's Beijing auction, there are many benefits. Afterwards, he can get at least 30% of the auction proceeds as a commission. I must say, that old scoundrel really knows how to scheme..."

"Brother Jia, it's good that you want revenge, but I advise you to calm down. As the saying goes, a gentleman takes revenge even after ten years. With your current strength and cultivation, making a move now would be no different from sending yourself to your death."

Seeing Jia Youqian's rage, Lu Feng shrugged and offered some advice.

Faced with Lu Feng's reminder, Jia Youqian also took a deep breath, then slowly relaxed his right hand that was tightly gripping the feather fan, seemingly having calmed down as well. "Hehe, what Brother Lu says is not without reason..."

...

At the same time, amidst the deafening roar of cheers echoing from inside the arena, two young and beautiful maids in white slowly stepped onto the auction stage, each holding a huge silver platter in their hands.

The center of the huge silver platter was covered by a black cloth, and only the shape and outline of the auction item could be vaguely seen, leaving its true appearance unknown, which made it quite mysterious.

"I apologize for keeping you all waiting!"

Jin Buhuan glanced around the arena, remaining calm, then waved his hand, "First item for auction: a Soul Spawn!"

Swish!

As soon as he finished speaking, the white-clad maid to Jin Buhuan's left raised her hand and removed the black cloth, revealing the true contents of the silver plate.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh..."

In the very center of the silver plate floated a black and white, infant spirit about the size of an infant's fist. It was emitting a purring sound similar to that of a human, as if it had developed a trace of intelligence. However, the fluctuations of spiritual energy on its body were very weak, and it clearly did not possess any combat power.

In addition, an invisible seal was placed on this nascent soul, making it even more impossible for it to escape control. It could only be imprisoned in this small silver plate and used as an auction item.

"This nascent soul is the 'Spirit Devourer,' ranked tenth on the Evil Spirit List. Although it is still in its infancy and extremely sleepy and gluttonous, once it matures, its strength should not be underestimated; it is comparable to a human martial artist at the eighth level of the Meridian Opening Realm!"

Jin Buhuan continued his unhurried introduction, "If any of you are interested, you may also bid. The starting price for this Devouring Spirit Cultivator is 50,000 low-grade spirit stones, and each bid must be at least 5,000 higher!"

"This...it really is the Devouring Spirit, ranked tenth on the Evil Spirit List...!"

"I didn't expect the very first item to be so rare. It seems I made the right choice coming to this auction in the capital!"

"It's a pity that it's only a nascent soul-devouring form and doesn't yet possess combat power. To cultivate it to maturity would take at least several decades and a large amount of resources..."

"Dude, isn't that obvious? If it were a mature Devouring Spirit, it would cost much more than this! The starting bid would be several times higher!"

After the first item was displayed, the martial artists around the stage were excited and discussing it animatedly.

After all, the value of a Devouring Spirit Child is not low, and this is only the first item up for auction. As for the following items and the final treasure, they are even more rare and priceless!

"I'll offer 100,000 low-grade spirit stones!"

Amidst the noisy crowd, a high-pitched, eunuch-like male voice suddenly rang out, clearly indicating that the person had taken a liking to the young spirit-devouring body.

The person who spoke was slender with long limbs, and was completely shrouded in a black cloak, obscuring their face and appearance. Only a pair of cloudy, yellowish eyes were visible, making them appear quite mysterious.

"110,000!"

"Damn it! You think you can buy this Devouring Spirit Infant for such a small amount of money? I'll offer 150,000!"

"Fifteen thousand is nothing? I'll offer two hundred thousand! This Devouring Spirit Child is mine!"

Below the auction stage, bids rose and fell, clearly indicating that there were more than one buyer interested in this Devouring Spirit Embryo. Moreover, the final bid price also rose steadily, reaching 200,000 in less than a few minutes!

"Damn it! Are these bastards deliberately trying to mess with me...!"

Seeing the crowd around him bidding, the black-robed man who had spoken first narrowed his eyes, and his face, hidden by his cloak, gradually turned gloomy and ugly.

After all, while the Devouring Spirit Child is rare and valuable, it also has its limits. The auction price of 200,000 low-grade spirit stones is also a considerable sum, exceeding the black-robed man's expectations and wealth.

.....

A VIP dragon room in the arena stands

"Hmph! I refuse to believe that there isn't a single person in the world who can appreciate quality...!"

"Once those treasures are sold, I'll make sure Sister Haitang looks at me with newfound respect!"

A young man in white robes was lounging casually on a leather sofa, watching the auction stage below while stuffing grapes into his mouth, looking like a spoiled brat from a noble family, with nothing particularly special about him.

"Young Master, everything you assigned has been completed...!"

At this moment, a tall, well-fitting man suddenly pushed open the door and entered. He then knelt on one knee before the young man in white robes, speaking with great respect, clearly showing that he followed the young man's lead.

"So fast? Did Sister Haitang find out anything...?"

Seeing how quickly the man in the tight-fitting clothes acted, Li Wenyang was slightly taken aback, seemingly somewhat surprised.