Martial Universe: Inherit the Future, Quickly Become a Martial Ancestor!

Chapter 84 The Heavenly Ranking is changing heads, come quickly to your death!

As soon as he finished speaking, a commotion broke out in the audience.

A starting bid of five million isn't low, but it's reasonable for a high-grade Earth-rank spiritual treasure. Moreover, this sword has distinct attributes, making it a suitable weapon for cultivators who practice fire-attribute elemental power.

"Five million two hundred thousand!" someone made the first bid.

"Five million four hundred thousand!"

"Five million six hundred thousand!"

"Five million eight hundred thousand!"

Bidding erupted in succession, and the price climbed steadily. Several cultivators, clearly skilled in fire-attribute elemental energy, argued fiercely, their faces flushed.

When the price broke through seven million, only two people remained in the room.

"Seven million!" a red-robed monk shouted through gritted teeth.

"Seven million two hundred thousand!" Another black-clad monk followed without hesitation.

The red-robed cultivator's expression shifted, and he finally slumped down in dejection.

Song Tai looked around and, seeing no one else was bidding, brought the hammer down: "Seven million two hundred thousand, sold!"

The black-clad monk's face lit up with joy, and he stood up and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect towards the stage.

Song Tai nodded slightly, signaling the attendant to take the Flame Scale Sword to the backstage for handover. With a flick of his sleeve, another ball of light fell into his hand. This time, after the light dissipated, it revealed an ancient animal hide scroll, faintly exuding an aura of vicissitudes.

"The third item is a mid-level body-refining spiritual martial art—the Fiery Demon Golden Body."

Song Tai's voice was calm and unhurried, yet it instantly silenced the entire room. "When this technique is mastered, it can temper the physical body to a level comparable to a tertiary spiritual treasure. For body-refining cultivators, it is something they dream of."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the entire room, and slowly said, "You should all understand that spiritual treasures are ultimately external objects. They will wear down with use, and once damaged, they become worthless. But martial arts are different. Martial arts can be passed down from generation to generation. If one person masters it, their descendants can all benefit. In terms of value, it is far superior to spiritual treasures of the same level."

As soon as he finished speaking, many people in the audience showed a burning desire in their eyes.

Song Tai announced the starting price: "The starting price is eight million Nirvana Pills. Each bid must be at least two hundred thousand more."

The room fell silent for a moment after the price was announced.

An initial price of eight million is an astronomical figure for most advanced dynasties. However, those super dynasties with deep foundations may not even be interested in a mid-level body-refining spiritual martial art.

In the end, a cultivator from a relatively weak super dynasty gritted his teeth and offered 160,000 to acquire the martial art.

The next few items, while of decent quality, held little appeal for Lan He and Lan Ying. The two sat in the private box, chatting idly, treating it as just another spectacle.

Until Song Tai took out the third to last item for auction.

It was a fruit the size of a fist, pale gold in color, with a faint glow flowing around it, radiating a rich spiritual energy. Even from dozens of feet away, Lan He in the private room could feel that pure spiritual energy aura.

"Next item: Divine Essence Fruit."

Song Tai's voice rang out as he held up the fruit, making it visible to everyone. "This fruit was unearthed from an ancient ruin, over a thousand years old. After refining it, it can greatly enhance a cultivator's spiritual power, and it also has a significant effect on Heavenly Talisman Masters, and may even help them break through bottlenecks."

He paused, then announced the starting price: "Starting bid: five million Nirvana Pills. Each bid must be at least two hundred thousand."

Lan He paused slightly in the hand holding the teacup.

Divine Essence Fruit? This thing came at just the right time.

He is now a Three-Seal Heavenly Talisman Master, and he needs such rare and precious materials to further advance his spiritual power. Resources for cultivating spiritual power are already scarce, and this Divine Essence Fruit is even more rare and hard to come by.

"Five million two hundred thousand." He put down his teacup, his voice not loud, but it carried clearly throughout the room.

As soon as the words were spoken, the few people who were initially eager to try immediately fell silent.

Someone subconsciously looked up at the private room on the second floor, a look of apprehension flashing in their eyes.

"Are you kidding? That's the number one VIP room on the Heavenly Ranking. Even Qin Tian of the Tianyuan Dynasty was pushed down by him, who would dare to compete with him?"

If you anger this person and they cause trouble after the auction, then it would be a real loss.

Moreover, offending the leader of the Immortal Dynasty for a single Divine Essence Fruit is a bad deal no matter how you look at it.

The entire room fell silent.

Standing on the stage, Song Tai watched this scene with a wry smile. He coughed lightly and asked routinely, "Five million two hundred thousand, anyone else bidding?"

No one answered.

He waited a few more moments, but there was still silence.

"Five million two hundred thousand, deal."

Song Tai made the final decision, looking at the private room where Lan He was, with a hint of helpless smile in his eyes.

That kid knows how to pick up bargains.

Lan Ying stared in disbelief: "You...you got it just like that?"

Lan He picked up his teacup, took a leisurely sip, and smiled slightly. "Otherwise what?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the silent crowd below, and said calmly, "Let's see who dares to compete with me."

Lan Ying was speechless and could only roll her eyes at him.

The auction continues.

The second-to-last item was taken out by Song Tai: several well-preserved spirit puppets, the very ones Lan He had entrusted to the auction.

Although their quality isn't top-tier, with most being at the first or second level, they are still good objects for cultivators skilled in puppetry to collect and study.

As soon as Song Tai announced the reserve price, someone in the audience eagerly raised their bidding paddle.

It was Mo Leng.

His eyes lit up, and he raised his paddle several times, afraid someone else would snatch it away. Fortunately, the others weren't very interested in the spirit puppet, and he eventually won it for seven million each.

Mo Leng held the newly acquired spirit puppet, grinning from ear to ear, and repeatedly bowed to the stage to express his gratitude.

Lan Ying shook her head, "This guy is really a puppet fanatic."

Lan He smiled faintly and remained silent.

By this point in the auction, the atmosphere in the room had gradually calmed down. Many people began to pack up their belongings, preparing to leave.

However, at that moment, Song Tai cleared his throat, and his expression suddenly became somewhat subtle.

"Gentlemen, wait a moment."

He raised his hand to signal everyone to calm down, and slowly took out a neatly folded piece of paper from his sleeve.

"Next up is the last item in this auction."

He unfolded the slip of paper, facing the entire room. It contained only a few lines of text, yet it instantly plunged the previously noisy auction hall into a deathly silence.

The audience was silent.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the note, their expressions filled with disbelief.

Song Tai took a deep breath and slowly read out the contents: "Wanted Notice—Cultivators of the Tianyuan Dynasty. Each head is worth one million Nirvana Pills."

boom!

The entire auction hall erupted in chaos!

"A bounty poster? Someone's actually auctioning this?"

"The Tianyuan Dynasty? Holy crap, who's going to spend so much money? Are they out of their minds?!"

"Dare to provoke the Tianyuan Dynasty? They're the Yuan Clan's own son!"

"A million for one head—what kind of deep-seated hatred is this?"

The entire room erupted in chaos, with shouts and gasps mingling together, almost lifting the roof off the auction house.

Some people looked solemn, some had a glint in their eyes, and some looked on with amusement.

Somewhere in the audience, Mo Leng was happily hugging his newly acquired spirit puppet when he heard the words "Tianyuan Dynasty," and he froze instantly. He looked up abruptly, his gaze instinctively sweeping towards the familiar private room on the second floor, a knowing look flashing in his eyes.

"Brother Lan—you've gone too far with this—"

He muttered to himself, but couldn't help but grin, revealing a gloating smile.

On the auction stage, Song Tai remained calm, as if none of this concerned him. He waited until the commotion subsided slightly before speaking slowly and deliberately: "Ladies and gentlemen, may I say a few words?"

The room gradually quieted down.

Song Tai cleared his throat and continued, "This bounty notice was not issued by my Wanxiang City, but was read aloud on behalf of someone else. The seller specifically instructed—"

He paused, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping over the private room on the second floor: "This bounty comes from the Immortal Dynasty. The price is open and transparent: one million Nirvana Pills for each head, no deception."

"Furthermore—" His voice rose slightly, "If someone can collect the heads of five cultivators from the Tianyuan Dynasty, they can also exchange them for a spirit puppet comparable to a cultivator at the Fourth Nirvana Realm."

After he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent once again.

What followed was an even more intense uproar than before!

"Five human heads for a spirit puppet at the Fourth Stage of Nirvana?!"

"Are you kidding me? That's equivalent to—simply killing five people from the Tianyuan Dynasty and instantly gaining combat power at the Heavenly Ranking level?"

"The Fourth Stage of Nirvana Realm—those are the kinds of people who can make it onto the Heavenly Ranking!"

"This kind of person is almost guaranteed to become a disciple of a super sect—and now you can get one for just five heads?!"

Countless people's eyes instantly turned red.

What does a spirit puppet at the Fourth Nirvana Realm signify?

This means that having it is equivalent to having an extra bodyguard of the Heavenly Ranking level! It means that cultivators who were originally not qualified to challenge for a super sect may stand out in the Hundred Dynasties War if they have this spirit puppet!

This is a chance to rise to the top in one step!

The entire auction hall erupted in cheers.

"I'll accept the bounty!"

"I accepted too! What's there to be afraid of? Once I join a super sect, does the Tianyuan Dynasty dare to mess with me?"

"Exactly! I was originally from a high-level dynasty, and I never even dreamed of joining a super sect. Now that I have the chance, I'll give it my all!"

The crowd was outraged, and the entire auction hall erupted in chaos.

For these cultivators from various dynasties, joining a super sect was practically a chance to defy fate. What did offending the Tianyuan Dynasty matter for this goal? After all, once they were in a super sect, could the Tianyuan Dynasty really hunt them down and kill them?

Moreover, with more and more people making these pronouncements, how could the Tianyuan Dynasty, no matter how strong, possibly wage war against dozens of dynasties at once?

Everyone understands the principle that "the law does not punish the masses."

As a result, more and more people raised their hands, eagerly shouting "Catch!" as if they would miss the chance if they were a step too late.

Just then, a sarcastic voice suddenly rang out from the crowd: "Gentlemen, think before you get excited."

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a gray-robed man slowly stand up, a cold smile playing on his lips. He was a complete stranger; they hadn't seen him much before, but now that he spoke, he was clearly addressing the Tianyuan Dynasty.

"Does the Immortal Dynasty have that many Level 4 spirit puppets?"

He glanced around, a hint of sarcasm in his voice, "The Tianyuan Dynasty sent eighty-three people this time. According to the rules of this bounty, at least sixteen level-four spirit puppets are needed to exchange for them. Can the Immortal Dynasty afford that? Don't let them come up with your heads to collect the reward, only to have them shrug and say they're gone. That would be a laughing stock."

As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell silent. Many people exchanged glances, their eyes filled with hesitation.

Yes, sixteen level-four spirit puppets, that's no small number.

Just as everyone was hesitating, the door to the private room on the second floor was suddenly pushed open.

A figure in white slowly walked out, stood with his hands behind his back in front of the railing, and looked down at the entire scene.

It was the Blue River.

His expression was calm as he glanced at the gray-robed man below, a slight smile playing on his lips.

The next moment, he raised his hand and waved.

Beams of light burst forth from his sleeves, transforming into streaks of light that landed in front of the auction stage.

One, two, three—a total of twelve level-four spirit puppets were neatly arranged, radiating a powerful aura.

Of the twelve spirit puppets, nine were sword puppets of various shapes, with arms that were swords, gleaming coldly; the other three were ordinary beast-shaped and humanoid spirit puppets, whose auras were slightly inferior, but were still genuinely at the fourth level.

Before everyone could react, four more dazzling beams of light descended, revealing four spirit puppets with even stronger auras, clearly at the fifth level!

The entire room fell into a deathly silence.

Lan He withdrew his hand, his gaze falling on the gray-robed man, his tone as indifferent as if he were discussing a trivial matter: "Is that enough?"

The gray-robed man's sneer froze instantly. He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

Lan He didn't look at him again and turned to walk back to the private room.

Behind him, the auction house erupted in cheers.