Jin Huang was adamant. No one but him would have this ring. He would not allow something that smelled so good to be taken from him.
Before anyone could even think of countering, he gave a new bid, "Six hundred million dao stones!"
His voice rang throughout the auction hall. For a moment, silence descended, then the entire venue erupted.
"Didn't he just bid five hundred million? This young man must be insane!"
"That's six hundred million dao stones! Does he have any idea how much wealth that represents?"
"Wait! Isn't that the young man who was involved in the recent commotion at the Pill Tower?"
"Jin Huang? The one rumored to be Lord Duotian's disciple?"
The whispers spread like wildfire.
Jin Huang ignored them all. His pale, silvery-blue eyes remained fixed on the silver ring displayed upon the stage.
He took another deep breath through his nose. It smelled absolutely delicious, and his stomach growled.
What a superb aroma. He was tempted to eat the ring once it entered his hands.
"Seven hundred million dao stones!" Xia Yuyue's voice rang out from the VVIP chamber.
Jin Huang immediately raised his hand.
"Eight hundred million!"
The crowd went wild. Even Liu Yue and Liu Ning exchanged glances. They had hosted countless auctions, but they had rarely encountered someone who bid with such unshakable determination for an item that nobody could properly identify.
"Nine hundred million!" Xia Yuyue countered.
"One billion!" Jin Huang's answer came without hesitation.
Luo Ran, who was still in the VVIP chamber with Meng Lan, nearly fell out of his chair. "B-Boss?!"
He scrambled to his feet and rushed toward the transparent barrier, staring down at the young man standing openly in the VIP room below.
"Where did he get that kind of money?!"
Meng Lan folded her arms. "Technically, he doesn't even have any money. Yet."
Luo Ran froze, then he slowly turned toward her and clutched his head. "WHAT KIND OF LIFE HAVE I SIGNED UP FOR?!"
Meng Lan giggled, "Don't worry. Once his pills go on sale, he should easily make an astronomical sum."
Meanwhile, the bidding continued.
"One billion, two hundred million!"
"Two billion!"
Xia Yuyue's voice grew strained.
She and Wang Yijian were among the foremost experts in the world when it came to forging. Their knowledge of materials and spiritual treasures surpassed that of almost everyone alive.
Yet they couldn't identify the ring when Lord Obsidian brought it before them for appraisal. That alone made it worth investigating.
If it truly originated from another space-time and had resisted the influence of an Empyrean-level existence, its potential value was difficult to calculate.
But two billion dao stones was already an enormous sum, even for them. And, if they knew that Xiao Chen had purposely brought it before them to get them excited for it, they would surely not be willing to spend that much.
Maybe.
"Two billion, five hundred million," Xia Yuyue called.
Jin Huang tilted his head, then he smiled. "Three billion."
The auction hall fell silent. Even the Forge Masters stopped bidding.
After several moments, Xia Yuyue let out a resigned sigh. "Very well, Master Huang. It seems this treasure was simply meant to belong to you."
Liu Ning immediately stepped forward. "Three billion dao stones! Going once! Going twice! Sold! The Yin-Yang Ring goes to Master Huang for three billion dao stones!"
Jin Huang immediately exhaled in relief and rubbed his stomach. "Finally. I really wonder if that ring tastes better than it smells."
Somewhere upstairs, Xiao Chen pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose. He had expected Jin Huang to spend an absurd amount of money.
He had not expected the young man to spend three billion dao stones on something he appeared to regard as a particularly appetizing meal.
Still, a promise was a promise. The ring was Jin Huang's, despite the fact that he was currently dirt poor.
If Jin Huang's alchemy truly was as extraordinary as Xiao Chen believed, three billion dao stones might eventually prove to be a bargain.
Might. Xiao Chen chose not to think about it any further.
Once the ring was delivered, Jin Huang didn't linger in the VIP room. As soon as the attendant delivered the Yin-Yang Ring, he immediately slipped it onto his finger.
The silver band settled against his skin and, for the briefest instant, its intricate pattern seemed to shift. The Yin-Yang emblem flashed with a faint glimmer, so subtle that no one nearby noticed it.
Jin Huang did, though, as he stared at the ring. Then he sniffed it and his expression gradually brightened. "Wonderful."
He turned around and hurried back upstairs. By the time he returned to the VVIP chamber, Luo Ran seemed to have come to term with everything.
Luo Ran stared at him, Meng Lan closed her eyes; Xiao Chen slowly turned his masked face toward the ceiling.
For several seconds, nobody spoke. Then Luo Ran pointed at Jin Huang with a trembling finger.
"I want you to understand something, Boss. I have seen many strange things since meeting you."
He took a deep breath. "But somehow, you still manage to surprise me."
Jin Huang grinned and patted his shoulder. "That's why you need to stay by my side, Luo Ran. You'll never be bored."
"THAT IS NOT A GOOD THING!"
Xiao Chen raised one hand, cutting off their argument. "Enough. The next item is about to be presented."
His tone had changed. The short-lived humor vanished from his voice as he turned toward the auction stage.
"Pay attention, Jin Huang. Watch how they react, as well. You'll finally understand the reason I asked you to refine those pills specifically."
Jin Huang's expression shifted. "Oh?"
For the first time since returning, he looked genuinely interested in something other than the ring.
Xiao Chen nodded.
Liu Yue began her announcement. "The next item is an ancient pill. Its recipe predates almost every surviving alchemical record in the Netherworld. Even the Pill Tower has been unable to decipher the original formula in its entirety."
Xiao Chen added, "Yet you managed to refine it."
Jin Huang scratched his cheek. "Was that the one with the funny-looking ingredients? Or the one that smelled like cake?"
"...The latter." Xiao Chen said in a soft voice.
"Oh. That one was easy. Hardest part about refining it was forcing myself to not eat it. Ha!"
Xiao Chen fell silent. Meng Lan slowly turned her head toward him. Luo Ran looked as though he had just been struck by a bolt of lightning.
Easy? A pill recipe so ancient that the world's foremost alchemical institution couldn't decipher it was easy?
Xiao Chen drew a long breath. "Let's just watch the auction."
The lights dimmed once more.
Liu Yue and Liu Ning had returned to the center of the stage, their expressions noticeably more serious than before.
Behind them, several attendants carried a jade-colored display case.
Unlike the earlier treasures, this case was surrounded by layers of protective formations. Runes revolved around its surface, while a translucent barrier shimmered over the lid.
Even before the case was opened, a faint fragrance drifted through the hall.
It was neither floral nor medicinal. It carried a strange, indescribable quality that made those who inhaled it feel as though their minds had briefly become clearer.
Several cultivators straightened in their seats.
An elderly man in one of the VIP rooms suddenly opened his eyes.
In another chamber, a woman who had been meditating for the entire auction lifted her head.
Even some of the guests who had been discussing other matters fell silent. Something about the fragrance stirred a deep instinct within them.
Liu Ning placed one hand upon the case. With a fluid motion, the lid opened. Inside rested a single pill.
It was round and smooth, with a pale golden surface that seemed almost translucent. Fine patterns spiraled across it, forming countless interwoven lines that vanished and reappeared whenever the viewing angle changed.
Three faint halos hovered around the pill. The entire case seemed to glow with a soft, golden radiance.
Liu Yue spoke slowly. "Behold! The Soul-Returning Miracle Pill. Thought to be impossible to refine- lost to the ages!"
The hall fell completely silent. Then a voice erupted from one of the private rooms.
"Impossible!"
An elderly cultivator stood abruptly, his eyes fixed upon the stage. "The Soul-Returning Miracle Pill? Surely that name is a fabrication!"
Another voice followed. "Not necessarily! There are records of an ancient pill bearing that name!"
"But the recipe was lost!"
"Lost? The Pill Tower itself declared that its surviving records were incomplete!"
The murmurs spread, growing louder by the second. Liu Ning waited patiently before continuing.
"The original recipe is so ancient that even our most knowledgeable alchemists have been unable to reconstruct every part of it. Its exact origins remain uncertain, and we cannot guarantee that every legend associated with it is true."
She raised a hand, allowing the protective barrier to shimmer.
"However, our examination has confirmed that this pill possesses remarkable soul-nourishing properties. Its effects are especially pronounced in cultivators whose spiritual foundations have been damaged or weakened."
A ripple passed through the crowd. For ordinary cultivators, a pill capable of nourishing the soul was already valuable.
For powerful cultivators who had lived through countless battles, suffered spiritual injuries, or reached a bottleneck that ordinary medicine could not overcome, such a pill could be priceless.
And that was before considering the legends.
Some ancient accounts claimed that the Soul-Returning Miracle Pill could restore a severely weakened soul, stabilize a fragmented spiritual foundation, and even give someone who had suffered a devastating spiritual injury another chance to recover.
However, if the pill's confirmed properties were already enough to ignite a bidding war, what Liu Yue said next was enough to lead a World War of bidding.
Liu Yue smiled faintly, "Furthermore, after extensive tests, we can say that this pill has an ever greater effect. As long as one takes this within a certain time... even Death can be negated!"
"Without further ado... the starting bid is one billion dao stones!"
For a heartbeat, nobody spoke. They were far too shocked. Then, breaking the silence, those VVIP guests that had been silent till now came to life.
"Two billion!"
"Three billion!"
"Five billion!"
The bids rose almost immediately. But unlike the earlier items, the competition did not come solely from wealthy clans and sects. Several VVIP chambers had lit up at once.
A moment later, another indicator flashed. "Eight billion!"
The hall erupted.
Luo Ran stared at the numbers in disbelief. "It's already worth far more than the ring!"
Jin Huang leaned back in his chair as he fiddled with the Yin-Yang Ring, absently speaking. "Naturally. This Emperor's pills are far beyond anything the Three Realms have ever... seen..."
Jin Huang seemed confused as to why he said what he did. The others were used to it and treated it as hot air.
Xiao Chen slowly turned his head. "Keep in mind that your alchemy fees will be deducted from whatever money your pills make."
Jin Huang's smile vanished. "You're a cruel man, Xiao Chen."
"Three billion dao stones just for that ring?" Xiao Chen reminded him.
Jin Huang immediately turned back toward the stage. "Wonderful pill! Magnificent pill! May it sell for an even greater price!"
Luo Ran covered his face. 'This man is beyond saving.'