Chapter 1506 - Starfall Jade

When the Spirit Clan man learned that Liu Wuxie was the Feather Emperor's heir, the hostility on his face dissolved completely. Liu Wuxie even offered to return the Earth-Binding Chains to the Spirit Clan, and that gesture only deepened his gratitude.

If someone else had taken the Earth-Binding Chains, they might never have been willing to return such a treasure. Liu Wuxie honored his promise instead, and that integrity alone won the Spirit Clan man's respect.

After both sides made their introductions, Liu Wuxie learned that the Spirit Clan's man's name was Achiel and that Achiel held a high status within the Spirit Clan. His capture had been nothing more than an unfortunate coincidence, since the place where the Spirit Clan resided rarely saw any human presence.

Achiel had gone out with a few members of the Spirit Clan to handle some business when they had run into the Black Crow Clan, and a battle had erupted between them. In the chaos, Achiel was separated from his companions and stumbled into several cultivators from the Spirit Martial Astral Domain, who captured him and sold him to the Skybrim Pavilion.

Since the Spirit Clan member was a cultivator from the Spirit Martial Astral Domain, it wasn't convenient for them to sell him there.

That was why they had put him up for auction through the Skybrim Auction.

"Achiel pays his respect to the Feather Emperor," Achiel said, suddenly dropping down to his knees.

"Get up and speak. I'm not any Feather Emperor," Liu Wuxie said as he supported Achiel back to his feet.

"You have inherited the Feather Emperor's legacy and control the Earth-Binding Chains. That makes you the Feather Emperor of our Spirit Clan, and I hope that you can return to the Spirit Clan as soon as possible to help us rise again," Achiel said, refusing to stand.

Ever since the previous Feather Emperor had vanished, the Spirit Clan had continued to decline, and losing the Earth-Binding Chains had cost them the very treasure capable of restraining the Black Crow Clan.

"I'll make a trip with you to the Spirit Clan after the auction ends to return the Earth-Binding Chains," Liu Wuxie agreed.

The sales of Soul Pills had already been ongoing in the Spirit Martial Astral Domain for some time, and he also needed to inspect the situation firsthand. Recently, there was a flood of reports that many counterfeit Soul Pills had appeared in the Spirit Martial Astral Domain, affecting the Heavenly Dao Society's market.

After all, the Skyward Gate was only a distributor, and there were many decisions they couldn't make.

When Achiel heard that Liu Wuxie would go to the Spirit Clan, he finally rose to his feet, still a little tense.

"Take a seat," Liu Wuxie said, gesturing for him to sit.

The Spirit Clan's previous Feather Emperor had helped him greatly, and Liu Wuxie had no intention of subduing Achiel after buying him at the auction, much less signing a slave contract.

As everyone slowly grew familiar with one another, Achiel gradually loosened up. He found the members of the Heavenly Dao Society easygoing, unlike many cultivators who hid schemes behind smiling faces.

The auction continued and shifted into the next batch, the thirty-first to the fortieth items.

As bidding continued, the atmosphere only grew hotter.

Elder Wu Hen stepped forward with ten women behind him, presenting the next ten sets of items to everyone.

Liu Wuxie's gaze locked onto the ninth item, and he murmured, "The Starfall Jade, this is a great treasure that can repair the laws in the Heavenly Deity Monument."

While the other nine items also counted as rare treasures, he didn't even spare them a second glance. After all, only treasures that suited him mattered most.

He had fifteen million astral crystals, but that didn't mean he could afford to waste them.

All of the Heavenly Dao Society's astral crystals were in his hands, and if he spent them all, it would cause problems with operations afterward.

The various sects also began to stir restlessly, each fixing its eyes on whatever treasure caught its interest. The first item was an abyssal core that rivaled the Heaven Gaze Realm, and the moment they unveiled it, a demonic cloud surged out and smothered the entire auction hall.

"The Heavenly Gaze Realm's abyssal core! Where did the Skybrim Pavilion get it from?" The auction hall erupted into an uproar.

For countless years, the Indigo Bamboo Astral Domain hadn't seen the fall of an expert at the Heaven Gaze Realm, and the same held for the abyssal race. An abyssal core at the level of the Heaven Gaze Realm instantly drove the fourth auction round into a climax before it even truly began.

Elder Wu Hen studied the crowd's reaction, satisfaction written all over his face.

The cultivators in the common area no longer qualified to join the competition, because a Heaven Gaze Realm's abyssal core could fetch at least seven to eight hundred astral crystals. Even the laws of the Heaven Gaze Realm contained within were unbelievably precious.

Achiel’s final price of nine hundred fifty thousand astral crystals was driven by fierce competition between the Heavenly Dao Society and the Divine Alchemy Sect. Under ordinary circumstances, the price would never have reached such a level. Furthermore, as this was the first time a Spirit Clan member had been sold, there was no precedent to gauge its value.

"This is the abyssal core at the first-level Heaven Gaze Realm. The starting bid will be 200,000 astral crystals, and each increment must be no less than fifty thousand," Elder Wu Hen announced.

The starting bid itself wasn't high, but the increment had already jumped to fifty thousand.

That jump piled on even more pressure, because if the increment had stayed at 10,000, people would have bid without hesitation. But with the increment set to fifty thousand, everyone had to think twice before raising a hand.

Two bids could easily exceed one hundred thousand, since the other party could also increase beyond the minimum, and the Skybrim Pavilion naturally did this to save time. Those most tempted by the abyssal core were cultivators at the pinnacle of the Earth Immortal Realm.

If they purchased this abyssal core, they could absorb the Heaven Gaze Realm's laws within it and comprehend the Heaven Gaze Realm themselves.

"300,000!" The Divine Alchemy Sect made the first bid, catching everyone off guard.

After losing Achiel's bid, the Divine Alchemy Sect had been utterly humiliated, and they naturally needed treasures that could raise their overall strength again.

Bai Ran made the bid himself, clearly aiming to take the abyssal core for his own use. He had lingered at the pinnacle of the Earth Immortal Realm for a long time, and the abyssal core nearly made his eyes glow with greed.

The Divine Alchemy Sect's elders were filthy rich from alchemy, and their wealth even surpassed that of other sects.

"350,000!" The Scarlet Cloud Gate also placed a bid.

Elder Wu Hen didn't need to explain the abyssal core's value further, and the competition began immediately. If they could buy this abyssal core, that sect would gain another expert at the Heaven Gaze Realm.

The first-tier sects didn't lack experts at the Heaven Gaze Realm, so they naturally wouldn't compete for the abyssal core. They preferred to save their astral crystals for other uses instead.

However, for a second-tier sect, producing another powerhouse at the Heaven Gaze Realm could raise their overall strength, and that was precisely why the second-tier sects and the second-tier planets would fight for this abyssal core.

The competition turned fierce.

"400,000!" the Azure Plume Star bidded.

"450,000!" The Jianmu Star followed.

"500,000!" The Divine Alchemy Sect raised the bid again, and the price had already climbed to a staggering half a million.

The abyssal core could easily be worth more than half a million, and the price still had plenty of room to rise.

"550,000!" the Scarlet Cloud Gate called out again.

The Scarlet Cloud Gate should've withdrawn by now, yet the Azure Plume Star had already joined the bidding.

No matter what, the Scarlet Cloud Gate's foundation remained strong. Though they had ranked only after the Divine Alchemy Sect in the past, they still possessed terrifying overall strength.

To become a first-tier sect, a sect needed to produce an Immortal.

That meant every first-tier sect present had produced at least an Immortal in the past. Rumor had it that an ancient existence in the Divine Alchemy Sect had started attempting a breakthrough to the Immortal Realm, but everyone knew the leap wouldn't come easily.

After all, Immortals were rare throughout the Indigo Bamboo Astral Domain.

The Jianmu Star's planet lord refused to back down. "600,000!"

Liu Wuxie recognized him as the same person who had tried to cause trouble during the apprenticeship ceremony.

Silence settled over the Divine Alchemy Sect as the bidding stalled.

After all, 600,000 astral crystals weren't a small amount for an abyssal core, and it only increased the possibility of a breakthrough rather than guaranteeing it. If the abyssal core failed to assist a peak Earth Immortal Realm cultivator in breaking through, all the astral crystals invested would be wasted. No one was willing to take such a blind gamble.

"600,000 going at once!" Elder Wu Hen called, glancing toward the Divine Alchemy Sect.

"600,000 going twice!" Elder Wu Hen said, and once he made a third call, the bidding for this item would end.

"650,000!" The Divine Alchemy Sect finally raised the price, unwilling to lose again after suffering defeat so many times.

Their alchemy market had collapsed, and others had cut off their supply of spiritual herbs, leaving them with only one path: raise their overall strength.

The fight with the Heavenly Dao Society had already cost them dearly. They had suffered immense losses in Nightmare City and Mount Dragon City, losing over ten elders and causing their overall strength to plummet.

"700,000!" The Jianmu Star pushed again, determined to secure the abyssal core.

"Damn it!" Bai Ran cursed.

He had already reached his limit, and he had deliberated for a long time before deciding to bid again.

"Forget about it. There will be more treasures ahead, and we still have chances," urged an elder beside Bai Ran, telling him not to lose his cool.

With so many treasures still left to be auctioned, there was no need to fixate on this abyssal core.

Moreover, the abyssal core contained powerful abyssal energy, making it difficult to refine. Anyone who attempted to refine it could easily give birth to inner demons.

In the end, the Jianmu Star bought the abyssal core for 700,000 astral crystals.

The second item turned out far duller, since it was merely a secret manual. Even so, the auction continued to move steadily forward, with exchanges and undercurrents flowing among the bidders.

Without anyone realizing it, the first day ended, and the second day's morning arrived.

The fourth round lasted about six hours before the ninth item finally came up for bidding.

Aside from Liu Wuxie, many others had already set their eyes on this Starfall Jade. It served as an excellent material for forging artifacts at the Heaven Gaze Realm, and even the first-tier sects were likely to step in during this round.

Each round featured a heaven-defying treasure, and the Starfall Jade clearly stood as the prize for this one. While the abyssal core was precious, it was easier to obtain, and the target buyers were mainly in the Earth Immortal Realm.

A secret manual could count as a prize, but most major sects didn't lack them.

Artifacts carried undeniable power, and every sect employed top-notch blacksmiths, particularly after the Heavenly Dao Society introduced blacksmithing runes that could elevate an artifact’s grade.

"We'll begin the bidding for this Starfall Jade, and I believe everyone knows where it comes from. You can only find it in the outer world, and it carries powerful laws of heaven and earth, which makes it a superb material that smiths can use to forge or repair Heaven Gaze Realm artifacts," Elder Wu Hen said, pointing to the ninth item.

Though the Starfall Jade was only palm-sized, it contained powerful laws of heaven and earth.

"What a waste. Starfall Jade is a fine treasure, yet they’re acting as if you can only use it to repair Heaven Gaze Realm artifacts?" Liu Wuxie said, shaking his head.

The surrounding discussion died out as everyone held their breath.

They waited in silence for Elder Wu Hen to announce the starting bid.

"The starting bid will be at 200,000, and each increment must be no less than 50,000!" Elder Wu Hen announced.

The opening bid for the Starfall Jade wasn't high, matching the abyssal core.

"300,000!" the Divine Alchemy Sect once again called out right away.

The moment the Divine Alchemy Sect announced their bid, jeers rose from the crowd. The Divine Alchemy Sect had bid multiple times since the start of the auction, yet they had failed repeatedly, and that string of failures reduced them to a laughingstock.

Then again, the Divine Alchemy Sect's crisis stemmed from a sharp drop in income, and they couldn't afford to compete if the price rose too high.

They had already paid an exorbitant price to import spiritual herbs from other astral domains, and they didn't have many astral crystals they could mobilize. That was why they hoped to pick up bargains, only to have their faces slapped again and again.

"1,000,000!" A sudden voice tore through the auction hall, setting the price directly at one million astral crystals the instant the Divine Alchemy Sect made their bid.