Chapter 710 - 704: Ancient Token

Just as he’d expected, the Elder of the Dragon Scorpion Race went silent after Shen Haoran’s bid. Twenty million Elemental Stones was already pushing their limits. The old man’s brows knitted together, and he seemed to be hesitating.

"Twenty-three million!" But just as Shen Haoran started to relax, the old man called out another price. He then shot a cold, provocative glare toward Shen Haoran’s private room. Shen Haoran had injured their clan’s young master before; this was a debt that had to be repaid. ’There’s no way I’m letting Shen Haoran get that Tier Eight Spirit Pill this easily!’

Shen Haoran’s brow furrowed at the Elder’s new bid. Twenty million was already the highest price he could offer, and it had already surpassed the Tier Eight Spirit Pill’s actual value. ’If I go any higher,’ he thought, ’I’ll have to throw in the Seventh Grade Elixirs I have on me!’

"Haoran, why don’t we just let it go? It’s not worth over twenty million!" Lady Ya, at his side, noticed the conflicted look on his face and gently shook his arm as she spoke. She knew he had made many preparations for the final item of the auction. This Tier Eight Spirit Pill was something she had wanted on a whim. ’Compared to that,’ she thought, ’what Shen Haoran is after is much more precious!’

"Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to get this Spirit Pill for you!" Shen Haoran gently patted Lady Ya’s hand. Even though the price had already exceeded its worth, he could tell from her expression that this Spirit Pill was very important to her. Shen Haoran naturally had no reason to give up. ’As for the final grand prize,’ he thought, ’I’ll find a way to get it.’

"Ahem... Brother Leng, there’s actually no need for you to raise the price," Luo Yu chimed in, just as Shen Haoran was about to bid again. "Look at that old fool. He’s clearly not going to let you have it. Just let him win. Don’t forget, this is the City of Sin. He might have what it takes to win the item, but let’s see if he has what it takes to walk out of the City of Sin with it!"

At these words, a cold glint flashed in Shen Haoran’s eyes. He held back the bid he was about to make. Luo Yu had a point; this was the City of Sin. They could win the item, but they still had to be able to walk out with it. ’If that’s the case, I’ll just let him "safekeep" the Spirit Pill for now. I can always go and retrieve it myself later.’

When Shen Haoran stopped bidding, the Dragon Scorpion Race Elder’s face grew sullen. Shen Haoran had raised the price by several million Elemental Stones in one breath, proving he was determined to have it. The Elder had intentionally raised it by another three million just to force Shen Haoran to bid again, but now he had actually stopped. ’Has he given up on the Spirit Pill?’

"Twenty-three million going once! Twenty-three million going twice! And sold for twenty-three million! This Spirit Pill from a Tier Eight Spirit Beast goes to the Elder of the Dragon Scorpion Race!" Xue Ling announced in a clear voice as her gavel came down.

Having won the Spirit Pill from the Tier Eight Spirit Beast, the Dragon Scorpion Race Elder looked as though he had just swallowed a bug. Spending twenty-three million on a Tier Eight Spirit Pill was a huge loss. He had a more important task to accomplish on this trip; he had only meant to vex Shen Haoran, but he had ended up vexing himself.

"Hmph! Sooner or later, I will settle this score!" With the outcome set in stone, the Elder couldn’t say anything more. All he could do was heap all his resentment onto Shen Haoran.

The auction continued. The items that followed were no less valuable than the Tier Eight Spirit Pill, with each selling for tens of millions of Elemental Stones, leaving Shen Haoran clicking his tongue in amazement. Among them was even a scroll containing an Earth Tier High Level Martial Skill. A bidding frenzy erupted over it, and it was ultimately won by the lone wolf, Su Chi, for the high price of eighty million. The crowd could only sigh in resignation. Eighty million was an astronomical figure; even the Underground Boxing Market might not be able to come up with that much at once.

Listening to the fervent bidding, Shen Haoran couldn’t resist joining in a few times, but his bids were quickly overwhelmed by others. Remembering his tight finances, Shen Haoran could only suppress the impulse to continue bidding.

Thankfully, it wasn’t long before the auction finally reached its end, because the grand finale item was about to be presented.

A Maid carried in a translucent crystal box. An ancient-looking Token hovered inside it. A faint cyan light emanated from the Token, shining upon the crystal box and making it look like a verdant green gemstone.

Shen Haoran stared intently at the ancient Token. Complex, winding patterns covered its entire surface, and profound runes were inscribed on both the front and back. Just staring at it for a single second was enough to make one feel dizzy and disoriented.

As he gazed at the ancient Token, Shen Haoran’s body began to tremble slightly with excitement. ’That’s it,’ he thought. ’It’s identical to the two Tokens in my Sea of Consciousness!’ Not only that, but the gold and yellow Tokens in his Sea of Consciousness seemed to sense their companion’s aura and began to hum, causing his Sea of Consciousness to churn. Even the Wood Spirit Cyan Profound in his Primordial Small World began to dance about gleefully, seeming utterly ecstatic.

For the final grand prize, the auctioneer was replaced by an Elder from the Ten thousand Snakes Cave; Xue Ling stood motionless to the side like a puppet. "This auction item," the Elder announced, "was brought out by the Ten Thousand Snakes Cave with great reluctance. This Token is definitely from the Ancient Era, or perhaps an even more distant age. However, we do not know what its purpose is, so we decided to bring it out and give it to a fated owner. This Token has no starting bid. Everyone, offer a price that you believe is worthy of this Token. As long as the Ten Thousand Snakes Cave is satisfied, it’s yours!"

After the Ten Thousand Snakes Cave Elder finished speaking, the entire audience broke out into whispers. A long moment passed without a single bid. It seemed everyone was discussing the Token’s value.

"How about one Elemental Stone?" a voice called out after a moment, instantly drawing a roar of laughter from the hall.

"I must say, you people from the Ten Thousand Snakes Cave really know how to play games," declared the Martial Artist who had made the bid. "If this Token were really from the Ancient Era or an even older time, would you bear to part with it and put it up for auction? And even if it is authentic, if a power like the Ten Thousand Snakes Cave can’t unravel its secrets, what hope do we have? If you ask me what it’s worth, I’d say it’s worth exactly one Elemental Stone." The other Martial Artists around him nodded in agreement. Items from the Ancient Era were certainly alluring, but getting one’s hands on something with an unknown origin could bring disaster instead of fortune. These Martial Artists weren’t about to do something so thankless.

"Does anyone have a higher price?" The Ten Thousand Snakes Cave Elder ignored the clamoring Martial Artists, his gaze sweeping over the VIP rooms instead. ’The ones sitting there are the real stars of today’s show!’

"I bid... eighty million!" After a moment, a low voice called out, instantly drawing everyone’s attention. They were all very curious which sucker was about to take the bait...