Chapter 351: Masters Like Clouds

Ye Liuyun went to the auction this time, taking only Qiong Qi and Long Ximeng. The others were all stored in his Storage Ring.

Even just from the treasures Li Ge Zhu mentioned, Ye Liuyun could guess that the participants' realms would not be low. So he didn't even unleash Lei Ming.

On the morning of the auction, the three of them put on masks, changed into black robes, and hurried early to Tianyu Lou.

Wu Qingcheng also gave Long Ximeng a treasure that shields realm and aura, so she wouldn't expose her Monster Beast identity. Ye Liuyun also noticed Long Ximeng's Soul was not very strong, so he gave her a holy artifact that can defend against Spiritual Soul Attacks, lest he be unable to protect her if a fight broke out.

The auction hall indeed was filled with masters like clouds; many of the entrants were Heavenly Gang Realm strongmen. There were even a few transformed Heavenly Gang Realm Sea Demons, all attending the auction.

Ye Liuyun reserved a private room on the second floor of the auction, directly opposite the auction stage. It could be called the best spot. Moreover, the rooms all have protective Formations that block Divine Sense from probing in, yet do not hinder him from sending Divine Sense outward to scout others.

Not long after, a skinny old man reached Ye Liuyun's private room but was stopped by the Tianyu Lou guards outside. Ye Liuyun didn't recognize the old man, but as soon as he spoke, Ye Liuyun realized he was Ge Lao.

"Ge Lao? Is that you?" Ye Liuyun communicated with him via Divine Sense.

"It's me! You told me to conceal my identity, so I refined a disguise pill!" Ge Lao replied.

Ye Liuyun immediately invited him in, then examined him repeatedly. "That disguise pill is truly marvelous— it can make a person change completely!"

"Hehe, you haven't seen what I am! The transformation process is a bit painful!"

Ge Lao smiled, seeing Ye Liuyun and the others' attire, and couldn't help asking, "What good items are you planning to buy, making it so cautious?"

"Here's the auction list; please have a seat."

Ye Liuyun ushered Ge Lao to sit, briefly introduced Qiong Qi and Long Ximeng to him, and then the group began studying the auction list.

"Heart of the Ocean! Twin Ghost Hand Lotus? And the Soul-Returning Pill? Nine-Tail Herb…" Ge Lao exclaimed while reading.

"So many good items? The money I brought is still short! Compared to that, the Floating Pill I brought isn't that valuable!"

Ge Lao brought ten billion mid‑grade Crystal Stones. Alchemists are usually affluent, so this time he almost brought his coffin fund, intending to buy some good items to take home. Yet when he saw the items on the list, he couldn't help worrying; the things there were all too rare and precious.

While they were studying useful items, Mingshe suddenly alerted Ye Liuyun, who sensed that Holy Son and others had arrived. Ye Liuyun also saw them approach a private room on the far side of the second floor. His Divine Sense kept watching the people entering each private room.

The crowd inside kept growing; even the seats on the first floor were filled with many Heavenly Gang Realm strongmen. Throughout the auction hall, there was almost no Martial Cultivator of Sea Transformation realm; the lowest cultivators were at the Yuan Dan Realm.

"If you win a good item, taking it away is really not easy!" Ye Liuyun sighed.

Ge Lao was only at the Yuan Dan Realm; he looked outward, feeling the pressure of the Heavenly Gang Realm strongmen outside, and grew uneasy. He then lowered his own goals, no longer eyeing the top‑tier materials. Those items, not only could he not afford them, even if he could, he couldn't take them away.

Actually Ye Liuyun's sigh earlier was a reminder to him. Seeing Ge Lao pragmatically lower his goals without being dazzled by the fine items, Ye Liuyun couldn't help feeling quiet admiration.

Long Ximeng, after scanning around, fixed her gaze on the True Dragon Reverse Scale, but then withdrew it. She knew she definitely couldn't afford it, and hadn't expected Ye Liuyun to bid for her.

Qiong Qi bluntly told Ye Liuyun, "Bid for the Soul-Returning Pill and the Fiery Cloud Fire Crystal for me; I won't compete with you for the Golden Crow Holy Fire!"

Ge Lao's mouth twitched as he said, "This Soul-Returning Pill can help those reborn or possessing others quickly restore their past‑life Divine Soul Power! Given its rarity, the starting bid is probably tens of billions of mid‑grade Crystal Stones!"

Ye Liuyun merely nodded slightly, kept looking at the list, and gave no response to Ge Lao's words. Qiong Qi was unbothered as well. He knew Ye Liuyun's temperament and was sure he would bid it for him.

At this moment, the auction hall was packed. Twenty Heavenly Gang Realm strongmen emerged from the backstage, lining up on both sides of the auction stage.

A white‑haired old man, radiant, stepped onto the auction stage. The aura emanating from him instantly stunned the entire venue.

"The Tian Gang Liu Chong realm! This Tianyu Lou really has grand ambitions. With such strongmen present, probably no one dares cause trouble here!"

At that moment, the entire auction hall fell silent, all amazed by the old man's realm.

"I, the old Xu Dongyun, am the host of this auction and extend a modest welcome to the distinguished guests. When the auction proceeds, please observe the rules of Tianyu Lou."

He bowed with clasped fists to the audience, then said, "I shall not waste anyone's time any longer; today's auction begins at once! The first item is a spiritual artifact, the Fire Cloud Gun!"

Xu Dongyun's words caused the audience below to immediately boil with excitement.

"Tianyu Lou really has grand ambitions! Opening with a spiritual artifact!"

"Today will really broaden our horizons; there must be even better items later!"

The crowd below began to chatter.

Xu Dongyun smiled satisfactorily, raised his voice and said, "The spiritual artifact Fire Cloud Gun suits Martial Cultivators of fire‑type techniques. Starting bid is ten billion mid‑grade Crystal Stones, with each raise no less than ten million mid‑grade Crystal Stones. Everyone, place your bids!"

Ge Lao swallowed, not knowing what to say! Starting at ten billion mid‑grade Crystal Stones, the auction's baseline was way too high!

"Ha ha, a spiritual artifact, only a billion; I'll buy it to play with my little brats! I bid eleven billion!"

"You country bumpkin, eleven billion is like taking the artifact; I bid twelve billion…"

"Fifteen billion!" Before the man could finish, someone instantly raised by three hundred million mid‑grade Crystal Stones.

Ge Lao, irritated, said, "There are damn many rich people! It's as if they don't treat Crystal Stones as money!"

The audience below erupted in continuous gasps of amazement.

Such a high‑spec opening instantly froze many who didn't have many Crystal Stones.

Moreover, the crowd kept raising bids; by now the price had reached twenty billion mid‑grade Crystal Stones.

Ye Liuyun, however, said to Ge Lao, "Actually, a handy spiritual artifact isn't expensive even at tens of billions of Crystal Stones!"

Ge Lao also nodded. "That's true. There are just too many rich people here!"

The few of them chatted in the private room, while the Fire Cloud Gun outside was eventually sold for thirty‑five billion.

The auction hall's atmosphere, after this round of action, instantly became lively.

Next came the items affordable to most, but after the Fire Cloud Gun's influence, their prices naturally rose considerably.

"Tianyu Lou really knows how to stir the atmosphere! The upcoming items are all priced much higher." Ye Liuyun and Ge Lao chatted idly.

Ge Lao, seeing several medicinal herbs, also bid cautiously, and indeed won two of them.

Gradually, as the crowd became more rational, Tianyu Lou began unveiling heavyweight treasures.