Chapter 455: Clear Heart and Stabilizing Spirit Bell (Two-in-one chapter, as usual asking for all)

The middle-aged auctioneer snatched the red cloth off the tray, revealing a miniature five-colored bronze bell the size of an adult's fist, faintly emitting a five-colored glow.

"This is a Strange Treasure—the Clear Heart and Stabilizing Spirit Bell. It has two functions: first, it can perform Qingxin Ninghen, slowing the rate of Mental Power consumption during cultivation and increasing cultivation time; second, it has miraculous effects in resisting mental-type attacks. The starting bid is 60,000 Soul Crystals, with each increment no less than 1,000 Soul Crystals. Begin!"

Just like the Spirit Essence of the Bi Fang, the Clear Heart and Stabilizing Spirit Bell had very few suitable users.

For instance, the benefit of increasing cultivation time was not applicable to the vast majority of Monster Tamers; unless their Demon Pets could keep pace with their cultivation progress, they could simply use a slow and steady approach to temper their Mental Power to perfection.

To put it simply, it was suitable for monstrous geniuses.

Li Zhangsheng fell into this category; apart from the two cats and the Giant Whale Kun, his other official Demon Pets had all advanced to the Leader rank, already satisfying the most important condition for advancing to the Fifth Rank.

Unfortunately, Li Zhangsheng's Mental Power did not meet the standard; even with the assistance of the Third-Grade Star Palace Lotus Platform, it would still take four or five months to meet the requirements.

The Clear Heart and Stabilizing Spirit Bell could effectively shorten this process, though the specific effect would only be known after trying it.

As for the second function, it was also a "chicken rib" (tasteless to eat, but a pity to discard) for most Monster Tamers. During battle, Monster Tamers generally sat in the rear, remotely commanding their Demon Pets to fight, and rarely encountered attacks, especially mental-type ones.

Compared to the starting bid of 60,000, the Clear Heart and Stabilizing Spirit Bell seemed quite redundant; in the eyes of most Monster Tamers, rather than spending a fortune to acquire it, it was better used to improve the strength of their Demon Pets.

61,000 Soul Crystals!

62,000 Soul Crystals!

Without surprise, the number of buyers participating in the auction could be described as minuscule, and the momentum was extremely slow, even worse than the Bi Fang Spirit Essence.

For the first time, Li Zhangsheng picked up the bidding device and entered a string of numbers.

63,000 Soul Crystals!

Given the low number of participants, Li Zhangsheng did not enter a jump-style price like Dou Yuanhua; instead, he chose to go with the flow, adding one thousand at a time until all other participants gave up.

From beginning to end, Dou Yuanhua had no intention of participating. He was not Li Zhangsheng; his Demon Pets' progress speed did not match his own cultivation speed, so naturally, he had no desire to spend money unnecessarily. Moreover, his main target was still the Bronze Dragon cub.

The middle-aged auctioneer naturally knew that Li Zhangsheng was in VIP Room No. 2, but since this was not an ordinary auction item, even if he wanted to help, he did not want to ruin the auction house's reputation.

Under these circumstances, the price of the Clear Heart and Stabilizing Spirit Bell rose slowly, with only VIP Room No. 4 chasing after Li Zhangsheng.

The owner of VIP Room No. 4 might also be a monster, or perhaps they had other purposes, but logically speaking, the former was far more likely than the latter.

Li Zhangsheng prepared to inquire about the other party's background after the auction ended.

70,000 Soul Crystals!

Li Zhangsheng flicked his finger; there was no reason for him to give up on a Strange Treasure that had such powerful effects on his cultivation.

"70,000 Soul Crystals for the first time, 70,000 Soul Crystals for the second time... 70,000 Soul Crystals for the third time. Congratulations to our friend in VIP Room No. 2 for successfully winning the Clear Heart and Stabilizing Spirit Bell!"

After repeating it three times, the middle-aged auctioneer struck the wooden gavel in his hand, announcing the ownership of the Clear Heart and Stabilizing Spirit Bell.

In VIP Room No. 2, Li Zhangsheng revealed a smile, waiting for the staff to deliver the Clear Heart and Stabilizing Spirit Bell.

"Next, we invite the sixth finale item, which is also the final finale item!"

It was also at this moment that the auction finally reached its most exciting point. As the lifting platform rose slowly, Li Xinfu, who was serving as the Commander of the guards, personally stepped onto the stage and pushed out a metal cage covered by a red cloth.

"Everyone present surely knows that this is an unknown Quasi-God Sprite cub. Now is the time to reveal the answer. I believe everyone is very expectant. Let us see what kind of Quasi-God Sprite cub this is."

The middle-aged auctioneer could not hide the excitement on his face; even he had not been informed in advance what kind of Quasi-God Sprite cub this was, so naturally, he was full of anticipation.

The next moment, the middle-aged auctioneer snatched the red cloth away, and a three-meter-long Bronze Dragon cub appeared in everyone's sight.

On the huge Obsidian Screen, the data of the Bronze Dragon cub appeared, which naturally did not include the information about its congenital deficiency.

【Sprite Name】: Bronze Dragon (Infancy Stage, Top-tier Exotic Beast)

【Sprite Realm】: Lower Rank 1st Tier

【Sprite Race】: Medium Monarch

【Sprite Quality】: Superior Quality

【Sprite Bloodline】: Ancestral Bronze Dragon (Sparse)

【Sprite Attribute】: Gold + Water

【Sprite Status】: Healthy

【Sprite Weakness】: Fire, Earth

The moment they saw the Bronze Dragon cub, the buyers who had been looking forward to it instantly boiled over, their eyes filled with heat and Greed.

Among Quasi-God Sprites, the most popular ones were dragons.

Dragons did not have major flaws, were tough and durable, could fight at both long and short range, had a majestic and powerful appearance, and possessed the highly cost-effective Dragon Might trait; these were all reasons why they were so popular.

Additionally, Bronze Dragons were excellent swimmers; their speed in water was not much slower than that of Black Dragons, making them mounts that could travel by sea, land, and air.

In VIP Room No. 2, Dou Yuanhua stood up directly from his seat, a rare hint of excitement appearing on his face.

The Sprite Egg Shop in the Ye City Trading Market had three Quasi-God Sprite eggs, all of which were marked with astronomical prices; the price of one million Soul Crystals was clearly on the high side, but there would still be people buying them.

Even if Dou Yuanhua had such financial resources, it would certainly cost him dearly, so he would naturally not do such an irrational thing.

However, Quasi-God Sprite eggs also had advantages, namely the chance to hatch a Quasi-God Sprite of top-tier quality, though the probability was minuscule.

Of course, the flaws of Sprite eggs were also very obvious, as there was a possibility of hatching failure or them turning into a Dead Egg.

At this time, Li Xinfu specifically whispered something to the middle-aged auctioneer.

The middle-aged auctioneer showed a look of disappointment, but finally spoke: "Before the auction, I must first remind everyone that this Bronze Dragon is slightly smaller than a typical Bronze Dragon cub. Our proprietor suspects it has a congenital deficiency. To avoid damaging the auction house's reputation, the starting bid for this Bronze Dragon cub has been temporarily lowered to 200,000 Soul Crystals, with each increment no less than 10,000!"

The original starting bid for the Bronze Dragon was 300,000 Soul Crystals, and now it had dropped by one hundred thousand at once. Since the auctioneer's performance was linked to the final price of the items, this was the reason for the middle-aged auctioneer's disappointment.

As for why the flaw of the Bronze Dragon's congenital deficiency was revealed, Li Zhangsheng was mainly considering the long term; after all, those who could bid for the Bronze Dragon cub were either rich or noble, and often possessed powerful influence.

Of course, Li Zhangsheng could not sell his soul for Soul Crystals.

Congenital deficiency!

Upon hearing this term, as if doused with cold water, the buyers' excitement immediately diminished by three parts.

"This is only a suspicion, which means this Bronze Dragon cub might not have a congenital deficiency. Moreover, there is no way to detect whether a Sprite has a congenital deficiency."

At this time, many buyers started thinking again, turning even more heated; after all, such a starting price was truly too low for a Bronze Dragon cub.

An adult Bronze Dragon was worth about 300,000 to 400,000 Soul Crystals. If it were a Bronze Dragon in the Growth Stage, its value would be higher, and the most valuable was the Bronze Dragon in the Infancy Stage, worth over 500,000.

Price fluctuations at different periods are mainly related to potential; like this Bronze Dragon cub still in its Infancy Stage, it is undoubtedly at its peak price, and normally, one would likely need 500,000 Soul Crystals to secure it.

Now the starting price is only 200,000, which naturally makes them feel very tempted.

However, the vast majority of buyers present can only watch longingly; there is no help for it, they do not have that many Soul Crystals, yet they are unwilling to leave, wanting to record this scene to serve as a talking point for the future.

As for what high price the Bronze Dragon cub will eventually fetch, it will only be revealed at the very end.

At this moment, the auction for the Bronze Dragon cub finally begins.

Due to the advance publicity by the Starry Sky Auction House, some interested factions or Stronger individuals naturally prepared large quantities of Soul Crystals in advance, and they are all big shots in the VIP rooms.

The moment the auction started, these big shots could not wait to make their moves, causing the price of the Bronze Dragon cub to climb step by step.

The significance of a Quasi-God is extraordinary; once successfully captured, it is equivalent to a Lord-level Demon Pet, and there is also a certain possibility of it becoming a Demon Beast.

210,000!

220,000!

250,000

Consequently, during the bidding, these big shots were almost blinded by bloodlust, continuously inputting a series of numbers into their bidding devices.

In just a few moments, with the contention among the many big shots, the price of the Bronze Dragon cub directly reached 300,000, and the rate of increase showed no signs of weakening at all.

The remaining buyers could only act as onlookers, watching the numbers climb rapidly, while feeling extremely envious of the seller who consigned the Bronze Dragon cub; after all, this is a resource that most Monster Tamers could never obtain in their entire lives.

In VIP Room Number Two, watching the numbers on the Obsidian Screen grow rapidly like a snowball, Li Zhangsheng felt overjoyed.

After the auction ends, the reputation of the Starry Sky Auction House will surely rise to a new level, and no one will be able to stop the Starry Sky Auction House from becoming one of the top ten auction houses in Yuan Province.

By that time, more and more Monster Tamers will become clients of the Starry Sky Auction House, whether as buyers or sellers; this can be said to be a virtuous cycle.

Dou Yuanhua did not participate in the bidding immediately, but instead looked at Li Zhangsheng with confusion and asked: "Brother Li, is the Bronze Dragon cub really congenitally deficient?"

"Yes, both in body size and physical constitution, it is inferior to an ordinary Bronze Dragon cub!"

Li Zhangsheng chose to tell the truth; he had no need to lie to Dou Yuanhua, and being held in resentment by Dou Yuanhua would not be a good thing.

Dou Yuanhua's status was, after all, plain to see; it was best not to offend him if possible.

"I see!"

Dou Yuanhua pondered for a moment, but he still picked up the bidding device and entered a string of numbers.

400,000 Soul Crystals!

Dou Yuanhua was still his old self, raising the price by a notch all at once.

Unfortunately, this seemed unable to extinguish the enthusiasm of the buyers.

After a pause of a few breaths, VIP Room Number Four continued to raise the price.

Watching the bidding price of the Bronze Dragon cub still growing rapidly, countless buyers were left dumbfounded; the middle-aged auctioneer had clearly said the Bronze Dragon cub might be congenitally deficient, so why were they still so crazy.

The reason for this was mainly the influence of the auction house's fanatical atmosphere, which is also the main reason why auction items often far exceed their market price.

The bidding price of the Bronze Dragon cub continued to grow, but the rate of increase became very slow, giving people the feeling that it was nearing its limit.

Looking at the constantly changing numbers on the screen, many people felt their nerves had become numb.

450,000!

This time, it was again VIP Room Number Four that made the bid; Dou Yuanhua's chest heaved, he picked up the bidding device and put it down again, finally turning it into a sigh as he put the bidding device down, giving up the opportunity to continue bidding.

Such a price had already exceeded Dou Yuanhua's tolerance range, mainly due to the congenital deficiency; otherwise, he would have continued to bid.

"The friend in VIP Room Number Four has bid 450,000; are there any other friends who will bid a higher price? This is a Bronze Dragon cub, after all; it is very difficult for you to see a second one in an auction house."

Seeing that the numbers on the Obsidian Screen were no longer moving, the middle-aged auctioneer had to step out and use his words to entice the buyers to raise the price.

460,000!

Perhaps the middle-aged auctioneer's words had an effect; the numbers on the Obsidian Screen finally jumped once.

This time it paused for a long while, and just as the middle-aged auctioneer was about to start counting, the Obsidian Screen moved again.

470,000!

After about a minute, seeing that the numbers above were no longer jumping, the middle-aged auctioneer had to start counting.

"470,000 once, 470,000 twice... 470,000 three times! Congratulations to the friend in VIP Room Number Four for successfully winning the Bronze Dragon cub; please come to the backstage to complete the transaction!"

The Bronze Dragon cub was too precious; the middle-aged auctioneer did not dare to send it directly to VIP Room Number Four and had to complete the transaction under the protection of guards.

Additionally, the transaction price of 470,000 also set the highest auction price in Langya Kingdom in recent decades.

When the door of VIP Room Number Four opened, it immediately attracted many people's gazes, among which there were naturally no lack of greedy ones.

This was a young man of about 25 years old, with a handsome appearance, an upright posture, eyes as sharp as an eagle's, and wearing a green robe, giving people the feeling of a sharp sword honed from grinding.

While Li Zhangsheng was observing, Dou Yuanhua, who was to the side, suddenly said: "So it is Liu Xuguang!"

Upon hearing this name, Li Zhangsheng immediately thought of the rankings of Langya Kingdom.

Liu Xuguang is the number one person on the Hidden Dragon Ranking and is ranked 89th on the Langya Kingdom Combat Power Ranking; he is also the only Fifth Rank on this list. His strength is outstanding, his battle record is brilliant, and he has many times defeated Sixth-Rank Experts while being of a lower rank.

Li Zhangsheng shook his head; although his strength had been skyrocketing recently, to be honest, he was not confident in defeating Liu Xuguang head-on.

The current Li Zhangsheng was at best on par with Cai Yangqian, and compared to Liu Xuguang, Cai Yangqian was clearly a notch lower.

Additionally, Liu Xuguang was also a direct descendant of the Langya Liu Clan; with the power and strength behind him, naturally, no one dared to have designs on him.

"Brother Li, after this parting, I fear we will meet next at the Exchange Tournament. One last reminder: my third brother is a jealous person with ruthless methods; you must be careful. If you need help, you can come find me at any time!"

"Many thanks for the reminder, Brother Dou!"

Li Zhangsheng kept these words in his heart and cupped his hands to bid farewell to Dou Yuanhua.

After Dou Yuanhua left, Li Zhangsheng returned to the Academy, but before he could reach the Number One Courtyard, he vaguely felt a Pressure.

(End of this chapter)