The Ethereal Domains

Chapter 40: The Regeneration Ink Lotus And The Cosmic Hades

The Regeneration Ink Lotus And The Cosmic Hades . .

The auction hall erupted into a cacophony of astonished voices.

"Who on earth is this eccentric?" someone exclaimed. "Does he even understand how an auction works? He must be a wealthy madman!"

Another voice chimed in, "Well, if this lunatic has set his sights on something, none of us can hope to outbid him. He's richer than Croesus! What can we do?"

"Can we really stop him from spending his own fortune?" a third voice pondered.

Ordinarily, when noble clans found themselves facing such a situation, they might have considered resorting to forceful tactics. However, given the significance of the event they were attending, they hesitated. No one dared to take action that might provoke Cha-Eun Xiao into halting his relentless bidding.

The representative from the Long Clan shot an exasperated glare towards the 17th balcony before reluctantly settling back into his chair.

Guan Wan-Shan, the auctioneer, wore a bemused smile, acknowledging the unpredictable nature of this Master Feng's actions. Clearing his throat, he resumed his role, announcing, "For the Sky Crystal Sand, the winning bid is 500 thousand silver bars. Going once... Going twice... Third and final call. No further bids? Sold!"

With a resounding bang, the gavel came down, officially declaring Cha-Eun Xiao as the successful bidder for the Sky Crystal Sand.

All eyes remained fixated on the man in the 17th balcony, curiosity and intrigue swirling around him.

Conversations among the attendees quickly gave way to gossip.

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"He's truly an enigma," one person remarked. "You can never predict his next move."

"It's almost pointless to bid against him," another person lamented. "If he's interested, he'll just double your price without a care for the cost. It's a disgrace."

"Even if I were to challenge him after the auction," someone added, "it wouldn't salvage my reputation."

"He's giving me a pounding headache," a disgruntled voice complained.

"Where did this buffoon even come from?" a perplexed onlooker wondered aloud. "Is he some kind of aberration?"

The actions of this man were leaving a sour taste in the mouths of many attendees.

The atmosphere shifted as Guan Wan-Shan introduced the next item. "Now, for the most legendary of medicines, renowned as the rarest in the world—the Regeneration Ink Lotus! It possesses the power to heal severe ailments, and legends even suggest it can bring people back from the brink of death. Truly, it is a rare and omnipotent medicinal treasure!"

Guan Wan-Shan continued, "This particular Regeneration Ink Lotus is an astonishing three thousand years old. Its branches and leaves have already taken on a partial opalescent hue... We'll start the bidding for this extraordinary treasure at 50 thousand silver bars. Each subsequent bid must increase by a minimum of 5 thousand silver bars."

Before Guan Wan-Shan could conclude, the audience was already in an uproar once more.

A Regeneration Ink Lotus with opalescent leaves held the potential to heal even the most damaged souls of world-class cultivators. It was a marvel beyond compare.

The Regeneration Ink Lotus, a marvel in itself, had the potential to ascend to even greater heights—if it transformed into a Regeneration Jade Lotus. A single leaf from the Regeneration Jade Lotus possessed the extraordinary ability to heal a life-threatening injury of a top-tier Grade of Tianyuan cultivator in a mere second!

In this mortal world, there was simply nothing that could rival the miraculous healing power of this lotus.

As Guan Wan-Shan cast a glance toward the 17th balcony, where Cha-Eun Xiao was seated, he couldn't help but silently plead, "My lord... my dear lord... Please refrain from bidding further. It would be rather awkward if the auction were disrupted by your extravagant bids."

However, fate had other plans.

Master Feng, as always, took the initiative and declared, "250 thousand!"

A sudden onset of headache overcame Guan Wan-Shan as he pondered, "Are you absolutely mad?"

The other attendees of the auction shared his astonishment. It seemed as though this enigmatic individual was intent on acquiring every item in this world-class auction.

Following Master Feng's bid, a deafening silence engulfed the hall, akin to the collective holding of breath. People began to wonder if this eccentric was indeed attempting to secure all the auctioned items.

Master Feng's bold bid left Guan Wan-Shan befuddled, and he quietly conceded, "You've truly confounded me..."

However, a voice emerged from the 7th balcony, breaking the silence with a resolute declaration, "500 thousand!"

It was a girl's voice.

The shock that rippled through the auction hall was palpable, leaving attendees unable to discern the gender of the individual behind this determined voice. Yet, a single thought echoed through their minds: lunatics seemed to appear in pairs. This girl had now effectively doubled Master Feng's bid.

Gloating expressions emerged as attendees speculated, "Finally, he's found himself a wealthy opponent."

Cha-Eun Xiao was taken aback, but he swiftly responded with resolve, "One million!"

"One million and five hundred thousand!" The girl's unwavering determination left no room for hesitation.

"Two million!" Cha-Eun Xiao frowned, his initial delight fading rapidly. His desire to acquire this item, to plant it in his spiritual space, had become a contest of wills with this persistent girl. His once-enjoyable experience was now marred by frustration.

But the girl showed no signs of relenting. She promptly countered, "Two and a half million!"

And then, silence.

The room was so hushed that the sound of a solitary bead of sweat hitting the floor would have been audible. It was madness—a bidding war that had escalated from an opening bid of 50 thousand silver bars to a staggering 2.5 million. These two individuals were unquestionably insane.

Cha-Eun Xiao was utterly astonished that a girl could display such audacious determination.

From the 7th balcony, the girl's voice resonated once more, this time tinged with softness and melancholy. "My dear friend from the 17th balcony, please accept my apologies. I'm not opposing you intentionally. My father has been gravely ill for years, and we've exhausted all remedies until now. Today, I must obtain this Regeneration Ink Lotus, even if it depletes my entire savings. It's not a matter of opposing you."

Her words carried a gentle and poignant tone, evoking sympathy from those in the crowd. Most people understood that the blame did not lie with her.

Cha-Eun Xiao fell into a contemplative silence.

Two and a half million was an exorbitant sum, especially considering his other auction aspirations. Ultimately, he decided to halt his bidding.

The unexpected conclusion left everyone stunned. They had anticipated Cha-Eun Xiao would raise the bid to five million, yet this audacious man abruptly ceased his pursuit. It was entirely contrary to their expectations.

As the gavel struck the table, the realization set in that the individual in the 17th balcony had genuinely surrendered.

"Thank you! Thank you all!" The girl's voice, filled with gratitude and a touch of sorrow, rang out. "If my father can recover from his ailment, it will be due to your collective blessings."

Many attendees echoed her sentiments, expressing their own pleasure and goodwill.

Seated in the No.1 balcony was the girl in white, who had earlier sparred with Cha-Eun Xiao. She found herself contemplating an unexpected realization: the existence of a girl who could stand as her equal in this grand auction.

Her gaze naturally gravitated towards the No.7 balcony.

There, a girl adorned in cyan attire sat, her face partially veiled by a delicate layer of silk. Beneath that concealment, her eyes revealed none of the gentleness she had previously displayed. Instead, they exuded a sharp, icy intensity.

The girl in cyan couldn't help but ponder the implications. "Perhaps there is hope for Master's recovery," she thought as her eyes darted towards the 17th balcony. "But who is this enigmatic figure? He nearly thwarted my plans... I only brought notes totaling 3 million silver bars with me today. My intention was to secure a supreme dan bead following the Regeneration Ink Lotus, but that scheme has been dashed..."

She clenched her teeth in frustration, her thoughts filled with bitterness. "That individual has disrupted my strategy!"

Following the poignant scene of a daughter seeking to save her ailing father, the auction continued its course.

Six medicinal items took center stage, one after the other, and Cha-Eun Xiao promptly acquired each of them by doubling the starting price with his initial bid.

No one dared to challenge him, for they perceived him as an immensely wealthy eccentric. They were wary of suffering public humiliation, akin to the unfortunate individual from the Mu Clan.

As Cha-Eun Xiao emerged victorious in the bidding for most of the items, Guan Wan-Shan's countenance grew increasingly pale.

Upon closer scrutiny, however, attendees realized that Cha-Eun Xiao had secured these items at exceptionally favorable prices. He had effectively discouraged competitors through his bold opening bids, which, in retrospect, appeared quite reasonable. It was a shrewd strategy that left many attendees feeling exasperated.

One of the auction's most coveted items finally graced the stage, instantly capturing the attention of all present.

Two young attendants carefully carried a box onto the stage, and as they did, a chilling aura enveloped the surroundings. Attendees could tangibly sense the temperature plummeting, causing involuntary shivers and a palpable sense of coldness.

Guan Wan-Shan began the introduction of the next item with an air of anticipation. "The next item hails from the farthest reaches of the universe and is crafted from the enigmatic mythical metal known as the Cosmic Hades," he announced.

The moment the phrase "Cosmic Hades" echoed through the hall, understanding dawned upon the faces of the audience. This was the reason for their heightened interest.

Some individuals exchanged knowing glances. "It's finally up for auction..."

"This Cosmic Hades specimen has been emitting an intensely cold aura since its arrival in our world three thousand years ago. Within a ten-meter radius of this stone, anything and everything would be subjected to freezing temperatures," Guan Wan-Shan continued.

Upon feeling the chilling aura emanating from the stone, Cha-Eun Xiao couldn't help but tremble. He was left in a state of stunned disbelief as his inner spiritual space began to shake—a phenomenon he had never encountered before.