Bai Shengyi's guess was correct; Sun Yun was so furious her nose was twitching.
"What's wrong with these people? I announced the Sun family's name, yet they still don't show me any deference!"
"Why should they defer to you?"
Li Shiqing had heard about the eccentricities of the Sun family's third young lady before, but facing such a personality directly was somewhat difficult to accept.
She didn't understand why Murong would suddenly associate with someone like this.
Sun Yun stated matter-of-factly, "I'm a junior, a member of the Sun family, and I'm about to marry the heir of the Lou family. Besides, I'm offering such a high price... with all these reasons, do I need to say more?"
Silence fell over the private room.
However, Sun Yun seemed oblivious to the others' reactions. She even said to Jin Ruyi, "Ruyi, why don't you help Brother Qing bid as well?"
As she spoke, she jumped up as if she'd thought of a brilliant plan and declared to everyone, "I've got it! Let's all state our bids along with our family names. Perhaps when they see so many forces wanting this, they won't dare to bid!"
Another silence.
"Miss Yun's idea is quite good, but we are still participating in the academy's assessment. If we cause too much of a stir, it would be telling Ximen Hongchun that someone intends to guard against him. Moreover, they don't even give face to the Sun family, so it's unlikely they'll let go easily," Bai Murong said softly.
"Then what do you suggest we do?" Sun Yun asked with a cold哼.
Bai Murong replied with distress, "I don't have any good ideas, but I can lend all my assets to Brother Qing to help him."
As she spoke, she took out all the spirit stones from her storage pouch.
"You have over 300 high-grade spirit stones here! Hmm, Bai Shengyi, your Bai family is quite decent too," Sun Yun exclaimed.
In her impression, the Bai family was merely a small family that had produced three Golden Core cultivators, nowhere comparable to their families with deep foundations. She never expected Bai Murong to be able to produce so many items.
Sun Yun suddenly felt a pang of displeasure and pouted, "If you, an adopted daughter, have so much, wouldn't Bai Shengyi have even more?"
Suddenly asked this question, Bai Murong lowered her head guiltily, smiling gently, "I wouldn't know."
Li Shiqing glanced at Bai Murong. The guilt in her expression was so familiar and obvious.
She suddenly recalled Bai Murong mentioning forgetting to tell Bai Shengyi about the assessment challenges. Bai Murong seemed increasingly unfamiliar to her. She suspected Bai Murong had deliberately not told Bai Shengyi, and even these resources likely had a portion belonging to Bai Shengyi.
She almost couldn't resist questioning Bai Murong why.
But remembering what Chu Tianle had said, she held back.
"Sister Li, what's wrong?" Bai Murong guessed, "Do you also want this, but I only have this much spirit stones, and I already promised Brother Qing..."
"No. I just wanted to remind you that the bidding is about to end."
"1000 high-grade spirit stones for the second bid. Is there anyone else?" Fang Yao asked again with a smile, holding up her small golden hammer.
As her hammer was about to fall, Qing Bu Li finally spoke.
"1500 high-grade spirit stones!"
This significant increase of half the previous bid immediately silenced the others. While the Earth-grade mid-tier spiritual artifact was good, there were still high-grade ones to come! It wasn't worth it.
Seeing that no one else was bidding, Fang Yao brought down her hammer three times and announced, "Congratulations to this fellow daoist."
"Next is the highlight of our auction. As everyone should know, our auction house has prepared three surprises for everyone. Now, let us present the first small surprise—a seventh-grade low-grade Breakthrough Pill!"
"Whoosh!"
Countless people stood up at the announcement.
Even Bai Shengyi and Chu Tianle could not resist.
"A seventh-grade Breakthrough Pill? Does that mean it can help one break through the Golden Core stage to become a Nascent Soul cultivator?" Chu Tianle gazed at the porcelain bottle on the high platform with burning eyes, almost unable to suppress his surging excitement.
Bai Shengyi remained relatively calm, her voice filled with excitement yet restrained, "No, this is only low-grade. It only offers a thirty percent chance of breakthrough."
Breakthrough Pills were considered fifth-grade medicinal pills, meaning only fifth-grade or higher alchemists could refine them.
They did not guarantee that the user would definitely break through, but the higher the grade of the pill, the greater its efficacy. The closer it was to top-grade, the easier it was to achieve a breakthrough. For example, the top-grade fifth-grade Breakthrough Pill Bai Shengyi consumed in the illusion had been perfect.
However, most of the Breakthrough Pills circulating on the Shenqi Continent were currently fifth-grade, used for breaking through from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core. The rare sixth-grade pills, used for breakthroughs within the great Golden Core realm, were already tightly held by major powers.
Now, a seventh-grade pill meant that as long as you had spirit stones, you had a chance to become the foremost figure in Shenqi!
"That's still very good!" Luo Feihua's usually cool voice trembled slightly, clearly showing her excitement.
Feng Wuya was already peering intently at the porcelain bottle through the Shadow Life Mirror, wishing he could see the pill's appearance by piercing through the bottle.
"Seventh-grade, something I've never seen in my life, tsk tsk... But wait, doesn't Elder Mo from our academy refine Breakthrough Pills? Where did this Breakthrough Pill come from? Is it reliable?"
Feng Wuya chattered incessantly.
Clearly, he was not the only one who had this thought. Some people in the private rooms and on the viewing platforms had already begun to inquire.
Fang Yao smoothed her hair, her expression calm, and said with a smile, "Everyone need not worry. The origin of this pill is clear, and it has been appraised by Elder Mo Shuxin and Elder Mei Shuying of Zhen Dan Peak at Shenqi Academy, as well as Elder Feng Xun Guang of the Feng family, a prominent alchemical family. They have confirmed it as a seventh-grade low-grade Breakthrough Pill without a doubt."
As she finished speaking, the crowd became even more abuzz.
Who was Mo Shuxin? The continent's only seventh-grade alchemist! Mei Shuying and Feng Xun Guang were also renowned sixth-grade alchemists. With their guarantee, this pill was undoubtedly genuine!
"Now, let me show everyone this pill. It's a single pill..."
"Ah!"
A sharp scream erupted from the viewing platform. Amidst the chaos, a black figure suddenly leaped forward, attacking Fang Yao and attempting to snatch the pill from her hand.
Following closely, several more figures attacked the stage together.
"Screech... Crack!"
The protective barrier on the display table let out a piercing groan. It actually shattered under the combined attack of these individuals!
"Elder Kumoku? Venerable Netherworld?" Feng Wuya exclaimed in surprise, "These are all late-stage Golden Core powerhouses! Can the Xunzhen Auction House withstand them?"
Bai Shengyi didn't recognize the names Feng Wuya mentioned. She only saw Fang Yao wave her hand, a powerful spiritual energy light flashing. With a deafening "boom," the attackers were sent flying backward!
Then, soon, several more late-stage Golden Core cultivators appeared around the viewing platforms of the Xunzhen Auction House, quickly dragging away the troublemakers.
"Fang Yao is also late-stage Golden Core? Truly a formidable young talent," a gentle laughter came from a top private room, spoken by an old woman.
Fang Yao replied, "You flatter me, Elder Luo."
"My grandmother!" Luo Feihua stood up abruptly, "My grandmother is actually here!" She didn't even know!
"More than that, as far as I know, it seems that apart from the Chu, Li, Sun, and Lou families, no one else is absent. All other influential families are here! The royal families of the three kingdoms have also sent representatives."
Feng Wuya stared intently at the stage, his mouth not stopping, "What do you think? If I hadn't worked quickly to get my grandfather to procure an invitation, we definitely wouldn't have gotten in."
As he spoke, Fang Yao on the stage also began to speak, her face still smiling, as if completely unfazed.
"Alright, the little interlude just now was just to add some excitement. Now, let's begin the bidding. The starting bid is 500 high-grade spirit stones!"
As Fang Yao finished speaking, voices from various private rooms and viewing platforms clamored one after another, rushing to bid.
"1000 high-grade spirit stones!"
"1500!"
"My Tang family offers 3000!"
"4000!"
...
The bidding prices soared at an astonishing rate!