Chapter 195: Beyond Expectations

The black banner selling for seven hundred thousand taels ignited a considerable frenzy in the auction.

When all was said and done.

Something of little inherent value had fetched such a high price, prompting many to exclaim, "What fools, throwing away their money!"

Those not of the unorthodox sects wouldn’t understand the importance of a black banner.

Of course.

Even among those sects, seven hundred thousand taels was an exorbitant sum.

In reality.

When such sects vied for a black banner, bids in the low hundreds of thousands were typical.

The subsequent surge to six or seven hundred thousand taels was largely due to the Sky Yin Sect Master’s impulsiveness.

A significant overpayment.

Shen Changqing, however, remained unconcerned.

After all, he earned money to spend it, and how he spent it was his own business.

As long as it enhanced his strength, no expense was too great.

Subsequently.

New items appeared on the auction stage.

But even the most precious among them couldn’t reach the heights of seven hundred thousand taels.

As time passed.

The atmosphere in the arena grew increasingly serious.

Everyone knew that the auction was nearing its end.

Most had come for the three Grandmaster martial arts.

And judging by the current momentum, those were clearly the headline items.

Soon.

After a treasure was snatched up for eighty thousand taels, a maid carried a wooden box onto the stage.

Warden No. 2’s smile vanished, replaced by a solemn expression.

He accepted the box and opened it before the crowd.

Inside.

Lay a book of moderate thickness.

All eyes immediately locked onto it.

"Ahem!"

Clearing his throat, Warden No. 2 spoke in a clear voice.

"I believe most of you are here for the Grandmaster martial arts, and so, we shall begin with the auction of the first such technique."

Buzz—

His words caused an immediate stir.

Many stared with burning desire, as if wanting to seize the martial art from the box then and there.

However.

They knew where they were, and despite their impulses, they forcibly suppressed them.

Snatching the martial art was easy.

Escaping the Yuanyang Auction House was another matter entirely.

At the same time.

The powerhouses in the wing-rooms also fixed their gaze on the Grandmaster martial art.

Warden No. 2 announced, "This martial art is called Invincible Golden Body. It is an external martial art focused on tempering the physical body and Qi and blood. If cultivated to great accomplishment, one can step into the Tiger Roar Leopard Thunder Realm.

The martial art comes from Lord Shen Changqing of the Demon Suppression Division. I believe everyone knows who Lord Shen is, so there’s no need to doubt its authenticity."

"Invincible Golden Body, starting price of fifty thousand taels, with each bid no less than one thousand taels, now—"

"Let the auction begin!"

As soon as he finished speaking.

Those who were prepared immediately began bidding.

"Sixty thousand taels!"

"One hundred thousand taels!"

"Two hundred thousand taels!"

"Three hundred thousand taels—"

In less than a few breaths, the price of Invincible Golden Body had soared to three hundred thousand taels.

Everyone was well aware of what a Grandmaster martial art was worth.

So they didn’t waste time with small increments, directly raising the price to eliminate those who couldn’t compete.

"It’s already four hundred thousand taels!"

Hearing the bidding, Shen Changqing couldn’t help but smile.

Four hundred thousand taels!

That was the floor price Ji Qu had given him after consulting.

Now, at the very beginning, Invincible Golden Body had already surged to that amount, showing just how high the final selling price would be.

As for how high.

That would depend on the specific demand.

Seeing this, Ji Qu congratulated him with cupped fists.

"Judging by the current trend, the selling price of Invincible Golden Body will not be lower than six hundred thousand taels. Lord Shen will earn quite a bit this time!"

Six hundred thousand taels!

That was just a temporary estimate.

Given the current momentum, it might not be that simple.

However.

Ji Qu didn’t want to set the bar too high, lest he lose face if it didn’t reach that level.

And in his opinion.

If Invincible Golden Body could fetch six hundred thousand taels, then the following two martial arts would likely command even higher prices.

In that case.

The combined price of the three martial arts would definitely not be lower than two million taels.

Truth be told.

Ji Qu was now somewhat envious of Shen Changqing’s good fortune.

Two million taels.

Even for the Demon Suppression Division, it was an unattainable sum for many.

"Six hundred and forty thousand taels!"

"Six hundred and fifty thousand taels!"

After someone else bid, Wu Que immediately raised the price.

The Heavenly Saber Sect’s goal was to secure Invincible Golden Body.

If he obtained an external martial art that pointed directly to the Tiger Roar Leopard Thunder Realm, he would have a good chance of breaking through to the Grandmaster Late Stage.

Soon.

The price was surpassed by others.

"Six hundred and seventy thousand taels!"

"Six hundred and eighty thousand taels!"

Wu Que bid again.

At this point, it was no longer possible to raise the price by tens or hundreds of thousands of taels. For everyone, a Grandmaster external martial art at this level was already overvalued.

But there was no choice.

Any Grandmaster martial art was available for a price but not available for purchase.

Although Grandmaster-level external martial arts on the market weren’t worth this much, no one would sell them.

Every appearance.

Was met with overpriced competition.

"It seems there are quite a few people vying for Invincible Golden Body!"

Wu Que listened to the bids around him, his expression grave.

To obtain Invincible Golden Body, he had brought a total of one million taels of silver.

Originally.

He was very confident that he could secure it.

But after the black banner’s price was driven up to seven hundred thousand taels, Wu Que realized that many of the participants in this auction were wealthy.

One million taels was a lot.

But there were likely many who could afford it.

Whether he could secure Invincible Golden Body was still an open question.

"Seven hundred thousand taels!"

From the Seven Luminaries Sect’s location, Ji Cang had placed a bid.

Ming Zhengyang said in a low voice, "Master, it seems there are quite a few people vying for Invincible Golden Body. Will we be able to obtain this martial art?"

"Hard to say."

Ji Cang shook his head, his expression calm.

Ming Zhengyang’s face showed confusion as he listened to the bids. "Why are people fighting so fiercely over a Grandmaster external martial art? Isn’t true Qi the primary focus after opening the meridians? If external martial arts are so expensive, wouldn’t internal energy techniques be even more so?"

He was puzzled.

He didn’t understand why so many people were vying for Invincible Golden Body.

Logically speaking.

External martial arts required a great deal of time for bitter cultivation, and while they were strong, they weren’t as effective as true Qi.

In Jianghu.

There were also some experts who mainly cultivated external martial arts.

At their peak, their strength was also formidable.

But once they passed their prime, their Qi and blood would gradually decline, and they couldn’t compare to internal energy.

True Qi was long-lasting.

The older one got, the more vigorous it became, and the more powerful it could be.

In this regard.

External martial arts were already inferior.

"You don’t understand. You haven’t reached that realm yet, and you won’t understand the importance of external martial arts."

Ji Cang shook his head.

Then he looked at this outstanding disciple of the Seven Luminaries Sect, smiled faintly, and offered some explanation.

"Before the Grandmaster Realm, external martial arts are indeed nothing, because at that level, they haven’t even entered the door. Only when external martial arts enter the Grandmaster Realm and the Qi and blood become vigorous, reaching the Tiger Roar Leopard Thunder level, can they be considered to have truly entered the door.

At that time, the power of external martial arts will be truly unleashed.

Moreover, with vigorous Qi and blood, reaching a state of endless vitality, there’s no such thing as Qi and blood declining after one’s prime in Jianghu.

In the past, there were Grandmasters in the Tiger Roar Leopard Thunder Realm who, even at the moment of their death, still possessed terrifying Qi and blood."

Old age and declining Qi and blood were simply because external martial arts hadn’t entered the door.

Truly initiated experts never experienced declining Qi and blood.

Ming Zhengyang’s expression faltered.

For the first time, he learned from Ji Cang about another level of external martial arts.

At this time.

Ji Cang continued, "External martial arts are an indispensable means after reaching the Grandmaster Realm. Grandmasters are divided into two major systems: the mental system and the physical body system. Only those who enter either system can be considered true Grandmasters.

The internal energy and true Qi that were painstakingly cultivated before the Grandmaster Realm will no longer be above external martial arts after reaching that level."

One couldn’t understand the importance of external martial arts without reaching the Grandmaster Realm.

Ming Zhengyang seemed to understand and nodded.

"Thank you for dispelling my doubts, Master!"

While the two were talking, the price of Invincible Golden Body had risen to seven hundred and fifty thousand taels.

Compared to the black banner’s seven hundred thousand taels, Invincible Golden Body had set another new high.

However.

At this price, everyone bidding was much more cautious.

Sometimes they would only raise the price by ten thousand taels, or even just a few thousand taels each time.

After all, everyone knew that trying to scare off opponents with large bids was almost impossible.

Because so far, ninety percent of those still bidding were from various major sects.

Hundreds of thousands of taels of silver.

Any major sect could afford it.

Raising the price drastically would only lead to mutual destruction, ultimately benefiting the auction house and the seller.

"Seven hundred and sixty thousand taels!"

"Seven hundred and sixty-five thousand taels!"

"Seven hundred and seventy thousand taels!"

"Seven hundred and seventy-one thousand taels!"

Invincible Golden Body was being bid up little by little, and the rest of the crowd, acting as mere spectators, were now shocked.

Inside the wing-room of the Returning Origin Sword Sect.

Returning Origin Master’s expression wasn’t pleasant.

The price of Invincible Golden Body had caught him off guard.

An external martial art.

According to his estimation, the auction price would be, at most, five or six hundred thousand taels, but now it was about to reach eight hundred thousand taels, and there was still no sign of it stopping.

If external martial arts were already like this, Returning Origin Master could hardly imagine what level the two martial arts after it would reach.

Whether it was a martial art that pointed directly to Martial Arts True Intent or a Grandmaster internal energy technique, both were needed by the Returning Origin Sword Sect.

Therefore.

Even if it meant paying a greater price, the Returning Origin Sword Sect would have to secure one of the martial arts.

End of Chapter