One thousand Heavenly Pearls—that was the absolute lowest price for any treasure sold at tonight's grand auction.
Yet, for such a low price, many still thought it wasn't worth it, so naturally, no one competed with Chu Feng for the Child of Magma.
Thus, what was a priceless treasure in Chu Feng's eyes was easily bought by him for just one thousand Heavenly Pearls. To outsiders, Chu Feng appeared to be a fool, perhaps even sick in the head, but none knew the excitement bubbling inside him at that moment.
"Thank you, Elder."
After the auction concluded, Chu Feng finally took the Child of Magma—that wondrous object from deep within the earth—into his hands for the price of one thousand Heavenly Pearls. Looking at the fiery-red infant doll in his palm, pulsing with formidable power, Chu Feng's heart surged with excitement.
Now that he held it, he became even more certain that this Child of Magma could advance his cultivation and help him break through his bottleneck. After all, back in the Emperor's Burial, his body had already accumulated a vast amount of Heavenly Force.
"Speaking of which, they weren't entirely wrong. The Child of Magma is an ill-omened item. Do you truly wish to keep it?" Seeing Chu Feng's joyous expression, the auction elder seemed to have a pang of conscience and actually warned him.
"Rest assured, Elder. I am well aware of the Child of Magma's nature, so I didn't buy it to keep. If you must know my intentions, you could say I plan to utterly destroy it," Chu Feng replied with a smile.
"You're a Spirit World Master?" Hearing this, a flash of surprise crossed the elder's eyes. His gaze toward Chu Feng now held an extra measure of astonishment. The power contained within the Child of Magma was terrifying; unless one was a Martial King, no one could truly destroy it.
The only method to destroy it was for a Spirit World Master to construct a sealing formation and seal it. Calling it "destruction" was, in reality, just another form of sealing.
Thus, the elder assumed Chu Feng must be a Spirit World Master. Otherwise, with Chu Feng's cultivation, he would have no means of destroying the Child of Magma.
And Spirit World Masters were a prestigious profession wherever they went, always held a cut above others of the same cultivation level and commanded respect.
"Junior is indeed a Spirit World Master." Chu Feng smiled. However, as Su Rou and the others were waiting for him, and many people were still lined up to exchange items, he merely exchanged a few polite words with the elder before turning to leave.
"This kid... something feels off. At his age, upon seeing the Child of Magma, he should be terrified, yet he's practically ecstatic. Does he really know what this thing is?" Watching Chu Feng's retreating figure, the auction elder murmured to himself.
"Has it been sold?" Just a moment after Chu Feng left, a raspy, aged voice suddenly sounded from behind the elder.
Turning around, the auction elder's previously calm face instantly tensed. He hurriedly bowed deeply, speaking reverently, "Greetings, Lord Tai Kou!"
Before him stood an elderly man. Though his face was lined with wrinkles, his hair was entirely black. He wore the attire of a Four Seas Academy instructor but was remarkably disheveled. Most notably, he leaned on a cane, having only one leg.
"Greetings, Lord Tai Kou!!" At this moment, everyone from the Four Seas Academy present—whether elder, disciple, or instructor—bowed in deep reverence, their faces filled with expressions of awe and fear.
For this person was undeniably a towering figure within the Four Seas Academy. He was Tai Kou, the foremost among the Ten Heavenly Instructors, the one who could easily defeat the other nine with just one hand.
"I asked if it's been sold," Instructor Tai Kou said, his expression cold, the scar at the corner of his eye making him appear even more fearsome.
The sight left the auction elder panicked and uneasy. Not daring to delay, he hurriedly replied, "My Lord, it has been sold."
"Oh?" Upon hearing this, the cold demeanor on Tai Kou's face shifted slightly. He then asked, "Did someone truly buy my Child of Magma for one thousand Heavenly Pearls?"
"My Lord, yes."
"Who bought it?"
"It was him. A youth named Chu Feng." The auction elder quickly flipped open the transaction ledger and presented it to Tai Kou.
"Hmm? He's not a disciple of our Four Seas Academy, nor has he applied to join?" Looking at Chu Feng's details, Tai Kou's eyes lit up.
"That's correct. This youth seems... different. There's something special about him," the auction elder said.
"Haha, interesting. This Chu Feng has a bit of flair." In a surprising turn, the typically cold Tai Kou's face actually broke into a smile. He waved his sleeve and drifted away.
Only after he departed did everyone present let out a long, relieved sigh. Tai Kou's status was simply too high, and his strength was terrifying. He was an anomaly within the Four Seas Academy; apart from the Dean and a few presiding elders, no one dared cross him.
Chu Feng and his group, of course, knew nothing of the scene at the auction. Through the power of a transmission array, they had already arrived at Yu He's territory.
Among the disciples of the Four Seas Academy, Yu He's territory was definitely quite small. However, a glance revealed small hills and a little lake—the scenery was rather pleasant. Especially noteworthy were the rows upon rows of buildings, all belonging to Yu He alone, a testament to the excellent treatment afforded to the Academy's disciples.
To welcome Chu Feng and the others, Yu He had specially prepared a sumptuous feast. Under the night sky, Chu Feng and the company drank and laughed together.
"The moon tonight is so round, so big, and so beautiful." Su Mei, who usually never drank a drop of alcohol, insisted on drinking today. Unable to hold her liquor, her sweet little face flushed like a ripe apple, and her voice became soft and coquettish, incredibly alluring.
"Little Mei, if you can't drink, then don't drink so much. You'll feel awful if you drink too much," Su Rou advised from the side.
"Sister, look who's talking! You're drinking too. Are you saying you can handle your liquor better than me? I've never seen you drink in all my life!" Su Mei said with a giggle, her breath reeking of alcohol.
"I..." Su Rou was left speechless by Su Mei's retort, not knowing how to answer.
"You two should both drink less. I never see you usually, so what's gotten into you today?" Chu Feng laughed and advised from beside them.
"Hmph." However, Chu Feng's words earned him large eye-rolls from both Su Rou and Su Mei, leaving him baffled and rather embarrassed.
"Heh, a little drink is fine. Today is the annual Moon Festival—a rare occasion indeed." Seeing Chu Feng's awkwardness, Yu He quickly chimed in to smooth things over.
PS: A belated double-update, my apologies.