Sure enough, just as Jiang Chen had anticipated, the competition over the Seven-Star Cloud Gathering Talisman was absolutely fierce. In the end, the person who won the talisman turned out to be that elder from the Heavenly River Palace — a result that even Jiang Chen hadn't quite expected.
After all, among all the representatives from the first-rank sects who had attended, the one with the lowest status was that very elder from the Heavenly River Palace.
Of all the powerful figures present, it was this fellow who had persisted to the very end, snatching away the Seven-Star Cloud Gathering Talisman for a staggering six hundred million.
"They really are all wealthy beyond imagination," Jiang Chen sighed. First-rank sects were first-rank sects, after all. Controlling an entire upper domain, their accumulated wealth had to be extraordinary.
Six hundred million Sacred Spirit Stones — for a fourth-rank sect like the Pill Dao Palace, even their entire treasury combined might not come close to that sum.
The wealth gap in the martial world was laid bare for all to see.
Of course, by now, Jiang Chen had long grown numb to the depth of these people's coffers.
"The third supreme-grade treasure…"
…
"The fourth supreme-grade treasure…"
As the auction continued to progress, the third and fourth supreme-grade treasures also sparked frenzied bidding. Both ultimately changed hands at astonishing prices.
The fourth supreme-grade treasure was a visualization diagram of considerable mystery. It contained a cultivation method for divine consciousness, and in the end, it was forcefully secured by Emperor Nian.
With that, the auction of all four supreme-grade treasures was declared successfully concluded.
The happiest people weren't the wealthy bidders who had won the treasures, but the independent cultivators behind them. Watching their own treasures soar to sky-high prices, these independent cultivators were absolutely beaming with joy from the bottom of their hearts.
These treasures of theirs hadn't exactly gone untested elsewhere before. Some appraisers had simply been unable to determine their value at all, while others had drastically suppressed their worth.
But at this Dragon-Tiger Summit, Young Lord Zhen had not only uncovered the true value of their treasures, but had also maximized their returns through the auction.
How could these independent cultivators not be thrilled and filled with gratitude?
These were prices they wouldn't have dared dream of. Especially watching those wealthy tycoons bidding like mad had given them a real education in just how grand the methods and bearing of major sects could be.
That level of lavish spending would have left even those independent cultivator emperors feeling quietly dejected. Compared to these sect heavyweights, they independent emperors were positively destitute.
With the auction of the four supreme-grade treasures concluded, everyone's nerves loosened ever so slightly for a brief moment. But after that fleeting respite, many found their nerves taut once more.
Because there was still one more highlight to come!
The Pine Crane Pill!
Jiang Chen's gaze swept leisurely across the entire venue. "Everyone, after that intense round of bidding, you still have one final thing to look forward to — the Pine Crane Pill!"
"That's right. The only thing I want to make clear is this: the Pine Crane Pill cannot be mass-produced. My Peacock Sacred Mountain will not be selling Pine Crane Pills on the open market. Only those who maintain an exceptionally close personal relationship with me will be eligible to trade for one."
"So, this auction is a rare opportunity indeed."
As he spoke, Jiang Chen produced a jade box. Inside lay a single Pine Crane Pill, radiating a captivating luster and an alluring aura.
The moment the Pine Crane Pill was revealed, it released a staggering wave of life force, as though time itself had frozen in that instant — as if the flow of years were slowly reversing.
"This Pine Crane Pill can extend the lifespan of Emperor-realm and Sovereign-realm cultivators by eight hundred to one thousand years. Starting bid: five hundred million Sacred Spirit Stones!"
Jiang Chen's voice rang out, powerful and resonant, as he held the Pine Crane Pill high for all to see.
Five hundred million Sacred Spirit Stones — the highest opening bid of the entire day. Upon hearing this figure, the independent cultivator emperors who had previously joined Jiang Chen in the siege against the Asura Emperor all felt their hearts lurch. At the same time, they were overwhelmed with a sense of extreme good fortune.
They had been wise enough to accept Jiang Chen's deal beforehand. Otherwise, at this kind of price, how could they possibly have the financial resources to compete for this Pine Crane Pill?
Even though the Pine Crane Pill didn't truly warrant such a price, one couldn't ignore the simple fact that it was a unique commodity with an exclusive recipe.
The Pine Crane Pill — no one besides Peacock Sacred Mountain knew how to refine it.
Even Emperor Jingzhong was secretly startled by the opening price, only then fully realizing just how great a bargain they had struck in that earlier transaction.
Emperor Huoyan and Emperor Ruoyi exchanged a glance, a flash of relief passing through their eyes. Five hundred million Sacred Spirit Stones wasn't something they absolutely couldn't afford — but that was merely the starting bid. To actually win it, ten billion might not even be enough.
A sect heavyweight might not bat an eye at spending ten billion.
But for independent cultivator emperors to part with ten billion? That would break half their hearts.
"I bid six hundred million!"
"Six hundred and fifty million."
"Seven hundred million."
"The hell with it — eight hundred million!"
…
The moment the Pine Crane Pill appeared, it was as though a pot of oil had reached a rolling boil. Bidding calls erupted one after another in frenzied succession. The first-rank sect heavyweights, in particular, were all stirring with eagerness.
"Eight hundred and sixty million."
"Nine hundred million."
To everyone's surprise, some of the bids this time were coming from independent cultivator emperors as well. These were independent emperors who had not participated in the earlier siege against the Asura Emperor — and they coveted this Pine Crane Pill just as fiercely.
However, the purchasing power of independent cultivator emperors simply couldn't compare with that of the first-rank sect heavyweights. Before long, the independent emperors were being steadily outbid and driven from the competition.
The battle between the first-rank sects continued to intensify.