Below those descriptions, there were several more lines of small text, listing the items that would follow the first auction piece.
"...Now, please allow me to present the first item of this auction: a treasure from another world — the Flame Condensation Gemstone from the World of Fire!!!"
The auctioneer announced loudly, simultaneously lifting the veil from a tray behind him.
Boom! In an instant, three translucent crystals appeared within Leilin's field of vision, with what appeared to be a cluster of flames continuously burning at their centers.
"A treasure from another world!"
Numerous Wizards gasped in unison. To make a spectacular opening, the Blue Mountain Auction House had truly gone all out.
Clearly, this first auction item had exceeded the expectations of many Wizards.
At this point, the auctioneer's voice continued: "The Flame Condensation Gemstone — a legendary treasure from the World of Fire. A condensation of countless fire-element particles, it can forcibly enhance the soul aptitude of a fire-attributed Wizard, and is even a mandatory resource for advancing many high-level Fire-type Meditation Methods..."
However, by now very few Wizards were still listening to the auctioneer. Every greedy gaze had been drawn to the Flame Condensation Gemstones on stage.
Even Leilin felt a slight stirring of desire, to say nothing of the other Wizards.
Resources from other worlds, due to the nature of the Astral Gate, were treasures that only Morning Star Wizards had any opportunity to obtain. For second- and third-rank Wizards like them, they remained tantalizingly out of reach.
The effect of marginally enhancing soul aptitude, in particular, was enough to drive countless Wizards into a frenzy.
"Very well! The auction for the Flame Condensation Gemstone now begins! Starting price: five million Magic Stones!"
The auctioneer announced the figure, only to be immediately drowned out by a flood of bids.
On the central screen, dense rows of numbers appeared, updating the highest bid again and again.
Leilin watched somewhat speechlessly as the figure at the top of the screen soared upward, breaking through the ten-million mark in an instant before finally leveling off around fifty million. A bitter smile crept onto his face.
"Here I thought the ninety-odd million Magic Stones I'd gotten from the Blue Mountain Auction House was a considerable sum. But looking at this now, securing the Astral Stone is still going to be extremely difficult..."
Leilin extinguished the thought of pressing his bidding device. Although he still had plenty of items he could use to settle the account and winning the Flame Condensation Gemstone wouldn't be particularly difficult, it would attract far too much attention. Besides, his limited funds had to be reserved for the battles ahead — he couldn't waste them here.
Having already decided to abstain, Leilin was actually able to settle back and watch with considerable amusement as these high-ranking Wizards fought tooth and nail over the treasures.
The sheer rarity of treasures from other worlds exceeded even Leilin's expectations. Not only were the VIPs in the private boxes fighting tooth and nail — even many Wizards in the regular spectator seats had begun placing bids in the frenzy.
"To have the funds to compete for the Flame Condensation Gemstone yet still hole up in the regular seats, squeezed in together with those low-level Wizards — this one's definitely trying to play the pig to eat the tiger!"
Leilin glanced at a young man with fiery red hair in the spectator stands and commented flatly.
"Bidding is now closed! The three highest bidders will claim ownership of the Flame Condensation Gemstone!"
The auctioneer at the central podium had a flush on his face, clearly somewhat excited as he announced.
On the screens above, streams of data froze all at once. The highest bid had already reached a staggering eighty-five million Magic Stones! The second and third place bids trailed the leader by less than a million Magic Stones each.
"Absolutely insane." Leilin shook his head.
Clearly, the bidding had far overshot even the auction house's original expectations. The auctioneer took a moment to compose himself, then began introducing the next item: "Magical Artifact — the Staff of Apophyl! Starting price: thirty-eight million Magic Stones or equivalent resources…"
A staff wrought entirely of gold with an ornate, magnificent design appeared in Leilin's line of sight.
At the top of the staff, numerous golden tassels and streams of color formed the shape of a solar corona, continuously radiating light and heat.
"Forty million Magic Stones!"
"Fifty million Magic Stones, plus three Moonstones!"
Clearly, this magical artifact already held great renown among these Wizards. Bidders in the audience began calling out their offers before the auctioneer had even finished speaking.
Leilin rested his chin in his hand, watching the scene unfold, and suddenly felt that he was actually something of a poor man.
Compared to these Wizards of the Central Continent, who occupied abundant resources and boasted lineages stretching back countless ages — even after having stripped the entire Dark Regions bare, he was only a touch above comfortable at best.