"What a pity…"
Still, if Duke
A high-grade bloodline! And a top-tier Meditation Method! For bloodline warlocks, both were an indescribable temptation.
When the Blue Mountain Auction House had first obtained this item, they must have exhausted every possible method. Only after proving unable to make use of the Sun Son's bloodline did they reluctantly put it up for auction. Otherwise, they would not have hesitated to transform themselves into a warlock family.
As far as Leylin knew, no warlock family on this continent had a bloodline source that reached the sixth rank. In other words, if the blood on the broken sword and its Meditation Method could truly be put to use, a warlock's Radiant Sun Throne might just rise over the Central Continent!
"With the bloodline's vitality lost, there is no way to recover it anywhere in the current Central Continent!"
Leylin thought of the bloodline fusion and modification data he had obtained from the Sandflow organisation.
"If I used the modification techniques in those records, combined with my Chip's genetic recombination function, it might actually be possible to succeed…"
But even if he succeeded, for Leylin it would merely mean acquiring one more rare ancient bloodline artifact.
He already had a pure ancient Red Dragon bloodline in his possession. Unfortunately, after studying it for a long time, he had resignedly discovered that he could not convert his own bloodline—and even synthesis and modification offered no clues whatsoever.
A warlock's bloodline existed not merely in the physical body, but as a fusion at the level of the soul. As for that, Leylin currently had no understanding at all.
Only after advancing to the Morning Star realm, with his Spiritual Power undergoing continuous refinement, could one begin to touch the level of the soul's power.
Therefore, even if there were a way to restore the Sun Son's bloodline, Leylin had no intention of auctioning off this treasure.
In fact, his interest in the Wings of the Sun Meditation Method was even greater than his interest in the bloodline itself.
"An ancient top-tier Meditation Method…"
Compared to the Eyes of the Komoe Snake, the advanced Meditation Method for bloodline warlocks—while the Wings of the Sun was also a bloodline Meditation Method, it was clearly several tiers above.
The Eyes of the Komoe Snake had only four layers in total. This was determined by the bloodline source of the Komoe Giant Snake, which was itself a fourth-rank creature. Its bloodline thus became a shackle for warlocks—no Komoe bloodline warlock had ever broken past the fourth rank, and naturally there could be no Meditation Method with more than four layers.
The Sun Son was different—its true form was a formidable sixth-rank creature. The Wings of the Sun Meditation Method, therefore, had six layers, reaching the tier of a top-tier Meditation Method!
Per the conventions of the Central Continent, only a Meditation Method with at least four layers—one capable of advancing a
A top-tier Meditation Method, on the other hand, required at least six layers, enough to allow a Wizard to glimpse the path of the Dawn Sun!
Raylin naturally wouldn't settle for just the four-layer Eyes of the Komoe Snake Meditation Method. His goal was the Throne of the Dawn Sun! Divinity! And the even higher realms beyond! For that reason, the Wings of the Sun Meditation Method did hold a certain appeal for him—at the very least, it could serve as a template for improving the Eyes of the Komoe Snake.
But... was it really worth paying such a steep price for a Meditation Method that offered only reference value?
Raylin shook his head, banishing the thought from his mind.
"A Meditation Method isn't a physical object—just text and images. Since the Blue Mountain family has confirmed the Meditation Method is complete, they must have kept a copy. They might even have retained a sample of the Sun Son's bloodline! Perhaps I could approach it from that angle..."
Raylin stroked his chin, lost in thought.
After a stretch of silence, the Wizards below finally began to react.
"Two hundred and ten million Magic Stones!" came an aged voice from one of the VIP boxes.
That seemed to be a signal. Bids immediately began flooding in, nearly drowning out the display screen.
A top-tier Meditation Method combined with an ancient bloodline—their combined value was immeasurable. While their practical utility might be limited, their worth as collector's items alone far exceeded the starting price.
Moreover, the breadth and mysteries of magic were far from fully explored by the Wizards of this era.
For all anyone knew, somewhere in a corner of the Central Continent, there might be hidden some powerful technique capable of activating the Sun Son's bloodline. If that were the case, purchasing this item at today's low price would be an absolute windfall!
There were certainly no shortage of Wizards who harbored that thought.
Not to mention those wealthy Morning Star Wizards, who might very well bid on the item purely for research purposes.
It was unlikely that the Blue Mountain Auction could attract Wizards of that caliber, but there were always exceptions.
In a top-tier VIP box far larger than the one Raylin occupied, a Wizard with a gaunt face, silver pupils, and a robe bearing the Devil's Wailing pattern smiled. "I didn't expect a casual stroll to turn up something this interesting."
He didn't use the bidding device. Instead, he simply spoke in a light voice: "One billion Magic Stones."
Though his voice was soft, it somehow reached the ears of every Wizard in the entire auction house, bringing the bidding to an abrupt halt.
Only a Morning Star Wizard could accomplish such a feat. Who would dare challenge him? Did they have a death wish?
But Lei Lin was different. The moment that voice reached his ears, his entire body went stiff with shock.
"Hunter Ganlir!" Though the tone was different, the impression this person had left on Lei Lin was far too deep—and moreover, his profile had already been logged in the Chip. After a quick voice comparison, he immediately identified the other party's identity.
"I didn't expect him to actually show up here as well."
Once the initial shock subsided, Lei Lin stroked his chin and let out a cold laugh. "To think he'd go so far as to directly intimidate every Wizard present, just to acquire an auction item at a lower price. Hunter Ganlir—sure enough, just as despicable as he's always been!"
Even so, he had no intention of standing up to denounce the man or challenge him to a bidding duel.
When your strength fell short of someone else's, the wise thing was to keep your head down and lie low. Lei Lin understood this principle perfectly well—otherwise, he would never have survived this long.
The deterrent power of a Morning Star Wizard was formidable indeed. After Ganlir placed his bid, the entire auction hall fell deathly silent.
"...Very well! Since there are no further bids, I hereby declare that this supreme Meditation Method belongs to the honored guest in Private Room Number One!"
The auctioneer forced a dry smile and began smoothing things over.
In truth, his heart was bleeding. In his estimation, this lot was worth far more than one billion Magic Stones—the final price should have reached at least two billion. If a few high-ranking Warlocks had happened to be present, an outrageous sum wasn't out of the question at all.
And now? The cost the Oakheart family had already paid just to obtain this Meditation Method far exceeded a simple one billion Magic Stones. This time, they were almost certainly going to take a loss.
"Honored sir! Your auction item has been delivered. Please follow me to complete the transaction. Additionally, our family's Guardian Lord would also like to meet you!"
In Private Room Number One, Selen bowed respectfully, her voice trembling ever so slightly.
"Fine! I'll go."
Ganlir waved his hand dismissively.
Even a Morning Star Wizard had to observe certain rules. His reckless behavior would naturally earn him a warning from the Oakheart family's own Morning Star Wizard—and the current invitation was essentially a summons for negotiation.
In truth, this was the only chance he would ever get to pull a stunt like this. If he dared do the same thing again next time, the King of Blue Mountain would absolutely turn against him.
But in his heart, he felt not the slightest trace of regret.
In his view, what was face worth? Practical gains were what truly mattered. All he had to do was swallow his pride and offer a assurance this time, and he could acquire a supreme Meditation Method at a bargain price. Why on earth would he pass up such an opportunity?
Hunter Ganlir was, after all, a Wizard even more cunning and shameless than any demon—otherwise, how could he have made countless demons cower in terror like serpents and scorpions, wailing in misery?
However, thanks to Ganlir's intervention, today's auction ultimately ended on a sour note.
The news that Hunter Ganlir had attended this auction spread like wildfire. Had the Blue Mountain family not quietly issued an assurance afterward that this would be a one-time occurrence, attendance at future auctions would likely have been cut in half.
After all, who would dare compete against a Dawn Star Wizard? If the man pulled a stunt like this every time, the Blue Mountain Auction House might as well pack up all the merchandise and hand it over to him.
Thanks to the Blue Mountain Auction House's guarantee, the next day's auction proceeded as normal.
Linley also came to the auction hall, watching lot after lot of rare treasures go under the hammer, his eyes betraying neither joy nor sorrow.
Based on the hints Serran had given him yesterday before parting, the Astral Stone was supposed to appear today.
So Linley made no bids on a single item, quietly biding his time.
It was only when the auction was about to draw to a close that the host finally uttered words that stirred something within Linley.
"Today's premium lot: the Astral Stone!"
Thereafter, Linley finally laid eyes on his target on the auction platform.
The Astral Stone's reputation thundered in the ears of countless Wizards, yet very few had ever actually seen one in person.
What appeared on the raised platform was a jet-black stone that looked exceedingly unremarkable. But if one looked closely, tiny flickers of blue luminescence shimmered across its surface, like scattered starlight.
"The Astral Stone is an essential material and prerequisite for conducting Star Gate experiments! This Astral Stone we are putting up for auction today weighs 1,582 grams and its density has reached Vanna-class — the finest-quality Astral Stone seen in the last hundred years, brimming with primordial energy, and the premier choice for Star Gate experiments!"
The host carried on with an eloquent, unbroken spiel.
Compared to yesterday's supreme Meditation Method, the Astral Stone's value might fall somewhat short, but its versatility far surpassed it, and so it immediately drew a frenzy of eager bidding.