Invincible Soul Emperor-Chapter 181: Three Thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones

The attendees of the auction were all prominent figures within the capital. They naturally understood the effects of the Soul-Enhancing Pills. One could only consume ten in a lifetime, so the higher the quality, the more sought-after they were. The ten Soul-Enhancing Pills currently up for auction had almost reached the absolute limit of what such a Spirit Pill could achieve. What made them even more precious was that all ten came from the same source, increasing their value immensely. Spirit Pills from a single source allowed a Martial Artist to absorb more medicinal power during Refinement, which in turn greatly enhanced their effects.

So, when Qin Yue began to display the Soul-Enhancing Pills, everyone unconsciously held their breath, staring at the jade box in her hands with a mad gleam in their eyes. No one would doubt the appraisal results of the Rising Sun Pavilion. After all, such a prestigious establishment would not make the foolish mistake of lifting a rock only to drop it on its own feet. Li Zongrui, in particular, was now absolutely determined to obtain those ten Soul-Enhancing Pills.

Seeing that the atmosphere had been sufficiently stirred, Qin Yue closed the jade box and placed it on the tray held by a maid. She cleared her throat, looked around, and spoke with an enticing voice, "These ten Soul-Enhancing Pills, I can say without exaggeration, are the highest quality we at the Rising Sun Pavilion have ever auctioned. As the saying goes, opportunity seldom knocks twice. The items have been displayed, and now the auction will begin. The starting price is five hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones, and each bid increment must be no less than one hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones!"

After she finished speaking, she struck the auction hammer, but the fiery bidding scene everyone anticipated did not occur. Instead, the hall was unusually quiet.

Ye Qingchen, sitting in his VIP room, couldn’t help but frown. If nobody bids, my Soul-Enhancing Pills won’t go unsold, will they?

But when he saw Qin Yue’s confident demeanor, he relaxed again. From the start of the auction, Qin Yue had been vigorously detailing the various advantages of the Soul-Enhancing Pills. Although this was an auctioneer’s job, Ye Qingchen knew her enthusiastic introduction was solely because the pills were his. She simply wanted to help him sell them for a higher price.

It seemed Qin Yue had already anticipated this lull. After all, setting a starting bid of five hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones for the first item was unprecedented in past auctions. Furthermore, the market value for a Soul-Enhancing Pill was actually around one hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones, totaling only 1,000 for ten. Most people who come to auctions harbor the hope of snatching a bargain, so for an item whose starting price was so close to its market value, everyone adopted a wait-and-see attitude.

Although everyone knew that the Soul-Enhancing Pills being auctioned this time were incomparable to those circulating on the market, no one wanted to be the first to stick their neck out since no one else was bidding.

Qin Yue understood their mentality like the back of her hand, so she had already devised a countermeasure for this situation. Her beautiful eyes scanned the room, and then she gave a subtle nod toward a corner.

A moment later, a middle-aged Martial Artist in the corner raised his bidding paddle and called out the first bid, "Six hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones."

Qin Yue smiled faintly. "This guest has bid six hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones. Are there any higher bids?"

The room remained silent. Qin Yue didn’t mind and mechanically continued, "Six hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones, going once!"

Still, no one bid.

"Six hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones, going twice!"

Seeing there were still no other bids, Ye Qingchen started to feel anxious again. Although a price of six hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones wasn’t bad, it was still far from his expectations.

At this moment, Qin Yue smiled slightly and said, "If there are no further bids, then these ten Soul-Enhancing Pills will belong to this guest." As she spoke, she raised the auction hammer and began to bring it down toward the auction table.

"I bid seven hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones! I must have these excellent Soul-Enhancing Pills today!" another voice called out from a corner.

Clearly, someone could no longer sit still. After all, the value of ten such high-quality Soul-Enhancing Pills was far more than a mere seven hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones. With the ice broken, the quiet hall erupted. Bids were called out continuously as everyone feared the pills would fall into someone else’s hands. A set of ten top-quality Soul-Enhancing Pills from the same source was practically priceless and not something money could always buy. The atmosphere of the auction instantly reached a fever pitch amidst the frantic bidding.

Li Zongrui stared at the jade box on the auction stage. If it weren’t for an Elder’s instructions to not get overly anxious during the auction and avoid being taken for a sucker, he might have been the first to bid.

The first bidder was clearly a shill arranged by Qin Yue. Although this method wasn’t exactly honorable, it was a common tactic at auctions to stir the atmosphere. This little trick was well-known, and people trusted that the Rising Sun Pavilion wouldn’t maliciously use its own people to drive up prices. Initially, everyone had been waiting with the hope of finding a bargain. However, seeing the continuous rise in bids, the crowd’s herd mentality naturally drew those interested in the Soul-Enhancing Pills into the bidding war.

The price quickly reached 1,000 Low-grade Spirit Stones, at which point the bidding pace slowed. Qin Yue, however, knew this was far from the limit and wasn’t worried.

"I bid 1,500 Low-grade Spirit Stones."

Ye Qingchen looked over at the sound of the voice, feeling somewhat speechless. The bidder was none other than Li Zongrui, seated in the VIP section. An increase of 500 Low-grade Spirit Stones at once... this young sect master is a true spendthrift!

Upon seeing Li Zongrui’s bid, Qin Yue praised him subtly, "This young master is certainly bold, raising the bid by 500 Low-grade Spirit Stones in one go! Are there any higher bids?"

"I bid 1,600 Low-grade Spirit Stones!" a voice piped up, much to Li Zongrui’s annoyance. He was just starting to feel elated from Qin Yue’s compliment. Who is this shortsighted fool jumping in to compete with me? And they only added 100 Low-grade Spirit Stones! To make the other party back down, Li Zongrui raised the price again, shouting to Qin Yue, "I bid 2,500 Low-grade Spirit Stones!"

Ye Qingchen couldn’t help but shake his head. If Li Zongrui knew I was the one who refined the Soul-Enhancing Pills he’s bidding on, I wonder if he’d still be so generous with his offers.

Bids continued to trickle in, but each time, Li Zongrui would raise the price by a huge margin. Finally, when Li Zongrui pushed the price to 3,000 Low-grade Spirit Stones, the auction hall fell silent.

Three thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones for ten Soul-Enhancing Pills was an extremely high price.