"Go bid and raise the price a bit. Everyone will naturally look up to you!" Tang Yan reminded him.

"And what if no one else raises the bid?" the thick-browed youth snapped irritably.

"This pill is of immense benefit to a person's cultivation. The academy has no shortage of wealthy students. Those big shots won't care about a little Star Value. Just bid boldly.

"Besides, you only need to call out a price once. Don't make it too high, nor too low. Aim to intimidate most of the crowd without crossing the bottom line of the truly wealthy. That way, you won't actually have to buy the pill, but everyone will be watching you." Tang Yan continued to fan the flames.

The thick-browed youth hesitated for only a moment. Thinking this method was indeed feasible, he stood up and roared, "Four thousand Star Value!"

"Damn!" Hearing the thick-browed youth's bid, Tang Yan's heart trembled. Sensing trouble, he immediately flashed away, putting as much distance as possible between himself and the youth.

Bro, you showed off way too hard... Tang Yan covered his face, not daring to look at the thick-browed youth.

As the thick-browed youth announced his price, the entire venue fell into a brief silence.

A silence so profound you could hear a pin drop!

The very first auction item had jumped straight from nine hundred Star Value to four thousand! This guy... was he just drowning in wealth?

Du Shu was also stunned. He had thought that selling the first item for fifteen hundred Star Value would be a massive success. Who knew the bid would be more than double his expectations!

Taking a deep breath, Du Shu smiled and shouted, "Four thousand Star Value, going once!"

Hearing Du Shu's call, the thick-browed youth was instantly dumbfounded! He had been too caught up in showing off and only now realized he had pushed the price way too high!

Although he had successfully made everyone look at him, he felt like bursting into tears. Four thousand Star Value! He had saved up so painstakingly for so long, and now his entire life savings were going down the drain in one go!

"Four thousand Star Value, going twice!"

When Du Shu made the second call, the thick-browed youth's face turned even paler.

It's all because of that kid just now. Damn it, I'm going to kill him! But when he turned to look behind him, where was Tang Yan's shadow?

Just as everyone thought the price was settled, a gentle voice called out from the crowd, "Four thousand one hundred Star Value."

No one expected someone to actually raise the bid. When they saw who had spoken, many people exclaimed in surprise.

"It's Mo Han! Mo Han, ranked nineteenth on the Heaven Ranking!"

"Would an expert who made it onto the Heaven Ranking care about this bit of Star Value? Forget four thousand, he wouldn't even blink if he took out forty thousand."

The thick-browed youth's heart instantly settled back into his chest. He collapsed into his chair, overwhelmed with the relief of surviving a disaster. He had just narrowly avoided the sheer thrill of total bankruptcy.

"Four thousand one hundred Star Value, going once!"

"Going twice!"

Clang!

Du Shu didn't waste any time and directly struck the gavel to finalize the deal. The first transaction was thus concluded.

Looking at the additional four thousand-plus Star Value transferred to his Star Token, a glimmer of excitement flashed in Du Shu's eyes.

"Next, we will continue auctioning the Soul-Tempering Pill!" Du Shu shouted.

Wan Fei's proud figure once again appeared before the crowd, immediately drawing countless eyes.

"Damn, there's more? How many bottles are there in total?" Those who hadn't managed to snag the first one immediately perked up.

"There are three bottles in total, and this is the second bottle!" Du Shu didn't bother hiding it and spoke directly. "Alright, let the bidding begin!"

"Three thousand Star Value!" As soon as Du Shu said to begin, an abrupt voice rang out, instantly silencing many people. Damn, this directly pushed the price into the realm of a battle between powerhouses!

"Three thousand three hundred Star Value..."

Although someone had immediately pushed the price sky-high, the Soul-Tempering Pill was still a premium item appraised by Elder Huo. Naturally, people would fight for it.

The final two bottles of Meridian Tempering Pills were also auctioned off at prices of four thousand Star Value and four thousand two hundred Star Value, respectively.

Many Alchemists' eyes turned red with envy. Damn, a refined Pill can actually sell for such a high price?

Du Shu was quite satisfied with the final prices of the Meridian Tempering Pills. Tang Yan sat below the stage, a faint smile resting on his face.

It had to be said, Du Shu had truly done his utmost to maximize the value of the Meridian Tempering Pills.

"Little fellow, what is the next Pill?" Seeing that the three bottles of Soul-Tempering Pills had been sold, Elder Huo immediately urged him on.

"I will announce it now." Du Shu smiled and declared loudly, "For our next auction, there is only a single bottle containing two pills. This Pill is called the Blast Pill!"

As Du Shu finished speaking, another beautiful figure walked onto the stage, stunning all the men present.

Tang Yan also saw who had arrived, and his mouth fell open slightly. The person who walked out this time was actually Lin Dongxue.

She was dressed in a simple, elegant cheongsam that looked impeccably clean and graceful. Born into a wealthy family, Lin Dongxue's refined and gentle image once again captured the hearts of many men.

"Damn, is this girl also from Apex-Seeking? Apex-Seeking sure has a lot of beauties!"

Many people's eyes flickered as they stared at Lin Dongxue. Even Tang Yan, who had known her for a long time, was briefly stunned by her appearance.

They hadn't seen each other for just a few days, but this girl had grown even more beautiful.

"The Blast Pill aims to violently detonate True Qi, fully activating the Dantian.

"After taking it, it allows your True Qi to pour out endlessly without any feeling of fatigue. This state will persist until your True Qi is completely depleted!

"In other words, until you fall, you will remain at your absolute peak state!

"Do not underestimate this Pill. It could be your trump card to defeat an opponent, or your only hope for survival in a desperate situation!

"It is no exaggeration to say this is a life-saving treasure!

"When compared to wealth, I hardly need to explain the value of your own life.

"After all, the most painful thing in a person's life is this: The person dies, but the money remains unspent!"

"Pfft!" Hearing Du Shu's words, everyone in the tense crowd couldn't hold it in and burst into laughter.

Even Elder Huo and Elder Zhen, two men who had weathered countless storms and possessed deeply calculating minds, revealed a hint of a smile.

This kid sure has a sharp tongue.

Tang Yan was absolutely dumbfounded below the stage. He had heard this line back on Earth; it was coined by a top-tier comedy master.

For Du Shu to actually come up with this phrase on his own... he really was a damn talent!

"Elder Huo, please appraise it!" Du Shu respectfully handed the Pill over.

Everyone's gaze once again gathered on Elder Huo.

Just like last time, Elder Huo pulled out the stopper and gently took a sniff. He thought to himself that it was indeed just like before-the Pill fragrance was concentrated and refused to dissipate. Just by observing its exterior, one could tell it was the work of a Master Alchemist.

But this time, what surprised Elder Huo even more was that he actually couldn't deduce what main medicinal ingredients had been used in this Blast Pill!

Carefully discerning the Spiritual Qi contained within the Pill fragrance, he indeed felt a faint warmth stirring within his Dantian. Only then did Elder Huo let out a sigh and say, "This Pill is the work of a Master. There is a ninety percent chance it is genuine, and it holds considerable value. Capable students are advised to purchase it!"

Hearing Elder Huo's high praise, another massive commotion broke out among the crowd below.

Tang Yan raised an eyebrow slightly. If Elder Huo wasn't someone of such highly respected status, he definitely would have suspected that the old man was a shill hired by Du Shu!

Hearing Elder Huo's words, Du Shu knew the time was ripe. He smoothly launched the auction. "The starting bid for the Blast Pill is five hundred Star Value. Each bid increment must be no less than five Star Value!"

Tang Yan also began to look forward to the results.

The starting price of the Blast Pill was significantly higher than that of the Soul-Tempering Pill. He wondered just how many people would be willing to pay for it.

Looking for more free chapters? Visit www.skynovelvault.com to read over 5,000 free chapters and continue exploring more stories from SkyNovelVault.