The private boxes were the crown jewels of the auction hall. The cheapest one started at a hundred million dollars. The premium boxes in the front row reached the three hundred million range. Just selling access to those rooms alone would generate billions. Cosmic Island never missed a chance to bleed money from the powerful.Adam didn’t join the crowd rushing in. Instead, he headed straight to the backstage consignments office. Wealth or not, he never turned down an opportunity to earn more, especially when he planned to buy several expensive items today.He brought out three bottles of high-grade pills and one bottle of his Essence Nourishing Pills. Top-tier products. Handcrafted. Rare. The kind of items that could spark bidding wars on their own. The staff accepted the items with a bow, their eyes shining with greed and admiration.Once done, Adam returned to the main hall with Ese and Dante. The place was already packed.He chose seats in the back row without hesitation. He had mo

Adam felt his pulse spike. He came here hoping the auction would have a century-old dragon root. He expected it to show up near the end or buried deep in the lineup. Seeing it as the very first item hit him like a relief he didn’t want to show on his face. One goal confirmed. One pressure lifted.But he knew better than to relax completely. A root like this wasn’t some small treasure. A century-old dragon root could extend lives, pull the dying back from the edge, and push cultivators through bottlenecks that held them for years. People would fight over it. People would kill over it. And in a room like this, he had competition.Leah stood straight and confident on stage. She held the crowd with ease.“I trust everyone already knows what you’re looking at. A century-old dragon root from Ivory Mountain. No unnecessary talk. Starting bid is one billion dollars, minimum raises of one hundred million.”The reaction was immediate.“1.1 billion.”“1.3 billion.”“1.5 billion.”“Two billion!”

Dracula and Romeo both gave short nods, the kind that told everyone the bidding had reached its ceiling.“Twenty billion dollars, going once.”The room fell quiet. No whispering. No shifting chairs. Just a crowd full of people pretending they weren’t stunned.“Twenty billion dollars, going twice.”You could feel the air tighten. Leah held the moment like a blade at the throat.“Twenty billion dollars, sold. Congratulations to the gentleman for securing the first treasure of our auction.”A wave of soft applause rose, the kind that tried to hide envy but failed anyway.Adam let out a breath he had been holding far too long. It had cost him twenty billion, but the old dragon root and the century white herb were worth every cent. He could already picture the furnace, the glow, the moment the ingredients fused into the Ultimate Nourishing Pills. Those pills would push him forward fast. He was already a middle-stage grandmaster. Now he had the key to break past his current shell and reach

The moment Leah announced the starting price, a wave of stunned silence washed over the auction hall.One billion dollars.It wasn’t just a number—it was a wall.A wall so high it instantly crushed the hopes of nearly ninety-five percent of the attendees. Faces stiffened. Some people laughed bitterly. Others sank back into their seats, knowing this battlefield was never meant for them.Only a handful remained upright in spirit.And they wasted no time.“One point one billion dollars!”“One point five billion!”“One point eight billion!”The bids came fast and merciless, each one slamming into the room like a hammer. Gasps rippled through the crowd. To most people present, these figures were incomprehensible—lifetimes stacked atop lifetimes, fortunes that could buy nations tossed out in seconds.Yet the bidders spoke as if they were discussing pocket change.Just as the momentum seemed ready to spiral further—“Five billion dollars.”The voice wasn’t loud. It didn’t need to be.It carr

Dante instantly broke out in a cold sweat.“Mr. Manchester, you can’t counterbid anymore,” he whispered urgently, his voice trembling. “I’m almost certain the bidder in Lounge No. 1 is from the Sultan family. If you offend them, the consequences will be unimaginable.”Ese nodded anxiously, his face pale. “Dad is right. You may have the Sanders family backing you, but the Sultan family is on nearly equal footing with them. Cosmo Island has always been isolated from the outside world—unless you plan to stay here forever, it’s best not to provoke the Sultans.”Adam heard every word clearly.He understood the risks better than anyone. The Sultan family was a colossal force, standing just beneath the Four Great Immortal Sects. Even the Supreme Nexus he had founded was insignificant compared to such a behemoth.But this wasn’t about pride or impulse.The Divine Code was something he needed.Not wanted—needed.Without it, his cultivation path would stall completely. With it, he might break t