In the middle rows, a middle-aged alchemist stood up, his face reddening with emotion. "That contradicts the basic laws of alchemy created by our ancestors!" he shouted in protest.Elder Mo turned slowly toward the man who had protested. His eyes, previously languid, suddenly became sharp and cold."True," Elder Mo replied, his tone flat but pressing. "That was the first thing I thought when I saw that young man holding a cauldron that was about to explode. That is why... in order to satisfy my disbelief, I chose to lower my pride and peek through the door crack."The honest admission, which sounded somewhat embarrassing, triggered soft laughter from some in the corner of the room. However, Elder Mo did not care in the slightest about their mockery."I saw with my own eyes how that young man controlled his inner fire," Elder Mo continued, his voice rising, filled with suppressed enthusiasm. "The contaminated medicinal liquid was forcibly separated. The black, poisonous residue was dis

"Ten thousand!"The heavy roar reverberated, slicing through the hall’s atmosphere before the echo of Mu Yanshan’s gavel had even faded. Hundreds of heads turned in unison toward the front row. The massive man with the prominent Blood Axe emblem on his chest stood tall, showing off arm muscles as thick as tree trunks. He pressed both hands onto the wooden table until it creaked softly, his wild eyes locked entirely on the glowing green pill upon the stage."I pay ten thousand gold," the man repeated, his voice laced with a veiled threat.Silence instantly gripped the hall. Even Mu Yanshan, who was always calm, raised his eyebrows slightly. The starting price of five thousand gold had just been doubled without a second of hesitation. A faint smile, ever so subtle, etched itself onto the corner of the Pavilion Master’s lips."Ten thousand gold," Mu Yanshan said in a measured tone. He swept the room with a challenging gaze. "Is there any higher bid?""Eleven thousand."The calm voice eme

"Still... a ninety-two percent pill?"Someone in the back row could not hold back. Their voice broke, shrill amidst the sudden, hollow silence of the hall. That rhetorical question was like a spark falling onto a pile of dry straw. The entire room instantly erupted in overlapping whispers, creating a constant hum that made the air feel thick and stifling.Many guests who had previously sat back in resignation now straightened their backs again. Eyes that had lost hope now ignited, filled with a wilder fire of ambition. Several people even stood from their chairs, squinting toward the stage, trying to ensure that their vision was not being toyed with by illusions or the trickery of the Spirit Pill Pavilion.On stage, Mu Yanshan remained standing with arrogant composure. His faint smile barely changed, as if he had already anticipated the chaos that would ensue. His hand rested casually on the newly opened jade box. The soft, pure, and soothing medicinal aroma continued to waft out, swe

"Forty-one thousand!"The heavy voice of the Blood Axe Group’s leader thundered, slicing through the hall’s silence. The wooden paddle in his hand was raised high, contrasting sharply with the veins bulging on his muscular arms. His breathing quickened. His broad chest heaved heavily, while his fingers gripped the bidding paddle so tightly that his knuckles turned white.The atmosphere in the hall, which had briefly frozen, surged once more. Whispers spread like fire licking wooden walls."He still dares to raise the price?" "Isn't his group's funding nearly depleted? That man is truly risking everything."On stage, Mu Yanshan stood tall, welcoming the uproar with an unwavering, faint smile. He let his eyes move slowly, scanning every corner of the hall, baiting reactions from the other guests."Forty-one thousand gold," Mu Yanshan said in a calm tone that only made the guests' hearts beat faster. "Is there any higher bid?"Silence.Elder Luo remained sitting in the same position, not

"Fifty-two thousand."The white-hooded girl’s voice hung thinly in the air, but its resonance felt so heavy that it made the silence in the hall feel even thicker. The sound of the guests’ held breaths was so loud, as if the room had suddenly become a vacuum.No one dared to move. Hundreds of pairs of eyes took turns sweeping across the two VIP booths that had now become the center of gravity. One was on the east side, veiled by a thin white curtain that swayed gently. The other was at the far end of the hall, dark and tightly closed from the start, as if keeping a great secret behind its doors.Mu Yanshan did not rush to raise his wooden gavel. He stood motionless in the center of the stage with a calm smile that looked almost like a mask. He deliberately let the tension swell, letting every passing second erode the patience of the guests below.Inside the very last booth, someone finally let out a long breath, a sound barely audible, yet felt like a war signal."Fifty-five thousand.