CHAPTER 45: CHAPTER 45: AMBUSH AND INTERVENTION [BONUS -50PS]

Before the auctioneer could even finish his sentence, the first bid slammed down.

"300,000!" a sharp, demanding voice called from one of the private boxes, signaling a major Holy Land was immediately staking its claim.

"350,000!"

"400,000! My Bloodline requires this!" This was an aggressive voice from a powerful clan known for cultivating lightning-based techniques.

Vahn watched the initial flurry while remaining patient. He allowed the lower bids to eliminate the weaker contenders. This wasn’t about saving a few Spirit Stones; it was about ensuring he was the last one standing.

He had over four million Spirit Stones now, a staggering war chest.

The price climbed past one million in less than a minute.

"One million, five hundred thousand!" a voice roared, pushing the bid into serious territory.

Vahn decided it was time to make his presence felt. He activated the discreet communication rune in his box, his voice slightly distorted by the mask and the internal filtering system.

"Two million Spirit Stones," Vahn announced clearly, doubling the increase and throwing down a gauntlet.

The hall went silent. Doubling the price after it had already crossed the million mark was a declaration of absolute confidence and deep pockets.

They wondered just who was inside VIP box 15? Nevertheless, they have no way to get to know the truth.

The earlier aggressive bidder was stunned. "Two million... and twenty thousand," he managed weakly, trying to regain momentum.

Vahn immediately countered, his voice steady. "Three million."

3 Million...

Hearing the amount, some instantly gave up.

A heavy, disgusted sigh echoed from the direction of the Imperial Family’s box, signaling their disinterest after their earlier humiliation, but another powerful bidder emerged, clearly associated with a rival Holy Land focused on martial strength.

"Three million, two hundred thousand!" the rival called out, trying to scare off the mystery bidder.

But Vahn remained calm. Because he understood other party’s intent.

His heart beat with excitement, but his reply was like pure ice, devoid of emotion.

"3,700,000."

He had spent almost every single coin he had earned. It was a massive gamble, but it was his final, non-negotiable price.

The sudden leap and the confidence in the masked bidder’s voice were too much for the rival Holy Land to overcome, especially given their own depleted resources from the previous lots.

The auctioneer waited, his eyes sweeping across the VIP boxes, giving a full minute for any response.

"3,700,000! Going once... going twice...

...Sold! To the esteemed guest in Box number 15!"

Bang!

The hammer slammed down. The Lightning Seed was Vahn’s.

Finally, a breathe if relief escaped from his mouth.

After the dramatic bidding war for the Elemental Seeds, the auction gradually wound down to its close. The common guests and the exalted VIP attendees alike began filing out of the hall, either walking onto the streets or launching into the air atop magnificent flying beasts.

Vahn stayed a little longer, waiting for the crowd to thin before proceeding to settle his payment and receive the hard-won Lightning Seed.

The owner of the auction house personally oversaw the final transaction. After deducting the colossal bid amount of four million two hundred thousand Spirit Stones, along with their 1.5% commission fee, the remaining balance was calculated. Vahn received 240,000 low-grade Spirit Stones—a small amount compared to the total sale, but still a considerable sum for a young cultivator.

The Spirit Stones, along with the precious Lightning Seed (which was safely encased in a preservation box) were transferred into a metallic Storage Space Ring. The owner presented the ring to Vahn as a complimentary gift, hoping, as he suavely put it, "to conduct business with the esteemed guest more often."

Vahn accepted the Space Ring with a thanks.

He glanced at the Soace Ring with shining eyes. Until now, he had only seen such spatial artifacts on Seraphina and other high-ranking figures; now, one finally belonged to him. The function was simple: inject some spiritual energy and give a mental command to store or retrieve items. Unfortunately, he couldn’t fully pry into the spatial dimensions as he hadn’t developed his Spirit Sense yet.

Nevertheless, he was happy with the transaction. While the final amount of Spirit Stones was less than he fantasized about, the Lightning Seed more than made up for the cost. Not to forget, he could always return to sell more treasures from the System later.

With his new wealth and treasure secured, Vahn finally headed outside. Despite the late hour, the atmosphere outside was still lively.

The streets were filled with the departure of powerful figures. The less affluent rogue cultivators left by walking or flying on simple swords, while the truly prominent factions departed with staggering grandeur.

Vahn watched as figures soared away atop Mythical Beasts like Winged Lions, Thunder Hawks, Moonlight Cranes, and the magnificent, Fiery Phoenix carrying Patriarch Xion and Medicine King Oswin.

Vahn, a mere plebeian in front of their grandeur, couldn’t help but yearn for one of those beasts as a pet. But his current predicament quickly slapped him back to reality.

He could feel several malicious gazes settling on him.

"Could they have been secretly following me?" Vahn’s mind raced. "If so, then it’s a bad news."

Being tracked after such a high-profile purchase was a significant threat, especially since he had just spent so much on the most coveted item.

Vahn became alert. The Twin Moon Commerce auction house offered no security outside its doors; once he stepped onto the public street, he was just another target. Having just walked away with the single most coveted item of the night, he was seen by the surrounding factions as prey to be devoured.

He could feel the hostile gazes coalesce into actual figures. Their shadows grew detached from the large crowd, then slowly deliberately got closer to him. Their killing intent, though skillfully masked, was growing sharper. They intended to kill him right there on the street.

Vahn’s fists clenched. What should he do? His current Qi Refining Stage 3 power, while fast for a novice, would be almost useless against the high-level cultivators stalking him. His only true advantage was exposing his identity as a disciple of White Lotus, but he couldn’t expose that here. He had revealed too many secrets here that endanger his life even more once exposed.

Up above, on the back of the magnificent, blazing Phoenix, Medicine King Oswin Goldbranch watched the developing situation with concern.

"Patriarch, should we help that masked young man?" Oswin asked, his gentle face showing clear worry for the mysterious buyer.

Patriarch Xion raised an eyebrow, looking down at the masked young man below.

"Why are you expressing worry for an unknown young man, Oswin? He has no relationship with us." Xion’s tone was mercilessly pragmatic.

Oswin quickly shut his mouth. He had spoken only out of his kind nature, but Holy Land politics rarely allowed for such sentimentality.

Just as the shadowy figures were about to make their move and Vahn was preparing for a desperate, impossible fight, a blinding flash of white and gold descended from the sky.

"Buzzz!"

The figure landed silently between Vahn and the converging shadows. Her presence was like the sudden arrival of pure daylight, instantly pushing back the darkness and the hostile intent of the attackers.

"Saintess of Light!"

Everyone exclaimed in surprise, including the retreating rogue cultivators to the mighty Patriarch Xion and Medicine King Oswin atop the Phoenix.

Seraphina had arrived.