Why did this bone appear? Shi Hao had no idea. Without holding it in his hand, he couldn’t determine its authenticity. He yearned for it, desperate to obtain it.
“Is it truly a Heavenly Bone? Why is it being auctioned first?” someone questioned in confusion.
The woman on the stage, clad in striking red robes with an alluring figure, raised the pristine white bone fragment and displayed it to the crowd. She added, “It is indeed suspected to be a Heavenly Bone, but it is incomplete. It bears no runes, nor is it a treasure artifact. However, it is incomparably hard, surpassing all else. We’ve tried numerous methods—striking it with supreme treasures, casting it into furnaces for refinement—yet it remained unscathed.”
“So it’s just a broken bone with no runes. No wonder it’s being auctioned so early. It’s not a priceless treasure.”
“You should’ve said so earlier! My heart nearly stopped. If it were truly a Heavenly Bone, even the Human Emperor would’ve come to bid!”
The crowd sighed in relief, as many lacked the means to compete for a Heavenly Bone. Yet, they were also displeased—the auctioneers had deliberately stirred tension, giving them a fright.
“Though it lacks runes, there are faint, disordered lines etched upon it,” the elderly auctioneer further explained before handing the bone to a maiden, who carried it to the VIP chambers.
The privileged guests had the right to inspect treasures firsthand during auctions. Shi Hao eagerly seized the opportunity. Once in his grasp, he confirmed—this bone shared the same material as the one inscribed with the Primordial True Solution. There was no mistake.
The bone bore scattered lines, chaotic and meaningless, devoid of any runes or divine techniques. His eyes gleamed before he returned it to the maiden, who continued circulating it among other VIPs.
“I bid one hundred Essence Jades!” someone declared.
“Five hundred Essence Jades!”
“One thousand!”
Despite lacking runes, the bone’s unique material drew fervent interest. Essence Jades, imbued with heaven and earth’s essence, served as currency among cultivators—far more valuable than mundane gold or silver.
To ordinary cultivators, hundreds of Essence Jades were substantial. Yet, the bone’s price soared beyond a thousand—a princely sum.
Shi Hao scratched his head. He possessed no Essence Jades, not even one. Reluctantly, he considered auctioning his Sea Blue Marrow, a treasure of immense worth.
“How much is this Sea Blue Marrow worth?” he asked the two maidens in his chamber.
One gasped, sticking out her tongue. “Priceless! A fist-sized piece once fetched an astronomical sum.”
Shi Hao nodded. With a finger like a blade, he cleaved off a knuckle-sized fragment and handed it to a maiden. “Bid with this.”
The maidens shrieked. One trembled as she accepted it, while the other dashed to inform the auction house’s overseers—such waste of a treasure was sacrilege!
“I bid… a piece of Sea Blue Marrow,” the maiden announced, her voice quivering.
The auction hall erupted in clamor. Sea Blue Marrow—though not hard itself—could elevate the quality of treasures when forged into artifacts. It was exceedingly rare, a true divine material.
Yet, was this bone worth such a trade? It bore no runes, nor was it a spiritual artifact. Many deemed it unworthy.
“I’m deeply interested in this bone and wish to acquire it.”
A melodious voice, like celestial music, rang out from another VIP chamber. A maiden presented a rune-inscribed bone, glowing violet with radiant light—clearly a treasure of staggering value.
The crowd gasped. This bone could form arrays or be refined into a supreme artifact—it was the primal bone of an adult Ancient Descendant!
“I bid another piece of Sea Blue Marrow,” Shi Hao declared, ready to cleave off more.
“Ancestor, have mercy!”
Auction house elders rushed in, horrified. Such a massive treasure, hacked apart—what a travesty! If refined whole into a grand artifact, it might birth a peerless treasure!
“I have no Essence Jades. Lend me some?” Shi Hao suggested.
“Sell the Sea Blue Marrow instead!” an elder pleaded.
“But I don’t need all of it for this bone. I’d rather keep the rest.”
After deliberation, the elders agreed to record his bid without immediate division—such destruction was criminal!
“I bid a piece of Dragon Iron Bone!”
The maiden, now competitive, produced a knuckle-sized divine metal.
The crowd erupted. Dragon Iron Bone—a material even saints used for forging! Legend claimed it formed when true dragons perished within iron veins. Though small, its value was incalculable.
Shi Hao’s jaw dropped. He’d only seen such material in the Kun Peng’s Nest, forged into a sword embryo by one of the Ten Ancient Fears.
“How much Sea Blue Marrow must I bid to match this?” he asked the appraisers.
The auction house was stunned. A rune-less bone had sparked such a bidding war—this was madness!
“At least half your Sea Blue Marrow. Dragon Iron Bone is a peerless divine material. In sufficient quantity, it could forge a divine artifact!” an elder replied.
“Then I’ll break the Sea Blue Marrow and compete!”
An elder carried the massive Sea Blue Marrow onto the stage, causing an uproar. Such a treasure—so vast—was staggering.
A disdainful snort came from the VIP chamber. A blue-robed maiden, breathtakingly beautiful, glared before conceding defeat.
Murmurs spread. “The Thunder Clan’s Jewel has returned!”
The Thunder Clan’s eldest daughter, one of the capital’s most stunning maidens, had many admirers—all spurned. Her clan, like the Rain Clan, was ancient, transcending borders.
“Has her sister returned? The capital’s—perhaps the entire Stone Nation’s—foremost jewel, though young, is already renowned.”
The Thunder Clan’s younger daughter, merely fourteen or fifteen, was said to be even more dazzling, with terrifying talent. Some speculated she might rival Shi Yi among her peers.
Shi Hao frowned. With Liu Shen’s aid, he’d glimpsed fragments of his past—hazy memories of his parents mentioning the Thunder Clan and its two jewels.
“The Thunder Clan is indeed a primordial human lineage. The Stone Nation’s branch may be but a tributary.”
His gaze sharpened as he noticed a man beside the Thunder maiden—a pure-blooded creature in human guise, exuding oppressive aura.
“Consorting with beings from the Ancient Divine Mountains…”
He murmured, then dismissed it.
The auction house, showing deference, delivered the bone to Shi Hao early—a VIP privilege.
The small pagoda in his mind vibrated. “Give it to me.”
“No!” Shi Hao refused. This bone might conceal supreme secrets—he wouldn’t squander it.
“True. It hides a peerless technique. Keep it for now. When useless, give it to me.”
Rarely verbose, the pagoda’s words reassured Shi Hao—his bid wasn’t in vain.
The auction continued, each treasure eliciting gasps. The atmosphere grew feverish.
“Blood Demon Ruler—forged from an ancient deity’s bone, though damaged. Currently a Marquis-tier weapon, but repairable. Once restored, its power will be boundless.”
A scarlet ruler, missing a fragment, gleamed like a blood diamond, radiating formidable energy.
“I claim it!”
Hun Tianhou, a twenty-five-year-old border commander with immense authority, stood. Few dared oppose him.
The Blood Demon Ruler fell to him at a sky-high price—yet within a Marquis’s means.
“That ruler’s undervalued. Bring me four, and I’ll save your life once,” the pagoda suddenly said.
Shi Hao gaped. Such rulers weren’t cabbages! And Hun Tianhou’s ferocity deterred competition.
The auction crescendoed with another treasure—a divine technique!
A turtle shell, densely inscribed, recorded the Mystic Tortoise Clan’s supreme art.
Shi Hao’s heart raced. Divine techniques were auctioned? He needed this desperately!
“This tortoise once ravaged the Western Frontier. Some here may recall its rampage, ended by a mighty slayer who seized its technique before it could self-destruct.”
Though not pure-blooded, this Ancient Descendant had slain two Marquises in its reign.
“I offer a grand killing array!”
“I bid with Yellow Spring Water!”
“I’ll trade an equivalent technique!”
Bidding erupted instantly—no one mentioned Essence Jades now. Only rare treasures would suffice.
Shi Hao swallowed hard. This would be tough, but he had to secure this top-tier technique.
“The seller seeks not treasures, but a pill recipe—to cleanse marrow, strengthen bones, and sustain vigorous vitality.”
The crowd murmured. The slayer, likely ancient, desired longevity.
Shi Hao pondered. His village’s ancestral recipes fit the bill—though requiring spirit herbs, even saint herbs.
He scribbled a note and sent it.
To his surprise, the mysterious seller chose his recipe. After privately transacting the full formula, the auction house discreetly delivered the turtle shell.
Shi Hao studied it intently. Soon, radiant light flashed in his eyes—this was indeed a mighty technique!
The Mystic Tortoise Art focused on defense, rendering the body nigh-invulnerable. Dismissing the maidens, he immersed himself in comprehension.
Yellowish light enveloped him; his flesh turned steely, ringing like metal when tapped.
His recent enlightenment overseas accelerated his grasp. With the Kun Peng Nest’s meditation mat—woven from Kun Wood—he’d master this swiftly.
“To auction such a clan-guarding technique… What wonders lie ahead?”
Excitement blazed within him. The auction’s true treasures were yet to come.
“Shi Yun Feng, Shi Lin Hu, Shi Hao, Shi Da Zhuang, Shi Zhong Hou, Little Rascal, Bei Feng, Er Meng, Bei, Azure-Scaled Eagle, Lion-Dragon, Glyph, Flood Dragon, Jiao Peng, Zi Shan, Zi Shan Kun, Zi Shan Hou, Xiao Tian, Zhuo Yun, Shi Yi, Yu Feng, Tuo Ba, Fine Jade, Treasure Spell, Leviathan Roc, Leviathan Roc Essence, Zhen Zhen, Lunar Grace, Lunar Grace Goddess, Shi Zi Teng, Rain Clan, holy terror, Amanda, Shi Zhong He, Xue Lin, Long Fairy, Ning Chuan, Willow God, Mo Xian, Gu Clan, Little Rascal, Netherworld”
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