From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 191 The Fierce Battle of Immortals: Xiao Yao's Predicament

The auctioneer's voice trembled slightly as he announced in a loud voice, "Next up is the grand finale of this auction—the Nine-Turn Golden Lotus!" As his words fell, an exquisite jade plate slowly rose, upon which rested a golden lotus flower, its nine petals layered upon each other, shimmering with light, as if containing the purest spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

My breath hitched.

that's it!

Nine-Turned Golden Lotus!

Legend has it that this is a supreme treasure that can reshape one's spiritual roots and cleanse one's marrow and bones!

I long for it, like a traveler in the desert longs for rain, like a moth in the darkness longs for light.

I gripped the number plate tightly in my hand, my palms sweating.

The auctioneer began to introduce the powerful effects of the Nine-Turn Golden Lotus: "This is a rare treasure that is only seen once in ten thousand years. After consuming it, not only can it reshape one's spiritual root and increase cultivation speed, but it can also cleanse impurities from the body and enhance the power of the soul! Everyone should not miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!" His passionate description instantly made the atmosphere in the entire auction hall boil over.

I could sense that the cultivators around me were all eager to make a move, their greedy eyes fixed on the golden lotus, as if they wanted to devour it.

My heart sank.

There are too many competitors!

I felt immense pressure, as if a mountain was pressing down on my chest, making it hard for me to breathe.

"Starting bid: 50,000 high-grade immortal stones!" the auctioneer announced loudly.

"Sixty thousand!" A rough voice rang out; it was none other than Ouyang, the wealthy merchant who had previously competed with me for the Qingxin Pearl.

His determined demeanor made me even more uneasy.

"Seventy thousand!" another sharp voice followed closely behind.

The price soared and soon exceeded 100,000 high-grade immortal stones.

I bit my lip tightly. Ten thousand high-grade immortal stones were almost all of my wealth.

"150,000!" The wealthy businessman Ouyang raised the price again, his tone tinged with contempt, as if mocking my overestimation of my abilities.

150,000!

My heart sank completely; this price was far beyond my budget.

I felt a wave of despair, as if I had fallen into a cold abyss.

The pressure around me was getting stronger and stronger, and I felt like I was about to suffocate.

Just then, a deep and magnetic voice came from the direction of the VIP room: "Two hundred thousand."

Two hundred thousand high-grade immortal stones!

The entire auction hall fell silent; everyone was stunned by the astonishing price.

I suddenly looked up, trying to get a clear look at this mysterious bidder, but all I could see was that the curtains of the VIP room were tightly drawn, and I couldn't see what was going on inside.

who is it?

Are they really that rich and powerful?

My heart sank again. Was even the last glimmer of hope about to be extinguished?

"Two hundred and one thousand!" Ouyang's voice trembled slightly, clearly startled by the price.

But he quickly regained his composure and gritted his teeth as he raised the price.

"Two hundred and fifty thousand." The deep voice rang out again, calm in tone, yet carrying an undeniable authority.

Venerable Xuanfeng!

A chill ran through me as I finally remembered the owner of that voice.

He is a renowned powerhouse in the cultivation world, said to possess unfathomable strength and wealth.

"Two hundred and sixty thousand!" Ouyang, the wealthy businessman, shouted, his face flushed.

“Three hundred thousand.” Venerable Xuanfeng remained calm and composed.

Three hundred thousand!

My vision blurred for a moment; this price was far beyond my imagination.

I feel like a flying insect trapped in a giant net, unable to escape no matter how hard I struggle.

"Three hundred and ten thousand!" The wealthy businessman Ouyang was still making a last-ditch effort.

"Three hundred and fifty thousand." Venerable Xuanfeng casually raised the price, as if he were just talking about a trivial matter.

The wealthy businessman Ouyang finally fell silent.

He slumped into the chair, his face filled with resentment and despair.

I leaned back in my chair, feeling utterly cold inside.

Am I really going to give up?

Just then, Linglong gently tugged at my sleeve and whispered, "Miss Xiao Yao, your account balance is insufficient..."

Linglong's words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the last glimmer of hope in my heart.

I gave a bitter smile. Yes, I should have thought of that a long time ago.

All my savings are far from enough to compete with these giants.

I took a deep breath, trying to control my trembling voice, and said to Linglong, "I understand."

My voice was soft, yet it carried a hint of determination.

"Four hundred thousand." A cool voice rang out clearly in the silent auction hall.

I jerked my head up and looked in the direction the sound came from...

That voice...

So familiar, yet tinged with a hint of strangeness.

I could hardly believe my ears.

This, this is clearly...

Wen Chen's voice!

He... he's here too?

I turned my head sharply and looked in the direction of the VIP room.

The curtain was slowly drawn back, and a handsome figure dressed in white appeared in my sight.

He really is Wen Chen!

My heart began to pound violently at that moment.

"Wen Chen..." I murmured his name, feeling a lump in my throat.

His gaze swept across the entire room, finally settling on me.

His eyes, gentle yet firm, seemed to possess a magical power that instantly dispelled the gloom in my heart.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my excited emotions.

Just then, a sudden inspiration struck me, and a bold idea popped into my mind.

"Wait!" I said loudly, my voice carrying clearly throughout the entire auction hall, though not loud.

All eyes were on me, filled with doubt, curiosity, and confusion...

The various gazes around me made me feel a little nervous.

I composed myself and continued, "Although I don't have enough immortal stones, I can bid in another way."

My words surprised everyone.

The auctioneer paused for a moment, then asked, "Oh? May I ask what method the young lady would like to use?"

I took a deep breath and said, "I am willing to exchange my knowledge of special formations for this Nine-Turn Golden Lotus."

As soon as I finished speaking, the entire auction hall erupted in an uproar.

Knowledge of special formations?

This is something even more precious than immortal stones!

Even Wen Chen frowned slightly, a hint of doubt in his eyes.

Mr. Mo's eyes lit up. He looked me over with interest and asked, "Is what you say true, young lady?"

I nodded firmly and said, "Absolutely true." The array knowledge I gained from the spirit array, while not a complete substitute for immortal stones, is still comparable in value to the Nine-Turn Golden Lotus.

Moreover, this Nine-Turn Golden Lotus holds extraordinary significance for me.

After a moment's thought, Boss Mo said, "Alright, I agree to your proposal." He paused, then added, "However, to be fair, the starting bid for the Nine-Turn Golden Lotus will be changed to 200,000 high-grade immortal stones."

Two hundred thousand high-grade immortal stones!

This is much lower than the previous starting price!

My heart was filled with joy, as if I could see the dawn of hope.

"I'll offer two hundred thousand high-grade immortal stones, plus my knowledge of special formations!" I said without hesitation.

My voice was firm and powerful, full of confidence.

The people around me were all looking at me with surprise.

They didn't expect that I would actually dare to use my knowledge of formations in the auction.

The auctioneer paused for a moment, then announced loudly, "Two hundred thousand high-grade immortal stones, once!"

"Two hundred and one thousand!" a sharp voice rang out.

I turned my head and saw that the speaker was a young man dressed in fine clothes.

A sneer played on his face, as if mocking my overestimation of my abilities.

My heart sank suddenly...

I glanced coldly at the man and ignored him, instead turning my gaze to the VIP room where Wen Chen was.

He remained seated quietly, a faint smile on his face, as if everything was under his control.

That smile gave me immense confidence.

"Two hundred and twenty thousand!" I bid again, my tone calm but carrying an undeniable air of authority.

"Two hundred and thirty thousand!" The young man was not to be outdone and raised the price again.

I sneered inwardly; the little fish had taken the bait!

I deliberately acted as if I was determined to win, and kept raising the price to entice other bidders to compete with each other.

"Two hundred and forty thousand!" Ouyang the wealthy merchant's voice rang out again, tinged with a hint of gritted teeth.

It seems I've angered him too.

I was secretly delighted and continued to raise the price: "Two hundred and fifty thousand!"

The price soared and soon exceeded 300,000.

The surrounding bidders went into a frenzy, seemingly losing their minds, and kept raising the price.

I stood by and quietly observed, waiting for the perfect moment.

"Three hundred and fifty thousand!" Venerable Xuanfeng bid again, his tone still calm, yet carrying a powerful pressure.

I took a deep breath and quickly calculated in my mind.

Three hundred and fifty thousand high-grade immortal stones are already close to my limit.

"Three hundred and sixty thousand!" I raised the price again, my tone resolute.

The entire room fell silent; everyone was awestruck by my power.

They didn't expect that I would actually dare to compete with Venerable Xuanfeng.

Venerable Xuanfeng remained silent for a moment, but ultimately gave up on raising the price. He gave me a deep look.

"Three hundred and sixty thousand, once!" The auctioneer's voice trembled slightly; he was clearly also shocked by the fierce bidding.

"Three hundred and sixty thousand, twice!"

My heart was in my throat, as if it were about to jump out.

"Three hundred and sixty thousand..."

Just as the auctioneer was about to bring down the gavel, a deep voice suddenly rang out: "Four hundred thousand!"

My body stiffened abruptly, and I turned to look in the direction from which the sound came.

That voice...

So familiar, yet tinged with a hint of strangeness.

I could hardly believe my ears.

This, this is clearly...

"Mr. Mo?" I looked at him in disbelief. He was actually participating in the auction himself?

A meaningful smile appeared on his lips as he slowly said, "I also greatly admire this Nine-Turn Golden Lotus..."