Chapter Thirty-Five: My Master Wants This!
Auction Hall.
The crowd was abuzz with astonishment, all eyes turning toward the VIP suite.
“Who is that person? To bid three thousand spirit jades at once!”
“To jump from two thousand straight to three thousand—that’s far too big of an increase!”
“I recognize the young disciple speaking—it’s Bei Minglie of the Sole Will Sect. But as for the world-weary cultivator beside him, I have no idea.”
“Bei Minglie is already a prodigy in his own right, and he calls that man his master. That must mean his cultivation is extraordinary.”
“Indeed, for such a genius to willingly become someone’s disciple, the master must be a formidable expert!”
Whispers and speculation rippled throughout the hall, everyone stunned by this sudden bid—especially since it wasn’t Wang Ran who made the offer personally, but rather Bei Minglie on his behalf.
One had to remember: who was Bei Minglie? An unrivaled genius from one of Yun Prefecture’s most illustrious sects, the Sole Will Sect! Yet here he was, acting as little more than a messenger before Wang Ran. Such a contrast only deepened the shroud of mystery and strength surrounding Wang Ran.
The cultivators present felt a tremor in their hearts, realizing this auction was truly a gathering of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. None dared provoke Wang Ran lightly.
Even in the other VIP suites, all eyes turned in their direction. Ye Cang’s gaze flickered; as his spiritual sense swept over, he ignored Bei Minglie entirely, letting his focus linger a moment on Wang Ran, trying to gauge his cultivation.
But as his aura probed, he found himself unable to see through at all. With his own level of strength, he could not pierce the concealment of Wang Ran’s cloak.
On the platform below, Huang Huifeng, the auction’s host, showed little surprise. He had just interacted with Wang Ran earlier and knew well the depths of his power. Facing the assembled cultivators, he raised his voice: “Is there any bid higher than three thousand spirit jades?”
A brief silence fell. No one spoke.
“Three thousand spirit jades, once... Three thousand, twice... Three thousand, thrice—sold!” Huang Huifeng tapped his small gavel, and thus, the first item of the auction was settled.
He then clasped his hands respectfully toward Wang Ran’s suite. “Congratulations to Senior Chen for securing such a treasure. The spirit core will be delivered to you shortly.”
Witnessing Huang Huifeng’s humble demeanor, the surrounding cultivators were even more astonished.
Even the steward of Falling Cloud City was so respectful to this mysterious cultivator—just how extraordinary was his identity?
Someone scrutinized Wang Ran anew, and suddenly recognized him.
“Heavens! Isn’t that the mysterious cultivator who shattered the Falling Cloud Armor with a single strike earlier?”
“Yes! When I heard Huang Huifeng address him as ‘Senior Chen,’ I remembered—he called himself Chen Wangran!”
“He must be a sword cultivator!”
“Best not to provoke him. Sword cultivators are all battle-hungry madmen, and if he broke the Falling Cloud Armor in one move, he must at least be at the Nascent Soul stage!”
“I never imagined someone of this stature would come to this auction!”
The whole hall was abuzz with hushed, anxious conversation, and their wariness toward Wang Ran only intensified.
In the VIP suite on the second floor, Wang Ran’s expression remained unchanged, his demeanor cold and indifferent, like an unmatched master. His eyes even glinted with a frosty aloofness—though, if one looked closely, that chill was actually... bewilderment.
For, in his mind, a series of notifications was sounding off, and he had already gained dozens of Dao Attainment Points!
That was what puzzled him. He hadn’t done a thing—not even spoken a word—yet the Dao Attainment Points were flooding in as if they cost nothing.
“Ding! Congratulations, Host Wang Ran, for causing a moderate spiritual shock among the various sect cultivators. Gained five Dao Attainment Points!”
“Ding! Congratulations, Host Wang Ran, for causing a strong spiritual shock among the various sect cultivators. Gained ten Dao Attainment Points!”
“Ding! Congratulations, Host Wang Ran, on obtaining the title ‘Pretense by Proxy!’ Reward: thirty Dao Attainment Points!”
“Pretense by Proxy: A true master doesn’t need to act in person—by letting others act for him, he achieves the same effect. This is the supreme way of showing off!”
Only after the final message did Wang Ran realize what had happened: he’d triggered the “Pretense by Proxy” effect.
No doubt, this was all thanks to Bei Minglie. Bei Minglie’s own status was impressive enough, and anyone who could command such reverence from him needed no further introduction.
Especially with Huang Huifeng’s deferential attitude, the crowd’s wariness rose, and Wang Ran gained a handsome windfall of Dao Attainment Points.
At this moment, in the eyes of everyone in Falling Cloud City, Wang Ran had become an untouchable figure of terror—leaving him with a somewhat bemused expression.
Other protagonists always played the pig to eat the tiger, but here he was playing the tiger to eat the pig! Clearly, Brother Ran was unlike all those gaudy, commonplace characters out there!
At this thought, Wang Ran straightened his back, face set in cold indifference, fully embodying the image of a supreme expert.
Soon, someone arrived with the spirit core, presenting it to Wang Ran with utmost respect.
He picked it up for inspection—a condensed essence of heaven and earth, formed from spiritual energy, about the size of a pearl and fitting perfectly in his palm. Yet the spiritual energy contained within far exceeded its modest size.
Such a treasure was a rare encounter. If he absorbed it fully, Wang Ran was confident he could break through to the fifth level of Foundation Establishment in a short time!
His gaze flickered as he quietly accepted it.
On the platform, Huang Huifeng continued the auction. He picked up a longbow and addressed the crowd: “This is the second of our nine main auction items—the Sun-Splitting Bow!”
“The Sun-Splitting Bow is forged from Sun-Splitting Stone, weighs twelve hundred catties, and is a fourth-grade spiritual weapon. Only those with immense strength can draw it. When fully drawn, a single arrow can injure a Foundation Establishment cultivator at the peak of perfection!”
“The starting bid is one thousand five hundred spirit jades!”
As Huang Huifeng’s words fell, excitement reignited in the hall. After all, a fourth-grade spiritual weapon was a rare opportunity.
Bids immediately rang out:
“One thousand eight hundred!”
“Two thousand!”
“Two thousand five hundred!”
The numbers climbed higher and higher, and soon, the Sun-Splitting Bow reached three thousand spirit jades—matching the spirit core from before.
Within the crowd, a burly cultivator could contain himself no longer. He raised his paddle and announced in a deep voice, “Four thousand spirit jades!”
Many eyes turned to him.
He then stood and cupped his fists. “Fellow Daoists, this weapon is especially suited for those of great physical strength. For us of the Vajra Sect, it holds special meaning. I hope everyone can give way.”
As he spoke, he flexed his muscles deliberately, showcasing his formidable strength.
“He’s from the Vajra Sect!”
“They’re known for cultivating the path of brute force—unmatched in strength.”
“Indeed, perhaps only they can truly wield such a weapon.”
“It weighs over a thousand catties. Even if we buy it, we’d hardly be able to unleash its power.”
Judging the pros and cons, the other bidders fell silent. The Vajra Sect cultivator’s face brightened with satisfaction.
Upstairs, Wang Ran stroked his chin and muttered, “The Sun-Splitting Bow is not bad, though a bit light. Just a little over a thousand catties—could make a decent toy.”
Because Wang Ran usually trained under the Spirit-Binding Meteor and possessed an eight-star body-refining technique, a mere thousand catties was beneath his notice. His comment was a casual remark.
But when Bei Minglie heard this, the effect was entirely different. His heart thundered, awed by his master’s audacity to treat a thousand-catty spiritual weapon as a plaything. He felt ever more certain he’d chosen the right master.
His desire to ingratiate himself grew stronger. Unable to contain himself, he sprang up and shouted, “Five thousand spirit jades! My master wants this item!”
His voice rang out, drawing the attention of everyone present. Seeing it was Bei Minglie again, the crowd could not help but exchange strange glances.
Even Wang Ran himself was momentarily taken aback.