Chapter Thirty-Five: My Master Will Take This
Auction Hall.
The crowd was taken aback, all turning their gaze to the VIP suite.
“Who is this person? He actually bid three thousand spirit jades!”
“To jump from two thousand straight to three thousand—what an enormous leap!”
“I recognize the young disciple who spoke; that’s Bei Minglie of the Only Me Sect. But as for the weathered cultivator beside him, I have no idea.”
“Bei Minglie is already a prodigy, and he called that man his master. His cultivation must be formidable.”
“Indeed. For such a prodigy to willingly become someone’s disciple, that person must be a supreme cultivator!”
Conversations buzzed all around, the sudden escalation in bidding leaving everyone stunned, especially since Wang Ran hadn’t even intervened personally—Bei Minglie had stepped forward on his behalf.
Everyone knew what sort of person Bei Minglie was.
He was a peerless genius from one of the most prestigious sects in Yun Prefecture—the Only Me Sect!
Yet, in Wang Ran’s presence, he was reduced to nothing more than an errand boy. The contrast only served to make Wang Ran appear even more enigmatic and powerful.
The cultivators present were deeply shaken, believing this auction was truly a gathering of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. No one dared provoke Wang Ran lightly.
Even those in other VIP suites glanced over; Ye Cang’s eyes flickered as he swept his gaze across the room, ignoring Bei Minglie and letting his focus settle on Wang Ran, trying to probe his cultivation.
But when he sent his spiritual sense to investigate, he found it impossible to see through. With his current strength, he couldn’t ignore the effects of the concealing cloak.
On the dais, Huang Huifeng, the auctioneer, was not particularly surprised. Having met Wang Ran earlier, he was well aware of his terrifying strength. Now, facing the assembled cultivators, he called out in a loud voice, “Is there any bid higher than three thousand spirit jades?”
There was a brief silence—no one spoke up.
“Three thousand spirit jades, once. Three thousand spirit jades, twice. Three thousand spirit jades, thrice! Sold!” Huang Huifeng struck the small gavel in his hand, and thus the first item was concluded.
He then cupped his fists toward Wang Ran’s suite and congratulated him: “Congratulations, Senior Chen, on obtaining such a precious treasure. The spirit core will be delivered to you shortly.”
Seeing Huang Huifeng’s humble demeanor, those around were even more astounded.
Even the steward of Falling Cloud City was so respectful toward this mysterious cultivator—how remarkable must his status be?
A few people scrutinized Wang Ran more closely, and suddenly, someone recognized him.
“Heavens, isn’t this the mysterious cultivator who shattered the Falling Cloud Armor with a single move in the hall earlier?”
“That’s right! When I heard Huang Huifeng address him as ‘Senior Chen’ just now, I remembered—he said his name was Chen Wangran!”
“He must be a sword cultivator!”
“Not someone to provoke. Sword cultivators are all battle maniacs, and he broke the Falling Cloud Armor with a single strike—he’s likely at least Nascent Soul stage!”
“To think such a figure would attend today’s auction!”
The hall buzzed with whispered conversations, and everyone grew more wary of Wang Ran’s suite.
Meanwhile, in the second-floor VIP room, Wang Ran’s expression remained unchanged—cold and detached, the very picture of a peerless master. His gaze held a trace of indifference, though, if one looked closely, its true meaning was… bewilderment!
Because in his mind, notifications were popping up nonstop—he’d already gained dozens of Dao Points!
What puzzled him was that he hadn’t done anything at all, not even spoken a word from beginning to end, yet the Dao Points seemed to pour in as if they cost nothing.
“Ding! Congratulations, host Wang Ran, for causing moderate psychological shock to cultivators of various sects. Gained five Dao Points!”
“Ding! Congratulations, host Wang Ran, for causing intense psychological shock to cultivators of various sects. Gained ten Dao Points!”
“Ding! Congratulations, host Wang Ran, on obtaining the title ‘Acting Supreme Through Proxy’! Awarded thirty Dao Points!”
“Acting Supreme Through Proxy: A true expert need not act personally—by borrowing another’s hand, one can still achieve the ultimate effect of showing off. This is the highest art of showing off!”
Only when he heard the final message did Wang Ran come to a realization: so this was the so-called “Acting Supreme Through Proxy” effect.
Without a doubt, this was all thanks to Bei Minglie. Bei Minglie himself was not simple, and anyone treated with such deference by him needed no further explanation.
Especially with Huang Huifeng’s humble attitude at the end, the point was driven home, making everyone all the more wary and earning Wang Ran a considerable number of Dao Points.
At this moment, in the eyes of everyone in Falling Cloud City, Wang Ran had already become an untouchable and terrifying figure, which made his expression turn a little odd.
Other protagonists all played the fool to catch the tiger, but why was he playing the tiger to catch the pig? It seemed Brother Ran was indeed different from all those flashy fops out there!
At this thought, Wang Ran unconsciously straightened, his face remaining cold, embodying the image of a true master to perfection.
Before long, someone brought the spirit core over, presenting it to Wang Ran with utmost respect.
He picked it up and examined it—a mass of heaven and earth’s essence condensed from spiritual energy, about the size of a pearl, fitting nicely in his palm. Yet the spiritual energy within far exceeded its physical size.
A treasure such as this was truly rare. If he absorbed it completely, Wang Ran was confident he could break through to the fifth layer of Foundation Establishment in a short time!
His eyes flickered slightly as he accepted it without a word.
On the dais, Huang Huifeng continued with the auction. He picked up a longbow, glanced around, and announced, “This is the second of our nine main auction items: the Sun-Splitting Bow!”
“This Sun-Splitting Bow is forged from Sun-Splitting Stone, weighs twelve hundred jin, and is a fourth-rank spirit weapon. Only those with tremendous strength can draw it. At full draw, a single arrow can injure a cultivator at the peak of Foundation Establishment!”
“The starting bid is one thousand five hundred spirit jades!”
As Huang Huifeng’s words fell, the atmosphere in the hall heated up again. After all, this was a fourth-grade spirit weapon—something one might not chance upon even once.
Immediately, someone below called out, “One thousand eight hundred!”
“Two thousand!”
“Two thousand five hundred!”
The bids rose higher and higher. Very quickly, the Sun-Splitting Bow reached three thousand spirit jades, matching the price of the previous spirit core.
In the crowd, a burly cultivator could no longer contain himself. He raised his paddle and announced in a deep voice, “Four thousand spirit jades!”
As the words rang out, many turned to look.
He stood, cupped his fists, and said, “Fellow Daoists, this weapon is best suited for those with great brute strength. To the Vajra Sect, it is of inestimable value. I hope everyone will show some consideration.”
As he spoke, he deliberately flexed his muscles, demonstrating his prodigious physical strength.
“He’s from the Vajra Sect!”
“Members of the Vajra Sect cultivate brute force; their strength is unmatched.”
“Indeed. Perhaps only they can truly utilize this weapon.”
“It weighs over a thousand jin—even if we bought it, we’d have trouble wielding it.”
Weighing the pros and cons, the crowd fell silent. Seeing this, the Vajra Sect cultivator’s face broke into a delighted smile.
Upstairs, Wang Ran stroked his chin and mused, “This Sun-Splitting Bow isn’t bad. It’s just a bit light, though… a thousand jin or so—might make a good toy.”
After training under the Spirit-Binding Meteor and cultivating an eight-star body refinement art, a thousand jin was nothing to Wang Ran. His comment was made offhand, merely his honest impression.
But in Bei Minglie’s ears, it took on a different meaning. His mind roared, stunned by Wang Ran’s audacity to treat a thousand-jin spirit weapon as a plaything, and grateful he had chosen the right master.
His desire to forge a deeper connection grew all the stronger. Eager to prove himself, he stood and called out, “Five thousand spirit jades! My master will take this item!”
His voice rang out, drawing the attention of all the cultivators present. When they saw it was Bei Minglie again, their expressions became rather peculiar.
Even Wang Ran was taken aback for a moment.