Inside a VIP private box, a gaunt man dressed in a black formal suit with meticulously combed hair stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the scene of clinking glasses and social mingling below.
The invitation cards for the Muzhen Auction were primarily distributed within the Hollow Region; most of those attending were from powerful families based there.
Beyond the desire to auction off coveted items, many had come with the intention of networking.
The Zhao family, the Li family, the Xu family... The man watched the people coming and going below, matching them one by one with the data in his mind.
Soon, his gaze lingered on a child wearing a school uniform.
The man looked surprised. Which family is this from?
...
"Hello, I am Yu Ke of the Yu family from the North District." A girl who looked to be around eighteen, wearing a pink gown that revealed her rounded shoulders, sat in the chief's chair beside Qiao Sang. With a poised smile, she asked, "Which family are you from?"
Qiao Sang glanced at her while eating a pastry. "The state's."
Yu Ke: "???"
*Quite a strong sense of caution...* Yu Ke muttered to herself.
Her gaze uncontrollably drifted toward the magnificently furred pet beast resting on the girl's lap.
She had seen it on the way in; the pet beast was actually about three meters in size and could run through the sky.
An ESP-type pet beast like this—rarely seen, handsome in appearance, and capable of carrying a person into the air—was something an ordinary person simply couldn't afford to contract.
She had also noticed that the girl wasn't wearing an oxygen mask outside, which meant she was at least a D-rank Beast Tamer. Therefore, it was highly likely that this pet beast didn't belong to her elders, but was her own.
Someone else attending an auction without regard for their image might simply be unaware of the threshold for the Muzhen Auction, having merely been lucky enough to obtain an invitation card from somewhere.
However, the girl before her possessed an outstanding temperament. Even without elders accompanying her in such an environment, she showed no sign of intimidation. Coupled with the fact that she possessed such a rare pet beast at a young age, Yu Ke was almost certain that her background was anything but ordinary.
Thinking of it this way, it was perfectly reasonable for the girl to be cautious.
As someone skilled in socializing, she quickly adjusted her mindset.
Just as Yu Ke was preparing to exercise her social skills again, the lights in the hall shifted, and a beautiful woman walked onto the front stage.
The crowds who were still standing and chatting hurried to find their seats.
The woman smiled. "Distinguished guests, good evening. Welcome to this year's Muzhen Auction. I am Tang Shu, a National Senior Auctioneer, registration number 1102876. I will be presiding over today's auction. It is a pleasure to serve you all, and I hope every bidder returns home satisfied."
"Before the auction begins, I will read the important declarations for this session. Staff, please distribute the catalogs first."
As soon as she spoke, a flock of small, avian pet beasts wearing white uniforms flew in through the surrounding windows, each carrying a catalog in its beak.
Qiao Sang took the catalog from one of the white birds and began to flip through it.
Holy crap!
A Poison Thorn Earth Dragon egg!
An SS-rank item crafted by Master An!
A Materialization Crystal that could make the illusions of an illusion-casting pet beast physical for one minute!
An evolution potion that could let any King-rank pet beast experience the feeling of evolution for one day!
This is insane! Qiao Sang danced with joy in her heart.
How could she possibly see these things normally?
And even if she did, she wouldn't necessarily have the qualifications to buy them!
But now, they could be bought with money, and they had appeared in the year she was the wealthiest!
Excitedly, Qiao Sang flipped to the next page
[Name: SS-rank Dark Gloom Crystal] [Description: A great tonic for Ghost-type pet beasts, produced from Secret Realm No. 82 in the Zitia Region] [Appraiser: Zhu Sugui]
Coming to this auction was the right choice... Qiao Sang took a quiet, deep breath to steady her nerves, her gaze becoming determined.
Setting other things aside for now, she absolutely had to get her hands on this!
The auctioneer's pre-auction guide was somewhat tedious, giving off the vibe of a host speaking before a leader takes the stage, lacking the thrill often found in novels. Fortunately, the guide was short, and they soon entered the formal auction.
"Next, I will introduce the first item." As the woman spoke, a pet beast egg under a glass cover was pushed forward by a pet beast with white gloves on its claws, a plump lower body, and hair-like protrusions on the sides of its head.
Simultaneously, a photo and data of the egg appeared on the virtual screen behind.
The woman announced loudly, "The first item is a Poison Thorn Earth Dragon egg!"
Everyone present was well-traveled and experienced; they remained as steady as mountains, showing no significant reaction.
As if she had anticipated this, the woman smiled and said
"This Poison Thorn Earth Dragon egg is different from ordinary ones. Its father, mother, and every ancestor above them were all Poison Thorn Earth Dragons!"
"In other words, this is a purebred Poison Thorn Earth Dragon egg!"
Qiao Sang's hearing was incredible; almost a second later, she heard the sound of someone swallowing hard.
A purebred pet beast egg was different from an ordinary one. Purebreds possessed thick bloodlines, and their innate skills were guaranteed to be present from birth.
Furthermore, their talent was exceptionally high, with over a 90% chance of evolving to the upper limit of their species.
The species limit for a Poison Thorn Earth Dragon was Emperor-rank.
This meant that by contracting this dragon, as long as one lived long enough and poured in enough resources, there was a 90% chance of owning an Emperor-rank pet beast!
The woman scanned the room with satisfaction and announced, "Starting price, 30 million!"
"35 million!" someone immediately shouted, raising their number plate.
"40 million!"
"50 million!"
"55 million!"
"60 million!"
"80 million!"
One by one, the people present raised their hands like madmen. The money they shouted sounded less like currency and more like mere numbers.
As the amount continued to climb, Qiao Sang moved from her initial excitement to a gradual state of calm.
A purebred Poison Thorn Earth Dragon was indeed tempting, but this one was still an egg; who knew how long it would take to hatch?
Even if it hatched the next day, her Beast Codex didn't have a fourth page yet, so she couldn't contract it immediately.
If she bought this egg in front of so many crazed, wealthy tycoons, she feared that once her background became known, the egg would be gone.
*Stay calm. It's just a purebred Poison Thorn Earth Dragon egg. I have a cheat; the evolution limit of my pet beasts isn't an issue. The most important thing right now is that Dark Gloom Crystal...* Qiao Sang's thoughts cleared, and her expression became serene.
Yu Ke stole a glance at the girl beside her and was somewhat shocked, thinking, *Holy crap, what on earth is her background? She can stay this calm even facing a purebred Poison Thorn Earth Dragon egg!*
The bidding process lasted about ten minutes.
Finally, a VIP box upstairs raised its plate, and the item was sold for 239 million.
The auction continued.
Time passed bit by bit.
Aside from the initial purebred egg, the subsequent bidding was relatively peaceful.
Soon, the pet beast with white gloves, a plump lower body, and hair-like protrusions pushed forward a box lined with purple silk containing the Dark Gloom Crystal.
"Next, we are bidding on this Dark Gloom Crystal. Starting price, 2.6 million!"
(End of Chapter)