My Celestial Ascension

"I have no idea. They've been bidding only on strange and mysterious items so far. Maybe they know something about this lotus flower that we don't," Livia muttered, leaning back on her comfortable sofa with a sigh. She debated whether to continue bidding or let go of the flower entirely.

Spending a hundred thousand gold coins on something like this felt like a reckless gamble. After all, the flower might wither away at any moment, rendering it utterly useless to her.

Considering all the possibilities, Livia decided to stop bidding. It wasn't worth the risk, especially with her family's reputation at stake.

'If I waste the Empire's wealth on useless items, Father will be furious with me,' she thought with a resigned sigh.

On the auction stage, Teressa waited to see if anyone else would bid for the mysterious treasure. However, she noticed hesitation in the crowd. The attendees seemed unsure of whether the lotus flower was worth the risk.

"Ahem!" Teressa cleared her throat, her voice regaining the crowd's attention. She smiled confidently, sensing that no one was willing to bid further. "Since everyone is hesitant to bid for this mysterious lotus flower, let's announce VIP Room Number 1 as the winner and move on to the next item, shall we?"

The audience responded positively, their cheerful voices filling the stadium with excitement.

"In that case, the auction is concluded. Congratulations to VIP Room Number 1 for winning this amazing and mysterious treasure!" Teressa exclaimed, her melodious voice echoing throughout the stadium and captivating many young listeners.

Turning to face VIP Room Number 1, Teressa smiled warmly and said, "The mysterious lotus flower will be delivered directly to your room, so there's no need for you to step outside."

As she spoke, a servant gently closed the wooden box containing the lotus flower and left the stage with it in hand.

Moments later, another servant appeared, carrying a large wooden box. The servant carefully placed it on the luxurious table at the center of the stage, ensuring the item inside was handled with the utmost care.

Teressa nodded approvingly, granting permission to open the box. With a polite smile, the servant opened it delicately, revealing the contents to the eagerly awaiting crowd.

"I present the Silver Dragon Fang—a legendary weapon forged from the tooth of an actual dragon thousands of years ago by a master blacksmith!" Teressa announced, her voice full of excitement. "This weapon was once wielded by Lord Gabriel, a Saint-Rank Magic Knight, several centuries ago."

The announcement caused a ripple of awe and excitement to sweep through the audience.

"What?! Another legendary weapon? This is incredible!" someone shouted, their voice brimming with enthusiasm.

The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation, and all eyes were fixed on the stage, eager to witness the next chapter of the auction.

"Not just any legendary weapon, but the sword wielded by Lord Gabriel—a legendary figure from history! This is incredible!"

"Since this weapon is a sword, a popular choice among warriors, I think the auction this time will become a battlefield for the wealthiest families across the continent."

"Indeed. After all, this isn't just any sword—it's a legendary one, capable of slicing through massive boulders with ease!"

"Even though I have no chance of winning, or even touching this sword, I'll still join the battle and place a bid."

"Me too! I want to experience the thrill of this intense bidding war!"

"Count me in as well. I can't let an opportunity like this slip by!"

Excited murmurs filled the stadium, creating an electric atmosphere. The shouts of eager participants rippled through the crowd, inspiring many to prepare their bids even though the auction for the sword had yet to begin.

'I can't believe so many people are this thrilled about this treasure…' Teressa thought, observing the sea of excitement around her.

'Perhaps this could end up being the most expensive item of this auction—unless, of course, it's surpassed by 'that' treasure.' She sighed softly, glancing at the animated audience.

Clearing her throat to command attention, Teressa smiled and addressed the crowd. "From your cheers, it's clear to me that all of you are excited about this treasure—and why wouldn't you be? After all, this sword is a Legendary-Grade weapon, personally wielded by none other than Lord Gabriel!"

Her calm yet confident voice carried across the stadium as she continued, "I'm sure many of you dream of claiming this masterpiece as your weapon—especially the S-Rank Hunters from the Hunter Association."

The crowd's cheers grew louder, and Teressa raised her hand to quiet them.

"However," she said, a proud smile on her face, "to claim this magnificent weapon, you must win the auction. Only the highest bidder will have the privilege of becoming the sole owner of this incredible treasure!"

The crowd's excitement swelled as Teressa prepared to announce the details of the auction.

"It's time for me to reveal the starting price of this Legendary-Grade treasure," she declared, her voice brimming with enthusiasm. "The bidding will begin at 10 million gold coins!"

A collective gasp echoed through the stadium.

"As this is an exceptionally rare and nearly priceless item, there will be specific rules for this auction," Teressa added. "The rules are simple: each bid must increase by at least one million gold coins or more. There's no upper limit—you can bid as many millions as you wish. But remember, no bid can be lower than one million."

Teressa's melodious voice echoed throughout the entire stadium, triggering an eruption of cheers from every corner as excitement filled the air over the treasure. With a wide, charming grin on her face, Teressa announced, "Now, everyone can bid for this treasure!"

"12 million gold coins!" A sharp voice suddenly resounded from the Noble Section, becoming the first to bid on the treasure.

"15 million gold coins!" Another voice rang out, immediately drawing attention from the crowd.

"16 million!"

One after another, bids poured in for the Silver Dragon Fang—an extremely powerful magical sword, coveted by many. Even those unfamiliar with swords couldn't resist the opportunity to claim such a remarkable weapon.

18 million… 19 million… 20 million… and so on, the price continued to climb by the second. The treasure seemed irresistible, with everyone vying for the chance to possess it. No one wanted to let such an incredible opportunity slip through their fingers.

40… 45… 51… 57… 62 million gold coins. The bids escalated relentlessly, turning the auction into an intense spectacle.

Yet, an unusual aspect stood out: none of the members from the Ten Great Families had joined the fray. Instead, they observed silently from the comfort of their VIP rooms, watching the events unfold.

Meanwhile, two servants entered Yuan's VIP room, their sudden appearance failing to surprise Yuan and his wives, who had been expecting them.

"Please forgive our intrusion, Young Master Yuan," one of the servants said with a soft smile, bowing respectfully alongside her companion. "We're here to deliver the item you won at the auction and to collect the payment, should you wish to settle it now."

"Alternatively, you may pay later at the counter," she added, placing a small wooden box on the table. "Please verify the contents of the box to ensure there are no misunderstandings."

Yuan nodded, but as he reached for the box, a pair of small hands darted forward and grabbed it first. Looking up, he saw Little Zoe holding the box, her face lit with excitement.

"Big Brother Yuan, let me open the box for you!" Little Zoe exclaimed, her voice brimming with anticipation as she looked at him eagerly.

Yuan smiled warmly and nodded. "Sure, you can open it for me."

"Hehe~" Little Zoe giggled softly before carefully opening the box. Inside, a beautiful lotus flower rested, slightly glowing and radiating powerful spiritual energy.

—

[Lunar Ice Lotus]

[Grade - Tier 7]

[Quality - Excellent]

[Description - An extremely rare medicinal herb, cultivated in frigid environments under moonlight.]

—

"T-This is indeed the Lunar Ice Lotus! I'm one hundred percent sure of it!" Fang Xiaoyan exclaimed, her voice trembling with excitement. Her lips quivered as if she could barely believe what she was seeing.

"Since you've verified the item, allow me to handle the payment." Valeria smiled at Yuan before retrieving a magic pouch from her spatial ring.

She then turned to the servants, handed them the pouch, and said, "Please check the amount before leaving."

The servants nodded and quickly counted the gold coins inside the magic pouch. After confirming the amount, they looked at Valeria and said, "There is no issue with the amount, Princess Valeria."

With that, they bowed and left the room in haste.

Once the servants had closed the door behind them and their presence was no longer a concern, Yuan spoke, "Now that we've secured the herb, we'll use it to enhance our cultivation once the auction is over. We've been neglecting our training for a few weeks now—it's time to get serious again."

"Agreed," Fang Xiaoyan said with a firm nod. "Once everyone reaches the Spirit Grandmaster realm, traveling will become much easier. Everyone will be able to fly without relying on flying swords."

"And we'll move faster too," Xi Meili added, her tone icy as she cast an indifferent glance at Fang Xiaoyan.

"Exactly," Yuan agreed. He then declared with a serious expression, "That's why I plan to spend the entire week dual-cultivating with all of you, especially those whose cultivation is lagging behind. They need to grow stronger, and quickly."

"And as we continue our journey, I'll also teach everyone how to properly fight using Martial Techniques," Yuan said, his voice brimming with both excitement and determination.