My Celestial Ascension

"Martial Techniques? Now I'm really looking forward to learning them." Vanessa chuckled softly, her excitement shining in her sparkling eyes.

It had been far too long since she was confined to her room and bed. Now, she yearned for excitement—craving the thrill of using her body and strength to fight powerful magical monsters once more. She couldn't even recall the last time she held a weapon in her hands, and the thought of wielding one again filled her with anticipation. She was certain that only then would she feel truly alive.

"I can see that," Yuan chuckled, amused by her enthusiasm. "But learning Martial Techniques will take some time. Perfecting them will take even longer, and fully mastering a technique? That will require a tremendous amount of effort and dedication."

"I see… Well, that makes it even more interesting," Vanessa said, her voice tinged with excitement. A small but radiant smile graced her beautiful face, nearly captivating Yuan.

Since becoming a cultivator, many of Vanessa's noticeable wrinkles had vanished. As her cultivation progressed, her appearance became more youthful, and with each breakthrough, her strength grew exponentially—a level of power unfathomable to mere mortals.

"We'll talk about this later once the auction ends," Yuan said with a smile. "It's not the best time to chat about this. Aunt Aisha could arrive at any moment."

Yuan had already accepted Aisha as his aunt, considering she was his mother's sister, and naturally treated her as family.

Meanwhile, the auction continued, and the air grew thick with excitement and tension. The crowd was abuzz, eagerly awaiting the next bid for the Legendary-Grade Magical Sword.

"170 million gold coins!" a voice from one of the VIP rooms shouted, instantly drawing the attention of the stadium to the source.

Despite the staggering bid, many wealthy individuals in the audience remained calm and calculated, planning their next moves. With the price now exceeding 150 million gold coins, they knew they needed to tread carefully with their spending.

Yet, this treasure was unlike any other, and for most of the wealthy bidders, hesitation was not an option. The allure of the sword was far too strong to resist.

"175 million gold coins!" another voice rang out shortly after, resounding throughout the entire stadium and sparking another wave of excitement among the audience.

Even with the fierce bidding war, none of the members from the Ten Great Families had joined the fray yet. They remained silent observers, watching the auction with intrigue from the comfort of their VIP rooms.

176… 177… 178… 200 million gold coins!

The price of the Magic Sword soared to 200 million gold coins in no time, shocking many spectators who watched the event unfold from their seats.

"210 million gold coins!"

Suddenly, King Richard's authoritative voice resounded throughout the stadium, his words filled with pride. The magic lamp above his VIP room glowed, confirming his bid.

Inside the VIP room, Heidi and Veni raised their brows in surprise at King Richard's bid, exchanging knowing smiles.

Veni glanced at Heidi and said with a smirk, "Oh, it seems someone from the VIP rooms has finally decided to bid for this priceless treasure. The real battle is about to begin, and this auction is about to get much more interesting."

"Indeed," Heidi replied with a faint smile, her eyes fixed on the sword. "Not only will things get more intense now, but this auction will also heat up as we all compete for the treasure."

Veni's expression turned serious as she asked, "Do you think we can win this auction, Young Lady?"

Heidi met her gaze and paused thoughtfully before replying, "I don't think so. It will be incredibly difficult for us to secure this treasure. Every member of the Ten Great Families will be vying for it."

"You're right," Veni sighed, leaning back on the sofa in resignation. "This will be a tough fight."

A sly smirk appeared on Heidi's face. "But isn't that exactly what makes this battle so thrilling?"

"220 million gold coins!" Heidi announced her bid confidently, her wide smile revealing her eagerness to compete. She eagerly awaited the responses from the other members of the Ten Great Families.

As soon as her bid was declared, heads turned toward her VIP room, the entire stadium abuzz with curiosity and excitement.
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"230 million gold coins!"

Elisha's voice suddenly rang out, sharp and determined, as she took over her brother's duty to bid for the treasure.

'There's no way I'm letting you win this auction, Heidi. This sword belongs to our family!' Elisha thought, her expression twisting into a vicious grin as her eyes locked on Heidi's VIP room.

She then turned to Elias, whose face burned with humiliation, his expression a mixture of shame and rage. He had become a laughingstock in front of everyone—a disgrace he would never forget.

Elias seethed with anger, his eyes fixated on VIP room number 1. Gritting his teeth, he clenched his fists in frustration, his entire body trembling with barely contained fury.

'For now, I'll let you enjoy your time with your women. But once this auction ends, Yuan, I'll turn your world into a living hell… a living hell!' Elias thought, his expression twisted with seething rage as his gaze remained fixed on Yuan's VIP room. His anger boiled over, consuming him entirely.

Elisha glanced at her brother's face, sighed softly, and shifted her focus back to the auction. At the moment, the auction held far greater importance than Elias's vendetta.

"250 million gold coins!"

Suddenly, Denise's sharp voice echoed throughout the stadium, announcing his bid for the sword.

"Don't forget about me. I'm still here, and there's no way I'd stay silent forever," Denise muttered with a sly smile, his confidence radiating as he leaned back in his seat.

The three lovely ladies accompanying him seemed visibly more at ease, as Denise's attention had shifted entirely to the auction. The excitement in his demeanor regarding the sword distracted him from them, giving them a momentary reprieve.

"Should we ask if we can leave the room? If we don't, we might end up stuck here with him forever," one of the women whispered to the others, her voice low and cautious to avoid catching Denise's attention.

The second woman nodded fervently. "Let's ask. We need to get the hell out of here. I don't want to spend my life as his slave or plaything."

"Agreed," the third woman added with a determined expression. "I have dreams of my own to fulfill. Staying here will only shatter them. We need to leave as soon as possible."

Having reached a consensus, the three women rose from the sofa and cautiously approached Denise. Their expressions betrayed their fear, but they masked it as much as they could.

"Young Master Denise," one of them began timidly, "may we leave the room? Our families must be looking for us, and we wouldn't want them to worry."

Denise turned his attention to the women, his gaze lingering on them for a few moments. His expression showed uncertainty, but he eventually nodded.

"Sure. You can go now…" Denise said, his tone awkward as he glanced at them from head to toe.

The women smiled politely, bowed slightly, and hurriedly left the room. The moment they exited, they exchanged relieved looks and made their way toward the stadium's exit without delay.

They moved quickly, not daring to linger. The fear that Denise might change his mind and send his men after them loomed large in their minds.

'We can't risk staying a moment longer,' one of them thought, her heart pounding.

Thankfully, Denise didn't know which town or kingdom they hailed from. As long as they kept a low profile and avoided his men, they were safe.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, a glimmer of hope sparked within them as they stepped out into freedom.

"275 million gold coins!"

Princess Livia's melodious voice echoed throughout the stadium, captivating everyone's attention as her bid resonated far and wide.

"280 million!"

Shortly after, Emperor Philip's commanding voice followed, drawing all eyes toward his VIP room.

"300 million!"

Ajex's voice boomed from his VIP room, reverberating across every corner of the stadium as he boldly announced his bid.

"I don't know why," Ajex muttered, his tone deep and possessive, "but I feel a strange connection with this sword. It's as if it was specifically crafted for me. I must have it!" His gaze locked onto the sword displayed beside Teressa on the stage.

His caretaker, noticing the intense look in Ajex's eyes, smiled warmly. It had been far too long since he'd seen such determination in his young master.

"You must secure this sword, Young Master Ajex. It suits you perfectly. Don't worry about the cost—I'll make sure it's handled," the caretaker said with a supportive smile, his excitement matching Ajex's resolve.

"320 million gold coins!"

Suddenly, Aisha's melodious voice rang out across the stadium, silencing the crowd for a moment as every gaze shifted to her VIP room.

Inside, Aisha lounged on her sofa, a wide grin on her face. She could almost picture the expressions of disbelief and frustration on the faces of the other Ten Great Families.

"Lady Aisha," Jones spoke, his expression serious, "please don't let the other Ten Great Families win this treasure. If they obtain this sword, they'll grow even more arrogant and will surely cause trouble for our family in the future."

Aisha chuckled, her disdain evident. "Those cowards wouldn't dare challenge our family head-on. They lack the courage to fight like true warriors."

She leaned forward slightly, her voice dripping with contempt. "It doesn't matter if they acquire another Legendary-Grade weapon. It won't change the outcome. The result will always be the same."

Jones nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips. "You're absolutely right, Lady Aisha. They'll never change. Their cowardice is ingrained—it's simply impossible for them to abandon it."

Meanwhile, members of the Silver Family were tirelessly searching the stadium, combing through every nook and cranny in their desperate hunt for Gordon. Despite their efforts, they had yet to find any concrete evidence of his whereabouts.