Chapter 61

"One pill of the Muscle Regeneration and Bone Formation Elixir, starting bid at one billion, auction begins—now."

As Yao Nianqian finished her last word, the entire hall erupted.

"Two billion"

A Blood Condensation Realm expert was the first to call out his bid. He had gained nothing today due to the intense competition.

This led to the prices soaring, with many treasures already exceeding their actual value. As a result, all the money remained in people's pockets, which was his greatest advantage.

"Three billion"

An elderly voice rang out, and in a corner that was not particularly noticeable, an old man with white hair and beard sat. That voice was his.

The old man had not bid before, but as soon as he spoke, many people gasped in recognition.

"Isn't that Wang Luyang, the alchemy master of the Tuochi Kingdom?" someone whispered in surprise.

Although the Tuochi Kingdom was not as large as the Phoenix Cry Empire and did not have its own Alchemist Guild, it did have its own Alchemy Hall.

If a country lacked the support of elixirs and weapons, it would have been destroyed long ago. Weapons were secondary, as iron ore was not scarce, but without elixirs, it was absolutely unacceptable.

Wang Luyang, the alchemist known by that name, was revered as a national master in the Tuochi Kingdom, a title that meant he was the teacher of the entire nation, with a status even more revered than the emperor.

There was no way around it; without the support of an alchemist, the Tuochi Kingdom would have been annexed by the surrounding major powers long ago.

So when Wang Luyang made his move, it immediately scared off many people. He was equivalent to a local emperor, and in terms of wealth, he was likely the most affluent.

He had not bid before because there was nothing that caught his eye. Such a person would not easily make a move, but once he did, he was determined to win.

The typical price for a second-grade mid-tier elixir was around 300,000, but the current price had already exceeded a thousand times that, making it unaffordable for many.

However, such a treasure was extremely rare. In battle, if one's arm was severed, their combat power would greatly diminish, ultimately leading to their death.

But with this Muscle Regeneration and Bone Formation Elixir, it was like having a second chance at life. Xia Changfeng and Xia Baichi looked at the elixir, deeply regretting that they had not prepared more, and could only watch as the treasure slipped away.

"Four billion"

Ying Hou's distinctive voice rang out, surprising everyone as he had also joined the bidding.

"Five billion"

Wang Luyang did not hesitate, immediately calling out his bid. This was his confidence. Although Ying Hou was a royal duke of a nation, in terms of wealth, he clearly did not have the same depth as Wang Luyang, the national master.

The entire hall was stunned. No one expected that a small second-grade mid-tier elixir would be auctioned for the same price as a Mystic Rank combat technique.

Even Long Chen's heart raced with excitement. It seemed that too many elixir formulas had been lost in the world, and with the memory of the Elixir Emperor, those ancient formulas would be an inexhaustible source of wealth.

However, while he was excited, he also felt some concern. A small Muscle Regeneration and Bone Formation Elixir had already caused such a stir.

If others found out that the elixir was his, he would be in danger. He realized that he had been a bit rash this time.

But it was too late to regret now. He could only hope that the reputation of Huayun Pavilion would help keep this secret.

When Wang Luyang called out the five billion price, the entire hall fell silent. Even Ying Hou fell silent, as five billion was clearly an unbearable burden for him.

At this point in the auction, Yao Nianqian did not need to stir up the crowd's enthusiasm, as that would only cause resentment.

Seeing no one bidding, Yao Nianqian began the countdown. In the end, Wang Luyang won the second-grade mid-tier Muscle Regeneration and Bone Formation Elixir for five billion.

"Ladies and gentlemen, don't rush to leave. The best is yet to come. Our show is far from over."

Seeing some people starting to leave, Yao Nianqian smiled and said. As she finished speaking, a servant girl came out with a jade box.

The crowd's expressions were strange. This year's auction was truly interesting. What treasure was this? Was it even more precious than the previous elixir?

"Snap"

The jade box opened, and an elixir lay quietly inside. However, when the elixir appeared, everyone was stunned.

It was clearly identical to the previous Muscle Regeneration and Bone Formation Elixir. They had just said it was the last one in the world. What was this? A joke?

When Wang Luyang saw the elixir, his face changed, and he stood up. The entire hall laughed, thinking Wang Luyang was about to lose his temper.

However, to everyone's surprise, Wang Luyang looked at the elixir for a moment and then burst into laughter: "Good, good, good, this trip was not in vain."

Yao Nianqian smiled and praised, "Truly worthy of being an alchemy master. From such a distance, you can discern its qualities. It's truly admirable."

"That's right, this is also a Muscle Regeneration and Bone Formation Elixir, but it is not a mid-tier elixir. It is a—high-tier elixir."

"What?"

The crowd below the stage erupted in chaos.

"That's right, it's a high-tier ancient elixir. A mid-tier elixir is only effective for Blood Condensation Realm experts, while this precious high-tier elixir is for Tendon Transformation Realm experts," Yao Nianqian said solemnly.

The entire hall was in an uproar. Tendon Transformation Realm experts were the pinnacle of the empire, and the crowd's hearts raced.

"High-tier Muscle Regeneration and Bone Formation Elixir, starting bid at two billion, auction begins—now."

"Five billion"

The first bidder was still Wang Luyang, and he raised the bar in one go, clearly determined to win the elixir.

Everyone was shocked and couldn't help but marvel at the wealth of alchemists, who truly spent money like water.

"Six billion"

Finally, after Wang Luyang's bid, Ying Hou's voice rang out. The crowd's hearts raced, realizing that the two were about to start a serious competition.

"Brother Chu Yang, do you think Ying Hou can outbid Wang Luyang?"

In the private box, Xia Changfeng asked Chu Yang softly.

"Ying Hou is determined to get this elixir. Even if it means bankrupting himself, he will take it," the First Prince sighed.

"Why is that?" Xia Changfeng was puzzled. An elixir wasn't worth that much, was it?

"Brother Xia, you don't know. Over a decade ago, Ying Hou fought a duel and lost to his opponent, losing a finger.

At the time, he was ashamed and refused treatment, using this to motivate himself to train hard.

Since then, he has trained relentlessly and finally broke through to the Tendon Transformation Realm.

However, after entering the Tendon Transformation Realm, he discovered that it required strengthening the tendons and bones. With a missing finger, his tendons and bones were incomplete, greatly affecting his training.

But his finger had been severed for too long to be reattached. Over the years, he has traveled to many neighboring countries but has not found a solution.

He gave up bidding against Wang Luyang earlier because that was a second-grade mid-tier elixir, effective only for Blood Condensation Realm cultivators.

If he used it, the chances of success would be extremely slim. For that slim chance, a five-billion price was too high, so he gave up.

Now, this high-tier Muscle Regeneration and Bone Formation Elixir is like a gift from heaven for him. I can say with certainty that he will get this elixir.

If Wang Luyang doesn't know his place, well..." Chu Yang gave a cold laugh but did not continue.

However, his expression was very clear. If Wang Luyang didn't back down, he would find it hard to leave the Phoenix Cry Empire.

Even as a national master, he was far inferior to the Phoenix Cry Empire, and Ying Hou would not hesitate to kill for the treasure.

Xia Changfeng and Xia Baichi nodded. If that was the case, it would likely come to that. Alchemists were very proud, and this competition might continue.

When Wang Luyang saw Ying Hou's bid, his face changed. He knew that Ying Hou was determined to get the elixir, but he was not about to give up.

With this high-tier Muscle Regeneration and Bone Formation Elixir, he would have a greater chance of researching the formula. Once the formula was discovered, he would become famous throughout the world.

Alchemists generally did not lack money, except for the novices who often failed and went bankrupt.

Just as Wang Luyang was about to bid, Ying Hou's gentle voice rang out: "Master Wang, this elixir is extremely important to me. Please let it go.

After I get the elixir, I can allow you to study it for a few days. It's not appropriate to damage the harmony between our two countries over a small elixir."

Ying Hou's words stunned the crowd. His words were both soft and hard, showing his deep consideration. It was clear that the elixir was extremely important to him, and he was not afraid to say so.

Hearing Ying Hou's words, Yao Nianqian's face turned sour. The situation at the auction was clearly being disrupted, but both Ying Hou and Wang Luyang were important figures and major clients of Huayun Pavilion.

If she scolded them now, it would not change anything, as it was unlikely they would continue bidding.

Moreover, offending two major clients would damage Huayun Pavilion's reputation. For a moment, Yao Nianqian hated the gloomy Ying Hou.

"Master Wang, you are joking. I want to bid, but my funds are limited," Wang Luyang smiled slightly.

The crowd was disappointed. How could someone like Wang Luyang be short of money? This was clearly giving face to Ying Hou and providing him a way out.

Although Yao Nianqian was furious, she maintained her smile. The auction was nearing its end, and she did not want to create a mess at this point, so she had to endure it.

"Lord Ying Hou has bid five billion. Is there a higher bid? If not, I will start the countdown."

"Five billion, first time."

"Five billion, second time."

"Five billion, third..."

Ying Hou sat leisurely in the private box, sipping his tea. He heard the helplessness in Yao Nianqian's voice and smiled, enjoying the feeling.

However, a lazy voice made his face change, and even a few drops of tea spilled from his cup.

"Six billion"