The young girl at the Linglong Auction House slowly spoke, "Our first item, a rare material: Silver Sand. Silver Sand is a material found in deserts, appearing only when moonlight and starlight shine together on the sand. This material possesses incredible toughness and luster, making it an excellent choice for crafting weapons or jewelry. The starting bid is thirty thousand Era Coins, with a minimum increment of twenty thousand Era Coins per bid."
"I bid fifty thousand Era Coins!"
"I bid eighty thousand."
"One hundred thousand!"
"Are you looking down on rare materials? I bid one hundred and thirty thousand."
The price of the very first item was still rapidly climbing. Chen Tian wasn't interested. He was here to find clues about the Tears of Starlight. He wondered if the Linglong Auction House had any information regarding its whereabouts. Chen Tian didn't want to spend too much time searching for it. If it were available, he would spend a considerable sum to acquire it. The Tears of Starlight were a must-have for him. As for other items, they were optional and held little use for Chen Tian.
Chen Tian's strength placed him at the pinnacle, and he didn't need these things. True strength was his foundation. Silver Sand was a pile of silver sand that emanated a silvery glow, occasionally mixed with faint traces of starlight and moonlight. Weapons crafted from this material could increase their strength severalfold. As jewelry, it was a popular accessory for female players, another sought-after material.
Soon, the first item was sold for thirty million Era Coins. Then, the second item was presented. The youth spoke as usual, "The second item is a quest scroll. The quest level is SSS-class, belonging to the Adventurer profession. Players who are not Adventurers, please do not bid."
"Miss, may I ask what type of quest this is, and what are the rewards?"
A spectator asked, while others refrained from bidding. After all, quests were assessed based on their difficulty and rewards. Some quests were extremely difficult with generous rewards, while others were difficult with meager rewards, and some were easy with no rewards at all. For SSS-class quests, players needed to consider both the rewards and the objectives.
Seeing someone speak, the youth calmly replied, "It is a quest to slay a Demon King. The quest reward is a hidden profession: Sword Champion! A Warrior of the Sword, with a 300% all-attribute bonus for sword-type weapons, and it also grants the player control over a form of magical power, effectively giving them magic. It's a multi-class profession."
"Hiss!"
"Miss Qingxue, Saya, stop talking and start the auction. What's the starting bid?"
Many people were eager, not wanting to miss this quest scroll. It was indeed an auction co-hosted by the four major guilds for their anniversary. Already on the second item, they had astonished everyone. It seemed the four guilds were going to make a fortune this time.
"The starting bid is one hundred million Era Coins, with a minimum increment of five million!"
Qingxue knew that for Adventurer class players, this scroll was a hot commodity. Without delay, she stated the bidding rules, hoping the auction would conclude soon. The price continued to rise, reaching three hundred and ninety million, and still climbing, eventually stopping at six hundred and ninety million before the third item was presented to the audience.
Chen Tian's expression shifted slightly. There was a familiar aura emanating from this item. He felt like he had seen it somewhere before.
"Where did I see it?"
Chen Tian pondered. The third item was a mirror. It had a diamond shape with silver patterns and纹路 along its four edges. On either side, two small, silver-red wings were symmetrically placed. Qingxue said, "The third item is quite special. It's a special item with unknown functions. However, during our tests, we found that this mirror is impervious to blades and magic. Even the highest-level magic cannot damage it, nor can blades and weapons. Its purpose remains undiscovered. The starting bid is three hundred million, with a minimum increment of one hundred million."
As the words fell, no one bid. What a joke! Who would buy a mirror with an unknown function? Even if it were impervious to blades and magic, what use would it be? As a shield?
No one wanted to buy this item; it was merely an ornament. Suddenly, Chen Tian spoke, "I bid five hundred million Era Coins."
As Chen Tian bid, everyone turned their attention to his booth. The Linglong Auction House had excellent privacy measures. People in the main hall and those in private rooms could not discern Chen Tian's figure or appearance. His voice was also altered, making it difficult for anyone to recognize it as Chen Tian's.
In two other private rooms, the sound of a shattering cup echoed. A young man roared in a distorted voice, "Useless! Useless! Not only were three branches continuously wiped out, but this time, not even the Core of Gale was obtained, and it's gone just like that!"
"Young master, please calm down. This cannot be blamed on us! Everyone we sent is gone, as if they vanished."
The butler beside him quickly tried to appease him. The young man said coldly, "Do you know where that guy went?"
"Yes, young master. According to intelligence, he is attending the Linglong Auction House, searching for the whereabouts of the Tears of Starlight."
"Good. After the auction ends, we will pay him a visit. We must retrieve the Core of Gale. Otherwise, if that esteemed person becomes angry, neither you nor I can bear the consequences."
"Yes!"
A beam of light flashed, and a figure in a black robe appeared in the room. The young man and the butler bowed respectfully, "My lord, why have you come?"
"Bid for that mirror item. Absolutely do not let anyone else win it."
With that, the black-robed figure left the private room. The same situation occurred in another private room, where a black-robed figure instructed the room's occupant to bid for the mirror item.
"Five hundred million Era Coins. Is there anyone willing to bid higher? Perhaps this mirror holds another secret!"
Qingxue still wanted to increase the price. After all, the price of the previous item was several times higher than this mirror. The third item, by any standard, should fetch a higher price. Naturally, Qingxue simply wanted to increase her commission. The more items she auctioned, the more commission she received. Five hundred million Era Coins was too little for Qingxue.
"I bid six hundred million!"
"Eight hundred million Era Coins."
Two private rooms spoke up one after another, vying for the item. Chen Tian's expression instantly turned cold. He recognized the familiar aura. The presence of Evil Spirit race members in those two rooms indicated that the occupants were colluding with the Evil Spirit race. Chen Tian opened his panel to check the factions of the people in those two rooms. Chen Tian had data modification and authority, making it easy for him to check who was in the rooms, though only he was permitted to do so; other rooms could not access information about Chen Tian's booth.
After reviewing the panel, Chen Tian stated, "Tyrant and Cloud Water Guilds, huh? I can't let you have this. After all, it's the遗物 of that old man, and it's useful to me. I bid nine hundred million Era Coins!"
Chen Tian shouted, and everyone was shocked. Nine hundred million Era Coins for a mirror with an unknown function? To look at oneself?
"One billion!"
"One point three billion!"
For the Tyrant and Cloud Water Guilds, ten or so billion Era Coins was mere pocket change. They were not short of Era Coins, as they had branch guilds, industries, and players spread across the globe, earning countless sums. Maintaining a massive guild required a vast amount of money. Two of the world's top three guilds had now made an appearance.
"Cloud Water, you should let me have this item."
"This is from the Tyrant Guild. The highest bidder wins!"
The young man from the Cloud Water Guild and the representative from the Tyrant Guild confronted each other. Chen Tian said calmly, "Don't act as if this item belongs to you. I haven't given up yet."
"I bid two billion Era Coins plus one Time-Space Coin. What do you say, Miss Qingxue?"
Chen Tian spoke with a teasing tone. Qingxue, standing at the center auction stand, was stunned, as if petrified. Two billion Era Coins and a Time-Space Coin! Heavens!
Was it time to bid with Time-Space Coins on only the third item?
The bonus of one Time-Space Coin was… just thinking about it made her feel like she was floating.
"It… it can be done."
Qingxue quickly recovered and gave her answer. The other two guilds did not bid. In their opinion, this item was not worth spending Time-Space Coins on. No matter how large a guild was, Time-Space Coins were not to be squandered.
"Very well. Butler Fu, use your connections to find out who that brat is. This item will remain with him for now. After the auction, I will personally ask for it."
The young man from the Cloud Water Guild spoke calmly. The butler behind him nodded and left the room. On the Tyrant Guild's side, it was a burly youth. The youth commanded, "Investigate, go and investigate for me. Use your connections to find out the opponent's information. Daring to snatch an item valued by the Tyrant Guild is seeking death."
"Yes!"
Chen Tian was unaware of the situation after the auction ended. If he knew, he wouldn't care. To Chen Tian, these people were too weak. Fighting the Evil Spirit race was more exhilarating. When Chen Tian made a move, it would be a slaughter.
Chen Tian slid the card into the slot, the amount decreased, and a mirror appeared on the table. Chen Tian reminisced, "If only you were still here."
"Chen Tian, I have a monumental secret. If I can research this secret successfully, I can glimpse the future."
"Chen Tian, I succeeded! But to glimpse the future, a great price is required: one's lifespan."
"Chen Tian, I saw it. There is no hope now, but there can be in the future. Chen Tian, fight with all your might! Holding on will lead to ruin; letting go and waiting is hope."
"Chen Tian, I will use this item. My lifespan is nearing its end. I will be buried with this item. It is too powerful; it is beyond the laws of heaven."
"Haha, fare thee well. On behalf of the world, I thank you for your contribution."
Tears welled up in Chen Tian's eyes. He was the world's foremost blacksmith. He was once Chen Tian's close friend, a friend who had shared life and death with him. Chen Tian looked at the familiar mirror. He would protect this item with all his might. It was his遗物.
The mirror's function was to allow one to glimpse a corner of the future, even to see future scenes, at the cost of a substantial portion of one's lifespan. Those without sufficient lifespan would have their lives completely drained and die. That was precisely what happened to him back then. He expended all his lifespan to tell Chen Tian that hope lay in the future.
It was because of this that Chen Tian made that decision, leading him to where he was today. These memories surfacing made Chen Tian truly understand. The world was far more important than individuals. If the world were gone, what was the point of protecting anything? To protect the world, everyone made sacrifices.
Now, Chen Tian wanted to minimize such sacrifices. Chen Tian looked at his reflection in the mirror and said, "I will definitely save all worlds. I will not let your sacrifices be in vain. Fare thee well!"
Chen Tian placed the mirror into his storage ring. The cost of using this mirror was too high. For Chen Tian, whose lifespan was long enough to drive it, consuming a little was not a problem. However, he didn't need to use this item at present.
"The fourth item is our final piece before the grand finale. Item: Skill Fusion Card. This item can fuse two self-created skills together, exponentially increasing their level and power. However, the effectiveness and quality of the fused skill depend on luck. The starting bid is thirty billion Era Coins, with a minimum increment of five hundred million Era Coins. The bidding begins!"
This announcement ignited the bidding desire of all players present. Self-created skills were a unique feature of the Time-Space Era. Players could create any skill. The power and effect of these skills were formidable. Fusing two skills together could create even more potent abilities. As for luck, wasn't it all about chance? Good luck meant a magnificent skill; bad luck meant an effect similar to an ordinary self-created skill. In general, the power would be exponentially enhanced; that was a fixed outcome.
Chen Tian was astonished. Could this auction house obtain such an item? He began to slightly acknowledge the capabilities of the four auction houses.
Chen Tian had no intention of bidding for this item. Chen Tian had over a dozen Skill Fusion Cards in his warehouse and didn't know how to use them. If the system hadn't stated that these items would be useful for his future journey to myriad worlds, he would have given them away long ago.
Soon, the bidding for the Skill Fusion Card reached ten Time-Space Coins, and it was won by a player from the Tyrant Guild.