Chapter 284: Chapter 194: Killing for Treasure! The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, Unaware of the Oriole Behind!
Top-grade Martial Arts are controlled by Primordial Power. Supreme Martial Arts are controlled by Spirit. However, some Martial Arts, originally intended to be top-grade or Supreme, were either unexpectedly incomplete or only partially finished at their inception, reaching a stage where Primordial Power was primary, supplemented by Spirit. These are defined as quasi-Supreme Martial Arts. For Qianyuan City, where individuals in the Detachment Realm were considered the most powerful, quasi-Supreme Martial Arts represented the highest echelon of Martial Arts that could be featured in the current auction.
As the steward finished speaking, he pursed his lips and smiled, allowing the Maids to parade the jade plate back and forth on the auction stage.
Below the stage, even those Martial Artists who rarely made a sound couldn’t help but draw a sharp breath. Their gazes, burning with fervor, were all fixed on the Jade Scroll.
Quasi-Supreme Martial Arts!
Within the Dynasty, such Martial Arts were typically collected by the royal family. Only those in the Detachment Realm, or powerhouses in the Acupoint Passage Realm who had opened all their acupoints and sworn loyalty to the Dynasty, would have a chance to obtain them. Yet, such a Martial Art now appeared before their very eyes.
The fundamental advantage that the Detachment Realm held over the Acupoint Passage Realm was spiritual power.
If a Martial Artist in the Acupoint Passage Realm could cultivate a quasi-Supreme Martial Art, they could, to some extent, temporarily contend with a Detachment Realm powerhouse!
"The first grand finale item is a quasi-Supreme Martial Art... This Black Alliance auction is really going all out this time! It’s just a pity that this Martial Art will inevitably fall into the hands of those major powers. We can only watch and boast about it later."
"Just seeing a quasi-Supreme Martial Art has made this trip worthwhile! Besides, if the first auction item is like this, what about the second and third? Could Treasures appear?!"
"Never mind Treasures. This Heavenly Gang Dragon Capturing Hand alone will definitely start at one thousand bottles of Essence Yuan Great Pills. Within the Dynasty, only those aristocratic families with centuries of history could afford such a price."
"Exactly. Even with ’quasi’ in its name, it’s like having one foot across the threshold of Supreme Martial Arts. While the spiritual power required isn’t immense, it’s still beyond what we Acupoint Passage Realm Martial Artists can achieve. Forcibly using it would, at best, drain one’s spiritual power, requiring months of recovery. At worst, it could leave someone an imbecile, forever cut off from the path of Martial Arts."
Some Martial Artists who knew each other conversed in low voices. These individuals had generally not even fully opened all the acupoints within their bodies and thus didn’t dare to even think about acquiring a quasi-Supreme Martial Art.
In a secluded seat, Jiang Shu’s fist, hidden within his sleeve, clenched tightly, then slowly relaxed. His gaze had been fixed on the Jade Scroll ever since it appeared.
In the Da Jing Dynasty, top-grade Martial Arts were easy to come by, but Supreme Martial Arts were rare. This was because top-grade Martial Arts could be found in commerce associations and aristocratic families. If one possessed sufficient talent, they would naturally attract investment. With Detachment Realm powerhouses presiding, even the strongest in the Acupoint Passage Realm had to obey orders. But Supreme Martial Arts, even quasi-Supreme Martial Arts—the kind that allowed one to briefly contend with Detachment Realm experts—were absolutely unobtainable unless one reached a certain cultivation Realm or possessed a specific status.
At least, with his current status, unless he resorted to robbery, he had no way to cultivate such a technique.
Heavenly Gang Dragon Capturing Hand...
Jiang Shu murmured inwardly, suppressing the burning fervor in his eyes. To some extent, he was like the Martial Artists who had been discussing earlier; he couldn’t hope to obtain this quasi-Supreme Martial Art. A Martial Art of this caliber would have an astronomical starting price.
But not being able to bid for it didn’t mean he couldn’t obtain it!
"The Heavenly Gang Dragon Capturing Hand was first created by the founding patriarch of the high-ranking Great Yuan Dynasty. A single capturing motion utilized Primordial Power Spirit, embodying both yin and yang, to condense energy into the likeness of a dragon. Later, due to internal succession struggles and widespread chaos within the Great Yuan Dynasty, many Treasures from the imperial vault were disseminated."
"This Martial Art subsequently circulated through many regions and is now a prized collection in several major neighboring Dynasties."
On the auction stage, Steward Mu first gave a brief explanation of the origin of the "Heavenly Gang Dragon Capturing Hand," then scanned the entire audience, his voice resonating clearly in every corner, "Starting bid, ten thousand Essence Yuan Great Pills. Each increase must not be less than five hundred."
A bottle of Elixirs typically contained ten pills. Auctions usually involved bidding in bottles for ease of calculation. However, Steward Mu, by forgoing bottles as the unit and suddenly announcing the large figure of ten thousand pills, aimed to electrify everyone present.
"Thirteen thousand!"
A young man, appearing to be in his thirties, abruptly stood up and bellowed. His cold gaze swept across the room, and any Martial Artist who met his eyes couldn’t help but look away.
"This is a Black Alliance auction, not the Tu Family’s Blood Battle Arena. If Young Master Tu wants to bid, then bid properly."
No sooner had the young man spoken than an elderly voice declared from another side, "Fifteen thousand."
The Tu Family Blood Battle Arena...
Jiang Shu’s gaze swept over the young man. The Tu Family’s Blood Battle Arena was also one of the five major powers in Qianyuan City. Martial Artists from the city could register to participate in these blood duels, earning substantial rewards for each victory. However, failure meant losing one’s life. Relying on this Blood Battle Arena, the Tu Family had amassed a fortune in Qianyuan City. In terms of financial might, this Young Master Tu likely ranked among the top five wealthiest individuals at the entire auction.
"So, it’s Elder Yan from the Ten Thousand Medicine Association. Elder Yan, as a top-grade Alchemist, surely you don’t need to compete with us juniors for this Martial Art? Eighteen thousand."
Young Master Tu Ling of the Tu Family forcibly suppressed the savage glint in his eyes as he spoke these exceedingly polite words, directly raising the bid by three thousand.
The Ten Thousand Medicine Association was a faction composed of Alchemists. Their collective strength was formidable, perhaps even slightly surpassing that of the Tu Family.