Not a Single Dollar or Stone Spent

"The next auction item is a treasure crafted by the ancient artifact-forging sect, the Divine Mechanism Sect."

Zhao Shilong spoke confidently on the stage.

The crowd below erupted into murmurs at the mention of the Divine Mechanism Sect, as if the name itself carried an inexplicable allure.

Hearing the commotion, Gu Qingfeng shifted his attention to the auction.

By now, the auction had reached its latter stages, with most of the ordinary treasures already sold. Only the finest items remained.

"As everyone knows, ten thousand years ago, the Divine Mechanism Sect was one of the top artifact-forging sects in the Verdant Wood Domain. Their weapons and treasures were so rare that even ten thousand pounds of spirit stones could hardly secure one. After the sect met with disaster, their creations became priceless relics. Now, by sheer coincidence, our Universal Treasure Trading House has acquired one such treasure from an ancient ruin..."

"Elder Zhao, stop beating around the bush—just tell us what it is!"

Someone in the crowd shouted impatiently.

Unfazed, Zhao Shilong smiled faintly. "This old man has grown long-winded with age. Since you all dislike my rambling, I’ll cut to the chase—this treasure is none other than the Heavenly Thunder Pearl!"

The moment the words "Heavenly Thunder Pearl" were uttered, the venue erupted in an uproar.

"What?! A Heavenly Thunder Pearl?! How can such a thing still exist?"

"I heard that during the Divine Mechanism Sect’s calamity, most of these pearls were exhausted. Who would’ve thought any remained?"

"Legend says it contains the power of heavenly thunder, impervious to anyone below the Heavenly Realm. I wonder if that’s true."

The chatter reached Gu Qingfeng’s ears, stirring his curiosity. Just what was this Heavenly Thunder Pearl?

Soon, Zhao Shilong presented the item.

He held up a tray, upon which rested a translucent pearl. Inside, endless bolts of lightning flickered and danced, dazzlingly beautiful.

"Esteemed guests, while many of you may already know of the Heavenly Thunder Pearl, this old man must still explain, as per auction house rules. Crafted by the Divine Mechanism Sect using their secret techniques to harness heavenly thunder, this treasure is a single-use item. When activated and thrown at an enemy, it detonates, unleashing heavenly thunder to annihilate them. Though the thunder’s power is limited, it is still heavenly thunder—unstoppable by anyone below the Heavenly Realm!"

At this point, Gu Qingfeng stopped listening.

Unstoppable by anyone below the Heavenly Realm?!

Didn’t that mean it could instantly kill anyone beneath the Heavenly Profound Realm?

This thing was a true weapon of mass destruction!

He had to have it!

And the best part? While others saw it as a one-time treasure, Gu Qingfeng—with his All-Seeing Eyes and Seven-Aperture Exquisite Body—could easily decipher its forging method and mass-produce it!

"Enough talk. The starting bid for the Heavenly Thunder Pearl is five million taels of spirit stones, with increments of no less than one hundred thousand taels."

As soon as Zhao Shilong finished speaking, bids erupted from the crowd.

"Five and a half million!"

"Six million!"

"Seven million!"

The frenzy was palpable—everyone knew that while the Heavenly Thunder Pearl was disposable, it could be a lifesaver in dire situations.

......

Gu Qingfeng watched the heated bidding but remained still. He had no intention of joining.

What was the point of winning the bid?

Following the usual script, even if he bought it, he’d just get robbed afterward.

Never underestimate human greed—where treasures are involved, villains abound.

If buying it only led to being ambushed, why bother? Why spend money at the auction, only to lose it all later? Even if he survived the ambush, the money would still be gone.

Wouldn’t it be better to let someone else buy it… and then rob them?

That way, he’d get both the treasure and the money—two birds with one stone!

Soon, the bidding surpassed ten million, leaving only two contenders.

One was a black-robed figure with a face obscured and a voice like gravel.

The other was a sect disciple in white robes, handsome but with cold, shadowed eyes. He was flanked by fellow disciples, all wearing the same arrogant expressions—clearly backed by a powerful faction.

"Fifteen million," the black-robed figure rasped.

The cold-eyed disciple glared. "Sixteen million."

"Esteemed fellow cultivator, I am a disciple of the Profound Cloud Sect. My master, Master Qingxuan, will soon celebrate his birthday, and I wish to gift him this Heavenly Thunder Pearl. I implore you to yield."

Though his words carried no overt threat, the implications were clear—he was flaunting his background, warning the other bidder to back off.

The black-robed figure ignored him. "Twenty million!"

Gasps filled the room. No one expected him to defy the Profound Cloud Sect so blatantly—even raising the bid by four million in one go. Who was this person?

Did he not fear leaving Sunset City alive?

The Profound Cloud Sect disciple’s face darkened. He stopped bidding, but murderous intent flickered in his eyes.

Gu Qingfeng observed everything, smugly satisfied with his decision not to bid.

See? The grudge was already forming. He’d bet anything that the moment the black-robed figure left the auction, the Profound Cloud Sect disciples would strike.

Had he bid, twenty million taels—a mere two hundred thousand pounds of spirit stones—would’ve been pocket change.

But then, he’d be the one getting ambushed afterward.

Better to let someone else pay and then take it from them. That way, he’d save two hundred thousand pounds and still get the treasure—perfection!

With this in mind, Gu Qingfeng activated his All-Seeing Eyes to assess their cultivation levels.

The eyes were a gift from a Heavenly Demon, their rank so high that detection was impossible.

After a quick scan, he had his answer.

The black-robed figure was at the peak of the Human Yuan Realm, while the Profound Cloud Sect disciple was at the Earth Yuan Realm’s second layer—not to mention the several Human Yuan Realm seventh- or eighth-layer disciples beside him.

The black-robed figure was in grave danger.

For Gu Qingfeng, the Human Yuan Realm was manageable—barely. The Earth Yuan Realm, however, was a different beast entirely. Earth Yuan cultivators could harness terrain forces, making them incomparable to Human Yuan practitioners.

He’d never fought an Earth Yuan expert before, so their true strength was uncertain. But he felt confident that even if he couldn’t win, escaping alive wouldn’t be an issue.

As the Heavenly Thunder Pearl went to the black-robed figure, Zhao Shilong swiftly moved to the next item.

"A movement divine ability—Nine Heavens Dragon Step. Legend says it was comprehended by a Heavenly Realm expert while observing a true dragon soaring through the skies.

When executed, it mimics a dragon’s flight, exuding overwhelming majesty. At higher mastery, not only does it grant incredible speed, but it can even unleash dragon’s might against enemies. Truly a peerless movement divine ability."

However, this divine ability is merely a fragmentary manual; otherwise, its value would easily multiply tenfold.

Even so, its speed far surpasses that of ordinary movement techniques.

The starting bid is eight million spirit stones, with each increment no less than one hundred thousand.