Chương 1578: 1576. Missing Bell

The auction hall was bustling with people filling the vast array of seats below the stage. Mina was unable to get a private booth but had reserved seats in the second row from the stage, giving them a good view. The crowd seemed weirdly abuzz. Usually the blacksmith would not have bothered, but a certain topic kept coming up that had him perk his ears.

"The Spirit Temple..."

"... something happened at the Spirit Temple?"

"Yeah, I saw it with my own eyes this evening!"

"To think there were still secrets to be exposed..." Picking up bits and pieces of their conversations, Seth was able to gather that the apparition of the ancient temple that appeared at dusk every day had changed. Witnesses claimed that the big bell tolling in the highest tower of the destroyed temple had vanished from the apparition. Seth had a hard time believing that.

Considering the image was the memory of the land, a spectral imprint on its energy signature, it made no sense for someone to be able to just take it and leave. They would have to erase its whole signature from the memory of the land. On the other hand, he didn't dare dismiss anything ever since the apocalypse on Urth. There were all kinds of weird magic skills and effects, and the techniques of the Voracious Cloud Continent were on another level of weird altogether...

"Greetings to all who have gathered. The Blue Sparrow Guild welcomes you. Before the first treasure is revealed, allow this old man to remind everyone of our single rule: All disputes end at our doors. No spiritual pressure, no fighting, and no false bidding. Break this rule, and our enforcement elders will personally assist your departure. Now, let the bidding commence," an older man had entered the stage and announced the start of the auction.

As he mentioned, the auction itself was no different from the auctions Seth knew. it started with the items that were deemed less precious and slowly ramped up to the highlights of the auction inventory. Of course, what the cultivators valued was not necessarily what players valued which meant they didn't have to wait long for their items.

"Our third lot is a set of embroidered robes created by the late Artisan Liu Yun. Her stitches were said to be as light as clouds and as fluid as willows in the wind. Her works were even appreciated by the elites of the capital," the auctioneer announced as the robes that the trio had admired were brought to the stage.

"These are her last works before she died of old age. In accordance with the seller's wish, they are sold in a bundle. We are looking at a collection of 15 fully embroidered robes; the starting bid is 1700 Taels of Silver," he announced the hefty starting bid. Seth gaped a little at the price. That meant a single set of robes was valued at at least 110 Taels. Although Seth was not that familiar with the economy of this place, he knew it was a hefty sum.

he had robbed the richest money lender of the city, but even the starting bid was a sizable chunk of their travel expenses.

"1700!" came the bid from a private booth above their seats.

"1750!" came from another. The bidding had already started, and the price was quickly climbing to 2000 before Seth even raised his voice. Mina nudged his side. They really wanted those robes, but Seth only nodded and gestured for her to stay calm. The blacksmith had no interest in fanning the flames of this bidding war. He waited for one of them to burn out. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

"2500 silver taels! The Young Master in the second-floor VIP booth bids 2500 silver taels! 2500 taels, first call! Are there any higher bids from the floor? Look closely, esteemed guests—once this opportunity passes, it is gone forever!"

"3000 silver taels," Seth finally raised his paddle, stating a nuclear bid with a calm voice that permeated the large hall. These two VIPs in their little booths had haggled each other up in increments of 50 Taels like a pair of poor wretches; now Mr. Moneybags showed them how to purchase something. The room stayed silent; even the auctioneer seemed slightly taken aback by the sudden jump in price, but he was the first to regain his bearing.

"3000 silver taels from the young master with the number 72!" he announced and looked around the hall.

"3000 taels, first call!" Nothing.

"3000 taels, second call!" The hall was still silent.

"3000 taels, third call!" Seth had thoroughly silenced any other bidders. The gavel fell.

"The legacy of late Artisan Liu Yun is going to the young master in the second row with the Number 72 for 3000 silver taels!" the auctioneer exclaimed, pointing toward Seth with an open palm. For a moment, all eyes in the hall stared at him, before the crowd gave him a mild round of applause. Wasn't that a little too much? Mina asked using <Marriage Bond>. 3000 was a tenth of their current travel expenses. Fin also looked a little concerned. ~Why are you worrying? We have so much stuff we can sell and trade.

Didn't you read the rule board at the entrance? - The blacksmith asked back. It was the same sign that told about putting up things at least 30 minutes before the auction. Those rules had also described the payment conditions. The trio didn't have to pay in taels if they didn't want to. They could also pay in spirit crystals, or directly sell items to the auction house. This was why Seth was not worried at all.

~Also, I doubt the spear and sword will sell for less than that, - the blacksmith added with a confident smile. It wasn't like they were only spending money here. Meanwhile, the auction continued. The start was made up of ordinary items fit for mortals; it was the most interesting part for the trio, and they bought a couple more trinkets like combs and hairpins. The items interesting for cultivators started coming out after about an hour. At this point, the bidding currency also began to mix.

Some items were still traded with silver taels, while others asked for low-grade spirit stones. The latter was mostly things fit for or sold by cultivators who had no use for mortal currency. It started with low-grade medicines, mortal weapons, and little enchanted trinkets. Many of the pills and tonics Seth and the girls had no interest in caused bidding wars among the guests and cultivators. The weapons were nothing worth mentioning.

"We come to lot 34, a small coin-shaped artifact salvaged from the ruins of the Spirit Temple 100 years ago. Starting bid will be 20 Low-Grade Spirit Stones," the auctioneer announced, after a pedestal with a coin on a red velvet cushion was brought onto the stage. This was actually one of the items Seth had noted down, the one he had seen on their way out. At first glance, it looked like an old, corroded bronze coin, but when Seth's <Eyes of the Maestro> glanced over it, he found it was actually a broken pendant.

<Sigil of Stone(Broken) Uncommon Durability: 0 1. Aura of Stone (dysfunctional) 2. Earth Harmony (dysfunctional) 3. 5% Earth Affinity (damaged) A pendant created in ancient times that nobody in the XiGuang Province remembers anymore. It still holds a lingering power of earth. > It had three effects. Two didn't work because it was broken, but despite the damage, it was able to grant a flat 5% Earth Affinity. Raising Earth Affinity was not hard depending on the materials, but granting base affinity was rare.

Most importantly, Seth was able to discern that the affinity was not caused by the material in this case, but by the enchantment, or the formations placed on the original pendant. The item itself was too broken and corroded; it was beyond repair, but maybe he would be able to reconstruct the enchantment with the help of Rún. An enchantment that could, in a broken state, grant Earth Affinity- how much would it be in a pristine state? What would the other two options do?

Seth was very intrigued by this ancient technology. Hearing it was salvaged from the ruins of the megalithic mega structure only increased his resolve to buy it. If this was made by the same people that managed to twist the power flow of the land, then the potential was massive. The enchantment alone would probably turn a common item into an epic one.

"50 Low-grade Spirit Stones!" the bid came from a VIP booth above.