Chương 109: The Mysterious Ancient Box! It Shocked the Entire Audience!

It Shocked the Entire Audience!

"Eight thousand spirit stones!"

Zhou Ding's neutral voice, processed by the array and devoid of any distinctive features, calmly announced the number, its clear echo reverberating in the somewhat stagnant auction hall.

After a brief silence, the old man surnamed Zhao scanned the entire room, then looked specifically at the private room where the bid of 6, 500 spirit stones had been placed. After confirming that no one else would bid, he gently brought down the jade hammer in his hand.

"Thump!"

A clear, melodious sound of a jade chime announced the ownership of the Soul-Nourishing Lotus.

"Congratulations to the distinguished guest in Box 7, Room B, for successfully bidding on this Thousand-Year Soul-Nourishing Lotus for 8, 000 spirit stones!"

Zhou Ding sat in the private room, slowly withdrawing his fingers from the bidding array, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

Buying a thousand-year-old spiritual herb for eight thousand spirit stones is indeed a hefty price, and could even be considered a significant overpayment.

But for him, the Soul-Nourishing Lotus was not only a thousand-year-old spiritual medicine, but also the key to breaking through the bottleneck of the third level of the Great Evolution Technique and achieving another leap in his divine sense!

If one can successfully break through this barrier, the benefits will far exceed what eight thousand spirit stones can measure.

Whether it's the enhanced battlefield insight, the more refined control over alchemy and talisman making, or the overwhelming advantage in the spiritual realm when facing the enemy, all of these are priceless.

This deal is absolutely great value for money.

The fierce competition for the Soul-Nourishing Lotus brought the auction to a small climax.

The auction then continued in full swing.

One by one, rare, strange, or powerful treasures were presented on stage, eliciting gasps of amazement and bidding wars.

However, Zhou Ding once again resumed his previous calm and detached stance, no longer making a move easily.

He has a clear goal in mind and needs a limited amount of resources. He will never blindly pursue things that are flashy but impractical or that are not of much help to him at present.

Spirit stones are precious and should be used wisely.

During this period, he only made one move.

It was a rare array material called "Void Stone," the size of an egg, silver-gray in color, with what appeared to be starlight inside, containing stable spatial energy.

This item is an excellent auxiliary material for setting up certain high-level arrays involving spatial displacement, stabilization, or expansion of space, and is extremely rare.

Xin Ruyin's study of the "Heavenly Origin Array Canon" deepened daily, and she developed a keen interest in spatial arrays. This Void Stone was precisely what she urgently needed but had been struggling to find. Zhou Ding participated in the bidding without hesitation and ultimately won the bid for it at a price of five thousand spirit stones, intending to surprise her when he returned.

Time slipped away quietly with each fall of the gavel, and over a hundred lots had already been auctioned.

When a rare herb, entirely purple with crystal-clear leaves, veins as distinct as blood vessels, and emitting a faint purple glow and a refreshing medicinal fragrance, was presented on the auction stage, Zhou Ding's previously relaxed mind instantly tensed up again.

"Next item – a thousand-year-old 'Purple Spirit Leaf'!" The old man surnamed Zhao's voice carried a rare solemnity.

"This leaf grows beside a Yangquan spring in an extremely Yin place, only one leaf grows every thousand years, containing a trace of the transformative energy of Yin and Yang in harmony. Using it as the main ingredient, it can be refined into the 'Purple Spirit Pill,' which is extremely beneficial for Core Formation cultivators breaking through minor realm bottlenecks! It is especially effective for those attempting to advance to the mid-to-late stages of Core Formation!

Starting price: 3, 000 spirit stones; each bid must increase by at least 200 spirit stones!"

Purple Spirit Leaf! Purple Spirit Pill!

Zhou Ding's eyes flashed with a sharp light! His cultivation had now reached the peak of the early stage of Core Formation, and he was only one step away from the middle stage.

This Purple Spirit Pill is one of the most urgently needed pills for him to break through his cultivation realm, providing a powerful boost!

If he can refine this pill, and combine it with other resources such as the Snow Lotus Pill, his success rate in breaking through to the mid-stage of Core Formation will greatly increase, and the time required will be significantly shortened!

There are clearly many others who share his views.

As soon as the old man surnamed Zhao finished speaking, the bidding soared at an astonishing speed!

"Three thousand five hundred spirit stones!"

"four thousand!"

"Four thousand five hundred!"

……

The price broke through five thousand spirit stones almost in the blink of an eye, and it continues to climb.

Those participating in the bidding were almost all from the VIP boxes above, and were clearly all Core Formation stage cultivators.

These kinds of spiritual medicines, which can directly help them break through to higher realms, are more attractive and deadly to them than the Soul-Nourishing Lotus they had before.

"Six thousand spirit stones!"

A deep, authoritative voice came from one of the private rooms.

With a slight movement of his divine sense, Zhou Ding immediately recognized that it was none other than the island master of Kui Xing Island, the True Man of Wood Dragon!

He was clearly determined to win Ye over, and quoted a rather intimidatingly high price, attempting to overwhelm everyone in one fell swoop.

A brief silence fell over the arena. Six thousand spirit stones was a considerable price for a thousand-year-old spiritual herb, especially since the bidder was the local landlord, the mid-stage Core Formation cultivator, True Person Mulong. Many cultivators began to weigh the pros and cons and considered backing out.

However, Zhou Ding did not hesitate at all. He pressed his finger on the magic array again and calmly announced, "Seven thousand spirit stones."

The moment the price was announced, a low murmur rippled through the auction hall.

The bidder's determination was evident in their decision to increase the price by one thousand spirit stones.

More importantly, this was clearly a disrespect to Master Mulong.

There was a moment of silence in the private room where Master Mulong was.

Clearly, the price of seven thousand spirit stones was somewhat beyond his expectations.

Although the Purple Spirit Leaf is excellent, it is not unique, and the production of the Purple Spirit Pill requires other precious auxiliary ingredients, making it quite costly.

His expression shifted, a hint of heartache and resentment flashing in his eyes, but in the end, his desire for strength outweighed his stinginess with spirit stones.

He gritted his teeth and spoke again, a barely perceptible hint of anger in his voice: "Seven thousand five hundred spirit stones!"

"Eight thousand spirit stones."

Zhou Ding's voice followed closely behind, still calm and composed, as if he were merely stating an insignificant number, yet carrying an undeniable firmness.

Master Mulong's breath hitched, and his expression instantly turned somewhat grim.

Eight thousand spirit stones!

This is far beyond the usual market value of Purple Spirit Leaf.

He was indeed the lord of the island and had a lot of wealth, but spirit stones didn't come easily. He needed them to maintain the operation of the entire island, his own cultivation, and to build up his power.

Is it worth spending such a huge sum of money on a single medicinal herb, especially since it's clearly just a way to spite someone?

He struggled.

A brief silence filled the auction hall as everyone held their breath, awaiting Master Mulong's response.

A few breaths later, there was no more sound coming from the private room where Master Mulong was.

He gave up.

"Thump!"

The jade hammer fell.

"Congratulations to the distinguished guest in Box 7, Class B, for once again winning the Thousand-Year Purple Spirit Leaf at a price of 8, 000 spirit stones!"

Zhou Ding's smile deepened. Although it cost a fortune, successfully acquiring this leaf brought him one step closer to refining the Purple Spirit Pill and breaking through to the mid-stage of Core Formation, making the spirit stones well spent.

However, just as the joy began to rise, Zhou Ding frowned.

He keenly sensed that a powerful divine consciousness, carrying obvious dissatisfaction and a probing intent, was like an invisible tentacle, silently and tentatively penetrating towards his private room, "B-7"!

The source was none other than Master Mulong's private room!

Clearly, although the other party gave up bidding, they were still holding a grudge. At the same time, they were also very curious about this "No. 7 of Class B" VIP who had twice made big bids for valuable items and seemed to have disrespected them. They wanted to find out who this person was.

"You don't know what's good for you!" Zhou Ding's face turned cold, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

What he detested most was this kind of behavior of relying on one's cultivation level to arbitrarily spy on others.

If it were an ordinary early-stage Core Formation cultivator, they would probably be suppressed and have their true nature revealed by the divine sense of True Person Mulong, who is in the mid-stage Core Formation realm.

But Zhou Ding was no ordinary vessel.

With a thought, the three-colored golden core in his dantian spun slightly. The terrifying divine sense, as vast as the sea, as condensed as steel, and already reaching the limit of the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm, spanning 150 miles, unleashed without reservation, like an invisible giant hammer that splits the heavens, carrying supreme majesty and chilling killing intent, fiercely and head-on suppressed and counterattacked the probing divine sense!

"Buzz—!"

On an intangible spiritual level, it was as if two unseen mountains were colliding violently!

No, it's more like a stubborn rock crashing into a towering iceberg!

Master Mulong felt as if his divine sense had crashed into an indestructible wall of steel covered with spikes!

An indescribable, vast, majestic, and cold pressure, seemingly originating from an absolute crushing force at the level of life, surged into his sea of consciousness like a raging tsunami, following his divine sense!

"puff--!"

Master Mulong was struck as if by lightning. He let out a muffled groan, and his face instantly turned ashen, devoid of any color!

His body swayed violently, almost falling off his seat. Blood surged wildly in his chest, and a sweet taste rose in his throat as a trickle of blood slowly oozed from the corner of his mouth.

His eyes were filled with unbelievable horror and boundless fear!

This divine sense... the strength, quality, and that cold, superior will that viewed all living beings as ants... far surpassed any Core Formation cultivator he knew!

Even more refined, vast, and terrifying than the divine sense of a Nascent Soul elder from the Star Palace whom he had the good fortune to meet back then!

"At least... at least a Nascent Soul cultivator! No... this feeling... could it be... a Nascent Soul cultivator?!" True Man Mulong was terrified, his whole body turned ice-cold, as if he had fallen into an ice cave!

Just now, he actually recklessly used his divine sense to probe an old monster who might be in the Nascent Soul stage?!

This is simply courting death!

If the opponent had only increased the force of his counterattack by a fraction, his sea of consciousness would have collapsed on the spot, his soul would have been severely damaged, and his foundation of cultivation would have been destroyed!

He was instantly overwhelmed by boundless fear and regret.

He quickly and forcefully steadied his almost collapsing mind, and with the utmost speed and utmost respect, he withdrew all his outward spiritual sense and aura. He even dared not use his divine sense to convey any intention of apology, for fear that any slight fluctuation would cause that "senior" to misunderstand again.

He lowered his head, cold sweat pouring down his back. He cast aside his previous anger, resentment, and curiosity, leaving only pure awe and fear.

There was only one thought in my mind: Please, senior, don't hold it against me, please don't hold it against me...

Inside the No. 7 VIP room, Zhou Ding felt the disgusting probing divine sense retreat in a panic, like a startled rabbit. He could even vaguely "hear" the muffled groans of the other party's injured sea of consciousness and the boundless fear.

He snorted coldly and slowly withdrew the terrifying pressure of his divine sense.

"That's quite sensible."

Zhou Ding thought to himself that he didn't have much liking for Mu Long Zhenren's "arrogant at first, obsequious at second" attitude, but since the other party had backed down, he didn't want to cause any trouble at the auction.

The deterrent effect has been achieved. After this incident, it is believed that no one will dare to spy on him again.

The auction continued, and more than a dozen magical artifacts, fragments of ancient treasures, and jade slips containing cultivation techniques were auctioned off, some with sharp offensive capabilities, others with outstanding defensive features, and still others with special functions.

The scene remained intense, but Zhou Ding did not make another move.

These treasures are good, but they are either of limited help to him at present, or they overlap with his existing methods, so it is not worth spending a lot of spirit stones.

He was quite satisfied with his trip, having managed to acquire the Soul-Nourishing Lotus, the Purple Spirit Leaf, and the Void Stone. He relaxed and approached the trip with an attitude of appreciation and understanding market trends.

Just when he thought the auction would end smoothly and he wouldn't make any more gains, the old man surnamed Zhao's next move caught his attention again.

A maidservant, instead of carrying a brocade tray, carefully held an antique wooden box about a foot long, half a foot wide, and three inches thick in both hands, and slowly walked onto the auction stage.

The wooden box is dark brown with no decorations on its surface, making it look extremely ordinary and even somewhat old. The edges are worn, giving it an air of vicissitudes that has endured many years.

However, the opening of the wooden box was sealed tightly by an ancient restriction that was visible to the naked eye, flowing with dark gold runes and so complex and mysterious as to be dazzling.

The elderly man surnamed Zhao solemnly took the wooden box from the maid and placed it on the jade table.

He didn't introduce it immediately, but instead focused everyone's attention on the seemingly ordinary wooden box, whetting their appetite.

After a moment, he slowly spoke, his voice carrying a hint of mystery and uncertainty: "Fellow Daoists, the next item up for auction is somewhat special. This item does not belong to my Yunmeng Pavilion; it was consigned here by a fellow Daoist who wishes to remain anonymous."

He pointed to the dark gold seal on the wooden box and said in a deep voice, "According to the person who consigned this item, he obtained it by chance from the depths of an extremely ancient, secluded cave where an ancient cultivator is believed to have passed away. It was like this when he obtained it, completely sealed by this mysterious ancient seal."

The person who consigned the item for auction consulted several fellow Daoists skilled in array formations, and even invited a grandmaster of array formations to examine it. However, they all said that this restriction was extremely ancient and unorthodox; moving one part would affect the whole thing, and it seemed to be integrated with the wooden box itself. Forcibly breaking it might damage the contents inside, or even trigger an unknown destructive restriction.

Therefore, to this day, no one has been able to open it safely.

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the room, lingering particularly on the VIP box: "In other words, what exactly is inside this wooden box—a priceless treasure, nothing at all, or perhaps already turned to dust with the passage of time… no one knows."

Even the appraisers at Yunmeng Pavilion cannot determine its authenticity. Auctioning this item is purely a gamble.

Perhaps you'll spend a fortune only to receive an empty box that you can't open; or perhaps it contains the legacy of an ancient powerful being, a heaven-defying spiritual object, or a long-lost treasure. It all depends on your discernment and fate.

"This ancient box has a starting price of eight thousand spirit stones, with each bid increasing by at least five hundred spirit stones. The auction is now beginning!"

The old man surnamed Zhao's words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples.

Discussions arose in the auction hall. Some shook their heads, thinking it was a scam; others' eyes lit up, seeing it as an opportunity; and many more were simply there to watch the spectacle.

While in the private room, Zhou Ding's gaze was fixed on the antique wooden box.

With his current mastery of array formations, he could tell at a glance that the dark gold-colored restriction on the wooden box was no ordinary thing!

Its ancient and complex rune structure and its mysterious and restrained energy circulation faintly reveal a "Daoist charm" that is completely different from the current array system in the cultivation world. It is indeed very likely to be an ancient relic.

But what truly made his heart race was his next move.

With a thought, he communicated with Little Gold in the spirit beast pouch, sharing his consciousness, and instantly activated the "Heavenly Hearing Technique"!

In an instant, that strange vision, capable of revealing the essence of the treasure, unfolded.

When his "gaze" fell on the dark brown ancient box, an incomparably dazzling, pure, noble, mysterious, and vast "purple" treasure light, like a purple sun suddenly rising in the night, instantly filled his entire senses!

Purple radiance!

Zhou Ding's heart clenched suddenly, almost leaping out of his chest!

This was the second time he had seen the purple light!

The first time was with that mysterious piece of golden spirit wood.

And this ancient box that can't be opened is actually the second one!

The purple light represents a level and value far exceeding that of ancient treasures, and even surpassing that of millennia-old spiritual herbs!

This ancient box definitely contains something unimaginable and astonishing!

"We must get it!"

Zhou Ding made up his mind instantly, and his eyes flashed with an unprecedented sharp light.

No matter what's inside, the sheer quality of this purple light alone is enough to make him risk everything!

This may be one of the greatest opportunities he has encountered in his cultivation so far!

Surprisingly, quite a few cultivators in the arena were also interested in the ancient box.

After all, something that can enter the depths of an ancient cultivator's cave and be sealed by such a powerful ancient restriction can't be too bad.

Many Core Formation cultivators, especially those with relatively long lifespans, a love for exploring the unknown, or special methods of breaking restrictions, became interested.

"Eight thousand five hundred spirit stones!" In the hall, a pseudo-core cultivator was the first to test the waters.

"Nine thousand spirit stones!" A voice came from a private room.

"Ten thousand spirit stones!" Another private room followed suit, immediately adding a thousand.

The price quickly broke through 10, 000 spirit stones and is still rising steadily.

When the price reached 13, 000 spirit stones, the bidding became noticeably sparse and slowed down.

After all, spending over ten thousand spirit stones to buy a box that can't be opened and whose contents are unknown is far too risky.

Many monks who were initially interested began to back down.

"Thirteen thousand five hundred spirit stones." A slightly effeminate voice came from a private room on the third floor. It was the one who had competed with Zhou Ding for the Soul-Nourishing Lotus.

"Fourteen thousand spirit stones." A voice from another unfamiliar private room rang out, seemingly quite powerful as well.

"Fourteen thousand five hundred spirit stones." The effeminate voice followed up again, sounding somewhat determined.

Just as the price was stuck at 14, 500 spirit stones, seemingly about to settle down—

"Sixteen thousand spirit stones."

Zhou Ding's calm and composed voice once again resounded throughout the entire venue through the formation.

This time, he directly increased the bid by 1, 500 spirit stones, demonstrating his determination to win and his substantial financial resources.

The unexpectedly high price brought the auction hall to a standstill.

The effeminate voice that had offered 14, 500 spirit stones fell silent for a moment, seemingly weighing its options. The unfamiliar cultivator from the private room who had made the earlier bid also remained silent.

"Sixteen thousand five hundred spirit stones." The owner of the effeminate voice seemed somewhat unwilling, raising the price by another five hundred, with a hint of barely perceptible annoyance in his tone.

"Eighteen thousand spirit stones."

Without any hesitation, Zhou Ding quoted another price that left most of the cultivators in the room speechless.

Two bids, each exceeding one thousand spirit stones, this overwhelming bidding style was filled with absolute confidence and financial dominance.

The private room where that effeminate voice had been heard fell into complete silence. Eighteen thousand spirit stones to buy an unknown ancient box—even a Core Formation cultivator would find the risk too great to bear.

The other party has clearly given up.

The elderly man surnamed Zhao waited a few moments, and seeing no further bids, glanced complicatedly towards Box No. 7 (B), then announced loudly, "Eighteen thousand spirit stones for the first bid! Eighteen thousand spirit stones for the second bid! Eighteen thousand spirit stones for the third bid! Sold!"

"Thump!"

The jade hammer fell, sealing the deal.

"Congratulations to the distinguished guest in Box 7, Part B, for successfully bidding on this ancient, forbidden box!"

Zhou Ding finally showed the most genuine and relaxed smile he had shown since entering the auction hall.

Although it cost a lot, obtaining a second item radiating purple light made it an absolutely worthwhile deal!

He was even starting to look forward to returning and working with Xin Ruyin to see if they could find a safe way to open this ancient barrier.

However, even as the echoes of the hammer's fall still reverberated in the hall, Zhou Ding relaxed slightly, preparing to await the moment of handover— A sudden change has occurred!

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh!"

At least five or six powerful divine senses, varying in strength but all carrying undisguised greed, inquiry, and even a hint of malice, erupted from different VIP boxes almost simultaneously, like sharks smelling blood. They were like invisible arrows tearing through the air and fiercely attacking and probing towards Zhou Ding's box, number seven of the B-class!

The owners of these divine senses are clearly Core Formation cultivators!

They might have been astonished by Zhou Ding's wealth in acquiring valuable treasures one after another, or perhaps they were simply curious about who this "Number Seven of the B Series" really was, or... perhaps they were tempted by the money and had some ulterior motives, wanting to take the opportunity to investigate the truth and prepare for possible follow-up actions.

At the moment when the ancient box was sold and Zhou Ding relaxed, they all chose to make a move to test the waters!

One of the divine senses was particularly sharp and domineering, full of aggression. It was the owner of the soft voice that had competed with Zhou Ding earlier, a foreign cultivator in the mid-stage of Core Formation!

"court death!"

The smile on Zhou Ding's face instantly froze, turning into eternal ice!

A murderous intent surged in his eyes!

He already loathed being spied on, and now, at the very moment he had won a valuable treasure and was relaxed, several people joined forces to attack him. This was not just a simple offense, but a blatant provocation and malice!

He no longer held back, nor did he have any reservations!

With a thought, the three-colored golden core in his dantian spun wildly at an unprecedented speed. His terrifying divine sense, which was as vast as a galaxy, as condensed as a substance, and had reached the limit of the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm, suddenly erupted like an ancient god or demon that had been thoroughly enraged!

"boom--!!!"

An indescribable, vast, majestic, and cold divine pressure, seemingly capable of suppressing heaven and earth and crushing souls, centered on Box B-7, crashed head-on into and crushed the several incoming divine senses like an invisible tsunami!

At the same time, a fierce and incomparably sharp mental impact, containing overwhelming killing intent, was like billions of invisible thorns of the soul, piercing in the opposite direction from the path of those divine consciousnesses!

"snort!"

A cold snort, seemingly emanating from the deepest abyss, resounded like thunder deep within the consciousness of all those who attempted to spy on it, as well as all the Core Formation and above cultivators nearby!

"Pfft!"

"Ugh!"

"Hmph!"

Those several incoming divine senses were like eggs hitting a rock, or ice and snow meeting the scorching sun. They were instantly shattered and annihilated by the terrifying tsunami of divine senses!

The intense pain from the backlash of their divine senses caused the Core Formation cultivators who had attacked, especially the one with the soft, feminine voice who was in the mid-Core Formation stage, to feel as if they had been struck by a heavy hammer. Their faces turned ashen, and they groaned. Two of them even spat out a mouthful of blood, their auras instantly weakening, their eyes filled with boundless horror and fear!

The entire auction hall fell into a deathly silence under the sudden, overwhelming, and terrifying pressure of divine consciousness! You could hear a pin drop!

All cultivators, regardless of their cultivation level, felt as if an invisible mountain was pressing down on their hearts, causing their souls to tremble, their breathing to become difficult, and even their thinking to become sluggish!

Some Foundation Establishment cultivators with lower cultivation levels even felt their legs go weak and nearly collapsed to the ground.

That vast, majestic, and far superior spiritual fluctuations beyond the Core Formation stage; that cold and ruthless killing intent; that terrifying power that seemed capable of easily crushing the souls of all of them…

"The consciousness of a Nascent Soul cultivator! It's definitely the divine sense of a Nascent Soul cultivator!"

This thought, like a plague, instantly grew and spread wildly in the minds of all the cultivators who sensed this oppressive aura, bringing boundless awe and fear.

All eyes turned in horror to the still calm No. 7 VIP room. No one dared to make the slightest move, or even breathe loudly.

Even the late-stage Core Formation aura that had been hidden deep within the pavilion, like a pillar of stability, fluctuated slightly, seemingly carrying a hint of surprise and solemnity, but quickly returned to silence without any further expression.

Inside VIP Box No. 7, Zhou Ding slowly withdrew his terrifying divine sense pressure, his face as cold as frost.

His gaze swept over the direction of the private rooms where the attackers had been spying, his eyes flashing with a cold light.