The emcee then produced a specially crafted ceramic box. Inside lay a tattered book, so utterly ruined that holes were visible throughout.
"Next," the emcee announced, "is the final item on this auction block, and indeed the most significant of this entire event. It was painstakingly acquired through immense effort and resources by many individuals associated with this auction house..."
"Indeed, it is the token of past Immortal Emperor Gods, once gloriously renowned and yearned for by all cultivators! The 'Shu Jian Lu'!"
"!"
All eyes turned. "Wasn't it lost during the battle between the Bright Cultivation Divine Emperor and the Undying Divine Emperor? How was it found?"
"No, no, I personally believe that during that world-shattering, heaven-moving battle to bestow divinity, the 'Shu Jian Lu' should have been utterly annihilated."
"So this item up for auction... is a fake?!"
"From this old man's perspective, it is indeed fake, nine times out of ten!"
Others might have seen it as a fake, but Ming Zhi Tian knew with absolute certainty that it was the 'Shu Jian Lu'. Once dazzling, it was a semi-finished divine artifact, infinitely close to a true divine artifact. It had accompanied him for some time, and despite being an object, a bond had formed.
Some expressed dissatisfaction. "What kind of auction item is this? Calling it the most significant? I see it as nothing more than a defective product, or perhaps a high-quality imitation."
"Exactly, exactly, get it off the display quickly."
The emcee offered a polite smile. "Gentlemen, you jest. This pavilion never sells fakes. As for its authenticity, discerning individuals will come to their own conclusions!"
Linglong Pavilion, a thousand-year-old establishment, even its branches, feared no one, even if they intended to cause trouble.
"Who believes that? I'm not bidding anyway."
Facing the murmurs and slanders, the emcee maintained her smile. "Very well, to avoid wasting your valuable time, the auction for the 'Shu Jian Lu' begins. The starting bid is undetermined; the highest bidder wins!"
"It might be worth buying for collection. I bid ten thousand spirit stones!"
"...Idiot? Ten thousand spirit stones for a few scraps of paper?"
"Even so, its craftsmanship isn't bad, and it bears some resemblance."
"You've seen the original?"
"On one occasion, perhaps."
"Boss Zhang, should I buy it or not?"
"From my years of business experience and from a merchant's perspective, it's not worth acquiring."
"Oh..."
"I still want to bid... twenty thousand!"
"..."
"Forty thousand!"
"I bid sixty thousand!"
...
The price settled at ninety thousand. The emcee announced, "Ninety thousand spirit stones, first call... second call..."
Ming Zhi Tian raised his hand. "I bid one hundred thousand!"
Instantly, all eyes turned to him. "It's him again? Which wealthy young master is this? So much money? Bidding one hundred thousand for a few scraps of paper."
In their understanding, spending one hundred thousand spirit stones on mere scraps of paper was like lifting a rock only to drop it on one's own feet, utterly disadvantageous. Even for collection, there was no need to do this.
The emcee declared, "One hundred thousand, first call... one hundred thousand, second call... one hundred thousand, second call!..."
Still, no one else bid. The Linglong Pavilion branch had expected an astronomical price, only to be met with this. The emcee was about to bring down the hammer in resignation...
"One hundred thousand spirit stones, third..."
"One hundred thousand and one!"
Ming Zhi Tian followed the sound and saw it was Wei Sheng, the notorious young rake.
The crowd buzzed. "This fellow has offended Wei Sheng; looks like there's a good show to watch."
Ming Zhi Tian continued his bid. "Two hundred thousand."
Wei Sheng arrogantly countered, "Two hundred thousand and one."
Ming Zhi Tian ignored him and raised his bid. "One million."
"One million! And... one," Wei Sheng drawled, crossing his legs and shaking them...
Watching Ming Zhi Tian with amusement.