Chapter 243: The Competition for the Li Xuan Dan

Only after repeated requests from the auctioneer did the crowd finally quiet down. Then, the auctioneer slowly opened the medicine box containing the Li Xuan Dan. In an instant, a pill the size of a longan appeared before everyone’s eyes.

A fragrant aroma filled the entire auction hall, captivating everyone’s senses and making them feel refreshed upon smelling it. Truly a remarkable item—its appearance alone was extraordinary. After a brief silence, intense chatter ensued as everyone couldn’t help but start discussing it. Even in the private booths on the second floor, where people usually remained silent, their breathing grew heavier as they witnessed this Li Xuan Dan.

Who wouldn’t want the Li Xuan Dan? But why would anyone be willing to part with such a precious item? After all, it was only possessed by the elite of the demon clan, and there were only six of them, each held by the rulers of four cities. Any one of them was considered priceless—having it meant having two lives and an extra chance. How could anyone give it up?

“Well, I believe everyone can see that this pill is indeed the real Li Xuan Dan, not a fake!” The auctioneer said proudly, satisfied with the reactions of the crowd below, filled with pride for the Li Xuan Dan.

“This pill is a divine medicine crafted by our demon clan. Currently, there are six left, each held by the rulers of four cities. The Li Xuan Dan you see here is one of the two held by Ye Wushuang, the ruler of our Ice City! This time, at the invitation of Gu He, the ruler of Water Curtain City, we’ve brought it out for auction. I hope everyone won’t miss this opportunity!” The auctioneer skillfully stoked the crowd’s enthusiasm to its peak.

“The Li Xuan Dan of Ice City, ruled by Ye Wushuang!” Aida said in a deep voice from Booth Number Three.

Now, both Water Curtain City and Wuyou City each had only one pill left. Dark Moon City once had two, but one was used by Rod, leaving just one. The last two were in Ice City. Why would they be willing to give away one now? What was their intention?

Didn’t they know that a hundred years ago, the rulers of Water Curtain City and Wuyou City had used a Li Xuan Dan to leap directly from the divine perfection realm to the Yin Huang realm at the brink of death? Didn’t they understand what that meant? Why bring it out now? What scheme lay behind this?

“It seems things have gotten serious this time!” Lilith said in a low voice, head bowed. First came the Dragon Slaying Sword, followed by the Heavenly Pearl, and then the Lingxuan Pill—each one a treasure of the world, something people would do anything to obtain. Especially the Lingxuan Pill and the Heavenly Pearl, both of which could cause a huge stir. Now that both appeared together for auction, handed over by members of the pro-war faction, it was inevitable for people to start speculating. But judging from the reactions in the surrounding private rooms after the appearance of the Lingxuan Pill, things seemed difficult. Everyone was clearly eyeing that pill, determined to fight for it to the end! A fierce battle was bound to ensue. And that was just the most direct consequences. What about the behind-the-scenes struggles after the auction? Bloodshed would be inevitable. It seemed the pro-war faction, composed of the Ice City and Water Curtain City, was truly relentless, giving no one a chance to react. They clearly intended to take action, aiming to stir up chaos in the entire Dark Source. Looking at each other, everyone could see concern in their eyes. They could tell this, and naturally, the others could too—after all, no one was stupid. But what could they do? Though these two items were troublesome, anyone with the financial means would want them. Even if it meant getting pricked like a hedgehog, they would still try to hold onto them, ignoring the risk of bleeding. After all, if you don’t buy it, you fear bleeding or the pricks, but there are always those who aren’t afraid—especially those worried about their enemies. If they stepped back and let others get them, their strength would surely grow, leading to even more violence. Human nature is always like this—despite knowing the dangers, people still choose to take risks. What’s the harm in taking a chance? In the face of profit, nothing else matters. When suspicion reaches a certain level, its growth can overshadow everyone’s reason. The starting bid was one million Black Coins—a low price. Fierce competition ensued. Even individuals were willing to go bankrupt to compete, with a intensity no less than that of the Lingxuan Pill before, if not greater. Yet, even a low price couldn’t match the power of powerful families. The price quickly rose to two million. By then, only seven or eight families remained in the competition, all renowned and formidable. Surprisingly, the Black Phoenix Clan was still among them, their immense strength truly astonishing.

Compared to many families, the Li Xuan Dan might be even better than the Tian Zhu. With the Li Xuan Dan, a god-tier expert at the peak of cultivation can be directly elevated to the Yin Huang realm. But the Tian Zhu at most gives one some hope. As for improving the cultivation of the younger generation, none of these can compare to the real impact of an expert at the Yin Huang realm. Once such an expert appears, even the most obscure small family can instantly become one of the major families in the Dark Source, feared by others—proving just how terrifying an expert at the Yin Huang realm is.

“Two million one hundred thousand!” The bid was made without even a flicker of emotion.
“Two million two hundred thousand!” A confident bid, as if certain of success.
“Two million three hundred thousand!” An even more bold bid.

The bids kept soaring—three million, then four million. In the blink of an eye, five families were still competing at four million. The buyers in the hall now seemed like mere spectators, able only to exclaim in awe and admiration, looking up in admiration. Their wealth might be substantial compared to others, but here, in this place full of hidden talents, it meant nothing.

The remaining five families seemed to represent the Black Phoenix clan, the Scorpion King clan, and, according to Lilith’s analysis, the Mi Jiao clan. As for the other two families, one was likely from the Dragon clan! The last family remained mysterious; it was speculated to be from the Demon clan, who didn’t want such a powerful item to fall into the wrong hands and threaten their own status. Another reason could be that they simply intended to drive up the price to make more money—this was also a factor that couldn’t be ignored.

“Damn it!” In the private room of the Purple Wing Thunder Eagle clan, they could only clutch their empty wallets in frustration, especially Zi Yang, whose face was dark with anger.

Four million—perhaps they could have competed for it when buying the Dragon Slaying Sword, but now it was impossible. They simply didn’t have the funds. An expert at the Yin Huang realm… such a thing could create another expert at that level. What if it were given to them? They promised they could reach that realm in a short time, and then the Purple Wing Thunder Eagle clan would undergo a complete transformation.

It would be fine even if it wasn’t me—there are so many people in the family; anyone could have it. But… now all they can do is watch. Although the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle Clan is now the sixth clan, it has never been taken seriously by others, especially the four major clans and the demon clans, who look down on them utterly. They are well aware of this.

Especially after Rod appeared, their status plummeted even further, and they suffered endless ridicule and mockery. The sixth clan existed in name only.

Ultimately, the main reason is that this clan has never produced a strong warrior at the Yin Yellow realm, no absolute powerhouse to support the clan and lift its prestige, which is why they are looked down upon. Even some older smaller clans, with just one or two warriors at the Yin Yellow realm, are far above them in status. Though there are only two such clans in the entire Dark Source, and they remain hidden.

The Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle Clan knows all of this. With hope right before them, they are powerless. One can imagine their despair, suffering, as well as the resentment and injustice in their hearts.

With red eyes, they stared at the Li Xuan Dan below, breathing heavily, looking terrifying like beasts.

The bidding intensified rapidly, quickly breaking through the five million black coin mark and reaching five million one hundred thousand. This was the price offered by the Mi Jiao Clan. At this point, the Black Phoenix Clan might not have enough funds left to continue bidding after spending so much on the Heavenly Pearl earlier.

Meanwhile, the Dragon Clan also withdrew from the bidding for some unknown reason. Now, only three clans remain in competition: the first is the Scorpion King Clan, which is extremely domineering. It’s unclear why they were willing to give up on the Heavenly Pearl—five million clearly doesn’t matter to them. Could it be that they received internal information about something better ahead?

The other is the Mi Jiao Clan, a mysterious clan!

After their bid of five million three hundred thousand was rejected, the faction suspected to be demonic also stopped bidding! The Li Xuan Dan became a competition between the Mi Jiao Clan and the Scorpion King Clan.

“I’ll repay you all later!” Hearing the bids below, Rod sighed and turned to look at Ada and Eileen, speaking in a deep voice.

Having been awake for so many days, he knew quite a bit now. He understood that the main reason he was able to wake up was because he had taken the Li Xuan Dan, which also helped him integrate his combat energy. Although he didn’t know why it hadn’t helped him break through directly, Rod believed there must be some hidden reason behind it, and the Li Xuan Dan was definitely to blame! Only such a miraculous pill could help him. Now, seeing the Li Xuan Dan again and realizing its value, Rod couldn’t help but feel a bit ashamed!
“You’re too kind!” Before Aida could speak, Eirwen spoke up directly, with an unprecedented straightforwardness. It was hard to guess what kind of medicine she was selling.
However, Rod knew he owed her a favor. The fact that Lilith and Sognar didn’t stop him from speaking showed that they agreed with his view.