The Red Dragon Halberd’s Claim

Five million Spirit Pills?

Who possessed such audacity?

Such astonishing wealth truly incited envy among them. No one could tell which young master had arrived…

Even before the crowd could fully process the starting bid of one million Spirit Pills, Su Hanxing’s immediate offer of five million instantly ignited the auction hall’s atmosphere.

Did they truly believe such a treasure could be claimed for merely five million Spirit Pills? Five million five hundred thousand Spirit Pills!

As murmurs rippled through the crowd, a cold scoff echoed from another private room on the auction’s top floor.

“Six million Spirit Pills!”

Su Hanxing had no patience for idle talk. His true qi surged, and a profoundly oppressive voice erupted from his lips, swiftly encompassing the entire auction hall.

Chi Qiu watched Su Hanxing, who had involuntarily risen to make his bid, with keen interest. Such an appearance from him was truly a rare sight.

“Seven million Spirit Pills!”

“I offer seven million two hundred thousand!”

The Scarlet Dragon Halberd’s contention had now shifted solely to the cultivators seated in the private rooms on the top floor. Those below could only listen as bids, far exceeding their wildest imaginations, were continuously shouted. Their expressions, initially stunned, gradually morphed into a state of numb resignation.

Listening to the escalating bids from the various private rooms, Fansheng’s heart swelled with quiet delight. This Scarlet Dragon Halberd was originally slated as one of the final items in the auction. Yet, at his insistent request, it had been moved to the mid-auction segment. Now, it was clear his decision had been absolutely correct.

“Ten million!”

Su Hanxing once again raised the price by a full million. Though his face remained largely expressionless, his slightly trembling hands betrayed the fervent excitement within him.

“Ten million! Is there any higher bid?” Fansheng’s face was flushed with excitement. Noticing the bidding pace had considerably slowed, he immediately stoked the flames, urging them on.

“Ten million five hundred thousand.”

As the Spirit Pill price soared into the tens of millions, the bidders’ voices began to waver, losing the momentum that had once seemed capable of swallowing mountains and rivers.

Seated on the long bench, Chi Qiu listened to the bids. She now possessed a completely new understanding of Su Hanxing’s immense wealth. While she had always known he was affluent, she had never truly grasped the extent of his riches. Now, she finally did.

The struggle for the Scarlet Dragon Halberd was gradually drawing to a close. Now, only Su Hanxing and the cultivator in the opposing private room remained in contention within the entire auction hall.

“Fifteen million.”

Su Hanxing’s voice was no longer as agitated as it had been. Unlike the other cultivators whose voices had grown faint, his had become remarkably steady, clearly conveying his unwavering determination to claim the Scarlet Dragon Halberd.

“You’re ruthless!”

A furious, gritted-teeth curse erupted from the opposite private room. Though the scene within could not be observed from the outside, Chi Qiu imagined the face of the losing bidder must be utterly contorted in rage.

The auction hall plunged into a sudden, profound silence.

“Fifteen million Spirit Pills. Are there any higher bids?” Fansheng inquired slowly, a smile playing on his lips.

“Fifteen million Spirit Pills, once,”

“Fifteen million Spirit Pills, twice,”

“Fifteen million Spirit Pills, thrice! Sold!”

Snap—

With a crisp, refreshing snap, the Scarlet Dragon Halberd, a top-grade Primordial Spirit Treasure, now belonged to Su Hanxing.

“That was truly not easy…” Su Hanxing exhaled a long breath. He looked down at his slightly trembling hands, feeling as though his heart was about to leap from his chest.

“Congratulations, Su Hanxing!” Chi Qiu found herself amused by Su Hanxing’s appearance, as if he had just survived a catastrophe. Nevertheless, she rose and gently patted his back in comfort.

Knock, knock—

The knocking sounded once more. This time, Su Hanxing didn’t remain seated on the bench, awaiting the attendant as usual. Instead, he darted to the door and eagerly pulled it open.

“Esteemed guest, the Scarlet Dragon Halberd you acquired is here. Please inspect it.”

Outside the door stood not the previous attendant who had delivered spirit herbs and flowers, but a middle-aged man clad in a black Daoist robe. The man possessed a composed demeanor, a faint smile gracing his lips. Every movement exuded an air of nobility, clearly indicating he was no ordinary individual.

However, Su Hanxing paid no mind to whether the man was ordinary or not. He snatched the Scarlet Dragon Halberd from the middle-aged man’s grasp and, after an incredibly meticulous inspection, finally nodded in satisfaction.

Then, Su Hanxing reached out with an ethereal grasp, and a wooden box materialized in his hand. He opened the wooden box, revealing it filled with white jade vials, each brimming with Spirit Pills.

“The fifteen million Spirit Pills are all here.” Su Hanxing had prepared the full amount beforehand. He handed the wooden box to the middle-aged man, his face, hidden beneath the black robe, slightly contorted.

While it was true Su Hanxing was wealthy, parting with fifteen million Spirit Pills was a significant drain on his resources. Over ninety percent of his Spirit Pills were contained in that box. Had the cultivator in the opposing private room offered even a few more, Su Hanxing would have been forced to sell some of his personal spiritual treasures to afford them.

The middle-aged man took the wooden box. His spiritual sense rippled through his Sea of Consciousness, instantly scanning the jade vials within dozens of times. After confirming that not a single Spirit Pill was missing, he nodded in satisfaction, then bowed respectfully. From his waist, he produced a profound black token and spoke:

“The transaction is complete. Please accept this item, esteemed guest. Henceforth, you shall enjoy a ten percent discount on any treasures purchased at my Qibao Hall.”

Su Hanxing nodded, then reached out to accept the profound black token.

“I shall not disturb the esteemed guest any further. Farewell.” Seeing Su Hanxing accept the token, the middle-aged man exhaled in relief. He bowed once more, then departed the private room.

“Fifteen million Spirit Pills… I never imagined you were so wealthy, Hanxing.” Chi Qiu remarked with a smiling sigh, watching Su Hanxing handle the Scarlet Dragon Halberd with a pained expression.

“That fifteen million nearly cost me half my life,” Su Hanxing walked over to Chi Qiu, letting out a long sigh as a huge weight lifted from his heart. “Every single Spirit Pill I possessed has been utterly drained. Right now, if you asked me for even a hundred thousand Spirit Pills, I wouldn’t be able to produce them.” Su Hanxing held the Scarlet Dragon Halberd, reluctant to place it into his storage artifact for a long time.

“However, to obtain this item, it was entirely worth it.”

“Is this Scarlet Dragon Halberd truly worth such a vast sum of Spirit Pills?” Chi Qiu leaned in closer to Su Hanxing, bending down to meticulously examine the halberd in his hands, her voice tinged with a hint of doubt.

“The price of top-grade Primordial Spirit Treasures fluctuates wildly. Even among such treasures, this Scarlet Dragon Halberd is considered a supreme example, its inherent value already exceeding ten million Spirit Pills.” Su Hanxing nodded. Noticing Chi Qiu’s apparent interest in the halberd, he extended his hand and offered it to her.

“It’s truly… substantial. I heard Fansheng say that once you break through to the Dharma Manifestation Realm, Hanxing, you can engrave your unique Dao patterns onto it, allowing it to evolve into a Divine Dao Weapon?” Chi Qiu reached out and took the Scarlet Dragon Halberd. Its weight far exceeded her expectations.

It must weigh ten thousand jin. You can hardly imagine the Dao contained within it.

Chi Qiu lifted the Scarlet Dragon Halberd with some effort, meticulously attempting to perceive the Grand Dao contained within it.

“Indeed. In terms of its materials, this Scarlet Dragon Halberd has already surpassed the level of a Primordial Spirit Treasure. However, as it lacks a Dao pattern, it is still classified as such.” Su Hanxing smiled faintly, watching Chi Qiu struggle to hold the halberd, then patiently explained.

“Now that the Scarlet Dragon Halberd is so close to you, can you perceive the Dao within it?”

After playfully handling the Scarlet Dragon Halberd for a moment, Chi Qiu handed it back to Su Hanxing.

“Yes, I can now clearly sense the Grand Dao contained within this mighty halberd. This feeling… it’s incredibly peculiar, almost as if the halberd is calling out to me.”

Su Hanxing took the mighty halberd with one hand, effortlessly wielding and twirling it.

“Calling out to you?” Chi Qiu tilted her head, a hint of confusion on her face. Su Hanxing’s description left her feeling rather bewildered.

After a casual flourish, Su Hanxing nodded in satisfaction. Then, holding the halberd’s tip, he lightly grazed his own wrist. Crimson blood, flecked with golden light, instantly welled forth and flowed into the Scarlet Dragon Halberd. This was the recognition ritual for a Primordial Spirit Treasure.

“This Scarlet Dragon Halberd seems to have some connection with something within my body, which is why I felt its call.” Noticing Chi Qiu hadn’t quite understood his explanation, Su Hanxing pondered for a moment before elaborating further. “The Scarlet Dragon Halberd also has ‘Dragon’ in its name. Could it be the blood of a Yinglong?”

Chi Qiu nodded gently, then ventured a guess.

“I’m not sure. This matter requires further contemplation.” Su Hanxing shrugged. Even he hadn’t yet figured out what within his own body was connected to the Scarlet Dragon Halberd.

A few breaths later, the Scarlet Dragon Halberd’s recognition ritual was finally complete. The spiritual energy that had been constantly emanating from it now fully receded, and flashes of golden light occasionally glinted across its crimson shaft, making it appear profoundly mystical.

“The next auction item is a stone-carved mural engraved with numerous Grand Daos of Heaven and Earth, named the Qingyuan Stone Carving. The starting bid is ten thousand Spirit Pills, and each increment must not be less than ten thousand Spirit Pills.”

Just as Su Hanxing successfully completed the Scarlet Dragon Halberd’s recognition ritual, Fansheng’s voice resounded once more through the auction hall.

Upon hearing Fansheng’s words, both Chi Qiu and Su Hanxing felt a jolt in their hearts. The long-awaited stone tablet had finally made its appearance.