Human Clan Defender

The higher the price of the Invincible Golden Body climbed, the more likely it signaled that the subsequent Martial Arts would fetch even higher prices.

Eight hundred thousand taels. It might not even be enough to secure one of them.

You see, the Guiyuan Sword Sect had sold off many of its assets at low prices just to scrape together 800,000 taels of silver. If they failed to acquire a Martial Art, the Guiyuan Sword Sect would suffer a net loss of 100,000 to 200,000 taels.

Such a loss, even for a sect with considerable influence like the Guiyuan Sword Sect, would be difficult to bear.

However, at this juncture, Master Guiyuan had no other recourse but to take things one step at a time.

"Eight hundred thousand taels!"

"Eight hundred and ten thousand taels!"

"Eight hundred and twenty thousand taels!"

"The Saber Blade Sect is willing to offer eight hundred and fifty thousand taels. I wonder if anyone is willing to show us some deference?" Wu Que declared his bid, then added this pointed remark.

It could be taken as a threat, or perhaps not.

The Number Two Steward's eyes flickered, but he didn't intervene. The Saber Blade Sect was no minor sect; while the Yuanyang Auction House held more power, they still had to accord the Saber Blade Sect some respect.

Immediately, a hearty voice rang out, "The Saber Blade Sect's prestige naturally commands respect, Brother Wu. However, this Invincible Golden Body is also something my Qiyao Sect desperately needs. Forgive me, I, Ji, cannot concede. Eight hundred and sixty thousand taels!"

Hearing this, Wu Que, in his private room, took a sip of water, his expression unchanging. "Brother Ji, since you've spoken so plainly, then I, Wu, can only see this through. The Saber Blade Sect bids nine hundred thousand taels!"

"Heh, the Saber Blade Sect certainly has deep pockets, casually bidding nine hundred thousand taels. My Purple Cloud Pavilion doesn't wish to appear weak either. Nine hundred and twenty thousand taels!"

Purple Cloud Pavilion. Upon hearing this name, many people's expressions shifted slightly. Like the Saber Blade Sect, the Purple Cloud Pavilion was a major power boasting a Grandmaster.

Normally, bidders at auctions rarely announced their affiliations, especially in black market auctions where anonymity was paramount to avoid robbery after acquiring valuable items. But hiding one's identity depended on the circumstances. Major factions with a presiding Grandmaster often didn't need to exercise such caution. Because a major sect was not only supported by the strength of a Grandmaster but also had numerous experts below the Grandmaster level. Offending one such individual could very well trigger a widespread backlash.

"Over nine hundred thousand taels already!" Shen Changqing's smile widened, and he mused internally, There really are a lot of wealthy people. Over nine hundred thousand taels. The price has completely surpassed my estimations. Considering the silver needed to purchase Merit Points, this one Invincible Golden Body is more than enough. And to think I had previously assumed it would take two or three Martial Arts to gather that sum.

「Meanwhile.」

Ji Qu was also left speechless. He discovered that wealthy people in the Jianghu were truly a dime a dozen. They were willing to spend nine hundred thousand taels to contend for a Grandmaster Martial Art.

On further reflection, Ji Qu found some understanding. Those who joined the Demon-Subduing Division never had to worry about Martial Arts; no matter how profound, they could learn them for free. But in the Jianghu, a profound Martial Art was often equivalent to a sect's foundational lifeline.

"One million taels!" Wu Que, no longer wasting time, announced the highest price he could offer.

BOOM!

His words sent a new shockwave through the auction hall. One million taels! This was the first time such a high price had appeared in the auction so far. Even the preceding Black Banner had only reached 700,000 taels, a full 300,000 taels less.

Suddenly, all other bidding ceased. One million taels! This was the limit for the Saber Blade Sect, and likely close to the limit for most others as well. No matter how good a Grandmaster-level Outer Technique was, spending a million taels to acquire it wasn't necessarily worthwhile.

Embarking on the Physical System path was notoriously difficult; one could potentially spend a lifetime without success. The scarcity of late-stage Grandmasters in the Jianghu was a testament to this. This was due not only to a lack of suitable Martial Arts but also to the inherent difficulty of starting on the Physical System path.

For any major sect, parting with one million taels was a crippling blow that would impede their future operations. It was crucial to remember that no sect could function without silver.

After a long pause, Ji Cang's eyes flickered for a moment before he slowly stated a price, "One million and ten thousand taels!"

Wu Que remained silent. He had given up on acquiring the Invincible Golden Body. The Saber Blade Sect could currently only muster one million taels. Anything beyond that was impossible. Even if they forcibly produced more, it would damage the sect's foundation, and it wasn't worth it for a single Grandmaster Martial Art.

Immediately, another bid came in, "One million and twenty thousand taels!"

"One million and thirty thousand taels!"

The price continued to climb. Ji Cang calmly raised his bids, seemingly in no hurry.

In the end, the price settled at 1,050,000 taels, with no further bids.

When the Number Two Steward's hammer fell, confirming the sale, a smile had already spread across the Qiyao Sect Master's face.

Got it!

To contend for the Grandmaster Martial Arts, the Qiyao Sect had prepared a total of 1,100,000 taels. He had already decided that if the price exceeded this amount, he would abandon the bid for the Invincible Golden Body.

As it turned out, the price was fixed at 1,050,000 taels, and the Grandmaster Martial Art fell into the hands of the Qiyao Sect. Such a price was practically at the upper limit for most.

Ming Zhengyang, seated beside him, was now gaping in astonishment. One million fifty thousand taels. It wasn't just others who were shocked; this outstanding disciple of the Qiyao Sect was equally stunned. He knew very well what this figure represented. Although the Qiyao Sect was large and prosperous, its net annual income was, at best, only a few tens of thousands of silver taels. One million fifty thousand taels. This had almost emptied the Qiyao Sect's reserves accumulated over twenty years.

Before long, a maid knocked on the door. Upon entering, she handed the Invincible Golden Body to Ji Cang.

As he leafed through the Invincible Golden Body, he was immediately captivated by its contents.

After a long while, Ji Cang finally closed the book, an expression of admiration on his face. The Invincible Golden Body truly lives up to its name. If I can cultivate it to Great Achievement, I will definitely be able to advance to the late stage of Grandmaster. Moreover, this Martial Art is exceptionally profound, incomparable to ordinary Outer Techniques. If the master who created this Martial Art were still alive, I would dearly wish to meet him.

Unfortunately, in Ji Cang's view, the founder of the Invincible Golden Body must have passed away long ago. The book in his hands was brand new. It was most likely that Shen Changqing had copied it from an original. After all, even powerful Grandmasters had not transcended the mortal coil; their lifespans were, at most, around a hundred years. When their time came, even a mighty Grandmaster could only sit and fade away.

Putting away the Invincible Golden Body, Ji Cang turned his gaze towards the auction stage.

There, the Number Two Steward was beginning the auction for the second item: The Hundred Battles Saber Technique!

"The Hundred Battles Saber Technique is also a Martial Art being auctioned by Lord Shen of the Demon-Subduing Division. Once mastered to Great Achievement, one can comprehend its True Intent and join the ranks of Grandmasters. For any sect lacking a presiding Grandmaster, it is a treasure significant enough to be considered a cornerstone. Furthermore, the book contains a portion of True Intent for one to comprehend!"

"The Hundred Battles Saber Technique, starting bid fifty thousand silver taels, each increment no less than one thousand taels. Let the auction begin!" The Number Two Steward wasted no words and got straight to the point.

Soon, a new round of bidding commenced. Occasionally, a few major sects made offers, but none with the same frenzy as during the bidding for the Invincible Golden Body.

As for Ji Cang, he watched as a mere spectator. There was no helping it; the Qiyao Sect had little money left and couldn't possibly compete, so all he could do was observe. Otherwise, he too would have wanted to participate. One more Martial Art that led directly to comprehending Martial Dao True Intent would offer the disciples in his sect an additional option.

While it was said that True Intent could be comprehended from any Martial Art, strictly speaking, the difference in probability between them was not slight but substantial. For ordinary Martial Arts, the chance of comprehending True Intent might be one in ten thousand, or even one in a hundred thousand or a million. Whereas for Martial Arts where Great Achievement allows one to comprehend True Intent, the probability is one in a thousand, or even one percent. The difference between them was apparent to any discerning person.

This was also why very few sects were able to produce Grandmasters. Ultimately, it was because True Intent was too difficult to comprehend. To comprehend True Intent from ordinary Martial Arts, even among hundreds of Martial Artists at the Innate Limit, it was not guaranteed that even one would succeed.

After the Hundred Battles Saber Technique was presented, its price quickly soared to 600,000 taels. It seemed the selling price of the Invincible Golden Body had spurred them on, causing the bids to escalate rapidly.

"The Hundred Battles Saber Technique!" Master Guiyuan's expression was peculiar. He hadn't expected the Martial Art up for auction to be a saber technique. The Guiyuan Sword Sect! As its name implied, it primarily focused on Swordsmanship. It was hard to imagine how awkward it would be if the Guiyuan Sword Sect obtained the Hundred Battles Saber Technique and actually produced a Grandmaster from it. For a distinguished sect primarily focused on Sword Dao to produce a Grandmaster who had mastered saber arts—to say that wouldn't be a loss of face was an outright lie. However, despite any potential embarrassment, the Martial Art still had to be contested.

Master Guiyuan pondered for a moment, then made a bid, "Seven hundred and fifty thousand taels!" He didn't immediately call out 800,000 taels, leaving himself some room for maneuvering.

After this price was announced, the hall fell silent for a few moments. Only when the Number Two Steward called for confirmation a second time did someone slowly make a counter-bid.

"Eight hundred and thirty thousand taels, going once!"

"Eight hundred and thirty thousand taels, going twice!"

"Eight hundred and thirty thousand taels, going three times! Sold!" The Number Two Steward's hammer fell, finalizing the sale.

This outcome was somewhat unexpected for many. The Hundred Battles Saber Technique, a Martial Art leading directly to Martial Dao True Intent, had sold for a full 220,000 taels less than the Invincible Golden Body.

But even so, the price was exceedingly high. Someone quietly calculated that Shen Changqing had earned a total of 1,880,000 taels from these two Martial Arts alone. And there was still another Grandmaster Martial Art waiting to be auctioned. This meant that if all three Martial Arts were sold, his earnings this time could even approach three million taels.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the Yuanyang Auction House began another round of bidding.