Human Clan Defender

Heavenly Martial Divine Qi!

Upon hearing this name, a middle-aged man inside a private room wore a peculiar expression. Heavenly Martial Divine Qi... why does it sound so much like our Heavenly Gang Sect's Heavenly Martial Gang Qi?

Heavenly Martial Gang Qi was the Sect-Defining Martial Art of the Heavenly Gang Sect. The Heavenly Gang Sect was neither strong nor weak; it was a sect with some reputation in the Jianghu. Their Sect-Defining Martial Art, Heavenly Martial Gang Qi, also had a notable reputation in the Jianghu. It was precisely because of this reputation that the Demon-Subduing Division eventually graced them with its presence. Under pressure from the Demon-Subduing Division, the Heavenly Gang Sect decisively offered up the Heavenly Martial Gang Qi. This Sect-Defining Martial Art had been copied and taken away by the Demon-Subduing Division just like that.

While the middle-aged man was pondering inwardly, an elder of the Heavenly Gang Sect spoke. "Sect Leader, the name Heavenly Martial Divine Qi sounds somewhat similar to our Heavenly Martial Gang Qi. Could it be possible that this Martial Art was left behind by one of our sect's predecessors?"

"It's not impossible," the Sect Leader of the Heavenly Gang Sect said, nodding slightly. Although, in his recollection, the Heavenly Gang Sect didn't seem to have such a powerful figure. But who could assert with certainty that the records of the Heavenly Gang Sect were accurate? Perhaps, long ago, there really was a powerful martial artist from the Heavenly Gang Sect who broke through to become a Grandmaster while outside—that was also a possibility. Ultimately, that Grandmaster had simply passed away.

As they were speculating in their hearts, the price for the Heavenly Martial Divine Qi had already soared.

Below the Grandmaster Realm, few people could understand the existence of the Spiritual System and the Physical System. For this reason, the concept of True Qi being the main focus was still prevalent among the vast majority in the Jianghu. The previously auctioned Invincible Golden Body and Hundred Battles Saber Technique were sought after by major sects or those with martial artists at the Innate Limit. But now, the competitors for the Heavenly Martial Divine Qi were far more numerous than just those individuals.

"Seven hundred thousand Silver Taels!" The Sect Leader of the Heavenly Gang Sect shouted his first bid since arriving at the auction.

Unfortunately, as soon as his words left his mouth, they were drowned out by other voices.

"Seven hundred fifty thousand Silver Taels!"

"Seven hundred eighty thousand Silver Taels!"

"Eight hundred thousand Silver Taels!"

"Eight hundred fifty thousand Silver Taels!"

"Nine hundr—"

Hearing the voices outside, Cui Cheng cautiously asked, "Sect Leader, are we not bidding yet?"

Master Guiyuan gave him a calm look. That simple glance made Cui Cheng feel a shiver down his spine.

Only then did Master Guiyuan slowly say, "Cui Cheng, you still need to train hard. After this auction ends, go out and gain experience. I hope you can enhance the reputation of our Guiyuan Sword Sect."

"Sect Leader—" Cui Cheng looked baffled. He did not understand how he had angered the other party for no apparent reason.

However, Master Guiyuan clearly had no intention of elaborating. He turned his gaze towards the auction stage, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

So the Guiyuan Sword Sect had come just to go through the motions this time, carrying hundreds of thousands of Silver Taels yet acquiring nothing. Whenever he thought about how the Guiyuan Sword Sect had sold off so many assets just to attend the auction, his heart ached. A loss! Such a huge loss! It was no exaggeration to call it a devastating loss. If only I had known, I would've bid on and won the Innate Pill. At least I wouldn't be leaving empty-handed! Securing the Innate Pill could have added several more Innate Martial Artists to the Guiyuan Sword Sect, which would have indirectly strengthened the sect's power. Unlike now, where he hadn't purchased anything and had, in effect, suffered significant intangible losses. Even Master Guiyuan, with his usually calm and easygoing temperament, was finding it hard to remain composed.

Listening to the other bids, Shen Changqing and Ji Qu both remained silent. Each price increase was heart-pounding. It couldn't be helped; the prices were truly too high. Compared to the Invincible Golden Body, the Heavenly Martial Divine Qi was now easily surpassing one million Silver Taels. And beyond one million Silver Taels, it was still steadily climbing. This meant that from this auction so far, Shen Changqing had already amassed nearly three million Silver Taels.

The appeal of Inner Strength techniques is much higher than I imagined. Unfortunately, Inner Strength is unlike other Martial Arts; it cannot be integrated. Only after breaking its limits can it be considered a new Martial Art. And only one type of True Qi can reside in the Dantian; multiple types of True Qi will cause conflicts. Therefore, the panel can only accommodate one type of Inner Strength. Constantly changing Inner Strength techniques just to break limits and evolve them into new ones would indeed be too costly. he contemplated quietly. A high demand for Inner Strength is a good thing, yet due to its unique nature, it's impossible to possess a large number of Grandmaster-level Inner Strength techniques. Of course, even without them, just merging other Martial Arts is enough to bring me substantial benefits.

"One million two hundred sixty thousand Silver Taels, going once!"

"One million two hundred sixty thousand Silver Taels, going twice!"

"One million two hundred sixty thousand Silver Taels, going three times! Sold!"

Steward Number Two struck the gavel, announcing the end of the auction for the last Grandmaster Martial Art.

Immediately thereafter, he looked at the crowd and said in a deep voice, "This auction has concluded. However, the Yuanyang Auction House also has many other treasures. If any of you are interested, you are welcome to browse. As for the next auction, it will be held a month from now. If you wish to participate, I hope you can arrive on time."

Having said this, he left the auction platform.

The auction was over!

Shen Changqing seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, then smiled. "The results of this auction were quite good!"

"More than just good; it's a massive profit!" Ji Qu said with an emotional expression. "According to the black market's valuation of Grandmaster-level items, Lord Shen, your auction this time has set a new high. It's estimated that it won't be long before the black market's valuation of Grandmaster Martial Arts increases further."

The three Martial Arts had sold for a high price of over three million Silver Taels. The cheapest one was transacted for eight hundred sixty thousand Silver Taels. He had originally thought that selling the three Martial Arts for about one and a half to two million Silver Taels would be the extent of it. But now, they had fetched over a million Silver Taels more than expected.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

Following the sound, the door opened, and Steward Number One walked in from outside. "Greetings to you both!"

He bowed slightly, then sat down at the table and took out a stack of silver notes from his robes. "The total transaction price for the three Grandmaster Martial Arts is three million one hundred seventy thousand Silver Taels. According to our agreement, the Yuanyang Auction House will take two percent of the transaction price as commission, amounting to sixty-three thousand four hundred Silver Taels. However, due to the high transaction price of the three Martial Arts, I've taken the liberty of waiving the odd amount, so we will only charge Lord Shen sixty thousand Silver Taels as commission. Additionally, Lord Shen spent seven hundred thousand Silver Taels to purchase the Black Banner, which has already been deducted. The remaining balance is two million four hundred ten thousand Silver Taels. You may count it."

Shen Changqing was well aware of the auction house's commission and the cost of the Black Banner. However, judging by the commission the auction house collected, their earnings from this single auction were at least one to two hundred thousand Silver Taels, if not more—far beyond what could be described by the words 'exorbitant profits.'

"I wonder what items will be available for auction next month?" Shen Changqing asked casually while counting the silver notes.

Upon hearing this, Steward Number One shook his head. "Most of the presentable treasures in the Yuanyang Auction House were offered in this auction. Next time, there likely won't be as many items, and I fear they may not be of interest to Lord Shen. But if Lord Shen is interested, you are welcome to come by in a month's time. The Yuanyang Auction House would be greatly honored by your presence!"

As he spoke, Shen Changqing had already finished counting the silver notes. Each silver note was worth ten thousand Silver Taels; two million four hundred ten thousand Silver Taels amounted to two hundred forty-one silver notes.

After counting them, he didn't put away the silver notes but left them on the table and looked at Steward Number One. "I wish to purchase some items from the Yuanyang Auction House."

"Lord Shen, please speak," the Steward's expression remained unchanged.

Shen Changqing said, "Merit Points from the Demon-Subduing Division."

"How many Merit Points does Lord Shen wish to acquire?"

"Two thousand."

"Two thousand Merit Points!" Steward Number One's expression finally changed.

Purchasing Merit Points wasn't strange; the fact that Merit Points could be traded meant that occasionally, people would come to buy them. But others who came to buy Merit Points would usually buy just a few, or perhaps dozens. It was very rare to see someone purchasing as many as a hundred points. An opening request for two thousand Merit Points, like Shen Changqing's, was honestly something Steward Number One had never encountered before.

After the initial shock, he fell into deep thought.

Shen Changqing did not disturb him, sitting there quietly drinking tea and patiently waiting for the Steward's reply.

A moment later, Steward Number One snapped out of his thoughts, his expression serious. "Lord Shen, if you wish to buy two thousand Merit Points, the demand is quite large, so the price will need to be adjusted upward accordingly. It would be four hundred fifty Silver Taels per point, amounting to nine hundred thousand Silver Taels for two thousand points. If you are certain about your purchase, the Yuanyang Auction House can gather all the Merit Points within five days at most."

Nine hundred thousand Silver Taels! That's one hundred thousand Silver Taels cheaper than the one million he had anticipated. The price was acceptable.

Shen Changqing did not haggle and nodded in agreement. "Very well, I'll purchase them for nine hundred thousand Silver Taels. Do I need to pay a deposit in advance?"

"For an ordinary person, a deposit of at least fifty percent would be required," Steward Number One said with a smile. "However, Lord Shen, with your reputation, it would be unseemly for us to ask for a deposit from you. Therefore, the deposit is waived. We only hope that Lord Shen will continue to favor the Yuanyang Auction House with your patronage in the future. That would be more than enough."

Securing a deal worth nine hundred thousand Silver Taels was also quite beneficial for him. As he spoke, the Steward became much more amiable.

Subsequently, Shen Changqing said, "Besides purchasing Merit Points, I would also like to engage in some other transactions with the Yuanyang Auction House."

"Lord Shen, please be frank!" Steward Number One's expression was earnest. In his eyes, Shen Changqing was now a major client—a person of status and financial power. Keeping such a person well-disposed would bring considerable benefits to the Yuanyang Auction House in the future. Even if this particular transaction yielded no profit, he was willing to do his utmost to satisfy the request.

Shen Changqing lifted his teacup, sipped lightly, and then spoke with an air of calm. "I intend to purchase some Demon Evils from your auction house. Is that possible?"