Battle Through The Heavens : I Am The Thunder Emperor

Chapter 105: The Six-Harmonies Void Sword

It must be said that the Miteer family's business acumen is truly exceptional, which is why their operations have spread throughout the entire empire. Early the next morning, as soon as Mo Yu stepped out of the inn, he could hear people everywhere discussing the Miteer Auction. Clearly, a great deal of advertising must have gone into this.

After passing through several streets and asking for directions, Mo Yu, clad in a black robe that concealed most of his face, finally arrived at a magnificent auction house. Compared to the one in Wutan City, this auction house was far grander and more eye-catching in its architectural design.

As he looked at the auction house, Mo Yu found his mind wandering, and a vivid image of a woman in a red cheongsam, with a seductive and voluptuous figure, slowly formed in his thoughts. Shaking his head, Mo Yu couldn't help but attribute this sudden recollection of Ya Fei to the adverse effects of his Tian Gang Thunder Body.

Approaching the grand entrance, Mo Yu was about to enter when several guards stopped him. It was no surprise that the auction house in Black Rock City was well-guarded, with even the guards possessing the strength of Dou Shi.

Lacking an invitation, Mo Yu had to pay a hefty entrance fee of one thousand gold coins before he was allowed to participate in the auction. Of course, for Mo Yu, this was merely a drop in the ocean. Not to mention the wealth he had split with Little Doctor Fairy from the mysterious cave, even the ring he had taken from Mo Yin contained no less than a hundred thousand gold coins.

Altogether, Mo Yu's current fortune amounted to roughly four to five hundred thousand gold coins, more than the savings of many small families.

After entering the opulent auction house, Mo Yu was about to turn towards the main hall when he suddenly heard a wave of exclamations from the surrounding crowd. Curious, he turned to see what was happening.

In the adjacent VIP passage, the guards of the Miteer Auction were respectfully bowing and welcoming someone. Mo Yu didn't have to wait long before two figures, one old and one young, slowly made their entrance.

The elder had a stern and dignified appearance, exuding an unfathomable strength. Particularly striking was the emblem on the chest of his exquisite black robe: an ancient alchemy cauldron with four silver waves meticulously etched on its surface.

"A Four-Tier Alchemist," Mo Yu muttered, surprised. The old man before him was indeed a Four-Tier Alchemist, a status that commanded great respect within the empire.

Beside the elder stood a young woman with long, flowing silver hair, standing like a disciple. Her eyes were as clear as icy springs on a snowy mountain. She wore a tight-fitting silver robe that complemented her jade-like skin, adding a unique metallic coldness to her beauty.

On her black robe, a mercury-like wave indicated her status as a One-Tier Alchemist.

"That's Master Frank and Miss Xue Mei. I didn't expect Master Frank to attend, and Miss Xue Mei has become a One-Tier Alchemist," someone in the crowd whispered in awe.

"A great teacher produces excellent students. For Miss Xue Mei to become an alchemist at such a young age, her future prospects are boundless."

"Miss Xue Mei is so beautiful. With such stunning looks and exceptional talent, it wouldn't be surprising if she were to marry into the royal family."

Listening to the crowd, Mo Yu nodded in understanding. So these were the president of the Black Rock City Alchemist Association and his prized disciple, both characters from the original story responsible for testing Xiao Yan.

Losing interest, Mo Yu turned and entered the auction hall. Although a Four-Tier Alchemist was impressive, it wasn't enough to catch Mo Yu's attention. His soul force was just a step away from reaching the level of a Four-Tier Alchemist himself.

As Mo Yu left, Frank's old eyes suddenly brightened. He looked thoughtfully in Mo Yu's direction, a strange glint in his eyes.

"How odd. That person was wearing a black robe, and though he seemed young, his body exuded a terrifying soul force that even pressured me slightly. But that level of soul force should belong to someone at the peak of the Third Tier or even the Fourth Tier. When did such a talented individual appear in Black Rock City? Could I have sensed it wrong?" Frank muttered to himself, shaking his head.

"What's wrong, teacher?" asked the young woman beside him, her steps halting as she followed his gaze towards the departing Mo Yu.

Seeing only an ordinary person in a black robe, Xue Mei frowned slightly. In Black Rock City, even an alchemy apprentice would wear specialized alchemist attire. Why had someone so plain captured her teacher's attention and surprise?

"Nothing. I might have been mistaken. Let's go inside. I hear there are some excellent herbs up for auction today," Frank replied, keeping his suspicions to himself, as the thought was too far-fetched.

Xue Mei blinked her beautiful eyes, sensing that her teacher had been quite shaken by the black-robed young man who had passed by. "Could that guy be a disciple of the president of the Jia Ma Empire's Alchemist Association?" she wondered, but quickly dismissed the thought.

As the leading alchemist of her generation in Black Rock City, Xue Mei was confident that even if the young man were a disciple of Dan King Gu He, he wouldn't necessarily surpass her.

Following her teacher into the auction hall, Xue Mei scanned the room, but when she didn't see the black-robed man, she gradually put the matter out of her mind.

Meanwhile, Mo Yu had found a discreet spot in the hall after entering and began observing the surroundings. He had to admit that Black Rock City, as a major city of the empire, was indeed far superior to Wutan City.

In the hall alone, he sensed the presence of more than a dozen Da Dou Shi, and Dou Shi were too numerous to count.

Looking towards the VIP section at the front, Mo Yu even detected the aura of a Dou Ling. Such a strong presence marked a top-tier expert within the empire.

Mo Yu's gaze landed on the Four-Tier Alchemist Frank, who was now conversing with a dignified middle-aged man.

The man wore luxurious clothes and had a thin face. Based on the information Mo Yu had gathered the night before, this man was none other than Ye Cong, the patriarch of the Ye family in Black Rock City, an Eight-Star Da Dou Shi.

Mo Yu knew that the Ye family had a Three-Star Dou Ling ancestor, although it was rumored that he had been in seclusion for a long time and hadn't appeared in public for years.

As Mo Yu quietly observed, the auction began in earnest.

The Black Rock City auction wasn't much different from the one in Wutan City. Under the lights at the center of the auction hall, a beautiful woman in a blue dress explained the functions of the items up for bid in a charming voice.

While this woman wasn't as enchanting as Ya Fei, her alluring demeanor was enough to captivate many men in the audience. It seemed that the Miteer Auction was particularly adept at using beauty to stir up the auction's atmosphere.

With the woman's sweet and soothing voice, even items that weren't particularly rare were auctioned off at prices far above their actual value.

Seeing this, Mo Yu couldn't help but admire the Miteer family's skills. Their ability to maintain their position among the empire's three great families was undoubtedly due to some unique talents. After all, if every city in the empire had a beautiful auctioneer like this, it wouldn't be a simple feat.

The early auction items were quite ordinary, so after a brief look, Mo Yu lost interest.

Casually glancing around, Mo Yu noticed that Ye Cong and Master Frank had stopped their conversation. Ye Cong's face now bore a troubled expression, indicating that he was facing some difficulties.

Seeing this, Mo Yu raised an eyebrow. The Ye family's ancestor hadn't been seen in years, and the patriarch looked worried. Could it be…?

As Mo Yu pondered the possibilities, something in the auction caught his attention.

"The Golden Sun Wood, a hundred-year-old wood grown on ancient volcanic lava, is highly sought after by those who practice wood-element techniques or have a talent for crafting. Don't miss out! Starting bid: ten thousand gold coins," the auctioneer's seductive voice rang out, causing Mo Yu to pause.

"It's actually Golden Sun Wood!" Mo Yu's eyes lit up as he recognized the item.

This was the final material he needed to craft the 'Flame Restraining Barrier.' Mo Yu had been considering searching for it in the Mulan Empire if he couldn't find it here, but to his surprise, this chance auction presented the perfect opportunity. It seemed luck was on his side.

"Eleven thousand!" The auctioneer's voice had barely faded when someone immediately placed a bid.

"Twelve thousand!" Another bid followed closely behind.

…

The price in the hall continued to rise rapidly, soon reaching seventeen thousand gold coins.

Mo Yu glanced around and noticed that most of the bidders were interested in the wood's energy for cultivating wood-element techniques. He shook his head, feeling that it was a waste to use such excellent crafting material for cultivation.

"Twenty thousand!" As the bids began to slow, Mo Yu raised his own.

His bid immediately frightened off many competitors. After all, they were only interested in the rich wood-element energy within the Golden Sun Wood, which wasn't irreplaceable. Twenty thousand gold coins was indeed a steep price.

With most of the competition backing out, only a few bidders remained. Finally, Mo Yu won the item with a high bid of thirty thousand gold coins.

While thirty thousand gold coins was a significant sum for most, it wasn't a painful expenditure for Mo Yu, who had amassed a fortune of hundreds of thousands of gold coins. Besides, the value of this Golden Sun Wood, for a crafter, far exceeded thirty thousand gold coins.

After securing the Golden Sun Wood, Mo Yu found the remaining auction items uninteresting. Of course, it wasn't that the auction lacked quality goods—Mo Yu's standards were just too high.

Several medicinal herbs, for instance, were valuable enough that Master Frank himself participated in the bidding. One herb, known as the Blue Spirit Star Flower, even sold for an astonishing thirty thousand gold coins, making Mo Yu slightly raise an eyebrow.

As time passed, the number of auction items dwindled, and just as Mo Yu was about to leave, one final item caught his attention.

"Now, we come to the last item of today's auction: the Six-Harmonies Void Sword," the auctioneer announced as she brought out a jade tray and gently presented a sword. Under the light, the sword gleamed with an extraordinary aura.

The sword was three and a half feet long, its blade forged from celestial black iron, thin and sharp, with a faint cold glow. The hilt featured a golden dragon motif, exuding a sense of majesty. The blade was as sharp as the void itself.

However, the sword's tip appeared to have been struck by a powerful force, leaving it with a broken edge. Not only that, but the entire blade was covered in cracks, giving it the appearance of an aging elder on the verge of collapse.

As soon as the sword appeared, Ye Cong, seated in the front row, stared intently at the damaged Six-Harmonies Void Sword, a heavy expression crossing his face.

"This sword once belonged to a Dou Ling expert, who used it to slay countless enemies. However, it was severely damaged in a great battle. Though its sword intent remains, it would require the skill of a master craftsman to restore it to its former glory. Starting bid: two hundred thousand gold coins!"

Despite the auctioneer's enthusiastic introduction, many people in the hall shook their heads.

The Six-Harmonies Void Sword was indeed remarkable. If it were in perfect condition, even a Dou Ling expert would be willing to spend a fortune to acquire it.

But in its current state, the sword was so severely damaged that only a skilled craftsman could repair it. Hiring such a craftsman would be expensive, and they were rare, akin to a needle in a haystack. Spending two hundred thousand gold coins on what amounted to scrap metal was a gamble few were willing to take.

As the auctioneer's voice trailed off, the hall fell silent. No one wanted to be the fool who overpaid for a broken sword.

Seeing this, Ye Cong frowned deeply, his face showing disappointment.

Meanwhile, Mo Yu felt a strange sensation when he saw the heavily damaged sword.

The sword wasn't ordinary. In terms of quality, it was on par with a fourth-tier item, only slightly inferior to the Shenwei Black Thunder Spear.

Despite its severe damage, the Six-Harmonies Void Sword felt like Zihuo, Mo Yu's battle companion. It didn't seem like a masterless object; instead, it carried a faint remnant of its original owner's aura, which, although weak, Mo Yu's keen senses picked up on.

Mo Yu frowned, puzzled.

Typically, a reputable auction house like the Miteer Auction would verify the authenticity of every item before putting it up for sale. They wouldn't want to risk selling something that still had a living master, which could lead to trouble later.

There was only one other explanation: they were doing it on purpose!

As this thought crossed Mo Yu's mind, he glanced at Ye Cong in the front row, noticing the man's expression of disappointment. A realization struck Mo Yu, making him smirk slightly as he raised his voice.

"Two hundred thousand gold coins—I'll take it!"

(End of Chapter)

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