"Thirty Source Crystals, no one better compete with me!"
"You think you can get this Divine Weapon for just thirty Source Crystals? Dream on! I bid forty!"
As soon as the Demon-slaying Longsword went up for auction, the atmosphere had already reached a fever pitch without any need for encouragement.
It wasn't long before the price had soared to eighty Source Crystals, and only then did the momentum begin to slow.
He had thought a basic longsword would sell well in Lindong, but he had still underestimated how wealthy the Awakeners were.
First-tier Awakeners were still quite poor, only able to contend with the weakest of the Demonized Beasts.
Second-tier began to accumulate capital, with good luck earning two or three Source Crystals a day.
Third-layer Awakeners had already entered the ranks of the masters, with ordinary Demonized Beasts posing no real threat...
The Lindong Sanctuary was not short on hot weapons either. If used well, even an ordinary person could kill Demonized Beasts, unlike in small Sanctuaries where even bullets had to be counted closely.
many of the Awakeners present weren't acting alone. Take Zhou Jianhong, for instance, captain of an elite Mercenary Team who controlled most of the team's wealth. While that money couldn't all be said to belong to him, using it to buy equipment beneficial to the team was perfectly normal.
They didn't hesitate to spend those Source Crystals!
In the end, the first Demon-slaying Longsword sold for an astronomical price of one hundred and fifteen Source Crystals.
Such an amount was something many Awakeners present could only dream of.
Underneath his mask, Tang Yu's mouth was nearly twitching with laughter.
Not because of those hundred and some Source Crystals, but because he saw a business opportunity.
This was just a standard version of the basic longsword; what if it were an enhanced type one or type two?
Surely more Awakeners would be willing to dig into their wallets.
Of course, stronger basic longswords were not something Tang Yu planned to sell just yet. Only when he had higher-tier blueprints would these items gradually become available.
The Awakeners who failed to secure a Demon-slaying Longsword wore looks of frustration.
Some had hesitated only to find the auction had already concluded.
Some felt the price was too high and were reluctant to part with their Source Crystals.
At that moment, the enchanting woman took the next auction item from the staff, "Next up for auction... is the second Demon-slaying Longsword!"
The crowd once again erupted into excitement, and before the woman could even start the auction, Awakeners were already shouting bids.
It was eventually snapped up by an Awakener for a price of one hundred and ten Source Crystals.
Following close behind, the third and fourth Demon-slaying Longswords sold for prices over one hundred Source Crystals, though not as high as the first two.
The last Demon-slaying Longsword even reached an impressive sum of one hundred and thirty Source Crystals.
Before today, probably no one could have imagined that a cold weapon could be so valuable.
The auction continued in full swing.
Tang Yu also secured a few items.
Such as Awakening Potions.
Those that made it to auction were generally of the highest quality.
He spent forty-five Source Crystals to purchase a set of three potions.
That was already quite expensive, and few ordinary people who had not undergone the Awakening could afford it.
He planned to give one of the potions to Li Xiuming.
He had tried the lowest grade of Awakening Potion without success, but in theory, he could continue using higher-level potions, although the success rate would be much lower.
One after another, items were sold, and the auction had indeed reached its climax.
"Tonight's auction is nearing its end, and next up for auction, is tonight's grand finale item, the soul power container!"
Displayed on the stage was a circular container, the size of a palm, resembling a carving made from the purest white crystal.
This was the soul power container, capable of absorbing the soul power radiating from Demonized Beasts. Everyone knew that after slaying a Demonized Beast, an Awakener couldn't absorb all the scattered soul power. To put it in gaming terms, with this device, one might gain extra experience points from battling monsters. And that was just one use of the soul power container.
Apart from that, the collected soul power could be sold to wealthy Awakeners from the first or second generation, or used to refine a large amount of soul power to increase the chances of breaking through a bottleneck, and so on.
Even though the container had its flaws, with the collected soul power gradually dissipating over time, it truly deserved to be a grand finale auction item!
It was even more precious than the Demon-slaying Longsword and had only appeared for the second time since the establishment of the Black Market.
The Awakeners in attendance had heavy breathing and cold gazes sweeping over others, observing who might become competitors.
"The bidding for the soul power container will now start at 200 Source Crystals!"
"Two hundred and fifty!"
"Two hundred and eighty!"
The price climbed step by step, and the scene once fell into chaos with the auctioneer unable to discern who was shouting the bids.
"Stop wasting time. I'll bid 500!"
A man with a hawk-like nose exuded a cold and fierce aura as his gaze swept over the crowd, seemingly disdainful.
He did not hide his identity and was recognized by the other Awakeners in an instant.
"That's Dragon Slayer Chen Sheng. He's the captain of an elite Mercenary Team that's ranked within the top twenty at the mission center. Although his team is small, every member is a master... Especially Chen Sheng himself, who single-handedly slayed a formidable dragon-type Demonized Beast, earning him the nickname Dragon Slayer Chen Sheng!"
"Dragon-type Demonized Beast? Are there really dragons in this world?" a newbie Awakener exclaimed in surprise.
"It wasn't a real dragon, but a huge lizard, as big as an armored vehicle, not only having the strength of a Fourth-Layer Awakener but also capable of breathing fire like a western giant dragon. And Chen Sheng, he alone slayed this terrifying Demonized Beast, which is why he is a top-ranked person in the Sanctuary!"
An old-timer Awakener spoke with a sigh, revealing various secrets, eliciting awe from the newbie next to him, "You know so much, you must be a super strong Awakener too, right? Can you tell me about your combat achievements?"
His face stiffened as he waved his hand, "Low profile, low profile."
As Chen Sheng raised the bid significantly, many Awakeners were already unable to speak.
They wanted to bid, but the high price of 500 Source Crystals was out of reach for many Awakener teams.
But at that moment, the captains of some top Mercenary Corps began raising the bid.
"Five hundred and fifty."
"Six hundred! Give some face to the Fiery Fire Team!"
"To hell with your Wang Wu, your Fiery Fire Team doesn't have any face. My Divine Wind Team won't buy it. I bid 660!"
The price soared, gradually approaching 800 Source Crystals.
Even though the captains of these top Mercenary Corps had received the news about the soul power container auction in advance and had gathered quite a few Source Crystals, they were feeling the pressure as the rising bids began to slow.
This price had already surpassed the imagination of the newbie Awakeners.
The old-timer Awakeners, assessing their own wallets, were also dumbstruck.
Even the strong ones like Zhou Jianhong, captain of an elite team, had a grave expression at this moment, acutely feeling the gap between themselves and the very top teams.
The price had reached 820 Source Crystals, and the captain-level figures could only add one or two Source Crystals at a time, slowly raising the bid.
They were almost at their limit.
At the same time, they were gauging their opponents' bottom line.
At this level, everyone knew each other and the differences weren't significant, yet bidding a few more Source Crystals could change the final outcome.
Some captain-level figures clenched their fists, eyes glued to the soul power container on the auction stage.
There were also captain-level Awakeners who, faced with the rising prices and sweat dripping from their foreheads.
"I bid 888 Source Crystals!"
The voice wasn't loud, yet it swept across the venue in an instant.
Zhou Jianhong suddenly looked over and recognized that it was the young man he had a good chat with earlier!