Chapter 283: Tremendous Gains

Stone Hao could not determine the authenticity of the bone by merely holding it in his hand. He was eager and desperate to obtain it.

"Is this really a Celestial Bone? Why is it being auctioned in the top tier?" someone questioned in confusion.

On the stage, a woman dressed in red, with a stunningly curvaceous figure and an enchanting charm, lifted the luminous white bone and showed it to the crowd. She added, "It does seem to be a Celestial Bone, but it is incomplete. It has no runes and is not a treasure. However, it is incredibly hard and surpasses everything else. We have tried many methods, such as using the strongest treasures to strike it or putting it in the furnace for numerous refinements, but it remains intact."

"So it’s just a fragment, without runes. No wonder it was revealed so early for auction. It’s not a priceless treasure," some said, relieved as many could not compete for the Celestial Bone. They were also somewhat displeased, feeling that the two people on stage had scared them for no reason.

"There are some faint lines, but they are not runes," the elder on stage added, then handed it to a young woman to deliver it to the VIP rooms.

VIPs had the privilege of touching the treasures during the auction.

Stone Hao eagerly accepted it, and after holding it in his hand, he was certain it was made of the same material as the bone inscribed with the original true understanding—there was no doubt about it.

The bone had some scattered lines on its surface, but they were not bone writings or magical inscriptions; they were disorganized. His eyes gleamed as he finally handed it to the young woman, who continued to take it to other rooms for other distinguished guests to view.

"I bid one hundred Crystal Coins," someone raised their sign and made an offer.

"I bid five hundred Crystal Coins."

"I bid one thousand Crystal Coins."

Despite the lack of runes, the unique material still attracted many people's interest, and they were eager to bid on it and study it further.

"Crystal Coins" referred to a type of jadeite that contained the essence of heaven and earth and could be used for cultivation; such items were very valuable.

Gold and silver from the mundane world were of no use to cultivators; only items useful for cultivation served as currency for practitioners.

In fact, to ordinary cultivators, several hundred Crystal Coins were not considered small, and this bone was pushed up to over a thousand Crystal Coins, making it quite expensive.

Stone Hao scratched his head; he didn’t have any Crystal Coins, not even one. Did he really need to auction off that piece of Aquamarine? He had similar items in his Qiankun Bag.

"How much Aquamarine would this piece be worth?" he asked the two young women in the room.

One girl was surprised and said, "Priceless. Even a piece as big as a fist used to fetch an astronomical price."

"Is that so?" Stone Hao said, pointing like a knife and splitting off a piece of the Aquamarine, handing it to a young woman, "Start the bidding for me."

The two young women in the room gasped. One of them trembled as she took the piece of Aquamarine. The other hurried off to report to the auction house's person in charge. It seemed like a waste to destroy such a good item.

"I bid one piece of Aquamarine," the girl said, her voice trembling.

A clamor erupted in the auction house. Although Aquamarine itself was not hard, adding a bit of it during the refining process could significantly enhance the quality of a treasure. It was extremely rare.

Such items could improve the grade of magical instruments and were true treasures of heaven and earth.

The white bone was indeed special, but it didn’t seem worth trading for Aquamarine. It had no rune markings and was not a spiritual treasure, so people felt it was not worth it.

"I am very interested in this bone and want to obtain it," the earlier melodious voice from a VIP room spoke again.

She had someone bring out a rune-inscribed bone, which was purple and shimmering with radiant light, indicating its incredible value.

Many were astonished. This bone could be used for arranging formations and could be refined into a very powerful treasure. It was an original bone from an adult ancient beast.

"I will offer another piece of Aquamarine," Stone Hao said personally this time, preparing to split off another piece.

"Ancestor, please spare us," the auction house staff arrived, and several elders were almost trembling with fear. Destroying such a large treasure was too wasteful. If the entire piece were refined into a large magical instrument, it might yield a supreme treasure.

The auction house’s appraisers arrived. The elders were authoritative figures who could not tolerate such a precious item being ruined. They were heartbroken and wished they could kick this reckless kid.

"I don’t have any Crystal Coins. Could you lend me some?" Stone Hao asked.

"Just auction it off. Let’s put this piece of Aquamarine up for bidding," one old appraiser advised.

"Buying that bone doesn’t require so many. I want to keep the rest for myself; I don’t want to auction it," Stone Hao refused.

Finally, the elders reached an agreement to record the amount and not cut it immediately, as they considered it a crime to do so.

"I offer a piece of Dragon Iron Bone," a girl seemed to be caught up in the competition and took out a piece of divine iron the size of a finger joint.

"What?" The crowd exclaimed.

Dragon Iron is a material used by the saints for refining treasures. It is said to be a divine material formed from the bones of a true dragon that fell into an iron mine.

Although it was only as big as a finger joint, it was still impressive and priceless. If melted into a weapon, it would become an astonishing treasure.

Stone Hao was also astonished. He had only seen Dragon Iron in the Kunpeng's Nest, where it was forged into a sword embryo, one of the rough drafts made by Kunpeng, one of the Ten Ancient Fiends.

In contrast, a piece of Dragon Iron the size of a finger joint was far superior to an endless accumulation of other materials, and most people would not have the courage to produce it.

"How much Aquamarine do I need to compete with this?" Stone Hao asked several appraisers.

The auction house staff were shocked, not expecting a bone without runes to attract such a fierce bidding war. The price was astronomical.

"At least half a piece of Aquamarine, because Dragon Iron is an extraordinary material, extremely rare. If you have enough, it can be used to refine divine artifacts," one elder replied.

"Then I will break off the Aquamarine and compete with her," Stone Hao said.

In the end, an elder took the large piece of Aquamarine onto the stage, causing a sensation. It was indeed a treasure, and such a large piece was truly astonishing.

"Hmph."

A snort came from a VIP room. A young woman glanced this way with dissatisfaction and eventually gave up.

Upon seeing her true appearance, everyone felt their hearts race. The woman was beautiful and stunning, looking around ten years old, dressed in blue, with crystal-clear skin and an ethereal presence.

The young generation of the imperial capital saw her and immediately knew who she was, their eyes blazing with fervor.

"The pearl of the Lei Clan, she has returned."

The young lady from the Lei Clan was renowned for her beauty, said to be among the most beautiful women in the imperial capital. Many of the younger generation admired her but had been disappointed.

This surname, like the Yu Clan, was ancient, not limited to the Stone Kingdom or the Wilderness, but included the Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning clans as some of the most primitive human surnames.

"Has her sister returned? She is known as the number one pearl of the imperial capital. She is also reputed to be the number one pearl of the Stone Kingdom, though she is still young, her fame has already spread far and wide," someone whispered.

The Lei Clan has another young lady, currently around fourteen or fifteen years old. It is said that she is even more astonishing and possesses terrifying talent. She has been away training for many years and only returned once a year ago.

Some even speculate that if there is someone among her peers in the Stone Kingdom who can rival Shi Yi, it might be the number one pearl of the imperial capital.

Shi Hao overheard the discussions and frowned. He had received help from the Goddess of Willow and had seen some events from his early years. He vaguely remembered that the Lei Clan seemed to have some connection to him.

When he was young, his parents had mentioned something about two pearls, but it was very vague.

"The Lei Clan truly deserves its reputation as one of the ancient clans of humanity. The Stone Kingdom lineage might just be a branch of the entire Lei Clan."

Shi Hao's gaze was fixed. He noticed a young man beside the Lei Clan’s pearl, who looked to be around twenty years old. His presence was imposing, and he was likely a pure-blooded being.

Since he had dealt with such beings before and had personally dispatched them, he was highly sensitive to their presence.

"Is he connected with the beings from the Ancient Divine Mountains?" he murmured softly, no longer paying attention.

In a rare show of respect, the auction house made an exception and sent the bone to Shi Hao ahead of time. He was pleasantly surprised to find that VIPs indeed had certain privileges.

The small tower trembled and spoke to him, "Give it to me."

"No," Shi Hao refused. The bone was mysterious and might conceal great secrets; it couldn't be casually destroyed.

"Indeed. It hides an ultimate secret. Keep it for now, and give it to me if it’s of no use later," the small tower said, unusually chatty this time.

Hearing this, Shi Hao was completely reassured. The bone was certainly valuable, and his effort to win it at the auction was not in vain.

The auction continued with more exquisite items, and the excitement grew with each new treasure.

"The Blood Demon Ruler, suspected to be forged from the bones of an ancient demon god. Though damaged, it is currently only a prince-level weapon but has the potential for restoration. Once restored, its power will be immense," an elder introduced.

It was a crimson ruler. Although it was missing a piece, it still shone red like blood diamonds, exuding a powerful divine energy.

"I want it," Lord Hengtian stood up. He was only twenty-five, tall and mighty, and had been guarding the borders, a person of great power.

Few dared to challenge him for the bid.

As expected, the Blood Demon Ruler ended up in his hands. Although the price was still staggering, it was within the range of a prince’s budget.

"This ruler is underrated. If you give me four of them, I might save your life," the small tower suddenly spoke.

Shi Hao was stunned. The Blood Demon Ruler was indeed extremely valuable, but finding four such rulers was no easy task. Moreover, Lord Hengtian looked formidable, ready to battle anyone who opposed him. It seemed he would have to let this opportunity pass.

As the auction proceeded, another wave of items arrived. This time, it was a treasure technique.

It was a tortoise shell, densely inscribed with numerous characters, recording the great divine powers of the Xuan Turtle Clan.

Shi Hao was astonished. A treasure technique was up for auction—this was truly remarkable. He was excited, as he desperately needed such a powerful technique. He had to win this auction.

"This Xuan Turtle, which caused chaos in the Western Frontier years ago, some of you should remember it well. It was eventually killed by a powerful figure, and its treasure technique was obtained without allowing it to self-destruct."

This creature was a remnant species, extremely powerful. Although not pure-blooded, it was still formidable. Two princes had died trying to capture it in the Western Frontier.

"I am willing to bid a set of grand killing formations."

"I bid for Huangquan Water."

"I am willing to exchange with a technique of the same level."

As soon as the elder finished speaking, the crowd erupted, and bidding began immediately. No one was offering Crystal Coins anymore; only rare and precious items were acceptable.

Shi Hao was amazed. The difficulty was immense, but he had to obtain it. Such a top-tier treasure technique could not be missed; he needed it badly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this senior does not want anything else but a pill formula for marrow washing and bone strengthening to maintain vigorous blood energy," the elder hosting the auction said.

It had always been a mystery who had killed the powerful Xuan Turtle, and now this person had reappeared, offering the Xuan Turtle’s technique in exchange for a pill formula. People had reason to believe this was a very old individual.

Shi Hao had initially been skeptical. Although he had many valuable items in his Qiankun Bag, not all were suitable for public display, such as Taiyi True Water. Hearing this requirement, he started to consider it.

Suddenly, he remembered the ancient formulas passed down in Stone Village, which met the requirement.

He had seen those formulas, which required very rare herbs, often spirit medicines, and even the main ingredient was a holy herb. The old village chief had used those formulas to strengthen the children of the village, but with common herbs instead.

With a trial-and-error attitude, Shi Hao wrote down a formula according to the requirements and handed it over.

In the end, someone informed him that the mysterious powerful figure had chosen his formula.

Of course, Shi Hao had only provided the name of the formula and its effects.

The other party was very straightforward. Once Shi Hao wrote out the complete formula, the transaction was made directly and privately. The auction house discreetly sent the tortoise shell to him as an exception.

Shi Hao studied it carefully. After a while, his eyes gleamed with excitement. This was indeed a powerful technique that he needed.

The Xuan Turtle’s technique was mainly defensive, capable of protecting the body with an indestructible strength. Shi Hao had the two young women leave, and he immediately closed his eyes to meditate.

Soon, a yellowish glow appeared on his body, and his flesh became as hard as iron, making a clinking sound when tapped with his fingers.

This was just the beginning. He quickly grasped many key aspects, especially the insights gained from his time abroad, which greatly enhanced his understanding. The more he delved into the technique, the more ethereal and easier it became to enter the state.

"Hmm, I obtained a meditation mat from the Kunpeng's Nest, made from the branches of Kunmu. Once I leave here, I will use it to comprehend this technique. I believe I will master this divine technique soon."

Shi Hao was very pleased but did not become complacent. He only tested it briefly before stopping and not continuing further.

"To be able to bid for such a foundational treasure technique is truly exciting. I look forward to even better items appearing," Shi Hao was increasingly thrilled, anticipating more remarkable treasures.