Numerous wealthy families resided in Cang Town, and if one were to pinpoint where they congregated the most, it would undoubtedly be the auction house. This establishment served as a veritable money pit for the affluent and a melting pot for various individuals, including many external beast tamers searching for treasures. It was not uncommon for those unfamiliar with the true value of items to sell precious natural treasures at the auction house, only for these seasoned treasure hunters to acquire them through lucky bids.
The auction house held an auction once every month. During these times, the immense auction hall would be swarming with people, drawing in individuals from all walks of society.
The auction hall was divided into three levels. The lowest level typically accommodated ordinary merchants and the wealthy. The second level was reserved for nobles or renowned beast tamers, while the third level remained largely vacant, only opening its doors for distinguished guests.
As the central circular stage in the auction hall slowly ascended, the ground of the stage emitted a low, metallic scraping sound. After a moment, a middle-aged man dressed in a black and white suit appeared in the sight of the countless people in the hall.
The middle-aged man walked out slowly with a smile. The moment he appeared, a potent aura emanated from him, gradually sweeping across the vast auction hall, which slowly fell silent.
"Heh heh, I will be presiding over today's auction. Thank you all for gracing us with your presence," the middle-aged man stated calmly, his gaze sweeping over the audience below.
At this point, murmurs began to spread through the crowd.
"It's Vice President Mao! He's the second-in-command of the Great Capital Auction House. Rumor has it that whenever he hosts an auction, there are bound to be good items!"
Others nodded in agreement.
"I'm sure everyone is eagerly anticipating today's auction. I won't waste any more time with pleasantries," Mao Shulang said with a faint smile, under the watchful eyes of the attendees. "Let us then commence with the first item of today's auction."
The audience below ceased their chatter, their gazes intently fixed on the auction stage.
A beautiful attendant, carrying a silver tray with both hands, gracefully walked onto the stage, her slender, sexy waist swaying. She then respectfully placed the silver tray on the auction table.
The crowd below could vaguely discern a plant coiled on the silver tray. Amidst great anticipation, Mao Shulang lifted the golden cloth, revealing an ancient ginseng root.
"Heh heh, this is the first item for today's auction, the 'Shen Tai' (参胎). This so-called 'Shen Tai' is the refined essence left behind by the contract beast of a ginseng, which, after its immortal and incorruptible death, has been condensed over countless years. This 'Shen Tai' possesses excellent potency-enhancing effects for grass-type contract beasts. As for the extent of the enhancement, that is difficult to assess, as 'Shen Tai' is not commonly found. It will depend on whether anyone present dares to take a gamble." Kuai Shu Ge
Mao Shulang pointed to the silver tray with a smile. "The starting bid for this 'Shen Tai' is one million spirit coins! Each round, the bid will increase by one hundred thousand spirit coins!"
As soon as he finished speaking, someone immediately bid, "One point two million!"
"Two million!"
"Two point two million!"
With three gentle taps of Mao Shulang's silver hammer on the auction table, this 'Shen Tai' was sold for three million spirit coins to a handsome young man who appeared to be no older than seventeen or eighteen.
A frail, young contract beast, entirely grass-green and with an endearing, harmless appearance, rested on his knee. It seemed the young man had purchased the 'Shen Tai' to nurture this very contract beast.
With the first item successfully auctioned, the atmosphere in the auction hall gradually became more lively.
Amidst the cheers of the crowd, three burly men emerged, struggling to carry an object shaped like a flying saucer. The path they took bore shallow footprints.
A powerful aura emanated faintly from the colossal flying saucer. At this moment, the crowd below craned their necks, trying to discern what this object could possibly be.
After a moment, Mao Shulang calmly announced, "I'm sure everyone is very curious about what this object is. In fact, this item, which appears like a bowl or a dish, is an piece of equipment for a contract beast. It was inadvertently discovered by passing merchants in a no-man's-land, which is why this contract beast equipment has had the chance to see the light of day."
Upon hearing this, many people furrowed their brows.
Someone in the crowd, unable to contain their curiosity, a robust young man, loudly exclaimed, "Vice President Mao, how is this equipment used? I can't tell. Where does such strangely shaped equipment come from?"
"Heh heh." Mao Shulang chuckled twice. "This is actually a helmet."
"A helmet?"
The crowd exchanged bewildered glances.
"Vice President Mao, who would use such a large helmet? Are you joking?"
"Indeed, how can one fight with this helmet on?"
Unfazed by the audience's doubts, Mao Shulang calmly replied, "This is indeed a piece of equipment for a contract beast, but its usage comes with certain restrictions. It has certain requirements for the contract beast's size and strength. If the size and strength do not reach a certain level, it cannot be used."
"Furthermore, this equipment has suffered some degree of damage and only has thirty percent of its durability remaining."
At these words, everyone's interest immediately waned. Who would want a damaged item? Putting aside whether it could be repaired, they didn't even know how much it would cost to fix it.
The atmosphere in the hall quieted down, losing its earlier liveliness.
However, Mao Shulang's subsequent words once again ignited the atmosphere.
"But after appraisal by Master Mi Lai, it was discovered to be a high-grade piece of contract beast equipment!"
A wave of astonishment swept through the hall once more. High-grade rare equipment? This was something that was priceless and rarely seen. Contract beast equipment was categorized as Apprentice, Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, Supreme, and Master tier.
Generally speaking, the contract beast equipment sold in beast taming emporiums were mostly below Intermediate tier, with many being Apprentice-grade. The learning device glasses that Lu Fei had purchased earlier were an example of Apprentice-grade contract beast equipment.
The reason why it was so difficult to find Advanced tier or higher quality contract beast equipment for sale was due to a significant divide between Advanced and Intermediate tier contract beast equipment. Firstly, the materials used to forge Advanced tier contract beast equipment saw a leap in requirements, with many materials being extremely rare. Secondly, the crafting process was also exceptionally intricate. Even if the materials were sufficient, forging them into equipment was exceedingly difficult.
"Heh heh, the starting bid for this helmet is three million spirit coins, with each round increasing by fifty thousand spirit coins!"