The atmosphere of the auction hall was suddenly electrified with Mais's 50,000 gold opening. This sharp move coming from the fourth cabin, which had maintained its silence until that moment, drowned the crowd on the lower floors in a hum while being enough to fray nerves in the upper boxes. However, this was just the beginning. Before the echo of Bekko's 60,000 gold bid had even died down, a voice rose from the lower floors. The price flew to 65,000 along with it. From the third cabin, Bekko's ambitious voice also rose without any hesitation against this increase.
"70,000!"
Bekko was certainly not the richest, and one of the biggest factors allowing him to sit in the cabins was the circle of some of his noble friends. At the same time, it was the fear of security within such a crowd. Therefore, people from the lower floor could still easily compete with him for this item.
Then came Samuel's dignified but determined increase from the fifth cabin. Within seconds, the price surpassed the 80,000 and 90,000 limits, reaching that critical threshold, the value of 100,000 gold.
"One energy crystal!"
And with it, the commercial element also leveled up.
The voice belonged to Luka Navan himself. By energy crystal, he of course meant a low-grade one. A low-grade energy crystal was equal to 100,000 gold.
"1 crystal and 20,000 gold!"
When the price shifted to the crystal unit, the color of the competition also changed. When Samuel suddenly increased the price by 20,000, most of the people on the lower floor had already given up, and the remaining few Sages were not sure if they wanted to empty their lifelong fortunes for this high-grade Sage weapon.
While the other sages were hesitant, the youths were determined. Bekko was aware of his limited resources; the fortune he managed to bring with him while fleeing Bosua was not enough to compete with the giants of the Gold State. Even adding the money he earned from the monsters he hunted, it was difficult to match these giant men. When he considered 1 energy crystal and the 50,000 gold beside it and increased the price, the veins bulging on his face could be discerned even in the dim light of the cabin. The nobles right beside him could easily feel his restless aura. Most of these youths were Core experts. Yet, they were overwhelmed under Bekko's aura. This only showed them how good a decision their investment was.
This was Bekko's last powder. However, from the fourth cabin, Mais had not broken his form at all. Hideo was waiting curiously beside him. He was nervous, and even though he knew the sword would not actually go to his own father, the sword would essentially stay among themselves. It would strengthen their own forces, and how could that not be good for them? The price rising to 1.5 crystals had turned Hideo's face stark white. "Calm down," Mais said. Though Hideo looked at him nervously, Mais gestured once more with his hand from the box's window and called out.
"4 low-grade energy crystals."
"..."
The hall suddenly turned to ice. Bekko grit his teeth and gripped the edge of his seat; his gaze could almost pierce the room's wall and fire at the cabin next to him. While his anger heated the air in the room, he had no choice but to retreat in the face of Mais's dominant attitude. In the other cabins, the curiosity regarding Mais's identity had now turned into suspicion. Luka had already decided to meet this man. Uzai had raised his eyebrows, wondering about the identity of the person who distributed so much money like a nouveau riche. Merchant Samuel was no different from Luka Navan. He wanted to meet this man. Who was this man in the fourth cabin? Why was he spending crystals so recklessly for an ordinary high-grade sword?
Yes, weapons of this style were rare. Still, for a few crystals, you could buy a weapon of this level in the capital, or at worst from a divine kingdom. It would take time and be exhausting, but money would still remain in your pocket.
This situation said a lot about the mysterious figure in the 4th cabin.
When the high-grade Sage Sword found its owner and withdrew from the stage, the actual grand piece took its place: a high-grade Sage Formation. This could support an army up to the 9th stage of the Sage Realm. This would also help bring out the full potential of armies. Since Bekko and Samuel knew they could not be included in a competition of this level, and at the same time did not have the slightest need for such a formation, they stepped aside early. The field was left to Mais, Uzai, and Luka Navan. Of course, ignoring the hidden Sages on the lower floor.
Although City Lord Uzai knew he already possessed an ancient formation at the Origin Heart level in the defense of Plain City, he decided to go after this new piece. In his mind, power meant variety; layering his existing defensive lines would make his authority and the combat power of Plain City even more unshakeable. However, Luka Navan was not late in reading Uzai's ambitious and arrogant nature. More accurately, he sensed a danger in the nature of not just him, but anyone who wanted to buy this formation. Keeping in mind those analyses Auction Lord Regal had just whispered, Luka could not allow this formation to fall into the hands of either an uncontrolled power like Uzai or an unidentified stranger like Mais. The state's security and their own authority were the Navan family's greatest priority.
The bids started at 1 crystal and climbed rapidly. Though Mais made moves to raise the price for a while, he quietly withdrew when the contention between Luka and Uzai grew serious. At this point, Hideo was surprised. Because he knew the reason they came here was clearly for the formation. Was Mais waiting to make the final bid? This child might be young, but Hideo felt that most of the time he could not understand him.
"5 energy crystals!"
A voice rose from the lower floor, becoming the strongest voice rising from among the public. A high-level Sage grit his teeth and increased the price up to 500,000 gold. This was his maximum price, and he actually did this without knowing how much it annoyed Luka. Luka wondered what these Sages were after.
A high-grade Sage Formation was not the same thing as a high-grade Sage weapon. A formation was very dangerous. It could unite armies and allow them to oppose greater powers. And as long as there were enough people, there was no limit to the high-level Sages produced. That was why it was very expensive.
"6 crystals," City Lord Uzai bid. At this point, he didn't want to go too far above this bid either. He could still clash with Luka Navan, but the city still possessed an Origin Heart Formation. He wouldn't exaggerate the price just to diversify.
"7 crystals."
"8 crystals."
Uzai had given up on the formation at this point but noticed that Luka was acting too stubborn about it. The heir of the Gold State could act overly dramatic when it came to the state. Why not put him at a bit of a loss?
This was a favor done by Uzai for Auction Lord Regal.
Finally, after all this competition, Luka brought the price up to 10 low-grade energy crystals. Uzai did not increase the price any further. Luka might be overly cautious, but he wasn't stupid. If he continued any further, this formation could blow up in Uzai's face.
Ultimately, the formation remained in Luka Navan's hands. As Luka leaned back in his seat with the weight of having paid 10 crystals, there was a concealed ambition accumulating in Uzai's eyes for the next round. The City Lord was well aware that things did not end here.
"And now, the final piece of our auction! Get ready!"
While the scrawny man's voice echoed in the hall, everyone turned their eyes curiously to the final product. Afterward, a scroll was brought out. It looked so much like the previous scroll that many people didn't even realize this scroll was new. However, those in the cabins had already leaned forward.
City Lord Uzai looked at the old man beside him. Auction Lord Regal was sitting next to him with a slight smile.
"It seems you haven't lied."
Regal revealed nothing more than a smile.
"Now, although the scroll in our hands has nothing to do with the previous scroll in terms of origin, as you can see from its appearance, we have a formation. It was developed 600 years ago by Sage Gao, one of the majors of the New Testament Army. Do not look at the fact that it was developed merely by a Sage. This formation passed through the hands of the high-level formation masters of the period. Because Sage Gao did not want to produce just an ordinary formation. He wanted to build a 'peak' that he hoped would be truly useful for the army."
Upon these words, the eyes of many people in the crowd opened. They would have to be stupid not to understand what the rare artifact in front of them was by now.
A cunning smile appeared on the face of the scrawny, middle-aged announcer.
"Bidding for the Peak Sage Formation will start at 30,000 gold."
At the end of the auction, that "peak" piece no one expected was introduced: a Peak-grade Sage Formation. The hall plunged into a silence full of surprise and admiration. Under normal circumstances, the difference between a high-grade formation and a peak-grade one was not massive; one provided a combination of power up to the 9th stage, while the other addressed the 10th stage, meaning the peak of the Sage Realm. The price to be paid for that single stage seemed illogical to go far beyond the previous formation. Moreover, the formation Luka bought had been purchased at a price above its normal value. Therefore, it wouldn't be surprising if they were bought at the same price. Yet, this formation was a rare piece and caught the attention of Samuel, who had not joined the competition before. After all, an army reaching the 10th stage was not that important to him, but any item or product at the peak level was quite rare. Uzai, thinking that Luka had weakened his budget by spending 10 crystals just now, prepared to leap forward with the hope of locking down this piece at a reasonable price.
"20 energy crystals."
All expectations and calculations rolled into the abyss with words spoken in a single breath.
Mais had raised his hand and gestured to the announcer. As his voice entered the man's ears, even the scrawny man did not know how to react.
Uzai's breath caught in his throat. Luka looked at the fourth cabin in surprise. To offer exactly double the price paid for the previous one in a single move, just for a formation one stage higher... it was utter madness. Although logic said this price difference was extreme, the absolute determination in Mais's voice gave no one a chance to object. Did they want to say this wasn't fair? Or that he couldn't afford it? Luka realized he could not prevent this formation from going to the unidentified man. 20 crystals was such a large and sudden figure that neither Uzai's pride nor Luka's current wealth could respond to this move. Of course, Luka did not lack the amount to counter it, but just for a peak Sage formation? What if this man in the fourth cabin bid yet again after he placed a bid?
The voice of a single man extinguished the entire competition. Moreover, no one knew that the owner of this voice was just an 11-year-old little child.