“Asiel…” Daniela, Brock and Isaac coldly stared at Asiel who just reprimanded them in a condescending manner.

“Do not be so arrogant, snot-nosed brat!” Daniela harrumphed.

“What a petty girl.” Asiel arrogantly commented.

“You! Take back what you just said!” Daniela became furious when she heard Asiel’s words.

“Tch, you think you are so haughty, huh? Why don’t we fight here?” Brock impulsively challenged Asiel to a fight.

“How shameless. I am only at the 13th level Awakened Spirit while you are already a 22nd level Origin Transmutation. Not to mention that I am only thriteen while you are already seventeen. Are all members of the Stone Edge Manor this shameless and stupid?” Asiel remained calm and only spared a side-glance to Brock.

“Watch, what you are saying you, arrogant brat!” A guard from the Stone Edge Manor could not handle Asiel’s arrogance and stood up.

“Do not intervene with the matter of the junior or else, you might not be able to take the consequences.” An old alchemist sitting beside Asiel threatened.

“Ugh..” The guard groaned in response but he went back to his seat. The olan man was right he could not allow his emtions to get on the way becaide if he did, he would be dragging the sect along with him. The sect might even disown or exile him if chose to do so.

“…” On the other hand, Isaac remained silent as he watched the entire scene play out.

“What about you?” Asiel turned his attention to the silent Isaac.

“Don’t even think about taunting me. I am unlike those two idiots. It will not work on me.” Isaac replied coldly.

“500 spirit stones going twice! Still no follow up bid?” Suddenly, a voice disrupted their argument. Dylan’s voice awoke the attention of the people within the fourth floor.

“Damn it! 510 spirit stones!” Brock was the one with the quickest reaction and was able to quickly raise his bidding panel.

Cold sweat trickled down their spines. They somehow temporarily forgot about the auction because of Asiel’s interjection. They almost lost the chance to be able to compete for the Body Refining White Flower.

‘Shit, that brat almost had us fooled! He was insulting us so that our attention would turn to him! If they were successful, then the herb would have been theirs! Fortunately, I was able to hear that Dylan Ford’s voice!’ Brock cursed in his mind.

“I thought there would no longer be anyone bidding anymore since you appeared to have a quarrel up there.” Dylan lightly laughed. But in reality, if it were not for Dylan increasing the volume of his voice, the others would not have noticed.

Inwardly, Dylan praised Asiel, ‘What a cunning little brat. Too bad you’re a hundred year too early to compete with me.’

“520 spirit stones!” Daniel Hills shouted a bid after recovering to her senses. She threw a glance folled with hatred, ‘You think you’re so smart! I will make you pay soon enough, Asiel Gamott!’

‘Tricking me like this? I, Isaac Fleetwood, will make you pay for this humiliation!’ Isaac gritted his teeth before roaring a price, “550 spirit stones!!”

“It seems like the plan failed. Whatever, I will just have to crush them with the wealth I have!” Asiel softly sighed. He unhurriedly rose his bidding panel and stated, “600!”

…

The crowd was mortified as they were witnessing how frugal this young masters and mistresses could be with their money. They could even barely bring out 100 spirit stones yet this young adolescents could easily mention a price that would be equivalent or even greater than their entire fortune!

“Si-six hundred s-spirit stones?! I could buy a clan residence with that much money! Yet they are easily thrown by this youths…” A man from a middle rank power felt extremely weak in front of the wealth of Asiel and the others.

“The current price has already surpassed the price of even a hundred year old Body Refining White Flower, which is 550 spirit stones!” A female appraiser had a pale expression as he mentioned those words.

“However, I do think it is reasonable for the herb to reach such a price because Body Refining White Flowers only grow near places with exceedingly dense and conventrated spirit energy like Earth Veins! But what is really shocking me is the amount of wealth these three possess?” A knowledgeable old man shared the information he knew about the herb.

“But why are they fervently competing to buy one herb? If they used that money to buy the mansion, like that guy said, they would have a comfortable place to stay and lodge.” An ignorant commoner idiotically questioned.

“Because for true cultivators, raising their cultivation is much more valuable than any money in the world. Getting a herb that would ensure a completely safe breakthrough is something that cultivators would kill for.” A wise old man imparted an important lesson to the child.

…

“601 spirit stones.” A grey cloaked person in the third floor raised the bid by just 1 spirit stone which slightly shocked the crowd.

“625 spirit stones! I won’t lose to any of you!” Daniela gave a bid once more.

“626 spirit stones.” The grey cloaked person continued to bid.

” Who is this guy?” Daniela di not expect that there would still be another person who would bid for the flower when it already neared the conclusion.

“660 spirit stones! It’s mine!” Brock also placed another bid by raising it 34 spirit stones.

“661 spirit stones.” The grey cloaked person repeated by raising it with only a spirit stone.

“Hmph, how about 697 spirt stones, then?!” Brock raised the bid again.

“698.” The grey cloaked person was still unfazed and continued to bid.

“Fine, I’ll go all-in! 716 spirit stones!” Brock ferociosly shouted and put everything on the run.

When he saw that the grey cloaked was not bidding any more, Brock laughed coldly, ” Hmph, a nobody trying to compete with me? That’s courting death. Finally, the herb is mine! Hahaha!”

“Sorry to burst you bubble but I will go all in as well! 747 spirit stones!” Daniela also went all in.

“What?!” Brock could not accept it. The bratty girl actually had more money than him. He grudgingly thought ‘She actually waited for me to go all-in before she went all out! What a devious woman!’

“That’s what you get for being too overconfident.” Daniela smirked as though she had already one.

“798 spirit stones!” Isaac slowly spoke. He, too, went all in!

“Nooo!!” Daniela thought she had this one in the bag already since Asiel and Isaac were no longer participating.

“Hahaha, can you repeat what you just said to me?” Brock took this opportunity to sneer at Daniela.

“Grrr!” Daniela could only stomp her foot! She felt that her face was burning from embarassment. “Laugh all you want, you still are not getting the herb!”

“Guh…” Brock somewhat choke while laughing because it was indeed true that he won’t be getting the herb.

“798 spirit stones! Anyone who still wishes to bid?” Dylan spoke smilingly. He felt accomplished because he had earned big time from this auction.

Almost every sects would tirelessly enter life-threatening tombs and dungeons in orser to find priceless treasures that they would be able to use or auction. Dylan, on the other hand, did not do any of this. He only needed to have patience and he would be able to harvest treasures of the same amount.

He could earn the same amount without even needing the need to risk his life but the effort he put in order to organize, this effort could even be a larger investment than going to a tomb. Feeling accomplished with the feats he was able to do was well-deserved.

“Never thought the herb would actually go to him…” Brock gritted his teeth when he saw the faint smile on Isaac’s face.

“If you thought that we are the only ones waiting for each other to go all out, you must be mistaken.” Daniela did not want to admit it but among those who are present someone like Asiel who was from the Alchemist Academy is the person with the greatest wealth.

“You mean…” Brock understood what Daniela meant by that so he unconsciously looked at Asiel who was still comfortably sitting and sipping his tea.

Finally, Asiel went a made a move and said, “With all of you out of the competition, this herb is already mine. 800 no, 850 spirit stones!” Asiel was not complacent even when he was the last man standing. He wanted to make sure that he establishes his dominance. Thus, raising the bid to eight hundred and fifty spirit stones!

“That’s 850 spirit stones for the Body Refining White Flower. Anyone up for a higher bid?” Dylan was still maintaining the faint smiling expression on his face even though he was trembling in excitement inside. He just earned nearly 7 times the amount of the price he set as the opening price.

“850 spirit stones going once” Despite knowing that Asiel was the last bidder and no one else would be able to top his bid, Dylan still stayed proffesional and stuck with the protocol of an auction.

“850 going twice.” Dylan continued the count and raised two fingers to indicate the second probing.

“Sold for 850 spirit stones! Congratulations, Asiel Gamott of the Alchemist Academy! The Body Refining White Flower is yours! You may claim the herb after the auction is concluded.” Dylan sincerely congratulated.

“You may now go back.” He gestured Delia to return and store the herb again.

“Yes, sir.” Delia nodded and close the lid of the chest that contained the herb. Closing the herb also caused the phenomenon it created to cease.

‘Finally, it is mine! After a year, I will become the youngest person to ever reach Origin Foundation!’ Asiel looked at his closed fist and could imagine the glory that he would revel if he were to become the youngest Origin Foundation Realm in history! A smile resurfaced in his face as a mark of attaining victory.

“Tch, look at that smug face of his! You can laugh all you want! The next treasure item is mine!” Brock Stone pledged to himself.

Due to the commotion caused by the High Earth Rank Herb, Body Refining White Flower, those who lived nearby and were able to get news of what just happened went out of their homes and brought a large amount of money to join the auction in hopes to be able to get a similar treasure. The seven hundred something participants increased in numbers and turned into seven hundred eighty persons.

“I hope. I would be able to get a treasure of the High no, just a Mid Earth Rank would be plenty great already hehe.” A newcomer hoped and expected great things as he booked a seat.

“Okay, now for the 7th item, the seventh item is a Low Earth Rank Battle Techniques called the Tornado Fists. It is a technique created by an Mortal Moulting expert. Like the name suggests, it could summon the winds and make them spiral with the fist as the center, creating a devastating attack accompanied by raging winds!” Dylan introduced the next item.

“WHAT?!”

“Didn’t he just reveal a High Earth rank?! Why did it suddenly change back?!”

“Is this some kind of mistake…?”

“Is he messing with us?”

The crowd was once again flabbergasted. The ones that felt most frustrated were the nobles of the 4th tier and above. The thought that the items next would be something of the same or slightly lower quality but they did not expect that it was that low. They felt that they were once again played by someone else’s palms which was a very true intuition since everything that was happening in the auction was controlled, measured and calculated by Dylan’s mind.

However, there were also a significant portion of the crowd which rejoiced once they heard Dylan’s descriptions.

“Hehehe, finally, a chance to be able to get treasure!”

“Whoo! I thought that we would not have the chance to participate anympre when I saw that her appeared.”

“I know right. It is a good thing that the arrangement of the goods are eccentric or else I might have gone home empty-handed.”

Different comments aroused from the crowd. Some were of displeasure while some of relief and satisfaction. But, ultimately, none still chose to leave, in hopes to be able to see an item like the Body Refining White Flower.

In the seats of Jack and the others, they were all laughing because everything that was happening was exactly what Dylan planned it to be.

“Hahaha, look at the faces of the crowd. They were all extremely startled when they heard the sudden drop of quality.” Ronald could not help but laugh. However, he was doing his best to pipe down and restrain himself.

“Yup. Right now, I am just blown away because almost everything went just as Dylan planned. Except for the larger population from the very start that even Sir Dylan did not expect which made us renovate the diner and the store earlier than planned, everything went just as he planned.” Larry could only look at Dylan with shock.

“If everything does go according to Sir Dylan’s plans from here on out, the most interesting part will begin after 4 items.” Jack smiled confidently.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep