Formation Runes, also known as formation spirit runes, are markings that contain the laws of heaven and earth.
The Origin-Nurturing Scripture that Ian Song cultivates isn’t an ordinary martial arts manual, but an immortal-cultivation method. It even briefly mentions alchemy, artifact forging, and the path of formations.
When artifact forgers refine magic artifacts, they always carve Formation Runes onto them—just like a computer needs software code to run, these runes are the artifact’s program.
With Ian’s current cultivation, he can’t understand the Formation Runes on this ring. But their presence alone proves the Ancient Bronze Ring is a true magic artifact.
But what kind of magic artifact it is, only research after acquiring it will reveal.
The auctioneer’s voice followed: “This Ancient Bronze Ring is of unknown age, but is finely crafted and extremely tough. In our tests, even a ten-ton hydraulic press couldn’t destroy it. So, it’s highly collectible. Starting bid: ten million yuan, minimum increment: one million.”
Hearing the auctioneer’s introduction, Ian Song couldn’t help but sneer. If it’s a true magic artifact, of course it wouldn’t be destroyed so easily. He’d already decided—no matter the cost, he had to win this ring.
“Eleven million!” A lazy-sounding voice called out—the bidder was the same young man who’d bought the second Strongbody Pill.
Clearly, the Ancient Bronze Ring hadn’t attracted much attention.
Silence.
After that young man placed his bid, everyone fell silent.
“Eleven million, going once. Anyone else want to bid?” the auctioneer called out. He’d studied this ring many times himself, but aside from its fine craftsmanship and toughness, found nothing special. He’d expected it to go unsold, so any bid was already a surprise.
“Eleven million, going twice. No one else?”
“Eleven million, three times...!”
Just then—
“Twelve million.”
A voice came from a third-floor luxury box—it was Ian Song raising the bid.
Not everyone qualifies to enter a third-floor box, so when Ian Song joined the bidding, most people were surprised. Some couldn’t help but wonder—could this ring actually be a treasure?
“The guest in the Heaven No. 1 box bids twelve million! Anyone want to go higher?” The auctioneer perked up, announcing loudly.
Inside a second-floor box, Fiona Xiang heard Ian Song’s voice and found it familiar. After a moment’s thought, she realized it was him, and felt odd—why had Ian Song ended up in a third-floor box?
Being placed in a third-floor box by the Fu Family is a mark of status.
She couldn’t help but think, ‘He must be hiding some incredible secret, or the Fu Family wouldn’t value him so highly!’
Thinking this, she felt she needed to get closer to Ian Song.
Meanwhile, the young man, hearing such a youthful voice from the third-floor box, was first stunned, then jealous. He figured Ian Song must be relying on his family’s status to get into the Heaven No. 1 box, so he called out in a deep voice, “Thirteen million!”
“Twenty million!”
As soon as the other party spoke, Ian Song immediately raised the bid by seven million.
He’d thought his show of strength would make the other party back down, but unexpectedly, the young man bid again: “Twenty-one million!”
“Twenty-two million!”
“Twenty-four million!”
Then, two bored tycoons joined in just for fun.
Fifty million!
A voice came from the box next to Ian Song’s—it was Nathan Nangong.
“The Heaven No. 2 box bids fifty million! Anyone want to go higher?” The elderly auctioneer called out excitedly.
Inside the neighboring box, Nathan Nangong glared venomously at Ian Song’s box. At first, he’d just found Ian’s voice familiar, but quickly remembered—it was that kid he hated yet couldn’t do anything about.
Now that this kid wanted the ring, Nathan Nangong felt compelled to disgust him.
Hearing Nathan Nangong push the price to fifty million, Ian Song’s eyes flashed with annoyance. Clearly, this guy was doing it on purpose. Looks like he’d have to visit the Nangong Family and take control of their great elder.
That way, all the Nangong Family’s experts would become his puppets, and the three Nangong brothers would be nothing to fear.
“Nathan Nangong is bidding!”
The Nangong Family are the local overlords of Riverstone City—everyone present recognized his voice.
So, with his bid, those bored tycoons didn’t dare speak up any further.
Fifty-one million.
Ian Song’s calm voice drifted out from the Heaven No. 1 box.
“Eighty million!” Nathan Nangong immediately called out in a deep voice.
“Eighty-one million.” Ian Song continued bidding, but only raised by one million.
“Heh, who is that in the Heaven No. 1 box? Looks like he’s locked horns with Nathan Nangong!” someone muttered.
One hundred million.
One hundred million and one hundred thousand! Ian Song bid coldly. In the box, the Zhang father and son stared at him in shock—especially Zach Zhang, who hadn’t expected Ian Song to be so rich.
One hundred and fifty million! Nathan Nangong bid again.
But before Ian Song could bid, another voice sounded.
One hundred sixty million!
It was Cliff Fu.
At the same time, Ian Song’s phone buzzed—it was a message from Cliff Fu, telling him to raise the bid two more times then withdraw and let Cliff buy it for him. Clearly, Cliff had seen through Nathan Nangong’s intentions: if the bidding war continued, even if Ian won the ring, he’d pay a huge price.
Cliff Fu already wanted to befriend Ian Song. If Ian ended up paying dozens of times the ring’s value, even if it wasn’t the Fu Family’s fault, Ian might still resent them.
Ian replied with a “OK.”
Putting away his phone, Ian Song added another one million on top of Cliff Fu’s bid.
Two hundred million!
Nathan Nangong raised the bid by thirty-nine million in one go.
Nathan Nangong, since you want the ring so badly, I’ll let you have it!
Ian Song’s voice carried a hint of mockery as it came from the box. The whole hall was shocked—he’d even dared to call Nathan Nangong by name. Who was this young man?
A young man who dared to challenge Nathan Nangong—everyone wanted to rush to the Heaven No. 1 box to see what he looked like.