Deep within Joe Di's heart, he vaguely sensed that since one ring had appeared on Celestia, there was a chance a second ring might surface as well.
The auction continued with a long spear from Celestia, but Joe Di remained uninterested. He simply took out the second jade slip and began to inspect it.
The second jade slip contained an introduction to a sect called the Scarlet Ocean Array Sect, as well as things one needed to know after joining as an outer disciple—monthly tasks, sect contributions, outer disciple regulations, and so forth.
Casually tossing the jade slip aside, Joe Di found it utterly useless. If he hadn’t read the introductory jade slip on language and script first, he wouldn’t have understood this one at all.
Joe Di picked up the third jade slip and placed it on his forehead; the first line read: “Scarlet Ocean Array Sect, Banner Peak Disciple Flag Refinement Basics.”
It then detailed various basic flag refinement techniques, as well as simple material identification for crafting array flags. The content was thorough, even including diagrams. Although Joe Di recognized many of the materials, they were of no use to him.
After a long look, Joe Di could only set the jade slip down. Aside from the first one, which had surprised him, the other two jade slips were basically junk.
It was easy to imagine that the owner of these three jade slips was likely a newly inducted disciple of the Scarlet Ocean Array Sect. After this disciple perished, the jade slips ended up somewhere, eventually falling into the hands of those who entered Celestia.
According to Dai He, the three jade slips and the ring were obtained from the same place, but Joe Di was skeptical. From what he understood about cultivation, storage rings were high-level items—even a new disciple might not have a storage pouch, let alone a ring.
“Congratulations to this friend for purchasing the mysterious giant egg for seven hundred million Alliance coins. Next up for auction is another ticket to Celestia, starting at one billion, with each bid increment no less than ten million…”
After Joe Di shifted his attention back to the auction, the bidding for the second ticket was underway. Joe Di remembered he still had plenty of money, and since he didn’t know when his aircraft would be repaired, he decided to bid for a ticket first.
This ticket was more expensive than the previous one; Joe Di won it for fourteen billion.
The auction has now lasted nearly a day. Several hours ago, we sold a ring for two hundred and ten billion and three jade slips for fifty billion. The next item up for bidding may not be any less valuable. Everyone, please pay attention—the next item is a map of a residence on Celestia…
Dai He’s words immediately stirred a wave of discussion. The three jade slips and ring previously auctioned were said to have come from a residence, and now there was a map of a residence. If it’s a map, why not auction the items themselves instead of the map?
Seemingly aware of everyone’s doubts, Dai He continued, “I understand your concerns. The map is being auctioned because the residence is extremely dangerous. So far, the Earth Alliance has sent at least thirty experts, none of whom returned. Among them were Zhai Jue, ranked fourth among Celestia’s top ten innate experts, and Wang Jiwei, ranked eighth, both of whom disappeared while exploring the residence.”
“If that’s the case, how did the location of the residence get out?” someone asked loudly in the auction hall.
This was not only the question of the person who asked, but everyone in the auction hall was wondering the same thing. On Celestia, aside from Celestia Plaza, no aircraft could enter anywhere else. The planet’s surface was shrouded in an inexplicable force, preventing any information from penetrating, so there were no satellite images at all.
Dai He pressed her hand down. “Everyone, quiet down. The only reason we know about the residence is because someone from the Earth Alliance reached its entrance, but unfortunately was swallowed by a fierce beast right at the door. The route and entrance location on the map were transmitted back as his dying message.”
Dai He’s explanation quieted the auction hall, and she continued, “The highest-value items so far came from the residence. Who can say there isn’t something even more valuable inside? Of course, the residence is very dangerous, so the map’s price will be much lower—starting at one billion Alliance coins, with each increment no less than ten million. Bidding starts now.”
“Thirty billion!” Even though everyone knew that getting the map didn’t mean they could enter, the earlier jade slips and ring had stirred the crowd. Hearing the item was related to the ring, the first bid was thirty billion.
Joe Di didn’t want to linger here any longer. Even though he didn’t really want the map, he still immediately offered a bid of ten billion.
After obtaining the cultivation jade slip, Joe Di became even more eager to go to Celestia. He still had over two hundred billion Alliance coins left, so since he didn’t want to stay on Earth, why keep the money? Whether he liked the item or not, he’d just buy it.
Sure enough, Joe Di’s generous bid suppressed all other would-be bidders, and Dai He, who had hoped for a high price, saw the map sold to Joe Di for only ten billion.
Helpless, Dai He could only bring out the next item: “Next up for bidding is a disc. We’re not sure exactly what it’s for. According to Celestia’s experts, the patterns carved on it seem to be mysterious and may be related to cultivation. The starting price is five billion, with each bid increment no less than one hundred million.”
After Dai He finished speaking, she raised the disc. As soon as Joe Di saw it, he knew Dai He was making things up. If he hadn’t read the jade slip, Joe Di wouldn’t have known what the disc was for either, and might have believed Dai He’s pitch like everyone else. Now, he could tell at a glance—it was an array disk.
Array disks also come in levels. Joe Di couldn’t determine the level from a distance, but he knew that array disks were extremely useful for beginner cultivators.
According to the jade slip, when beginner cultivators go into seclusion and don’t know how to set up protective arrays, they buy array disks to safeguard their residences.
“Ten billion.” Joe Di unhesitatingly bid ten billion again.
Joe Di’s repeated attempts to quickly snatch items at high prices angered some of the wealthy attendees. This time, without Dai He’s prompting, someone raised the bid by ten billion, pushing the price to twenty billion. The message was clear: Joe Di wasn’t the only one with money. Raising the bid by ten billion at a time wasn’t something only he could do.
Joe Di didn’t want to waste a single moment—he just wanted to spend his money quickly, then use a few spirit stones and head to Celestia.
“Fifty billion.” With this mindset, Joe Di raised the bid, and no one else could compete.
No matter how dissatisfied people were with Joe Di, his money was real. If you didn’t like it, you had to prove it by bidding yourself.
The person who bid twenty billion had hoped Joe Di would slow down, since his bidding style only benefited the auction. Unfortunately, Joe Di bid fifty billion again, and even those dissatisfied had to give up. To everyone at the auction, he was a madman.
Dai He, however, was quite pleased; she liked Joe Di’s bidding style.
Whether it was ores, information about Celestia, or weapons obtained from Celestia, Joe Di refused to let anyone else win and bought everything at high prices.
By the end of the auction, aside from Dai He, only Joe Di was actively bidding; everyone else seemed to be mere supporting actors. He even bought a Celestia shop he’d previously ignored.
Most people wondered when this guy would run out of money.
Dai He raised a scroll made of unknown material and said, “We don’t know what this scroll is made of; it was found in an extremely secluded place. It’s hard to understand how, after so many years, it remains intact. Unfortunately, even Celestia’s top experts and innate powerhouses couldn’t determine what’s recorded on it. Judging by the patterns, it’s possible the scroll records some medicinal ingredients.”
We know cultivation and top-tier medicinal ingredients are inseparable; perhaps this is a chart of auxiliary cultivation herbs. The starting price for the scroll is five billion, with each bid increment no less than one hundred million.
After her casual explanation, Dai He unrolled the scroll. Since no one could recognize the writing, she simply let everyone see it before bidding began. As long as she claimed it was related to cultivation, the price would surely soar.
Joe Di’s heart skipped a beat when he saw the scroll. The top row clearly read “Foundation Pill Recipe,” followed by the required alchemy ingredients and important notes for pill refinement. It even included illustrations of the herbs used for the Foundation Pill.
At least Dai He wasn’t wrong about one thing: the Foundation Pill was one of the most important auxiliary medicines in cultivation.
This item was useless to Joe Di right now, but he knew he’d need a Foundation Pill in the future. His ancestor, Di Yue, had left the family to search for a way to reach Foundation Establishment. Now Joe Di understood that the Foundation Pill was the best method, and if Di Yue had this recipe, he might have found his path.
He had to get the recipe. Just as Joe Di thought this, a sudden bid appeared on the screen—thirty billion.
Could someone else have recognized the Foundation Pill recipe? Unlikely—if they had, the ring would have been fiercely contested.
“Fifty billion.” Joe Di unhesitatingly raised the bid by twenty billion.
Seeing it was Joe Di bidding, everyone fell silent; no matter how fierce your bid, Joe Di would always counter.
“Sixty billion…” This time, Joe Di didn’t immediately suppress his opponent; the other party raised the bid by ten billion.
Joe Di calculated his card balance—about one hundred and ten billion left.
With that in mind, he decisively bid one hundred billion. Once he secured the recipe, he planned to leave immediately. If the opponent bid again, he’d ask the auction house to help him raise more money.