On the way back, countless eyes followed him, filled with curiosity. Who was this man, and what kind of confidence did he possess to dare claim the sword orb?
Was he truly unafraid of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect’s retribution?
Beyond confusion, envy simmered, and for some, even jealousy.
A sword orb, comparable to a supreme-grade enchanted artifact! And it barely drained spirit power! As long as one possessed exceptional artifact control, it was a perfect weapon.
Though most people lacked such skills, for a weapon of this caliber, they could certainly train for it!
Normally, an artifact of this level would fetch at least seven or eight thousand spirit stones. Yet this man had secured it for only five thousand six hundred.
How could others not be envious?
Luo Chen could feel hundreds of eyes on him, including the gaze of his dear brother, Wang Yuan.
But he paid them no mind. Such a treasure rightfully belonged to him!
He had already witnessed the terrifying power of the sword orb.
On the Lancang River, despite all the devil cultivator's tricks, he had been no match for Pang Renxiong and his single sword. Even though he lacked the corresponding sword techniques or an externalized spirit consciousness, he possessed extraordinary artifact control!
No, his control wasn’t just refined. It was unparalleled.
With his Perfected Mastery Traction made his mastery control over enchanted artifacts had already reached its peak.
Even someone as formidable as Qiu Bai, at the peak of Qi-Refining, could only unleash six flood dragons from his supreme-grade Blue Musk Gathering Serpent Banner with all his might. Yet back when Luo Chen was only at the eighth stage of Qi-Refining, he had already been capable of summoning six.
All thanks to his Perfected Mastery Traction.
Thus, after acquiring this treasure, he had no concerns about controlling it. His purchase was driven by the need to expand his combat arsenal.
The Blue Musk Gathering Serpent Banner was powerful, but its spirit power consumption was immense. It excelled in versatility and, when paired with the Blue Musk Poison Incense, was highly effective in prolonged battles.
However, when it came to direct assaults, his combat power still felt somewhat lacking.
Even at full strength, Qiu Bai had failed to kill the three Sima in one strike. When Luo Chen had faced Fuzhang, he had needed to complement it with his Perfected Mastery Fireball.
This proved one thing, the offensive might wasn’t overwhelming.
But the sword orb was different. He had seen the Giant Sword in action!
Pang Renxiong’s earth-shattering strike on the Lancang River, the dragon-shaped sword energy atop Fallen Phoenix Mountain, all of them were variations of the Giant Sword.
With this treasure, he could finally make up for his lack of direct offensive power.
Five thousand six! What a steal! Luo Chen smiled as he put away the sword orb, watching as the others continued bidding on the various treasures Tian Xingzi presented.
He knew that deals like this didn’t come often.
He had merely capitalized on the current circumstances. No one else dared to claim this scorching hot potato!
Even the Foundation Establishment experts had backed down after a few hesitant bids.
But he was different!
Firstly, if the Precious Dragon Black Market dared to auction this off, they must have had a strong reason for it and secondly, there was his special relationship with the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect. Even if the sect returned and sought him out, he had an excuse ready!
I had earned Elder Pang’s trust. Even in the face of difficult circumstances, I had done my best to recover the belongings of the sect’s fallen cultivators. Luo Chen thought. Perhaps the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect might even reward me for it.
"One bottle of Clarity Essence!" Tian Xingzi's voice rang out. "A second-tier spirit medicine from the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect. With prolonged use, it enhances a cultivator’s eyes. At minor mastery, it allows one to distinguish truth from illusion. At major mastery, it can pierce through deceptions, seeing through formations and restrictions as if they were nonexistent.
"There are no realm restrictions for its use.
"Starting bid: five hundred spirit stones, with a minimum increment of ten.
"Gentlemen, please bid freely!"
Another item from the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect! The auction hall, which had been growing increasingly lively, suddenly quieted once more.
What exactly was this Precious Dragon Black Market? Could they have been involved in that Golden Core battle? Or had they already outpaced the nearby factions, sneaking into the ghost city ahead of everyone to unearth the Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion’s treasures?
This time, however, the atmosphere wasn’t as frigid as before. A spirit medicine was different from a sword orb. Once purchased, it could simply be used without issue.
"Five hundred twenty spirit stones!"
"Five hundred thirty!"
***
Among the crowd, the moment Luo Chen heard the name "Clarity Essence," his interest immediately piqued.
This was an advanced version of Runming Pearl Essence! Or rather, Runming Pearl Essence was merely a diluted form of Clarity Essence. He had been using Runming Pearl Essence consistently for a long time but had yet to see any tangible effects.
However, his Perfected Mastery Spirit Eyes had already provided him with great advantages. He could see through basic spirit energy disguises and even scan a hundred li radius with a single glance.
During the battle on the Lancang River, any other Qi-Refining cultivator would have struggled to follow the fight from start to finish like Luo Chen had.
"Spirit Eyes has already reached Perfected Mastery; it cannot advance further.
"However, the sharper my eyes, the better.
"This item, I must have it!"
When the bidding reached six hundred spirit stones, the fervor in the hall began to wane. At the end of the day, this was just a second-tier spirit medicine. Moreover, there was only one bottle, sustained use would be impossible.
At this moment, Luo Chen joined the bidding.
"Six hundred fifty!"