Absolute Cheater

"18,000."

This time, a man in dark green robes spoke, his voice smooth yet venomous. His jade-colored eyes gleamed with interest as he adjusted the sleeves of his ceremonial outfit. The insignia on his belt belonged to the Emerald Viper Hall, a sect renowned for their mastery of both poison techniques and beast taming.

The assassin from the Umbral Fang glanced toward him but said nothing. The bid continued.

"20,000." A cold, feminine voice.

Heads turned toward the speaker—a pale woman dressed in black and gold, sitting elegantly with a goblet of wine in her hand. She had an air of nobility about her, but the gold serpent embroidery on her sleeve revealed her identity. She was from the Golden Fang Society, a reclusive but feared sect that dabbled in forbidden poisons.

A murmur rippled through the crowd. Three different poison factions were competing for the venom. This was getting interesting.

The assassin spoke again. "25,000."

The Emerald Viper Hall representative smirked, clearly enjoying the game. "30,000."

The woman from the Golden Fang Society merely swirled her wine before raising her hand lazily. "35,000."

Another murmur spread. This was no small sum, but it was expected—one drop of this venom could kill even Nascent Soul cultivators. For an assassin or poison cultivator, it was a priceless weapon.

The Umbral Fang assassin hesitated. This was likely close to their limit.

The man from Emerald Viper Hall sighed, shaking his head. He, too, had reached his spending cap.

Seeing no more challengers, the auctioneer smiled.

"35,000 going once…"

"Going twice…"

"40,000."

The entire hall fell silent.

Eyes snapped toward the new bidder—Asher.

He sat there casually, resting his chin on his hand, completely unbothered by the reactions around him.

Valeris raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Oh? Since when do you care about poison?"

Asher smirked. "I don't. But this venom… it might be useful for something else."

The woman from the Golden Fang Society turned to look at him for the first time. Her golden eyes studied him carefully.

Then, after a moment, she smiled faintly and placed her goblet down.

"I concede."

A wave of hushed whispers spread.

Who was this man, casually outbidding an entire sect of poison masters?

The auctioneer confirmed it. "Sold! To the honored guest in black."

With the Twilight Serpent's Venom now in his possession, Asher simply leaned back, unfazed by the stares around him.

Valeris chuckled. "You just made some poison factions very, very curious about you."

Asher only smirked. "Let them wonder."

With that, the auctioneer motioned for the next treasure to be brought forward.

"And now, our third item of the night…"

3rd Item: The Abyssal Ember

A small black flame hovered within a floating glass orb, pulsating with an eerie, otherworldly glow. The air around it warped subtly, as if reality itself struggled to contain its existence. Unlike ordinary flames, it did not flicker—it burned with an unsettling stillness, exuding a deep, suffocating aura.

Appraiser's Analysis:

Name: Abyssal Ember

Type: Forbidden Flame

Effects: Capable of devouring both spiritual energy and physical matter, reducing its target to nothingness. Can be used for dark alchemy, weapon forging, and certain destructive cultivation techniques.

Defect: Extremely difficult to control. Without a proper method to harness it, the flame may consume its wielder instead.

As soon as the item was revealed, a noticeable shift spread through the auction hall.

The flame wasn't just rare—it was dangerous. Even some of the more experienced cultivators instinctively leaned back, unwilling to get too close to such an unstable force.

The auctioneer cleared his throat. "Starting bid: 20,000 High-Quality Astral Stones!"

A few moments of hesitation followed. Then—

"25,000!"

A deep voice echoed from a bulky man clad in black and silver armor, his arms crossed as he eyed the flame with intense focus. The Warbringer Clan's insignia was emblazoned on his chest—a notorious faction of warriors who incorporated fire-based techniques into their brutal combat style.

"30,000."

This time, a lean, dark-haired man dressed in elegant deep red robes raised his hand. His calm, almost scholarly demeanor didn't match the violent nature of the flame, but his piercing gaze suggested he knew exactly how to use it. He bore the Bloodshade Alchemy Sect's emblem—legendary for creating forbidden elixirs and weapons.

The armored warrior sneered. "35,000."

The alchemist smiled faintly. "40,000."

A few murmurs spread. Most sects would hesitate before bidding so aggressively on something so unstable. But these two factions clearly knew its value.

"50,000."

A third voice entered the fray.

This time, it came from a shadowed corner of the hall, where a cloaked figure sat, his aura restrained. His presence was so well-hidden that many hadn't even noticed him before.

The moment he bid, however, a ripple of tension spread.

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Asher's eyes flicked to the side. He could tell—this man wasn't normal.

The Bloodshade Alchemist furrowed his brow but didn't give up. "55,000."

The cloaked figure didn't hesitate. "60,000."

Gasps spread through the room.

The Warbringer Clan warrior gritted his teeth, clearly weighing his options. Then, with a frustrated exhale, he backed down.

The alchemist, however, didn't seem as eager to surrender.

"65,000."

A long pause followed. The cloaked figure remained silent. Then—

"70,000."

That was his final offer.

Silence.

The Bloodshade Alchemist sighed. Even for him, that price was too high.

The auctioneer raised his hand.

"70,000 going once…"

"Going twice…"

Asher raised a finger. "100,000."

The entire hall fell silent.

All eyes turned to him.

The cloaked figure tilted his head slightly, as if reassessing Asher. But he did not raise the bid.

After a long moment, the auctioneer grinned. "100,000 going once… twice… sold!"

The hushed murmurs were unavoidable.

Even among the wealthiest and strongest, 100,000 High-Quality Astral Stones was an absurd price. For a moment, the attention in the room shifted entirely to Asher.

Valeris smirked. "You really have no sense of restraint, do you?"

Asher chuckled. "It's not about the price. It's about showing them… that they can't outbid me."

The cloaked figure said nothing, but Asher could feel the subtle weight of his gaze lingering for a few seconds before fading away.

Valeris raised an eyebrow. "Looks like you've caught someone's interest."

Asher leaned back. "Let him be interested."

With the Abyssal Ember now in his possession, the auctioneer moved forward.

"Ladies and gentlemen, for our fourth item of the night…"