Chapter 450: The Qingfeng Compass

Read at: https://blogspot-translatedstories.blogspot.com/?m=1 

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The next second, Qiao Sang raised her paddle decisively.

"Five million."

Yu Ke turned her head in shock.

While five million wasn’t an astronomical sum, the girl in front of her looked way too young, practically underage.

Even if her family had given her the money, was she really not going to get scolded when she got home for raising the bid by 2.4 million on her first call for a piece of Dark Nether Crystal?

Auctioneer Tang Shu was momentarily stunned when she saw the bidder.

What the heck? A school uniform?

However, her professionalism allowed her to recover in just 0.01 seconds. With a smile, she announced, "Bidder No. 67, five million, first call."

The crowd subtly glanced at the young girl who had just bid and, almost in unspoken agreement, refrained from raising their paddles.

Although an SS-grade Dark Nether Crystal was rare, it wasn’t something entirely unobtainable with enough time and effort.

Everyone here was a person of status. Competing against a young girl in public would be beneath them.

Normally, some attendees might bid just to collect such an item, even if they didn’t need it. But today, no one made a move.

"Bidder No. 67, five million, second call!"

Seeing no further bids, Tang Shu continued, "This SS-grade Dark Nether Crystal contains an unparalleled concentration of dark energy, and its crystal structure is flawless, something you won’t find on the open market. If you let this opportunity slip by, who knows when the next one will come?"

The audience exchanged glances, but still, no one raised their paddle.

Seriously? No one's going to fight me for this? This doesn’t even feel like an auction…

Although Qiao Sang was complaining inwardly, she was secretly relieved. She casually took a bite of the pastry that Little Treasure had just brought over.

"Bidder No. 67, five million, third call!"

Bang! The gavel came down.

"Congratulations, Bidder No. 67, on your successful purchase!"

She won!

Qiao Sang felt elated inside, but outwardly, she remained composed, wearing a look of I totally expected this.

If Yu Ke had been surprised before, now she was outright shocked.

An SS-grade Dark Nether Crystal might not necessarily be worth five million, but anything above S-grade was so rare that its value always skyrocketed at auction.

Under normal circumstances, an SS-grade Dark Nether Crystal would sell for around seven million.

Yet today, no one else bid?

Could it be that this girl came from an extraordinary family, one so influential that no one dared to compete with her?

That thought made Yu Ke look at Qiao Sang differently.

Soon, a staff member approached.

Under their guidance, Qiao Sang entered a private room.

For every winning bid, the buyer needed to immediately sign a Transaction Confirmation Agreement, make the payment, and collect their item.

"Miss, your total comes to five million." The staff member said respectfully.

Qiao Sang pulled out a black-gold credit card.

The staff member froze.

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Meanwhile, in a VIP suite above the auction hall, a man with triangular eyes turned to the person beside him.

"I recall your grandson has a Nightmare Mo-Mo. Why didn’t you bid for the Dark Nether Crystal on his behalf?"

The man beside him, appearing in his thirties, took a sip of tea and said, "At this critical juncture, I’m not spending millions on a single Dark Nether Crystal."

The triangular-eyed man fell silent. He understood exactly what critical juncture meant.

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After collecting her Dark Nether Crystal, Qiao Sang returned to the auction hall, feeling that time was passing much faster now.

Before she knew it, the event was nearing its end.

On stage, Tang Shu dramatically lifted the red cloth covering the next item and announced, "Now, we present the grand finale of this auction: The Qingfeng Compass!"

Beneath the cloth was a silver compass with three concentric rotating rings.

The moment it appeared, Qiao Sang noticed the collective sharp intake of breath from the audience.

Yu Ke’s eyes widened in disbelief.

No wonder everyone had been so reserved with their bids after that Poison Spine Earth Dragon Egg at the start of the auction!

So this was the real prize! The Qingfeng Compass!

Qiao Sang took another bite of her pastry. Qingfeng Compass? Never heard of it. Not even in the auction catalog.

Seeing how calm she was, Yu Ke couldn’t hold back anymore and whispered, "Why aren’t you reacting?"

Qiao Sang looked at her. 

"What kind of reaction should I have?"

Yu Ke was even more shocked. 

"This is the Qingfeng Compass!"

Just as Qiao Sang was about to ask what that was, Tang Shu started her introduction:

"The Qingfeng Compass, a device that can locate Qingqing Ni. There are only thirty-two of these compasses in the world. This particular one was once owned by Master Yuan Yazhang."

"As many of you know, Qingqing Ni can only be found in Hollow Zone’s Secret Realm No. 16, which opens only once every thirty years."

"Now, with only two years left until the next opening, I’m sure many of you will be very interested in this compass."

What kind of question is that? Of course, everyone’s interested!

Though all items at the Mystic Auction House were kept secret beforehand, the attendees were no ordinary people. To attract high-profile buyers, the auction house often leaked information about key items in advance.

Over 70% of the audience had already heard whispers that the Qingfeng Compass would be up for auction today. Most of them were here for that reason.

Seeing the crowd’s anticipation, Tang Shu smiled and announced, "The Qingfeng Compass, starting bid: 1.1 billion!"

Holy crap. 1.1 billion just to start?!

Qiao Sang was utterly stunned. She might not know what the Qingfeng Compass or Qingqing Ni were, but she definitely knew what money was!

Immediately, she pulled out her phone to search for Qingqing Ni.

Yu Ke, meanwhile, was completely speechless. Not only was this girl unfazed by the Qingfeng Compass, but she was also casually playing on her phone?!

[Qingqing Ni: A legendary Fairy-type beginner-level pet beast from the Hollow Zone. Known as the child of the wind, its mood fluctuates based on wind conditions, calm in a breeze, agitated in a storm. In short, the stronger the wind, the more volatile its temperament.]

[It loves drifting with the wind and can slip through even the tiniest cracks, just like air itself.]

[It’s said that Beast Tamers who form a contract with Qingqing Ni will also be favored by the wind.]

After reading that, Qiao Sang immediately understood why the Qingfeng Compass was so expensive.

Forget anything else, just the word legendary alone justified the price.

The bidders were obviously after Qingqing Ni.

If someone could contract with a legendary pet beast, they wouldn’t just spend one billion, they’d go bankrupt for it if necessary.

Having a legendary pet beast meant endless opportunities to make money. After all, encountering one was a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Not to mention, in the Hollow Zone, the sky was king.

People often rode their pet beasts to fly around. Contracting with Qingqing Ni, which was loved by the wind, would make aerial travel exponentially safer.

Still, no matter how amazing it was, it had nothing to do with her. Some things weren’t just about money, it was about whether you could survive using them.

Qiao Sang put her phone away.

By now, the price had already climbed to 3.7 billion.

"You’re really not interested in the Qingfeng Compass?" Yu Ke tried again.

"Of course I am." Qiao Sang replied.

Yu Ke wasn’t convinced. 

"Then why don’t you look excited?"

Qiao Sang thought for a moment. 

"Maybe I’m just good at controlling my facial expressions."

Yu Ke’s mouth twitched slightly. She struggled to continue the conversation. 

"I wonder who will win the Qingfeng Compass."

Qiao Sang pondered for a second before answering seriously, "Probably someone with enough backing to not be afraid of getting robbed."

Yu Ke was momentarily stunned before chuckling helplessly. 

"That’s impossible! This is the Mystic Auction House!"

Qiao Sang frowned. 

"So?"

Yu Ke replied knowingly, “This is your first time attending the Mystic Auction, right? Your family must have forgotten to tell you, every single item at this auction is cursed by the Curse Nightshade. Anyone who obtains an auction item through illegal means, aside from the legitimate buyer, will be cursed and meet an untimely death.”

“Huh?” Qiao Sang was stunned. 

“There’s no way to lift the curse?”

Yu Ke chuckled.

“Do you think the Mystic Auction is famous for no reason? The Curse Nightshade behind these curses has lived for at least a hundred years. Its mastery of curses is undoubtedly at the Ultimate level. The only way to counter it would be to find a beast that is both stronger than the Curse Nightshade and possesses a cleansing skill capable of breaking curses. Otherwise, even slightly weaker beasts might suffer backlash.”

“Even if a beast happens to have a cleansing skill at the Ultimate level, they wouldn’t dare to try.”

“You have to understand, this is a Curse Nightshade that has lived for over a century. Who can guarantee a 100% success rate in lifting its curse without being backlashed?”

Qiao Sang fell silent for a few seconds before asking, “If...hypothetically speaking...someone hired another person to steal an auction item and then obtained it through them, would they be cursed?”

A minor thinking about this much… she can’t actually be planning to do this, right? 

Yu Ke paused, shifted away slightly, and answered cautiously, “The curse applies to anyone who acquires the item through illegal means, no matter how many hands it passes through.”

Feeling uneasy, she emphasized again, “Anyone.”

Oh my god, what have I missed… Hearing this, Qiao Sang deeply regretted her earlier caution. She should’ve just bid on all those treasures instead of holding back!

“Lot 255, 5.67 billion, second call!” At that moment, the auctioneer’s voice echoed through the hall.

Qiao Sang suddenly snapped back to reality and raised her paddle decisively. 

“6 billion!”

Yu Ke: !!!

The childish voice caught the remaining bidders off guard. Everyone turned their heads abruptly, only to see a school-uniformed minor.

Crowd: ???

Everyone, including the auctioneer, Tang Shu, was stunned.

“Whose kid is this? No guardian watching over her?”

“I don’t recognize that uniform. Doesn’t seem like she’s from any of the top ten academies in the Imperial Capital.”

“This bid shouldn’t be valid, right?”

The crowd erupted into murmurs.

Before Tang Shu could restore order, a voice rang out from a VIP booth. 

“6.1 billion.”

“6.2 billion.” Qiao Sang immediately followed.

“Can someone step in already? Shouldn’t we verify assets first? What if she bids randomly and then calls her parents to pay, but they refuse?” Someone in the hall complained.

Tang Shu hesitated briefly before speaking, but before she could, a message came through her earpiece.

“Proceed with the auction. The girl is holding a Alliance Dingshi Bank Black Gold Card.”

Tang Shu: !!!

“Bidder 67, 6.2 billion, first call!” Tang Shu announced loudly.

The crowd fell silent. Looking at the auctioneer’s attitude… could this kid really afford to pay?

“Bidder 67, 6.2 billion, second call!”

“6.3 billion.” The VIP booth raised their bid again.

“7 billion.” Qiao Sang lifted her paddle.

“7.1 billion.”

“8 billion.”

“Bidder 67, 8 billion, first call!” Tang Shu’s face was flushed with excitement.

The VIP booth fell into silence.

“Bidder 67, 8 billion, second call!”

“8.1 billion.” The VIP bidder spoke again.

Without hesitation, Qiao Sang raised her paddle. “9 billion.”

The crowd’s minds went blank.

Mystic Auction’s minimum bid increment was 500,000. Who the hell jumps straight by 900 million?!

A-Ah! What’s the commission percentage for 9 billion?! Tang Shu was ecstatic, almost hearing the sound of her own pounding heartbeat.

“Bidder 67, 9 billion, first call!”

“Bidder 67, 9 billion, second call!”

“Bidder 67, 9 billion, third call!”

Tang Shu slammed the gavel down. 

“Congratulations to Bidder 67 for winning our grand finale item!”

The hall erupted into noise.

Under the guidance of auction staff, Qiao Sang proceeded to sign the confirmation documents and collect her auction item.

No one left.

The entire crowd gathered at the entrance, unwilling to believe that a minor, without any guardian present, had just spent that much money.

Did I… just sit next to someone incredibly powerful?

We talked so much… it wouldn’t be unreasonable to exchange contact info, right?

Which family’s direct heir is she…?

At the entrance, Yu Ke glanced inside anxiously from time to time.

Meanwhile, Qiao Sang, having used Little Treasure’s spatial shift, was already airborne, seated on Yabao, flying back to her hotel.

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Moting Hotel.

9 billion.

If this were before I had an unlimited credit card, I’d hesitate even over 90,000…

Qiao Sang sat on the bed, glanced at the Qingfeng Compass for a moment, then casually set it aside before shifting her consciousness into the Beastmaster Codex.

Ten seconds later.

Qiao Sang’s consciousness returned to reality. She carefully opened a box containing Dark Nether Crystal and turned to Little Treasure.

“Little Treasure, come here.”

“Xun~”

Hearing his Beastmaster’s call, Little Treasure obediently placed his tiny ant back into his ring and floated over.

Qiao Sang placed the Dark Nether Crystal in front of him and said seriously, “It’s time for you to evolve.”

“Xun…”

Little Treasure blinked, glancing back and forth between the crystal and his Beastmaster, again and again, before his eyes welled up with tears.

“Xun Xun!”

The next second, Little Treasure dove into Qiao Sang’s arms, sobbing.

“What’s wrong?” Qiao Sang looked utterly confused.

“Xun Xun!”

“Xun Xun!”

Little Treasure cried out twice.

So… the thing she bought tonight was for his evolution?!

I’m so useless… I actually need an item to evolve! Unlike Big Brother Yabao and Lubao, who didn’t need anything!

Qiao Sang: …

She explained patiently, “Many beasts require items to evolve. That doesn’t make them weak. In fact, some beasts that evolve through special items are far stronger than those that evolve naturally.”

“Xun Xun?”

Little Treasure sniffled and looked up. Really?

Qiao Sang smiled. 

“Of course.”

“Xun Xun!”

Little Treasure’s eyes immediately blazed with excitement.

I’m finally reclaiming my position as the second strongest!

Qiao Sang: …

Little Treasure reached out his tiny claws toward the Dark Nether Crystal.

The moment he touched the crystal, the room was instantly engulfed in brilliant white light.

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