Chapter 56: What exactly are you trying to do?

Even though there's a risk, knowing that the value of each item in the boxes increases makes it a bit easier to gauge.

"Next up, we're starting the auction with the first box, opening bid is five Mana Crystals."

As soon as Mira's sultry voice finished, bids started flying. "Six Mana Crystals!"

"Seven!"

"Ten!"

"Twenty-three!"

After a fierce round of bidding, someone finally snagged it for twenty-three Mana Crystals.

"What's actually inside the box?"

Eyes were glued to the stage, everyone clearly intrigued.

When the box was opened, a chilling mist wafted out.

Inside was a sparkling green Resurrection Elixir.

"Resurrection Elixir!" someone shouted in surprise.

It's not that the Resurrection Elixir was incredibly rare.

But as a mid-tier Rare-level elixir, it's worth at least a hundred Mana Crystals.

The person who got it made a killing!

And since each of the ten boxes contained items more valuable than the last.

What could possibly be in the next boxes, especially the last one!

Instantly, the atmosphere in the room charged up.

When the second box's auction started, the bids were already much higher than before.

"Frosthoof Wyvern Egg!"

"Hellfire Armor!"

"Nightshade Centipede!"

"..."

Amidst the frenzied shouts,

Everyone was shocked to find that each box contained treasures far more valuable than the last.

The items in these mystery boxes were just too precious.

The prices kept soaring, and by the ninth box, all the major powers were bidding fiercely, none willing to back down.

After all, the first eight boxes had contained such treasures.

This ninth one was bound to be even more astonishing.

"One thousand three hundred Mana Crystals."

"One thousand three hundred fifty Mana Crystals!"

"One thousand seven hundred Mana Crystals!"

Suddenly, Timothy shouted a bid much higher than the others.

Hank was startled, "Timothy, man, you got that kind of money?"

"Nope, I don't have a single Mana Crystal on me," Timothy shook his head.

"Then you're crazy to bid that high!" Hank was flabbergasted.

"I'm just spicing up the competition a bit."

Hank: "..."

After a long silence, someone finally called out a higher price.

"One thousand eight hundred Mana Crystals!"

"Alright, this ninth mystery box goes to the Sharpsword Sect for one thousand eight hundred Mana Crystals."

As the voice announced, all eyes were fixed on the box.

Everyone couldn't imagine what precious item it contained.

Finally, when the box slowly opened, everyone was stunned.

Inside was— "Timothy's underwear!"

It was... Timothy's underwear.

The air was tense for a moment, but then burst into chaos.

"The value of this treasure is more precious than the previous eight mystery boxes combined!"

"Damn, I had no idea the ninth box would contain this. Otherwise, I would have gone all in, even if it meant going broke!"

Some exclaimed in shock, others were visibly distressed.

The successful bidder from the Sharpsword Sect, a female disciple, was so excited she was in tears.

Holding the box high, she was overwhelmed with emotion, almost as if giving an acceptance speech: "Thank you, everyone. I never imagined I could win such a treasure! To have such luck today, I feel truly blessed by the goddess of fortune. When I get back, I'm definitely going to ask our sect leader to make these underpants our sect's sacred relic!"

"Even though I didn't win this treasure, congratulations to you!"

"So touching! Bravo!"

A wave of applause erupted, seemingly celebrating the Sharpsword Sect's good fortune.

Timothy was visibly annoyed, almost ready to turn the whole venue upside down.

He barely managed to suppress his urge to lash out.

Hank noticed Timothy's expression and cheekily approached him: "Looks like you're not too happy, brother."

"Well, can't blame you."

"Seeing another man's underpants sell for thousands of Mana Crystals, I'd be jealous too."

"But Timothy, the tales of your exploits in the Valley of the Undead are downright legendary."

"Especially after that video of you went viral, all the female disciples from various sects are practically worshipping you. No wonder those underpants fetched such a high price. And..."

Hank lowered his voice, leaning close to Timothy's ear, whispering, "I heard from the guys up front that those underpants still have a... scent."

"You're kidding me..." Timothy was on the verge of exploding.

A scent?

The real 'scent' is still on me!

Meanwhile, on stage, Mira finally slowly unveiled the last box.

Although it was unclear what was inside, just the intricate carvings and the embellishments on the box itself suggested that its contents were incredibly valuable.

Just as everyone's attention was captured by the last box, a series of chilling, soft footsteps at the entrance of the venue suddenly drew many gazes.

A figure in a light blue gown appeared, her skin fair and her delicate features not stunningly beautiful but radiating a distinct aura not found in ordinary women.

"Selene Skydancer!"

Most recognized her instantly.

Especially the light blue Frostwind Sword hanging at her waist, confirming her identity.

She was Holy Maiden Aeliana's sister, Selene.

Selene's fame was not just due to her terrifying aptitude for cultivation and her background.

Backed by Holy Maiden Aeliana and the entire sacred land, her strength alone was formidable.

With a cultivation level at the Mystic Core mid-stage, Selene stood at the pinnacle among her peers.

More importantly, her cultivation at the Mystic Core mid-stage was not ordinary,each level was exceptionally solid and robust.

Like constructing a skyscraper, Selene's progress was not only swift, but each layer's foundation was also terrifyingly solid.

From her earlier days of cultivation, crossing realms to fight opponents one or even two levels higher was as common as eating and drinking for her.

Selene entered the venue, her gaze coldly sweeping over everyone.

Suddenly, her sword was drawn.

A sword qi slashed forward with incredible speed.

The people from the Sharpsword Sect saw the sword qi heading straight for them and scrambled to dodge.

However, the speed of the sword qi left them no time to react.

With a slash, the underpants that had just been auctioned off were cut in two!

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The leading disciple of the Sharpsword Sect trembled with rage, her hand instinctively reaching for the sword at her waist.

But her hand shook slightly, and even though she was seething with anger, she ultimately didn't dare to draw her sword.

After all, both in terms of personal strength and backing, the Sharpsword Sect was in no position to make an enemy of Selene.

"A man's underpants have you all bewitched like this, how ridiculous!"

"And that attention-seeker Timothy, better not let me see him. Otherwise, I'll cut him down too!" Selene scanned the crowd with a cold snort.

Although many were resentful, they dared not retort and could only swallow their frustration.

Choosing a quiet spot, Selene sat down slowly.

The cold aura emanating from her forced several nearby people to find more distant places to avoid her.

"Cough, let's continue with the auction," Mira quickly recovered, her response sharp.

She soon wore a sweet smile, easing the slightly chilly and awkward atmosphere.

"The last box contains the grand finale of today's auction."

"It's no exaggeration to say that the value of the item in this box could match all the previous items combined."

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so for those who want to take a chance, don't miss out." Saying this, she smiled, lifted the precious wooden box, and walked around the stage, showing it to everyone.

As Mira moved, the copper bells hanging from her dress jingled melodically.

Her graceful figure attracted countless gazes, even making people overlook the wooden box.

It wasn't until she set the box down again that everyone snapped out of their daze.

"I bid five thousand Mana Crystals!"

Suddenly, someone in the corner of the venue shouted a bid.

"Starting at five thousand Mana Crystals!"

This price could buy half of a populous city.

However, given the treasures in the previous boxes, everyone knew that this final act was also bound to be extremely precious.

Perhaps even this price wouldn't easily secure it.

"Five thousand two hundred Mana Crystals!"

Sure enough, a higher bid quickly followed.

"Five thousand three hundred Mana Crystals!"

"Six thousand Mana Crystals!"

"Six thousand one hundred Mana Crystals."

When the price reached six thousand one hundred Mana Crystals, the venue fell silent.

This price was far beyond what most could afford.

For an unknown treasure, no one was willing to spend such a fortune.

"Six thousand one hundred Mana Crystals once."

"Six thousand one hundred Mana Crystals twice."

"Six thousand one hundred Mana Crystals three times."

Just as the deal was about to be sealed, suddenly, Selene spoke up: "Ten thousand Mana Crystals!"

[Ding, the auction item is exceptionally precious and its sources are dark, no need to hold back. System task released, the host may use any means to obtain the treasure in the box. Task reward: The treasure in the box and 4 skill points]

At the same time, Timothy finally heard the long-awaited voice.

"Finally, the moment I've been waiting for."

Timothy had specifically chosen this notoriously chaotic auction for this very opportunity.

Originally, he had planned to pick out a few strong, wealthy, but foolish buyers to rough up a bit.

But now that the system had issued a direct task, things were much easier.

By seizing the treasure in the box, he could not only clear his debt of skill points with the system but also score a free treasure.

At this moment, the auction hall was silent.

"Has she lost her mind? Even if the item in the box is precious, ten thousand Mana Crystals seems excessive."

"Typical of the Holy Maiden's sister, way too extravagant..."

While many powers had initially planned to go all out for the final mystery box, faced with the staggering price of ten thousand, they could only watch, unable to keep up with the bidding.

"Ten thousand Mana Crystals once."

"Ten thousand Mana Crystals twice."

"Ten thousand Mana Crystals..."

"Twelve thousand Mana Crystals!"

Before Mira could finish, Timothy's voice suddenly rang out from a corner.

The hall fell silent for a moment, then all eyes turned in astonishment toward the source of the voice.

It wasn't just curiosity about who could afford such a price, but also because raising the bid now was tantamount to openly challenging Selene.

Which power dared to offend that notoriously proud lady?

But when they saw Timothy's face, everyone was momentarily stunned.

They had never seen this figure before.

Could he be a scion of some hidden, powerful family?

But he seemed to be alone, with no clear indication of any backing.

Selene also frowned slightly as she looked toward Timothy, her expression filled with displeasure.

"Fourteen thousand Mana Crystals," she raised the bid again.

Timothy's voice continued: "Fifteen thousand Mana Crystals!"

"Sixteen thousand."

"Seventeen thousand."

A faint chill began to emanate from Selene, her gaze towards Timothy icy cold.

She gritted her teeth: "Eighteen thousand."

"Thirty thousand!" Timothy called out nonchalantly.

"Clang."

The crisp sound of a sword being drawn rang out, and this time, Selene couldn't hold back any longer.

Her long sword, radiating a pale blue chill, was unsheathed. Her eyes, filled with a bone-chilling coldness, fixed on Timothy: "What exactly are you trying to do?"