"The Dragon Scale Horse!"
Gasps sounded from the crowd as soon as the name of the beast was spoken. Any beast with the name 'Dragon' in it received awe and respect from the masses and cultivators.
Even Ikasa sat up straighter in his chair with slight anticipation. He took a closer look at the forehead of the horse and saw a few obsidian scales illuminated under the glow of the spotlight.
"This is just the beast… Where is the Carriage?" Chu Qing muttered as he too was fascinated by the Dragon Scale Horse.
As if hearing his words, Ren Mi waved his hand. A large carriage made from some dark red wood materialized out of thin air and fell with a loud boom on the stage directly behind the Horse.
People in the front rows were startled by the noise. They expected the Horse to become frightful but surprisingly, the beast showed no reaction. It merely glanced back and then nudged Ren Mei with its snout, urging her to continue caressing it.
"As the name says, the Dragon Scale Horse indeed possesses a bloodline of dragons. It has amazing endurance and speed. The distance covered by an ordinary Spirit Beast in a day can be traversed by the Dragon Scale Horse in an hour!"
The more Ren Mi spoke about the Spirit Beast, the more he aroused the desire of the guests. Even the two boys sitting beside Ikasa had stood up and were looking at the magnificent beast with shining eyes.
"How awesome would it be if we could get that Spirit Beast Carriage?"
Yan Xiao asked Chu Qing, with his eyes filled with unhidden greed and expectations. Chu Qing also had the same thought but he looked at tranquil Ikasa and murmured, "It would be great but I don't know if Brother Ikasa can afford it…."
Ikasa almost vomited blood when he heard such blatant provocation from one of his own.
Ikasa knew that Chu Qing was well versed in the financial conditions of the GHBG and knew that he could definitely purchase the carriage. Yet, this kid was taking potshots at him?
'Have I been living like a cheapskate until now?'
Ikasa wondered and then immediately shook his head.
'No, it is these kids who have gotten too used to the riches! Once we get back, I'll ask Feng Yan and Xin Ruo to double… no, triple their training and also cut down their allowance. That'll teach these runts a lesson.'
Ikasa thought as an evil smile formed on his lips. Chu Qing and Yan Xiao shivered as they saw the smile and rushed back to their seat, with their lips sealed, thinking 'What have we done?'
On the Stage, Ren Mi had almost finished introducing the carriage.
"... Combined with the reinforcement formations and Black Iron Wood, this carriage can easily withstand a few attacks from Chakra Sensing Realm Experts!"
Ren Mi did not even need to explain the other special characteristics as the patrons were already pumped.
The guests on the lowest floor had already given up any hopes of obtaining this carriage. They were simply prepared to eat melon seeds and enjoy the fierce bidding war that was brewing amongst the people on upper floors.
"The starting bid for this carriage is 11,000 Gold coins. Only increments of 1000 gold coins will be entertained. Please, start bidding!"
The Auction room became silent for a few breaths. Then a chatter erupted among the crowd as a loud voice coming from the third floor raised the bid directly to 15000 gold!
Ikasa looked at the other VIP boxes on the Third floor. Except for Patriarch Su, he did not know any of the people in the VIP boxes. But he knew that they were going to be his main competitors for this round.
"16000 Gold!"
Someone from the second floor raised the price. Ikasa identified the nasal voice of the fatty merchant from the Furnace Fire Empire, Zhang Chun!
He immediately decided to counter the bid. He activated the small crystal in his hand and bid for the first time in this auction. Yet, his very first bid, shocked Lian Hua out of her mind.
"20,000 Gold!"
A voice that sounded much different than Ikasa's resounded in the room. Yan Xiao and Chu Qing looked at Ikasa with joy on their faces and even Xin Ruo was surprised by the amount of the bid.
By raising the bid directly by four thousand Gold coins, Ikasa had made his intentions clear!
Nobody should dream of snatching this Spirit Beast Carriage from his hands. Anyone who tried to do so would have to pay an overwhelming price!
Ikasa's resolve indeed deterred those on the second floor but those on the Third Floor were not afraid to compete with Ikasa.
"21,000!"
Another voice sounded from the Third floor upping the bid. It was the same feminine voice that had claimed the Yijian Sword.
"Twenty -Two… Thousand Gold."
Ikasa responded to the bid, enunciating every word as he spoke into the small crystal.
Two rooms away from Ikasa a young lady slammed her fists onto the table, shattering the tea cups and wine jars placed in it.
"How dare he covet what this Sage has her eyes on?"
She fumed as she spoke in an icy voice. It was none other than Mu Jie, the Chakra Sage from the Mu Family.
"Find out who is in that box!" She ordered the attendant who was shivering under the oppressive aura emitting from her being.
"Venerated Sage, I - I don't have the authority…"
The attendant stammered her excuse, further enraging Mu Jie. The raging woman flung the goblet in her hand at the poor attendant, drenching her with expensive spirit wine.
"Useless." The Chakra Sage uttered a word filled with disgust and then picked up the small crystal.
"23,000!"
She shrieked into the crystal, slightly pained at having to dip deep into her reserves.
Immediately, she heard a counter bid from the box next to her.
"Twenty Five Thousand… Gold!"
Eyes of Mu Jie blazed with anger. She grinded her teeth as she looked at the box next to her.
"Bastard! If I found out who you are I am going to skin you alive…" Mu Jie thought in her head.
Although she came from the Mu Family which earned 30,000 gold every month, her personal income was only 1500 Gold, a minuscule of that amount.
After many years she had barely saved 50,000 gold coins. It pained her to spend so much on a simple Spirit Beast Carriage she had taken fancy to.
Mu Jie took her time even as she heard Ren Mi call out the bid for the second time.
"25,000 gold! Going twice…"
Then suddenly a slurred voice, as if that of a drunkard challenged Ikasa's bid.
"Twentiii Seven Tousand Gollld!"
Mu Jie was shocked as she recognized the voice. It belonged to none other than Patriarch Su!
Ikasa also knit his eyes brows as he felt that the voice was somewhat familiar. However, he was more pissed that someone had jumped in and ruined his almost done deal.
"30,000 Gold!"
Ikasa yelled with a chilly tone. The price drew gasps from the ones on the lowest floors.
The entire net worth of quite a few of them was lower than the amount Ikasa just bid!
Silence reigned in the Auction room as even Ren Mi forgot to begin the countdown.
The price was exorbitant and had far surpassed their estimation. As soon as Ren Mi came to his senses, he started to bang the gavel on the podium.
"30,000 Gold! Going once…"
"Going twice…"
Ren Mi took a pause hoping to see someone raise the price again. But no matter how long he waited, no one increased the price.
With slight happiness and reluctance, Ren Mi hammered the gavel on 30,000 gold for the Dragon Scale Horse Carriage.
"Congratulations to Room 143 for winning this Spirit Beast Carriage!"