A small smile spread across Lan Jue's face. Finally, they couldn't hold it in any longer!
"Three expeditionary ships!"
This time it was Number Three, who'd stirred up a storm earlier. He was resolute in his bid, jumping in at the price of an expeditionary ship.
"Three expeditionary ships and one battleship." The Western Alliance's representative immediately increased his bid.
They were holding the number two number plate.
"Three expeditionary ships and five battleships!" The Northern Alliance's representative joined in.
"Four expeditionary ships!" Number Three was as domineering as ever.
"Four expeditionary ships and one battleship!" The Western Alliance's number two was determined to get the crystal.
The Northern Alliance's representative was silent for a moment, but Number Three didn't hesitate. "Five expeditionary ships!"
As soon as the price was announced, everyone was shocked.
That was an expeditionary battleship!
Their cosmic ray recycling systems allowed them to engage in long-range combat. They were the true strength of an interstellar fleet.
They were second only to the Chancellor's and Admiral's ships.
An entire interstellar fleet wouldn't have more than thirty expeditionary ships.
Directly bidding five battleships for a single Vital Crystal gave people the feeling that it was a little crazy.
"Number Three has made a bid of five expeditionary ships. Any higher bids?" The Wine Master asked.
The Western Alliance's representative was a middle-aged man. His face was ashen as he glared daggers at Number Three. His face was dark and unreadable.
His mission here was to get his hands on a vital crystal.
However, the current price was already a little too high!
The Wine Master didn't slow down in the slightest. "Five battleships. Going once. Going twice!"
"Wait!
Five expeditionary ships and one battleship! "The Northern Alliance's representative raised his placard again.
He quoted a brand new price.
The crowd was in an uproar. The Northern Alliance's bid meant they approved of the price.
For a moment, the people who had won the Vital Crystal couldn't help but secretly rejoice in their hearts. The price was gradually going crazy!
It wasn't just the Western Alliance that was determined to get their hands on a vital crystal!
It was the same for the Northern Alliance.
"Five battleships and two battleships!" Buyer number three offered again, but compared to before, he was much more cautious.
"Six battleships!" The Northern Alliance suddenly raised the price to six battleships.
The old man representing the Northern Alliance knew that if things continued like this, it would be even more difficult to obtain the high-grade Vital Crystals that appeared later on. The fight for them would only get fiercer, so they might as well spend some money to get their hands on one.
If a madman were to offer an exorbitant price in the end, the losses would be even greater.
"Six battleships and one battleship!" The representative of the Western Alliance said stiffly.
They were all smart people. Whatever the Northern Alliance realized, he also realized.
Rather than fighting for the future, it was better to fight for it now.
The Advanced Life Crystal in front of him was one of the top three Life Crystals in this batch.
The Northern Alliance elder's eyes narrowed. "Six capital ships and two battleships!"
The middle-aged man from the Western Alliance raised his placard again. "Six battleships and six battleships!"
"Seven battleships!" A discordant voice called out from behind them.
The Northern Alliance and Western Alliance representatives turned their heads in unison. They saw a placard in the back row, number twenty-three.
It was a middle-aged man with a hard face. No one recognized him, but the ripples of energy around him indicated he was at least an eighth level Adept.
The price was too high. The representatives from the Northern Alliance and Western Alliance stared at each other, unsure of whether or not to raise the price.
The Wine Master didn't care. "Seven battleships. Any more?
Seven battleships. Going once, going twice, going thrice. Sold! "The hammer fell. Another high-grade vital crystal had been sold.
Buyer number twenty-three's cold face broke into a smile. He'd never made a bid before, but this time he'd won every bid. Many eyes were on him.
As it turned out, Buyer No.23's action was very timely.
When the third vital crystal, number sixty-four, appeared, there was a clamor.
In the end, the North had to hand over six battleships and six battleships for the prize.
However, the size of this Advanced Life Crystal was 20% smaller than the one bought by Number 23.
By this point, the auction had reached a fever pitch.
It was becoming clear who was the wealthiest.
The Northerners used their vast resources to get their hands on sixteen vital crystals, but that wasn't the most. The mysterious third buyer was the one with the most crystals.
He'd won twenty crystals in total.
This included the Advanced Energy Crystal that appeared on the 79th item.
This was the second most powerful of all the crystals. He'd bid the price of a commander-class battleship for it.
By this point, no one would think he was a scammer. The auction didn't need any more hype.
After three hours of auctioning, it was finally time for the last piece of Vital Crystal to be auctioned.
"Next up is the last vital crystal. It's the highlight of this year's auction." The Wine Master's face broke into a smile.
He didn't need to do the math to know that this auction was going to be a windfall.
These Vital Crystals were exchanged for more than 600 battleships. This scale was already equivalent to half of the total value of an entire space fleet.
And that was only because the capital ships were so expensive.
When they heard this was the last crystal, the crowd perked up.
An Liu pushed her cart from the back of the room. The red cloth covering the cart was noticeably larger than the previous one.
The buyers thought back to how they'd appraised the crystal the day before. Their eyes lit up, especially the ones with the ability to compete.
The red cloth was lifted, revealing a Vital Crystal that was the size of a human head. It was purplish-black in color, and the rich lifeforce it exuded formed a faintly discernible airflow that resembled clouds and mist.
Even though it was separated by a barrier, everyone present could feel the enormous energy contained within it.
Even the four Advanced Vital Crystals combined weren't as big as this one!
One could only imagine how valuable this thing was.
Everyone's breath quickened. Two of the first four crystals had been won by Number Three, one by the Northern Alliance, and the other by the mysterious Number Twenty-Three.
All that was left was the last piece before his eyes.
The auction hadn't begun yet, but there was no doubt that it was going to be intense.
This was something that could not be helped. After all, there were simply too many people who wanted to obtain Advanced Life Crystals.
The Western Alliance was determined to get their hands on it, and so were the Pontiff's Citadel and the Dark Citadel. The Major League had it easier, because the Terminator and the Northern Alliance were close. The Northern Alliance already had a piece of the crystal, and they'd be sure to invite the Terminator to join them in their research.
However, who wouldn't want to have a piece for themselves?
Besides, who was to say the Northern Alliance didn't want this crystal?
As for the major families, they didn't need to worry about it.
Of course, those who could afford to make an appearance here could afford it.
"The starting bid is five battleships. Every increase must be at least one battleship.
Let the bidding begin! "
The starting bid skyrocketed, becoming the highest of the lot. This time, it was no longer a battleship or a patrol cruiser, but a battleship.
The bidding hadn't even begun, but there was already a sense of desperation in the air.
"One commander-class battleship!" Number Three didn't hesitate to raise his paddle, doubling the starting bid.
His determined attitude made many people suck in a breath of cold air.
This was a Commander-class battleship!
"One commander-class battleship and one battleship." The Northern Alliance's representative, Number One, quickly raised his paddle.
Now the buyers were a little afraid of the Wine Master. He'd been too quick with his bids, and sometimes the auction was over before anyone had a chance to make a bid.
This last crystal was a chance for everyone to put their best foot forward. Who wouldn't want to try?
What's more, the previous auction had already gone viral. Even if he couldn't get it, he definitely wouldn't let others get it cheaply.
With that kind of mentality, the bids weren't slow.
"One commander-class battleship and three battleships!" Number Two from the Western Alliance also made a bid, adding two battleships.
"One commander-class battleship and five battleships!" One of the major families called out.
"Two commander-class battleships!"
This time it was Lucifer, the Fallen Angel who'd been silent for a long time. He'd only managed to get a few ordinary vital crystals.
The Great Conclave and the two Citadels all had Paragons in their ranks, and their desire for these crystals was even greater.
If he didn't make a move now, he'd lose his chance.
Lucifer's first bid was a high price.
He wanted to frighten the others, and win in one fell swoop.
From what he'd seen so far, this one wouldn't be expensive at all.
"Three commander-class battleships!" Before Lucifer's voice even trailed off, a voice called out from beside him.
Lucifer turned to look at the source. It was his old enemy, Archangel Metatron.
A lot of readers have been asking where they can read the short story I wrote for Harper's Bazaar. Tomorrow I'll be posting it on our WeChat platform. I'll also be including the photos that the famous actor Hu Ge took to accompany the story.
It's called a flat screen movie.
So, if you haven't joined our WeChat platform yet, you should hurry up and join.
It's easy to get into our WeChat platform. WeChat, the plus sign in the upper right corner, the public account, and search for 'Third Young Master Tang'. You're first on the list.
Hurry up.
Join today, and tomorrow you'll be able to read our moving short story.
In the future I'll be posting more interesting things on WeChat. Novels, comics, and the like. I hope you'll enjoy it.