Mystic Eyes: My Eyes Steal the Laws of Cultivation-Chapter 253: Cloud Empire (73)

Shan Mu’s words hung in the air like a dangerous promise.

"This was only the warm-up."

A shiver ran through the hall.

If a mid-level Earth Class weapon was considered merely the beginning... then what else was being reserved for that day?

On the first floor, common cultivators exchanged tense glances. Many had saved their earnings for years to be there. But many had already given up competing after the first dispute. Now, they realized they might not even have the chance to compete for the items presented there.

In the VIP section, expressions became more serious.

And on the third floor... the doors of the ten private rooms remained closed, silent like ancient mountains.

Shan Mu did not give time for the tension to cool.

With a simple gesture of his right hand, the lights dimmed slightly again.

The central formation reignited.

This time, the energy was different. There was no gentle aquatic flow like before. Instead, a stable and deep vibration began to spread across the stage.

Something was rising again.

The jade platform emerged once more.

Upon it... there was only a small white jade bottle, simple and elegant.

A confused murmur spread through the hall. Just that?

Shan Mu smiled faintly, as if he had anticipated the reaction.

When the bottle reached the center of the stage, a delicate formation enveloped its lid. With an almost imperceptible click, it opened just enough to release its contents.

A fresh aroma spread instantly. It was the fragrance of spiritual herbs refined to the extreme. Pure. Clean. Revitalizing.

Some cultivators on the first floor felt their dantians vibrate slightly from that scent alone.

"Pills..."

Someone murmured.

But what kind?

Shan Mu let the silence grow for a few seconds before speaking.

"Ladies and gentlemen..."

His voice echoed clearly.

"These are Awakening Pills."

The impact was immediate.

Several cultivators in the common section widened their eyes. In the VIP section, some instinctively leaned forward.

Shan Mu continued.

"Perfect for those who are stuck in the Core Formation Realm... or for those who desire the greatest possible security when breaking through to the Spiritual Awakening Realm."

The murmur grew, becoming almost a constant buzz.

Breaking through to the Spiritual Awakening Realm.

That was the true watershed.

Upon reaching that realm, a cultivator awakened spiritual sense, could project their perception beyond the body, and their life expectancy increased drastically. They could live up to five hundred years.

It was ceasing to be merely a specialist... and truly becoming part of the empire’s elite.

Shan Mu raised five fingers.

"The bottle contains five pills."

A brief pause.

"All with ninety-five percent purity."

Silence. Absolute.

Then, like a dam breaking, the hall exploded into shocked murmurs.

Ninety-five percent.

That was not common.

Even in the Circle of Clouds, known as the greatest alchemical power of the Cloud Empire, pills above ninety percent were already considered works of excellence.

Ninety-five percent...

It was practically a guarantee of success.

Kyrian kept a calm expression, pills did not work for him anyway.

But he knew what that meant.

Many cultivators without much talent remained stuck in Core Formation for decades. Some never managed to break through, dying before taking the next step.

With a pill like that... destiny changed.

Shan Mu closed the bottle’s lid with a light gesture.

"The starting bid will be ten thousand mid-grade spirit stones."

For a second, there was silence.

Then...

"Twenty thousand!"

The voice came from the common section, almost desperate.

"Twenty-five thousand!"

"Thirty thousand!"

Unlike the spear, the bids skyrocketed instantly.

It was not merely a weapon. It was the possibility of changing one’s own destiny.

"Thirty-five thousand!"

"Forty thousand!"

In just a few moments, the value doubled and surpassed any initial expectation.

In the VIP section, plaques began to rise.

"Forty-five thousand."

"Fifty thousand."

Kai let out a low whistle.

"They’re not even trying to save..."

Mei Li kept her eyes fixed on the bottle.

"It’s not something to save on."

Bai Zhu nodded.

"It’s the chance to cross a major realm."

Shan Mu watched the dispute with experienced calm.

"Fifty-five thousand."

"Fifty-eight thousand."

"Sixty thousand."

The dispute was now clearly concentrated in the VIP section. The first floor began to fall silent, many realizing they could not compete.

"Sixty-two thousand."

"Sixty-five thousand."

The number hovered in the air, shining intensely above a noble in luxurious robes in the VIP section. He kept his chin raised, expression firm.

Sixty-five thousand mid-grade spirit stones.

A fortune capable of sustaining a smaller clan for years.

The hall fell silent.

Shan Mu raised his hand.

"Sixty-five thousand."

He waited.

"Does anyone offer more?"

A few seconds passed. The noble seemed on the verge of discreetly smiling.

Then...

From the third floor. From one of the closed private rooms. A voice echoed.

"Eighty thousand spirit stones."

The entire hall froze.

It was the first time that day that one of the private rooms had made a move.

The value did not appear on a plaque. Only the voice.

But the formation recognized the authority of the bid, and gigantic golden numbers appeared above the stage, positioned above the private room.

Eighty thousand.

A shock ran through the hall.

Kyrian listened carefully to the voice and immediately recognized it.

Sun Wei.

The current head of the Circle of Clouds.

The greatest alchemical power of the Cloud Empire. His eyes subtly lifted toward the closed glass of the private room.

It made sense.

For anyone else, those pills were a chance to break through.

For the Circle of Clouds... they were an object of study.

Ninety-five percent purity did not appear frequently.

Inside the private room, Sun Wei kept his hands crossed behind his back, eyes fixed on the bottle at the center of the stage.

Beside him, Sun Hao watched with intense light in his eyes.

"Father... ninety-five percent..." Sun Hao murmured.

Sun Wei nodded slightly.

"If we can study its internal structure... perhaps we can understand the method used."

Even for the Circle of Clouds, it was rare to see a pill refined at that level.

The room remained silent after the bid.

In the VIP section, the noble who had offered sixty-five thousand turned slightly pale.

He hesitated.

Eighty thousand.

And to compete with the Circle of Clouds? It was imprudent.

Beyond the value, there was political weight. No one wanted to go against the Circle of Clouds.

In the hall, no one spoke for a few seconds.

Shan Mu smiled faintly.

"Eighty thousand spirit stones."

His voice rang clear.

"Any higher offer?"

Silence answered.

Kyrian kept his eyes fixed on the stage.

Shan Mu raised his hand.

"Eighty thousand."

Pause.

"Going once."

The hall remained motionless.

"Going twice."

No other voice arose.

"Going three times."

His hand descended gently.

"Sold."

The word echoed like a seal.

The formation enveloped the bottle, sealing it once more before making it slowly descend.