Chapter 266

Chapter 266: The Themed Auction

The Monsoon Fleet remained as calm as ever.

Yet among the upper factions residing there, a rumor began spreading like wildfire.

The low-profile yet enigmatic Venus Auction House announced an upcoming ice-themed auction. Rare materials like ice crystals, ice lotuses, icy mist grass, and ice heart wine would be offered, alongside ice magic skills such as ice storms, freezing spears, ice paths, and ice comprehension. Large alchemy products like ice mining site deeds and icebreaker Skyship blueprints also made the list.

The crown jewel remained Midi’s Ice Soul Pearl from a cloud beast—the only item vaguely described as a “supreme ice treasure” in the auction catalog. This strategy drew powerful factions with premium goods while fueling anticipation.

Themed auctions carried risks. Gathering enough quality ice-themed items was challenging, and niche appeal might cause poor sales. Yet a strong theme with top-tier offerings could spark explosive bidding. Buyers seeking ice lotuses would also bid fiercely for refining methods and level-up potion recipes, creating chain reactions that inflated prices.

By risking a specialized auction, Venus clearly aimed to hype Midi’s pearl as “the first Ice Soul Pearl in the Sea of Clouds in a millennium” for astronomical profits. Midi no longer worried about starting bids or auctioneer choices—he knew it would far exceed his past life’s market price.

Profit wasn’t his goal. He sought clues to ancient battlefield ruins holding sky warship or Demon Realm warship wreckage. Only intact wrecks could be replicated to breach the Stormy Region. Each step—finding ruins, securing wrecks, replicating ships—was essential to gaining the power to protect himself and loved ones in this merciless world.

Yet more steps meant more delays and pitfalls. Even as a reincarnator, Midi couldn’t shortcut this tangled path.

“Still nothing.” Victoria sighed, sifting through a stack of intelligence reports. The Monsoon Fleet had many informants, but ancient battlefield relics? After millennia, the Sea of Clouds’ inhabitants had stripped them bare. Any remaining ruins lay in secret seas—locations too obscure for new human adventurers.

Worse, Victoria couldn’t openly request “ancient warships.” Mentioning the Stormy Region or sky warship replication would draw dangerous attention. Her vague inquiries yielded mismatched intel, stalling progress.

As Victoria brooded, Midi interrupted: “Why not visit Venus’ auction?”

“Auction?” She blinked.

"Yes, the auction." Midi nodded. "Not as a seller, but as a buyer."

He flipped to a specific page in the themed auction catalog he’d been reviewing and spread it before Victoria.

The page boldly displayed ice-related technology – Skyship ice-breaking construction methods.

"These past days," Midi explained patiently, "I studied the Sea of Clouds’ current ice-breaking methods. The Rothschild Guild uses magic to heat steam or other materials, melting ice to clear paths. That works in warmer regions, but means nothing in the Ice Cloud Circle. This auction’s technology is entirely different."

"It uses the Skyship’s own power to smash through ice!" Victoria’s eyes raced across the page, bypassing flowery descriptions to grasp the core concept. "With this, our Ice Cloud Circle breakthrough chances improve!"

"Actually, the technology itself doesn’t interest me…" Midi shook his head with a smile.

"What?" Victoria blinked, then her emerald eyes flashed with understanding. She slapped her knee – an uncharacteristic gesture. "You mean the trail?"

"Exactly." Midi confirmed.

This ice-breaking method differed radically from existing Sea of Clouds techniques. While possibly some alchemist’s brainstorm, it more likely originated from ancient warships. Though unimpressed by the crude technology, Midi saw value in tracing its origins through the seller.

An undiscovered ancient battlefield might await. The seller might even possess an intact ancient warship.

Cost meant little to Midi’s current wealth, especially with few purchases competing for his funds.

The Venus Auction House eagerly accommodated their requests – granting unlimited auction funding and a private box. Victoria’s casual mention of possessing multiple Ice Soul Pearls ensured VIP treatment. Such exclusive treasure-merchants received flawless service and utter loyalty.

Only one request met refusal: disclosing the ice-breaking tech’s seller.

Reputation formed an auction house’s foundation – beyond monetary value. With integrity intact, recovery from hard times remained possible. Though greedy merchants might sell principles, one Ice Soul Pearl’s commission couldn’t buy this.

Perhaps money combined with force could pry information loose, but Midi and Victoria lacked such leverage.

Midi expected this refusal. Possessing the technology granted initiative anyway. The seller might seek them out to offload more technologies.

Two days later, the Monsoon Fleet’s long-awaited ice-themed auction commenced.

The venue wasn’t Venus Auction House’s Fountain Square headquarters, but a small outer floating island. Luxury meant nothing to these proud, jaded elites. Venus emphasized secrecy and safety.

The auction hall lay deep within the island, location obscured. Multiple private passageways ensured guests reached their boxes unseen, interacting only with Venus staff.

Complete anonymity ruled. Auctioneers described items only, omitting origins while appraisers verified authenticity. Buyers bid unseen from curtained boxes.

Security boasted two dozen awakened practitioners. The Monsoon Fleet bolstered island patrols during auctions – fueling rumors of their ownership.

Nobles relished this veiled, protected environment for reckless spending.

Amid this tense hush, the ice-themed auction began its silent dance, the Ice Soul Pearl waiting in the wings.