My Celestial Ascension

"Are you sure about this? This could cost a fortune, you know?" Yuan asked Valeria with a concerned expression. He knew the treasure might demand more than 100 million gold coins—a staggering amount by any measure.

Valeria met his gaze with a gentle smile and nodded. "It's fine. You don't need to repay a single gold coin. Didn't I already tell you it's a gift from me? Now, let's just wait for Teressa to announce the starting price."

"My daughter is right, Yuan. You've done so much for us—at least let us do this for you," Vanessa added, her voice soft yet filled with warmth. She placed her hand over his and began massaging it gently. "Besides, Valeria has already made it clear that this is a gift. So, don't refuse it anymore."

Yuan hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded with a smile. "I see… In that case, I won't refuse. Thank you."

His agreement brought smiles to both Valeria and Vanessa, their faces radiating joy.

Meanwhile, the rest of the audience was puzzled by the flower's unique properties. Its ability to emit coldness despite lacking any trace of mana left even the most experienced alchemists scratching their heads.

Alchemists and researchers were particularly captivated, eager to study the flower and uncover the secret behind its mysterious aura. How could it release such intense coldness without a hint of mana? Was there some unknown energy source within it?

The crowd buzzed with speculation, and even ordinary spectators were intrigued. The stadium was alive with a mix of anticipation, excitement, and confusion, as no one knew what to make of the enigmatic treasure.

"This flower is undoubtedly unique," Teressa declared, her melodious voice cutting through the chatter. "Perhaps it's a magical treasure yet to be discovered, or maybe it contains mana so pure that we can't perceive it—only its effects."

Her words were accompanied by a soft smile of intrigue as her eyes scanned the crowd before landing momentarily on VIP Room Number 1.

"The starting price for this mysterious treasure will be 10,000 gold coins!" Teressa announced. "This price has been set by the owner of the treasure. Let the bidding begin!"

Her voice echoed through the stadium, drawing everyone's attention back to her and the glowing flower.

Each movement she made was poised and deliberate, her elegance captivating the young men in the crowd. Many of them were smitten, mesmerized by her beauty and charm, convinced she was the most stunning woman they had ever seen.

Inside her VIP room, Heidi sat with her gaze fixed on the flower. Her curiosity deepened as she studied it, her mind racing with questions about its origins and properties.

After staring at the treasure for a few moments, Heidi turned her head and looked at Veni, her trusted servant. She asked, "What do you think about this treasure, Sister Veni? Is it worth bidding on?"

"From its aura and the mysterious effect it exudes, I believe it's a good idea to bid for it," Veni replied. Her voice was calm and measured, and her posture remained composed. "After all, it could turn out to be a priceless treasure, and we might lose the opportunity to make a massive breakthrough in our knowledge of medicine."

"I think you're right. I'll bid for it," Heidi said, nodding with a soft smile on her face. Her gaze returned to the treasure. "I'm confident that the other Ten Great Families won't bid for this item."

Veni raised an eyebrow and questioned, "Are you sure no other party will bid for it? What about the VIP Room Number 1? They've bid on every strange and mysterious treasure that has appeared in the auction so far."

Upon hearing this, Heidi fell into deep thought for a moment. She shook her head, feeling a mix of frustration and the heavy weight of the decision on her shoulders.

"Well, there is indeed a chance he might participate in the auction, but I believe it's slim. Besides, the starting price for this treasure is quite low," Heidi said, her tone calm yet confident as a faint smile appeared on her lips.

She then looked at the treasure and announced her bid. "10,000 gold coins!"

"12,000!" another voice suddenly resounded through the auction hall, drawing Heidi's attention as well as that of the other Ten Great Families.

"13,000 gold coins!" Shortly after, another bid echoed from the crowd.

Within moments, the price of the lotus flower soared to 30,000 gold coins, surprising not only Heidi but also some members of the Ten Great Families.

"14,000 gold coins!" Princess Livia of the Holy Empire declared, her voice filled with resolve. She had taken a liking to the flower, captivated by its magical aura.

Arthur, standing nearby, raised his eyebrows upon hearing Princess Livia's bid. He couldn't help but feel puzzled. Why would she bid so much for what he considered a useless item? Explore more stories with empire

"Princess, are you sure you want to buy this flower at such an exorbitant price? This seems like a massive waste of money," Arthur said, his voice tinged with concern as he wore a wry smile.

"I don't think it will be a waste," Livia responded, her tone serious and her expression firm. "There's something incredible about this flower, and I must have it."

'This white lotus isn't just beautiful—it possesses a unique and priceless quality,' Livia thought, a small smirk forming on her lips. 'Its ability to emit cold without containing even the slightest trace of Mana is truly mysterious.'

There was no way she would let something so valuable slip away without a proper fight.

"15,000 gold coins!" Heidi raised the bid, unwilling to let anyone else claim the treasure.

"50,000 gold coins!"

Suddenly, a beautiful yet firm voice echoed throughout the stadium, immediately capturing everyone's attention. The voice belonged to someone from VIP Room Number 1, surprising many in the crowd. Most of them were unaware of Yuan and his wives, but from the elegance and confidence in the voice, they could easily imagine the extraordinary beauty of the speaker.

"55,000 gold coins!" Heidi countered, gritting her teeth as she glared at VIP Room Number 1. Her mind raced with questions. Why had they started bidding now? The occupants of VIP Room Number 1 had been silent throughout the auction, ignoring even the Legendary Spear and the Great Elven Potion.

"Didn't I already warn you that they might bid for this item?" Veni said with a soft chuckle, her slight frown betraying her amusement. "They seem to have a penchant for collecting strange treasures."

Heidi sighed in frustration. "You're right. I think it's best if I give up on this treasure. After all, I want to bring him into our clan later."

"Indeed, Young Lady. This could leave a good impression on him, which will be useful when we approach his VIP room to personally invite him to join our clan," Veni said, her smile proud and confident.

"I hope so," Heidi replied with a sigh. "If not, I'll have to find another way to convince him. At any cost, I must bring him into our clan."

Veni nodded in agreement. "You're right, Young Lady. He's far too valuable. We must do everything we can to win him over. Thankfully, Young Master Elias from the Silver Family failed to recruit him."

"And let's not forget how publicly humiliated Elias was by Yuan," Heidi added with a soft giggle. "That incident dealt a huge blow to the Silver Family's reputation."

"60,000 gold coins!"

Princess Livia's voice rang out again as she raised the bid. Her determination was evident—she wasn't going to let this treasure slip through her fingers. While she didn't have a specific use for the lotus flower, she couldn't bear the thought of it falling into an enemy's hands.

Although she didn't know much about Yuan, she had a feeling they wouldn't get along well.

Meanwhile, inside the VIP room, Valeria gritted her teeth in frustration as she used her Divine Sense to observe Princess Livia. Her anger flared as the princess continued to raise the bid.

"That bitch from the Holy Empire… Let's see if you can keep bidding after this," Valeria muttered, a furious grin spreading across her face. She decided it was time to make Livia back down willingly.

"80,000 gold coins!" Valeria announced after taking a deep breath to calm herself. Her confident voice echoed throughout the stadium, drawing the attention of the entire crowd.

Turning to Yuan, she asked, "Husband, what do you think? Did I bid too much?"

Yuan smiled softly. "It's far too little if these fools knew the true value of this treasure. Unfortunately, they don't, and I doubt they'd spend a hundred thousand gold coins on something they consider useless."

As he spoke, he pulled Valeria closer and kissed her passionately, leaving Little Zoe and Miss Zara stunned as they watched.

'This is unbelievable… Why is he flirting in front of us? And why… why am I feeling this strange desire to be in his embrace? To kiss him like that?' Miss Zara sighed inwardly, her thoughts spiraling in ways that left her confused and flustered.

In another VIP room, Princess Livia clenched her teeth in frustration. Her eyes burned with anger as she glared at VIP Room Number 1.

"I can't believe they bid 80,000 gold coins for a flower like this… It's absurd!" she fumed.

Arthur, seated beside her, shook his head in disbelief. "They must be out of their minds. Spending that much on a flower—it's a complete waste of money."