Opening Remarks

For Kent, the more benefits he could gain, the better, and the same went for everyone else.

In this world, where people come and go, all are after profits. If you have the chance to make money and don't take it, others will just call you a fool.

In fact, Kent was keeping something under wraps for now—something that the Kylin had told him about. It concerned the usage of the Red Fire Ore. Once it was revealed during the auction, it would undoubtedly spark even more intense bidding.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

Many corporations, families, and large groups had arrived, including some big mercenary groups. After all, Red Fire Ore was incredibly convenient for starting fires in the wilderness. The sooner one bid, the cheaper the price would be.

Seeing this, Kent immediately announced that the auction would start the next day.

The participants in the auction finally relaxed a bit; fewer competitors meant less intense bidding.

The next day, the auction site was set up, and all participants arrived early. To maintain order, Qian Zhen Qian had brought dozens of members from the Hong Dao Mercenary Group to ensure everything ran smoothly.

Kent didn't host the auction himself. He wasn't skilled at it and didn't want to take the spotlight, so he invited the renowned auctioneer from Earthstar City, Yu Hewei, a man in his 50s with a slight touch of gray in his hair.

Yu Hewei stepped onto the stage and, at Kent's request, began his introduction.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen." He cleared his throat. "I'm sure many of you recognize me. For those who don't, my name is Yu Hewei, from Earthstar City, just like all of you. I've been invited by Young Master Kent to host today's auction."

"Now, who is Young Master Kent, you might wonder? I'm sure most of you have seen him around these past few days. He is the youngest One-Star Inspector in Earthstar City's history and also an exceptionally skilled Beast Master. As for how skilled, well, I haven't personally witnessed it, so I can't describe it myself."

"However, through his skills as a Beast Master, Young Master Kent struck a deal with the Kylin, the Divine Fire Kylin of the Mowling Secret Realm. The Red Fire Ore we are auctioning today was obtained with his Beast Master abilities. Even the Kylin, a being as powerful as the Divine Fire Kylin, relies on Young Master Kent. I'm sure that speaks volumes about his abilities."

"Well then, enough small talk. It's quite rare for me to host an auction like this. It's not that I haven't hosted auctions in the wilderness before, but this one is special because it's only for one item. I apologize for the simplicity of it. But let me tell you, the Red Fire Ore is no ordinary item."

"The Red Fire Ore was not formed by the heavens and earth, but rather by the Kylin's unique ability to focus and condense the surrounding fire energy over time. This process eventually forms the Red Fire Ore. Depending on quality, it comes in low, mid, and high grades. The high-grade Red Fire Ore is reserved for the Kylin's own use, which is why today we are auctioning mid- and low-grade Red Fire Ore."

As a seasoned auctioneer, Yu Hewei spoke calmly and clearly, pacing his words like telling a story, which allowed everyone to follow along rather than just aggressively stimulating bids.

The audience was filled with influential individuals, many of whom had seen their fair share of events. They were not easily swayed, and Red Fire Ore, despite its practicality, was just a mineral—not a magical creature—so it wasn't something that would overly excite them.

Kent, sitting among the bidders, quietly watched Yu Hewei's opening speech. Li Wan Feng and Qian Zhen Qian were also seated beside him.

With nearly a thousand mercenaries guarding the Red Fire Ore, there was little to worry about. If anything tried to disrupt the auction, Li Wan Feng and Qian Zhen Qian would take care of it immediately.

Yu Hewei smiled and continued, "Now, you must be wondering, what exactly is the Red Fire Ore used for? Let me give you a quick demonstration."

He picked up a piece of low-grade Red Fire Ore and placed it on the ground. After lighting it with a lighter for five seconds, a "poof" sound rang out, and the ore immediately caught fire, shooting a half-foot-high flame. The fire crackled and burned brightly.

"See that? This low-grade Red Fire Ore contains a rich fire element. It can burn for an entire night, and putting it out is simple."

He grabbed a basket of dirt and poured it over the burning ore. Immediately, the fire was extinguished.

"If the Red Fire Ore gets wet, some of the fire energy may dissipate, which affects its longevity. So, it's not recommended to use water to extinguish it."

"Now that you've seen the Red Fire Ore in action, I'm sure you have some ideas about its uses. Undoubtedly, it's the perfect fuel for mercenaries and Beast Masters when camping in the wilderness. A single piece can keep a fire going inside a cave all night, much more convenient than using monster oils."

"Moreover, the Red Fire Ore can be absorbed by fire attribute Beast Masters to increase their fire energy, or it can be refined into fire attribute weapons. Of course, the most common use is as an energy source. The method of using it is quite simple—just a little thought, and you'll figure it out. I won't demonstrate it here."

Yu Hewei noticed the growing excitement among the bidders and knew that the Red Fire Ore had already captured their interest. It was such a versatile item: it could be used as fuel, a resource, a nutrient, and a material. It was truly multi-purpose.

Everyone was eager to bid on as much as possible. After all, the Red Fire Ore had taken the Kylin three thousand years to form. It was a non-renewable resource, so the more they could get, the longer they could use it.

However, Yu Hewei took a sip of tea and smiled. "I'm sure you're all feeling quite eager now, but there's more to the Red Fire Ore than what I've mentioned so far. It has one more use, and it's a rather significant one."

"What? There's more?" The bidders were even more surprised. The Red Fire Ore was already impressive enough, and now there was another purpose?

Some of them furrowed their brows. The more uses it had, the more expensive it would be, but they only needed the ore for one particular purpose—fuel, material, or energy.

Kent maintained a smile. The final use was something the Kylin had shared with him, and it was a secret that only the Kylin knew. Ordinary people would never think of it.

Yu Hewei smiled again. "Please, everyone, stay calm. Let me show you this final use."

He took out a piece of medium-grade Red Fire Ore and ten pieces of low-grade Red Fire Ore. He arranged them on the ground to form a special pattern, something like a formation.

But that wasn't all—he took out the same number of ores and arranged them in a similar pattern ten yards away.

"Watch closely, everyone. A miracle is about to happen."

Yu Hewei bit his finger and dripped blood onto the medium-grade Red Fire Ore in the first formation. Then, standing in the center of the first formation, the ore immediately released a bright, intense flame, surrounding him.

Next, Yu Hewei stepped into the flame and vanished from the first formation, only to appear in the second one.

"This..."

The bidders' eyes widened, their breaths growing quicker with excitement.