Chapter 495: On-the-Spot Fusion

Chapter 495: On-the-Spot Fusion

As Cang Hao revealed the exotic species, Ji Xinghuo nonchalantly glanced at it, showing no intention of joining the bidding. However, in his field of vision, an interface popped up.

【Exotic Species: Magnetic Pole Potential Slash】

【Grade: Starfall】

【Fusion Success Rate: 99%, 78%, 34%, 75%】

【Upgradable: Yes】

From nearly a thousand kilometers away, the Macrocosmic Eye had detected the information of the exotic species in Cang Hao's hand. Ji Xinghuo was not surprised by the 99% fusion success rate, as this exotic species was originally the most suitable for electromagnetically-attuned individuals.

The Magnetic Pole Potential Slash exotic species had a peculiar form.

Its main body was a black iron block with coil-like metal wires on its surface, resembling an electronic component but with a roughness that made it hard to discern if it was naturally formed or artificially created.

Ji Xinghuo's gaze swept the audience and noticed that most people who showed interest in the exotic species were electromagnetically-attuned.

"Let the bidding begin!"

As soon as Cang Hao finished speaking, hundreds of number plates were raised.

"Guest number 3230 bids..." Cang Hao hadn't even finished speaking when someone shouted, "130,000 dragon crystals!"

The bidder was a Dragon Lord, unconcealed in his aura, displaying the possession of a Thunder Dragon vein.

A single increment of 30,000 dragon crystals immediately deterred most of the bidders.

The median value of a Starfall exotic species was around 20,000 dragon crystals, and only the top-tier ones could sell for over 30,000.

It was extremely rare for one to reach 50,000 dragon crystals.

Such exotic species were either very rare and priceless, making them difficult to acquire even with money, or they were extremely powerful and in high demand, or perhaps they fulfilled both criteria.

For example, the Titanium-Cobalt Dragon Body was a Starfall exotic species that was both rare and powerful, hence its transaction price of 520,000 dragon crystals.

On the other hand, Magnetic Pole Potential Slash was only rare.

Although it was also powerful, the market demand wasn't as intense, and its price was artificially inflated due to monopolized sourcing.

Normally, the value of Magnetic Pole Potential Slash would be around 50,000 dragon crystals.

With a starting bid of 100,000, it was already severely overpriced.

Now, with a bid of 130,000, the competition was clearly intense, and most of the bidders had given up. No one had come by their dragon crystals easily, and each bid increment of 5,000 crystals was a significant amount. Even for a sixth-rank individual, many Star Saints would feel the pinch, let alone a sixth-rank Beast Tamer.

Of course, there were still those willing to bid.

After a few seconds of silence, several number plates were raised, and Cang Hao shouted, "Guest number 13562 bids 135,000 dragon crystals."

Immediately afterward, there were consecutive bids.

The pace wasn't particularly fast.

Each bidder considered carefully before deciding to raise their offer.

They were almost all electromagnetically-attuned, be it Magnetic Maniacs, Electric Field Stringers, or their corresponding advanced professions: Thunder Battle Generals, Electric Machine Masters, Storm Lords, Magnetic Tempest Martial Saints, or Electric Light Bringers.

Ji Xinghuo had witnessed almost all the advanced professions of Magnetic Maniacs, as well as a few Electromagnetic Hegemons like himself.

There were also those from races inherently gifted with thunder and lightning-related talents, such as the Lightning Giants, the Winged or Geomagnetic People of the Zixiao Clan.

Additionally, there were Dragon Lords possessing Thunder Dragon veins.

Ji Xinghuo recognized several Dragon Lords from the Titanium-Cobalt families: the Yuan Magnet Clan, the Xiaoyu Clan, and the Tingguang Clan. All three Titanium-Cobalt families were represented, and while not all of them possessed Titanium-Cobalt Dragons, they were electromagnetically-attuned.

With each bid, the price rose by 5,000 dragon crystals, reaching 160,000.

Previously, the highest transaction record for Magnetic Pole Potential Slash was 170,000, and they were approaching that mark.

But there were still several people in the running.

"Guest number 766 bids 170,000 dragon crystals," Cang Hao said, looking toward a balcony not far from the VIP seats.

Ji Xinghuo also turned to look, surprise in his eyes.

The bidder was Titanium-Cobalt Blue.

"She wants Magnetic Pole Potential Slash, too?" Ji Xinghuo was somewhat surprised. Titanium-Cobalt Blue's advancement leaned more toward Electric Field Stringers, specializing in spirit abilities rather than close-quarters martial prowess. Magnetic Pole Potential Slash didn't seem like a necessary choice for her.

He then guessed that it might be intended for Titanium-Cobalt Zhenhe.

But how did Titanium-Cobalt Zhenhe come by so much money? Although he was a core member of the Titanium-Cobalt family and enjoyed high treatment, it would still be difficult for him to obtain such a large amount of dragon crystals for bidding, especially since his weapon of choice was a spear, which didn't match Magnetic Pole Potential Slash.

It was even more impossible for Titanium-Cobalt Qingwei, who had only recently advanced to the legendary realm.

"Could it be for me?"

Ji Xinghuo found the situation amusing.

He then guessed that it might have been Titanium-Cobalt Qingwei's idea, but even if they combined the wealth of Titanium-Cobalt Blue and Titanium-Cobalt Qingwei, it wouldn't be enough to secure Magnetic Pole Potential Slash.

As expected, someone immediately raised their number plate.

Cang Hao shouted, "Guest number 1805 bids 175,000!"

This bidder was a sixth-rank peak Dragon Lord.

Ji Xinghuo sensed a familiar aura from the bidder—that of a Titanium-Cobalt Dragon.

From the discussions around him, he learned that this person was "Titanium-Cobalt QingShan," from the Xiaoyu Clan of the Titanium-Cobalt family.

However, his moment of triumph was short-lived.

Someone raised their plaque, pushing the price to 180,000 dragon crystals.

Titanium-Cobalt QingShan turned abruptly, and there sat a peculiar race, towering at over two meters tall even while seated. Their body vaguely resembled a human form, but their facial features were incomplete and squished together, making them hard to discern. Their skin was rough like stone, with sporadic metallic reflections, and their limbs were thick and cumbersome, as if they were a doll molded from natural minerals.

This was a Geomagnetic Person.

In the Milky Way galaxy, many planets in the depths of the earth give birth to peculiar races, including the Geomagnetic People.

Having evolved in a high-pressure, highly magnetic environment, they innately possessed mastery over magnetic fields.

The number of Geomagnetic People was not high, but they were also not considered rare.

However, this particular Geomagnetic Person was not someone to be trifled with, as he sat in the VIP area balcony, a Star Saint.

"Lord Tianyi," Titanium-Cobalt QingShan's expression instantly turned respectful as he greeted the Geomagnetic Person.

Tianyi remained still as a statue, but an electromagnetic wave emanated from him, spreading to everyone in the room and transforming into a brainwave message, a simple "hm" in response.

Seeing a Star Saint make a bid, several other aliens who had been preparing to raise their plaques put their plans on hold.

But not everyone was ready to give up.

"Guest number 766 bids 185,000," Cang Hao announced.

Titanium-Cobalt Blue raised her plaque once more.

While others feared offending the Geomagnetic Person, the Titanium-Cobalt family was unafraid; after all, this was a public auction.

Titanium-Cobalt QingShan also raised his plaque, bidding 190,000 dragon crystals.

A sixth-rank Thunder Giant joined in the bidding as well, and just as Tianyi was about to lift the plaque floating beside him, Cang Hao suddenly shouted, "Guest number 35012 bids 195,000!"

This number was unfamiliar, a first-time bidder.

Everyone looked over and saw a very unfamiliar Savage, sitting alone on the balcony with the corresponding number. His appearance was plain, his aura restrained, and it was impossible to sense if he was an electromagnetic alien or not.

However, there was no rule stating that only electromagnetic aliens could participate in the bidding.

Cang Hao's announcement was valid.

This Savage was, in fact, a shadow clone of Ji Xinghuo.

Now was the perfect time to bid, for if he waited until Tianyi was about to win the auction, it would truly be a slap in the face.

As expected, Ji Xinghuo sensed an electromagnetic wave sweep over his shadow clone, and Tianyi, who had been still as a mountain up until now, opened a slit at the eye position, revealing a strange gaze that fell upon the clone.

Several Star Saints were also observing the clone.

"Shadow clone," someone nodded slightly, realizing that this Savage was merely a shadow clone. The aliens around them nodded in understanding.

However, this did not violate any rules.

As long as the Cang Long family permitted it, verified the funds and resources, and issued a plaque, even a clone could participate in the bidding.

Many of the Star Saints present were also only clones, which did not affect the auction proceedings.

In fact, some had not even sent their clones, instead sending a battle pet to bid on their behalf—a black and white furred, Fallen-grade wolf-like battle pet sat proudly on a balcony, looking every bit like a human, and each time it raised its plaque, the bid was valid.

Tianyi lifted his plaque.

A voice rang out in everyone's minds: "210,000."

He directly added 15,000 dragon crystals to the bid.

Titanium-Cobalt Blue hesitated for a few seconds before shaking her head at Titanium-Cobalt Qingwei beside her. She whispered something, then stopped bidding. This price had far exceeded her expectations, and even if she won the exotic species, it would be a loss.

Titanium-Cobalt QingShan was still deep in thought.

However, Ji Xinghuo's shadow clone raised its plaque once more.

"Guest number 35012 bids 215,000 dragon crystals," Cang Hao announced.

This prompted Titanium-Cobalt QingShan to make a decision, and he seemed to want to make one last attempt as he resolutely raised his plaque.

"Guest number 1805 bids 220,000," Cang Hao said, his voice just trailing off.

Tianyi immediately raised his plaque, adding another 5,000 dragon crystals to the bid.

Titanium-Cobalt QingShan wore a helpless expression.

If it had been any other competitor, he could have tried to negotiate or appeal to the prestige of the Titanium-Cobalt family of the Xiaoyu Clan. But faced with a Star Saint, he could only back down.

Ji Xinghuo, however, had no such qualms. As soon as Tianyi bid, his shadow clone immediately followed suit.

"230,000 dragon crystals!"

Tianyi continued to bid.

"235,000."

"240,000."

"245,000."

The shadow clone and Tianyi took turns bidding, one after the other, the price rising with each exchange. The aliens' heads turned back and forth, and Cang Hao only announced the current bid price without stating the bidder's number each time a plaque was raised.

When Tianyi bid 245,000, the price had nearly reached Ji Xinghuo's expected upper limit, a fivefold increase, which was very unprofitable.

Ji Xinghuo thought to himself, but his shadow clone's actions showed no hesitation as it immediately raised its plaque, appearing determined to win at all costs, as if it would keep increasing its bid without a care, even breaking past 300,000 dragon crystals.

"250,000!" Cang Hao shouted.

The aliens' gazes turned to Tianyi, and the Star Saint's bid was equally formidable, showing no signs of backing down.

For a Star Saint, 250,000 dragon crystals was indeed a substantial sum, but it was within their means.

Just as everyone thought Tianyi would bid again, he remained still.

"You win," a voice echoed in everyone's minds, calm and unperturbed. Tianyi's expression remained neutral as he said, "I intended to buy this exotic species for research, but since you want it so badly, I won't contest it."

Though his words seemed amicable, everyone could hear the underlying message—he believed the exotic species was overpriced and not worth it.

Ji Xinghuo was also surprised by this turn of events.

"Sold for 250,000 dragon crystals! Congratulations, guest number 35012!" Cang Hao announced loudly, and the bronze drums in the sky were struck by water hammers, the sound reverberating through the clouds.

Bang!

A squad of Cang Dragon Family's Dragon Guards arrived on the balcony. Ji Xinghuo's shadow clone took out 25 dragon crystals from the dimensional ring, each crystal worth 10,000 ether crystals.

Cang Hao waved his hand, and the exotic species flew towards the shadow clone, who caught it and immediately stored it in the dimensional ring without inspecting it further.

The next auction item was presented, and the auction continued.

Ji Xinghuo's shadow clone remained quiet.

Some people noticed this mysterious Savage, wondering about his immense wealth, which was worth at least 250,000 dragon crystals. A few glances were cast his way, but they found his aura restrained and difficult to probe, so they refrained from making any hasty moves.

Even a Star Saint wouldn't dare to act openly in front of so many witnesses.

Ji Xinghuo also remained still, watching the auction while secretly observing the whole venue. Xu Kun Tianlin kept shooting covert glances at him.

"Hehe..."

Ji Xinghuo smirked inwardly.

He knew that if he had participated in the bidding himself or asked Cang Ya to do so, it would have drawn Xu Kun Tianlin's attention, leading to potential interference. Perhaps there would have been some unexpected twist in the bidding for Magnetic Pole Potential Slash, and from there, his identity might have been deduced.

Time passed, and one item after another was sold.

Ji Xinghuo's shadow clone didn't bid again and only occasionally ordered refreshments. Aside from a handful of observant individuals, everyone else's attention was captured by the valuable treasures worth millions of dragon crystals, resulting in intense bidding wars. No one paid any mind to a solitary Savage.

Ji Xinghuo maintained his role as a mere spectator and didn't participate in any of the auctions.

Several hours later, in the afternoon...

Cang Ya instructed the attendants to bring a new batch of food and drinks, and soon, two servants arrived with the refreshments.

Cang Ya's gaze briefly swept over one of the attendants, but she said nothing.

Ji Xinghuo casually picked up a pastry and popped it into his mouth, then flashed a meaningful smile at Cang Ya.

His shadow clone had successfully obtained the dimensional ring.

The attendant from earlier was another one of his shadow clones, and through two transfers, the dimensional ring had been discreetly delivered. Holding the ring, he felt relieved, knowing that it contained the dragon crystals from the sale of the Titanium-Cobalt Dragon Body, as well as hundreds of thousands of ether crystals.

It also held the Magnetic Pole Potential Slash exotic species.

Ji Xinghuo willed it, and the exotic species appeared in his palm, invisible to others. After a few seconds of examination, he decided to proceed with the fusion.

The fusion process for Magnetic Pole Potential Slash was straightforward—he just needed to infuse it into his body.

With a slight exertion of force...

As a strand of electromagnetic stellar power was channeled into it, the exotic species, resembling an electronic component, seamlessly embedded itself into his palm, melting like ice and transforming into a peculiar energy that merged with his hand, becoming one with his electromagnetic stellar power.

The exotic species flowed into his Magnetic Spirit Star Core and then spread throughout his body.

Ji Xinghuo's spirits lifted.

Suddenly, he felt his consciousness undergoing a subtle transformation as electromagnetic polarization was automatically triggered, but it wasn't overly intense, and the Mask of Deception easily concealed the leakage of energy, maintaining a calm exterior.

His electromagnetic sensing extended outward, enhancing his perception of the star sector's magnetic field and granting him a preliminary ability to interfere with it.

Ji Xinghuo's heart stirred with understanding.

This was a technique that allowed him to synchronize with external magnetic fields by adjusting his own electromagnetic field, amplifying the magnetic force's potential energy and releasing extremely high-energy attacks!

Once the exotic species' energy was fully absorbed, the information in the Myriad Phenomenon Star Pupils also updated.

【Exotic Ability: Magnetic Pole Potential Slash (Tier 1, 1/1601)】

【Fusions: 3】

At the same time, due to the fusion of a new exotic ability, his stellar power had increased slightly.

Ji Xinghuo glanced around and saw that the auction was still ongoing. However, no one, not even Cang Ya, had noticed his fusion of the exotic species, so he immediately channeled spiritual source energy to upgrade Magnetic Pole Potential Slash.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end