Chapter 466: Our Young Master Has Bought It!

As a four-star peak treasure appraiser, having an understanding of this profession down to the bone, being able to analyze the author based on brushwork and painting characteristics is already incredibly impressive. Directly determining that the painting was done after drinking, with mistakes, and that the name and signature were deliberately destroyed... Is this something that can be seen through treasure appraisal?

Not only did Pavilion Master Sai think this way, but Zhao Feiwu and Luo Qin were also completely dumbfounded, staring intently, wanting to know how he knew so much.

"Hehe!"

Seeing their gazes, Zhang Xuan smiled lightly: "Treasure appraisal not only requires identifying the age of the treasure, but more importantly, putting oneself in the other's shoes and guessing what they were doing, so as to gain a deeper understanding."

"This painting appears neat, but in reality, it is irregular. Everyone knows that the most important thing in appraising calligraphy and painting is symmetry, but this one is higher on the left and lower on the right, giving a sense of tilting to the left. Clearly, the painter was unsteady on his feet and should have been lying on the rice paper. Look here, here, and here—you can see that only lying down would be most suitable..."

"As for the white bird you questioned, with short wings, white beak, black claws, red head, and a thin body, it doesn't match any real bird at first glance, so indeed it's hard to know what species it is!"

"But look closely: the painting is filled with reeds everywhere, and there are purple new flowers blooming. These two things are the white bird's favorites. Most crucially, one bird holds a blade of grass in its beak!"

Zhang Xuan pointed.

Everyone indeed saw a white bird in the painting holding a thin blade of grass in its beak.

"This grass is nine-tenths similar to puyecao. Puyecao contains deadly poison, and no spirit beasts like it, so it misleads people. But what if this is baijue root?"

"The root of baijue grass resembles puyecao, and some medicinal herb suppliers even deliberately pass off the fake as real... The latter, white birds won't touch, but baijue grass root is their favorite..."

"This..."

Pavilion Master Sai and Luo Qin both stiffened.

What the other said was meticulous and without error; following this analysis, it would be easy to identify it as the white bird.

"Once the bird species is determined, the rest becomes simple. Observe carefully: the painting was done in one breath, not using the most common line drawing, but expressing the mind directly. How could a super calligrapher-painter capable of producing a sixth-level work overlook such basic issues? Most crucially... there are traces of corrections on the bird! Combined with the earlier inference, it can be easily guessed that it was done while drunk!"

"Having deduced so much, knowing the name and origin becomes easy..."

With a curl of his lips, Zhang Xuan explained.

This was not nonsense; as a third-level or higher calligrapher-painter, knowing the result made reverse reasoning much easier. Combined with the flaws given by the library, problems could be easily identified.

However, if one didn't know the answer, relying solely on observation to see these things would be extremely difficult, almost impossible.

"This, this..."

Seeing him speak with eloquence and reason, everyone in the room was frantic.

Only then did Pavilion Master Sai realize that the other's treasure appraisal skill was indeed more than twice as strong as his, not even on the same level.

"I must report to headquarters immediately. With such insight and ability, his appraisal level has at least reached five stars, or even... higher!"

Swallowing his saliva, he made a decision inwardly.

The level of the person before him had already surpassed the scope of the Ten Thousand Nations Alliance, and was even stronger than a five-star treasure appraiser.

Such a genius must be reported to headquarters as soon as possible, so that a pearl does not gather dust.

"Alright, don't delay the auction. Take it and auction it off!"

After explaining, Zhang Xuan glanced around, seeing that the entire auction house was stirred, with everyone's gaze focused on him, and waved his hand.

"Yes!" Luo Qin finally came to his senses, picked up the painting with both hands, and retreated.

Before long, Elder Chen's voice on the auction stage rang out, filled with shock, as if even he couldn't believe it: "Ladies and gentlemen, you have all witnessed the scene just now. A seventh-level calligraphy and painting was born here, and we have all witnessed this glorious moment together!"

"The painting itself was made by the great calligraphy and painting master Wu Xuanzi from eight hundred years ago, and was personally inscribed by a new great master, triggering a surge of spirituality, directly breaking through from the peak of the sixth level!"

"A seventh-level painting, the first seventh-level painting in the Ten Thousand Nations Alliance, a perfect collaboration between predecessor and successor. Not to say there will be no successors, but it is certainly unprecedented!"

Elder Chen's voice grew more excited: "Now, the owner of this painting intends to auction it. Starting price: eight thousand spirit stones! Each increase must be no less than one thousand. Bidding begins!"

"Is this painting really for sale? Great, I want to buy it..."

"A base price of eight thousand spirit stones? Although expensive, it's worth it. Quickly notify the family, mortgage the property, and buy it!"

"No matter the cost..."

...

Hearing that the painting was actually up for auction, everyone below was in an uproar, each falling into a frenzy.

A seventh-level painting, never seen before in the Ten Thousand Nations Alliance; buying one would be worth going bankrupt!

Not to mention anything else, reselling it could easily double the price.

"I bid nine thousand!"

"Ten thousand!"

"Eleven thousand!"

...

The price skyrocketed instantly.

"This..." Zhang Xuan blinked as he looked at the frenzied crowd below.

He had thought that Pavilion Master Sai, with his appraiser profession, couldn't produce three thousand spirit stones, and selling for five thousand was the absolute limit. He never dreamed it would skyrocket to over ten thousand.

"It's the same for Elder Chen and me—our money has all gone into collecting treasures. The spirit stones we can actually use aren't that much. Besides, I'm just one person, while they represent entire forces and great families..."

Seeing his confusion, Pavilion Master Sai smiled bitterly.

Logically, with an appraiser profession, one could make money quickly and should have considerable wealth, no weaker than those below.

Unfortunately, his money was all tied up in stored treasures; his liquid funds were limited, and being able to produce three thousand was already his limit.

But those below were different. A family or a force, with thousands of years of accumulation, possessed astonishing wealth. Ten thousand spirit stones was something he couldn't produce, but for these people, it was at most a painful loss. As long as they found a way to resell, they would not only recoup their costs but also make a huge profit.

...

Inside a private room at the auction house.

A young man sat by the window, poised like a crouching tiger or coiled dragon, exuding an air of arrogance.

Behind him stood an old man who, though not displaying his cultivation, gave off a sense of unfathomable depth, like an abyss or a sea. His strength was likely no less than Jin Conghai's, if not greater.

"A seventh-level painting? Interesting!"

Seeing Elder Chen below display "Drunken Dream Awakening," the young man's eyes flickered.

"Young master, are you interested?" The old man bowed.

"A seventh-level painting is a treasure even for a sect. Buying it will surely benefit my supplementary profession of calligraphy and painting." The young man nodded.

"Then I'll buy it!"

The old man nodded and was about to bid.

"Not so fast. Let them bid a bit, and then we'll speak." The young man waved his hand.

"Yes!" The old man hesitated: "But... I'm afraid that if the price gets too high later, the spirit stones we brought won't be enough to buy the Soul-less Gold Man..."

"The Soul-less Gold Man is related to the profession of Witch Spirit Master. If I can obtain some useful information and bring it back to the sect, my status will instantly skyrocket, and I'll gain the attention of the Master Hall... Becoming the top among the younger generation is only a matter of time."

The young man smiled lightly: "But... don't worry about that. I've already inquired specifically about the Soul-less Gold Man. The person auctioning this item seems unwilling to sell it for spirit stones."

"Not for spirit stones?"

The old man was taken aback.

If it's put up for sale, isn't it to make money? What do you mean by not wanting to sell it for spirit stones?

"I heard this guy's lifespan is almost up. If his cultivation can't break through the bottleneck, spirit stones are just useless junk. If I'm not mistaken, what he wants is course jade talismans, and the higher the level, the better," said the young man.

Spirit stones, though representing wealth, become just a string of numbers once a certain amount is reached.

If cultivation can't break through and lifespan can't be extended, sooner or later you'll turn to dust and vanish from the world... When a person is dead, what use is more money?

It's better to exchange for a master's course jade talisman. If by chance you can break through, it's definitely much better than just getting some spirit stones.

Moreover, with increased strength, isn't it easy to make money?

No matter where, strength is still the most important and fundamental; everything else is external.

"If it's just course jade talismans, then it's indeed simple... The young master himself is a gifted master. Guiding a nobody from this place to advance shouldn't be hard!" The old man understood and smiled slightly.

"Of course. In this master competition, I'm at least aiming for the top five!"

The young man's face showed strong confidence.

"The young master's talent is unmatched. Whether in mental calibration or understanding of martial arts, you far surpass ordinary people. I think not just top five, but top three is no problem!" said the old man.

"Top three... that's hard to say. Those few are not easy to deal with. But I'm not afraid either; it depends on who's in better form on the day!"

His expression turned serious for a moment, then the young man waved his hand and looked toward the auction hall: "Alright, it's almost over. Make a bid! By the way, I still have use for spirit stones, don't waste them."

"Yes!"

The old man nodded.

By now, the price had been called out enough. Even though there were many wealthy families and major powers in the auction hall, faced with such a price, they hesitated and had to stop.

"Twenty thousand spirit stones once, twenty thousand spirit stones twice. Is there any higher bid? If not, this painting 'Drunken Dream Awakening' will be sold to the friend in Box 14..."

Elder Chen looked around.

...

"Twenty thousand spirit stones? I can't believe a painting sold for so much money..." Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up as he watched the bidding price below.

"Yeah, it seems no one else will compete. Twenty thousand spirit stones, this is... much faster than earning money through trials!" Sun Qiang also nodded excitedly.

Before their words had faded, an old man's voice rang out.

"Hold on. Twenty-one four-star course jade talismans. Our young master buys this painting!"