Lin Ran sat calmly on the chair.
Xiao Yixian stood respectfully behind him, though her bright eyes wandered curiously around the room.
After waiting for a while, the staff member returned — this time, accompanied by two elderly men. Behind each elder was a familiar young woman.
Looking closely — weren't those the same Lin Fei and Xue Mei who had just left?
"Fifth-grade pills? Are you serious? Since when did Black Rock City have fifth-grade alchemists?!"
Before they had even entered, Lin Fei's urgent voice rang out as she clung to one of the elders' arms, closely following the staff member.
"Young Miss, the pill's medicinal aroma was thick and well-formed. It's without a doubt a fifth-grade pill. I'm fairly confident, but I still need the two masters to confirm."
"Fifth-grade pills are extremely rare and valuable. Even for Dou Wang experts, they're considered great treasures. It's only prudent to double-check."
The elder being pulled along by Lin Fei spoke in a steady tone:
"But you said the owner of that pill is a young man? And that he brought out three pills?"
"Yes. Three jade bottles. I only opened one, but judging by the young man's expression, the other two should be of similar grade."
"Three fifth-grade pills, huh? Seems this auction really might stir up a storm..."
"That boy's not a local, is he?"
"Definitely not. I can't think of any faction in Black Rock City that could casually produce three fifth-grade pills. He's probably from the Imperial Capital."
"Or perhaps... not even from the Jia Ma Empire."
The idle chatter grew louder as the group entered the room.
Aside from the staff member, who remained respectfully silent, Lin Fei and Xue Mei both gasped in unison the moment they saw Lin Ran.
"It's you?!"
"You're the one with the fifth-grade pills?!"
"You two know this young man?" Otto asked curiously, glancing at Lin Fei and Xue Mei.
The two girls exchanged a glance, their faces flushing red.
They had not only cut in line earlier, but Lin Fei had even mocked him, saying he wouldn't have anything worth appraising. Now, it turned out he'd brought out three fifth-grade pills.
And their own teachers... were merely fourth-grade alchemists, incapable of refining such pills.
"N-No... we just happened to run into him earlier while getting our pills evaluated," Xue Mei replied quietly, looking embarrassed.
Lin Fei lowered her head in shame.
The two old men didn't ask further questions. Frank merely nodded and walked over to Lin Ran, his eyes locking onto the three jade bottles on the table. He cupped his hands politely.
"Young master, may I examine these pills?"
"If we weren't waiting for your appraisal, would we still be sitting here?"
Xiao Yixian huffed softly.
"Please hurry. It's not anything that rare or special."
Lin Fei and Xue Mei looked even more embarrassed.
The elders found their reaction odd but said nothing.
After all — the pills took priority. For any fourth-grade alchemist yearning to break through, this was an irresistible opportunity.
"Recovery Pill! Otto, this is a fifth-grade Recovery Pill! Weren't you just gathering ingredients to try making one?!"
"What?!"
Otto rushed forward and stared at the green pill in Frank's palm. A rich, vibrant fragrance rose from the surface — fresh and filled with life.
Most notably, a deep green ripple could be seen running across the surface of the pill.
"It's not only a fifth-grade Recovery Pill — it even has a pill vein!"
"The medicinal energy is incredibly potent. Refining something of this quality... a typical fifth-grade alchemist couldn't manage it. Only someone like Pill King Gu He could pull this off."
The two elders leaned over the table, inspecting the pill carefully, murmuring in admiration and awe.
After a long while, they straightened up and exchanged a glance.
Then they turned toward the staff member and nodded.
"Rest assured. This pill is genuine — a proper fifth-grade pill, with excellent potency."
"Thank you, masters!"
The staff member breathed a visible sigh of relief.
His tone grew even more respectful as he turned toward Lin Ran.
"Esteemed sir, according to Black Rock Auction's standard pricing, this Recovery Pill would begin at no less than one million gold coins."
"One million?!" Xiao Yixian's hand tensed around her sleeve. Her breathing grew visibly rapid.
"Yes, one million," the staff confirmed respectfully.
"And with Master Otto and Chairman Frank's appraisal, the final price will likely exceed that. The estimated sale value ranges between 1.5 million to 1.8 million gold coins."
One and a half million...
One point eight million...!
The massive numbers made Xiao Yixian feel dizzy.
Lin Ran, on the other hand, remained calm and composed.
"A fair price," he said lightly.
"Now, check the other two pills."
"Yes, sir!"
The staff took a deep breath and reached toward the remaining two bottles.
But just as his hand was about to touch them, two icy gazes locked onto him — and his arm froze midair.
After a moment of realization, he hurriedly stepped aside and gestured for Otto and Frank to take his place.
"My apologies. Compared to the two masters, I'm far less qualified. I'll let them appraise the rest."
"Suit yourself."
"Excellent, excellent!"
With Lin Ran's permission, Otto looked like a child handed his favorite toy. He gleefully picked up one of the jade bottles and poured out the pill inside.
The two remaining pills looked just like the previous Recovery Pill — both bright green in color.
But the instant they appeared, a rich, overpowering medicinal fragrance filled the entire room.
"This... This is!"
Both Otto and Frank froze.
Their eyes widened to the extreme, as if they were staring at a once-in-a-lifetime treasure.
Even though they were only fourth-grade alchemists, they instantly recognized these pills.
They didn't need to rely on markings or special traits. These two pills were famous across the entire Dou Qi Continent — there wasn't an alchemist alive who wouldn't know them.
Because these were the most renowned and sought-after pills among all fifth-grade elixirs.
Peak fifth-grade.
Dou Spirit Pills!
(End of Chapter)