【Interstellar Contract Magician】Ruyuanke

As the full image of the scroll appeared on the screen, the atmosphere in the entire venue suddenly froze. The scroll's surface shimmered faintly with a blue light. The runes along its edges had worn, revealing the traces of time, as if containing ancient secrets spanning time and space. The metal frame inlaid on the scroll reflected a mysterious luster under the light, giving it a strong appeal.

The auctioneer's voice rang out again, tinged with awe and excitement. "Everyone, this is a relic from an ancient empire thousands of years ago. It's rumored to contain lost forbidden magic, even the power to change fate. It once belonged to a legendary archmage, who, using this scroll as the core, wove countless forbidden spells, the power of which even the empire of the time couldn't fully grasp. Today, its existence is extremely rare. To possess it means to grasp a lost history, or even some unimaginable power. Starting price: five million star coins. Bidding begins!"

On the screen, a scroll slowly unfolded, as if releasing some ancient aura, tinged with a thick sense of mystery. For a moment, the atmosphere in the room grew increasingly tense, everyone's eyes fixed on the scroll, as if, in that instant, the entire world had fallen silent, leaving only its presence.

I felt my breathing quicken, and the sound of my heartbeat echoed in my ears. Shan Qi's gaze finally swept over the scroll at this moment, and a deep light flashed in his eyes, but his expression remained calm, as if none of this disturbed him in the slightest.

"I'll bid six million star coins." A deep voice boomed from a corner of the venue, immediately breaking the brief silence. A man in a black robe, his face difficult to discern, had clearly shown great interest in the item.

"Seven million star coins." Another voice echoed almost immediately. A tall woman, dressed in a gorgeous silver dress, flanked by several impressive attendants, spoke with a cold gaze, seemingly determined to keep the relic.

The atmosphere in the venue grew increasingly heated, each bid thickening the air. Six million, seven million, eight million... the escalating price made everyone nervous, each bid concealing their own purpose and ambition. Beside me, Shan Qi remained unresponsive, his gaze fixed on the screen, as if uninterested in the scramble.

I couldn't help but feel anxious, wondering what Shan Qi was waiting for. Did he have his own plans? What did this scroll really mean to him?

"Eight million and five thousand star coins." At this moment, I heard an unfamiliar voice, with a firmness and determination that could not be ignored.

I whipped my head around and saw a young man standing in the crowd. His eyes were sharp, his demeanor stern, and he seemed unafraid of the competition. He was dressed in a dark gray suit, standing out from the luxurious atmosphere around him, appearing remarkably low-key. Yet, every movement and glance he made seemed to convey a threat that could not be ignored.

"Nine million star coins." Immediately afterwards, the woman in the silver dress made another bid, with a hint of impatience in her eyes. She was obviously on the verge of not being able to tolerate other people's interference.

The others present also gradually entered a fierce bidding state, and the price continued to climb, seemingly reaching the sky. But just then, the auctioneer's voice rang out again, with a hint of uncontrollable excitement: "Everyone, the bidding is about to end! The current price has reached 9 million star coins. Next, we will enter the final countdown!"

My heartbeat quickened, and I could almost feel the tension in the air, as if the entire world had stopped at that moment. Shan Qi remained seated quietly, his gaze unchanged. I noticed that his fingers had stopped tapping the armrest, and his entire aura seemed to have subtly shifted in that instant.

"Ten million star coins." Suddenly, a calm and majestic voice came from behind, breaking all the bids.

I turned around suddenly and saw an old man in a black robe. His face was old, but his eyes gleamed with a sharp light. Behind him stood a tall guard, and the atmosphere suddenly became solemn.

"Eleven million star coins." This time, it was Shan Qi who spoke lightly, his voice gentle but extremely firm.

The venue suddenly became quiet, and everyone turned to look at him. The tension in the air was like a powder keg ready to explode.

However, Shan Qi just raised the price a few times to stir up trouble, but did not win the bid to the end.

The second and finale lot soon began to be auctioned: a fragment of an ancient contract seal. For interstellar people of this era, this was a rare treasure, but for me, it was a bit underwhelming.

This emblem was just a very basic, basic contract spell emblem, and it wasn't drawn properly, with some mistakes. Yet they were bidding fiercely for it, as if acquiring it would grant them the ability to learn contract spells. I looked at Shan Qi and shook my head. He raised an eyebrow excitedly and looked at me with interest.

Shan Qi's eyes were particularly playful at that moment, as if he were both surprised and slightly disapproving of my shaking head. He shifted his gaze from me to the fragments of the Contract Code scroll on the screen, his lips curling up slightly, a hint of silent sarcasm in his expression. His playful expression always made it difficult for me to fully grasp his true thoughts.

The bidding atmosphere remained intense, as no one seemed to want to miss out on this opportunity. The auctioneer's voice rang out again, a touch of excitement in his voice: "Everyone, this fragment of the Contract Emblem is more than just an ancient relic; it's a key to an unknown realm! It may not be perfect, but its symbolic significance far surpasses its apparent value! For researchers of the Contract Art, this item is a rare treasure. Starting price: 500,000 Star Coins!"

Bidding echoed, and the price climbed. Everyone seemed captivated by this fragment. As if overnight, everyone became intensely eager to learn the art of contracting, as if this scroll could grant them immeasurable power. In reality, however, the art of contracting had long since disappeared in this era. Possessing it meant being able to bind with exotic beasts, elemental spirits, or even certain interstellar species, and thus control their powers. But that was just their imagination.

But to me, this scroll is nothing more than an imperfect and useless ornament. Anyone who has mastered the basic art of contracting can easily identify its flaws. Its value is nothing more than a myth in the eyes of some ignorant bidders.

I looked at Shan Qi again. He still showed no interest. He just sighed softly, seeming a little disappointed. "This thing is of no use to me," he said softly, a hint of helplessness in his eyes.

I was stunned for a moment. I had originally thought he would be more interested in these high-value items. After all, those who could wield such an ancient and powerful power as the Contract Technique would surely reap enormous benefits. But looking at Shan Qi's indifferent expression, I finally understood that his interest in these things didn't seem to lie in superficial wealth, but in something deeper.

"You're not going to bid?" I couldn't help but ask, feeling a little confused. Shan Qi's eyes remained fixed on the high-risk, high-reward items. His constant bids were merely a display of his attitude towards the auction; he clearly hadn't fully revealed what he truly wanted.

Shan Qi smiled at me, his tone relaxed, "I won't waste my time on these seemingly rare items. This kind of scroll is actually not rare for those who are interested. What is truly worth paying attention to are those things hidden in the dark."

I looked at him, a hint of confusion in my eyes. "Are you saying that these people don't realize that this scroll is not worth that much?"

Shan Qi nodded, a meaningful smile on his face: "They are all staring at the surface, wanting only superficial power. The real power is often hidden in things they can't see at all."

I had a thought: Shan Qi is not just a calm businessman. Perhaps his goal in this auction is far more complicated than the items on display.

"So what do you want?" I couldn't help but ask.

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze darting towards a corner of the venue, where the masked figures and representatives from high-ranking chambers of commerce were still fiercely bidding. "The next lot is what I'm really interested in," he whispered, a firmness in his voice that couldn't be ignored.

My heart was shocked, and I finally understood that Shan Qi's eyes had not been on the exhibited items from the beginning, but he was waiting for something more special.

The auctioneer's voice rang out again, this time with a more mysterious and subdued tone. "The next lot is definitely the ultimate highlight of the night. It's a relic passed down for millennia, hidden in the deepest reaches of the interstellar realm, known only to a handful of collectors and researchers. It's more than just an object; it's the gateway to a mysterious power..."

An ancient symbol suddenly appeared on the screen, vividly outlined by a golden glow. It was a seemingly simple, yet incredibly complex symbol, with interlaced and overlapping geometric shapes, as if holding a secret that transcended time and space.

I looked at Shan Qi, his eyes finally became sharp, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly: "Finally."