In the Xuese Auction, the appearance of the Sea of Karma Flower was undoubtedly a bombshell. Those bidding, watching the spectacle, discussing among themselves, and harboring ulterior motives were all present in great numbers. The bidding quickly reached a fever pitch.
In just half a quarter hour, the price of the Sea of Karma Flower soared to twenty million. Miss Hongxiu on the stage was overjoyed, her face beaming with a charming smile. Her gaze flowed back and forth among the crowd, exuding a bewitching aura.
Up to this point, although only four bidders remained, it was undoubtedly a fierce battle of wits and deception.
Songg Yuanyang and Songg Chen had stepped out of their private booth. Standing in the corridor, they gazed down at the Sea of Karma Flower, exuding an imposing aura like a towering mountain.
The white-clothed man’s posture had remained unchanged. His bamboo hat perfectly concealed his contorted, gloomy face, while murderous intent swirled in his eyes.
As for that hemp-garmented youth, his bidding was still somewhat amateurish, and each increment was small. Yet, even as his palms sweat profusely, he gritted his teeth and persisted.
"Twenty-three million!"
Lin Huang called out a price again, but he never stepped out of his booth. In the eyes of the crowd, this might seem like the Blood Robe Alliance bidding, but only Lin Huang knew he was just borrowing their prestige to bluff.
"Three million... The Blood Robe Alliance is truly wealthy and imposing. To think they can still raise the bid by three million at this stage!"
"After all, standing behind him is Jia Wanjing. How can they be compared to ordinary factions?"
"I’m afraid someone will have to bow out!"
Inside the booth, Lin Huang frowned. By raising the price by three million at once, his intention was to display his confidence and force someone to withdraw. Even though his confidence was entirely hollow. When he left home, Lin Huang had taken a significant portion of the Divine General’s Mansion’s assets, but the Divine General’s Mansion was ultimately not in the business of making money.
"Father, it’s twenty-three million. That is already nearing our limit. Any more, and the brothers in our pavilion will have to starve." Songg Chen said through gritted teeth, looking resentfully at the Blood Robe Alliance’s booth. The two factions were already as incompatible as fire and water; after today, their conflict would likely escalate further.
Songg Yuanyang frowned, his thoughts not as simple as Songg Chen’s. His hawk-like eyes stared at the white-clothed, hat-wearing man below, as if pondering something.
"Continue bidding. We must kick that white-clothed man out of the competition first!" Hann Qixiu’s voice rang out from inside the booth.
Songg Yuanyang nodded, realizing that Hann Qixiu was thinking the exact same thing. That white-clothed man was a genuine Martial Marquis Powerhouse. If they let him obtain the Sea of Karma Flower, snatching it away would be no simple task. But if the white-clothed man was forced to withdraw from the struggle, and the Sea of Karma Flower was won by either of the other two, robbing them would be much easier.
The best-case scenario would be for that foolish, hemp-garmented youth to win it. If that happened, their scheme of catching a white wolf with bare hands—profiting without any investment—would essentially succeed.
"Twenty-five million!"
Songg Yuanyang declared his bid. Even though the Tiansong Pavilion, combined with Hann Qixiu, could not actually produce this much money, they were seasoned veterans of the Jianghu, acting with absolute confidence.
Sure enough, after Songg Yuanyang’s bid, the previously motionless white-clothed man reached up and pressed down on his bamboo hat.
Seeing this, a smug smile appeared on Songg Yuanyang’s lips. He knew his plan had succeeded. This Martial Marquis Powerhouse was likely about to bow out. However, in the next moment, the smile on Songg Yuanyang’s face froze.
After pressing down on his hat, the white-clothed man suddenly raised his head and looked in Songg Yuanyang’s direction. Songg Yuanyang saw that face clearly.
It was a terrifyingly pale face.
Coupled with a pair of eyes as chillingly cold as a blade, it sent an instant shiver through Songg Yuanyang’s entire body. He saw the white-clothed man smiling at him. The way his mouth split open made him look like Impermanence from Hell beckoning him with a Soul Hook Chain.
Then, the white-clothed man lowered his head again and spoke unhurriedly, "Twenty-five million... and one tael!"
As soon as the words fell, the entire auction house erupted in an uproar. No one had expected this white-clothed man to add a mere one tael. Such an action was clearly meant to humiliate the Tiansong Pavilion.
The confidence of a Martial Marquis Powerhouse was truly extraordinary.
"Fa... Father..." Beside him, Songg Chen’s face was extremely pale. He had also just seen that face—that ghastly, terrifyingly white visage.
"Elder Hann..." Songg Yuanyang’s heart also began to pound. He had met many Martial Marquis Powerhouses, but he had never felt such a strong stench of death. He realized that he was actually frightened.
A long silence filled the booth.
Hann Qixiu had also seen that face just now, and at this moment, his heart was already filled with shock. He vaguely guessed the origins of that face. But without the Sea of Karma Flower, the meridians that Xiao Yishan had extracted from him would...
"Forget it!" After a long while, Hann Qixiu finally spoke in a hoarse voice, his shriveled hands clenching until they turned bruised and green. If it were an ordinary Martial Marquis Powerhouse, he might still put up a fight by relying on his backers. But this person’s background made him somewhat afraid. Even terrified.
Hearing the voice from inside the booth, Songg Yuanyang finally let out a long sigh of relief, realizing only then that his back was drenched in cold sweat.
In this four-way competition, the Tiansong Pavilion had bowed out!
Meanwhile, in the Blood Robe Alliance’s booth, Fengg Wanli toyed with a string of beads. His gaze swept past the profile of the white-clothed man, a mysterious smile playing on his lips, before he signaled to Tu Gang beside him, "You can get ready!"
When the white-clothed man had looked up just now, he had also seen that face.
Following that, the hemp-garmented youth placed another bid, "Twenty-six million taels!"
"Twenty-six million and one tael!"
The white-clothed man’s voice immediately followed. He was somewhat baffled; even the Tiansong Pavilion did not dare act rashly in front of him. What gave this ragged youth the nerve to challenge him? Was he just a newborn calf oblivious to the consequences?
Inside the booth, Lin Huang fell silent. Many people had seen the white-clothed man’s face, and naturally, he had seen it too. On that terrifyingly pale face, a dense, sinister Yin energy lingered between his brows. If he wasn’t born like this, then he must have been practicing some evil Cultivation Technique.
At this moment, the hemp-garmented youth also looked toward the white-clothed man. A clear look of wariness appeared on the youth’s face, but he stubbornly gritted his teeth, refusing to back down. He slowly raised the paddle in his hand and shouted, "Twenty-seven million!"
"Twenty-seven million and one tael!" The white-clothed man spoke immediately, his bloodless lips pursing into a chilling trace of murderous intent.
"Twenty-eight million taels!" From Fengg Wanli’s booth, Lin Huang spoke up. He paid no heed to the white-clothed man’s silent threat. He only knew that if he missed the Sea of Karma Flower this time, heaven only knew how long he would have to wait for another.
Hmm?
The white-clothed man frowned and turned to glare at Lin Huang’s booth, anger festering in his heart. He originally thought that the Tiansong Pavilion’s withdrawal would teach some people to know their place. It was one thing for this hemp-garmented youth to be reckless, but the people of the Blood Robe Alliance still dared to interfere?
At this moment, the auction house also quieted down. Watching this somewhat bizarre three-way contest, the crowd couldn’t help but hold their breath.
The hemp-garmented youth. The white-clothed man. The Blood Robe Alliance.
The hemp-garmented youth was dressed too shabbily to be a wealthy master, and his strength was only at the Earth Element Realm. Why did he refuse to back down?
Although the Blood Robe Alliance was rich and powerful, they ultimately did not have a Martial Marquis Powerhouse overseeing them. On what basis did they dare to challenge that white-clothed man?
And the white-clothed man must have felt extremely stifled and furious. For a dignified Martial Marquis Powerhouse, was winning an auction supposed to be this difficult?
While the crowd was lost in their thoughts and observations, the hemp-garmented youth turned his head and looked at Hongxiu on the stage, asking awkwardly, "Can... Can I use items as collateral?"
At this moment, the hemp-garmented youth was tightly gripping a Silver Jade Material Cyan Dragon Pendant.
The youth’s awkward question caused the eyes of everyone in the auction house to nearly pop out. At this point, they were truly certain that this hemp-garmented youth was a complete rookie. He didn’t even know the basic rules of an auction house.
Item collateral?
The appraisal and valuation of any given item required a long time. Furthermore, if this rule were relaxed and everyone used items as collateral, how would the auction house’s capital flow?
Lin Huang looked at the hemp-garmented youth and smiled. He remembered his first time attending an auction; he had done the same thing and was subsequently thrown out. He still remembered that time, when he was fighting over a treasure with Jun Qingcheng.
On the stage, Miss Hongxiu looked at the hemp-garmented youth and smiled as she shook her head.
The youth’s face darkened, revealing deep disappointment. Staring at the jade bottle in Hongxiu’s hand, he unwillingly opened his palm and said, "My mother said that this pendant can be exchanged for one promise from Xuanyuan Tibing!"
As soon as the youth’s voice fell, the expressions of everyone in the auction house changed drastically. Clamorous voices instantly echoed throughout the venue, all because the hemp-garmented youth had mentioned Xuanyuan Tibing.
The man known as a Human World Myth. Xuanyuan Tibing?!
A promise from Xuanyuan Tibing—how incredibly precious would that be? Even the Sea of Karma Flower could not compare to it. After all, that was Xuanyuan Tibing. That was a Human World Myth.
At this moment, even the white-clothed man’s expression drastically changed, his eyes staring at the hemp-garmented youth like venomous hooks. Fengg Wanli’s frown had never been so deep. The smile on Miss Hongxiu’s face instantly froze. The hemp-garmented youth naturally didn’t know what kind of uproar his single sentence had caused.
Suddenly, a shrill howl echoed through the auction house. The white-clothed man transformed into a blur of shadows, lunging toward the hemp-garmented youth with the force of a thunderbolt.
The moment the white-clothed man made his move, Fengg Wanli’s figure vanished instantly. A massive "Defend" character then appeared in front of the hemp-garmented youth, acting as a copper wall and iron bastion.
Miss Hongxiu’s slender jade hands instantly shot out, sending three exquisite Flying Needles streaking toward the white-clothed man like shooting stars.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion rang out. The moment the white-clothed man’s fist made contact with the "Defend" copper wall, the supposedly indestructible character instantly shattered into powder.
The white-clothed man then waved his sleeve, causing the three Flying Needles flying toward him to immediately reverse direction and shoot back toward Miss Hongxiu.
The strength of a Martial Marquis was unmistakably displayed in this very moment. Forming his five fingers into a hook, like an eagle’s claw, the white-clothed man swiped toward the hemp-garmented youth. His ghastly white face was filled with a ferocious, incredibly elated smile.
He knew that this time, he was going to make a massive contribution to his organization...