"Three million!!"
Lin Feng's voice echoed through the spacious hall, instantly silencing the surrounding buzz of conversation. Everyone turned to stare at him once more, faces etched with shock. Many were so stunned their jaws hung slack...
A jump straight from two million to three million!!
Was he insane?!
Three million. Three million!! And it was only for half a Spirit Artifact fragment! Was it truly worth so many spirit stones? That was enough to buy a decent Mid-grade Spirit Artifact already!
"..."
Upon hearing Lin Feng's bid, Li Ziyao's pupils contracted violently. Intense fury, even murderous intent, radiated from his eyes. He glared at Lin Feng with undisguised hatred, his face contorting almost grotesquely. He remained silent for several seconds before grinding out his next words, syllable by syllable:
"Three million one hundred thousand!!"
The surrounding cultivators were struggling to process this. They turned their shocked gazes back to Li Ziyao, utterly unable to comprehend why he would raise the bid again.
Was the Li Family bidding against Lin Feng like this just to 'oppose' him? Three million one hundred ten thousand low-grade spirit stones... that was probably almost the entirety of the Li Family's assets! If it was truly just about 'winning face,' was it worth driving themselves to the brink of ruin?
—This was the thought crossing many minds. Only a few seemed to grasp some hidden significance, their expressions turning thoughtful.
Yet, as if deliberately testing the limits of everyone's composure, after a mere two seconds of silence, Lin Feng spoke once more...
"Four million!!"
"You!!"
The instant Lin Feng uttered his bid, Li Ziyao, unable to contain his shock and rage, jumped to his feet. He stared at Lin Feng with a savage expression, his posture radiating the urge to attack.
"Hiss..."
This sent the surrounding crowd into a frenzy. Their eyes gleamed as they stared fixedly at Li Ziyao and Lin Feng, feeling the development was utterly unexpected and thrilling—were they really about to fight?
However, this 'expectation' was doomed to disappointment. While Li Ziyao truly wished he could slice Lin Feng into a thousand pieces immediately, he hadn't completely lost his mind to anger and hatred. He fixed Lin Feng with a venomous stare for several seconds before turning his head towards the stage. His voice was hoarse as he spoke:
"Four million one hundred thousand!!"
Uttering those words seemed to drain all his strength. A flicker of something like bewilderment even appeared in his eyes. For that fleeting moment, even he seemed to waver...
"Whoosh!"
Almost as one, all eyes swiveled back to Lin Feng. Many were filled with anticipation, eagerly waiting for him to drop another bombshell: 'Five million.'
But, defying everyone's expectations, this time, Lin Feng remained silent...
He wasn't going to fight anymore?!
Strange expressions appeared on many faces. They couldn't help but glance at Li Ziyao, whose face was now livid, thinking to themselves, 'He wasn't deliberately messing with the Li Family, was he?'
Silence hung over the entire hall for several seconds. Suddenly, Li Ziyao, his face dark as thunder, growled at Shilan on the stage, "No one else is bidding! Start the count!"
"Ah..." Shilan finally snapped out of his own daze. He gave Li Ziyao and Lin Feng an odd look before announcing loudly, "Patriarch Li bids four million one hundred ten thousand low-grade spirit stones! Are there any further bids? Four million one hundred ten thousand, going once... Four million one hundred ten thousand, going twice..."
Once again, all eyes turned to Lin Feng. Even Dongfang Yuhui couldn't resist asking quietly, "Fellow Daoist Lin... you're not competing?"
Lin Feng's expression was calm. He pursed his lips slightly and shook his head. "Forget it. It's too expensive now. I don't want it anymore..."
"..."
His voice wasn't loud, but many nearby heard him clearly. Some nearly choked on their own saliva—Four million you were fine with, but an extra hundred thousand is too much?! And that expression, that tone... it was blatant, naked 'mockery'!!
Many became convinced: Lin Feng had definitely been 'playing' the Li Family all along...
With Lin Feng withdrawing, and none of the Golden Core cultivators on the second floor showing any interest in raising the bid—after all, while the White Tiger Fierce Soul Talisman fragment could unleash power equivalent to an early Golden Core cultivator, it was ultimately just a broken shard. Who knew how many more times it could be used? Its true value probably topped out around two million. Now it had soared to over four million? Only a fool would bid higher.
"...Four million one hundred ten thousand, going three times... SOLD! Congratulations to Patriarch Li on successfully winning this treasure!"
Finally, Shilan announced the result with evident excitement. Li Ziyao had won the White Tiger Fierce Soul Talisman fragment.
"..." Li Ziyao trembled faintly all over. Not from excitement, but from sheer rage. He felt no joy in his success, only fury and murderous intent threatening to explode from within him.
'There's no turning back... No matter what, he must die! We must retrieve the other half of the Spirit Artifact fragment!!'
Li Ziyao gritted his teeth with the thought. Simultaneously, he rose and headed towards the backstage area of the auction house—he didn't remotely have that much 'cash' on him. He needed to discuss the payment of four million one hundred ten thousand with the auction house...
...
The outcome, much like its beginning, defied all expectations. No one had anticipated that Lin Feng, who had bid and raised so decisively earlier, would give up just as abruptly.
Most believed Lin Feng had deliberately tricked the Li Family, and with resounding success, costing them at least two million spirit stones unnecessarily...
It was incredibly thrilling.
Even Long Xingtian and Dongfang Yuhui shared this view.
"Four million... Will the Li Family's businesses even be able to function after this?" Long Xingtian felt a pang of sympathy for the Li Family. Spending a staggering four million spirit stones on a Spirit Artifact fragment likely qualified as 'going bankrupt.' He even wondered if the Li Family's enterprises might collapse entirely.
"However... Li Ziyao shouldn't be someone so 'impulsive.' To willingly bankrupt themselves just to buy that fragment... What exactly are they planning?"
But then, other puzzling aspects occurred to Long Xingtian, causing his brow to furrow in thought...
As for the 'mastermind' of this affair, Lin Feng himself, he sat quietly with his head slightly bowed, as if resting. No one saw the constant, subtle flickering in his eyes, hinting at deep contemplation...
...
The auction of the first headline treasure concluded just as unexpectedly as it had begun. No one had predicted the start, nor the end.
Afterwards, the second Spirit Artifact was brought on stage—a spear-type treasure of Low-grade Spirit Artifact level. It was eventually won by the Golden Core cultivator from the Chu Family for one million low-grade spirit stones.
The final headline treasure was a Low-grade Spirit Artifact battle-axe, secured by a wandering Golden Core cultivator for one million three hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones.
A bid exceeding a million was astronomical in its own right. Yet, compared to the earlier frenzy surrounding the White Tiger Fierce Soul Talisman fragment, it left the cultivators rather unmoved. During the bidding for these two artifacts, many in the audience below were still whispering, reliving the drama of the four million bid.
And so, this auction finally drew to a close...