The air in the auction hall was thick enough to choke on, heavy with the scent of incense, stale sweat, and the electric tension of greed.
"Ten million Spirit Stones," Old Spider sneered, his voice scraping against the silence like a rusted blade. He leaned forward, his multi-faceted eyes narrowing as he stared down at the figure in the black robe. "That is a magnificent sum, stranger. Truly a grand gesture." The corner of his mouth twitched, pulling into a grotesque grimace. "But forgive my skepticism—I find myself doubting you actually possess such a fortune."
Old Spider didn't wait for a response. He whipped his head toward the high platform, addressing the auctioneer. "Elder Bai, I call for a verification. I suspect this black-robed individual is bluffing. He's driving up the price with empty pockets, purely to disrupt the auction."
Bai Guang, the elderly auctioneer, stood bathed in the white spotlight of the stage. He hesitated, his brow furrowing. "That seems unlikely..."
"Why is it unlikely?" Old Spider pressed, his voice rising in pitch. He gestured wildly to the crowd. "We are talking about ten million! That is a sum that would bankrupt even some of the Demon Kings. Are we to believe this unknown drifter carries more wealth than the lords of this city?" He let out a harsh, derisive laugh. "If he cannot pay, we are all being played for fools."
He paused for effect, then added the final barb. "Besides, look at the merchandise. Three Poison Ant Demon Generals? Valuable, yes, but ten million? That is a sky-high absurdity. Their market value tops out at eight million, and everyone here knows it."
A murmur rippled through the audience. Old Spider's logic, however malicious, was sound. Bai Guang's expression shifted from professional neutrality to visible discomfort. The auction house operated on trust, yes, but mostly on the absolute certainty of payment.
After a tense silence, Bai Guang turned his gaze toward Luo Zhen, who sat motionless in the back row.
"Fellow Daoist," Bai Guang said, his tone diplomatic but firm. "What Old Spider says holds a grain of reason. It is not that this old man distrusts you, but ten million is indeed an exorbitant figure. I have presided over countless auctions, and rarely do we see bids reach this stratum." He paused, wringing his hands slightly. "Would you be willing to provide proof of your financial standing?"
Luo Zhen, hidden beneath the heavy folds of his black robe, remained still. "And how," he asked, his voice a calm, deep baritone, "would you like me to prove it?"
"A simple formality," Bai Guang said quickly. "Accompany me to the rear chamber. Allow me a glimpse of your reserves, and we can put this matter to rest."
Luo Zhen let out a cold, sharp laugh. It was a sound devoid of humor. "So, because a spider spins a web of doubt, I am forced to bare my pockets? You have little faith, Bai."
Bai Guang's face paled. He sensed the danger in the black-robed man's tone. "Please, do not misunderstand! It is merely protocol. Caution is the lifeblood of our business."
Luo Zhen considered this. He knew that if he refused, the auction would stall, and his objective would be lost. Furthermore, Bai Guang was merely a pawn; threatening him would serve no purpose yet.
"Very well," Luo Zhen said, stroking his chin. "I will go with you. I will show you what true wealth looks like."
He rose, the black fabric of his robe rippling like smoke, and walked toward the backstage entrance. Bai Guang scrambled to follow, bowing apologetically as they went.
The verification process took only a few minutes, but for the crowd waiting in the hall, it felt like an hour. When the curtain parted again, the dynamic had shifted entirely.
Luo Zhen walked out first, his stride relaxed and confident. Trailing behind him was Bai Guang, whose demeanor had transformed from cautious suspicion to groveling servitude. The old auctioneer was bowing repeatedly, a sycophantic smile plastered across his face.
The audience exchanged glances. The verdict was clear: the stranger was not just rich; he was obscenely rich.
Returning to the podium, Bai Guang wiped a sheen of cold sweat from his forehead. He cleared his throat, his voice trembling slightly with lingering awe. "The Fellow Daoist in the black robe possesses absolute financial capability. The bid stands valid. We resume at ten million."
He scanned the room. "Ten million once. Is there a higher bidder?"
Silence reigned. The sheer weight of the verified bid crushed the room's energy.
Old Spider sat frozen, staring at Luo Zhen's back with a mixture of shock and resentment. How? he thought. Who is this person? To have ten million in liquid assets...
But as the seconds ticked by, a new, malicious thought began to ferment in Old Spider's mind. His eyes darted around the room, calculating. He didn't need the Poison Ant Generals that badly, but he needed to save face. And more importantly, he wanted to make this stranger bleed.
"Ten million, going twice!" Bai Guang's gavel was raised.
"Ten million, thir—"
"Wait!"
The shout cut through the air. Old Spider stood up, a twisted grin on his face. "I bid twelve million!"
The room gasped. Twelve million was madness. It was an amount that transcended value and entered the realm of pure ego.
Even Bai Guang was stunned. "Old Spider, are you insane? Your entire net worth—everything you've built over centuries—barely scratches that amount. You're pushing all your chips to the center of the table?"
"That is my business," Old Spider declared, puffing out his chest. He turned to glare at Luo Zhen, his eyes gleaming with provocation. "I am determined to have these Demon Generals. The question is, can the stranger keep up?"
The crowd understood the game immediately. Old Spider had gauged Luo Zhen's desire for the item. He was betting that Luo Zhen would counter-bid, perhaps thirteen million, at which point Old Spider would fold, leaving Luo Zhen to pay a bloated, exorbitant price. It was a classic spite maneuver.
All eyes turned to the back row. They waited for the black-robed figure to rage, to shout, to raise his hand in defiance.
Luo Zhen sat comfortably in the shadows. He traced the rim of the dark gold ring on his finger, feeling the cool metal. He could feel the anticipation in the room, the collective breath held in check. He looked at Old Spider, who was practically vibrating with smug triumph.
Slowly, deliberately, Luo Zhen grinned.
"You win."
The two words were spoken softly, but they hit the room like a thunderclap.
Luo Zhen leaned back into his chair, crossed his arms, and closed his eyes. He radiated the aura of a man who had decided to take a nap.
The color drained from Old Spider's face instantly. The smug grin slid off his features, replaced by a mask of sheer terror.
He... he folded?
Old Spider's knees knocked together. He hadn't wanted to buy them. He couldn't afford them. He had only shouted the number to inflate the price, to force Luo Zhen to overpay.
"Elder Bai..." Old Spider stammered, his voice cracking. "Listen, I... I was just joking. A jest! I was merely livening up the atmosphere!"
Bai Guang's face went dark. The obsequious smile he had worn for Luo Zhen vanished, replaced by the cold, iron resolve of the Black Market.
"Old Spider," Bai Guang said, his voice dropping an octave, dripping with menace. "You know the rules of the Black Market Auction better than anyone. We do not tolerate jesters. We do not tolerate those who disrupt commerce with phantom bids."
The shadows in the corners of the room seemed to lengthen. "You have disrupted the sanctity of this trade. Now, you have two choices. One: Pay the twelve million in full. Two: be erased by the enforcement squad. The Bear Kings do not suffer fools."
Old Spider began to tremble violently. He was a powerful cultivator, a Great Demon General at the peak of the Demon Core realm, but in the face of the Black Market's true owners—the Black Bear Demon Kings—he was nothing more than an insect. To refuse was death.
"I... I choose to pay," he whispered, his voice hollow. "I will buy them."
As the words left his mouth, Old Spider collapsed into his chair, looking as though his skeleton had been removed. Centuries of struggle, of blood and scheming in Red Rock City to build his empire, and it was all gone in a single moment of arrogance.
With shaking hands, he undid his spatial belt—a high-value magical item in itself—and handed it to an attendant to pass to Bai Guang.
"There are nine million Middle-Grade Spirit Stones in there," Old Spider rasped, staring at the floor. "The rest... take the rest. My artifacts, my pills, my cultivation resources. The deeds to my shops. The titles to my properties. It's all there. It should cover the twelve million."
Bai Guang took the belt, scanned the contents with his spiritual sense, and the professional smile returned. "Excellent. It appears to be sufficient." He looked down at the broken man. "Congratulations, Old Spider. The three Poison Ant Demon Generals are yours. I will arrange for the antidote to the Heart-Devouring Pill to be brought to you shortly."
"Wait."
Old Spider stood up. The despair in his eyes had hardened into something else. Something cold and sharp. He wasn't looking at the stage. He was looking at the back row.
"Forget the ants for a moment," Old Spider hissed. "I have unfinished business."
He turned fully toward Luo Zhen, his aura flaring up in jagged, unstable spikes of red energy. "You... you black-robed filth! You played me!"
The accusation screamed through the hall. "I have ruled the streets of Red Rock City for three hundred years, and never have I tasted such humiliation! You think you can walk away? If you don't give me satisfaction today, you will not leave this hall alive!"
Luo Zhen opened his eyes. He looked at the raging old man and let out a genuine chuckle.
It was absurd. Old Spider had dug the trap, sharpened the spikes, and jumped in with both feet. Now that he was impaled at the bottom, he was blaming the bystander who watched him do it. It was a classic human—or rather, demon—failing: the inability to accept the consequences of one's own greed.
"Satisfaction?" Luo Zhen drawled, not bothering to stand. "What sort of... satisfaction are you looking for?"
"The twelve million!" Old Spider roared, veins bulging on his forehead. "You will reimburse me for the loss! You will pay the price!"
"And if I refuse?" Luo Zhen asked, his voice light.
"Then you die!"
Reason snapped. Old Spider roared, a sound halfway between a scream and a chittering screech. He stomped the ground, shattering the floor tiles, and launched himself toward the back row. He moved so fast he blurred, a streak of murderous intent aiming straight for Luo Zhen's throat.
"Old Spider is attacking!"
The crowd erupted in screams, scrambling away from the blast zone.
"He's lost his mind!" someone shouted. "But look at that speed! He's using the Blood Glow Claw!"
Old Spider was indeed terrifying. On his right hand, a gauntlet of crimson metal glowed with malevolent light. It was a Top-Grade Magical Artifact, the source of his fame and power. As he flew through the air, he slashed downward.
"Die!"
The air shrieked as a dozen crescents of blood-red energy tore loose from the claw, converging on Luo Zhen like a swarm of angry hornets.
Luo Zhen didn't flinch. In his hand, the Thunder Cloud Knife appeared as if summoned from thin air. He didn't retreat. He didn't dodge. He simply stepped forward, into the storm, and swung the blade.
It was a single, clean motion.
Crack-BOOM!
The sound of thunder detonated inside the enclosed hall, deafening the spectators. A blade of pure lightning, twenty meters long and blindingly bright, erupted from Luo Zhen's weapon.
The collision was instantaneous.
The lightning blade met the dozen blood-red claw strikes and obliterated them. It didn't just stop them; it evaporated them. And the blade kept going.
Old Spider's eyes widened. He had a fraction of a second to realize his mistake before the world turned white.
The thunderbolt slammed into his chest. There was a sickening wet crunch, followed by the roar of displaced air. Old Spider was blasted backward as if hit by a siege engine. He flew across the hall, trailing smoke and blood, and smashed into the far wall with enough force to shake the building.
He slid down the masonry, leaving a smear of red behind him.
Old Spider gasped, a wet, gurgling sound. He coughed, and a fountain of blood mixed with pieces of lung spilled onto the floor. Half of his torso was simply... gone. Charred and mangled by the lightning.
He collapsed, twitching once, then fell still. His life force was extinguishing like a candle in a hurricane.
The silence that followed was heavier than before. It was the silence of absolute shock.
The entire exchange had taken two seconds. One moment, Old Spider—a legend of the city, a Peak Demon General—was attacking in a blind rage. Next, he was a broken heap of meat against the wall.
He hadn't just been defeated. He had been swatted like a fly.
The spectators turned their heads slowly toward the black-robed figure. Luo Zhen stood amidst the fading sparks of electricity, his breathing even, his posture relaxed. He hadn't broken a sweat.
Luo Zhen scanned the room and decided to stop hiding. He rolled his shoulders and let his true aura flood out.
Whoosh.
A heavy, oppressive pressure descended on the hall. It was far denser, far more terrifying than anything Old Spider had ever emitted. Weaker cultivators in the front rows fell to their knees, gasping for air, their instincts screaming at them to submit.
"Half-step... Demon King," a voice whispered in the back, trembling with awe.
"He's a Half-step Demon King!"
The realization swept through the crowd like wildfire. That explained the wealth. That explained the arrogance. And it certainly explained why Old Spider had been dismantled with a single blow. Old Spider had not just kicked an iron plate; he had headbutted a mountain.
Luo Zhen ignored the whispers. He walked calmly over to the dying mass that was Old Spider.
The old demon was fading fast. His consciousness was already drifting into the void. He had minutes, perhaps seconds.
"I'm feeling generous today," Luo Zhen said, looking down at the ruin of his enemy. "I'll save you the lingering pain."
He flicked his finger. A small wisp of green fire—the Green Scale Fire—shot out and landed on the corpse.
It was a voracious flame. In seconds, it consumed flesh and bone, leaving nothing but a pile of gray ash and the smell of ozone.
Luo Zhen reached down into the ashes and retrieved the Blood Glow Claw. It was unharmed. He weighed it in his hand, nodded, and then turned to look at the auction stage.
Bai Guang stood there, his jaw practically unhinged.
"Elder Bai," Luo Zhen called out, his voice cutting through the stunned silence. "Old Spider has vacated his position. Regarding those three Poison Ant Demon Generals... I believe they are mine now?"
Bai Guang jolted as if waking from a dream. "Ah? You... you want the Generals?" He stammered, wringing his hands. "Well, technically, Old Spider purchased them. Even in death, the transaction—"
"Let's not complicate things with bureaucracy," Luo Zhen interrupted. "You're hesitant because you've lost your profit margin. Here."
Luo Zhen tossed the Blood Glow Claw through the air. It spun, glittering red, and Bai Guang caught it clumsily against his chest.
"A Top-Grade Magical Artifact for your trouble," Luo Zhen said. "Consider it a tip."
Bai Guang clutched the claw, his eyes lighting up. The value of the artifact easily smoothed over any procedural irregularities. "Since the Fellow Daoist is so sincere," Bai Guang beamed, "the Poison Ant Generals are yours!"
He gestured to the attendants to push the cage toward Luo Zhen. "Please, step this way. There are... instructions."
Luo Zhen approached the stage. Bai Guang reached into his robes and pulled out a handful of small, black pellets.
"These are the suppressants," Bai Guang whispered conspiratorially. "The Heart-Devouring Pill causes them immense pain periodically. These pills offer temporary relief. Give them one when they act up, and they will be obedient dogs."
Luo Zhen took the handful of black pills, inspecting them with a critical eye. "These just delay the inevitable. They aren't a cure."
"Correct," Bai Guang nodded.
"I want the real cure," Luo Zhen said flatly. "I want the antidote that dissolves the Heart-Devouring Pill permanently."
Bai Guang blinked. "I... I have it, of course. But why? Fellow Daoist, if you cure them completely, the leash is broken. They are powerful Demon Generals. Without the threat of the poison, they will be difficult to control. You are buying weapons; why dull the edge?"
"That is my concern, not yours," Luo Zhen said, extending his hand. "If you have it, hand it over."
Bai Guang sighed. He knew better than to argue with a Half-step Demon King who had just incinerated a client. He reached deep into his inner pocket and produced a small white porcelain bottle.
"There are three green pills inside," Bai Guang explained reluctantly. "One for each. One dose will flush the toxin from their systems forever." He held the bottle tight for a second longer. "I really advise against this, Fellow Daoist. You are throwing away your leverage."
"I know what I'm doing," Luo Zhen said.
He snatched the bottle from the old man's hand, his grip firm. He didn't need poison to command loyalty. He had power. And unlike Old Spider, he knew exactly how to use it.