When the astronomical figure of ninety million appeared on the screen, the entire auction hall erupted in thunderous applause, allowing the Eldest Prince to recover a little face.
But the good times didn't last. Zhang Xinlan spoke up, "I'd advise you to just give up! So what if you have an extra fifty million Spirit Stones? Is that something to brag about? I'm afraid you won't be able to handle what comes next. When no one is willing to lend you any more Spirit Stones, you still won't be getting that Soul Medicine!"
Her words were even more brazen. Now, everyone was trying to guess just how many Spirit Stones VIP Room Three had. Could they have possibly brought two hundred million Spirit Stones to the auction? That was simply impossible; even the great families of the Imperial City couldn't produce that many Spirit Stones!
By now, everyone was convinced that the people in VIP Room Three were not from the Celestial Dragon Empire. No family in the Empire possessed such immense wealth, nor would they so brazenly defy a vicious figure like the Eldest Prince, a man whom most people would do anything to avoid.
"You bitch! Don't get too arrogant. You'll get what's coming to you!" After spitting out these words, the Eldest Prince fell silent. He understood now. 'Even with an extra fifty million Spirit Stones, I still won't be able to get the Soul Medicine. I'll just have to take it by force afterward.'
Zhang Xinlan smiled at Xu Chun. "He has an extra fifty million Spirit Stones, doesn't he? In that case, let's raise the bid by another fifty million. Let's see how he can possibly raise it after that! This will drive him nuts!"
When Xu Chun entered the bid of one hundred and forty million Spirit Stones, the giant screen flared with a rainbow-colored light. The glow was incredibly dazzling, and it flashed for the duration of several breaths before subsiding.
"One hundred and forty million! That's one hundred and forty million! This is the first time a bid has surpassed the one hundred million mark in this auction, and this price was offered by our friends in VIP Room Three! Is everyone's heart pounding with excitement just like mine?
I'm sure you're all stunned by this staggering figure! No one could have imagined that a single Soul Medicine would command such a terrifying price! And none of us ever expected that our friends in VIP Room Three would possess wealth that could rival a nation's!
Without a doubt, this Soul Medicine now belongs to VIP Room Three. Of course, VIP Room One still has a chance to compete, but in my opinion, there is no need to spend any more Spirit Stones on it. This Soul Medicine is simply not worth this price!" the middle-aged man said, clearly signaling for the Eldest Prince to abandon the contest.
"You bitch! You win this round! But just wait until after the auction is over. Then we'll see who's truly ruthless. I'll let you have your moment of arrogance for now!" the Eldest Prince said viciously.
This time, Zhang Xinlan was surprisingly quiet. She didn't utter a single word in reply, but a triumphant smile played on her lips.
Ye Tian glanced at Zhang Xinlan and asked, "Xinlan, what are you smiling about? Is something wrong?"
"I'm laughing at the Eldest Prince. How could someone with his temperament possibly inherit the throne? People who can't keep their composure are incapable of accomplishing anything great. Even if he was dead set on getting the Soul Medicine, he didn't need to resort to open threats. Now that he's revealed his hand, anyone who doesn't want him to get the Soul Medicine will surely protect us. Or, at the very least, if we run into real danger, someone will come to our aid.
He's just exposed his intentions for everyone to see. He truly is better at ruining things than accomplishing them! Don't you think that's laughable?" Zhang Xinlan said.
Ye Tian thought about it for a moment and realized she was right. 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend. I've clearly become his enemy now, which means dealing with me just became much more difficult for him.'
"By the way, Ye Tian, what do you need this Soul Medicine for, anyway? I've never seen you value an item so highly. Is there some secret you're not telling me?" Zhang Xinlan couldn't help but ask.
"It's like I said before: you'll understand in the future. Now is not the right time to tell you," Ye Tian said. 'The current situation with the War Dragon Remnant Soul is something I can't tell anyone. Even though my relationship with Zhang Xinlan is as close as can be, some things simply cannot be revealed.'
"The next item is useless to both of us. A huge fight will likely break out after the auction ends. How about we use this time to get ourselves into peak condition?" Zhang Xinlan suggested.
"I'm already in peak condition," Ye Tian replied. "I'm just waiting for the Elemental Pearl to show up. The Soul Medicine is something I absolutely must have, and the same goes for the Elemental Pearl! Why don't you take this time to cultivate? I'll handle the auction."
"That works for me. We've certainly stolen the spotlight at this auction. Once it's over, we're going to have to pay the price for it," Zhang Xinlan said, then closed her eyes and began her Cultivation.
Ye Tian, meanwhile, watched the numbers change on the screen. The item up for auction was a several-thousand-year-old Purple Ginseng. It was quite effective for increasing one's power, but only for those below the Four Veins Realm, so Ye Tian had no interest in it whatsoever.
The final auction price for this thousand-year-old Purple Ginseng only reached just over seven million, which was still a decent price. It was won by someone in the main hall.
Ye Tian wasn't interested in the next few items either. Without his participation, the prices didn't climb very high; none even reached the ten million mark. The competition wasn't fierce, and the atmosphere in the hall died down considerably.
However, the next item piqued Ye Tian's interest. Of course, he had no intention of bidding on it, because this was his Lotus Seed. He was curious to see what kind of price it would fetch.
"My friends, this next item is something many of you may have seen before, or perhaps even eaten! It is a Lotus Seed! That's right, our next featured item is a Lotus Seed!" the middle-aged man announced, then deliberately paused for effect.
"A single Lotus Seed is a featured item? Has the auction house run out of things to sell? They're totally messing with us!" someone in the main hall shouted.
"That's right, it must be a mistake! How could a Lotus Seed be an auction item? Even one made of solid gold wouldn't qualify as a featured item!" another person chimed in.
Instantly, the entire auction hall broke into a clamor of discussion. Everyone thought the auction house was playing a massive joke on them. Even the occupants of the other VIP rooms found it baffling, but they also believed that for a Lotus Seed to be presented as a featured item, it had to be something special.
"Everyone, please, quiet down! I completely understand your confusion. When I first saw it, I had the exact same thought: how could a Lotus Seed possibly be a featured item at our auction? But once I examined it myself, I discovered that this Lotus Seed is more than qualified.
This is no ordinary Lotus Seed. In fact, if not for its deceptively plain appearance, it would have been saved for the very end of the auction. In terms of value, I assure you, this Lotus Seed is priceless!
This Lotus Seed contains an incredibly potent Energy. If absorbed, this Energy can allow someone at the Four Vein Realm to advance all the way to the Five Veins Power Realm—at the very least. But remember, only a person who has already reached the Four Veins Power Realm is qualified to absorb the Energy within it.
If someone with insufficient strength were to rashly absorb it, they would risk their body exploding, resulting in certain death. So, everyone, remember my words. If an accident happens, don't come telling me I didn't warn you!" the middle-aged man continued.