jdhmnovel Chapter 399 Auction Conference
Chapter 399 Auction Conference
The Yunhe Chamber of Commerce resembled a magnificent palace, its exquisite carvings and painted beams showcasing its nobility and luxury, its imposing presence breathtaking. On this very day, for the grand auction that was about to begin, powerful forces from all directions gathered here, the atmosphere unusually heavy and oppressive, like the calm before a storm.
Surrounded by several elders of the Blood Blade Sect, Jian Wuchen stood imposingly before the Chamber of Commerce's gate. His narrow eyes flashed with a cold, ruthless light, fixed on Xu Nian and Wu Qinghuan, who were slowly approaching like venomous snakes. He pointed at the two, his teeth grinding, and forced out a hateful utterance: "It's them!"
At this moment, a Blood Blade Sect elder, with an extremely burly and imposing physique and radiating a powerful aura, took a large step forward. He wore a striking, bright red robe, and his sharp, knife-like eyes sent chills down one's spine. The terrifying pressure unique to a Nascent Soul stage expert swept over the area. This elder was none other than Jian Wuchen's martial uncle—the renowned Blood Fiend Elder within the Blood Blade Sect.
Faced with such a formidable foe, Xu Nian showed no fear. He calmly stopped and merely glanced at the other man sideways. Then, with a nonchalant yet unwavering tone, he replied, "So what if it is?" These four simple words, though spoken in a calm and even tone, carried an undeniable authority as heavy as a mountain, making it almost impossible to breathe.
"What an arrogant brat!" Elder Blood Fiend was furious upon hearing this, roaring as he swung his right hand, instantly drawing his blood-red blade from its sheath. In an instant, a dazzling crimson blade light whistled through the sky, hurtling towards Xu Nian like lightning. Wherever it passed, even the air itself was torn apart, emitting a sharp, ear-piercing explosion.
In an instant, the blade's edge flashed past like lightning, tearing apart the space in its path as if it were fragile paper. With this breathtaking scene, the previously bustling crowd erupted in chaos, screams filling the air. Terrified, people hastily retreated, their faces pale, fearing that the slightest misstep would result in being caught in the terrifying blade's attack.
However, even before this chilling blade of light, Xu Nian remained remarkably calm and composed. He calmly and gracefully raised one hand, his movements elegant and unhurried. Then, he slightly bent his fingers and flicked them seemingly casually.
In an instant, a dazzling golden light flashed out, like a brilliant shooting star streaking across the sky. A crisp, deafening "clang" resounded, echoing through the heavens. The previously menacing, mountain-splitting crimson blade of light, upon colliding with this golden light, was utterly thwarted, as if it had struck an impenetrable wall, and was easily sent flying without any resistance.
This sudden turn of events instantly turned Elder Blood Fiend's face extremely ugly. His eyes widened, his expression filled with disbelief. He had just unleashed his full power, giving it his all! Yet, this seemingly unknown Xu Nian had so easily neutralized it?
"This...how is this possible?" Elder Blood Fiend's heart was filled with shock and disbelief. At this moment, he simply couldn't believe his eyes and even wondered if he was hallucinating.
Those who witnessed it were utterly dumbfounded, their mouths agape, wide enough to fit an egg. They exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with astonishment and fear, as if they had seen some terrifying ghost.
Xu Nian ignored the reactions of Elder Xue Sha and the others, not even glancing at them. He strode confidently toward the Yunhe Chamber of Commerce, head held high. Wu Qinghuan and the adorable tabby cat followed closely behind, like loyal guards.
Only Elder Xue Sha and Jian Wuchen and their group were left standing there dumbfounded, their faces turning pale and then red, looking extremely embarrassed.
Upon entering the Yunhe Chamber of Commerce, one sees it already packed with people, every seat filled. Representatives from various sects are gathered, each seated securely in their designated place, quietly awaiting the official start of the auction. The atmosphere is tense and solemn, with everyone's eyes constantly scanning their surroundings, seemingly secretly observing the every move of their competitors.
Xu Nian and Wu Qinghuan strolled leisurely through the spacious and bright auction hall. After casually glancing at the rows of seats, they stopped at the same time as if by telepathy and slowly chose a relatively quiet spot with a good view to sit down.
As a clear, melodious bell rang, the auction officially began. A graceful woman with a beautiful face walked lightly onto the auction stage, carrying an exquisite tray covered with a layer of luxurious silk. As she carefully lifted the silk, gasps of amazement erupted from the audience—the first precious treasure was revealed before them!
And so, one after another, eye-catching treasures were brought to the stage, some radiating mysterious light, others containing immense power, prompting the guests to bid fervently. When the treasure known as the "Mystic Ice Armor" finally appeared, Xu Nian, who had been sitting calmly in his seat, instantly became interested. He narrowed his eyes slightly, carefully examining this legendary artifact, a barely perceptible glint of excitement flashing in his eyes.
"One thousand spirit stones," Xu Nian announced calmly. Although her voice was not loud, it clearly reached everyone's ears.
However, before the auctioneer on stage could react, a cold snort came from the side: "Fiveteen hundred spirit stones." It turned out that the renowned Overlord Sword Daoist had also taken a liking to this treasure and had unceremoniously raised the price by five hundred spirit stones. Instantly, everyone turned to look, casting curious glances at the domineering Overlord Sword Daoist.
Faced with the provocation of the Overlord Sword Daoist, Xu Nian raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a faint smile. Then he called out again, "Two thousand spirit stones." This time, his voice was slightly higher than before, as if to show his opponent his determination to win.
As expected, the Sword Master showed no sign of backing down and replied without hesitation, "Two thousand five hundred spirit stones."
And so, the two went back and forth, neither giving an inch, with each bid increasing by several hundred spirit stones. The atmosphere grew increasingly tense and fierce. Seeing this fierce battle, the other bidders knew they couldn't compete and chose to remain silent and watch.
When the price soared to five thousand spirit stones, the entire auction house fell into a deathly silence. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the next round of bidding.
"Six thousand spirit stones." Xu Nian's tone remained calm, as if it were nothing more than a trivial sum. At this moment, the Sword Master's face turned incredibly grim, and beads of sweat even appeared on his forehead. After a brief but intense internal struggle, he finally sighed and gave up on raising the price further.
Ultimately, under the envious and jealous gazes of everyone, the Xuanbing Armor fell into Xu Nian's hands without any doubt. In the following time, several more high-quality treasures appeared one after another, and without exception, all of these treasures were successfully acquired by the wealthy and powerful Xu Nian.
Every time Xu Nian called out a price, the Tyrant Sword Daoist would immediately counter with an offer, attempting to suppress him. Surprisingly, however, no matter how the Tyrant Sword Daoist bid, Xu Nian always managed to retaliate quickly and secure the desired item at a higher price. The members of various sects present watched this exciting scene with great interest, as if enjoying a thrilling spectacle. They knew perfectly well that the Tyrant Sword Daoist was intentionally targeting Xu Nian, but what puzzled them was: who exactly was this Xu Nian? How could he make the usually domineering Tyrant Sword Daoist so wary?
As time went by, the auction continued smoothly. One after another, extremely rare and precious treasures were presented to the audience, each display eliciting gasps of amazement. Xu Nian, on the other hand, appeared quite calm and composed, only occasionally participating in the bidding. However, whenever he did bid, he invariably secured his desired item at an overwhelmingly high price.
On the other side, Jian Wuchen, who had been closely watching the situation, had a terribly gloomy expression. His fists were clenched so tightly that they trembled slightly from the force. He felt like a ridiculous clown, being repeatedly mocked and ridiculed by Xu Nian. This humiliation fueled his burning anger, yet he was utterly helpless.
At that moment, the entire auction hall fell silent, all eyes fixed on the center of the stage. The auctioneer, his face beaming with excitement, announced in a booming voice, "Ladies and gentlemen, please pay attention! Next to be presented is the undisputed grand finale of this auction—the Jade Bamboo of Tianshan!" As soon as he finished speaking, an exquisitely crafted, crystal-clear jade box was carefully carried onto the stage by two attendants under the intense gazes of the crowd. The auctioneer then personally stepped forward and gently opened the lid. Instantly, a delicate, refreshing fragrance wafted out, soothing and delightful. Everyone looked closely and saw within the jade box lay a jade bamboo, seemingly carved from emerald, its entire body a flawless, vibrant green, radiating a captivating luster.
"Tianshan Jade Bamboo, that's a rare and precious medicinal herb that's hard to find even once in a thousand years! Legend has it that this herb has miraculous effects, helping people easily break through cultivation bottlenecks and greatly improve their cultivation level!" The auctioneer excitedly introduced it loudly.
As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere at the scene was instantly ignited, and countless eyes were fixed on the treasure on the stage that was radiating a mysterious light.
"Starting price: 10,000 spirit stones!" The auctioneer announced loudly, forcefully swinging his gavel.
However, at that moment, a voice suddenly rang out: "Twenty thousand spirit stones!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Jian Wuchen sitting in the front row eagerly shouting out the high price. Clearly, he was determined to get his hands on the Heavenly Jade Bamboo.
A murmur of surprise rippled through the crowd. This doubling of the price demonstrated Jian Wuchen's unwavering determination and immense financial resources.
However, just when everyone thought no one would dare to compete with Jian Wuchen anymore, another voice rang out calmly: "Twenty-one thousand spirit stones."
The speaker was Xu Nian. He appeared calm and composed, seemingly not taking Jian Wuchen seriously.
Upon hearing this, Jian Wuchen abruptly turned his head and glared fiercely at Xu Nian. Their gazes met in mid-air, as if sparks were flying.
"Thirty thousand spirit stones!" Jian Wuchen gritted his teeth and raised the price again, secretly vowing to beat Xu Nian.
"Thirty-one thousand spirit stones." Xu Nian's reply remained unhurried, as if the fierce bidding had nothing to do with him.
Seeing Xu Nian so calm and composed, Jian Wuchen's anger grew even stronger, and the veins on his forehead bulged out one by one with rage.
"Forty thousand spirit stones!" he practically roared out the number.
"Forty-one thousand spirit stones." Xu Nian's tone remained unchanged, as if he had just casually said something insignificant.
And so, the two went back and forth, neither willing to give in, driving the price ever higher. Each bid increase drew gasps of amazement from the crowd.
After several rounds of fierce bidding, the price has soared to an astonishing 80,000 spirit stones!
At this moment, the entire auction hall fell into a deathly silence. It should be understood that this price far exceeded the intrinsic value of the Heavenly Jade Bamboo. Everyone understood that Jian Wuchen's continuous price increases were deliberately aimed at Xu Nian.
"One hundred and eleven thousand spirit stones." Xu Nian's calm, unwavering voice rang out, as if this astonishing price was nothing more than a drop in the ocean for him. Upon hearing this bid, Jian Wuchen, who had been participating in the auction, couldn't help but gasp, forcibly suppressing the raging anger within him. He knew very well that he had already reached the upper limit of his affordability; if he continued to raise the price, even if he sold everything he owned, he probably wouldn't be able to scrape together such a huge amount of spirit stones.
"Very good!" Jian Wuchen squeezed out these two words through gritted teeth, his facial muscles twitching slightly with anger. At this moment, his eyes, which were originally as sharp as a hawk's, were staring fiercely at Xu Nian, the resentment they contained seeming to pierce through her body as if it could materialize.