The amount nearly shocked some of the present Grand Elders and Patriarchs of the first ranked forces to their death-bed. Even the super forces’ Grand Elders and Patriarchs seated within the private rooms above almost had their eyeballs pop out of their sockets.
The auction hall was deathly still, so quiet that even the drop of a needle could be heard.
Inside private room number six, Huang Xiaolong had a scheming smirk on his face as he waited to see if the person inside private room number eight would follow or not.
‘You want to compare wallet sizes?’ Heh, what he lacked the least of all was Xuanwu coins. In fact, Huang Xiaolong genuinely felt like there were too few places where he could spend them.
On top of that, he naturally did not have any good impression toward people from the Azure Dragon Institute. Since they ran into each other here, he might as well take the chance to disgust the other side a little.
In private room number eight, Xiang Mingzhi’s eyes narrowed dangerously to two thin slits, two piercing glints flickered unnoticeably.
Ten billion!
Although he had come across some ancient masters’ cultivation dwellings and was far from lacking in terms of money, this price had managed to jar him.
“Go and find out who’s in that private room number six.” Xiang Mingzhi coldly instructed one of the old men standing behind him.
“Yes, Young Lord!” Respectfully acknowledging Xiang Mingzhi’s words, the old man turned and left the room.
“Eleven billion!” Xiang Mingzhi called out, breaking the stagnated atmosphere in the auction hall. But everyone could clearly detect the thick flowing murderous aura within the collected icy voice.
Huang Xiaolong leaned back comfortably on the seat, not missing the other side’s killing intent. Without missing a beat, he called out: “Twenty billion!”
Twenty billion!
Several muffled thuds were heard coming from the auction hall below due to some first rank forces’ Grand Elders and Patriarchs dazedly sliding off their seats to the floor from astonishment.
Some Elders of the middle ranking forces and families could hardly control their hearts from jumping out from their chests.
“W-who’s in private room number six? Tw-twenty BILLION!!” A first rank force family Elder exclaimed. At the mention of twenty billion, his tongue stuttered understandably.
“Private room six... it should be the Black Warrior Institute Principal’s personal disciple, Huang Xiaolong?!”
“Huang Xiaolong?! How can Huang Xiaolong have so much money? Did the Institute Principal came over to compete for the True Dragon King’s beast cores, merely allowing his disciple to bid on the surface?”
“The Black Warrior Institute Principal’s wealth can drown a person to death!”
The crowd below responded with doubt and astonishment.
Hearing the words that passed between the crowd below, a wry smile appeared on Huang Xiaolong’s face as Shi Xiaofei jested, “Looks like no one believes that Big brother Huang has so much money.”
Still, this was also a good misunderstanding, preventing others from thinking too deeply into the source of his wealth. Otherwise, an average Black Warrior Institute inner disciple capable of taking out twenty billion Xuanwu coins to bid for something would undoubtedly raise many curious eyebrows. If it was the Institute Principal, then everything was easily explained.
In private room number eight, Xiang Mingzhi’s face muscles slightly twitched.
Twenty billion?! His hands unknowingly clenched into fists as the killing intent in his heart roared like great waves.
“Young Lord, I found out. The person in private room number six is the Black Warrior Institute Principal’s disciple, Huang Xiaolong.” At this time, the old man that went out to inquire returned, reporting to Xiang Mingzhi.
Xiang Mingzhi’s tone was extremely grim: “I know.” The excited discussion below had already entered his ears, ‘Do I still need you to report to me?!’
His heart was burning, his anger raging!
“Twenty-one billion!” Xiang Mingzhi was literally gritting his teeth calling out his bid. He was determined to get these True Dragon King’s beast cores. Otherwise, all of his efforts and time spent in collecting more than a hundred different herbs above ten thousand years old would have been in vain.
The uproaring auction hall quieted once more.
Seeing that the other side had decided to follow through with his bid, Huang Xiaolong turned toward Shi Xiaofei saying, “Every time they’re only adding a billion to the price, people from the Azure Dragon Institute are so stingy.” Huang Xiaolong purposely did not conceal his voice, hence, everyone in the auction hall and the private rooms clearly heard what he said.
Every time only adding a billion to the price, stingy!
One could imagine the myriad expressions of the people around hearing this. Those words nearly made Xiang Mingzhi vomit blood.
“Thirty billion.” Just when it looked like Xiang Mingzhi was really about to vomit blood, Huang Xiaolong’s unhurried voice sounded, as if what he was saying wasn’t ‘thirty billion’, but’ three hundred’ Xuanwu coins.
Thirty billion!
Those in the auction hall could hear their hearts beating like war drums in their ears. A first rank force disciple that had a heart disease fainted, clutching his chest.
A strange atmosphere filled the auction hall.
Xiang Mingzhi’s expression was extremely ugly, fury exploded in his eyes akin to a fierce beast on the verge of going berserk.
“Huang-Xiao-long.” Each syllable came out with much difficulty. The temperature in private room number eight plummeted sharply.
“Young Lord, should we, forget it?” One of the old men behind him tried to persuade him.
“How many more Xuanwu coins do we have?” Xiang Mingzhi asked after taking a deep breath. He had two objectives in attending this Black Warrior City auction; one of them was the True Dragon King’s beast cores and the other was none other than the sacred grade immortal spirit stone.
“Deducting the items we bought earlier, we have a little more than forty-six billion,” The other old man answered, “but if we insist to buy the True Dragon King’s beast core, I’m afraid we won’t have enough to acquire the sacred grade immortal spirit stone.”
Xiang Mingzhi’s face was extremely gloomy.
Coming to the Black Warrior City this time, they had brought more than fifty billion with them. Initially, before they set off, he had assumed that fifty billion was more than enough to complete his two objectives; acquiring both the True Dragon King’s beast cores as well as the sacred grade immortal spirit stone. Yet, he didn’t expect to run into this situation.
That Huang Xiaolong was doing this on purpose, or else only those with their brain damaged by crashing into a block of tofu would take out thirty billion to buy the True Dragon King’s beast cores.
“Private room number six has bid thirty billion, would anyone else like to offer a higher price?” The auctioneer’s voice rang in the auction hall.
Hesitation flashed across Xiang Mingzhi’s face. He was unresigned, yet he could only give up in the end. Finally, Huang Xiaolong successfully bid for the True Dragon King’s beast cores with an earth-shattering exorbitant price.
Witnessing this, the people in the auction hall were still trying to recover from having their views toward money shattered, shaking their heads and sighing.
Some Grand Elders and Patriarchs found it hard to comprehend why Huang Xiaolong would spend thirty billion to buy beast cores that were worth no more than two billion at most.
“Has the Black Warrior Institute Principal gone mad? Or is this disciple of his cuckoo? Even he if wanted to irk the Azure Dragon Institute’s people, there’s no need to throw out thirty billion!” Some experts were clamoring through gritted teeth.
Subsequently, several items were auctioned off.
Despite the bidding war being just as fierce, none of the items managed to fetch the inconceivable price that the True Dragon King’s beast cores did, falling into a more acceptable price range for everyone.
“Next, we’re bringing out this auction’s anchor treasure, a sacred grade immortal spirit stone.” Close to the end, the auctioneer raised his voice, letting it boom throughout the entire auction hall.
The auctioneer’s announcement roused a great reaction from the crowd below, everyone looked like they were injected with chicken blood, their eyes widened and their breathing grew heavy.
Sacred grade immortal spirit stone!
The first piece to be auctioned in tens of thousands of years.
When the Black Warrior Auction House appraiser carried the sacred grade immortal spirit stone with both hands onto the auction stage, everyone sitting in the hall stood up, craning their necks and opening their eyes wide as they fixed an immovable stare on the small piece of stone.
Inside each private room, Xiang Mingzhi and the others also stood up with a feverish look in their eyes.
‘I must get this sacred grade immortal spirit stone, absolutely!’ He vowed to himself.
Under the many penetrating heated gazes, the Black Warrior Auction House appraiser finally walked up the stage, standing in the center and explaining the usage and appraisal result to everyone present.
When the appraiser was done, the auctioneer scanned the room with a smile on his face, “I believe everyone already knows that this piece of sacred grade immortal spirit stone is priceless, invaluable, hard to be measured by monetary value. With consent from the owner, we will not set a starting price for this sacred grade immortal spirit stone. Everyone present here can freely offer a price. The bidding begins now.”
No set bidding price? Eyes turned red. This meant that everyone could make an offer, no matter the price they called out?!