Chapter 718: Spirit Crystal War

Chapter 700: Ling Jing War!

Xu Xiaoshou was so angry his lungs were about to explode.

He rushed forward, grabbed his little junior sister, and quickly tossed her back onto the sofa, preventing this audacious girl from spouting any more nonsense.

Then, flipping up his mask, he glared at her and demanded, "What on earth are you doing?"

Mu Zixi was stunned.

She hadn't even fully processed the excitement of bidding when she was thrown, just like Liu Lu had been.

The difference was, Liu Lu had been thrown to the floor and was now clutching his backside, wincing in pain.

The little girl, on the other hand, landed on the sofa and bounced a couple of times without a single scratch.

"Didn't you tell me to 'shout at the bastard'?" Mu Zixi blinked innocently and asked in confusion, "I was just following your order. You didn't tell me to shout, so I didn't. You told me to, so I did!"

"I..."

Xu Xiaoshou waved his hands wildly, clenching and unclenching them, utterly speechless. He was seething with rage but ultimately managed to control it.

"I didn't tell you to shout like that!"

Xu Xiaoshou buried his face in his hands, looking completely defeated. "Are you crazy? Bidding up by twenty billion all at once—are you suggesting I have too much money with nowhere to spend it?"

Mu Zixi was startled by her senior brother's outburst and shrank back timidly, mumbling so softly it was barely audible, "Well, you didn't tell me how to shout. From the way you said 'shout at the bastard,' I thought maybe I hadn't bid enough."

"Cursed, passive value, 1, 1, 1, 1..."

The little girl clearly had no intention of admitting her mistake. Not only was she protesting softly aloud, but she was also secretly cursing her senior brother for being so stingy.

"Even if you make someone bid, you still come after them afterward..."

Xu Xiaoshou's face went from pale to flushed.

He was at a loss for a retort.

What his little junior sister said actually made some sense, didn't it?

The blame really wasn't on her.

If anyone was at fault, it was him for losing his temper and letting this silly girl speak up!

After a moment of silence,

Xu Xiaoshou sighed, flicked his sleeve, and walked over to the window without another word.

Clearly, it wasn't just Xu Xiaoshou and his group in the private box who were stunned by Mu Zixi's bid.

The entire audience was on edge after that outrageous "fifty billion."

"Are they insane?"

"Who is the representative in Box 172? They're dead set on this!"

"Fifty billion... it's madness, but with the Xu Kong Ling, you could gain control of the Feng Sheng Dao Ji. Even if the chances are slim, it's worth a shot for that glimmer of hope, right?"

"But I bet this is going to create bad blood between Box 172 and Box 13!"

Indeed,

If someone truly wanted the item, they could have bid earlier.

Why wait until the third confirmation of the price and then suddenly add "twenty billion"?

It sounded exactly like they were toying with the other side.

Or maybe, it was intentional...

Even the black-robed figure with the beast mask on the stage was taken aback by the "fifty billion" bid. Before he could speak, a voice came from Box 13.

"Friend in Box 172, you've gone too far..."

Everyone could clearly hear the tremor and the forced restraint in that voice, altered by the beast mask.

It seemed Box 13 had lost its composure, and once they started talking, they couldn't stop.

"The Xu Kong Ling isn't worth that much. The 'Feng Sheng Dao Ji' might be, but it's still just a faint legend."

"Besides, all of this only applies to peak Tai Xu experts anyway."

"The value of the Xu Kong Ling would be wasted if given to someone at the Zhan Dao or Wang Zuo level to develop!"

Strictly speaking, events like this trading conference prohibited any chit-chat or pressure tactics beyond bidding.

But at that moment, the black-robed figure with the beast mask on stage just stared at the two conflicting boxes and said nothing.

He seemed to know who owned each box and chose to stay out of it.

And the audience wasn't foolish.

As representatives of major powers at this peak trading event, they were all sharp-minded.

What the owner of Box 13 said appeared to be an explanation or persuasion,

But in reality, it directly highlighted that their faction had a peak Tai Xu expert who desperately needed this Xu Kong Ling.

At this point, anyone with sense would follow the principle of avoiding unnecessary trouble.

No matter what, they should give that Tai Xu expert some face.

Yet in Box 172, Xu Xiaoshou, who was already upset with his own junior sister, perked up at those words and saw an opportunity.

"So Box 13 isn't backing down at fifty billion?"

With that thought sparking, Xu Xiaoshou's mind raced.

He hurried back, pulled Mu Zixi over, and whispered a few instructions in her ear. Her eyes lit up again, instantly shaking off her dejected state and regaining her energy.

She dashed to the window, planted her hands on her hips, tilted her head back, and shouted defiantly:

"Who doesn't have a few Tai Xu experts waiting to be nurtured? If you've got the money, bid higher. If not, keep your mouth shut and stop spouting useless nonsense!"

"You're broke? Then go home and talk to yourself. Don't stand here jabbering—it's annoying!"

Once she finished,

Under the beast mask, the little girl's face beamed with utter satisfaction.

She looked as if she'd just swallowed ten Sheng Ming Ling--her joy was unstoppable.

She felt great saying it,

But for everyone in the audience who heard it, a chill ran down their spines.

"A few Tai Xu experts waiting to be nurtured..."

"And who doesn't have a few..."

"Heavens, are these people serious? Or are they just bragging?"

There were top factions in the room,

But not every top faction had a Tai Xu expert leading them.

Most were lucky to have a Zhan Dao guest elder, and that was impressive enough.

And this Box 172 claimed they had several?

In Box 13,

The two men exchanged glances, both surprised.

Da Xuan Tian Zong, the dominant force in the western district of Wang Cheng, had evolved from an early black-market guild into one of the leading spirit refiner factions in Wang Cheng.

They had wealth, power...

And ruthlessness in spades—Da Xuan Tian Zong had that most of all.

Crucially, their grand elder was a genuine Tai Xu expert!

Even if not at the peak, he was a hardened veteran of Wang Cheng, with decades of brutal, iron-fisted legends to his name.

In Wang Cheng,

Aside from Sheng Shen Dian and those mainland association branches, Da Xuan Tian Zong feared almost nothing.

And within Wang Cheng, everyone knew which factions had Tai Xu experts and which boxes they occupied.

They had all done their homework, forming alliances...

The high-level representatives of Wang Cheng's factions were just trying to prevent infighting that might benefit other random groups.

Or worse, let outside forces snatch the treasures designated for Wang Cheng's representatives.

But now, out of nowhere, this group was boldly stepping in!

"Box 172..."

Da Xuan Tian Zong's sect master, Leng Qihei, stroked his chin thoughtfully, his beast mask set aside.

This thing was just for maintaining mystery and formality for newcomers. The old hands could even recognize voices through the mask alterations.

It was basically useless!

Leng Qihei was a burly man with a vicious scar on his face, a souvenir from his early brawls.

He stared at the Box 172 that had dared to rebuke him for a long time before turning to his grand elder and asking coldly, "Do they have a Tai Xu expert too?"

Grand Elder Ding Kui was an elderly man, the strategist from the early days of the black-market guild.

Even though he had reached Tai Xu level, a strategist was still a strategist—he knew he lacked the innate aura of a leader, and his cultivation had hit its limit.

The position of Da Xuan Tian Zong's sect master held no interest for Ding Kui.

He always backed the one who had led them to their current status with endless potential: Leng Qihei.

"From just listening, it's hard to tell, of course."

Ding Kui stroked his beard and smiled. "But afterward, I can ask someone from Ye Mao. We'll find out who they are then. If we can take them on, we will; if not, let it go. No big deal."

Back in the early days, Ye Mao wasn't as powerful as it is now.

They were all scrapping for a living in Wang Cheng, and Da Xuan Guild had bailed Ye Mao out more than once.

And back then, people like Yuan Haisheng were just insignificant nobodies.

Given their past ties, as long as Da Xuan Tian Zong asked, Ye Mao would spill everything.

Leaking info was tricky for an intelligence outfit,

But for Ding Kui, it was no issue at all!

"If we can get the Xu Kong Ling, great; if not, forget it. Sheng Shen Dian is watching anyway, so there's no need to fight over it."

Ding Kui looked at his sect master, seeing the cold expression, and chuckled. "As for that nonsense from the other box, Cold Brother, you're not actually getting angry over it, are you?"

"Hah!" Leng Qihei narrowed his eyes. He was indeed annoyed by their tone, but thinking he could be pushed around for "fifty billion"...

No way!

Just as he was about to raise his bid sign again, another voice rang out from Box 7.

"Fifty-one billion."

The calm statement sent a wave of murmurs through the crowd.

Everyone turned, not expecting another bidder to jump in at this point.

In Box 172, Xu Xiaoshou felt a surge of relief.

He hadn't anticipated that his little junior sister's words would fail to provoke Box 13 but instead rouse someone in Box 7.

"Let them fight it out, let them fight. I don't want this thing anyway..."

As Xu Xiaoshou thought this, he covered his little junior sister's mouth, who was about to bid again, and pulled her back to the sofa.

In Box 13, Leng Qihei whipped around and, upon seeing the familiar Box 7, laughed in anger.

"Gui Yin Ge?"

Ding Kui also found it amusing.

Gui Yin Ge was the dominant force in Wang Cheng's southern district, with a Tai Xu expert holding it down.

But in the initial negotiations and allocations, the Xu Kong Ling lead wasn't theirs.

Now, Gui Yin Ge was clearly trying to swoop in while Da Xuan Tian Zong was being challenged by this sudden Box 172, brazenly grabbing a share.

"These old foxes, not a single one of them is decent!"

Leng Qihei curled his lip in mockery and, without a word, raised his sign.

The next second, a voice brooking no argument echoed through the hall.

"Sixty billion!"

"Ling jing—we have plenty. Anyone who wants to bid higher, bring it on. I'll see it through to the end!"

The invisible smoke of a financial war instantly filled the air.

Everyone was stunned into silence.

Xu Xiaoshou was thunderstruck by the rapid bids. Seeing Xin Gugu and Xiao Wanfeng huddled in the corner, holding their heads and grimacing, he barely restrained his own hands from doing the same.

"Damn, these people are seriously loaded!"

He had thought that getting rich through pills would make Tian Shang Di Yi Lou's wealth surpass Wang Cheng's major factions.

That wasn't wrong,

But after coming to this trading conference, Xu Xiaoshou realized there were always bigger fish and higher mountains.

Compared to these established, resource-hoarding superpowers, he and Tian Shang Di Yi Lou were still green.

The room buzzed with discussion, but no one dared bid now.

Box 13's resolve was ironclad.

This was clearly a "fight to the death" stance, so naturally, no one else spoke up.

The black-robed figure with the beast mask on stage was secretly delighted.

The Xu Kong Ling wasn't worth that price—it was undeniable.

The "Feng Sheng Dao Ji" was just a legend, and whether it existed was up for debate.

Sixty billion for such a vague hope? These people were filthy rich.

And that didn't even account for Sheng Shen Dian lurking nearby—winning the Xu Kong Ling might mean getting "invited" for a chat.

"Sixty billion, once!"

The black-robed figure tapped the gavel. Seeing no response, he continued smoothly,

"Sixty billion, twice!"

"Sixty billion, three times... Sold!"

"Let's congratulate Box 13 on securing the key to the sacred secret realm—the Xu Kong Ling—with sixty billion ling jing. Congratulations!"

Scattered applause filled the room.

A masked attendant stepped forward to retrieve the item and head to the box for the transaction.

The black-robed figure calmly pulled another treasure from his ring and placed it on the stage.

It was a long wooden case, clearly containing a weapon.

As the case opened, a burst of radiant light shone forth.

The black-robed figure lifted the long sword and said flatly, "A first-grade ling sword, named 'Cai Jun.' Courtesy of Ye Mao, starting bid at one billion. Its true value is for you all to decide."

The announcement left the room in hushed silence.

Ling swords available on the market topped out at third grade.

A third-grade ling sword was already at the peak Wang Zuo level, highly spiritual. With time and blood essence nurturing, it could become sentient, as easy to wield as an extension of oneself—at minimum, rivaling Zhan Dao, and at its best, challenging Tai Xu.

The longer it was nurtured, the greater its fame.

Theoretically, a third-grade ling sword could, through the wielder's renown and heavenly forces, evolve into a legendary sword over thousands of years, provided each wielder had sufficient prestige.

But that was too abstract. In practice, third-grade was third-grade—it lacked tribulation energy.

Treasures with tribulation energy were all classified as second-grade.

A first-grade ling sword, however, was born with Tai Xu power. Some had already been nurtured by generations of famous sword masters through heavenly forces, becoming supreme holy swords.

Such treasures were priceless, yet here one was, right at the trading conference.

The black-robed figure raised the gavel and struck it once.

"The second item is now open for bidding!"