Chapter 1998: Don't Follow, You're a Grandson

You Ming Ge was in an uproar. "A small gourd, worth that much?"

The skinny old man glanced at Ye Chen and clicked his tongue. "You must be loaded and burning money!"

Ye Chen shrugged casually. "I've got money."

"This guy's acting cool, and it's flawless." The skinny old man gave him a thumbs-up.

"Interesting." Across from him, Qiong Qi Zhun Di's mouth curved into a slight smile, his eyes gleaming with an eerie light as he looked at Ye Chen with amusement. He had wanted to see Ye Chen's true appearance, but embarrassingly, even with his Zhun Di vision, all he could see was a blurry haze.

This only made him more intrigued by Ye Chen.

It wasn't just him—even the other Zhun Di-level experts present, including those from Hong Huang and You Ming Lao Ren, couldn't see through it. They only knew Ye Chen was mysterious, his concealment technique something that defied heaven and created fortune.

You Ming Lao Ren said indifferently, "Fellow Daoist from Hong Huang, do you wish to raise the bid?"

Qiong Qi Zhun Di chuckled softly. "Raise it—fifty million."

A collective hiss of sucked-in breaths filled the room. Qiong Qi Zhun Di's bid caused the already restless You Ming Ge to erupt in gasps. They had thought Ye Chen's sudden jump of five million was bold enough, but this one was even more ruthless, raising it by twenty million without hesitation. Truly wealthy and arrogant.

"Having money means you can be as willful as you want!" Sighs echoed everywhere.

"I still can't figure out what's so precious about that little gourd—why are so many people fighting over it?"

"Who cares? It's just someone with more money than sense."

Ye Chen smiled at Qiong Qi Zhun Di. "This fellow Daoist is quite rich!"

"Money is just a worldly possession. If you want to play, I'll play with you to the end." Qiong Qi Zhun Di laughed eerily, lounging back in his chair with a relaxed expression. He had plenty of money—after all, he was from the Hong Huang race, a colossal power from the Hong Huang era. Their clan had even produced a Great Emperor eons ago, and even now, it had been hundreds of thousands of years. If they saved just one piece of source stone a year, that would add up to hundreds of thousands; ten pieces would be millions. By that math, they were indeed filthy rich with deep reserves.

"Money is just a worldly possession— that's spot on." Ye Chen laughed.

Qiong Qi Zhun Di smirked mockingly. "Care to raise it?"

"Raise it, of course. If you want to play, I'll join in—ninety million."

There was a chorus of spitting sounds as people choked on their drinks, stunned by Ye Chen's bid. Even the Great Saint-level experts felt their hearts skip a beat. He really knew how to drop a bombshell.

"What’s this guy's background? Does his family own a mine?"

"Hey, do you have any openings for a gatekeeper?" The skinny old man nudged Ye Chen, convinced he was a tycoon. Anyone daring to compete with the Hong Huang race in wealth must have a mountain of resources at home.

"If you sell your true fire, I'll pay top dollar." Ye Chen said with a smile.

"Don't mess around—I don't have any true fire." The skinny old man replied, clutching his lower abdomen and shifting away slightly, certain that Ye Chen could see through the secrets in his Dan Hai.

"How entertaining, truly entertaining." Across the way, Qiong Qi's laugh turned a bit sinister.

"Don't back down—keep going!" Now it was Ye Chen's turn to lounge in his chair. He slipped on a ring and spun it leisurely, grinning at his opponent.

Qiong Qi Zhun Di was rich, but so was he.

None of that mattered, though. What counted was that he could gauge Qiong Qi Zhun Di's limits, which was why he was bidding like this. He was dead set on getting the purple gold gourd, and even if he didn't, he'd make Qiong Qi Zhun Di pay dearly. Wasn't he trying to show off? Ye Chen would let him show off to his heart's content. Wasn't he after the immortal gold that couldn't be destroyed? Then Ye Chen would bleed him dry first.

Qiong Qi Zhun Di's eyes flashed with a cold glint.

Ye Chen ignored it completely. It was rare to sit in the same auction hall as someone from Hong Huang, so he might as well go all out.

You Ming Lao Ren glanced at Qiong Qi. "Fellow Daoist Qiong Qi, do you wish to raise the bid?"

"Raise it—ninety-nine million more." Qiong Qi snorted coldly.

Ye Chen said leisurely, "You raised twenty million in one go earlier, but now it's only nine million? Fellow Daoist, your confidence seems lacking. Or did you not bring enough money?"

"Got the guts? Keep raising—I have plenty." Qiong Qi sneered.

"Good, that's exactly what I wanted to hear. Whoever doesn't bid is a grandson." Ye Chen perked up, cracking his neck. "Ninety-nine million plus nine million— one billion, eight hundred and ninety million."

Wow!

The skinny old man beside him clutched his chest, his heart pounding. Having money meant being outrageously bold—if it were him, he wouldn't have the nerve, even with that much cash.

Even he reacted that way, so the other bidders were mostly slack-jawed.

Now, the cultivators from the various heavens were looking at Ye Chen like he was some kind of deity. Was this an auction or a contest of wealth? One billion, eight hundred and ninety million source stones—that was a mountain of riches! Not even Great Saints or Saint Kings could handle that easily, let alone Zhun Di-level experts.

Is he a plant from You Ming Ge?

Even You Ming Lao Ren on stage wasn't as composed anymore. He was sure Ye Chen wasn't their shill— their people wouldn't bid so aggressively.

"One billion, eight hundred and ninety million! Is that little gourd really a treasure?"

"At that price, it has to be."

"But who knows? Maybe someone's just messing with Hong Huang on purpose. 'Whoever doesn't bid is a grandson'—that's savage. A Hong Huang Zhun Di would have to keep going just to save face."

After the silence, the crowd buzzed like ocean waves, one louder than the next.

With the price so high, everyone in the hall took another look at the purple gold gourd to make sure they hadn't missed anything.

Of course, most eyes were on Ye Chen.

Unfortunately, their vision was too limited to see through his true form.

"Brilliant, absolutely brilliant." The earlier losers, Tao Wu and Taotie, laughed with schadenfreude, especially seeing Qiong Qi's gloomy face—it was downright satisfying. In battle, they were allies, but here at the auction, they were rivals.

Qiong Qi's face was indeed terrifyingly dark.

You Ming Lao Ren glanced at him. "Care to raise?"

"Whoever doesn't bid is a grandson." Ye Chen chimed in helpfully.

He was still polishing his ring, making it shine like new, as if that one billion, eight hundred million was just pocket change. His demeanor made the other bidders stare intensely: This guy's acting cool is on point.

"Two billion." Qiong Qi roared in fury, his voice like thunder.

"Alright, I'm backing down—I'm the grandson." Ye Chen gave up straightforwardly. He couldn't keep going; two billion was his limit, and besides, it was Qiong Qi's limit too.

As for being called a grandson, he didn't mind. Qiong Qi was from the Hong Huang race, from the ancient Hong Huang era—generation-wise, he was hundreds of thousands of years ahead. Being a couple of generations lower wasn't a big deal. Ye Chen had thick skin anyway.

What a character!

The skinny old man stroked his beard, and the other cultivators wore expressions of resigned admiration. They figured Ye Chen was just here to stir up trouble—the legendary troublemaker.

But he did it well—shocking and thrilling.

Wasn't it thrilling? In just a few moves, he cost Qiong Qi two billion source stones. Even for a major Hong Huang clan, that was a hit, especially since Qiong Qi was on a mission.

The other Hong Huang Zhun Di were laughing heartily.

Ye Chen's move might have targeted Qiong Qi, but it helped them. They all came with similar budgets, and now Qiong Qi was down two billion—he'd likely be out for the immortal gold.

In short, Ye Chen had eliminated a tough competitor for them.

As for Qiong Qi, his face was no longer a face—it was more twisted than a demon's. His killing intent as a Zhun Di locked onto Ye Chen. If not for the restrictions, he'd have charged over and struck him down.

"Are you bullying You Ming because we're undefended?" You Ming Lao Ren snorted coldly.

As his words fell, his pressure surged, wiping out Qiong Qi Zhun Di's killing intent.

Qiong Qi huffed coldly and didn't push further.

But his killing intent toward Ye Chen was blatant—he'd locked onto him and swore to capture him alive after the auction. He already had ideas for making his life a living hell.

Ye Chen didn't care.

As the emperor of Da Chu, a ruthless one who'd slain emperors, what hadn't he seen? With a Quasi-Emperor weapon to aid him, even if he couldn't beat Qiong Qi, escaping should be no problem. Who was afraid of whom?

The auction continued!

You Ming Lao Ren cleared his throat, put away the purple gold gourd, and brought out another item: a golden pagoda inlaid with nine divine beads, radiating golden light that made everyone's eyes sparkle.

Another Saint King weapon, even better than the previous Chi Hong Sword.

Everyone here was a seasoned expert and could tell this pagoda was extraordinary. Though its level didn't reach Great Saint, its material was divine, and incorporating it into a personal artifact would make it incredibly powerful.

Bidding erupted instantly, with fierce competition over the pagoda.

The auction hit another peak, skyrocketing to fifty million in moments, and the price kept climbing. Even some Zhun Di joined in.

As for the Hong Huang Zhun Di, they all sat with eyes closed, conserving their energy.

The pagoda was impressive, but it didn't catch their eye. What they really wanted was the immortal gold. For that heaven-defying material, they wouldn't waste a single source stone—they were waiting for the finale.

In the corner, Ye Chen rested his chin on his hands, watching idly.

He wanted the pagoda, but he wasn't bidding—he needed to save for the true fire.

As for the earlier purple gold gourd, he could only call it a regret. Qiong Qi had locked onto him, but he had locked onto Qiong Qi too, scheming to snatch it back later. He'd need to get Ren Wang's help for that.

"Definitely have to get it." Ye Chen muttered to himself, patting his pocket.

"Come on, have a drink." The skinny old man poured cheerfully, impressed by how Ye Chen had put Qiong Qi in his place. It was downright satisfying to watch.

"Do you know what level the true fire being auctioned is?" Ye Chen asked.