Chapter 2001: Fight with Me

You Ming Lao Ren's gentle voice echoed ethereal throughout the auction hall. "The Jiu Xiao Tong Lu, starting bid at twenty million. Bidding begins now."

"Twenty-five million." Ye Chen raised his hand immediately, looking eager.

"Thirty million." Tian Xie Zhun Di smirked playfully.

"Ninety million."

"One hundred million."

Ye Chen glanced at Tao Wu and said, "Senior, you're from Hong Huang and so wealthy. Do you really need this copper furnace?"

"You want it, but I'll make sure you don't get it." Tian Xie Zhun Di's lips curled into a smile.

Ye Chen's face darkened slightly, feigning gloom.

Seeing Ye Chen's reaction, Tian Xie Zhun Di smiled even more teasingly, convinced that Ye Chen desired the copper furnace.

You Ming Lao Ren asked Ye Chen, "Young friend, will you bid higher?"

"Two hundred million." Ye Chen replied coldly.

"Two hundred ten million."

"Three hundred million." Ye Chen slammed the table and stood up abruptly, pretending to be furious.

"Three hundred ten million." Tian Xie Zhun Di took a sip of wine, laughing heartily. The other Hong Huang Zhun Di joined in, feeling triumphant after being outmaneuvered for so long—they were determined to outbid him this time.

"Looks like the master of schemes is about to slip up." The cultivators from Zhutian sighed.

"You can't walk by the river without getting your shoes wet."

"Four hundred million." Amid the sighs, Ye Chen's tone turned even colder. After bidding, he glanced at Tian Xie Zhun Di and sneered, "Go on, bid higher. Don't back down now!"

"Four hundred ten million."

"Five hundred million."

"Five hundred ten million." Tian Xie Zhun Di chuckled darkly, pursuing relentlessly.

As Tian Xie Zhun Di spoke, Ye Chen fell silent. He sighed and sat down, grabbing a handful of sunflower seeds from the plate. He cracked them one by one while chatting casually with the skinny old man.

"Why aren't you bidding anymore?" the skinny old man asked, feigning surprise as he looked at Ye Chen.

"Pitting them for two or three hundred million is enough. You can't be too ruthless." Ye Chen took a swig of wine.

Uh...

Upon hearing Ye Chen's words, the Zhutian cultivators couldn't help but twitch their mouths.

Now they understood. Ye Chen was still scheming—he hadn't wanted the copper furnace at all. It was all a ploy to lure the Hong Huang into bidding. His acting was flawless, fooling everyone.

Indeed, his tactics had reached an artful level. Another Hong Huang Zhun Di, Tian Xie Zhun Di, had fallen for it.

Speaking of Tian Xie Zhun Di, the Zhutian cultivators all turned to look at him.

What they saw was his face twisted in grotesque fury, his eyes blood-red as if about to bleed.

He had been tricked again. In a moment of carelessness, five hundred million yuan stones were gone. That Jiu Xiao Tong Lu wasn't even worth five hundred million. He had failed to outbid Ye Chen and ended up outbid himself.

You Ming Lao Ren shook his head with a smile. When it came to talent, the Zhutian side had plenty.

He simply retrieved the copper furnace and didn't ask for further bids. A furnace fetching five hundred million was far beyond expectations, all thanks to Ye Chen.

The episode of scheming came and went quickly, leaving everyone wanting more.

The subsequent auction grew even more peculiar.

Ye Chen was quite active, jumping in to bid from time to time. Whenever he did, the Hong Huang wouldn't stay idle, but they carefully held back, reminding themselves to know when to stop.

However, their thoughts couldn't escape Ye Chen's Zhou Tian insight.

After hundreds of items, not only did they fail to outbid Ye Chen, but they were repeatedly outmaneuvered by him, leaving them unable to hold their heads high.

This auction was also a grand spectacle, with the Zhutian cultivators watching from start to finish. They truly witnessed what it meant to be a master of schemes—his skills had reached perfection.

It was like a group of bronze players showing off their intelligence in front of a king.

For some reason, that phrase popped into the minds of the Zhutian cultivators. It was spot on.

The Hong Huang Zhun Di were furious to the point of madness.

They were Zhun Di, yet they kept suffering defeats at the hands of a Sheng Wang. It was an utter humiliation.

The most delighted was You Ming Lao Ren. Thanks to this scheming affair, the You Ming Ge's earnings had multiplied several dozen times. He even considered giving Ye Chen a big red envelope after the auction.

"I must say, the Hong Huang's minds aren't all that sharp!" the skinny old man remarked meaningfully. Being closest to Ye Chen, he had seen it all from beginning to end. He was almost touched by the Hong Huang Zhun Di's intelligence—or lack thereof. They kept getting schemed against, yet charged in repeatedly, only to be schemed against again. Knowing they couldn't win, they still sought trouble, always failing to learn from it.

"Fight with me, and I'll play you to death." Ye Chen sneered inwardly.

On stage, the next item was brought out.

This auction piece was a Xian Yi. Men might not be interested, but female immortals were quite taken with it. The Xian Yi was extraordinary, enveloped in seven-colored Xian light, dazzling and beautiful. Woven from Shen Can silk, it had a dreamlike quality that made the female immortals' eyes shimmer with admiration.

As soon as bidding started, it heated up intensely.

The bidders were mostly female cultivators, though some men joined in, hoping to win it for their partners. It was clothing, but also battle armor, inscribed with innate Dao essence to ward off attacks. It was both stylish and practical.

Women could indeed go wild for beauty.

Starting at five million, the Xian Yi astonishingly reached fifty million, with the price still climbing. The competition was fierce, turning the smokeless auction into a battlefield.

"Good thing Dong Huang Tai Xin isn't here, or it would be even more chaotic." Ye Chen said meaningfully. With her temperament, she would bid an amount that left others questioning reality.

Thinking of Dong Huang Tai Xin, Ye Chen stroked his chin. If he auctioned off those rare collectibles, they would likely fetch a fortune. But that was just a thought—he wouldn't dare act on it.

While he mused, the bidding for the seven-colored Xian Yi had concluded, fetching ninety million. The winner wasn't a female immortal but an old man, who was clutching his chest and groaning. It seemed he planned to use it to woo women, though the cost was painfully high.

"Quick, quick, the Tai Yin Zhen Huo is up." The skinny old man nudged Ye Chen.

At the mention, Ye Chen, who had been slumped on the table, perked up instantly.

Not just him—all in attendance, especially the Dan masters, were energized, their eyes fixed on the central platform. In You Ming Lao Ren's palm, a flame had materialized—it was pitch-black, the opposite extreme of the white Sun Zhen Huo.

That was the Tai Yin Zhen Huo. As the flame flickered, even space distorted around it. Though just a single flame, it exuded a chilling aura, making it unclear whether it was hot or cold.

Beyond that, the power within the Tai Yin Zhen Huo hinted at destruction. If it erupted, it would be terrifying.

"It's indeed the Tai Yin Zhen Huo." Ye Chen took a deep breath, his eyes gleaming. The Xian Huo in his Dan Hai stirred, as if eager to emerge. Clearly, it was drawn to the Tai Yin Zhen Huo—fusing with it would be ideal.

"Compared to that Tai Yin Zhen Huo, my Nan Ming Li Huo feels like child's play." The skinny old man coughed, acknowledging the vast difference between the two flames.

"Starting bid at ninety million. Bidding begins now." You Ming Lao Ren said with a smile.

"One hundred million." No sooner had he spoken than an elderly Dan master shouted boldly.

Yet, in just a second, his bid was overshadowed.

"One hundred eighty million."

"Two hundred million. Let's see if anyone dares to match that."

"Three hundred million."

The price of the Tai Yin Zhen Huo skyrocketed uncontrollably, leaving even Ye Chen unsettled. At this rate, it would take seven or eight hundred million to secure it.

As he thought this, he glanced at the Hong Huang Zhun Di. The Zhutian cultivators were bidding fiercely, but the main event was with the Hong Huang side.

The Hong Huang Zhun Di were lying low, watching with interest.

In their eyes, the Zhutian cultivators were mere pests, and they were the spectators. Once the ants had their fun, they would step in and crush them. The feeling was quite satisfying.

While watching, they didn't forget to glare coldly at Ye Chen, certain that the auction for the Tai Yin Zhen Huo wouldn't go smoothly with this troublemaker around.

"Five hundred million." This bid rang out loudly, drowning all others.

The bidder wasn't a Dan master but an elderly Ren Xiu Zhun Di, his eyes sharp with determination to win the Tai Yin Zhen Huo.

"Any higher bids?" You Ming Lao Ren asked.

"Five hundred ten million." Ye Chen stretched his neck and yawned lazily, bidding casually.

This move left the elderly Zhutian Zhun Di shaking his head in resignation. Clearly, Ye Chen wanted the Tai Yin Zhen Huo, and with him bidding, no one else from Zhutian dared continue.

The Zhutian cultivators looked at Ye Chen, then turned their gaze to the Hong Huang Zhun Di. No one from Zhutian was competing with him anymore—it depended on whether the Hong Huang would challenge.

Strangely, the Hong Huang Zhun Di were all frowning. Should they bid or not? If they did and got schemed against again, what then? If they didn't, it would be too easy for Ye Chen. To bid or not—that was the question.

Their silence amused the Zhutian cultivators and even You Ming Lao Ren. They had been scared off by the schemes.

"No one bidding higher? Then I'll add more—six hundred million." In the quiet, Ye Chen spoke up again.

"What the— what's this guy's strategy? Still think the price is too low?" Ye Chen's words caused an uproar in You Ming Ge. If no one was bidding against you, why add more? Was this how he always auctioned?

"The master of schemes is truly unconventional." Many elders stroked their beards thoughtfully.

"He's got money, so he's free to do as he pleases."

"You don't get it—this is to lure the Hong Huang in."

Discussions erupted everywhere, leaving people baffled by Ye Chen's move.

The shills in You Ming Ge looked to You Ming Lao Ren for guidance. Should they raise the price?

You Ming Lao Ren shook his head lightly, signaling them not to act.

The skinny old man beside Ye Chen stayed quiet, playing it safe. He didn't want to give Ye Chen an opening to bid against himself again. Better to remain silent.

The Hong Huang Zhun Di frowned even deeper, unsure of their next move. It was all because Ye Chen never played by the rules. After so many auctions, they had wised up—Ye Chen always succeeded in his schemes, likely with some secret method to read minds. Otherwise, how could he be so precise every time?

PS: Wish everyone a happy new year.