Chapter 15: Hated To Bone

"Five hundred and fifty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones!"

A cold voice rang out, slicing through the air. Instantly, the atmosphere thickened with tension.

"Did he just say five hundred and fifty?"

"Unbelievable! That price is insane!"

"Why waste such great amount of money into a useless box?"

Whispers filled the auction room, each one carrying a mix of awe and disbelief. It immediately, caused a stir among the crowd. 

Even Cao Xiaodan paused, momentarily taken aback by the sudden jump in price.

"Five hundred and fifty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones!" Cao Xiaodan echoed, regaining her composure. "Do I hear another bid?"

Beside Huang Longtian, Meiji's eyes sparkled with interest. "This is getting exciting," she whispered, leaning closer.

Panji, standing nearby, shook her head slightly. "Young miss, this isn't just excitement. It's madness."

Meanwhile, in one of the VIP rooms, two middle-aged men sat together, their imposing presence filling the space with an air of authority. 

They were intently watching the auction when the sudden spike in the bid made them lean forward, their faces reflecting a mix of shock and curiosity.

"Brother Tian, what do you think?" one man rubbed his long beard. "Five hundred and fifty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones—that's 55,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones, a staggering jump from the initial bid."

Brother Tian, more composed but equally intrigued, nodded. "It's quite a leap. But it's not just the bid that's surprising. I think I recognized the voice, Brother Duan…"

"Really?" Brother Duan's eyes narrowed. "Who was it?"

"It was Old Man Boneless Yin's voice," Brother Tian replied, disbelief in his tone. "I didn't expect such a ruthless figure to be here. Just last week, I heard he abducted a young lady from the Frozen Cloud Immortal Palace."

Brother Duan's expression darkened. "Old Man Boneless Yin? The one who's rumored to have connections with the demonic sects?"

"Yes, the very same," Brother Tian nodded, his eyes scanning a room on the third floor.

"Why would he be interested in that box?" Brother Duan wondered aloud. "It's just an ordinary box, after all."

"There must be something inside worth his attention," Brother Tian smiled broadly. "Something that even him cannot ignore…"

Back to Huang Longtian and Meiji. Both turned to look at the source of the voice. The voice came from the third floor, where the VIP rooms were located. A dark-robed figure was seated there.

Meiji smiled while looking at the room in the third floor. 'I didn't expect such a huge increase in the bid. Hehehe, that seemingly ordinary box must be more valuable than I thought. I need to reward the person who put it in the auction.'

Huang Longtian, on the other hand, was seething with a mix of surprise and fury. 

Huang Longtian wanted to obtain the box, as it was crucial for his plans to deceive his master. 

However, he knew he must be cautious—spending excessively without knowing the box's contents could be a grave mistake. But, his curiosity was picked and he was determined to win the box, regardless of the cost.

If someone was willing to bid such an outrageous amount, they probably knew its true value and wanted to obtain it at all costs.

The dark-robed figure in the third floor had made a stupid error by shouting such a high price from the start. It was a signal to everyone else that the box was indeed valuable, prompting other bidders to join the fray.

"Six hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones," another voice called out, this time from a man dressed in luxurious, golden robes.

He sat among the other cultivators on the bottom floor, the crowd buzzing as they realized a tycoon was hidden among them.

The dark-robed figure in the third floor felt the pressure but steadied his resolve. "Six hundred and fifty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones," His voice cold and eerie.

'If I don't get this box, my life is over. All because of that damned thief. Why did you have to steal my master's treasure?!Just wait until I find you!' The dark-robed figure clenched his teeth, a wave of despair crashing over him.

The man in golden robes blue responded almost immediately. "Seven hundred."

The dark-robed figure countered with, "Seven hundred and fifty."

The bids climbed rapidly, each increase drawing hisses from the crowd. 

Huang Longtian could feel his pulse quicken with every bid, the stakes growing higher and higher.

"Eight hundred," Huang Longtian finally called out.

The dark-robed figure, trembling slightly, raised it further. "Nine hundred."

After a moment's hesitation, the man in golden robes, feeling the pressure, made his move. "One thousand," he called out, his voice cutting through the auction house.

Hiss…

A murmur of disbelief rippled through the crowd. This was turning into an unprecedented bidding war. 

'This brat! If you bid one more time, I'll tear you apart and feast on your organs!' The dark-robed figure clenched his fists. "One thousand and fifty," he bid, his voice painfully louder.

Huang Longtian leaned forward, his eyes glinting. "One thousand two hundred."

'You little whore's bastard! I'll make you pay for this!' The dark-robed figure trembled, his face contorted with rage as his stomach churned with fury.

Meanwhile, the man in golden robes paused, his face showing signs of doubt. The crowd watched in anticipation, whispers and speculation buzzing through the room.

"Can he outbid them?" someone asked, their voice sharp with urgency.

"Not a chance," another snapped, shaking his head. "The bids are soaring too high."

"Who is that guy? He looks desperate," someone else hissed, eyes fixed on the man in golden robes.

"He's clearly at his breaking point," another whispered, watching the man's strained expression with a mixture of pity and anticipation.

As expected, the man in golden robes fell silent after a long pause, clearly hesitant and unwilling to bid further. In the end, he didn't place any further bids.

The room fell silent. The tension was palpable, and all eyes were on Huang Longtian and the dark-robed figure.

Huang Longtian smiled broadly.

The dark-robed figure felt a wave of desperation crash over him. His heart pounded with dread. 'I need that box. I need it—there's no choice. I have to get that box. I can't lose it. I can't. If I don't get it, everything's lost. I must get that box. No matter what. I must!'

He's desperation reached a fever pitch. His voice, strained but resolute, cut through the tension: "One thousand three hundred!"

"One thousand six hundred," Huang Longtian bid, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside.

'Old bag of bones, just give up already! I don't have that much money left…' He felt a twinge of nervousness, but it was barely a blip. He still had funds—barely, but enough.

The crowd held its breath, waiting for the dark-robed figure's response.

'Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!' The dark-robed figure roared inwardly. 'I'm going crazy! Fucking brat, you better pray I don't find you after the auction!

A charged silence gripped the room, every breath held in anticipation. 

After what felt like an eternity, he finally spoke, his voice painfully eerie but resigned. 

"… Two thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones…"

A collective gasp surged through the room, like a wave crashing against the walls. 

"Two thousand?!"

"Did I hear that right?"

"Who in their right mind would throw away that much money?"

Whispers erupted into frantic chatter, voices rising and overlapping. 

"No way! Is that even possible?"

"Look at the reactions—who can top that?!"

Murmurs and exclamations surged like a tidal wave, tension crackling in the air as the gravity of the bid sank in.

The dark-robed figure had exhausted all his options, having played his final card.

'It's his limit!' Huang Longtian looked at him.

Taking a deep breath, Huang Longtian called out, "Two thousand one hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones."

The dark-robed figure remained silent. The tension was almost unbearable.

His body shook uncontrollably, an eerie, dark aura seething around him like ghostly wails.

"Sold!" the auctioneer's voice rang out, her gavel striking the podium. "The mysterious box goes to the young master for two thousand one hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones."

The crowd erupted into stunned exclamations, their disbelief palpable. It was madness—sheer, unrestrained madness!

"Two thousand one hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones?!"

"Did I just hear that correctly?"

"That's 210,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones!"

The room buzzed with even more frenzied whispers and incredulous gasps, each voice rising in astonishment. The sheer scale of the bid left everyone reeling, the air thick with tension and disbelief.

Huang Longtian exhaled sharply, the tension momentarily releasing from his body.

"Is the young master stupid or just plain crazy?" Meiji's eyes sparkled with a teasing glint. "Care to enlighten this curious little lady about what's inside that box?"

Meiji's teasing comment broke the tension, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. 

Huang Longtian, however, chose to ignore her, thinking, 'It's better not to interact with this femme fatale. That old man is probably fuming right now. I might not make it out of this auction unscathed. The less she's near me, the better—don't want her getting involved.'

As the bidding war ended, the dark-robed figure's fury erupted uncontrollably. Despair consumed him as he roared inwardly, 'I'm doomed! I'm doomed!'

He seethed with rage, his voice a loud, menacing growl: "You fucking little shit! You'd better pray you walk out of this auction in one piece, or I'll make sure you and your entire family, down to the last fucking generation, are torn apart and buried in pieces!"