Chapter 24: The Li Family's Disruption
**Chapter 24: The Li Family's Disruption
In the hall, many cultivators practicing fire attribute techniques immediately began bidding on the Red Dragon Fruit.
"190!"
"200!"
...
"250!" Ye Jingcheng bid a high price, hoping to outbid the competition. This price was already higher than the last Red Leaf Fruit auctioned. Given the value of the Red Dragon Fruit was comparable to the Red Leaf Fruit, Ye Jingcheng hoped this would discourage others.
At that moment, an untimely voice called out:
"260!"
Ye Jingcheng looked over to see Li Xiangcai, a young cultivator from the Li family, standing and provocatively staring at him.
"270!" Ye Jingcheng, suppressing his anger, raised his bid.
"280!" Li Xiangcai continued to escalate the bidding.
It seemed Li Xiangcai was determined to outbid Ye Jingcheng.
"Jingcheng, I have an extra 100 spirit stones. If you want them, I can give them to you!" Ye Jingli also spoke up, unable to tolerate Li family's arrogance.
With this support, Ye Jingcheng felt more confident and directly bid 300 spirit stones.
"310 spirit stones!" Li Xiangcai countered provocatively.
Ye Jingcheng realized that Li Xiangcai was deliberately causing trouble. Even if he had 370 spirit stones, it might not be enough.
Just then, Ye Xinghe's voice echoed in his mind.
"Stop bidding. The family will help you."
"Understood, Uncle!" Ye Jingcheng was taken aback but quickly acknowledged.
He continued to act frustrated and kept checking his storage bag as if worried about his spirit stones.
Seeing this, Li Xiangcai looked even more smug, mocking Ye Jingcheng as a country bumpkin.
"310 spirit stones, is there anyone else?" Luoxiang's voice remained as charming as ever, making many cultivators eager to bid more.
"320 spirit stones! We can't let Luoxiang's beauty go to waste!" a scattered cultivator chimed in with a smile.
Li Xiangcai didn't bid anymore but looked triumphantly at Ye Jingcheng before sitting back down calmly.
The Red Dragon Fruit was eventually sold for 320 spirit stones to the scattered cultivator.
[Translator: sauron]
Ye Jingcheng was infuriated. Though Ye Xinghe had helped him win, the additional spirit stones were a significant expense.
The auction continued with more items, and Ye Jingcheng was envious of the various treasures displayed.
As Luoxiang unveiled a string of jade beads, crafted from various jadeite stones and inscribed with complex spiritual patterns, the crowd became restless.
"These are the Falling Law Beads, a set of six beads that can store six first-tier top-grade spells. They are equivalent to six reusable spiritual talismans. Cultivators often traveling to Taihang Mountain should consider this!" Luoxiang said, caressing the beads and showing off her graceful figure.
"The starting price is 300 spirit stones, with each increment no less than 10 spirit stones!"
"350!"
"400!"
Several cultivators began bidding eagerly, each higher than the last.
Li Xiangcai was among them, bidding 800 spirit stones.
The auction hall fell silent, the price reaching the maximum for the Falling Law Beads.
"810 spirit stones!" Ye Jingcheng's lazy voice rang out.
He stood up, challenging Li Xiangcai with a look.
Li Xiangcai, caught off guard, was furious. He had just provoked Ye Jingcheng, and now Ye Jingcheng was challenging his bid!
"1000 spirit stones. Dare to follow?" Li Xiangcai raised the bid by 200 spirit stones.
Ye Jingcheng didn't continue standing. His goal was to disrupt Li Xiangcai, not to win. If Li Xiangcai kept bidding, it could be troublesome.
Li Xiangcai, acting like a big spender, added another 200 spirit stones.
"Congratulations to this Daoist for winning the Falling Law Beads!" Luoxiang announced, hammering down the final bid.
Li Xiangcai's face darkened as he realized he had paid 200 spirit stones more than necessary.
The auction continued, with Li Xiangcai sporadically bidding on various items, while Ye Jingcheng chose to refrain from bidding further, to avoid wasting his remaining spirit stones.
"Next up, the much-anticipated final three treasures!" Luoxiang announced, as three female cultivators brought out three covered plates.
The first plate revealed a tongs-like artifact.
"This is the second-tier mid-grade Black Dragon Tongs, made from the scales of second-tier Black Dragons, with 81 intricate array inscriptions. It even has a spirit of its own!"
"The starting bid is 2300 spirit stones, with each increment no less than 10 spirit stones!"
The hall was quiet, with few Foundation Building cultivators present.
Li Xiangcai was the first to bid:
"This must be an old friend of the Ye family's artifact. I'll start at 2310 spirit stones!"
"Cannot go any higher!" Li Mutian said with a malicious tone.
"Li family, are you trying to suppress the old man's bid?" a burly man from a nearby private box glared at the Li family.
"Ah, it's Daoist Blackwood. It was a misunderstanding!" Li Mutian immediately apologized.
Daoist Blackwood, though just a Foundation Building rogue cultivator, was feared by all for his ruthlessness and lack of affiliations.
"2500 spirit stones!" Li Mutian increased the bid to a reasonable amount.
"Daoist Li really has thick skin. 2600 spirit stones!" Ye Xinghe made his bid for the first time.
Li Mutian's frustration grew, while the price of the Black Dragon Tongs soared.
Eventually, the item sold for 4000 spirit stones, shocking the entire auction hall.
Even Luoxiang was smiling with delight.
Ye Xinghe suspected that Li Mutian's disturbances were part of a scheme, possibly to benefit from the upcoming Blood Heart Pill. Such abnormal behavior indicated ulterior motives.
"Finally, the long-awaited Blood Heart Pill!" Luoxiang unveiled a delicate pill bottle containing a glowing blood-red pill.
*(End of Chapter)*