Dream Awakening at Auction, Making Friends with Cesar

So Lei Lin planned to use the auction of Dream Awakening as an opportunity to get acquainted with Cesar. Later, when the five Barker brothers fell on hard times, he would rescue them.

Then he would post a mission with Saber to help the descendants of the Undying Warrior get revenge, and he would have a Saint Realm expert at his back.

Mm, it still automatically upgrades into a support system for god-level powerhouses.

Before Lei Lin became a god, that would be quite important to him!

But he didn't know Cesar. As the King of Assassins and one of the few Saint Realm experts at the pinnacle on the continent, Cesar's information was kept highly confidential.

That made it impossible for Lei Lin to confirm right away that he was Cesar. Lei Lin had originally thought Cesar would immediately detect his methods, giving him a chance to use that as an opening to make his acquaintance.

"Hmm, I can understand if an ordinary Saint Realm expert can't detect my methods."

"But Cesar is a Saint Realm expert at the pinnacle, and the King of Assassins, whose greatest strengths are concealing and detecting auras. How could even he fail to notice?"

"Was it only his sixth sense warning him that something felt wrong?!"

Lei Lin was a little stunned. He hadn't expected his methods to be this effective.

As Lei Lin wondered how to get acquainted with Cesar, the auction gradually reached its climax.

"Eight million gold coins!" Kalan bid.

He wanted to put up all the money he could and intimidate the others into letting him buy Dream Awakening.

But that was pure wishful thinking.

Lin Lei was a seventh-level dual-element mage. Although he had taken longer to reach that level than Lei Lin, the longest in history, he had extraordinary talent and was almost certain to become a Saint Realm expert someday.

How could his work compare to that of an ordinary stone sculptor?

If someone could win Dream Awakening now, they would value it both for its artistic merit and as a means of building ties with a future Saint Realm expert.

There was no way eight million could intimidate the other bidders.

Lei Lin glanced at Kalan's box. He and Alice were quite tense inside; after all, Dream Awakening meant a great deal to Alice.

"Zi'ao Family, nine million gold coins!" Lei Lin bid without hesitation, crushing Kalan's hopes.

Hearing Lei Lin's bid, Lin Lei glanced at Alice's box and sighed. "Big brother Lei Lin, you didn't have to do that."

Lei Lin shrugged. "What's the big deal? Surely your work is worth that much."

Yale burst out laughing. "Lei Lin's right. What's the big deal? I'll raise the stakes too!"

Then he called out, "Dawson Chamber of Commerce, nine and a half million gold coins!"

But just as Lei Lin had said, Dream Awakening truly had great artistic value. After their bids, others joined in as well.

Before long, the price had reached ten million gold coins!

Lei Lin secretly watched Delia and Cesar's boxes, thinking, They're starting to compete!

After several rounds of bidding, Windsor, in Delia's box, said, "Let's not keep raising it like this. Bid fifteen million. I'll cover the rest."

She handed Delia several Magic Crystal Cards, drawing a surprised look from her.

Windsor smiled. "Lei Lin said he thinks you and Lin Lei have a chance. Consider this his advance wedding gift."

"So you won't miss your wedding by accidentally going into seclusion to cultivate!"

Delia's face instantly turned bright red. She was still pining for Lin Lei, and nothing had even begun between them yet.

But she didn't refuse. She took the Magic Crystal Cards, wrote a note, and asked the steward to deliver it to Cesar's box.

Then she bid, "Fifteen million gold coins!"

The price suddenly jumped to fifteen million, drawing gasps from the people in the auction hall.

First, the price had gone beyond what anyone could reasonably pay. Even art had its limits.

No matter how beautiful the work or compelling its story, there was a point where it simply wasn't worth the price!

A jump of nearly three million gold coins was far too much!

Second, the current first-place work, Blood-Eyed Mane Lion, had only reached thirteen million gold coins. Once the fifteen-million bid was called out, Dream Awakening leaped to become the greatest work in the history of stone sculpture!

It had broken the record!

Cesar, who had already been getting impatient, was surprised by the bid. Fifteen million gold coins meant little to him, of course.

"They're putting up all their money, then? They're that determined?"

Delia's note arrived right afterward, and after reading it, Cesar understood what was going on.

"A young girl's love is so beautiful and pure!"

Knock, knock, knock—

Cesar frowned at the knock on the door, his thoughts on love, but soon relaxed when he realized Lin Lei was outside too.

If the mountain wouldn't come to him, he would go to the mountain.

Since he hadn't been able to approach Cesar under the pretext of apologizing for having his probing detected, Lei Lin went straight over to make his acquaintance, using Delia's purchase of Dream Awakening from Cesar as his reason.

After all, three million of the fifteen million gold coins had come from Windsor, whom he had arranged to provide the money!

As for bringing Lin Lei along, that was simply a precaution.

Cesar was the King of Assassins, after all, and cultivated the Darkness Laws. Lei Lin couldn't be sure Cesar wouldn't think he had come to show off and kill him on the spot.

After a fairly cordial conversation, Lin Lei accepted a commission to sculpt a statue of Cesar, then left with Lei Lin.

"Big brother Lei Lin, that senior was quite easygoing, which is strange. I still felt a little oppressed."

"It wasn't until he took an attacking stance that I realized how powerful he was!"

"He must be a Saint Realm expert, right?"

Lei Lin nodded. "Definitely. What do you think, Lin Lei? Are you happy that a Saint Realm expert likes your work?"

Lin Lei nodded. "Yes. I'm a little happy that someone so powerful approves of my work."

But Lei Lin shook his head. "Lin Lei, I don't think that should be what makes you happiest. After all, the people who actually bought your work are right there, aren't they?"

He waved to Windsor and Luo Lin, who were walking over with Delia. The two women happily ran up and hugged Lei Lin from either side.

Lei Lin gave Lin Lei a knowing look, then left with the two women, giving Lin Lei and Delia a chance to be alone.

But Lin Lei wasn't up to the task. He had no thoughts of starting a second romance just then; he was more concerned about his family's ancestral saber, Slaughter.

With his arms around the two women, Lei Lin thought, I gave you the chance, but you didn't take it!

Forget it. Lin Lei was too affected by the failed relationship between him and Alice.

It really wasn't realistic to expect him to start another relationship with Delia anytime soon.

Without a sweet romance to ease Uncle Hogg's pain over his "death," well, maybe that wasn't such a bad thing.

Lin Lei would probably be even happier when he eventually learned that his father wasn't dead.

After sighing, Lei Lin went straight home and into his laboratory.

He needed to go into seclusion for a while. With Lantan and the others following him in secret, some things would be difficult to handle!

After getting the saber Slaughter, Lin Lei didn't say a word. He took the guards the king had assigned him and returned to Wushan Town.

Baruch Mansion

Looking at Hogg's "corpse," Lin Lei felt grief wash over him like a tidal wave. He wept and cried out, "Hillman, how exactly did my father die?!"