The ceremonial attendant's voice rang out again. "Three hundred and fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins. Is there a higher bid?"
Qian Lingche raised his bidding paddle again. "Four hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins."
The young man was clearly unwilling to back down. He raised his paddle too, his voice carrying a hint of provocation. "Four hundred and fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins!"
His gaze fixed on Qian Lingche, and a smug smile curled at the corner of his mouth, as if to say, "Go on, if you've got the nerve!"
Qian Lingche remained calm, completely unmoved by the provocation. He raised his paddle lightly and said in an indifferent tone, "Five hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins."
The atmosphere in the hall immediately grew tense. Everyone held their breath, their eyes shifting between Qian Lingche and the young man.
Clearly, the two of them were now locked in a contest, and neither was willing to yield.
The young man gritted his teeth, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes as he raised his paddle again. "Five hundred and fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins!"
Qian Lingche remained unhurried. "Six hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins."
What a joke. He'd finally gotten the chance to go out and have some fun. Was he supposed to just sit there and take this?
The young man's expression had turned rather unpleasant. This price had clearly exceeded what he'd expected.
He glared at Qian Lingche. "Y-you... why are you bidding against me?"
Qian Lingche smiled faintly. "Weren't you the one who provoked me first? Besides, at an auction, the highest bidder wins. If you can't afford to bid higher, you'll just have to let me have it."
The young man was left speechless, his face turning red. He gritted his teeth, but in the end, he didn't raise his paddle again.
Spending close to a million Gold Soul Coins on this thing? His father would beat him to death.
The ceremonial attendant's voice rang out at just the right moment. "Six hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins. Is there a higher bid?"
"Six hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins, once."
"Six hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins, twice."
"Six hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins, three times!"
"Sold! Congratulations, sir!"
Qian Lingche nodded, while the young man shot him a furious glare before sitting down in a huff, clearly seething with resentment.
A-Tai chuckled quietly beside him. "Didn't know you had this side to you. That guy's probably furious."
Qian Lingche said helplessly, "At an auction, everyone's judged by their own ability. If he can't take it, he can only blame himself for being broke."
As the auction continued, one rare item after another was sold, and the atmosphere in the hall gradually reached its peak.
At last, the ceremonial attendant's voice rang out again, tinged with excitement. "Distinguished guests, up next is the grand finale of today's auction—the Feather Crystal Sword, personally forged by Grandmaster Lou Gao!"
As she finished speaking, two attendants carefully carried a long sword onto the circular platform.
The entire sword was crystalline and translucent, its blade seeming to be made of crystal and giving off a faint, icy gleam.
The ceremonial attendant's voice was full of reverence. "Grandmaster Lou Gao spent ten years of painstaking effort forging this Feather Crystal Sword from the only piece of Feather Crystal Stone in existence."
"It is incredibly durable. They say it can withstand an attack from a Titled Douluo without suffering any damage. It is a true divine weapon! The starting bid is ten million Gold Soul Coins!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the hall filled with a chorus of sharp intakes of breath.
A starting price of ten million Gold Soul Coins was enough to make most people balk.
But to those with real means, this sword was worth far more.
Qian Lingche's gaze fell on the Feather Crystal Sword, and a trace of amusement flashed in his eyes. He said to A-Tai, "This sword's name really suits me."
In their shared mental space, A-Tai said, "I saw the material this sword was made from back in the day. It really is rare. Bid on it. You won't regret it."
Sure enough, someone soon raised a paddle, their voice carrying a hint of excitement. "Twelve million Gold Soul Coins!"
"Fifteen million Gold Soul Coins!"
"Twenty million Gold Soul Coins!"
Bids rang out one after another, and the price quickly soared to new heights.
Qian Lingche remained seated, making no move to bid just yet.
At last, when the price reached thirty million Gold Soul Coins, the bids in the hall began to dwindle.
Only then did Qian Lingche raise his paddle. "Fifty million Gold Soul Coins."
As soon as he spoke, everyone turned to look at him. Fifty million Gold Soul Coins was an astronomical sum.
The young man who had bid against Qian Lingche earlier gritted his teeth, a flicker of unwillingness in his eyes, but in the end, he didn't raise his paddle again.
The ceremonial attendant's voice rang out once more. "Fifty million Gold Soul Coins. Is there a higher bid?"
"Five million Gold Soul Coins, once."
"Five million Gold Soul Coins, twice."
"Five million Gold Soul Coins, three times!"
"Sold! Congratulations, sir!"
The ceremonial attendant smiled, her voice clear and sweet. "Honored guests, today's auction has come to a successful close! Thank you all for attending."
Then the ceremonial attendant bowed slightly and stepped down from the platform.
At the same time, a uniformed attendant walked over to Qian Lingche and said respectfully, "Sir, please follow me to complete the payment."
Qian Lingche nodded and rose to his feet. "Let's go."
He followed the attendant to a luxuriously decorated room. Inside, a middle-aged man sat at a table with a file laid out before him.
The moment he saw Qian Lingche enter, he stood up, a respectful smile on his face. "Congratulations, sir, on winning today's grand finale—the Feather Crystal Sword."
"We'll give you the other Soul Tool, worth six hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins, as a gift. Please confirm your preferred payment method."
Qian Lingche nodded, took a black-and-gold card from inside his robe, and handed it to the middle-aged man. "Run it on the card."
The middle-aged man accepted the card and examined it carefully before signing the file.
Respectfully, he returned the card and file to Qian Lingche. "The payment is complete. Here are your receipt and certificate for the auction item. Please wait a moment; it will be brought over shortly."
Qian Lingche took the items and nodded. "Thank you."
A moment later, two attendants came in carrying an exquisite sword case with great care.
They set the case on the table and opened it gently, revealing the crystalline Feather Crystal Sword inside.
Qian Lingche stepped forward and wrapped his hand around the hilt. Feeling how extraordinary the sword was, a satisfied glint flashed in his eyes. "As expected, it's a fine sword."
He placed the Feather Crystal Sword back in its case and said to the middle-aged man, "Thanks. Tell Si Long I'm leaving."
Now that he'd gotten what he'd come for, there was no need to seek an appointment with Lou Gao.
The middle-aged man bowed slightly. "Take care, sir. We hope to see you again."
Qian Lingche walked out of the Blacksmith Association. It was already dark outside, but his spirits were bright.
He had just turned to leave when a voice suddenly called from behind him. "You, stop!"