Fierce Contest

As Bai Shu spoke, the voice that had been bidding moments ago fell silent, seemingly weighing whether it was worth spending so much on this Spirit Bone. After all, this Spirit Bone had never been their purpose for coming here.

At that moment, inside the private room that had just been bidding, an energetic white-haired elder furrowed his brow tightly, his sharp gaze fixed on the middle-aged man kneeling before him.

Cold sweat had already soaked through the middle-aged man's outer robe, yet he still maintained his kneeling posture, not daring to move in the slightest.

"You should know that the funds Dai Tianheng prepared may not be enough to secure the Ninth-Grade Purple Ganoderma. It would be better to take this Spirit Bone in one stroke. With the support of this Thirty-Thousand-Year Soul Bone, he may yet be able to step into the realm of Titled Douluo within his lifetime."

Hearing this, the middle-aged man trembled even more violently. He kowtowed, his voice tinged with tears. "Old Ancestor, going all out to obtain the Ninth-Grade Purple Ganoderma is His Majesty's absolute order! This subordinate... this subordinate dares not disobey!"

The elder looked deeply at the middle-aged man. How could he fail to see through his thoughts?

If they gave up the Spirit Bone and ultimately failed to obtain the Ninth-Grade Purple Ganoderma, he could still claim he had faithfully carried out the emperor's orders. At most, the emperor would reprimand him a few times and would not truly do anything to him.

But if he used a huge sum to buy the Spirit Bone, causing their bid for the Ninth-Grade Purple Ganoderma to fail, and the final price happened to be lower than the total Gold Soul Coins they had brought... then once he returned, he would be doomed. That was imperial power.

"Hmph." The elder snorted softly, said no more, and slowly closed his eyes to rest.

Ever since retiring, he had not wished to involve himself in court affairs again. If the emperor had not persuaded him with the righteous cause of "strengthening the royal family's foundation," he would never have left his secluded retreat. The more he looked at this murky world, the more vexed he became.

Meanwhile, in another private room, Ning Fengzhi slowly set down his warm teacup. Listening to that young yet steady voice bidding, he hesitated slightly before giving up on raising the price as well.

Though he had only heard that voice once, it had left a deep impression on him.

Besides, he had come here to ask someone for a favor. It was only a Spirit Bone; letting it go was no great loss.

Seeing that no one raised the price for a long while, the auctioneer's excitement became impossible to contain. He brought down his wooden gavel with all his strength!

Bang!

"Twenty-five million Gold Soul Coins! Congratulations to this honored guest for successfully obtaining the Wind-Chasing Left Leg Bone of Extreme Speed!"

With the Spirit Bone auction over, the tense atmosphere in the hall eased slightly. Yet everyone's nerves tightened even further, because they knew that the real show was about to begin.

Before long, the Spirit Bone was personally delivered to Bai Shu's private room by a manager.

The manager remained bent at the waist the entire time, his manner exceptionally respectful. After presenting the Spirit Bone with both hands, he merely said, "The cost will be deducted from your later auction proceeds," before quickly withdrawing.

Bai Shu picked up the smooth, jade-like left leg bone. A pure and surging energy flowed into his palm, as though countless wind elements were cheering joyfully within it.

Dugu Bo stared until his eyes nearly bulged, muttering, "Twenty-five million... a Thirty-Thousand-Year Soul Bone... Is this what it feels like to have money...?"

Bai Shu put away the Spirit Bone and smiled at Dugu Bo. "It was only a special circumstance. Once money reaches a certain amount, it becomes nothing more than a string of cold numbers. Truly top-tier treasures have never been something money can measure."

Dugu Bo nodded as if he understood, but the respect in his gaze toward Bai Shu only deepened. The Young Master's strength was unfathomable, and even this attitude of treating money as dirt was far beyond that of ordinary people.

"Honored guests!" The auctioneer's voice rang out again. This time, he nearly exhausted every ounce of strength in his body to roar, making sure his voice reached every corner of the venue.

"Next is the final grand item of this auction! I believe that most of the honored guests present came here for this very treasure! I will not keep you in suspense any longer!"

He abruptly tore away the red cloth covering the tray beside the maid!

"The next auction item is a heaven-defying divine medicine capable of allowing Soul Douluo-level experts to break through their bottlenecks, with a tremendous chance of advancing to Titled Douluo—the Ninth-Grade Purple Ganoderma! Starting bid—thirty million Gold Soul Coins! Each increase must be no less than one million!"

"Now, let the bidding begin!"

The instant his words fell, the entire auction hall plunged into deathly silence. Then came a wave of gasps like a crashing sea!

"Gasp—thirty million as the starting price?!"

"Heavens! It's even more expensive than that Thirty-Thousand-Year Spirit Bone just now!"

The Soul Sages and Soul Douluos who had traveled thousands of miles for the Ninth-Grade Purple Ganoderma lost all color from their faces.

They had believed their family fortunes substantial enough to take a gamble here, but who could have expected that they did not even qualify to participate in the bidding?

Greed and killing intent instantly flared in some people's eyes. Clearly, since they could not afford it, they could only entertain thoughts of murder and theft.

Unfortunately, the killing intent permeating the air was quickly forced back by an overbearing voice!

"Forty million! Our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan will take this Ninth-Grade Purple Ganoderma!"

Unfortunately, the instant that voice fell, another gentle voice followed close behind.

"Hehe, Sect Master Yu, why the rush? Treasures go to the highest bidder; it remains to be seen where this prize will end up. Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect bids fifty million."

"Fifty-five million! This old man is determined to obtain such a precious medicine!" The elder from the Star Luo Empire's private room spoke again.

"Sixty million." A soft, effeminate voice sounded from another direction. Bai Shu's lips curved slightly as he exchanged a glance with Dugu Bo, and both saw understanding in the other's eyes.

Who else could that voice belong to but Moonlight, Spirit Hall's Chrysanthemum Douluo?

In an instant, the atmosphere in the venue was completely ignited! After their brief resentment, the people in the ordinary seats below could only helplessly become spectators, listening to astronomical figures called out from the VIP rooms above and witnessing the clash of wealth between top-tier powers.

"Sixty-five million! Sect Master Ning, this Ninth-Grade Purple Ganoderma is of crucial importance to my younger brother Yu Luomian. I hope you can do me this favor!"

Yu Yuanzhen's voice carried a trace of anger. At the same time, a violent dragon's might belonging to a Titled Douluo swept through the private room and roared down upon the entire venue! Countless Spirit Masters below turned pale with fright, nearly collapsing to their knees!

"Hmph!"

The next moment, incomparably cold sword intent surged into the sky from Ning Fengzhi's private room. A strand of supremely condensed, chilling sword light tore through the air in an instant, shredding that dragon's might to pieces!

Everyone in the hall felt the weight on their bodies lift. When they looked again toward the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's private room, their eyes were filled with endless reverence.

Then Ning Fengzhi's gentle voice rang out again, though this time it carried a trace of coldness. "Seventy million. Sect Master Yu, since we are in an Auction House, it would be best to follow its rules. Do not forget who the seller of this Ninth-Grade Purple Ganoderma is."

At those words, Yu Yuanzhen immediately fell silent. He had indeed grown too accustomed to acting arrogantly and had momentarily forgotten about that mysterious Super Douluo.

Yet he still stubbornly raised the bid. "Hmph, seventy-five million! Though your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is wealthy, buying a treasure meant to break through bottlenecks is nothing but wasteful. You might as well yield it to someone else!"

"Hehe... Sect Master Yu need not concern himself with that. Besides, what our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect lacks least is money."

"Eighty million."

Ning Fengzhi let out a soft laugh, full of calmness and confidence. His tone remained even, but his words silenced the entire venue.