1,000,000

Though there were only fourteen extra characters on the jade plaque, the entire auction hall fell silent!

If you have money, raise the bid. If you don't, get lost. Don't pretend to be tough when you're broke!

Th-this... Who exactly was in second-row private room seventeen? They actually dared say that to the Yang Family's foremost heir!

"D-did I see that right?"

"Speaking to the Yang Family's foremost heir like that is the same as targeting the Yang Family. Could they be from one of the other three great families?"

"Even so, they shouldn't be this bold, should they? The foremost heir is like the Crown Prince of an imperial dynasty—beneath one person and above ten thousand. Insulting him is the same as insulting the entire Yang Family..."

At the sight of those words, everyone attending the auction stared wide-eyed, dumbfounded and so shocked they no longer knew east from west.

"Damn it! They dared call me a poor wretch! Fine, very fine! He's as good as dead!" Yang Jun nearly went mad with fury when he saw the words. His teeth ground with a crackle as wave after wave of true energy surged from his body.

He had thought that once he announced his name, the other party would be frightened into backing down. Instead, he was called a poor wretch in the blink of an eye. His palm pressed against the table in the private room, and the force of his hand instantly blasted it into a pile of splinters!

Who was Yang Jun? The foremost heir of the Yang Family, one of the Four Great Families; its future patriarch. He held an exalted status and possessed outstanding talent, standing as a leader among the younger generation. He controlled most of the family's power and could mobilize nearly seventy percent of the Yang Family's funds. Though that wealth might not rival a nation, few in Luoshui City could compare!

Yet someone had actually called a man of such wealth a poor wretch. How could he not be enraged?

"Since he's already a dead man, there's no point fighting him further! Better to save the money for the Blazing Axe. Hmph, once he leaves the auction house, that Di Lian Flower will still be mine!"

Though rage burned in his chest, Yang Jun still held himself back. He sat down again and stopped raising the bid.

Nie Yun and the other man could not have cared less about Yang Jun's fury. He had written out his own name—wasn't that simply asking to be cursed? The private room was not theirs anyway, and neither was their appearance. They had nothing to fear from him investigating them!

With Yang Jun no longer bidding, Nie Yun successfully bought the Di Lian Flower. Before long, someone from the auction house delivered the medicinal herb. Nie Yun accepted it and casually placed it into his dantian before turning his gaze back to the auction floor.

After the Di Lian Flower came another round of unremarkable items. Nie Yun could not be bothered to bid on any of them. Finally, after more than half an hour, the atmosphere in the auction hall grew heated once more. The auction for the Blazing Axe, the highest-grade weapon in this auction, had begun!

At present, the highest-grade weapons in Luoshui City were only Noble Grade. The sudden appearance of a Marquis Grade weapon showed just how precious it was!

For this weapon, the three great families and even the City Lord's Mansion had sent people. They had hidden in their private rooms without revealing themselves earlier, but now that the auction had begun, they all focused their attention, afraid someone else would snatch it away!

"...This Blazing Axe was forged from Golden Essence Frost Iron and weighs eighty-nine jin! If your strength is deep and powerful, then even without using any techniques, a single swing of this axe will leave no one able to stand against you! The starting price is 250,000 taels of silver!"

The auctioneer removed the black cloth covering the Blazing Axe and introduced it with a smile.

A Marquis Grade treasure was rare even across the entire Shenfeng Empire. It lay horizontally on the weapon rack, emitting a cold, chilling gleam.

"250,000 taels of silver? That's so expensive?"

"It's not expensive at all. This is a Marquis Grade weapon. Forget the materials—even the artifact refiner's craftsmanship alone is worth 100,000 taels!"

"I know that too, but 250,000 isn't the final price. It's only the starting bid. Who knows how high this axe will be driven?"

"No matter how high it goes, it has nothing to do with us. We're just here to make up the numbers..."

Everyone in the stands sucked in a breath upon hearing the starting price of 250,000.

A starting bid of 250,000 taels—such a terrifying price was likely something only the Four Great Families could afford!

"260,000!"

"270,000!"

"280,000!"

Sure enough, as soon as the starting bid was announced, three private rooms began competing. Yet although they were battling over it, the price did not rise too outrageously, increasing in staggered increments of 10,000 taels.

The three private rooms were first-row private room four, which had previously competed with Nie Yun over the Di Lian Flower, first-row private room eight, and first-row private room eleven!

Those who could reserve a private room in the first row were all people of status and standing. The three competing bidders were all in the first row, and as the price climbed ever higher, everyone else could only gaze at the ocean and sigh.

Watching the price rise like interlocking dog teeth, Nie Yun did not bid. An auction only needed one hammer to settle the outcome; there was no need to reveal his trump card from the start and invite others' envy.

"First-row private room eleven, 500,000!"

The price rose steadily, reaching an eye-popping 500,000 before long!

At that price, first-row private room eight seemed to have run out of funds and fell completely silent. The only ones still competing were first-row private room four and first-row private room eleven!

"First-row private room four, 600,000!"

Just when everyone believed 500,000 was already the limit, first-row private room four suddenly announced a price that drove everyone mad!

"Young Master, 600,000 is already the most liquid capital our family can mobilize. If we go beyond that, our family will definitely fall into a passive position..."

Inside the private room, Yang Lin broke out in a cold sweat when he saw the price his young master had announced!

"I know. I don't need you teaching me!" Yang Jun snorted. His eyes were like those of a hawk as he stared at the Blazing Axe on the auction stage. "I failed to buy the Di Lian Flower, but I am determined to obtain this Blazing Axe. Let's see who can still snatch it from my hands!"

"First-row private room eleven, 650,000!"

His words had barely fallen when first-row private room eleven raised the bid again with a heart-trembling price.

"650,000? Damn it! The people in first-row private room eleven and second-row private room seventeen all have to die!" After roaring, Yang Jun abruptly turned his head. "Raise it to 700,000!"

"700,000? Young Master..." Yang Lin could no longer remain calm upon hearing that price. "If we take out that much money, the family will definitely fall into an economic crisis..."

"Don't worry about it. Raise it for me. I'll think of a way to handle the rest!" Yang Jun roared.

"Yes!" Seeing his young master insist so adamantly, Yang Lin had no choice but to shake his head and enter a line of words.

"First-row private room four, 700,000!"

The moment those words appeared on the jade plaque in the auction hall, the entire venue fell silent. Everyone turned their eyes toward first-row private room eleven, which was competing against him.

"The Blazing Axe is yours. I'm out of money!"

After nearly a minute of silence, a line of words appeared at the corresponding place for first-row private room eleven.

"Haha! You dared compete with me? I told you, in Luoshui City, no one can outbid me. I am the leader of Luoshui City's younger generation!"

Seeing the other side concede, Yang Jun laughed loudly and rose to his feet, unable to describe the delight in his heart.

The gloom from losing the fight over the Di Lian Flower immediately eased considerably.

"Yes, the Blazing Axe is a Marquis Grade weapon. If Young Master successfully refines it, then even someone at the sixth level of the Energy Sea Realm—the Gang-Forming Realm—will be no match for him. No one among the younger generation will be Young Master's opponent anymore!"

"Of course. Young Master already possesses extraordinary talent. Once he gains such a powerful weapon, there will no longer be anyone in Luoshui City he needs to fear!"

When Yang Lin and the other man saw first-row private room eleven voluntarily concede, they also let out a breath of relief, excitement flashing in their eyes.

The grade of a Marquis Grade weapon was simply too high. There were only a few in all of Luoshui City. With such a high-grade weapon paired with the strength of the fifth level of the Energy Sea Realm, the Body Egress Realm, even ordinary elders of the Four Great Families would no longer be a match for the young master in terms of combat strength!

Naturally, there was nothing left for him to fear!

"Once the Blazing Axe is delivered, I'll find a way to refine it. The moment I succeed, I'll kill the person in second-row private room seventeen. He dared steal the Di Lian Flower that belonged to me—I will make him pay the price..."

A vicious gleam flashed through Yang Jun's eyes as he roared. Yet before his shout had even ended, the previously silent jade plaque suddenly flickered with light, and a line of words appeared!

"Second-row private room seventeen, 1,000,000!"

P.S. Oh-la-la, oh-la-la, I'm an expert at asking for votes...