As soon as Xiao Kuo finished speaking, the auction hall immediately erupted in excitement. A series of bids suddenly rang out like thunder, and shouts instantly filled the huge auction hall.
Inside the private room, Xiao Yan stared in astonishment at the scene unfolding before him, clicking his tongue in amazement. Ten thousand Spirit Stone in one breath—even with all the Spirit Stone he currently possessed, he couldn't possibly reach that amount. Yet, for most of the people present, it was something they could say so easily. It was simply beyond their imagination.
In a short time, the bidding in the auction house had reached 450,000 Spirit Stone. Such a number of Spirit Stone would probably be enough to create a third-rate power, but in the current scene, it was so simple that it was over in the blink of an eye.
Hearing the continuous shouts of bidding all around, even Xiao Yan couldn't help but look at Xiao Kuo with new respect. As expected of the ruler of Shuyang City, he was indeed extraordinary. With just an ancient mirror and a few words, he had amassed hundreds of thousands of Spirit Stone in a short period of time. Such methods were truly astonishing!
Of course, while Xiao Kuo's methods were ingenious, they weren't suitable for everyone. For example, in the other private rooms, the people there, like him, were patiently waiting for the results of this round of auctions. They all knew very well that this was just the beginning; the real treasures would be saved for later. Before that, all the preliminaries were meaningless; it was all just to select those qualified to bid on that one treasure.
Leaning back gently in his chair, Xiao Yan slowly closed his eyes, his fingers lightly tapping the armrests. Hearing the ever-increasing price in the arena, he couldn't help but chuckle. What was originally a price of 100,000 Spirit Stone had now, thanks to Xiao Kuo's repeated encouragement, reached nearly a million, and judging from the current situation, it seemed there was no sign of it slowing down.
"Brother Xiao Yan, are you willing to believe me?"
Just then, Xiao Yan suddenly heard Ouyang Miao's voice beside him. Judging from the fact that the others around him did not react, it was likely that only the two of them knew the voice.
What do you mean by that, Brother Ouyang?
After a slight hesitation, Xiao Yan still replied, seemingly without understanding the situation.
"As a student of the North Sea Academy, I have received guidance from the dean, so I can be considered half a disciple of the dean. Besides, I also know that you are not from this continent, so I don't want to lie to you..."
Upon hearing Ouyang Miao reveal his origins in a single sentence, Xiao Yan was immediately astonished. However, what Ouyang Miao next made him think even more deeply.
"Judging from Zhao Jin's attack on you today, and Xiao Tian's demeanor, I can roughly guess that you're not doing well within the Xiao Clan. Therefore... if you ever find yourself unable to live peacefully within the Xiao Clan, I promise you, the Ouyang Clan will open its doors to you!"
As these words fell, Xiao Yan slowly opened his closed eyes. His gaze shifted and met Ouyang Miao's. The two looked at each other in silence, as if they were exchanging endless thoughts. Then, Xiao Yan fell into deep thought, while Ouyang Miao relaxed his body, leaned back in his chair, and tapped the armrest of the chair with his fingers, as if waiting for Xiao Yan's reply.
A few minutes later...
"I also felt an instant connection with Brother Ouyang, and naturally I trust you and the Ouyang Clan... However, I appreciate your kindness, Brother Ouyang, but I am doing well in the Xiao Clan. What you saw today was merely a matter of differing opinions and occasional prejudices. I will resolve it, so I apologize."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ouyang Miao suddenly opened his tightly closed eyes, and his hand, which had been gently tapping the armrest, suddenly gripped it tightly. The people around him immediately noticed, and he slowly released his grip. His face was calm as he waved his hand, and everyone looked away. Ouyang Miao and Xiao Yan looked at each other again.
Finally, Ouyang Miao nodded and smiled at Xiao Yan, who returned the smile. At that moment, the sound of three gavels striking the auction stage outside suddenly rang out, drawing everyone's attention.
" The Heaven and Earth Revolving Wheel Mirror, final price: 800,000 Spirit Stone!"
Xiao Kuo looked at everyone in the room with a smile, and the gavel fell. Eight hundred thousand Spirit Stone, which far exceeded the value of the auction item itself. The first item of this auction can be said to have been successfully auctioned in the most perfect manner, which can be called a great harvest!
After the first round of intense bidding, the atmosphere in the auction house was thoroughly stirred up. Xiao Kuo, naturally well aware of this, struck while the iron was hot and sold several items in succession. With his own efforts to promote the auction, the subsequent items all sold for good prices.
With this atmosphere maintained, time passed quickly. Before they knew it, the auction had been going on for over an hour in this heated atmosphere. As the quality and value of the auction items increased, some of the items that appeared were incredibly tempting to Xiao Yan. Even the real powerhouses in the stands finally made their moves, and with their participation, the atmosphere in the arena became even more intense.
With the strong vying for supremacy, it was difficult to determine a winner for the time being. The various factions on the stage argued incessantly, and the prices of the auctioned items naturally soared. Although Xiao Kuo on the stage only wore a smiling expression, his inner feelings were naturally beyond words. As for the disputes among those outside the stage, as long as no physical violence occurred, the auction house would not interfere. The atmosphere on the stage naturally became increasingly tense and heated.
As for those guys who were fighting tooth and nail over a single item, Xiao Yan couldn't help but be speechless. He withdrew his gaze and suddenly noticed Ouyang Miao's calm expression. A thought flashed through his mind, and he felt a sudden jolt.
Immediately afterwards, Xiao Yan's gaze slowly settled on Ouyang Miao. The latter seemed to notice and turned his head. The two looked at each other, their eyes meeting, each with their own thoughts.
"Brother Ouyang, regarding what you said earlier, if I had done as you wished, would you have made me your enemy?"
Xiao Yan kept his eyes fixed on the latter. He hadn't thought much about it before, but when he glanced at Ouyang Miao just now, he suddenly realized that although the latter's words seemed to express his true feelings, they also contained a hint of probing. If one didn't think about it carefully, it would be difficult to notice.
"Hehe, Brother Xiao, you're overthinking it. Aren't we still friends?"
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Miao did not seem surprised, but simply smiled and downplayed it.
However, Xiao Yan could vaguely sense the meaning conveyed in his eyes.
To put it another way, although Xiao Yan is not well-liked within the Xiao Clan, he is still a member of the Xiao Clan, with Xiao Clan Bloodline flowing in his veins. Blood is thicker than water and cannot be separated. If he were to betray the Xiao Clan and join the Ouyang Clan, how could someone who can betray even his own blood relatives be loyal to a completely unrelated family?
Ouyang Miao's probing this time was anything but subtle!
Just then, on the auction stage, Xiao Kuo's meaningful laughter rang out again, his astonishing words booming like thunder throughout the entire hall!
"Hehe, everyone, next, please make sure you have enough Spirit Stone stones to secure this item, because it is an eighth-grade pill!"