Spending 180 Million in One Stroke

Although the Azure Cloud Auction House had not publicly announced that the Dark Nether Sword Token was the final lot, it had leaked the news to nearby cultivators holding black-tier Azure Cloud Tokens.

Thus, Cang Wuya had come specifically for the Dark Nether Sword Token and had naturally brought ample Spirit Stones.

Before the age of twelve, Feng Zhuo had stayed in the Feng Household and rarely gone out.

After he turned twelve, he stayed in the Supreme One Divine Sect and devoted himself to cultivation.

He had only known that Azure Cloud Tokens existed. This was the first time he had learned that the Azure Cloud Pavilion used them to pass on information.

When the bidding began, besides Cang Wuya in private room A1, the guests in the other A-tier private rooms also made bids.

The competition was exceptionally fierce.

After several rounds, only Cang Wuya and the occupants of private rooms A5 and A8 remained in the bidding.

When the bids reached ninety million Spirit Stones,

Cang Wuya said calmly, "One hundred million high-grade Spirit Stones."

"One hundred and five million."

The cultivator in private room A5 was young as well, his voice gentle as a spring breeze and his words leaving no gaps: "A gentleman does not take what another desires, but a fortuitous opportunity in a sword tomb comes once in a thousand years. I hope you will forgive me, fellow Daoist."

A wine jar shattered against the floor in room A8, followed by an explosive, harsh sneer. "Who are you trying to fool? One hundred and twenty million! I'd like to see just how much you Aristocratic Clan brats can show off your wealth!"

"One hundred and thirty million."

Cang Wuya remained unruffled.

Then a soft chuckle came from room A5 nearby. "Your bearing is extraordinary, fellow Daoist. I imagine you come from a distinguished background. One hundred and forty million. You are truly generous, fellow Daoist, but the sword tomb is perilous. If you lose your life pursuing a fortuitous opportunity... wouldn't the loss outweigh the gain?"

"You would do well to think it over."

"One hundred and eighty million." Cang Wuya tapped the jade token lightly with his fingertip, finally willing to say a few more words. "I am determined to obtain the Dark Nether Sword Token today."

He raised the bid by forty million in one breath, spending a lavish one hundred and eighty million!

In the deathly silence that filled the hall, the person in room A8 cursed and put down the bidding token.

Room A5 fell silent for a moment before its occupant suddenly laughed. "I have been outdone today. This item is rightfully yours, fellow Daoist."

In the end, Cang Wuya successfully bid for the Dark Nether Sword Token at a price of one hundred and eighty million high-grade Spirit Stones.

At that price, it could be called a steal.

After all, it was a sword tomb from High Antiquity! The mere mention of divine swords was enough to send cultivators flocking to it like ducks!

If the Dark Nether Secret Realm did not admit only cultivators at the Golden Core Realm, and if higher-level cultivators did not already have their own bonded swords, the token's final price would likely have multiplied several times over.

"Congratulations on getting your wish, Junior Senior Brother!"

Feng Zhuo was genuinely happy for Cang Wuya.

Although the divine sword in Su Ruanruan's possession had appeared after the bone was cut out, Feng Zhuo had only guessed that Cang Wuya had brought it out of the sword tomb.

The storybook had never mentioned Cang Wuya obtaining the Dark Nether Sword Token and entering the sword tomb.

It had not even explicitly stated where Su Ruanruan's divine sword came from.

Thus, Feng Zhuo had remained on edge the whole time, tallying the Spirit Stones in his storage ring for fear that Cang Wuya had not brought enough and would miss out on the Dark Nether Sword Token.

"Immortals, please proceed to the pavilion's top floor. The Dark Nether Sword Token must be handed over there, and the other items purchased in your private room may be exchanged at the same time."

A female attendant knocked lightly on the private room door.

Soundproofing formations had been set up between the private rooms, and the Spirit Transformation Primordial Lord was still present, so no one dared rashly use Divine Sense to investigate who had bought the Dark Nether Sword Token.

Su Ruanruan and her two companions had recognized who was in room A1, but the C-tier private rooms were two floors away from the A-tier rooms, so they could not go over and bother them.

Su Ruanruan possessed a sword heart. Although Lingxiaozi had allowed her to join Crimson Firmament Peak as a pill cultivator because of the Origin Returning Pill, he was also unwilling to let her talent for sword cultivation go to waste.

Thus, apart from studying pill refinement under Primordial Lord Chixiao, she had to go to Heaven-Soaring Peak every other day to practice the sword.

Had Su Ruanruan not known what the Dark Nether Sword Token was, she would at most have cursed under her breath, That red-robed youth is truly hateful, and his companion is no good either!

She had merely "kindly" helped the Azure Cloud Pavilion drive up the prices a little, yet they were so petty about it!

As it happened, Chu Yunfei had mentioned the Dark Nether Sword Token to her when she was at Heaven-Soaring Peak.

The thought of a divine sword made Su Ruanruan itch with longing. How could she let such a treasure slip away before her eyes?

On further thought, the voice of the cultivator in room A5 was quite familiar. It was unmistakably Chu Yunfei, Heaven-Soaring Peak's eldest senior brother.

Su Ruanruan's eyes darted about, and she immediately planned to seek Chu Yunfei's help and tell him where the Dark Nether Sword Token had gone. At the same time, she would tell him how hateful the people from Carefree Peak were, deliberately driving up the prices and making her spend a fortune on some useless things.

Then she would urge Eldest Senior Brother to teach those two a lesson and force them to hand over the Dark Nether Sword Token!

In any case, the two had casually thrown out one hundred and eighty million high-grade Spirit Stones. Presumably, they had no shortage of money to buy another sword token.

She could already picture the two of them in a sorry state, kneeling and begging for mercy as they offered up the sword token with both hands. She could scarcely suppress the smile at the corners of her lips.

"Junior Sister? Junior Sister? Have you thought of something amusing? Why are you smiling so happily?"

Bai Wuxia handed all the Spirit Stones he had saved up over a long time to an attendant of the Azure Cloud Pavilion with a long face. When he turned around, however, he saw Su Ruanruan smiling radiantly.

"Huh? Third Senior Brother, was I smiling?"

Su Ruanruan immediately suppressed her smile, her face full of apology. "Perhaps I was moved by how much you spent on me, Senior Brother, and smiled without realizing it."

"That's good!"

Bai Wuxia suppressed his doubts and said cheerfully, "Smile all you like, Junior Sister! I can refine second-tier pills now, so I'll earn those Spirit Stones back soon enough!"

Useless!

Su Ruanruan cursed inwardly. That little bit had emptied his coffers!

Yet she smiled sweetly. "It's all because I'm short of money that you had to spend so much, Senior Brother. I'll find a way to repay you someday."

"No need! I'm your senior brother. It's only right and proper for a senior brother to spend money on his junior sister!"

Su Ruanruan feigned shyness. "Then if you ever need anything, Senior Brother, you must tell me."

She suddenly changed the subject. "By the way, Second Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother, the person in private room Heaven Five seems to be Eldest Senior Brother Chu. I've recently hit a bottleneck in my swordsmanship and would like to pay him a visit. Would the two of you like to come?"

Hua Zhaoye waved her off. He and Chu Yunfei did not get along very well either.

Bai Wuxia wanted to accompany his junior sister, but then he remembered how the two of them had tried to snatch Yun Li's things in the street not long ago, and how Chu Yunfei was Yun Li's personal senior brother.

"Junior Sister, we just had a conflict with Yun Li. Should we keep our distance from Heaven-Soaring Peak for now?"

"Conflict? What conflict? Yun Li clearly colluded with Feng Zhuo to frame me!"

Su Ruanruan genuinely believed that Yun Li and Feng Zhuo had deliberately made things difficult for her, and her sense of grievance was almost tangible. "That stall owner must have been bought off by Feng Zhuo. That's why he said Yun Li had taken a fancy to that stone! Senior Brother Chu can see the finest detail. He'll surely clear my name!"

Seeing that he could not persuade her, Bai Wuxia could only turn to Hua Zhaoye for help.

Though Hua Zhaoye did not know the whole story, he had come to understand their junior sister's temperament over the past few days and could not be bothered to persuade her.

If their master had not valued their junior sister and repeatedly instructed the three senior brothers to take good care of her, he would not even have been willing to accompany her to the auction today.

So Hua Zhaoye merely said, "Naturally, I trust your character, Junior Sister. Senior Brother Chu can see the finest detail and will surely clear your name. Third Junior Brother and I won't get involved. We'll return to the sect first."

Bai Wuxia refused. "If you want to leave, Senior Brother, go ahead. I'll look around the market and return to the sect with Junior Sister later."

He was beyond saving.

Hua Zhaoye fought the urge to roll his eyes. "If you want to stay, Third Junior Brother, then stay. But I still have some matters to deal with today, and I really can't afford to delay."

He turned to Su Ruanruan. "Enjoy yourself, Junior Sister. I'll go back and take care of things first."

Su Ruanruan could not wait for him to leave.

During the bidding just now, Bai Wuxia had at least emptied his pockets to help her, while this second senior brother had played deaf and dumb.

What was the point of keeping such a stingy senior brother around for New Year's?

Thinking of how boldly Chu Yunfei had bid, then looking at the miserly second senior brother before her, she saw a difference as great as that between clouds and mud!

No wonder he was already eighteen and his cultivation was still only at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage!!

"Oh!"

Su Ruanruan feigned surprise. "Then didn't I keep you from your important business by inviting you down the mountain today, Second Senior Brother? You should hurry back!"

Then she put on an aggrieved expression. "It's all because I was thoughtless. If it's ever inconvenient for you in the future, Senior Brother, please tell me plainly. Don't let me keep you from important matters."

Hua Zhaoye: "..."

The way she put it, somehow it had become his fault?!

Fortunately, his so-called "important matters" were only an excuse to begin with.

If he had really neglected important business for a junior sister like her, he would have regretted it too late!

Hua Zhaoye resolved inwardly to keep his distance from Su Ruanruan in the future.

He must not lose his life over their master's favor, which might not even exist!