Ling Xiao had three targets: the Shadow Sword, the Ghost Fiend Mother-Child Swords, and the Imperial Seal.
Unless something truly extraordinary appeared that caught his eye, he had no intention of bidding on anything else.
Finally, when the sixteenth item came up, the Ghost Fiend Mother-Child Swords appeared on stage.
A divine-grade precious artefact attracted a great deal of attention.
Its starting price was an astonishing ten million low-grade spirit stones.
Although the Ghost Fiend Mother-Child Swords were rather niche in terms of users, they were still divine-grade, so there were many bidders.
The moment Yun Ya announced the start of the bidding, the price soared layer by layer, instantly reaching twenty-three million low-grade spirit stones, far beyond what most martial artists could afford.
Twenty-three million low-grade spirit stones. Apart from the great clans themselves, probably only alchemists could pay such a sum.
It showed just how scarce divine-grade precious artefacts were on the Tianlong Continent and the Divine Phoenix Continent.
“Twenty-five million!”
A voice as cold as autumn sword energy rang out from the box next to Ling Xiao.
As expected, he was filthy rich. With the entire resources of Blue Wave Island behind him, twenty-five million low-grade spirit stones were nothing to Mo Shaoyou.
Although no one outside could see into the boxes, that icy killing intent was instantly recognisable to many.
It felt like a blood-drenched sword on a battlefield, ready to reap lives. Martial artists of weaker cultivation turned pale and trembled.
“Life-Severing Sword, Mo Shaoyou!”
Everyone immediately guessed the bidder’s identity.
Probably only Mo Shaoyou would dare release his sword intent so brazenly inside Black Wind Tower.
As the young island lord of Blue Wave Island, he didn’t even need to show respect to the Black Python family.
He had not only a powerful background but also outstanding personal strength. Below Cave Heaven realm, very few people were willing to make an enemy of him.
Thus, the moment Mo Shaoyou spoke, almost everyone in the auction hall gave up bidding.
Offending Mo Shaoyou for a single divine-grade precious artefact simply wasn’t worth it.
Even those stronger than him did not want to invite trouble.
Mo Shaoyou nodded in satisfaction, ready to savour the joy of victory.
Yet suddenly, a calm voice came from the neighbouring box.
“Twenty-six million low-grade spirit stones!”
“Friend, whoever you are, give me, Mo Shaoyou, some face. We can still speak civilly if we meet in future. Twenty-seven million low-grade spirit stones. The item is mine.”
Mo Shaoyou even announced his own name, clearly warning the person in the next box exactly whom they were competing against.
“Sorry, I don’t know any Mo Shaoyou. The highest bidder wins. That’s the way of auctions. Twenty-eight million!”
Ling Xiao had plenty of low-grade spirit stones.
Especially after destroying the True Demon Empire, he had discovered an enormous quantity in their national treasury.
Although most had been used for the country’s reconstruction, he had kept a portion for himself. Coming to Sin City for an auction without spirit stones would be pointless.
“You dare refuse the face I offer!”
Mo Shaoyou’s expression turned extremely dark.
“Senior Brother, it sounds like those three people we met in Black Street earlier!”
The girl beside Mo Shaoyou recognised Ling Xiao’s voice.
“It’s him?”
Mo Shaoyou paused. Leng Mei’s face suddenly flashed through his mind, and he felt a slight wariness toward her.
The Ghost Fiend Mother-Child Swords were precious, but he did not actually need them. As for the gift for his senior sister, something else would do.
His real goal was the Shadow Sword.
The greater picture mattered most!
With that thought, Mo Shaoyou gave a cold laugh. “Twenty-eight million is a bit too steep. If you like it so much, take it. But for the Shadow Sword coming up next, I hope you won’t compete. Otherwise, I, Mo Shaoyou, will no longer be polite.”
It was both a concession and a threat.
Mo Shaoyou truly gave up further bidding.
Ling Xiao smoothly obtained the Ghost Fiend Mother-Child Swords.
Though the price was high, as a gift for Leng Mei, he did not feel the least bit cheated.
After the Ghost Fiend Mother-Child Swords, the seventeenth item appeared, the Shadow Sword, even more valuable.
From the very start, Mo Shaoyou bid, yet with a base price of ten million, he only offered eleven million!
He wanted to buy the sword cheaply.
Many who had intended to bid immediately withdrew, sighing helplessly.
Yet this time, Mo Shaoyou’s calculations failed again.
“Twelve million low-grade spirit stones!”
The bidder was also in a neighbouring box, but on Mo Shaoyou’s right, not Ling Xiao’s box on his left.
“Hmph! Does everyone really think I, Mo Shaoyou, am easy to bully? Any random cat or dog dares snatch things from me now?”
Fierce killing intent and raging sword intent surged toward the VIP box on the right.
He refused to believe it. If he could not afford to offend the people on his left, surely he could handle whoever was on his right?
“Mo Shaoyou, you bastard! How does my bidding concern you? If you want the Shadow Sword, pay more. Stop throwing your weight around!”
An equally powerful battle intent exploded from the box on the right. The faint shadow of a gigantic python appeared, blocking Mo Shaoyou’s sword intent.
“It’s someone from the Black Python family. Young Master Mang Xiao?”
“Yes, it’s Young Master Mang Xiao!”
Although the crowd dared not join the bidding, they found the scene quite satisfying.
Mo Shaoyou had used his prestige to intimidate them into staying out, but now he had met a real rival. They were more than happy to watch the drama unfold.
If there was any young person in Sin City willing to oppose Mo Shaoyou, it would be Mang Xiao of the Black Python family.
Mang Xiao’s cultivation was higher than Mo Shaoyou’s.
In terms of actual combat strength, they were roughly equal.
After all, the title of Life-Severing Sword was not given lightly. Fighting above his realm was routine for him.
“Fine. You say I lack money? Then I bid twenty million low-grade spirit stones!”
Mo Shaoyou snorted coldly. Knowing his opponent’s identity and that he could not use force, he simply raised the price straight to twenty million.
“Twenty-one million!”
Mang Xiao countered Mo Shaoyou’s sword intent while calmly bidding.
To the onlookers, today’s auction no longer seemed a matter of who bid higher, but rather a contest of strength.
“Thirty million!”
Mo Shaoyou instantly added another nine million low-grade spirit stones.
At the same time, terrifying sword intent nearly pierced through the entire box.
Those outside could clearly see the box shaking violently.
“This Life-Severing Sword truly lives up to his name. Today he is dead set on obtaining the Shadow Sword. Otherwise he would never pay so much, several million more than the Ghost Fiend Mother-Child Swords.”
“More than that. With this unyielding attitude, he’s clearly willing to make an enemy of Young Master Mang Xiao.”
“That’s what you call determined to win. I doubt anyone can stop him now.”
Mang Xiao did not bid again, because at that moment he had to focus entirely on resisting Mo Shaoyou.
Boom!
Suddenly, an enormous explosion resounded through the air.
Three connected VIP boxes were blown apart all at once, instantly exposing everyone inside.
