Although the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill was extraordinary, it was ultimately an incomplete scroll, only cultivable by those with a Metal Spirit Root.

Moreover, it could only be cultivated up to the Heaven Opening Realm, so its value was not particularly high.

Logically, fetching two thousand five hundred High Grade Spirit Stones at auction would have been an excellent result.

Chu Chen directly bid three thousand High Grade Spirit Stones simply because he did not want to waste time. After all, his Empress wife and his cheap master, Qi Lao'er, had given him a mountain of Spirit Stones and treasures.

A few thousand Spirit Stones were nothing to him, Chu Chen.

But just as the auctioneer was about to drop the gavel, a willful female voice rang out from the Yellow Character private room, aggressively raising the price of the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill to an unreasonable four thousand High Grade Spirit Stones. This...

Chu Chen furrowed his brow, his expression turning somewhat grave.

"Young Master, shall I continue bidding?"

Seeing that Chu Chen was determined to obtain the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill, Zhong Sheng hurriedly asked for instructions.

Having acted as Chu Chen's Dao Protector for a few days, Zhong Sheng had already thoroughly grasped this young master's temper.

Failing to buy a cultivation method was a small matter. But if this young master grew angry, he might just go and exterminate the other party's entire clan again...

To turn a major incident into a minor one, Zhong Sheng had no choice but to play the peacemaker~

Seeing Chu Chen nod, Zhong Sheng breathed a sigh of relief, cleared his throat, and spoke once more:

"The Heaven Character private room bids five thousand High Grade Spirit Stones!!"

It was merely a few thousand High Grade Spirit Stones. Let alone Chu Chen and Zhang Ke'er, whose backgrounds reached the heavens, even for a Third Heaven Great Saint like him, it was merely a drop in the ocean.

Whoosh-

The moment the price of five thousand High Grade Spirit Stones was called, a collective gasp swept through the auction hall.

This price was already double the market value.

This sum was enough to purchase a Spirit Communication Realm technique, and a rather profound and precious one at that.

"Five thousand High Grade Spirit Stones, going once!"

"Five thousand High Grade Spirit Stones, going twice!"

The auctioneer was completely unaware that the Heaven Character private room housed the baleful star, Chu Chen. Aiming to squeeze maximum profit for the auction house, he deliberately used a provocative tone before dropping his small gavel:

"Are there no other distinguished guests willing to offer a higher price? If not, this Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill shall belong to the Heaven Character VIP."

Upon hearing this, the thousands of cultivators in the auction hall merely stared at one another. No one was a foolish spendthrift eager to steal the spotlight.

Left with no choice, the auctioneer swung his hammer down while announcing:

"Five thousand High Grade Spirit Stones, going three times. Congratulations to the Heaven Character..."

But right at that moment, from the previously silent Yellow Character private room, that willful female voice rang out once again:

"This young lady bids seven thousand High Grade Spirit Stones!!"

The moment these words fell, the entire hall was stunned.

No one expected that someone would actually bid seven thousand High Grade Spirit Stones for the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill, which was only worth around two thousand five hundred. Furthermore, they waited until the very last second to snatch food right from the mouth of the Heaven Character VIP!!

That was a VIP in the Heaven Character private room! Could an ordinary person even sit in such a place???

"Eight thousand High Grade Spirit Stones!"

Zhong Sheng's temper flared, and he directly shouted a new bid!

"Ten thousand High Grade Spirit Stones!"

The VIP in the Yellow Character private room countered tit-for-tat, showing not the slightest intention of backing down.

"Eleven thousand High Grade Spirit Stones!"

"Thirteen thousand!"

...

"Twenty thousand High Grade Spirit Stones! This young lady wants to see just who dares to outbid me today?!"

When the woman in the Yellow Character private room shrieked out the astronomical price of twenty thousand High Grade Spirit Stones, Zhong Sheng was so infuriated his beard trembled. His Great Saint Pressure involuntarily seeped out, enveloping their private room as his body shook.

Zhang Ke'er was equally furious, waving her little pink fists. She was itching to charge down and battle the person inside for three hundred rounds.

Logically, the rule of the auction house was that the highest bidder wins. Following normal procedures wouldn't warrant such anger. However, the willful woman in the Yellow Character private room not only spoke with aggressive arrogance but continually raised the bid right at the verge of a finalized deal.

It was the peak of overbearing arrogance!

"Outrageous! Truly outrageous!"

"This old man has never swallowed such a cowardly grievance! Today, I want to see just how many Spirit Stones you possess, little brat?!"

Fuming, Zhong Sheng prepared to shout another bid.

"Elder Zhong. If she likes this Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill, then let her have it. We won't compete with her!"

The moment these words fell, both Zhang Ke'er and Zhong Sheng were utterly dumbfounded.

They simply could not fathom why Chu Chen, whose temper was usually the most volatile and whose killing intent was the heaviest, was suddenly acting so magnanimous and easygoing today.

Was he worried about lacking Spirit Stones?

Impossible!!

One must know that the supreme backer behind Chu Chen was the Empress. The entirety of the Divine Flame Imperial Palace and Shenhuo City belonged to Empress Lin Shuwang. What did this meager amount of Spirit Stones amount to???

"Twenty thousand High Grade Spirit Stones, going once!"

"Twenty thousand High Grade Spirit Stones, going twice!"

"Twenty thousand High Grade Spirit Stones, going three times!!"

Having successfully sold a Heaven Opening Realm technique for the sky-high price of twenty thousand Spirit Stones, the auctioneer knew to quit while he was ahead. He did not dare to stir up any further trouble:

"Congratulations to the VIP in the Yellow Character private room for winning the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill."

As he spoke, a maidservant carried the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill into the Yellow Character private room under the watchful eyes of the crowd, finalizing the transaction.

"I'm so angry! Chu Chen, why didn't you let Elder Zhong raise the bid?"

"Hmph, isn't it just twenty thousand High Grade Spirit Stones? This Saintess has plenty of Spirit Stones. If you don't have enough, I'll give you some!"

Zhang Ke'er was so exasperated that her twin-tails bounced up and down incessantly. As the Saintess of the Divine Flame Imperial Palace, she had never been forced to swallow such a suffocating grievance:

"Confess honestly, Chu Chen. Did you take a fancy to that woman in the Yellow Character private room??"

"..."

Chu Chen simply could not be bothered to entertain this lunatic Zhang Ke'er. So far, he had only heard that woman's voice and hadn't even seen her face. How could he have taken a fancy to her?

Furthermore, was he, Chu Chen, such a superficial man???

Chu Chen had long since recognized Ye Han's voice emanating from the Yellow Character private room.

Did they really think he, Chu Chen, was so easily bullied?

Hmph. The Ye family actually dared to show their faces in Shenhuo City again. Just wait and see.

Chu Chen revealed a profoundly meaningful smile. Seeing it, Zhang Ke'er and Zhong Sheng were suddenly enlightened, as if waking from a dream.

A cold chill ran down their spines...

Meanwhile, inside the Yellow Character private room, Ye Han smugly stored the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill into her Storage Ring. She then looked at her elder sister, Ye Lingyue, with an expression of immense pride and declared triumphantly:

"Hmph! He should take a good look in the mirror before daring to compete with me, Ye Han. He overestimates his own capabilities!"

"My Ye family defeated the Empress, repelled the demon coalition, ascended to an Immortal Aristocratic Family, and now controls ninety-nine Spirit Veins under heaven. Competing with me to see who has more Spirit Stones-if that isn't courting humiliation, what is?!"

"..."

Ye Lingyue looked at Ye Han with eyes full of worry and gently advised:

"Xiao Han, this is Shenhuo City. Our Ye family has an old grudge with the Divine Flame Imperial Palace. We need to keep a lower profile."

"Besides, you don't possess a Metal Spirit Root. Why did you bid such an astronomical price for this Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill?"

Hearing this, Ye Han smiled softly and spoke with deep satisfaction:

"Elder Sister, look at your memory!"

"Although I don't have a Metal Spirit Root, Xiao Xuan does!"

"In a few days, it will be Xiao Xuan's birthday. This Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill is the perfect gift for him. He will definitely love it when he receives it, hehe~"

...

Outside the private room, the auctioneer continued to present items on the stage.

Aside from the first item, the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill, the subsequent lots were relatively ordinary. Neither Chu Chen nor Ye Han placed any bids.

"This next item is extraordinary. It is a Medicinal King brimming with dense life force-the Zixia Bixian Fruit."

With a wave of the auctioneer's hand, a fruit bathed in endless, radiant clouds materialized out of thin air, instantly capturing the burning gazes of the thousands of cultivators present.

"As everyone knows, heavenly spiritual objects are exceedingly rare, especially those like the Zixia Bixian Fruit which harbor such dense vitality."

"If a cultivator below the Divine Fire Realm consumes this Zixia Bixian Fruit, their lifespan will increase by ten years. Even cultivators above the Divine Fire Realm can extend their longevity by nearly a year. Aside from its diminished effects on Saint King Realm experts, it is no exaggeration to say that this Zixia Bixian Fruit is a supreme treasure that can only be encountered by serendipity."

The higher a cultivator's realm, the more difficult it became to extend their lifespan. This was especially true after breaking into the Great Saint Secret Realm, where the physical body underwent a fundamental qualitative change.

For Saint King Realm cultivators seeking to significantly extend their lives, even a Medicinal King was virtually useless. Only the legendary Immortal Medicines could truly allow them to achieve Defying the Heavens to change fate.

"Therefore, the starting bid for this Zixia Bixian Fruit is..."

Having thoroughly whetted the appetites of the cultivators below, the auctioneer finally declared:

"The starting bid is five hundred Top Grade Spirit Stones! Each subsequent bid must be no less than one hundred Top Grade Spirit Stones!!"

One Top Grade Spirit Stone was equivalent to ten High Grade Spirit Stones. Five hundred Top Grade Spirit Stones equated to five thousand High Grade Spirit Stones. This steep price...

Instantly frightened off more than half the cultivators in the hall.

"I bid six hundred Top Grade Spirit Stones!"

"Seven hundred!"

"This old man bids eight hundred!!"

...

Yet, the allure of extending one's lifespan ensured that the bidding for the Zixia Bixian Fruit remained thoroughly explosive.

Chu Chen habitually stroked his chin, equally intrigued by the Zixia Bixian Fruit.

He was merely twenty-three this year. With his peerless aptitude of possessing Top Grade All-Attribute Spirit Roots, breaking through to the Emperor Realm and proving his Dao as a Great Emperor would be as easy as flipping his hand. By any estimation, he still possessed at least ten thousand years of longevity.

Although he, Chu Chen, had no personal use for this Zixia Bixian Fruit, but...

The corners of Chu Chen's mouth curled upwards as a scheme formed in his mind.

"This young lady bids one thousand five hundred Top Grade Spirit Stones!!"

Just as Chu Chen was about to signal Zhong Sheng, Ye Han's willful voice echoed through the auction hall once more, forcefully driving the price of the Zixia Bixian Fruit to one thousand five hundred Top Grade Spirit Stones. Her aura was utterly imperious!

She was absolutely determined to win!!

"Young Master, should we..."

Zhong Sheng frowned and turned to ask Chu Chen.

Chu Chen smiled and simply raised two fingers.

Understanding immediately, Zhong Sheng's resonant voice boomed through the auction hall:

"The Heaven Character VIP room bids two thousand Top Grade Spirit Stones!!"

Boom!!

The moment this astronomical price was shouted, the entire auction house erupted into a frenzy of shocked murmurs.

"Hmph, isn't it just Spirit Stones? This young lady has plenty!"

How could a willful woman like Ye Han ever swallow such a provocation? Without a second thought, she instantly raised the bid:

"This young lady bids three thousand Top Grade Spirit Stones!"

Zhong Sheng's temper flared right back, and he blurted out:

"Four thousand!!"

The moment Zhong Sheng's words fell, Ye Han aggressively retaliated:

"Five thousand! This young lady bids five thousand Top Grade Spirit Stones!!"

As soon as Ye Han shouted the number, Ye Lingyue hastily grabbed her arm, forbidding her from bidding any further. One must know that five thousand Top Grade Spirit Stones was an immense fortune, even for the Immortal Aristocratic Family Ye...

"Hmph, preposterous!"

Taunted time and time again, Zhong Sheng's rage was thoroughly ignited. Without thinking, he roared:

"This old man bids six-"

But just as Zhong Sheng was about to scream the price of six thousand Top Grade Spirit Stones, Chu Chen reached out and firmly grabbed his arm, forcibly interrupting the bid.

"Young Master, do not stop this old man! Even if I have to empty my own pockets, I absolutely must win this Zixia Bixian Fruit for you!"

Beside him, Zhang Ke'er nodded vigorously. She was a wealthy little rich girl herself, with no shortage of Spirit Stones.

"Shut your mouth. If she likes this Zixia Bixian Fruit so much, then let her have it!"

Chu Chen gazed toward the Yellow Character private room where Ye Han and Ye Lingyue sat, the corners of his mouth lifting into a profoundly meaningful smile...