Chapter 134: As Expected, Competing with Xiao Chen in Bidding Is Impossible to Win

Chapter 134: As Expected, Competing with Xiao Chen in Bidding Is Impossible to Win (Triple-Length Chapter)

“The starting bid for this item is two thousand spirit stones, with increments of no less than one hundred.”

As the auctioneer announced the opening price, a bidder immediately raised their hand. “Two thousand three hundred!”

Xiao Chen’s voice followed instantly. “Three thousand!”

Tian Jianning perked up at the sound.

Here we go again—his signature aggressive bidding strategy.

Tian had been watching closely, waiting for Xiao Chen to make his move. He’d grown impatient as the auction progressed through top-grade magic artifacts, Earth-tier legacies, and premium pills without any sign of the young cultivator.

Finally, with this rare Spirit Herb up for bid, Xiao Chen had revealed himself.

The sudden jump in price silenced the room momentarily before another cultivator raised their hand. “Three thousand one hundred!”

Tian glanced over. The bidder was Zhang Ruihao, current head of the Rui Bao Guild.

Interesting. This was someone known for deep pockets.

Xiao Chen also turned his gaze toward Zhang. Steward Chen had already briefed him about the man earlier, but Xiao Chen paid no mind to titles. “Four thousand!”

The price surge made the crowd hesitate. Those who’d considered bidding exchanged wary glances between Xiao Chen and Zhang Ruihao.

Zhang frowned slightly. The market value for Six Harmonies Spirit Water rarely exceeded three thousand eight hundred stones. At four thousand, continuing the bid meant guaranteed losses.

Under normal circumstances, he’d have withdrawn. But with everyone watching and Xiao Chen’s relentless style on full display, backing down now would cost face. He raised his hand again. “Four thousand two hundred!”

Xiao Chen calculated coolly. With the Six Harmonies Spirit Water, his Yu Ling Jue cultivation technique would accelerate dramatically. In other words, the elixir held unique value for him. Investing in cultivation was always worthwhile if the cost wasn’t absurd. Without hesitation, he raised his hand. “Five thousand!”

Even among Foundation-Building cultivators, such audacious bidding stunned the room.

Jiang Changhua, head of the Jiang family, stared at Xiao Chen in disbelief.

Something’s off. What’s going on here?

Xiao Chen had only recently reached Foundation-Building. How could he afford this?

Murmurs spread as cultivators whispered to one another, asking who this young-faced bidder was.

Nearby, the Red Maple Twin Swords also studied Xiao Chen with interest.

Elder Cheng winced at the exorbitant price.

What a wastrel! Is this brat even worth five thousand stones? These kids have no idea how hard spirit stones are to earn.

He assumed Xiao Chen must be some privileged heir with family backing—after all, how else could someone so young become manager of Chu Mo Dian? He resolved to investigate later whether Lihuo Sect had produced a wealthy Xiao clan he’d overlooked.

Yet one person remained unfazed.

Tian Jianning turned toward Xiao Chen, a familiar sense of déjà vu settling in. There it was—the aggressive bidding style he’d come to recognize.

He shifted his gaze to Zhang Ruihao, curious how the guild head would respond.

Zhang hesitated, stunned.

Had he been out of the market for Six Harmonies Spirit Water so long that he’d lost touch with pricing?

After discreetly checking with his clan members, he confirmed the price hadn’t risen—Xiao Chen was simply overbidding to intimidate.

Angry but composed, Zhang weighed his options.

First, lacking Xiao Chen’s Yu Ling Jue, continuing the bid would be pure spite-driven loss. Second, the Rui Bao Guild needed funds reserved for more critical items later.

With a final glance at Xiao Chen, he withdrew.

Tian watched as the auctioneer concluded the third call. Xiao Chen claimed the Six Harmonies Spirit Water unopposed.

A strange satisfaction settled over Tian.

As expected, competing with Xiao Chen in bidding is impossible to win.

If even the Rui Bao Guild backed down, his own withdrawal in the Shi Valley had been perfectly reasonable. Great minds truly thought alike.

The auction continued with two ordinary Spirit Herbs before the auctioneer unveiled a bottle of Foundation-Building Pills.

“Fellow cultivators will no doubt recognize these Foundation-Building Pills, so I’ll skip the lengthy introduction.”

“These two bottles will be auctioned individually. The first starts at one thousand spirit stones, with increments of no less than fifty.”

These were the seven pills Xiao Chen had supplied. As anticipated, despite the room filled with Foundation-Building cultivators, fierce competition erupted.

The lowest-priced pill sold for two thousand five hundred stones. The final one soared to three thousand two hundred and fifty—a sum nearly covering the cost of a Five-Color Golden Lotus.

Xiao Chen would collect his earnings later during the intermission by presenting his bidder’s token on the second floor.

Next came the Five-Luster Mysterious Water.

“Fellow cultivators, please observe.”

The auctioneer cast a spell, creating a water mirror to magnify the Five-Luster Mysterious Water’s elemental projections within the vial.

“Regardless of your spirit root, this elixir is an unparalleled treasure,” he declared. “Whether used for cultivation or comprehending techniques, it multiplies effectiveness. A true must-have treasure!”

“Note carefully—the container is a Luli Jade Bottle, double the capacity of ordinary vials. One bottle equals two!”

“The starting bid is two thousand spirit stones, with increments of no less than one hundred.”

Xiao Chen struck first. “Three thousand!”

The room turned toward him instantly.

A cultivator in need of a fire-attribute elixir tested the waters. “Three thousand five hundred!”

Xiao Chen countered immediately. “Four thousand!”

Four thousand was already steep.

Previously, he’d paid two thousand stones at Bat Tower for a half-capacity bottle. Considering Bat Tower’s Black Market premiums, this was a stretch.

The third-floor bidders, recognizing Xiao Chen’s determined posture, withdrew.

The Five-Luster Mysterious Water—normally a hot commodity—became the least-contested item yet.

The auctioneer, desperate to drum up interest, dramatically slowed his calls and extolled its virtues.

Internally, he panicked.

If this sold for only four thousand, it’d be a failure. Typically, such universal Spirit Herbs commanded record prices at auctions.

But no matter his efforts, no one raised the bid.

An experienced auctioneer, he quickly deduced Xiao Chen’s strategy.

This was a calculated campaign. In a fragmented bidding environment, establishing dominance early pressured rivals psychologically. By aggressively inflating prices, Xiao Chen flaunted his financial strength, discouraging future competition.

All for the sake of calculated intimidation!

The auctioneer studied Xiao Chen, surprised by the youth’s seasoned tactics.

Looks can be deceiving. This kid might seem young, but he’s a veteran auction strategist.

Watching Xiao Chen spend another four thousand stones on a premium elixir, curiosity about him deepened. Whispers spread, particularly among female cultivators, who discreetly asked Lihuo Sect acquaintances about his background and influence.

For the remainder of the first half, Xiao Chen abstained from further bidding, allowing the auctioneer to breathe easier.

“Fellow cultivators, the second half begins tonight at the Xu hour.”

“Those wishing to add items to the auction, please submit them to the second floor half an hour in advance.”

“For now, enjoy the banquet.”

Luxurious dishes arrived—exquisite spirit plants and second-grade spirit beast meats. Xiao Chen estimated the cost at two to three thousand stones per table, not counting unlimited spirit wine.

Considering the thousand-stone gift per attendee, the hosts recovered a third of costs through hospitality alone.

Clearly, whether Mingyue Zhenren or the organizing Qianzhu Zhenren, their generosity impressed everyone.

After dining, Xiao Chen visited the second floor, collecting 17,450 spirit stones after the 5% commission.

He’d spent nine thousand stones in two bids during the first half.

Now, his storage bag held 8,450 more stones than before.

“Only special pills like Foundation-Building Pills yield such profits,” he mused. “Effortless and time-saving.”

Yet such margins relied on serendipity and two hexes aligning. Normally, even a skilled pill master might net two thousand stones per Foundation-Building Pill after costs—including the Five-Color Golden Lotus, which fluctuated between three to four thousand stones.

Material scarcity and refining proficiency often made profits uncertain.

The hidden challenge? Practice costs.

Learning to refine Foundation-Building Pills required repeated failures. Wasting even ten Five-Color Golden Lotuses made one a prodigy among ten thousand.

Each failure meant thousands in losses—a tuition few could afford.

Thanks to his Pill Forging Master’s Heart, Xiao Chen bypassed this entirely with 100% success.

Combined with Buy One Get One Free, he doubled his output.

For pills where herbs consumed 80% of costs, others might scrape 20% profit even under perfect conditions.

Yet he gained a twelvefold profit margin - a sixfold difference in actual earnings!!

One times one equals one, two times two equals four. Rounding up, that's roughly a hundred million ahead.

Xiao Chen did the math and immediately got ideas: "No way. After returning to the sect, I must visit the alchemy hall to see if I can get more spirit stones."

Previously, he only knew how to cultivate Nourishing Qi Pills, which offered limited returns.

But now with the [Pill Forging Master's Heart], he was soaring. It was time to adjust his plans.

"Still, opportunities like Foundation Building Pills are rare", Xiao Chen mused while returning to the third floor, carefully considering. "If it were other pills, I wouldn't make nearly as much."

This was predictable. Ordinary second-tier pills naturally wouldn't match the profit margins of Foundation Building Pills. His future focus should shift toward specialty pills in other categories, pursuing premium quality.

"I wonder if I can earn a hundred thousand spirit stones by year's end."

As Xiao Chen daydreamed, a sudden powerful aura pressure descended.

A clear, cold voice rang out: "I heard Li Zhou gained a new companion. Yao Hua has come to offer congratulations."

Everyone immediately looked out the window. Suspended in the sky was a flower basket as large as a house.

A young fairy in radiant robes stood midair before the basket, offering greetings toward Qianzhu Building. Her beauty was unparalleled, like petals kissed by morning dew; her snow-like skin resembled unglazed porcelain. Her waterfall of hair cascaded to her waist, making her seem like a living painting. Her robes shimmered with rainbow hues as they fluttered in the wind, creating a dreamlike vision.

Qianzhu Zhenren's voice responded: "Ah, it's Yao Hua, the fellow cultivator from Wan Hua Valley. Please, come in."

At this, Yao Hua Zhenren glided forward. With each step, a different flower bloomed beneath her feet, forming a floral path leading to the top floor.

Once her figure vanished, the third floor erupted into heated discussion.

"Wan Hua Valley is in Hezhou. Why come to Li Zhou?"

"This is strange. I never heard Mingyue Zhenren visiting Hezhou before. Who knew she'd know such an extraordinary fairy."

"I once heard Wan Hua Valley has mostly female disciples. I wonder if that's true."

Steward Chen reacted bluntly: "Wow, what a stunning fairy."

Chen Zhiquan at his table immediately agreed: "Absolutely. This is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

Xiao Chen glanced at them. While Yao Hua Zhenren was indeed beautiful, that wasn't the point.

The real issue was this: A Golden Core Zhenren from Hezhou had specially traveled to Li Zhou for an unexpected visit. That alone was suspicious.

A Golden Core cultivator shouldn't be late without reason.

The only possibility? She wasn't invited and came after hearing the news belatedly.

Xiao Chen also noticed she arrived alone without other Wan Hua Valley disciples, suggesting urgency.

Still, this was just speculation. Perhaps she simply preferred traveling solo.

The incident passed quickly. After all, the elders' conversations upstairs had little to do with them on the third floor.

Everyone's real focus was the second-half auction catalog in their hands.

Xiao Chen flipped through rapidly, finding many superior items compared to the first half. Whether these were saved intentionally or added during the break remained unclear.

"Ah! Five-Color Golden Lotus!"

Halfway through, Xiao Chen excitedly discovered the prized lotus listed for the second half.

This was a treasure. Now that he'd tasted the benefits of Foundation Building Pills, he couldn't miss this golden lotus.

He eagerly flipped to the catalog's final page.

Unfortunately, the Rockheart Ophiopogon he originally targeted wasn't there.

But before disappointment could settle, the final showcase immediately captured his attention.

"The Donghua Yin-Yang Wood, paired Wind-Thunder Swords!"

Staring at the three-foot-long flying swords in the catalog, Xiao Chen couldn't look away.

First, he desperately needed a primary offensive magic artifact.

The Treasure Gourd of Hidden Flame leaned more toward functionality, even serving as defense against fire spells.

While its mysterious flame was decent, it lacked sharpness.

Second, his current cultivation of the Seven Star Sword Technique required a top-grade magic artifact-level flying sword to unleash maximum power.

Third, these twin swords were top-grade artifacts.

Perfect for his Lesser Trinity Sword Array formation, they could even evolve into a sword formation later for greater potential.

Securing this Wind-Thunder pair would instantly boost his strength significantly, with ample room for future growth.

But an obvious problem remained: Top-grade magic artifacts were extremely expensive.

And this was a pair - even pricier.

Though he earned over a thousand spirit stones in the first half, it wouldn't suffice.

What to do?

With half an hour until the auction began, should he abandon this chance or scramble for funds?

Xiao Chen hesitated briefly before deciding: Borrow if needed.

He usually disliked borrowing money.

But this opportunity was too rare to miss.

Besides, he'd found a reliable income source. Even owing twenty or thirty thousand spirit stones, he could repay it easily.

After brief consideration, he resolved to raise funds for the bid.

Thinking of large spirit stone reserves, his first thought was Su Laoye.

But Su Laoye hadn't attended this ceremony, so he ruled him out.

Next came Elder Chen and Steward Chen.

After all, those were the only acquaintances he had.

At this moment, Xiao Chen suddenly realized how few connections he had - no wonder Shen Simyue once called him aloof.

Elder Chen was easygoing, immediately offering five thousand spirit stones.

Steward Chen contributed two thousand, and Chen Zhiquan, seeing this, voluntarily added three thousand.

Together, they raised ten thousand spirit stones.

Honestly, this was already substantial.

Only because they were all important Chen Family members did they carry such amounts.

Elder Chen even regretted: "I brought plenty today, though I spent more than expected on spiritual materials earlier."

"If you need more, I can borrow additional funds from other cultivators."

He meant to personally help Xiao Chen seek more loans.

Xiao Chen calculated: Adding this ten thousand, he'd have 32,593 spirit stones total.

At over ten thousand per top-grade artifact, he might just secure the Wind-Thunder pair.

But competition was fierce.

Many powerful clans were here - someone else might covet this pair.

Damn, frustrating.

"Xiao Chen, you're short on spirit stones?"

As he hesitated, Elder Liu approached from the side.

Since returning from the Wanyao Mountain Range, Elder Liu had been watching him closely.

Seeing Steward Chen handing over spirit stones earlier, he immediately recognized an opportunity.

As the Liu Clan's highest cultivation realm cultivator, he happened to carry substantial funds.

What a coincidence!

He smiled warmly, approaching with concern: "We haven't properly celebrated our previous demon-slaying cooperation."

"I just so happen to have some spirit stones. Why not use them first?"

"Please, let me repay the favor."

Elder Liu spoke as if begging Xiao Chen to accept help, though he was the one offering.

Xiao Chen felt awkward: "Senior Sect Brother Liu, I might need quite a lot."

What a great opportunity!

Elder Liu's eyes lit up: "No problem! I brought plenty. How much do you need, junior sect brother?"

The more, the better.

He quickly unfastened a storage bag from his waist, removing its spiritual seal: "I specifically brought these stones hoping to find good treasures."

"Unexpectedly, nothing in the catalog interested me. Take them all, Xiao Chen."

No one expected Elder Liu to offer his entire storage bag.

Liu Shiqing, standing beside him, was stunned speechless.

What's going on?

The clan came to purchase spirit tea and top-tier spirit fruits.

If they lent all the spirit stones, wouldn't they miss the second half?

Shocked beyond words, her mind went blank.

But Elder Liu ignored this, placing the storage bag in Xiao Chen's hands: "An old friend waits. I'll go greet them first."

With that, he took Liu Shiqing back to the Liu Clan side.

Xiao Chen's spiritual sense probed the unsealed storage bag - 48,000 spirit stones!

Clearly, this was the clan's pre-allocated auction fund.

He hesitated slightly, thinking of the Wind-Thunder swords.

Elder Liu left before he could refuse.

No choice. This opportunity was rare. He'd accept first, repay double later.

Suddenly flush with funds, Xiao Chen relaxed, returning to his seat to await the second half.

Meanwhile, Liu Shiqing finally regained her voice: "Second Uncle, if we lent all spirit stones to Senior Sect Brother Xiao, won't we miss buying things in the second half?"

She couldn't comprehend Elder Liu's actions.

"No problem", Elder Liu waved her off. "I'll coordinate with the clan for some funds. We'll just buy fewer spirit fruits."

He even managed to gather over ten thousand stones from other Liu Clan Foundation Builders.

A Liu Clan Elder asked: "Zhi Shui, why lend so many stones to that youth?"

Elder Liu smiled: "The reasons are complex. Please trust that the clan will replenish these funds from the treasury upon our return."

Another Elder first questioned Liu Shiqing about Xiao Chen.

Afterward, he sighed: "Though he joined the Chen Family, he's essentially alone. He might never repay such a large debt."

"Zhi Shui, you acted too impulsively. That's too many stones."

Elder Liu smiled silently.

Too many stones?

No, he wished he'd brought more.

As for repayment?

Even better. He wanted this debt to become a favor owed.

Repaying quickly would be a loss. The longer the debt lasted, the better.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end