"This is too precious, Brother Fan should personally present it to my father!" Bu Qingyu politely declined, "This would better demonstrate your sincerity, don't you agree?"
"Uh!" Fan Di glanced at Fan Tian beside him, then said, "Yes! Junior Sister, you are absolutely right." Fan Di scratched his head, "I will certainly pay a personal visit to Sky Sword Mountain in the future."
Ultimately, his Purple Cloud Heart Tea remained undelivered.
Zhuang Jian glanced at Fan Tian, who seemed to be resting with his eyes closed, and also shook his head with a smile.
...
As time passed, the auction was drawing to a close.
"Alright! The next item is the last lot of our auction. Everyone, please look."
At this moment, Nan Gongfu held a delicate small box. He then slowly opened it, and a faint light appeared before the assembled crowd.
Some of the ancient martial artists with stronger cultivation could clearly feel the energy within their bodies begin to flow autonomously the instant the box was opened, requiring no deliberate guidance from them.
"This..."
Just sensing this miraculous effect caused everyone's breathing to quicken, their eyes gleaming with fervent light.
"It truly is Dao Heart Jade."
Someone exclaimed in amazement.
While they knew that Nan Gong Li possessed a piece of Dao Heart Jade, they had never seen it in person. Consequently, many harbored a degree of doubt.
However, at this moment, after experiencing its wondrous effects, no one remained skeptical.
"This is the grand finale of our auction: Dao Heart Jade."
"Starting bid: one hundred million Huaxia coins, with subsequent bids no less than one million Huaxia coins."
The Dao Heart Jade officially went up for auction.
However, after a minute passed, no one made a bid.
Everyone was waiting.
Thus, three more minutes passed, and still, no one raised a paddle.
The atmosphere was deathly silent.
Seeing the situation, Nan Gongfu did not rush. He knew that stillness now would lead to a thunderous impact when it finally came.
"Ten billion!" a slightly hoarse voice rang out.
Finally, someone had bid.
At this moment, all eyes turned to the leftmost seat in the back row of the auction hall.
Upon seeing the person, everyone was stunned. Not for any particular reason other than that they could not discern the person's features at all.
Their entire body was concealed beneath a cloak.
In the private room, Ye Ming and the others also noticed this individual.
"This gentleman bids ten billion! Are there any higher bids?"
Since someone had broken the ice, Nan Gongfu knew that the climax of the auction was about to commence.
"Fifteen billion!"
Indeed, after the cloaked figure spoke, others could no longer remain seated.
"Twenty billion!"
"Thirty billion!"
...
As the bids began to increase in increments of "billions," the expressions and gazes of everyone present revealed a singular emotion.
That of awe.
This scene was truly breathtaking.
A moment later, thunderous applause erupted from the hall.
Each time a new bid was placed, the applause surged higher, resonating endlessly.
Thus, under the fervor of this atmosphere, the bidding for the Dao Heart Jade soared to:
Eighty billion.
At this point, only a few individuals were still making bids.
The hall once again fell into silence.
Just as everyone thought the bidders might pause to reassess,
The hoarse voice spoke again.
"One hundred billion!"
Hiss!
This single figure sent a chill down the spines of everyone present.
Although they had anticipated the Dao Heart Jade's final price might exceed one hundred billion, they had never imagined someone would jump directly from eighty billion to one hundred billion.
It completely disrupted everyone's bidding rhythm.
This time, as everyone turned their gaze back to the cloaked man, their eyes held more than just curiosity.
A considerable amount of anger and confusion was now present.
The Left Guardian, positioned closest to the cloaked man, stared intently at him, as if trying to see through him.
However, he was disappointed.
He could discern nothing from the other party.
This situation could only arise from two possibilities. Firstly, the individual's strength far surpassed his own. The second possibility was that they possessed highly advanced concealment skills.
As of now, he couldn't definitively determine which scenario was more likely.
Similarly, many others shared the Left Guardian's conjecture.
"This friend bids one hundred billion! Are there any higher bids?" Nan Gongfu announced, reminding them,
"One hundred billion, once!"
As the auctioneer's pronouncement echoed, everyone in the venue tensed up.
On the Qi Sect's side.
"You two, keep a close eye on him."
At this moment, Leng Chi's voice suddenly sounded from behind Tian Meng and Liu Lin.
Her tone was one of command.
"Yes! Senior Sister!" The two dared not disobey.
Leng Chi had not made any bids during the auction of the Dao Heart Jade. As expected, she had never intended to acquire the Dao Heart Jade through bidding.
As she had stated before, "snatching" was their method.
In the hall, Zhong Wuhen, like Leng Chi, had not made a bid from the beginning. His demeanor was that of a mere spectator, quietly observing everything unfold.
"Grandfather Feng, can you discern the strength of that cloaked man?"
Although he was merely a passerby, he still held some interest in the cloaked figure.
"I cannot tell!" Zhong Fengya replied truthfully. However, he added, "But he did not give me a feeling of insurmountable strength."
Based on this statement, it was possible to infer which of the cloaked man's potential attributes Zhong Fengya leaned towards. He seemed to favor the second possibility.
Having spoken, he glanced towards Ye Ming and the others' private room. Although he couldn't see who was inside, a sense of danger still lingered.
It appeared that the impression left by Doris on him was indeed profound.
Or perhaps it wasn't an impression, but rather apprehension and fear.
On another side, Zhuang Jian and his group had already withdrawn from the competition. The pace suddenly set by the cloaked man had caught them off guard.
"Senior Brother, are we just giving up on the Dao Heart Jade?" Bu Qingyu lamented slightly.
The others felt the same.
"Look over there!"
At this moment, Zhuang Jian directed his gaze towards the three from the Qi Sect.
Hearing this, Bu Qingyu and the others looked and saw that the Qi Sect members were all staring at the cloaked man.
"Brother Jian, the Qi Sect, they intend to..."
Fan Tian left his sentence unfinished, but everyone understood his meaning.
"Mm!"
Zhuang Jian pondered for a moment, then looked at Fan Tian and said solemnly, "Brother Tian, how about our two families join forces?"
These words clearly conveyed Zhuang Jian's resolve.
If the Qi Sect intended to be the cicada, they themselves could be the mantis behind them.
Fan Tian understood the deeper meaning behind Zhuang Jian's words.
"Alright! This time, we shall join forces and curb the arrogance of the Qi Sect!" Fan Tian was clearly not someone to be trifled with.
"Excellent! Hahaha!"
...
Unknowingly, another minute had passed since the cloaked man's bid. During this time, no one else had made an offer.
"One hundred billion, second call!"
As Nan Gongfu announced again, everyone's nerves were stretched to their breaking point.
They were tense, yet expectant.
Would anyone break the hundred billion mark?
A pause of about ten seconds followed, with still no one speaking.
"One hundred billion, third call, sold." Nan Gong Li brought down his gavel with a decisive flourish, smiling, "Congratulations to this friend for winning the Dao Heart Jade."
As the final result was sealed, the hall once again erupted in warm applause.
Amidst this applause, the auction officially concluded.
Yet, for some inexplicable reason, even though the auction had ended, a shadow of unease seemed to pervade everyone's hearts, leaving them feeling suppressed.
Along with it came a sense of nameless dread.
Driven by this peculiar atmosphere, most people quickened their steps to leave, as if a delay would invite the onslaught of a storm.
One minute later.
The Dao Heart Jade was handed over to the cloaked man. Then, under the gaze of the remaining few dozen onlookers, he slowly took a step and departed from the Nan Gong Estate.
In the private room.
Ye Ming watched that departing step, as if sensing something. He then lightly moved his feet, and with a single step, his figure flickered, and he exited the private room.
Looking up, he gazed at the clear blue sky, unmarred by clouds, and two sharp lights flashed in his eyes:
"With this step, I shall roam the world."