Evan Chu stared gloomily at the numbers glowing on the Testing Screen. He couldn't understand why Solarion Palace was so obsessed with the Platinum Crystal. Was it Yvonne's doing? Did she think he needed the Platinum Crystal to advance his Gold-Shift, so she was bidding for him?
Even though he was suspicious, he couldn't be sure. After all, the other side didn't know he was in VIP Room 16. If they wanted it for another purpose, or if Xander Xuan himself was bidding, things could get messy.
At that moment, Yvonne Xuan flared up: "Father, you're doing this on purpose, aren't you? You just don't want him to get the Platinum Crystal and boost his strength!"
"That's right! I want to crush him, make him back off. How could my daughter ever fall for someone with no status or standing? I'll do whatever it takes to kill your obsession!" Xander Xuan raged.
"You'll regret this. You will!" Yvonne choked out, tears finally spilling from her eyes like pearls, breaking the heart of the beautiful woman beside her.
"Young Master, the other side just raised by so much—it looks like they're targeting you on purpose. What should we do?" Lotus Lian asked Evan, clearly at a loss.
"It's a bit foolish to feed so many Immortal Stones to Newcapital City's auction house for nothing, but I must get this Platinum Crystal. I don't care about a few stones—add another hundred million. Let him see my resolve. If it's Yvonne, she'll understand what I mean," Evan said.
So Lotus immediately raised the bid by another hundred million. Now it was two hundred and fifty million—fifty million more than the Waterglass Crystal. The whole auction hall exploded in an uproar.
"The owner of VIP Room 16 is really loaded—he just added a hundred million Immortal Stones! These are Immortal Stones, not Crystal Coins or Purple Gold Coins. Who is this guy, anyway? Daring to openly challenge Solarion Palace?"
"He must have a complicated background. I bet he's from another Imperial Palace, sneaking into a second-class VIP room just to stir things up. No ordinary clan or city lord would have the guts—this is basically asking for death."
"Let's just watch. The real excitement is about to start. The auction's gotten a lot more interesting thanks to Room 16 showing up."
Discussion buzzed nonstop. Guests in other VIP rooms grew more and more curious about the owner of Room 16. Even Lynn Ling and the Martial Spirit Dominion's Domain Lord were shocked, wondering where this kid got so many Immortal Stones—he'd only ascended five years ago!
Xander Xuan's face turned even uglier when he saw Room 16 casually add another hundred million. "This is the 'good man' you praise? He knows perfectly well Room 4 is Solarion Palace, and he still slaps my face with a hundred million. Is he trying to humiliate me?"
"He's doing you a favor, trying to get you to back off. But you just won't accept it. The Immortal Realm has more than one Platinum Crystal—if he can't get this one, it's fine. I don't believe he can't break through," Yvonne retorted.
"Then I want to see just how many Immortal Stones he really has. For a newly ascended Immortal to have so much—it's unbelievable. Today, I'm going to crush his spirit completely."
Xander Xuan was furious. If this kid really liked Yvonne, he should know his place. With that kind of recklessness, he'd never be accepted as a son-in-law—and Xander would never let him.
"Raise by another hundred million. I want to see how many Immortal Stones he's got," Xander ordered the young maid in his VIP room.
In a flash, the price hit three hundred and fifty million—three hundred and fifty supreme-grade Immortal Stones, an absolutely staggering sum. Xander had only brought a bit over a thousand supreme-grade stones, most converted from high-grade stones for the finale items.
Burning through three hundred and fifty at once stung a little. He'd planned to use those stones for the auction's final treasures, but this clueless brat Evan Chu was driving him up the wall.
"Looks like Xander Xuan is really butting heads with Evan Chu. This is getting interesting," Lynn Ling said, watching the numbers on the screen.
"Maybe Evan Chu's just gotten too arrogant and needs to be put in his place. But I think he's really angered everyone this time—he's bound to face a killing disaster. What should we do?" said the woman beside Lynn Ling.
"No rush. If Evan really gets into danger, of course we'll help him. And the Martial Spirit Dominion will too. Let's see who he chooses. If he can't be a friend, then he's an enemy—and I never show mercy to enemies," Lynn Ling replied.
Meanwhile, in VIP Room 1, the same topic was being discussed. "Domain Lord, with Evan Chu like this, it's almost impossible for him not to come to Martial Spirit Dominion. He's making enemies everywhere—way too reckless. If trouble breaks out, will you step in yourself or send someone else?" asked the black-robed elder.
"If someone really goes after him, I'll step in personally. That way everyone knows how much I value him. But it's not as simple as you think—don't forget, Dream Spirit Sanctuary is here too, and they're determined to win Evan Chu as well," said the Domain Lord.
Evan Chu was getting more and more frustrated. He'd realized by now this wasn't Yvonne's doing. He knew a bit about her situation with Logan Vaughn; maybe she'd already told Xander Xuan about him, and Xander's refusal was why things had gotten so heated.
But this time, Evan guessed right. "Lotus, I don't want to keep tangling with Solarion Palace. Raise by another five hundred million—bid eight hundred and fifty million Immortal Stones for the Platinum Crystal. I'm sure they won't go any higher. If Xander still won't back down, let him capsize. If I lose the Platinum Crystal, so be it."
Madness—absolute madness. No one at the auction had ever seen such insane bidding. Evan Chu was the only one who treated Immortal Stones like they were nothing, but with his endless Spirit Vein, he really could afford it.
Lotus immediately added five hundred million. When the number—eight hundred and fifty million—appeared on the giant screen, everyone wondered if their eyes were playing tricks. How could such a terrifying number exist?
The elder on the auction platform was stunned, staring at the number, then shrieked like a slaughtered pig: "Eight hundred and fifty million! The owner of VIP Room 16 bids eight hundred and fifty million! Is there anyone who can top that?!"
The number echoed in everyone's ears—a terrifying figure, impossible to forget. For Xander Xuan, hearing it felt like a thousand blades stabbing into his chest, the pain nearly unbearable.
In an instant, he roared with thunderous rage: "Brat, you dare challenge Solarion Palace—I'll make sure you die a miserable death!"