"Young master, do you think my bidding was too much?" the young woman asked Evan Chu, her voice soft yet tinged with nervous excitement.
"Not at all, not at all. I’m impressed—you’re a natural at this. If it were me, I’d probably have gone straight to one hundred eighty thousand Starstones!" Evan Chu grinned, half teasing.
The auction was going strong, cheers and shouts echoing through the hall. Evan Chu tossed in a few bids for fun but didn’t buy anything—he was only waiting for the one thing he truly needed.
"Up next is a soul-repairing medicine: the Soul-Mending Herb. This herb is incredibly rare, only growing in places of extreme cold—and most crucially, only where Saint Martial Realm experts have fallen. Its properties are unique, and its restorative power over souls is exceptional. In terms of grade, it’s a top-tier Heaven-rank medicine."
"The bidding begins! Starting price: five hundred thousand Starstones. Minimum raise: fifty thousand. Friends, I hope you’ll all bid with enthusiasm!" proclaimed the Grand Elder of Freewind Palace, her voice ringing out across the stage.
No sooner had she finished speaking than someone in a standard VIP room called out a bid of one million Starstones—clearly dead set on winning, raising the price by a full half-million in one go.
Evan Chu wanted that Soul-Mending Herb more than anyone in the hall. Sword Spirit Luna and the Fire Dragon King were both soul-based—he had to win it, even if it cost ten million Starstones or more.
"Young master, your target item is up—should we start bidding now?" the attendant asked, her tone respectful but expectant.
"No rush. Let the price climb to two million first, then hit them with a one-million raise. That’ll send the weak-willed running," Evan Chu said, eyes glinting with confidence.
Soon, the Soul-Mending Herb’s price shot up to 2.2 million Starstones, with four or five bidders still locked in. Evan Chu leaned in and said, "Three million—let’s see who’s got the guts to keep up."
The attendant in Room Three pressed the three-million button, and a ripple of shock swept through the hall. Whispers broke out—who in Room Three was mad enough to bid so high, so fast?
He’d pulled the same stunt with the storage ring earlier—huge jumps in bidding every time. Clearly, he wasn’t interested in sharing what he wanted.
"We’re not falling for your tricks this time! Add another two hundred thousand Starstones!" came a defiant shout from a rival VIP room.
Three million two hundred thousand Starstones—this auction was at its boiling point, the highest price seen yet.
"Young master, should we keep going?" the attendant asked, her voice a mix of excitement and concern.
"Of course we keep going! If someone wants to challenge me, I’ll see how many Starstones they’ve got! Add another million!" Evan Chu declared, fire in his eyes.
The attendant shot Evan Chu a startled look, thinking, 'This young master’s got deep pockets—he throws around Starstones like they’re nothing.' Still, she obediently raised the bid by another million.
Now the Soul-Mending Herb had hit 4.2 million Starstones, way past its usual value. Most people thought Room Three was throwing money away on something niche.
Serena Dream and Young Lord Wenqin exchanged glances, baffled. Why did Young Lord Peak care so much about soul medicine? Did he have a damaged soul, or was he carrying a remnant soul?
And another thing—this guy was burning through millions of Starstones so early in the auction, just for a Soul-Mending Herb most folks saw as useless. He must have a fortune backing him—way beyond what any ordinary sect could offer.
By now, people were starting to doubt Evan Chu was really from Frostbane Sect. With spending like this, he had to be from some secretive powerhouse—maybe even the Dark Sanctuary.
But only Serena Dream and Lynne Nie still trusted Evan Chu. He was just too out of the ordinary—anyone who could grill fish with his bare palm clearly didn’t follow normal rules.
Young Lord Ethan was suspicious too. He made up his mind—after the auction, once they were back at Freewind Palace, he’d get to the bottom of Young Lord Peak’s true identity.
Evan Chu had no idea he’d become the center of so much speculation. He’d hoped to keep a low profile, but some things just couldn’t be avoided.
The 4.2 million Starstones price left most bidders feeling helpless. But in another VIP room, a middle-aged man from White Sun Sect snarled, "Find out who’s in Room Three after this! How dare they disrespect us? That Soul-Mending Herb is our ancestor’s only hope—we’ll pay any price!"
He instantly raised the bid to 4.5 million Starstones, sending the auction hall into a frenzy. This once-ignored soul medicine was now the hottest item in the room.
Evan Chu just smiled and told the attendant, "Five million. Let’s see if he can keep up with me now."
Things were getting out of hand. As soon as Evan Chu raised the bid, the other VIP room fired back with another half-million. The whole crowd buzzed—why were these two rooms so obsessed with the Soul-Mending Herb?
Evan Chu was getting fired up. Damn it, they really wanted to go head-to-head? "Take it straight to ten million! I want to see if he dares keep fighting me!" he barked, voice sharp with challenge.
"Ten million Starstones? Young master, that’s a huge sum—you should really think twice!" the attendant blurted out, eyes wide in shock.
"I’ve thought it through. Ten million, twenty million—whatever it takes, I’ll get it. Just do as I say," Evan Chu replied, voice steady and burning with resolve.
The ten million Starstones bid stunned the entire auction hall. This wasn’t about buying anymore—it was a flat-out war of wealth.
From the rival VIP room came a furious shout: "Room Three! You dare disrespect White Sun Sect like this? When the auction’s over, you’d better watch your back—we’ll hunt you down!"
Evan Chu shot back, "If you can’t afford to play, don’t bother competing! White Sun Sect’s so tough? I could wipe you out any day!"
His words hit the crowd like a thunderclap. Now everyone was dying to know—just who was hiding in Room Three?
The Four Young Lords and the Two Saintesses were the most stunned of all. Evan Chu might not know White Sun Sect’s true power, but they did—outside the Nine Great Sects, White Sun Sect was the strongest second-tier sect, packed with experts. If they had a Saint Martial Realm master, they’d join the ranks of the Ten Great Sects, not just the Nine.
For Evan Chu to boast he could destroy White Sun Sect only made everyone more certain—he had to be from the Dark Sanctuary...