Evan Chu’s bid of another hundred thousand high-grade Immortal Stones caught both Loveless Sword Tomb and Coldshroud Imperial Palace off guard. This was already an astronomical number, and each increase only made it more daunting. Yet neither side wanted to give up on the Immortal-Extinguishing Talisman—they both desperately wanted to win it.
So both sides gritted their teeth and kept bidding, but each time they only dared to add the bare minimum. Evan, meanwhile, remained utterly motionless, letting them drive up the price—he was waiting for the perfect moment to unleash a thunderous bid and instantly crush all rivals.
At that moment, Evan could sense his Chaos Immortal Force stirring inside his dantian—a clear sign that the seal was about to break. But he knew he still needed more time. Glancing at the number on the bidding screen, he barked, "Lotus, end this farce. Jack the price up to six hundred thousand high-grade Immortal Stones! I refuse to believe they can match that!"
Lotus followed his order immediately. When the screen showed six hundred thousand, the entire auction hall fell silent—you could practically hear everyone breathing. But after a few breaths, the place erupted in cheers and frantic discussion.
This round, VIP Room 16’s shockwaves swept the auction house—one person had brought at least ten thousand supreme-grade Immortal Stones, a feat never seen before. At six hundred thousand high-grade Immortal Stones, nobody dared to raise the price again; if anyone tried to bait Evan further, the loss would be catastrophic.
The master of Loveless Sword Tomb, face hidden beneath a black bamboo hat, spoke in a voice that gave no hint of gender: "I didn’t expect Evan Chu to seize victory. Let him have the talisman this time. We may cross paths with him again—he could become our ally. If he faces trouble in the future, we should lend him a hand."
Beside the tomb master stood another masked figure, cloaked in black; his voice was clearly that of an elder. "Master, he’s just a late-stage Da Luo Golden Immortal. Is it really worth our risk? He’s already made enemies of Solarion Palace and Skyshade Hall. Why should we get involved in this mess?"
"Loveless Sword Tomb has always stayed out of worldly affairs," the elder insisted. "I say we don’t wade into these muddy waters, or we’ll invite endless trouble."
"You’re mistaken. Evan Chu isn’t as simple as you think. You’ll understand in time. We don’t need the talisman—let him have it."
"We brought eighty million supreme-grade Immortal Stones—shouldn’t that be enough to win? Or are you just worried about losing face, Master?"
"The Immortal-Extinguishing Talisman is worth fifty million at most. Why should I hand thirty million over to Martial Spirit Dominion for nothing? When the auction ends, there’ll be a good show—let’s just watch and see. If Evan Chu needs help, we’ll give him a push. Trust me, I’m right," the tomb master declared.
Meanwhile, Zane Zuo, Palace Lord of Coldshroud Imperial Palace, smiled faintly. "I didn’t expect Evan Chu to value the Immortal-Extinguishing Talisman so much. Fine, I’ll let him have it. Let’s see if he can keep his life after winning it. If he manages to seriously injure Xander Xuan or Hector Vaughn, it’ll be a massive victory for Coldshroud Imperial Palace."
"If I can get that result without spending a single Immortal Stone, all the better. Evan Chu, you’d better not disappoint me. Otherwise, you’ll be the first person I personally hunt down—even Martial Spirit Dominion won’t be able to shield you."
In the end, both superpowers gave up on the Immortal-Extinguishing Talisman, and Evan Chu took it at the sky-high price of six hundred thousand high-grade Immortal Stones—a true blood price.
"The final winner of the Immortal-Extinguishing Talisman is the owner of Second-class VIP Room 16! Congratulations! With that, the Newcapital City auction is officially concluded. All purchased items will be delivered to your rooms shortly—please wait patiently," the elder announced from the platform.
At that moment, Evan felt as if a huge weight had been lifted. He had no idea what would happen next, but he knew it would be a tough problem to handle. Still, he couldn’t help feeling a bit of anticipation—he might finally see Yvonne Xuan, the woman who haunted his dreams.
Lotus immediately left the room—Evan knew she was going to retrieve his auction items, along with the Immortal Stones he’d spent. He quietly circulated his Chaos Immortal Force, which was already half unsealed, and felt a surge of excitement.
About half an hour later, Lotus returned, her face pale and troubled. Evan’s heart tightened—something was wrong. He demanded, "Lotus, what happened? Why do you look so distressed?"
"Young master, I’ve brought your items, but the Great Elder warned me you’re in enormous danger. Both Solarion Palace and Skyshade Hall want your life—and they’re planning to strike right here in Newcapital City!
Even though fighting is forbidden inside Newcapital, those two are overlords of their own powers. No one dares stop them—not even the City Lord can intervene. The Great Elder advised you to stay in this VIP room for a while before heading out.
They want you dead, but they won’t do it here. You need to find a way to deal with them. I’m useless—I can’t help you, young master," Lotus choked out, her voice trembling.
Even though Lotus had only known Evan Chu for a few days, she could tell he was a true gentleman. He’d never taken advantage of her, never used his wealth to belittle others—he treated everyone with warmth and respect, more like a friend than a master.
"Lotus, don’t worry. I already have a way to deal with them, but for now I do need to stay here and recover my strength. Hand me the items, and you’re free to leave—you’ve regained your freedom," Evan said.
Lotus handed Evan the energy crystals and talismans, then said tearfully, "Young master, you’re a good person. I won’t leave you. I just want to stay by your side, as your maid or slave, without complaint—even if it means dying, I’m willing."
Evan glanced at her, sighing. "Why put yourself through this? If you want to stay, then stay. Just remember—no matter what strange things you see, don’t say a word to anyone."
"I understand, young master. Please rest assured!" Lotus replied solemnly.
With that, Evan closed his eyes and focused on restoring his Chaos Immortal Force. After three hours of intense concentration, he finally shattered the seal—Chaos Immortal Force erupted in his dantian, more powerful than ever before. He was stunned: the long period of compression had actually tempered his energy, making it denser and more formidable.
But the most shocking discovery was that he was now on the verge of breaking through to the Ninth-Heaven Arch-Immortal Realm. The realization nearly made him lose control from sheer joy. Forcing himself to calm down, he circulated his Chaos Immortal Force again—outside, the auction hall was already boiling with noise, and the furious voices of Xander Xuan and Hector Vaughn echoed through the air…