Zi Linling leaned quietly against the soft couch in the private room, her eyes closed as she rested, waiting for the auction to begin.
A moment later, Xuanyuan Zhe quietly left the private room of the Xuanyuan Empire. Glancing left and right, he then cautiously slipped in.
He looked like a petty thief crossing the street, afraid of being discovered.
Zi Linling's eyelids flickered slightly as she said playfully, "What's the matter? One of the candidates for the head of the dignified Xuanyuan Divine Clan, have you stolen someone's treasure? Or slept with someone's beauty?"
Xuanyuan Zhe's blood rushed to his head, almost sending him to Ye Lingyuan's territory with that remark.
He rolled his eyes and said, "Can you not speak in a way that chokes people to death the moment you open your mouth?"
"Oh? Are you choked to death?"
Zi Linling picked up a spiritual fruit, bit into it with a "crack," and said with a placid expression.
Xuanyuan Zhe clutched his chest and said with a pained heart, "We are friends, after all. What good would it do you if I died young?"
"Good? Crack!"
Zi Linling took another bite of the spiritual fruit and said, "You remind me. If you die young, shouldn't I go to your Xuanyuan Divine Clan to get some benefits? After all, there's one less competitor among the other candidates for the family head, so giving me some profit wouldn't be too much to ask, right?"
"Pfft! Vile friend! Vile friend! I, Xuanyuan Zhe, have made a bad choice in friends!"
Xuanyuan Zhe thumped his chest and shouted exaggeratedly.
Fortunately, a one-way soundproof barrier was activated in this private room. Outside sounds could come in, but inside sounds could not go out, otherwise Xuanyuan Zhe would have become famous in an instant.
Zi Linling said with a half-smile, "Vile friend? Since you say so, then when you're breathing your last, I'll stand by and do nothing!"
"..."
Xuanyuan Zhe's wails abruptly stopped.
This cold joke was not funny at all.
Just then, the main hall outside fell silent.
A woman with a graceful demeanor walked onto the auction stage and said with a smile, "This humble servant, Ming Lan, greets all honored guests!"
As she said this, she curtsied slightly and said, "First, I welcome all distinguished guests to the Linxian Restaurant's auction held every three months. If there are any shortcomings in our service, please forgive us!"
Ming Lan paused and continued, "I believe everyone is eager to begin, so Ming Lan will not waste any more time. The auction will start immediately. Please welcome our staff to present the first auction item!"
"Good!"
A round of applause erupted from the hall.
Amidst this applause, a graceful woman, carrying a tray, walked up with a sway of her hips.
She placed the tray on the display stand and walked away amidst most people's lecherous gazes.
Ming Lan walked to the display stand with a smile and removed the black cloth from the tray.
Various lights instantly lit up, illuminating the tray.
On the tray lay a set of colorful soft armor, which shimmered brilliantly under the lights.
Ming Lan smiled and said, "This soft armor is named the Five-Colored Exquisite Soft Armor, the latest masterpiece by the Grandmaster-level artifact refiner, Master Yong Huating."
The hall immediately erupted in an uproar.
"Heavens! This is actually a new work by Master Yong Huating!"
"Yong Huating? Is he very famous?"
"Nonsense! You can afford not to know who the rulers of the three great dynasties are, but you cannot afford not to know the artifact refining master Yong Huating!"
"Master Yong Huating is the direct disciple of Grandmaster Li Yan, the Imperial Artifact Refiner, and his artifact refining skills are second only to his master!"
"..."
The audience murmured, but Ming Lan did not stop them.
If these words were spoken by her, many would have dismissed them, thinking she was deliberately inflating Yong Huating's value to promote the Five-Colored Exquisite Armor.
But when spoken by attendees, it was entirely different. Under the power of widespread consensus, the price of the Five-Colored Exquisite Armor would naturally be accepted by everyone.
"Auctioneer Ming Lan, what is special about this Five-Colored Exquisite Armor?" someone finally returned to the main topic.
Ming Lan smiled and said, "According to our appraisers' tests, this Five-Colored Exquisite Armor can withstand a full-power attack from an Emperor Realm expert."
As she said this, the light in everyone's eyes dimmed considerably.
After all, most of the people attending the auction today were Emperor Realm experts, so this effect was somewhat redundant for them.
Ming Lan smiled and continued, "Not only that, but it can also deflect seventy percent of the full-power attack from a Minor God Realm expert! And there is a twenty percent chance of deflecting an attack from a Great God Realm expert."
Really?
The dim light in the eyes of the crowd brightened again.
Although it only deflected attacks, it could give the attacked person a glimmer of hope, preventing them from being instantly killed.
Ming Lan seized the opportunity and continued, "The Five-Colored Exquisite Armor has a starting bid of thirty thousand spirit stones. Each bid must be no less than five thousand. The auction begins now!"
"Thirty-five thousand spirit stones!"
"Forty thousand!"
"Forty-five thousand!"
"Fifty thousand!"
The competition in the hall was not extremely fierce, but many people were eager to try.
Because many of them were rogue cultivators, this Five-Colored Exquisite Armor would undoubtedly give them an extra trump card.
In the end, the Five-Colored Exquisite Armor was sold for sixty thousand spirit stones.
Ming Lan, who had been smiling all along, clearly showed a hint of joy in her eyes.
Everything is difficult at the beginning.
As the first auction item, if the Five-Colored Exquisite Armor failed to sell, or could not fetch a good price, it would have a significant impact on the subsequent auction items.
Therefore, Ming Lan was very satisfied with the price of sixty thousand spirit stones for the Five-Colored Exquisite Armor.
"Next, please welcome the staff to present the second auction item!" Ming Lan adjusted her emotions slightly and continued.
"The second auction item is a single inscribed Earth-grade top-tier wood element divine ability – 'Wood Spirit Strangulation.' The starting bid is fifty thousand spirit stones, and each bid must not be less than ten thousand spirit stones. The auction begins now!"
"Sixty thousand spirit stones!"
"Seventy thousand spirit stones!"
"One hundred thousand spirit stones!"
The hall suddenly fell silent, and everyone looked towards the source of the voice – Private Room Number Ten.
Upon hearing this voice, Zi Linling's expression immediately turned cold.
Because she recognized the owner of this voice even if they turned to ash.
"What's wrong?"
Xuanyuan Zhe asked with concern as he saw Zi Linling suddenly exuding a chill.
Zi Linling said coldly, "It's nothing, just an old acquaintance!"
"Old acquaintance?"
Xuanyuan Zhe said with disbelief, "Perhaps an enemy?"
Zi Linling did not answer him. Instead, she switched on the soundproof barrier and said coldly, "One hundred and ten thousand spirit stones!"
The person in Private Room Number Ten clearly hesitated for a moment, then gritted their teeth and said, "Zi, Lin, Ling! It's you!"
Zi Linling sneered, "It is indeed me. My dear sister, you are quite capable of running. To think you've ended up here, it truly surprises me!"