"What do you mean?"
"What do I mean? You can't play with fire without getting burned! They say the Holy Son of the Hehuan Sect molested a maiden, and then..."
"And then what?"
"And then there was no 'then'."
"Ah? What do you mean by 'no then'?"
"Are you stupid! Of course, he was killed, and the Hehuan Sect was uprooted along with him, leaving only ruins!"
"Your news isn't up-to-date either! I heard that someone later underwent tribulation on the ruins of the Hehuan Sect, so the current location of the Hehuan Sect's sect is just a large pit with the aura of heavenly tribulation above it!"
"That sensational?"
"Who said it wasn't! Pity the Hehuan Sect, a thousand-year-old great sect, has thus been annihilated!"
"Pity nothing! The Hehuan Sect was a disgrace to the cultivation world, and they deserved to be destroyed!"
"..."
Zi Linling heard all this and couldn't help but smile.
Just then, Fu Chang'an took the stage.
He raised his hands, signaling everyone to quiet down, and said, "Everyone has already appraised the rough stones on stage, and I believe you all have a good idea. Now we will proceed to the auction."
Fu Chang'an paused and continued, "Before the auction, I will reiterate the rules: there are a total of five hundred rough stones, all with numbers. If you are interested, you can participate in the bidding."
"After a successful bid, if you choose to cut the stone on the spot, you only need to pay the auction price. However, if you do not cut it on the spot, you will have to pay double the price. We hope everyone will consider carefully!"
"Alright, I now announce that the stone gambling auction officially begins. We will now proceed with the auction of rough stone number one. Rough stone number one has a starting price of fifty thousand high-grade spirit stones, with each bid increase no less than ten million. The auction begins now!"
As Fu Chang'an's voice fell, the venue immediately became heated.
"I bid six hundred thousand!"
"Eight hundred thousand!"
"One million!"
"..."
Finally, rough stone number one was snatched up by a man with a thick beard for one point eight million high-grade spirit stones.
Fu Changping said with a placid expression, "Esteemed guest, will you cut the stone on the spot?"
"Cut it on the spot!" the bearded man replied without hesitation.
"Good!"
Fu Changping responded and a stone-cutting knife appeared in his palm.
After the bearded man paid the spirit stones, he began to cut the stone.
A few breaths later, the rough stone was reduced to the size of a fist, but it emitted a dense yellow light.
The tense bearded man slowly relaxed his clenched fist, visibly relieved.
With such a dense yellow light, if no treasure was cut out, it would be too unfair.
Indeed, a few breaths later, Fu Changping cut out a piece of jade stone with flowing light.
Soul Nurturing Jade!
The crowd gasped.
While Soul Nurturing Jade was not an exceptionally rare treasure, it was still a top-tier mid-grade treasure.
Its primary function was to nourish the soul. Long-term wear could clear impurities from the soul, enhance soul strength, and increase soul comprehension.
Fu Changping placed the Soul Nurturing Jade on a nearby tray and said with a smile, "Congratulations to this esteemed guest for cutting out a piece of Soul Nurturing Jade. If you do not need this item, you can come to our Huatian Commerce Firm after the auction to exchange it for something you need, or sell it. Of course, you can also trade with others privately; our Huatian Commerce Firm will not restrict you!"
As he spoke, a server delivered the Soul Nurturing Jade to the bearded man.
Fu Changping continued, "Next, we will auction rough stone number two, with a starting price of eight hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones, and each bid increase no less than one hundred thousand. Begin!"
As his voice faded, the venue erupted once more.
Rough stone number one had already yielded a mid-grade treasure, filling everyone with anticipation.
"Nine hundred thousand!"
"One million!"
"One point two million!"
"..."
Zi Linling did not participate in the bidding, as the rough stones that Long'er fancied were located further back. Therefore, she leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes to rest.
An hour later, the auction had reached rough stone number ninety-five.
Of course, there were those who rejoiced and those who despaired, some beaming with joy, others with faces ashen as if they had lost a parent.
But gambling on stones was like this; no one could guarantee they wouldn't make a mistake.
Without luck, one might go bankrupt without even obtaining a single low-grade red rough stone.
Similarly, with heaven-defying luck, one might casually find a top-grade purple rough stone.
Some people were always victorious in gambling, while others lost every single time.
This rough stone number ninety-five was one of those that Long'er had her eye on, so Zi Linling suddenly opened her eyes.
Fu Changping's smile deepened, and he said, "Next, we will proceed with the auction of rough stone number ninety-five, with a starting price of one point five million high-grade spirit stones, and each bid increase no less than two hundred thousand. Begin!"
Another round of heated bidding commenced.
"One point seven million!"
"Two million!"
"Two point five million!"
"..."
Zi Linling did not rush to make a bid, watching as the price of rough stone number ninety-five soared to three million.
"Three million, are there any further bids?"
"Three million, first call!"
"Three million, second call!"
"Three million, thir..."
"Three point two million!"
Just as Fu Changping was about to bring down the gavel, a clear and melodious voice, capable of making ears pregnant, rang out.
Needless to say, it was Zi Linling who had made a bid.
Everyone looked at Zi Linling in shock.
They had not expected that this beautiful woman, for whom the term "stunningly beautiful" was insufficient, would suddenly make a move after being overlooked for so long.
And with her first move, she stunned the entire venue.
Three point two million high-grade spirit stones could buy a courtyard in Xuanyuan City.
Fu Changping's auction hammer, which was about to fall, stopped in mid-air. He said with a smile, "This young lady bids three point two million high-grade spirit stones. Are there any other bids?"
He did not reveal Zi Linling's identity.
The person who bid three million frowned and said, "Three point five million!"
"Four million!" Zi Linling blurted out without thinking.
The person looked at Zi Linling and then silently closed his mouth.
Clearly, four million had exceeded his budget.
Fu Changping smiled and said, "Four million! Are there any more bids? If not, rough stone number ninety-five will belong to this young lady."
The auction hall fell silent.
Fu Changping waited for a moment before bringing down the auction hammer and saying, "Congratulations to this young lady for bidding for rough stone number ninety-five. May I ask, young lady, will you cut the stone on the spot?"
Zi Linling nodded and said, "Cut!"
She did not want to pay double the price.
"Good!"
Fu Changping responded and picked up the stone-cutting knife.
Zi Linling took out her black gold card and handed it to the server behind her, gesturing for him to swipe it.
Black gold card!
The people present were once again shocked.
Anyone who possessed Huatian Commerce Firm's highest-level black gold card could not be an unknown person.
Who was she?
Everyone began to speculate about Zi Linling's identity once more.