Agate, the essence of jade and a spiritual treasure nurtured by heaven and earth, can dispel illness, ward off evil, nourish the body, and prolong life with prolonged wear.
As for top-grade agate, it is the pinnacle of agate. Not only does it possess the effects of ordinary agate, but it can also gather spiritual energy from heaven and earth on its own, subtly transforming the wearer's physique and aiding their cultivation.
Therefore, when this raw stone yielded top-grade agate, most people present were filled with regret.
They all silently blamed themselves for not competing with Zi Linling, having foolishly lost the opportunity to bid for the top-grade agate.
Little did they know, this was all Zi Linling's scheme.
While she was tricking Wang Ba, she had also instilled a psychological shadow in everyone present.
Who knew if Zi Linling would raise the bidding price to a certain height and then withdraw?
If they managed to acquire a treasure, it would be fine, but if they ended up with worthless stones, wouldn't their hearts ache terribly!
It was precisely by exploiting this fear that Zi Linling easily secured the spiritual stone that Long Er had set his sights on.
Following this, she employed the same tactic, acquiring three to four more raw stones at the lowest possible prices, each yielding treasures of superior quality.
Zi Linling wielded the strategy of deception with masterful skill; no one knew which raw stone she truly desired.
Consequently, a peculiar phenomenon emerged at the auction: whenever Zi Linling entered a bid, others would tacitly refrain from participating, not even Wang Ba, who was so angered by Zi Linling that his teeth ached, dared to make a move easily.
As a result, Zi Linling smoothly acquired three more raw stones that Long Er had favored.
By this time, the auction was drawing to a close.
"Next, we will be auctioning the final raw stone – Raw Stone Number 500. The starting bid is ten million high-grade spirit stones, with an increment of one high-grade spirit stone, no upper limit. The bidding begins now!"
After speaking, Fu Changping looked at Zi Linling, praying inwardly, "My little ancestor, please don't bid this time! This raw stone is the one of the best quality. If you bid, how will anyone else stand a chance?"
However, he was destined to be disappointed.
This was because this final raw stone was the one of the best quality among all the raw stones Long Er had desired. The treasures contained within were undoubtedly superior to the Dragon Scale Dagger.
Therefore, it was impossible for Zi Linling not to bid.
However, she didn't rush but waited for the opportune moment.
Soon, the bidding price surpassed the twenty million mark, causing Zi Linling to frown.
If this continued, her spirit stones would be running low again. What should she do?
Suddenly, Zi Linling's eyes lit up, and she called out, "Twenty million and one high-grade spirit stone!"
As soon as she spoke, the auction hall fell silent.
But this time, the silence lasted only a moment before the commotion resumed.
Everyone present was not foolish; a raw stone reserved for the finale was bound to be extraordinary.
"Twenty-one million!"
"Twenty-one million five hundred thousand!"
"Twenty-one million seven hundred thousand!"
Zi Linling curved her lips and said, "Twenty-one million seven hundred thousand and one!"
Before anyone else could bid, she provocatively beckoned to Wang Ba, saying, "Turtle, this is the last raw stone, want to play?"
Wang Ba was extremely conflicted; he had been tricked by Zi Linling too many times.
Zi Linling sneered, "What? Scared? Then forget it! If top-grade treasures are cut out later, don't blame me for not giving you a chance!"
The words "top-grade treasures" struck a chord with Wang Ba, making him instantly tempted.
Previously, Zi Linling had said similar things several times, and each time, high-grade treasures were indeed cut out.
But unfortunately, at that time, he had been so wary of being tricked by Zi Linling that he hadn't dared to bid.
Now, with Zi Linling uttering such words again, should he take a gamble?
Soon, Wang Ba gritted his teeth and said, "What is there to be afraid of! Twenty-two million!"
Zi Linling smiled; the fish had taken the bait!
She said faintly, "Twenty-two million and one!"
"Twenty-two million five hundred thousand!"
This time, the bid came not from Wang Ba, but from an elder in the VIP section.
Zi Linling frowned and looked towards the elder.
The elder smiled, "This old man sees that the young lady has exceptionally good luck, comparable to a divine predictor. Since the young lady says top-grade treasures can be cut out, this old man will gamble along with the young lady. I hope the young lady does not mind this old man's intrusion!"
He had been observing Zi Linling for a long time and had already deciphered her tactics.
Zi Linling smiled, "Your Excellency is joking. This is an auction, and everyone has the right to bid. How could I mind?"
The elder chuckled kindly, "In that case, thank you!"
Zi Linling nodded slightly and said, "Twenty-two million five hundred thousand and one!"
Wang Ba looked at Zi Linling, then at the elder, and said coldly, "Twenty-two million eight hundred thousand!"
"Twenty-two million eight hundred thousand and one!" Zi Linling said calmly.
The elder stroked his beard and chuckled heartily, "Interesting. This old man bids twenty-three million!"
"Twenty-five million!"
Wang Ba, unwilling to give Zi Linling a chance to annoy him, bid directly.
That's right, in his opinion, Zi Linling adding only one spirit stone each time was meant to provoke him.
And in reality, it was indeed the case.
"Twenty-five million and one!" Zi Linling said calmly.
"Twenty-six million!" the elder also added with a smile.
"Thirty million!" Wang Ba, impatient, increased the bid by four million.
"Oh! I didn't expect you, turtle, to be quite wealthy. Since that's the case, I'll let you have it!"
Zi Linling said this very casually.
It wasn't that she was unconcerned, but rather that Wang Ba's possessions would eventually find their way into her hands.
The elder smiled, "Thirty million and one!"
"Pfft!"
Wang Ba, so enraged that he spat out a mouthful of blood, exclaimed, "Old man, what do you mean by that?"
The elder, smiling and unperturbed, mimicked Zi Linling, shrugged, and said, "What could this old man mean? It's just that I find this young lady's bidding method very interesting, so this old man has learned it to play around!"
"You..."
Wang Ba was so angry he was about to explode, but he had to forcefully suppress the rising anger, gritting his teeth, "Thirty-one million!"
The elder stroked his beard and said, "Truly youthful arrogance. You don't even understand the principle of learning from one's mistakes. Didn't you see that young lady has already withdrawn? Thirty-one million and one!"
Wang Ba was startled, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
How could he have forgotten? Zi Linling had tricked him in this exact way before.
Zi Linling would always raise the price to a certain point and then withdraw.
Could it be that Zi Linling was trying to trick him again this time?
What should he do? Bid higher? Or not bid?
Zi Linling looked at Wang Ba's conflicted expression and sarcastically remarked, "As expected, turtles are indeed timid. I've already told you there are top-grade treasures in this raw stone, yet you're still hesitating. Truly, turtle meat cannot grace a banquet!"