The entire auction hall fell silent. No one expected the Fourth Holy Son to pull such a move. After the Heavenly Intention Holy Maiden declared she'd stop bidding, he raised the price by just one top-grade spirit stone.
It was a blatant slap in the face. A glaring humiliation. Even Yi Qingwu, normally composed, was shaken. She hadn't anticipated Ye Chen would continue bidding at two million spirit stones. But what she found most intolerable was his addition of a single spirit stone.
Of course, she could afford to match it. But she'd already declared her final bid. If she spoke again, wouldn't she beco a laughingstock?
Soon, however, Yi Qingwu regained her calm. If Ye Chen had won the Moon Laurel Tree fragnt, so be it—she'd let him hold it for her temporarily. There were other items in the auction she was interested in. She could secure those instead. Ignoring the outside chatter, she focused on cultivating, awaiting the next lots.
…
With Yi Qingwu silent, the auctioneer called for bids several tis. The Moon Laurel Tree fragnt officially went to Ye Chen. An auction attendant soon delivered it to his booth.
After the transaction, the fragnt was in Ye Chen's hands. He picked it up, examining it closely. Though a plant fragnt, it was silvery-white, smooth as jade, shrouded in a faint lunar glow. Probing with his spiritual sense, he detected wisps of profound dao charm.
It did enhance the spiritual sense, but the effect was subtle. Treasures worth 100,000 or 200,000 spirit stones could achieve the sa. For most, it wasn't worth two million. But Ye Chen hadn't intended it for himself.
Fan Qinghe, watching him handle the fragnt, assud he might gift it to her. For her, its effects were diocre—not worth owing Ye Chen a favor. Plus, she hoped he'd help her with the Queen Mother of the West visualization diagram later. She began ntally preparing how to tactfully refuse the gift while boosting his goodwill.
Ye Chen turned to her. "This would make a fine gift, don't you think?"
Fan Qinghe's heart stirred—as expected. The Holy Son was indeed generous. She nodded, feigning ignorance. "Such a gift would thrill anyone. After all, it was won with a staggering two million spirit stones."
She planned to later show her uniqueness by refusing it, unlike others who'd be overjoyed.
Ye Chen nodded, satisfied. "With your words, I'm reassured…"
Then, to everyone's shock, he looked outside the booth. The crowd was still reeling from the fragnt's sky-high price.
Ye Chen beckoned, and an attendant entered, respectfully asking for his instructions. He calmly placed the Moon Laurel Tree fragnt back in its box and said, "Deliver this to the Heavenly Intention Holy Maiden's booth, to Yi Qingwu herself. Tell her that, though I have conflicts with the Heavenly Intention Holy Son, it has nothing to do with others, and I won't implicate her. Our earlier competition was only because I had a need for it. But upon learning my rival was the Holy Maiden, to avoid misunderstanding, I'm gifting it to her. Let her know there's no need to overthink—just consider it making a friend."
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Ye Chen tossed out a casual excuse. The reasoning didn't matter. Yi Qingwu's two-million bid showed her desperate need. Losing it and regaining it would surely stir her emotions wildly. In such a state, his words were secondary.
The attendant, initially all smiles, trembled at his words. A treasure won for two million spirit stones, gifted away just like that?
Two million!
She panicked, hesitant to even hold the fragnt, terrified of damaging it. If anything went wrong, selling herself wouldn't cover the cost.
The attendant hurriedly spoke, "Holy Son, to prevent leaks, the auction house strictly prohibits such actions. But as you're a distinguished guest, I'll consult our manager imdiately!"
With that, she bowed and quickly left the booth.
Ye Chen didn't mind, turning back to see Fan Qinghe, usually a playful enchantress, now frowning deeply. Her alluring face was filled with disbelief as she stared at him.
Ye Chen smiled lightly. "What's wrong, Divine Maiden?"
Fan Qinghe opened her mouth, stunned. Ye Chen's move had completely blindsided her. She'd assud the Moon Laurel Tree fragnt was ant for her and had even planned how to gracefully decline to boost his goodwill.
Yet, he was gifting it to Yi Qingwu—right in front of her? How could she accept this? Ye Chen was her chosen protector. How could he give such a gift to Yi Qingwu?
She knew Ye Chen was a notorious womanizer, with countless confidantes, even his master among them. But she hadn't cared, confident that her charm outshone all others.
Yi Qingwu, however, was different—Great Yan Continent's foremost female cultivator, a formidable rival. This put imnse pressure on Fan Qinghe.
Unable to stay calm, she hesitated before speaking. "Why gift the Moon Laurel Tree fragnt to Yi Qingwu? She's your enemy. With her Broad Cold Immortal Physique and this fragnt, she'll beco even stronger, causing you trouble in the future."
Ye Chen smirked confidently. "I don't even take the Heavenly Intention Holy Son seriously, let alone her Broad Cold Immortal Physique. Anyone who opposes is courting death. I'm just curious about this so-called foremost female cultivator and want to make a friend."
Fan Qinghe's eyes flickered, her composure slipping further. He was openly admitting he wanted to "make friends" with Yi Qingwu?
I'm right here!
She knew he was a playboy, but this was too blatant—did he not care about her feelings at all? Wasn't he worried she'd reject him? Anyone would be furious in her place. She fell silent, puffing her cheeks and turning away, refusing to look at him, clearly signaling her anger.
Co coax !
But Ye Chen didn't care. This was all deliberate. He'd noticed Fan Qinghe's prolonged tug-of-war. Half a month of stringing him along without soul communion was testing his patience. He'd shown his sincerity—why was she still playing gas?
So, he decided to change tactics. He'd already proven his unparalleled talent—few in the Great Yan Continent could rival him. If Fan Qinghe had ambitions of ascending to immortality, he was her only choice. Add his unmatched wealth and generosity, and no one in the Great Yan Continent could compete. She wasn't the one controlling him—he held the reins. Now, he was applying pressure, creating a sense of crisis to make her act. Enough of this back-and-forth.
Though the playful teasing had its charm, Ye Chen wasn't one to drown in feminine wiles. His goal was to beco her protector, achieve soul communion, and offer his spiritual sense entirely. Then, by breaking and rebuilding, he'd surge in power, breaking through to Deity Transformation. That was the priority—not endless flirting.
At that mont, the auction manager arrived. Ignoring Fan Qinghe, whose face practically scread coax , Ye Chen handed over the Moon Laurel Tree fragnt, instructing the manager to deliver it. Then, he leaned back on the booth's sofa, mood buoyant, awaiting the system's feedback prompt…
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