12: Chapter 12 There's still a sucker.

"Arrogant child, you dare threaten this old man?"

A powerful surge of energy erupted from the second floor, instantly locking onto Chu Fan.

At that moment, Chu Fan felt as if a massive mountain were pressing down on him. His legs couldn't stop trembling, and despite his desperate struggle to stay upright, he was forced to his knees a moment later, unable to move.

"You... you actually dare to treat me like this? Just wait until my master arrives; he will definitely make you pay the price."

Chu Chen shook his head at this scene. Chu Fan's intelligence was hardly worthy of sharing his surname. It was obvious that the person didn't care about his background even after hearing it.

Yet Chu Fan still chose to provoke him. If it weren't for the Xuanhuang Chamber of Commerce's rules against fighting during the auction, Chu Fan would likely have been crushed to death on the spot.

"Still daring to threaten me? If it weren't for giving the Xuanming Sect a bit of face, I wouldn't just be giving you a lesson; I would have crushed you right here."

As those words were spoken, Chu Fan felt the heavy pressure weighing on him vanish.

Chu Fan didn't dare to speak again. No matter how stupid he was, he understood that the person in that private room was likely on the same level as his master.

On the stage, the enchanting woman said in a charming voice, "Alright everyone, let's continue with the auction."

"I bid four thousand spirit stones."

"I bid six thousand!"

No one cared about Chu Fan's little interlude. Soon, the Lei Dao Technique was bid up to the high price of ten thousand spirit stones and was still climbing, though after reaching ten thousand, the increments slowed to five hundred at a time.

Ten thousand spirit stones was essentially equivalent to a year's expenses for an entire sect.

"Twelve thousand. Fellow Daoists on the second floor, I am Dan Xuanzi of the Tianxuan Sect. Please give me some face and let me have this Lei Dao Technique. If there is ever a time you need Dan Xuanzi's help in the future, my Tianxuan Sect will certainly do our utmost to assist."

"Dan Xuanzi, you must be joking. Don't think that just because Kuidou City is the Tianxuan Sect's territory, my Kaoshan Sect will fear you."

"My Kaoshan Sect is willing to bid fifteen thousand spirit stones for this Lei Dao Technique."

Dan Xuanzi snorted coldly. Upon hearing it was the Kaoshan Sect, he said nothing more.

"Tianxuan Sect, eighteen thousand."

Dan Xuanzi immediately raised the price again. This was already his limit. He had intended to use a lower price to obtain the Lei Dao Technique, but he hadn't expected the Kaoshan Sect to pop up and completely ignore his reputation.

"Twenty-five thousand spirit stones," Chu Chen called out his bid.

For a moment, after hearing Chu Chen's bid, all eyes turned toward Chu Chen's private room.

"Why does it feel like as soon as the Sect Master of the Tianxuan Sect showed his face, the spirit stone bids started increasing even faster?"

"You know nothing! Most of the people attending the auction today are here specifically for this Lei Dao Technique. His title as the Tianxuan Sect Master carries no weight here."

Inside his private room, Dan Xuanzi's face turned green with rage. First the Kaoshan Sect appeared, and now someone else was competing with him for the Lei Dao Technique. Did they not understand that this was the Tianxuan Sect's territory? How did he have no authority at all?

"Sir, you open your mouth and claim twenty-five thousand spirit stones; I hope you aren't just spouting nonsense. If you cannot produce twenty-five thousand spirit stones when the time comes, I'm afraid you won't be walking out of the Xuanhuang Chamber of Commerce."

Dan Xuanzi threatened toward Chu Chen's room, "This Kuidou City is my Tianxuan Sect's territory. You should think twice before you act."

Facing Dan Xuanzi's threat, Chu Chen lowered his voice and said, "What? Does the Tianxuan Sect also call the shots for the Xuanhuang Chamber of Commerce? Or is it that the Xuanhuang Chamber of Commerce only allows the Tianxuan Sect to bid and forbids others?"

"If that's the case, then I might as well not bid on this Lei Dao Technique. After all, even if it ends up in my hands, it would just be stolen by your Tianxuan Sect anyway."

As soon as these words were spoken, the Tianxuan Sect was immediately pushed into the center of a storm.

The Sect Master of the Kaoshan Sect chimed in, "This fellow Daoist is right. If that's how it's going to be, then the Kaoshan Sect might as well stop coming to the Xuanhuang Chamber of Commerce auctions. After all, whatever we get would just end up belonging to your Tianxuan Sect."

Following the Kaoshan Sect Master's statement, it immediately resonated with the crowd.

"Exactly! This is the Xuanhuang Chamber of Commerce. How can your Tianxuan Sect be so overbearing?"

"Heh, 'give you face'? Just how big is your face, Dan Xuanzi? I'm not giving it to you, so what? If you're so capable, come and hit me!"

For a time, the crowd criticized the Tianxuan Sect one after another.

Inside his room, Dan Xuanzi's face was ashen. If not for being inside the Xuanhuang Chamber of Commerce, all these people would have paid a heavy price today.

As the voices of criticism grew louder, the enchanting woman standing in the center of the stage spoke up, "Everyone, there is no need to worry. For any item purchased at my auction, the Xuanhuang Chamber of Commerce will safely escort the buyer out of Kuidou City."

"This is the reputation of our Xuanhuang Chamber of Commerce, and it is also our rule. I believe no one would break this rule, right, Sect Master Dan?"

The enchanting woman spoke directly to Dan Xuanzi.

Dan Xuanzi felt extremely stifled, but he could only force a smile and say, "Of course. My Tianxuan Sect naturally abides by the rules of the Xuanhuang Chamber of Commerce."

"You all heard that. Anyone who defies the rules of the Xuanhuang Chamber of Commerce is equivalent to making an enemy of my Tianxuan Sect."

At this, the crowd hissed in disdain, inwardly thinking how shameless the Tianxuan Sect Master was.

Dan Xuanzi then said to Chu Chen, "Sir, your financial resources are formidable. Since that is the case, I, Dan, will no longer compete with you."

"Twenty-five thousand spirit stones, once."

"Twenty-five thousand spirit stones, twice."

"I bid thirty thousand!" Just as the deal was about to be sealed, another private room called out a price of thirty thousand spirit stones.

The owner of this private room was the same person who had just argued with Chu Fan.

Thirty thousand spirit stones was already beyond Chu Chen's limit.

Estimating the treasures he had scavenged in White Jade City plus those four top-grade spirit gathering pills, he had about twenty-five thousand spirit stones. Adding the four thousand he already had on him, his total was only thirty thousand at best.

Subtracting the ten-cubic-meter spatial ring and the Seven Treasures Sword Casket he had already bought, he only had about twenty thousand left. His bid of twenty-five thousand just now was purely because he was annoyed with Dan Xuanzi and wanted to drive up the price.

He hadn't expected another sucker to bid thirty thousand spirit stones to take the Lei Dao Technique.

"Thirty thousand spirit stones, once."

"Thirty thousand spirit stones, twice."

"Thirty thousand spirit stones, thrice. Congratulations to the VIP guest in Room 6 for winning the Lei Dao Technique. With this, our Xuanhuang Chamber of Commerce auction concludes. We welcome everyone to come again next time."

In the back office of the Xuanhuang Chamber of Commerce.

Chu Chen stood with his hands behind his back, dressed in a purple profound robe and wearing an exquisite mask on his face.

"Young friend, the total comes to twenty-five thousand spirit stones. After deducting the items you purchased, there are nineteen thousand spirit stones remaining."

The Seven Treasures Sword Casket and the remaining nineteen thousand spirit stones were all placed into the spatial ring the young man had purchased.

"Good. Thank you, Manager!" Chu Chen placed the spatial ring on his finger and left the Xuanhuang Chamber of Commerce.

After Chu Chen left, the manager finally spoke, "Shuangxue, that kid is already gone. Why are you still hiding in the shadows?"

As the words fell...

Lu Shuangxue's figure emerged from the back.

"Third Uncle, is he really Senior Brother Chu? But that day, I clearly felt that Senior Brother Chu's spirit root was destroyed and his cultivation was completely gone."

"Don't overthink it, Shuangxue. Perhaps this kid had some kind of fortuitous encounter!"

"Besides, if it's truly as you said and this boy was framed, then he has certainly come this time to seek revenge on the Tianxuan Sect. His identity will be revealed when the time comes."