Summoning the Gods: Start by creating the Eternal Night.

Zhong Xiang nearly fainted on the spot. He slammed his fist on the table and roared:

"Yao Xing! I'll beat your grandma to a pulp! I'm not finished with you!"

Yao Xing laughed even harder, his voice brimming with undisguised mockery:

"Hehe, Old Zhong, why are you so angry? I was just bidding fairly, wasn't I? I was following the rules."

"If you can't handle the game, then don't play. It's not the first time you've been unable to handle it."

"Why don't you go to the outhouse, pee, wash your face, calm down, and then come back and keep shouting?"

As soon as these words were spoken, muffled groans of suppressed laughter immediately came from the next few private rooms.

Everyone tried their best to hold back their laughter, afraid that they might accidentally burst out laughing and offend the two evil spirits, the Qingyun Sect and the Xuanming Sect.

Zhong Xiang was trembling with anger, pointing in Yao Xing's direction, unable to utter a word for a long time.

Finally, he could only let out a heavy snort, managing to squeeze out, "Hmph! Wang Badan! You just wait!"

Just as the two were arguing fiercely,

In another private room, a calm and authoritative voice slowly rang out, instantly drowning out all the noise:

"Ten million low-grade spirit stones."

The speaker was none other than Xiao Yan, the Right Chancellor of the Great Qian Dynasty.

The bid of ten million was like a thunderclap in the auction house.

Everyone understood that the farce was over, and the real competition for the Glass Fruit had begun.

The noise in the arena stopped abruptly, and even Zhong Xiang's angry expression froze.

He and Yao Xing exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of resentment in each other's eyes—

The two of them only had around ten million spirit stones in total, but the other party immediately raised the bar to the ceiling. Adding more would be nothing more than putting on a show.

The room was silent, and many representatives of various factions nodded to each other. This number was enough to deter 90% of the competitors.

Everyone knows that the resources of the major powers are far more than just tens of millions of low-grade spirit stones.

However, medium and high-grade spirit stones are the foundation of cultivation.

For cultivators at the Celestial Realm, low-grade spirit stones are simply insufficient; only mid-grade and high-grade spirit stones are truly effective.

Furthermore, the operation of the sect's protective formation and the training of core elders all depend on mid-grade and high-grade spirit stones.

Normally, low-grade spirit stones are fine to circulate, but no one would empty the sect's reserves of mid- to high-grade spirit stones for a single Glazed Fruit.

Moreover, since the war between gods and demons, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth has gradually thinned over the past ten thousand years, and the spiritual stone mines have been depleted, making resources even more precious.

If it weren't for signs of the revival of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, even bidding for these tens of millions of low-grade spirit stones would probably have required much deliberation.

"Eleven million!"

Just when everyone thought the situation was settled, a sinister, hoarse voice suddenly rang out, breaking the silence.

The voice came from Room 5 of the Heavenly Class, and it belonged to the Nine Nether Demon Sect's Guardian of the Nine Nether Demon Sect.

Inside the private room, Xiao Yan sat upright in his chair, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest. Upon hearing this, a cold smile curled at the corner of his lips, and he muttered to himself:

"The Nine Nether Demonic Sect? They also want to covet the Glazed Fruit? Do they really think my Great Qian Dynasty is just for show?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried through the barrier, carrying a hint of undisguised sarcasm.

"Twelve million"

Inside the No. 5 private room, Protector Jiu Mo's face darkened. He glared fiercely in Xiao Yan's direction, gritted his teeth, and raised the price again: "Thirteen million!"

"Fourteen million!" Xiao Yan didn't even lift his eyelids, his tone as indifferent as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

The Demon Protector's breathing instantly became heavy.

He only brought fifteen million low-grade spirit stones with him on this trip.

They originally intended to rob the Linglong Auction House, but unexpectedly, a master of the Celestial Realm was present, so they had to abandon the idea for the time being. Little did they expect that once the bidding started, they would be forced into such a situation.

"Fifteen million!" he practically spat out the words through clenched teeth.

Everyone in the room felt a jolt in their hearts. Fifteen million low-grade spirit stones—this was an astronomical price, a price rarely seen in the Eastern Region even once in a century!

Xiao Yan finally raised his eyes, his gaze falling on the fifth VIP room through the glass window. His voice carried a hint of amusement: "Why are you so persistent about the demon lord of the Nine Nether Demon Sect?"

"Sixteen million!"

The voice of the Demon Protector was already slightly cracking; he clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"You dogs of the imperial court, this Glazed Fruit is mine, the Demonic Sect is determined to have it!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan not only did not get angry, but instead laughed loudly: "Well said, 'I'm determined to have it!'"

His tone shifted abruptly, his momentum suddenly sharpening as he added another million, each word ringing with conviction: "Seventeen million!"

boom!

The moment this number was announced, the entire audience erupted in uproar.

The Demon Protector's face instantly turned a deep liver color. He slammed his fist on the table and roared, "You dog of the imperial court! Don't push your luck!"

"Too much of a pushover?" Xiao Yan scoffed.

"How dare those heretical sects talk about 'pushing people too far'?"

"This Glazed Fruit is mine, the Great Qian Dynasty is determined to possess it!"

The Demon Protector was so angry that he trembled all over, but he could no longer utter a single word.

Seventeen million was far beyond his bottom line and beyond his means.

He stared intently at Xiao Yan's private room, his eyes blazing with murderous intent, and he forced out a harsh word through gritted teeth:

"You're ruthless! But remember this: you might live to take it, but you might not live to use it!"

These words sent a chill down the spines of everyone present.

The Nine Nether Demon Sect is ruthless and vengeful; this is no exaggeration.

Xiao Yan seemed not to hear him, picked up the teacup on the table, took a slow sip, and said calmly:

"That's none of your business, you devil."

His tone was nonchalant, yet it carried an air of unparalleled confidence.

He had just sensed the cultivation aura emanating from the other party and discovered it was similar to his own.

Why would we be afraid of being ambushed by a demon of equal cultivation level? Besides, there's the Right Envoy of the Shadow Guard in Qingzhou, so there's even less to fear.

Hongxiu was already dumbfounded, and it wasn't until the atmosphere in the room became extremely tense that she suddenly came back to her senses.

She took a deep breath and asked, "Are there any other VIPs bidding?"

"Third Master, are we not participating in the bidding?" Li Xuanfeng asked Dongfang Wendao.

Dongfang Wen turned around and glanced at Li Xuanfeng before speaking:

"No need. Judging from Xiao Yan's determined look, he must have brought enough spirit stones. We can't compete with him!"

Seeing that no one spoke, Hongxiu raised the gilded hammer, her voice trembling slightly but still clear:

"Seventeen million is a first!"

"Seventeen million for the second time!"

"Seventeen million for the third time!"

"Thump!"

The crisp sound of the hammer fell echoed throughout the arena.

"Sold! Congratulations to the distinguished guest from the Great Qian Dynasty in Room 3 of the Heavenly Suite for winning the Glazed Fruit!"

"This auction has now concluded. Distinguished guests who have won bids, please proceed to the first floor shortly to pay your spirit stones."

"The date for our Linglong Chamber of Commerce's next auction is yet to be determined!"

As Hongxiu's voice faded, the auction that had captivated countless forces in the Eastern Region finally came to a close.

At this moment, inside the fifth private room of the Heavenly Rank, the murderous intent in the eyes of the Demon Protector surged.

They had already begun planning how to lay a trap along the only road outside Qingzhou City.

Inside the top-floor private room number two, Ye Junlin took in everything, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.