Martial World

“Big Brother Lin, you’ve put up all of the money you have… aren’t you scared that fly won’t follow you?”

Xiao Moxian asked Lin Ming with a true essence sound transmission. She knew that Lin Ming was trying to con Duke Fullmoon, but since Lin Ming had put forth such a high price now, she feared that Duke Fullmoon wouldn’t follow up with another bid. If so, Lin Ming would have struck himself in the face!

Lin Ming laughed. “I really am a little scared, but Duke Fullmoon is too obsessed with winning that spear. He shouldn’t be too fearful of following up. 2 billion, when compared to the 1.6 billion he was willing to pay before, is only 400 million more.”

Lin Ming believed that since Duke Fullmoon was willing to shout out 1.6 billion to buy the Violet Gold Spear, then he should definitely have more than 1.6 billion in wealth. He definitely had the resources to follow up with 2 billion!

But before this, in order to buy that spear at the price he wanted, Duke Fullmoon didn’t even hesitate to offend the Divine Runic Masters Guild. This proved that Duke Fullmoon had an unsurpassed desire for the Violet Gold Spear!

Stepping back, even in a worst case situation where Duke Fullmoon no longer bid, Lin Ming still found it acceptable if he won the Violet Gold Spear. This spear could indeed be extremely useful to him and Lin Ming could rapidly earn the points needed for it.

“1.99 billion, is there anyone willing to place a higher bid?” Song Wen shouted out. His voice remained calm and frenzied, because there was no need for him to stir up the current tense situation.

Everyone looked towards Duke Fullmoon’s VIP Suite, many of them sympathizing with him.

“This damned madman!” Duke Fullmoon gripped his fists together as if he were crushing something in his palm. As Lin Ming thought, his total wealth did exceed 2 billion, but he had other uses for it. If he were to spend it all on the Violet Gold Spear then he would really lose everything.

“1.99 billion going once!” Song Wen began to count down. Even the worldly and sophisticated Song Wen really thought that Lin Ming wanted to buy the Violet Gold Spear. In truth, he was also rooting for Lin Ming because Lin Ming was a part of their Divine Runic Masters Guild. But as the auctioneer, he needed to follow rules and make sure each countdown lasted for at least five breaths of time.

“1.99 billion going twice…”

Song Wen trailed off.

At this time, a somber voice sounded out from Duke Fullmoon’s room.

“Two… billion…”

In shouting out this price, Duke Fullmoon seemed to have exhausted the last dregs of his strength. For this spear he had really used up everything!

However, when comparing spending all his money to losing the Violet Gold Spear, losing the Violet Gold Spear was absolutely a greater attack on Duke Fullmoon. He could slowly save up his wealth but if he missed out on obtaining the best result he could in the final trial, that would have a direct effect on Duke Fullmoon’s strength and future.

Hearing Duke Fullmoon shout out this price, Lin Ming grinned. In this battle between Lin Ming and Duke Fullmoon to see who could con the other, Lin Ming had thoroughly won.

This was not because Lin Ming was smarter than Duke Fullmoon, but because Lin Ming accurately predicted that Duke Fullmoon had to obtain this Violet Gold Spear no matter what, while not needing the nameless ancient pill.

As for Duke Fullmoon, he only knew that Lin Ming needed the nameless ancient pill; he didn’t know that Lin Ming didn’t have any interest in winning the Violet Gold Spear.

Thus, Duke Fullmoon was doomed to be the one cruelly swindled by Lin Ming.

At this time, a woman’s voice echoed out in Lin Ming’s ear. “Sir Lin, he really did bid 2 billion. If you wish to bid further I can lend you some more points…”

This was Suya’s sound transmission. After Lin Ming had revealed himself to the public he didn’t reactivate the isolating array formations around his room, so it was easy for Suya’s voice to penetrate into his quarters.

Lin Ming smiled. “No need. I never planned on buying the Violet Gold Spear to begin with. 2 billion points should be the limit. If I bid again then Fullmoon really might give up.”

After the dust settled, Lin Ming had no need to hide anything from Suya. From start to finish, his voice remained calm throughout, as if he hadn’t been in a dramatic auction that involved 2 billion points but was only playing a little numbers game.

Suya nearly choked on herself as she heard Lin Ming’s response. After being stunned for a long period of time, the normally elegant Suya lost her demeanor and stammered out, “You… you… you are trying to trick Duke Fullmoon!?”

She didn’t dare to believe that Lin Ming would make a bluff of 1.99 billion points just for tricking someone! Wasn’t he afraid that Duke Fullmoon wouldn’t follow him? But, the reality was that Duke Fullmoon had fallen for the bait and had been thoroughly ruined by Lin Ming.

In addition, Suya also felt a tad aggrieved. She had withstood a tremendous deal of pressure to lend a billion points that Lin Ming actually didn’t need.

Hearing Suya’s awkward reaction, Lin Ming chuckled. “I apologize Miss Suya. I didn’t anticipate that Duke Fullmoon’s response would be so intense that he would actually label me a bid manipulator and even involve you in the mess. But since things already happened, I figured I might as well continue until the end.

As Lin Ming spoke, Suya actually laughed. She had no idea why she was laughing but she continued laughing for a long period of time. Then, she blinked her eyes and said, “Is this considered you owing me a favor?”

“Uh…” Lin Ming’s froze. “If Miss Suya needs help in the future, then I will surely help as long as it is within my ability to do so.”

At this time, Song Wen had already counted to three. The Violet Gold Spear was successfully won by Duke Fullmoon!

Hearing Song Wen announce the end of the auction, Duke Fullmoon let out a long breath of relief, feeling weak throughout his body.

This was a purchase that involved a massive amount of his total wealth!

But in the end, he had been the one to win!

He shakily stood up, slowly wandering towards the windows and looking out in the direction Lin Ming was in. Lin Ming seemed to sense this and looked towards Duke Fullmoon.

In contrast to each other, Duke Fullmoon was the victor. Although it was a bitter and hard fought victory, he was still the one who won. He wanted to temporarily suppress the pain in his heart and put on a victorious pose.

But just as Duke Fullmoon was almost prepared to smile, the touch of a smile froze on his face.

He saw Xiao Moxian appear from behind Lin Ming. Compared to the relatively indifferent expression on Lin Ming’s face, Xiao Moxian was giggling as if she could barely contain her mirth.

Her two shiny canines, beneath the lights of the magic arrays, shimmered like diamonds.

This caused a bad premonition to rise within Duke Fullmoon’s heart!

Xiao Moxian’s smile was filled with an unmistakable taunting, as if she were laughing at an idiot.

Then, Duke Fullmoon saw Xiao Moxian’s cherry red lips move as she uttered words. Even though she was silent, with Duke Fullmoon’s eyesight he was able to clearly read her lips.

She was saying, “You stupid dead fly, congratulations for spending 2 billion points on an inferior item with defective runes. If you need to fix the Heavenly Dao patterns in the future, then our Lin Ming will surely be willing to help you. The fee isn’t too expensive and we’ll make sure that you are satisfied with the service!”

Listening to these words, Duke Fullmoon felt his blood bubbling within him. His mind was overcome with a daze as he nearly fell over!

“Defective!?”

Duke Fullmoon didn’t believe Xiao Moxian’s words. The Violet Gold Spear was already confirmed to be an Empyrean spirit treasure. How could the weapon that an Empyrean spent so much time and effort to raise be a defective item!?

However, whether or not Xiao Moxian’s words were true, Duke Fullmoon had almost affirmed that Lin Ming never wanted to buy this Violet Gold Spear to begin with. He had simply been tricked!

Realizing this point, a brilliant killing intent burst out from Duke Fullmoon’s eyes. However, standing not too far away from the increasingly gloomy Duke Fullmoon, Xiao Moxian was smiling, extremely happy and pleased with herself.

Lin Ming reluctantly pulled on Xiao Moxian’s hand and simultaneously activated the room’s isolating array formation, cutting off the murderous gaze of World King Fullmoon.

He used his finger to tap on Xiao Moxian’s nose, jokingly saying, “You really are too childish, are you not happy unless you tell him off? Well this is enough for now. He was a mad dog originally and now he’s been upgraded to a crazy wolf.”

Although Lin Ming’s words seemed as if he were admonishing Xiao Moxian, his smile clearly indicated he wasn’t scared of Duke Fullmoon’s revenge.

In the past when Lin Ming was only a small figure at the Houtian realm, he had caused Xuan Wuji, the ruler of the South Sea Demon Region, to vomit blood in anger. Afterwards when he was at the Life Destruction realm he had been targeted by Yang Yun. Even when he flew up to the Divine Realm he had ruined the Great World King Tian Mingzi’s hand at the Divine Sea realm.

All of the opponents Lin Ming offended in the past had been far more powerful than he had been. And, these people had all been slowly killed off using various methods.

Now that Lin Ming faced Duke Fullmoon who he wasn’t much weaker than, he simply didn’t care at all.

After being ‘admonished’ by Lin Ming, Xiao Moxian only laughed out loud once more. She clucked her tongue and said, “Hey, if we didn’t tell that big head what happened then how would he be angry at us? Otherwise, that idiot might have thought he profited here.”

The auction continued on. Lin Ming closed his eyes in meditation. Following this, there weren’t any items able to arouse his interest.

The last auction item for this first round of the auction event was a set of Empyrean spirit treasure flying swords.

Empyrean spirit treasures were rare, and a complete set of Empyrean spirit treasures was even rarer.

This set of flying swords had a total of seven swords and was bought at a final price of 2.8 billion by three Great World Kings working together. Compared to the Violet Gold Spear, this wasn’t much more expensive. This caused Duke Fullmoon to be even angrier at what happened.

Like this, the first round of the auctions ended. From start to finish, the two Empyreans hadn’t bid on anything at all. It was clear that none of these treasures were able to arouse their interest. The most valuable items of the first auction round had been Empyrean spirit treasures and pills. Even that final set of flying swords wasn’t too tempting to an Empyrean. What an Empyrean was mostly interested in was rare and precious materials and heavenly treasures.

After the first round of the auctions ended, Lin Ming found Song Wen and requested that he place the Heavenly Fire Symbols up for auction.

To sell promissory notes, if it were an ordinary person who suggested this, Song Wen would have already told him to screw off to the far edges of the world.

But Lin Ming was different. He had considerable status in the Divine Runic Masters Guild and everyone could see that he had an extremely bright future awaiting him. It was possible that he might even become the next president of the Divine Runic Masters Guild!

Towards this type of person, Song Wen could only give them a little leeway. Moreover, the Heavenly Fire Symbols that Lin Ming put forth were apprised by several divine runic masters, and when it came to the runic patterns within, they could only sigh as they didn’t understand many parts of it. Without a doubt, the Heavenly Fire Symbols that Lin Ming took out were extraordinary.

After combining all of this together, Song Wen finally reluctantly agreed to allow Lin Ming to auction off the 10 finished Heavenly Fire symbols. If the final price of them surpassed 40 million then he would allow Lin Ming to auction off promissory notes. This was to avoid everyone making a joke of Divine Rune City’s auction.

And Song Wen had one final condition. This was that the promissory notes couldn’t have a base price. In other words, the base price had to be zero!