"This Astral Stone — starting price: two hundred million Magic Stones! Minimum bid increment: one million. Equivalent-valued resources may be accepted as compensation! Let the bidding begin!!!"
The host waved his hand, and the screen before Leilin immediately began flashing wildly.
Watching the numbers climb higher and higher, a bitter smile appeared at the corner of Leilin's mouth.
He had already suspected as much, and now it seemed his guess was correct — this Astral Stone was actually one of the three prized items up for auction, its value astronomical beyond imagination.
At this rate, his Magic Stones were nowhere near enough. He would have to sell off some of his resources.
Fortunately, he had no shortage of valuable items on him. If he sold enough of them, he would still qualify to compete in the bidding.
"One billion Magic Stones!" Leilin immediately shouted into the bidding device, hoping to scare off the competition.
"One point one billion Magic Stones!" Another bid appeared instantly — from VIP Room One. Although the other party hadn't transmitted their voice again, who didn't know by now that the occupant of that VIP room was the demon hunter, Morning Star Wizard Lord Ganliel?
Leilin rubbed his chin, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes.
"Hee hee! Ganliel, you still have the nerve to bid with such a pittance?"
Another voice rang out from VIP Room Two, immediately raising the bid: "Two billion Magic Stones!"
"Hmm? That tone — another Morning Star Wizard?"
A bitter smile crept across Leilin's lips. "This is going to be trouble..."
Although he was confident in his financial resources, he wasn't arrogant enough to believe he could compete with Morning Star Wizards.
Moreover, with two Morning Star Wizards now going at each other's throats, would he dare jump in? Was he courting death?
While the Astral Stone was incredibly precious and it would be a great pity to miss out, Leilin could clearly tell which mattered more — his own life.
And so, he wisely gave up on the bidding, choosing not to follow suit.
Besides, there was still the anonymous exchange fair after the auction to fall back on. Leilin hadn't lost all hope just yet.
Meanwhile, in VIP Room One, upon hearing that voice, Ganliel's expression darkened. "That voice... it's that bitch, Aima..."
Though that was what he said, on Ganliel's face, a look of deep wariness clearly surfaced.
Duchess of Blood Aima was infamous for her madness and cruelty, and she was also a Morning Star Wizard — how could she possibly give him face?
"Three billion Magic Stones!" Unfortunately, his Star Gate experiment had already entered its most critical phase. Given a bit more time, he might discover the coordinates of that Devil Plane. Starsteel was in desperately short supply, and no matter how high the price, he had to buy it.
Thus, Ganliel still cried out this price through gritted teeth, his heart feeling as though it were bleeding.
"Hehe... Ganliel, your purse is as barren as Sin City itself. I bid four billion!"
Aima across the way had evidently received some new information, and began pressing on relentlessly.
This price had clearly exceeded the original value of this piece of Starsteel, causing Ganliel to hesitate involuntarily.
But Aima's mockery just now had truly made him lose face.
"Four and a half billion Magic Stones!" Ganliel shouted out directly, while secretly resolving that if the other party dared to bid again, he would immediately back off and let her eat the loss.
"Haha... Ganliel, you thought I'd follow? Wrong. This piece of Starsteel isn't anything that special — so what if I let you have it?"
To Ganliel's surprise, Aima across the way suddenly withdrew, leaving him stifled with frustration.
"Tell me honestly, spending four and a half billion Magic Stones on a single piece of Starsteel — Ganliel, where has all your shrewdness gone?" Aima continued mocking from across the way, every word she spoke rubbing salt into his wounds.
"That bitch... one day, one day..."
Ganliel clenched his teeth, threads of bloodshot veins appearing within his silver pupils.
The terrifying ripples of his aura even made the surrounding VIP rooms feel uneasy.
"Aima, just you wait..." After throwing out those words, Ganliel rose swiftly and left without lingering any longer.
Leilin, however, started slightly upon hearing the name. "Duchess of Blood? Isn't that Frey's teacher?"
Duchess of Blood Aima — a fourth-tier Morning Star warlock, and the Second Elder of the Ouroboros Circle.
"So it was her. No wonder she couldn't stand Ganliel..."
Leilin let out a long breath. "I didn't expect this honored one to come here as well. And she must have arrived today — otherwise, the Child of Sun's blood from yesterday would never have been conceded to anyone else..."
Ever since their significant gains in the Flowing Sand Secret Realm last time, Leilin and the others had immediately handed over the detailed intelligence to Duke Gilbert.