Wang Ba coldly sneered, "I just love to go head-to-head with you, what of it?"
Zi Linling's voice turned icy. "Fine, don't regret it!"
"Only a coward would regret it!" Wang Ba blurted out.
"No, no, no, I don't want to join your turtle clan, nor do I want to give birth to a grandson as big as you!" Zi Linling said nonchalantly.
Wang Ba, enraged, retorted, "You!"
Zi Linling sneered, "What 'you'! I bid twenty-seven million five hundred thousand! If you have the guts, bid again!"
"I'll bid if I want to, twenty-eight million!"
Blind with rage, Wang Ba impulsively matched the bid without thinking.
"Twenty-nine million five hundred thousand!" Zi Linling said, feigning gritted teeth.
"Thirty million!" Wang Ba's anger still simmering, he bid again.
"I didn't realize, you old turtle is quite rich. Since that's the case, I'll bid..."
Zi Linling paused, looking pained. "Alas, forget it! Since you old turtle wants it, I shouldn't compete with a turtle. Fine, fine, I'll let you have this rough stone, you, turtle!" Su Dan Novel Network.
Wang Ba was stunned. He never imagined that the one digging a pit would end up burying himself.
"You brat, you tricked me?"
At this moment, he wished he could devour Zi Linling alive.
Zi Linling's feigned anger instantly transformed into a sly smile.
"Trick you? Don't spout nonsense. I sincerely wanted to buy this rough stone, but twenty-nine million five hundred thousand is all my savings. Who knew, you old turtle are so fond of this stone, you had to add fifty thousand? What could I do?"
She finished with a look of helplessness.
This time, Wang Ba not only felt his lungs explode but his heart and kidneys were also far from alright.
"You brat, you just wait!"
He threw a threat at Zi Linling, then turned to Fu Changping. "Elder Fu, this brat tricked me, look at this..."
Fu Changping said calmly, "No! The bid was yours, whether it was voluntary or you were tricked, it cannot be a reason to disrupt the auction!"
"This is unfair!" Wang Ba roared.
Fu Changping's expression turned cold. "Sir, please choose your words carefully! Our Huatian Merchant Guild has always conducted business fairly and justly, without deceiving customers. When have we ever been unfair?"
"Moreover, we did not interfere with your bidding at all. How can you say it's unfair? Are you intentionally disrupting the auction?"
"If that is the case, I will have to invite that senior to have a word with you!"
As Fu Changping spoke, the aura of a Half-Step God King descended again, pressing directly onto Wang Ba.
"Fine! I'll pay!"
Wang Ba gritted his teeth and settled the spirit stones.
Even as a mid-stage Great God Realm expert, he dared not act presumptuously in front of a Half-Step God King.
Thirty million!
This was no small sum. Even for the affluent Wang Ba, it was painful.
He glared at Zi Linling with murderous intent, wishing he could tear her to shreds.
But he dared not act here. After all, a Half-Step God King could easily obliterate him.
Zi Linling ignored him, leaning back in her chair and closing her eyes to rest.
Seeing Wang Ba pay, Fu Changping continued, "Sir, do you wish to cut the stone on-site?"
"Cut it!" Wang Ba gritted his teeth and said.
Fu Changping nodded and began to cut the stone.
The outer layer of the rough stone was sliced away, revealing a faint purple glow.
"Heavens! What do I see?"
"A purple treasure glow! This is a sign of an exceptional treasure!"
"This old turtle is too lucky!"
"Isn't he? To cut out an exceptional treasure, thirty million high-grade spirit stones are well worth it!"
"..."
Everyone looked at Wang Ba with greed.
The moment Wang Ba saw the blue-purple treasure glow, the anger of being tricked instantly vanished.
He looked provocatively at Zi Linling and said, "You brat, didn't expect this, did you? It's an exceptional treasure, thirty million is not a loss at all! Speaking of which, I should thank you for digging such a big pit for me!"
Zi Linling said with feigned heartache, "Alas, a miscalculation, a miscalculation! If I had known this rough stone was of such good quality, I would have bankrupted myself to buy it!"
"Now look, it's all yours, you big turtle, you've made me so angry! So angry!"
Though she spoke thus, in her heart she thought, "Hmph! Let this stupid turtle keep this treasure for me for a while!"
This, of course, was part of Zi Linling's plan.
Long'er had already told her that the treasure within this rough stone was of no small quality, and once it was revealed, it would surely attract covetous eyes.
Originally, Zi Linling had planned to spend double the spirit stones to take the rough stone back and cut it herself.
But plans could not keep up with changes, and the Wang Ba who wanted to trick her had just happened to bump into her.
Since Wang Ba had bumped into her, it would be a disservice to the opportunity heaven had created for her not to use him as a shield.
"Hahahaha!"
Wang Ba laughed heartily. "You brat, how does it feel to try and trick others, only to end up losing yourself?"
Zi Linling feigned anger. "Hmph! You dead turtle, you just wait!"
Soon, the rough stone was completely cut, and a short sword appeared in everyone's sight.
The short sword had some scale-like patterns, emitting a sinister glow.
A powerful aura emanated from within the short sword, causing the hearts of those in the auction hall to palpitate.
"This is... Dragon Scale Dagger!"
Someone exclaimed, and the auction site erupted into commotion.
The Dragon Scale Dagger, one of the Ten Ancient Divine Artifacts, was said to have been forged by Jing Hong, the progenitor of artifact refiners in ancient times, using a piece of true dragon scale as the main material, supplemented by celestial iron from beyond the heavens, over eighty-one days.
It was said that when the Dragon Scale Dagger first appeared, it directly triggered the ninety-nine-stage artifact tribulation and successfully passed it, thus becoming one of the Ten Ancient Divine Artifacts.
Later, when the great war broke out, its owner died in battle, and the Dragon Scale Dagger disappeared.
Who would have thought that after a hundred thousand years, the Dragon Scale Dagger would reappear, and in such a manner.
Although Fu Changping felt a pang of pain, he had to have a servant deliver the Dragon Scale Dagger to Wang Ba.
Wang Ba picked up the Dragon Scale Dagger and laughed, "Heaven has not been unkind to me, Wang Ba!"
As he spoke, he squeezed out a drop of his vital blood and dripped it onto the Dragon Scale Dagger.
He was not foolish; he understood the principle that an unarmed man with a treasure is guilty.
And to protect his life, he had to have the Dragon Scale Dagger recognize him as its master.
Because only when a divine artifact recognized its master would it exert its true power.
Under the covetous gazes of the crowd, Wang Ba's vital blood landed on the Dragon Scale Dagger.
Wang Ba was overjoyed. Once the Dragon Scale Dagger recognized him as its master, he could retreat with his life even if he encountered a peak Great God Realm expert.