Chapter 424 - 1.5 Billion Coins for a Lesson

1.5 Billion Coins for a Lesson

The host raised his hand.

"1.5 billion going thrice..."

His voice carried through the entire auction hall.

The final strike of the hammer fell.

"Congratulations to this distinguished guest in the Earth-class room for successfully bidding for this supreme-grade sword."

The hall erupted into another wave of discussion.

Some people were impressed by James’s wealth.

Others were quietly laughing at what had just happened.

Several cultivators shook their heads.

"That was a strange bidding war."

"He spent 1.5 billion just to win a sword worth nowhere near that amount."

"I think the Heaven-class guest was playing with him."

"Playing with him?"

"Didn’t you see? He stopped immediately after the 1.5 billion bid."

"Then that means..."

The speaker did not finish.

He did not need to.

Everyone understood.

Following the final decision of the host, James finally bought the Crimson Mystic Sword for 1.5 billion.

Once the price was set, there was no way to go back on it.

The Treasure Pavilion had survived for countless years precisely because its rules were strict.

A bid was a promise.

A promise could not be withdrawn simply because the bidder regretted it afterward.

James understood those rules better than anyone.

He had no choice but to accept the result.

The attendants soon began preparing the necessary procedures.

James sat there in silence.

The Crimson Mystic Sword was his now.

A supreme-grade treasure.

A weapon that could indeed be considered extremely valuable.

Yet there was no joy on his face.

Instead, his expression looked as though he had just swallowed something bitter.

At this moment, his intestines were green with regret.

He had been hunting birds all year round but he was pecked by a chicken today.

The irony was almost painful.

He had entered the auction intending to show everyone how wealthy he was.

Instead, he had become the easiest person in the hall to laugh at.

Still, James slowly exhaled.

He could afford it.

That was the important part.

Although 1.5 billion coins was a frightening amount, it was not enough to shake the foundation of his household.

At least he had obtained a supreme-grade treasure.

Even if he had paid a ridiculous price, the sword itself was still genuine.

He rubbed his forehead and tried to calm himself.

Forget it.

The money was already spent.

Complaining would not bring it back.

However, somewhere deep inside, he had already made up his mind.

If he ever encountered that young man again, he would remember today’s humiliation.

At this moment, in the Heaven-class private room.

The atmosphere was completely different from the one below.

There was no tension.

No anger.

Only a strange sense of amusement.

Selena had been watching the entire exchange from beginning to end.

Her long white-silver hair fell softly over her shoulders, and her clear blue eyes remained fixed on the auction stage. Her fitted snow-white robe was tied neatly around her waist with a pale-blue sash, giving her an elegant and serene appearance.

After the host announced the final decision, she looked at the Crimson Mystic Sword for another moment.

Then she turned toward Leon.

Her expression carried genuine confusion.

After Selena heard the host’s decision, she looked at the sword and asked curiously, "Teacher, isn’t that sword yours? Why are you bidding too?"

Her question was completely sincere.

She remembered seeing the sword earlier.

She also remembered Leon handling it.

So from her perspective, the whole situation simply did not make sense.

Why would Teacher spend money to buy something that already belonged to him?

Rias, who was sitting nearby, also looked toward Leon.

Her long red hair flowed down her back, and her large red eyes held the same puzzled expression.

"That’s right..." Rias was also puzzled. Wasn’t the Crimson Mystic Sword Teacher’s? Why was he bidding for his own sword? Did he have too much money, or was he simply trying to make a donation to the auction house?

Even the others in the private room seemed interested in his answer.

Leon, however, looked completely unconcerned.

He glanced toward Selena.

For a moment, his expression was perfectly serious.

Then he deliberately paused.

"Really?"

Selena blinked.

She looked at him for a few seconds.

Her thoughts were relatively simple, and she did not immediately notice the amusement hidden behind his eyes.

She nodded seriously.

"That’s right. You were tidying up just now, right?"

Leon looked at her innocent expression.

For a moment, he almost laughed.

She really believed him.

That made the whole thing even more entertaining.

He smiled faintly and reached out to rub her little head.

"Yes, then I might have remembered wrongly. Fortunately, I didn’t obtain it. Otherwise, I would have suffered a huge loss. Yes, I remembered wrongly."

Selena quietly accepted his explanation.

She nodded as though the matter had been completely settled.

Outside the private room, the auction continued.

Inside, Leon’s smile remained faint.

The Crimson Mystic Sword had cost James 1.5 billion coins.

And Leon had not spent a single coin.

Leon think it with such natural calm that, for a moment, the words almost sounded sincere.

Almost.

His lips carried the faintest curve, hidden beneath an expression of innocent confusion. Anyone who knew him well enough would have immediately recognized the truth.

He had done it on purpose.

The entire auction hall had been thrown into chaos because of his little game, and now the Crimson Mystic Sword had fallen into James’s hands for a price that was several times higher than its true worth.

Leon had not lost a single coin.

James, meanwhile, had paid dearly for his pride.

Selena stared at her Teacher for a moment, her blue eyes blinking once as the pieces finally connected in her mind.

She was not stupid.

She had simply been too straightforward to immediately imagine that Leon would deliberately bait someone into raising the price of his own sword.

Then understanding dawned.

The corners of her eyes curved upward.

She raised one hand to cover her mouth, trying to suppress her laughter.

Her long silver-white hair slipped over her shoulder, catching the warm glow of the private room’s lanterns.