Chapter 427: Four Billion!!!

Four Billion!!!

James continued to shout, "Four billion."

His voice rang through the auction hall with a confidence that seemed almost unreasonable.

The moment those words fell, the entire atmosphere changed.

Four billion.

The number alone was enough to make countless cultivators hold their breath.

Behind the closed doors of the private room, Leon leaned back against his chair, his long, shoulder-length black hair falling loosely over his midnight robes. Thin amethyst embroidery shimmered faintly whenever the light passed over the fabric. His purple eyes remained calm, almost lazy, as though the astronomical number being thrown around below had nothing to do with him.

Beside him, Selena sat quietly.

Her long silver-white hair spilled over her shoulders like moonlight, contrasting beautifully with her snow-white robe and pale blue sash. Her blue eyes remained fixed on the auction floor, though there was a faint trace of amusement hidden within them.

Rias, seated nearby, also watched the unfolding contest with wide red eyes.

Neither woman spoke.

There was no need.

Everyone understood what was happening.

James was no longer bidding simply because he wanted the Chaotic Shadow Nine-section Whip.

He wanted to win.

More importantly, he wanted to crush Leon’s arrogance beneath the weight of his wealth.

It was as if he wanted to completely suppress Leon’s arrogance. James didn’t care how much money it was.

Four billion had already pushed the price far beyond what most people in the auction hall could even imagine.

For ordinary cultivators, this wasn’t wealth.

It was an astronomical fortune.

The price had reached its limit.

Even the host standing on the auction platform had become noticeably tense. His smile remained professional, but his fingers tightened slightly around the auction hammer. He had hosted countless auctions before, yet a bidding war like this was still enough to make his heart race.

The murmurs below gradually faded.

People waited.

Would Leon continue?

Or would he finally retreat?

For several breaths, there was only silence.

Then Leon finally smiled.

It was a very faint smile.

Anyone who didn’t know him might have thought there was nothing unusual about it.

But James saw it.

And the moment he saw that smile, his heart suddenly sank.

Something was wrong.

"Not good. Is this kid playing with me?"

James’s face sank.

His eyes narrowed as he stared through the private-room barrier toward Leon’s direction. That faint, meaningful smile suddenly seemed incredibly irritating.

Then realization struck him.

He finally understood.

Leon had never intended to buy the spirit artifact.

From the beginning, he had been deliberately raising the price.

He had been baiting James.

One billion.

Two billion.

Three billion.

And now four billion.

Every increase had been carefully calculated.

Leon hadn’t been fighting for the Chaotic Shadow Nine-section Whip.

He had been fighting James’s pride.

James’s fingers slowly curled around the armrest.

His expression became increasingly ugly.

He had been too confident.

He had believed Leon was unwilling to lose after failing to obtain the earlier treasure. He had assumed that Leon was desperate to win the second round.

Instead...

He had walked directly into Leon’s trap.

James suddenly slammed his palm against the table.

Bang!

The heavy wooden table trembled.

His beard shook with his anger, and for a moment, the pressure in the private room became almost suffocating.

He was so furious that he felt as though blood had rushed into his throat.

"Damn it! Continue investigating. Find out everything about him. Dare to trick me? I want him to pay a heavy price."

His voice was low and vicious.

There was no longer any trace of the cheerful confidence he had displayed earlier.

He had spent four billion.

Not because he had wanted to.

Because Leon had forced him to.

That distinction was enough to make his chest ache.

Soon, the second item was successfully bought by James for four billion.

The auction hall erupted into another wave of murmurs.

The host announced the result, and the Chaotic Shadow Nine-section Whip was carefully handed over to James’s attendants.

Yet strangely enough, when James finally obtained the spirit artifact he had fought so hard to acquire, he didn’t feel the slightest bit of joy.

He looked at the nine-section whip in front of him.

Its spiritual power was undeniable.

Its quality was excellent.

It should have been something worth celebrating.

But now...

It somehow didn’t look as good as before.

Originally, James could still rely on his enormous wealth to suppress the price.

Who would have thought that he would encounter someone who simply refused to give him any face?

Leon had raised the price crazily, deliberately provoking him until he lost his composure.

James’s jaw tightened.

He had learned his lesson.

Next time, he would definitely not fall for Leon’s trap.

Meanwhile, Leon returned to his seat with an expression that was completely different from James’s.

He leaned comfortably against the backrest and let out a long breath.

"Ah..."

His shoulders relaxed.

The tension he had deliberately maintained during the bidding disappeared almost instantly.

Returning to his seat, Leon let out a long sigh. His mood immediately became beautiful.

"Four billion? Haha... Are all old men so generous nowadays?"

Rias blinked.

Selena’s lips twitched faintly.

Neither of them said anything.

They had both seen exactly what Leon had done.

He had baited James step by step, watched him raise the price, and then calmly stepped away when the price reached a ridiculous height.

Leon couldn’t help feeling a little pleased with himself.

Still...

As the excitement faded, another thought surfaced.

He rubbed his chin.

Could he have cheated him of all his money?

For a brief moment, a strange sense of guilt appeared in his heart.

It wasn’t particularly strong.

But it existed.

After all, four billion was not a small number.

Even Leon had to admit that the figure sounded absurd.

He thought about it for a moment before quietly shaking his head.

No way.

Rias had just explained that the princes of the Drake Empire possessed enormous territories and extraordinary wealth. Lord James’s territory was no ordinary place either.