Chapter 273 - 112: From the Kunlun Immortal Ruins, Trying to Set Someone Up? A Direct Threat

But her current situation forced her to bite the bullet and carry on.

’Fortunately, that Exotic Stone doesn’t belong to the Business Alliance,’ she thought. ’Otherwise, even if I wanted to win it at auction, I wouldn’t have had the chance. It would have gone directly to Jiang Lan.’

’He probably doesn’t know what’s inside it, but he might have some way to probe or spy on it...’ Shang Mingyu took a deep breath, her clear eyes calm as countless thoughts flashed through her mind while she speculated silently.

’Someone is actually competing with Jiang Lan?’

Ye Ming was stunned for a moment, then a gloating smile appeared on his lips.

Meanwhile, at the auction outside, after Shang Mingyu had her maidservant call out a bid, several more voices rang out.

A few ancient clans and Dao Lineages made attempts to bid, also showing great interest in the Exotic Stone.

After a few rounds, the auction price quickly soared to two million Top-Grade Spirit Stones.

This was already a terrifyingly high price.

"Two million two hundred thousand."

Outside Jiang Lan’s private room, the maidservant’s face seemed to pale at the price, her legs trembling slightly. She quickly went back inside, then came out again to call out the bid.

"Two million three hundred thousand."

Shang Mingyu’s expression remained unchanged as she had her maidservant continue bidding, but her eyes had already grown grim.

This price had already exceeded her initial expectations.

She had originally estimated it would sell for around one and a half million, but who could have known Jiang Lan would interfere.

If the Exotic Stone fell into his hands, it would be impossible for her to get it back.

So she could only grit her teeth and continue bidding.

Hearing this frightening price, it seemed even Jiang Lan was hesitating now.

The once bustling auction hall fell silent. The few Immortal Sect Lineages had dropped out after a few rounds, unable to keep up.

Now, only the two opposing private rooms on the ninth floor were bidding against each other.

"I wonder who I’m dealing with over there, so intent on crossing me?"

Just then, the door to one of the private rooms opened.

Jiang Lan’s figure appeared in everyone’s line of sight. Though his expression was normal, anyone could sense his displeasure.

In the eyes of the crowd, as the Son of the Prime Minister, Jiang Lan had likely never encountered such a situation. Someone was actually bold enough to compete with him, driving the price to such an absurdly terrifying level.

"At an auction, the highest bidder wins. That is the rule. Does Young Master Jiang intend to use his power to bully others?"

At that moment, a voice came from the opposite private room. It was soft and enchanting, yet with a crisp quality that was tantalizing to the ear.

Hearing this voice, the crowd was taken aback. They hadn’t expected it to be a woman, and one so wealthy at that.

’Who could this be?’

"Heh, bully others with my power? You jest, miss. I am indeed very interested in this Exotic Stone. If you are willing to concede, I would be most grateful."

"I will remember this favor," Jiang Lan said with a faint smile.

"Unfortunately, I am also very interested in this Exotic Stone. Why don’t you do me a favor, Young Master Jiang, and let me have it? I, too, will remember this favor."

From behind the door of her private room, Shang Mingyu seemed to reply with a smile playing on her lips.

Hearing this, the smile on Jiang Lan’s face seemed to vanish.

"Miss, are you certain you’ll be able to walk out of the Imperial Capital after winning this Exotic Stone?" he asked lightly, apparently having lost the patience for pleasantries.

The moment he said this, the entire auction hall fell deathly silent.

Many people’s expressions changed, a chill of fear running down their spines.

This was a blatant threat, made without any reservation.

To say it in front of everyone showed he had no regard for the rules of the Business Alliance or the laws of the Imperial Capital.

But given Jiang Lan’s past actions, this was indeed something he was capable of doing...

Inside her private room, Shang Mingyu’s expression also changed, her gaze as deep and cold as water.

In the Imperial Capital, she truly didn’t dare to offend Jiang Lan. But she had to win this Exotic Stone, no matter the cost. It was the most crucial part of her plan, and she could not afford to fail.

Seeing the opposing private room suddenly fall silent with no response...

Ye Ming, who had been enjoying the show and hoping to see Jiang Lan suffer a setback, found his own expression turning ugly, his face clouding over.

He hadn’t expected Jiang Lan to be so shameless as to threaten her to her face, even saying she wouldn’t be able to leave the Imperial Capital.

"Two million five hundred thousand."

Suddenly, after a moment of thought, he called out calmly.

The already quiet auction hall became even more deathly silent at the sound of Ye Ming’s sudden bid.

Then, in the next moment, it erupted into an uproar.

No one had expected that at such a critical moment, someone would dare to go against the grain, fearlessly calling out an even higher price—and from the ninth floor, no less.

Instantly, all eyes focused on his room, trying to see who was inside.

’Is he insane? Or does he have the backing to be so bold?’

The other Yijian Palace Disciples in the same room were also completely stunned. They stared at "Zhang Yuan," their eyes filled with disbelief and shock.

At this moment, Ye Ming’s expression was very calm. He wasn’t insane. On the contrary, in that single instant, he had considered many possible outcomes.

At a time like this, the person in the opposing room would offend Jiang Lan whether she won the Exotic Stone or not.

And he didn’t want Jiang Lan to get the Exotic Stone so easily, either.

He had wanted to keep a low profile, but the identity of Zhang Yuan would be exposed sooner or later. He had to prepare in advance for what was to come.

The mysterious woman in the other ninth-floor room could easily produce so many Spirit Stones; her identity was certainly not simple.

Therefore, Ye Ming intentionally decided to help her, using this Exotic Stone as an opportunity to win himself an ally.

Here in the Imperial Capital, with the Southern Hunting trial approaching—an event Emperor Xia valued immensely—and with his current status as a Yijian Palace Disciple, all these factors combined were enough for him to make this huge gamble.

"You rascal..."

The Old Ghost’s expression also changed, but he quickly guessed the meaning behind Ye Ming’s actions.

He could only sigh at the boy’s audacity. But this was indeed his character—seeking fortune from danger...

Following Ye Ming’s bid, people from the auction house immediately went over to verify if he could back up his words.

After all, he was in an ordinary private room on the ninth floor, yet he had called out such a high price. Whether he could actually produce that many Spirit Stones was still unknown.

All eyes quickly converged on Ye Ming’s private room, filled with shock and suspicion.

Even Shang Mingyu frowned, looking over, not understanding what this person intended.

Soon, several more figures from the auction house approached.

Several of them were very old, with white hair and beards—clearly Appraisers.

In front of them, Ye Ming revealed the bottle of Longevity Liquid he possessed. He had obtained it from some Ancient Ruins, and a single drop could extend one’s life for many years. It was a true Life-extending Divine Object.

"Junior Brother Zhang Yuan, to think you have such a treasure..."

The accompanying Yijian Palace Disciples were so shocked their jaws dropped, unable to close their mouths.

Amidst the crowd’s shocked, shaken, and confused gazes, the few elders from the auction house quickly came to a conclusion. They confirmed that the Divine Object could indeed extend life, and a single drop was worth a fortune.

"The senior who consigned this item specifically requested this type of Life-extending Divine Object. Now that this young man has bid with it, any other bidders must also offer a similar life-extending object to compete..."

Jiang Xun, the person in charge of this auction, had personally come out to confirm the matter and announce it to the crowd.

His words caused a massive uproar.

No one had expected such a turn of events at the most critical moment. It was completely astonishing.

Life-extending Divine Objects were incredibly rare in this world, things one could only hope to encounter by chance.

Even if the major Immortal Sect Lineages possessed one, they would be unwilling to part with it. At a critical time, it could be used to extend the lives of their Elders or Ancestor Level figures, serving as part of the Sect’s foundation to intimidate all rivals.

"It seems we’ve had an unexpected development. So be it. I suppose I will reluctantly let the young lady have this Exotic Stone," Jiang Lan said, shaking his head as if in slight regret.

Shang Mingyu’s face was as cold as water. She never expected someone to jump out at the critical moment and completely disrupt her plans.

Her gaze, icy cold, shifted toward him. For now, she could only give up and make other plans.

She could find a Life-extending Divine Object, but it would take time. She didn’t have one on her at the moment.

"You jest, Young Master Jiang. I was actually about to give up just now..."

"Who could have predicted this situation? I suppose this Exotic Stone can only be left to you, Young Master Jiang," Shang Mingyu replied.

With things having developed this way, she didn’t want to completely offend Jiang Lan, so she tried to soften her words.