Ruyue finally spoke up.
With that, another member of the Xuanmen Sect had joined the fray.
The Xuanmen Sect was itself a major sect, not at all inferior to the Tu family, and perhaps even surpassed it in some respects.
Although Tu Yilong was quite proud, this was a fact he had to admit.
The majority of the powerhouses in the Tu family were Tu family members, known for their exclusivity and high loyalty. However, not every Tu family member could be a genius, so the overall strength of the family was inevitably not very high, unless a particularly extraordinary genius emerged in one generation.
On the other hand, the disciples of a sect were selected from the general populace, focusing on exceptional talents. Over time, and through the accumulation of generations, the strength of a sect would be inevitably stronger than that of a family.
However, the recruitment of disciples by sects like Xuanmen was very secretive, which resulted in most people being unaware of their existence.
Xuanmen, Valley of the Medicine King, Tu family, Xu Hao...
Tu Yilong had no choice but to sit down and ponder slowly what to do next. Was he really going to have to compete financially?
He had come to Huadu as a representative of the noble Tu family, which was a half-hidden family, expecting to impress others far and wide. Yet, he had encountered so many difficulties on just the second evening, which annoyed him greatly.
Elder Dong now said with a smile, "Ladies and gentlemen, the bidding for this Incomplete Token begins at ten billion, with each bid increase no less than ten million!"
Utter silence filled the room.
The vast majority couldn't even afford the starting price, let alone participate in the bidding. They were all just watching the drama unfold.
It was at this moment that Ruyue looked down at her phone, then raised her head to say, "Xuanmen bids fifteen billion."
Elder Xie said with a smile, "It's been a long time since I've seen Taoist friend Lan Xin. I wonder how Lan Xin is doing now. Ruyue, please convey my regards to Taoist friend Lan Xin when you return."
"Rest assured, Elder Xie, I will definitely deliver the message," Ruyue said hurriedly as she stood up respectfully.
Even though they were not from the same sect, Valley of the Medicine King maintained a lofty status, so Ruyue had to treat them with deference.
Elder Xie smiled and said, "All three of you are young. I shouldn't really compete with you, but this involves some very important matters, so I cannot stay out of it. However, if Young Tu brings out the full two hundred billion directly for the auction, I will immediately give up."
As an old man nearing a hundred years old, Elder Xie actually did not want to compete with people like Xu Hao. However, he hadn't brought any disciples with him this time, only having his old apprentice Lei Qianjue, so he had to enter the fray himself.
Ruyue also said, "That's right. If Third Young Master Tu brings out the two hundred billion directly, I won't bid anymore either. The Xuanmen Sect, while still half hidden, has not completely severed ties with the mundane world, but our funds are not abundant."
What Ruyue said probably reflected Elder Xie's inner thoughts as well.
But if it really was true, others couldn't know. Perhaps Elder Xie had other considerations? Keep us going by reading on *.
After all, compared to people like Tu Yilong who only knew a fraction of the story, Elder Xie definitely knew much more.
Tu Yilong's expression slightly changed.
He somewhat regretted mentioning two hundred billion outright.
The Tu family was also a half-hidden family, and their financial resources were not as vast as one might imagine, as their focus was more on martial arts.
This time, the family had scraped together the two hundred billion from their vassal forces, which according to their plans should have been more than enough.
However, with Elder Xie and Ruyue's conversation, the price had been driven up to two hundred billion!
Wasn't this implying that their powers could also bring forth two hundred billion at once?
If Tu Yilong could acquire the Token for a small price, then his mission would have been extremely well accomplished. Upon returning, he would surely receive a great reward since, even as a direct descendant, the resources for his cultivation were not unlimited.
But if he were to spend all two hundred billion, although the mission would still be accomplished, it could only be considered barely satisfactory.
With a single sentence, Elder Xie shattered Tu Yilong's plan of completing the mission flawlessly.
Tu Yilong bit his teeth in frustration and said, "This Incomplete Token is a must-have for our Tu family, since both of you have spoken , then I will directly bid two hundred billion!"
After all, wealth was merely an external possession. As long as he bought the Incomplete Token, it would be a gain.
The rest of the crowd immediately erupted into a buzz of disbelief, presuming that following Elder Xie's words, Tu Yilong wouldn't really put forth two hundred billion at once—who had ever heard of going all in at the beginning of a card game?
But Tu Yilong did just that.
Ruyue immediately said indifferently, "Xuanmen withdraws."
Elder Xie also smiled, "True to the spirit of youth, such vigor. We in the Valley of the Medicine King will also withdraw."
Tu Yilong's face showed a hint of joy. Although he had spent two hundred billion, forcing them both to withdraw meant he was already ahead. This Token was surely going to be his.
When Tu Yilong called out two hundred billion, Elder Dong too was momentarily stunned. Regaining his composure, he quickly announced, "Two hundred billion for the first time! Two hundred billion for the second time! Two..."
However, before Elder Dong could finish, a flat voice suddenly rang out, "Two hundred and one billion."