Absolute Cheater

Throughout the chaos, Asher remained silent, watching.

Valeris nudged him. "Not interested?"

He smirked. "I was waiting for the right moment."

And then—

"5,000,000."

His voice cut through the noise like a sword.

The entire hall froze.

Eyes widened. Murmurs erupted. The Scarlet Sun Sect noblewoman turned pale, and the Vermillion Flame Elder clenched his fists.

Even the auctioneer looked momentarily stunned.

At this point, it wasn't just about the Phoenix Feather anymore.

This was a message.

And everyone got the message loud and clear.

The Scarlet Sun Sect noblewoman hesitated—her sect was powerful, but they weren't limitless in wealth.

The Vermillion Flame Elder gritted his teeth, but after a long pause, he exhaled and sat back down.

They knew when to stop.

The auctioneer composed himself.

"5,000,000 going once… twice… SOLD!"

The hall had barely settled from Asher's bold bid when a sharp voice cut through the murmurs.

"I demand an explanation."

A man in dark robes with silver embroidery stood, his piercing gaze locked onto the auctioneer. His aura was sharp and brimming with confidence—clearly a figure of high status.

The crowd turned their attention to him, some recognizing his insignia—the Elder of the Twilight Pavilion, a sect notorious for its schemes and shadow dealings.

"This auction is a farce," he declared, his voice carrying a calculated weight. "The auction house is clearly favoring one bidder."

Gasps spread through the audience.

The accusation was serious.

Even the auctioneer's composed expression flickered for a second before he calmly responded.

"We uphold absolute neutrality in all our dealings."

The Elder scoffed. "Neutrality? That man"—he pointed directly at Asher—"has been casually throwing out absurd bids with no concern for cost. Either he has limitless wealth… or he is working with the auction house to drive up prices artificially."

Whispers filled the hall.

Valeris let out a small, amused chuckle, leaning back with amusement.

"Oh, this is getting good."

Meanwhile, Asher remained seated, calm as ever. He didn't even spare the man a glance, simply resting his chin on his hand.

The auctioneer's gaze sharpened.

"Are you questioning the integrity of the Black Iron Auction House?" His tone was polite, but the underlying threat was clear.

The Twilight Pavilion Elder hesitated for a split second. But his pride wouldn't let him back down.

"I am questioning why a supposed outsider has limitless Astral Stones and is bidding recklessly on every high-value item," he countered. "That is not normal."

Just as the tension was about to escalate, another figure stood up.

A woman in a flowing black-and-gold robe—one of the main organizers of the Black Iron Auction.

"Enough," she said firmly, her presence immediately demanding respect. "We do not tolerate baseless accusations. However, if Lord Asher wishes, he may verify his bid by presenting an equivalent deposit."

Her gaze shifted to Asher, her eyes curious yet cautious.

At this, Asher finally moved.

He sighed lightly before leaning forward and snapping his fingers.

A massive wave of pure Astral Stones materialized in front of him.

Not just ordinary ones—each stone radiated a level of purity far beyond what was typically found in the market.

The crowd fell silent.

Even the Twilight Pavilion Elder's face darkened.

This wasn't just wealth.

This was absolute dominance.

Then, Asher spoke—calm, but final.

"Satisfied?"

The auction hall was dead quiet.

The auctioneer nodded immediately.

"There is no issue with Lord Asher's legitimacy. We shall continue."

The Twilight Pavilion Elder clenched his jaw but said nothing. He had no counterargument.

He had just embarrassed himself in front of the entire auction hall.

Valeris grinned, nudging Asher. "That was almost too easy."

Asher smirked. "It was."

And with that, the auction resumed..... of course with the guy removed from the Auction.

The black jade box was slowly unsealed, and a wave of eerie silence washed over the auction hall.

Inside, nestled on a silk cushion, lay a gem unlike any other.

It was pure black, yet within its depths, faint, twisting shadows swirled as if something was alive inside. A low hum resonated through the chamber, causing weaker cultivators to feel a chill in their very souls.

Appraiser's Analysis:

Name: Abyssal Soul Gem

Type: Soul Artifact

Effects: Contains the lingering will of an Abyssal beings. When refined, it grants unparalleled enhancements to soul cultivation, increasing spiritual awareness and resilience.

Defect: Highly unstable. If improperly handled, the will inside may corrupt the user, leading to soul erosion or complete loss of self.

Murmurs erupted immediately.

Abyssal artifacts were extremely rare and infamously dangerous. Only cultivators with immense soul strength dared to use them.

The auctioneer smiled knowingly.

"Starting bid: 15,000,000 High-Quality Astral Stones."

A sharp intake of breath swept through the hall.

This was one of the highest starting bids so far.

A hooded figure from the Silent Moon Sect raised a hand.

"16,000,000."

An elder from the Violet Star Immortal Palace immediately followed.

"17,000,000."

Then, another bidder joined—a mysterious man in gold and black robes, someone unfamiliar to most but radiating immense power.

"20,000,000."

The tension escalated rapidly.

The Silent Moon Sect bidder hesitated before raising again.

"22,000,000."

But the gold-and-black-robed man chuckled before raising his bid without hesitation.

"30,000,000."

Gasps rippled through the room.

Even for a soul artifact of this magnitude, such an aggressive bid was shocking.

Throughout the intense battle, Asher remained silent.

Valeris watched him carefully.

"Interested?" she asked, amusement in her voice.

Asher exhaled slowly, his eyes locked onto the swirling shadows within the gem.

Interested?

More than that.

Soul cultivation was one of his few remaining weaknesses. While his Eternal Creation ability let him forge Astral Stones and refine treasures, true soul cultivation required something beyond physical material.

And now, the perfect catalyst was right in front of him.

So, he finally raised his hand.

"50,000,000."

Even the gold-and-black-robed man flinched slightly.

Some cultivators almost choked on their drinks.

"Is he insane?" someone whispered.

"That's not just wealth… that's absolute confidence."

The gold-and-black-robed man narrowed his eyes, studying Asher intently. For the first time, he truly acknowledged him as a rival.

But he did not raise his bid.

The auctioneer glanced around, waiting.

No one else dared to challenge.

"50,000,000 going once…"

"Twice…"

"SOLD! To Lord Asher."

And just like that, the Abyssal Soul Gem was his.