Chapter 953: Chapter 953
Ding Fan's expression grew solemn.
The gaunt elder looked at him with an obviously provocative gaze. The main reason for competing over the trident halberd was clearly to take revenge for the copper mirror he had lost to Ding Fan in the Emperor Pit earlier.
Yet, Ding Fan had always stood behind the backing of the Spirit Sect.
Thinking of this, a chill ran down Ding Fan's back. Could it be... could it be that the gaunt elder had overheard the Divine Sense message Ding Fan sent to Lu Shanqi earlier?
Ding Fan once again extended his Divine Sense to probe the elder.
Previously, Ding Fan had used Divine Sense to investigate the elder's background; however, it had been a cursory check. This time, Ding Fan scrutinized the details more carefully with his Divine Sense.
This meticulous investigation did indeed reveal some surprises to Ding Fan.
The elder was unquestionably not like ordinary ancient martial warriors. His meridians were wider compared to those of martial artists, and there was a cluster of chaotic energy surrounding his Dantian, preventing Ding Fan's Divine Sense from probing further.
From the appearance of his meridians, there was an eighty to ninety percent chance that he was a cultivator!
It must be noted that ancient martial warriors focused heavily on cultivating their Dantian, primarily enhancing its strength, while their meridians were secondary, with many only bothering to open their governor and conception vessels.
However, the gaunt elder's meridians were noticeably expanded. Although the elder seemed to have concealed the aura of his Dantian through some unknown means, the state of his meridians alone allowed Ding Fan to deduce his true identity as a cultivator.
This clarified everything. If the elder was indeed a cultivator, then it made sense that he had intercepted Ding Fan's Divine Sense message.
With all the evidence combined, Ding Fan was now certain—the elder was a cultivator.
"I bid 270,000." Lu Shanqi showed no intention of giving up on the trident halberd.
The gaunt elder chuckled lightly. "I bid 280,000."
"I bid 300,000!" The gaunt elder maintained his serene demeanor.
The crowd clearly saw through the gaunt elder's intentions—he was unmistakably targeting the Spirit Sect.
"I bid 400,000!" At this moment, Ding Fan directly raised his hand to make his offer.
Since the gaunt elder had already exposed himself and was openly antagonizing him, Ding Fan saw no need to continue concealing his intentions. He decided to confront him directly instead.
The crowd erupted in astonishment.
400,000! This auction's highest bid had been repeatedly raised, and now, it was astonishingly pushed to 400,000.
"400,000! Incredible! These people truly don't treat Spirit Stones as anything valuable."
"We can't understand the world of the wealthy!" People in the crowd shook their heads in disbelief.
Even the most powerful Spirit Level magic artifact wouldn't normally command such an outrageous price. Clearly, this was all the gaunt elder's doing.
The trident halberd's current price had already exceeded its original worth by two or three times.
Both Luo Li and Xiao Wei stared at Ding Fan in shock.
Despite being around the same age as Ding Fan, Xiao Wei had previously harbored a strong sense of superiority. But now, that feeling was utterly crushed.
Compared to Ding Fan's lavish spending, Xiao Wei's wealth gap was beyond comparison.
Ding Fan no longer bothered to hide anything and directly addressed the gaunt elder. "Friend, feel free to keep increasing the bid. I'll accompany you all the way."
Ding Fan's tone was calm, his gaze steady, yet his fighting spirit was unmistakably unleashed.
The gaunt elder, seeing Ding Fan's confidence, merely smiled. "Interesting."
Once again, the elder upped the bid. "I bid 450,000."
The atmosphere at the scene hit an ultimate climax.
His bid was raised by 50,000 at once—on top of an already staggering 400,000.
"That's insane! If someone gave me 450,000 Spirit Stones, I'd die a happy man."
"450,000—unbelievable!"...
The gaunt elder now gazed at Ding Fan smugly, his lips curling into an arrogant expression. "Please."
This was a blatant challenge—an undisguised provocation!
All eyes were on Ding Fan.
What followed stunned everyone present. Ding Fan simply said, "Congratulations. I can't afford the trident halberd; it's yours now."
His words were light and relaxed in tone.
The gaunt elder froze.
The elder had never intended to actually purchase the trident halberd. His real goal in bidding was purely to force Ding Fan and the Spirit Sect to suffer a heavy financial loss.
When Ding Fan raised the price to 400,000, the elder had initially planned to withdraw at that point. However, Ding Fan's direct confrontation had prompted him to bid once more.
Believing the trident halberd was essential to Ding Fan and the Spirit Sect, the elder confidently bet on them bidding further, intending to abandon the contest immediately afterward.
In truth, the elder wanted nothing more than to inflate the artifact's price and deal a significant blow to Ding Fan and the Spirit Sect.
What he had not anticipated was that Ding Fan stopped bidding after the price reached 450,000, outright allowing the artifact to fall into the elder's lap.
The elder's face became unsightly. Though he possessed Spirit Stones, they were not an unlimited resource. Now, he had inadvertently purchased the trident halberd for a shocking 450,000.
The Spirit Level Grade Three artifact of attack wasn't even worth 15,000, let alone 450,000.
The crowd quickly grasped the situation—Ding Fan had deliberately outmaneuvered the gaunt elder.
Yet few present expressed sympathy for the elder. After all, Ding Fan had participated fairly in the auction; it was the elder who had inserted himself to disrupt proceedings. And now, he was reaping what he had sown.
While Lu Shanqi from the Spirit Sect didn't fully understand why Ding Fan chose to withdraw from the auction, he trusted Ding Fan's actions held deeper strategic reasoning. Hence, Lu Shanqi remained silent throughout.
"Trident halberd, 450,000, going once... trident halberd, 450,000, going twice... trident halberd, 450,000, sold!"
The elder on stage slammed down the wooden mallet heavily.
"The Spirit Level Grade Three artifact of attack, trident halberd, now belongs to this gentleman."
Once the words left the elder's mouth, the crowd erupted into applause. However, the applause carried less celebration and more mockery.
"I believe the elder should possess enough Spirit Stones to cover the 450,000 bid. If not, and it turns out he's bidding recklessly, I doubt the auction house would let him off lightly," Ding Fan said lightly from the side.
"Rest assured, a mere tens of thousands of Spirit Stones are within my means." The gaunt elder said calmly, before glaring fiercely at Ding Fan. "We'll meet again someday."
Ding Fan could easily discern the threat in the elder's words, but given his Middle-Stage Golden Core cultivation level, he was hardly intimidated.
"I look forward to it," Ding Fan replied in an indifferent tone.
By now, the artifact was handed over to the gaunt elder, and payment of the Spirit Stones completed.
This elder was clearly a wealthy figure. Prior to the auction, he had already spent 300,000 for a First-Grade Spirit Pill, and yet somehow still managed to afford 450,000 Spirit Stones here. Initially, Ding Fan presumed his wealth was exaggerated and merely intended for price manipulation. Now it seemed he had misjudged.
With the final item auctioned off, the event officially came to its conclusion. The elder on stage gave a brief closing speech, marking the end of the event.
After the auction, the attendees orderly exited the venue.
As Ding Fan was about to leave, the elder from the stage approached him.
"Someone wishes to meet you," the elder said.
Ding Fan had already foreseen this; the person requesting the meeting was likely the real figure behind the auction.
When his Spirit Pill was taken earlier, the copper mirror in the Emperor Pit had been sold directly to Ding Fan without further bidding wars. In truth, Ding Fan owed the auction house a favor for that.
Otherwise, given the gaunt elder's financial capacity, Ding Fan would have stood no chance of acquiring the Divine Sense-cultivating copper mirror. Even if Ding Fan had bid 500,000 Spirit Stones, the elder would have seized it.
"Very well, let's meet them," Ding Fan replied.
The elder immediately led Ding Fan backstage.
Upon arriving, the elder didn't attempt to hide anything and directly activated a teleportation array using crystal stones.
As the teleportation array activated, the surroundings turned blurry. When clarity returned, Ding Fan found himself standing inside a stone chamber.
The chamber was neatly organized, and seated within was an old matron. Ding Fan attempted to use Divine Sense to probe the matron's cultivation level, but her heavy treasures shielded her aura, leaving her cultivation a mystery.
"Cave Master, the guest has been brought in," the elder said respectfully to the matron.
"You may leave," the matron dismissed him.
"Come…" Still seated cross-legged, the matron gestured gently toward Ding Fan.
The matron's aura was calm and composed...
Ding Fan slowly sat down across from her.
"You're a cultivator, aren't you?" The matron finally spoke, breaking the silence.
Ding Fan froze slightly.
Since reincarnating on Earth, this was the first time he'd heard someone from Earth utter the term "cultivator." ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩•𝗳𝗂𝗋𝖾•𝕟𝕖𝕥
Choosing not to respond immediately, Ding Fan simply met her gaze quietly.
The matron wasn't bothered by his silence; instead, she pulled out a jade pendant from her robes. Placing it to the side, the treasures that masked her aura lifted, exposing her cultivation level directly to Ding Fan's senses.
Late Golden Core Stage...
Ding Fan's expression grew serious upon perceiving her cultivation level. The matron was a cultivator—and she'd reached the Late Golden Core Stage.
Realizing he couldn't continue hiding before someone of her skill, Ding Fan let out a faint smile. "Indeed, I am a cultivator."
The matron chuckled softly.
Ding Fan had no idea what exactly the matron was praising.
"Are you from the Cultivation World?" The matron asked again.
Ding Fan immediately noticed the emotive glimmer in her eyes.
"I am indeed from the Cultivation World."
Since the matron was aware of its existence, Ding Fan saw no reason to conceal this fact, though he opted not to divulge his reincarnation experience.
"Then do you know how to return to the Cultivation World?" The matron's eyes now gleamed with unbridled intensity...