Chapter 59: Inner City Land, Town-Sea's Probing

Inside the auction house, the atmosphere steadily grew more heated with the auction of the inner city land.

The auction of the first sixteen plots of outer city land had concluded, and now all eyes were focused on the final four inner city plots—two located at the foot of the eastern mountain range of the city, and the other two situated directly opposite them.

The crystal chandeliers within the auction hall suddenly shifted in color, transitioning from a bright white light to a soft, pale gold, signaling that the auction was entering a higher-tier segment.

The glamorous female auctioneer gently clapped her hands, and four attendants dressed in golden robes carried a crystal sand table up onto the stage.

"Distinguished guests,"

the auctioneer's voice carried a solemnity greater than before, "we will now proceed with the auction of the four inner city plots belonging to Lord Zhao Wuyan."

Lin Chuan leaned back against the cushioned seat of the private box, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest.

His gaze pierced through the crystal projection, carefully studying the four areas marked in purple on the sand table. Two were adjacent to the eastern mountain range, rich in spiritual energy; the other two were located across the mountains, possessing exceptionally high commercial value.

"The first plot, situated at the foot of the mountain range in the eastern inner city district, spans one thousand acres, with a spiritual energy concentration three times that of the outer city!"

The auctioneer's voice trembled slightly with excitement. "Starting bid—five hundred million lower-grade spirit stones!"

The entire auction house instantly grew so quiet that the drop of a needle could be heard.

This starting bid was already twenty-five times that of the outer city land.

"One billion."

The voice drifting from Heaven-tier Private Box No. 3 remained lazy, yet it landed like a massive boulder tossed into a tranquil lake.

Young Master Wan directly doubled the price, displaying an attitude of absolute determination to win.

Zhang Lin drew in a sharp breath, the teacup in his hand nearly slipping from his grasp. "One... one billion?"

His voice trembled. "This—this is simply outrageous!"

Lin Chuan merely offered a faint smile. "To this Young Master Wan, one billion is merely pocket change."

Without any suspense, the first inner city plot fell into the hands of Young Master Wan for the price of one billion.

The second plot at the foot of the mountain followed the exact same fate. As the auction advanced to the third—a commercial plot located at the inner city gate—Lin Chuan's body leaned forward slightly, a sharp glint flashing through his eyes.

"The starting bid is three hundred million lower-grade spirit stones!"

The auctioneer announced.

"One billion."

Young Master Wan's voice remained nonchalant.

This was the exact moment Lin Chuan had been waiting for.

He cleared his throat, his voice carrying clearly throughout the entire auction house: "One billion and one million."

"Boom—"

The entire auction house instantly erupted into chaos.

Countless astonished gazes were cast toward the private box where Lin Chuan sat, and whispers surged forth like a rising tide.

"It's that Earth-tier Guest No. 7 again!"

"Is he out of his mind? How dare he challenge Young Master Wan two times in a row!"

"One billion lower-grade spirit stones! Where on earth did he get that kind of money?"

The discussions rose and fell in waves.

Lin Chuan turned a deaf ear to the reactions of the outside world, keeping his focus fixed intently on the auction stage. Beside him, Zhang Lin and Wang Tiehu were so nervous that the palms of their hands were slick with sweat.

"Brother Lin, this..."

Wang Tiehu started to speak, but trailed off.

Zhang Lin's face was deathly pale, his fingers gripping the hem of his garment tightly. "Lin Chuan, you... what are you..."

"Don't be nervous,"

Lin Chuan picked up his teacup with complete composure. "Young Master Wan will not follow up."

Sure enough, Heaven-tier Private Box No. 3 remained shrouded in silence.

The auctioneer began counting down: "One billion and one million, going once..."

Lin Chuan waved a hand. "I know what I'm doing."

Inside the third-floor private box, Young Master Wan raised an eyebrow, an amused smile playing across his lips.

The Undying Heavenly Phoenix beside him spoke in a low voice, "San'er, shall we continue raising the bid?"

"There is no need,"

Young Master Wan chuckled softly. "I don't have much interest in that plot of land; I'll let him have it. I rather want to see just how much capability this abruptly appearing brat truly possesses."

Right at that moment, a powerful spiritual force suddenly pierced through the shielding array of the private box, flooding in like a surging tide.

Lin Chuan felt a chill run down his spine, as if he were being watched by a venomous snake.

"Careful!"

Fatty's voice exploded within his mind. "It's a peak Venerable Martial realm soul scan! And it carries hostility!"

Outwardly, Lin Chuan remained completely composed, but inwardly he had already figured it out—the other party must be the master behind the Myriad Medicine Pavilion, especially since Lin Chuan had not offended anyone else since entering Heavenly Fortune City.

Almost simultaneously, a new bid resounded through the entire venue: "One billion five hundred million!"

This bid came from Earth-tier Private Box No. 2, which was precisely the location of Zhen Hai. The entire auction house broke into an uproar once more.

"It's Lord Zhen Hai!"

"Even he has made a move!"

"This is going to get interesting..."

Inside the private box, Wang Tiehu rubbed his hands together in anxiety. "Lin Chuan, don't follow any higher! This price is completely absurd!"

Lin Chuan did not reply immediately. He narrowed his eyes, his mind calculating at lightning speed: one billion six hundred million was his entire net worth, and he had already spent fifty million earlier. If he wished to continue bidding, he would have to find a way to raise additional funds right now...

"One billion five hundred million, going twice..."

The auctioneer's voice echoed.

Lin Chuan took a deep breath and slowly leaned back against his chair. "I pass."

"Sold! Congratulations to the distinguished guest in Earth-tier Private Box No. 2!" The auction hammer fell heavily.

Inside Earth-tier Private Box No. 2, Zhen Hai smiled with satisfaction.

His objective had been achieved—to test Lin Chuan's financial bottom line. If Lin Chuan truly had the backing of a Divine Martial expert, he would never have given up the bidding over a mere fifty-million price difference.

"It seems I was overthinking it,"

Zhen Hai muttered to himself. "This brat might have encountered some fortuitous encounters, but it is utterly impossible for him to be connected to a Divine Martial expert. Otherwise, what is a mere billion spirit stones to them?"

In Earth-tier Private Box No. 7, Zhang Lin, his wife, and Wang Tiehu all breathed simultaneous sighs of relief, smiles even blooming across their faces.

Lin Chuan glanced at them, the corners of his mouth curving into a meaningful smile.

"You all seem quite pleased?" Lin Chuan asked softly.

Wang Tiehu scratched his head, offering a sheepish laugh. "Well... Brother Lin, that land genuinely isn't worth that price. Based on inner city property values, even if we built houses all over it, we could only sell them for seven or eight hundred million..."

"Indeed,"

Li Yu chimed in. "Factor in construction costs, and we'd definitely take a loss."

Lin Chuan smiled noncommittally, shifting his gaze to the auction of the final plot of land.

As expected, Young Master Wan easily secured it once more for the price of one billion.

The bell signaling the conclusion of the auction rang out, and the guests began to leave in succession. Yet Lin Chuan remained seated within his private box, his fingers gently rubbing his chin.

"That Zhen Hai,"

Fatty's voice resounded in his mind, "was probing your background."

Lin Chuan nodded slightly. "He knew my entire net worth would not exceed one billion one hundred million."

"More than that,"

Fatty sneered, "he wanted even more to find out whether you truly had a Divine Martial expert supporting you behind the scenes. If you had kept matching his bids, it would have indicated deep financial reserves and a very high probability of having a formidable backer."

A cold glint flashed through Lin Chuan's eyes. "That's why he deliberately stopped at one billion five hundred million, landing precisely ten million short of my entire net worth..."