Unexpected Event at the Auction

When Ao Juan's bid of "three thousand high-grade spirit stones" was announced, the entire auction hall fell into another eerie silence.

Everyone was stunned by this extravagant offer.

Three thousand high-grade spirit stones far exceeded the value of the Mad Thorn Beast itself, to an almost absurd premium.

Clearly, the bidder wasn't buying the beast but the mysterious "song" that had instantly tamed it.

Or rather, the person who possessed such a song.

Jiang Mian was also shocked by Ao Juan's move.

"Are you crazy?" he whispered, barely using his breath. "Spending so much money just to buy this thing? Where do we have that much money?"

As he spoke, he instinctively covered his storage bracelet—the one Ao Juan had given him earlier, which contained some snacks and a few low-grade spirit stones, his entire fortune.

"Relax," Ao Juan said without looking at him, his gaze still fixed on the stage below, calm and composed. "I still have money."

His voice was low but carried a convincing strength.

Jiang Mian looked at his carefree demeanor and suddenly realized he had been worrying about something that wasn't an issue at all.

Would the Dragon Prince be short of money?

The answer was clearly no.

"Three thousand high-grade spirit stones! Any higher?" The shark auctioneer on stage was beaming. This price far exceeded her expectations; her commission for the night was secured.

Murmurs filled the hall.

"It's Dragon Prince Ao Juan! That box is the exclusive box of the Dragon Palace!"

"He's made his move! It seems he's determined to win the mysterious singer!"

"The Dragon Palace is wealthy; who dares to compete with them?"

"That's not necessarily true..."

Just as the auctioneer was about to slam down the gavel, a familiar, sardonic voice rang out again.

"Three thousand one hundred high-grade spirit stones."

The voice came from a box diagonally opposite. There, Feng Li was shaking his ostentatious pearl fan, looking provocatively in Ao Juan's direction.

Him again!

Jiang Mian was getting annoyed. Was this guy like a plaster? Why was he everywhere?

Ao Juan's brows furrowed again.

"What does he want?" Jiang Mian asked.

"He doesn't want the Mad Thorn Beast," Ao Juan said coldly. "He just wants to make me unhappy."

"Then let him have it," Jiang Mian said indifferently. "We just wanted to show off, I mean, demonstrate our ability. Now that we've achieved our goal, there's no need to waste this money, right?"

"No." Ao Juan shook his head, a glint in his eye. "We have to see the act through. If we give up now, it will arouse suspicion."

He pressed the bidding button again.

"Four thousand."

"Four thousand one!" Feng Li immediately followed.

"Five thousand."

"Five thousand one!"

The price kept climbing under their rivalry, soon reaching a height that ninety-nine percent of the people present could only look up to.

The atmosphere in the hall grew increasingly tense. Everyone's interest in the drama far surpassed their concern for the item itself.

The Dragon Prince and the Young Master of the Phoenix Clan publicly "showing off their wealth"—a spectacle rarely seen in a hundred years.

Jiang Mian watched Ao Juan's unchanging face, but his heart was bleeding.

Over five thousand high-grade spirit stones! How many packs of Deep Sea Demon Octopus brand instant noodles could that buy? Enough for him to eat three meals a day from now until the end of time!

"Ao Juan, forget it..." he tried to persuade the impulsive "tyrant." "It's not necessary, really."

"Six thousand." Ao Juan completely ignored him and gave another price.

Across the hall, Feng Li's expression finally turned grim.

Though he was the Young Master of the Phoenix Clan, he wasn't the sole heir. The private funds he could use had a limit. Six thousand high-grade spirit stones was close to his limit.

He gritted his teeth and was about to follow up, but an old man beside him pulled him back and shook his head.

Feng Li's face changed several times before he finally sat back down, snorted in dissatisfaction, and made no further bids.

"Six thousand high-grade spirit stones! Sold!"

The shark auctioneer excitedly brought down her small hammer.

In the end, the Mad Thorn Beast, whose value had skyrocketed thanks to Jiang Mian's lullaby, was successfully purchased by Ao Juan at a sky-high price.

Jiang Mian collapsed onto the soft couch, feeling as if he had been through a battle, mentally and physically exhausted.

He couldn't understand how these wealthy people's minds worked.

After the auction, the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce quickly sent the still-sleeping Mad Thorn Beast to their courtyard.

Looking at the huge, snoring creature in the cage, Jiang Mian still felt a sense of unreality.

"What now?" he asked Ao Juan. "Are we really going to keep it? I tell you, I don't have extra food for it."

"Who said we're keeping it?" Ao Juan rolled his eyes.

He walked to the cage, extended his hand, and a golden light gathered at his fingertips. He gently touched the complex cage lock.

With a click, the cold iron cage, said to be able to trap deep-sea beasts, opened.

Jiang Mian was startled and instinctively stepped back.

But Ao Juan did something even more shocking.

He walked directly into the cage.

He approached the sleeping Mad Thorn Beast, reached out, and placed his hand on its ferocious head.

"What are you doing?" Jiang Mian asked nervously.

"Returning it to its rightful owner," Ao Juan said calmly.

His palm shone with golden light.

The Mad Thorn Beast's eyes snapped open. Its blood-red pupils were filled with confusion and pain. It let out a thunderous roar, and its massive body began to struggle violently.

Waves of狂暴 energy emanated from it, shaking the courtyard's barrier.

"Hey! It's awake! Get out!" Jiang Mian shouted anxiously.

"Be still." Ao Juan didn't look back, merely uttering two cold words.

The golden light in his palm grew brighter, like a small sun. Streams of pure, majestic Dragon Clan power poured continuously into the Mad Thorn Beast's body.

Gradually, the beast's struggles weakened. The bloodlust and violence in its eyes faded, replaced by clarity and... release.

Finally, its massive body began to shrink in the golden light, its cyan scales and bone spikes melting like snow.

Minutes later, the golden light dissipated.

In the cage, there was no longer a deep-sea beast.

Only a somewhat weak, chubby, manatee-like middle-aged man, who was bowing deeply to Ao Juan with gratitude.

"Thank you, Dragon Prince, for lifting the bloodline curse that has plagued my clan for generations!"

Jiang Mian stood outside the cage, completely dumbfounded.