Chapter 91: To My Surprise, I Was Looked Down Upon

The man who spoke sarcastically to Chu Tian was a middle-aged figure dressed in a grey robe, his demeanor tinged with arrogance. Chu Tian was somewhat bewildered; he had never met any of the guests present and knew he had not offended anyone. Why, then, had he provoked such displeasure?

"Master Ma, please mind your words," Su Dingguo interjected. "Although Mr. Chu is only eighteen this year, he has already attained the rank of Martial Lord."

Su Dingguo had been seated in the private room but immediately rose to greet Chu Tian upon his arrival.

He is a Martial Lord? An eighteen-year-old Martial Lord?

At these words, the crowd was instantly stunned. They were not from Tianmen City, but each was a prominent figure from various cities in Jiangnan Province and well-versed in worldly affairs. They understood precisely what it meant to be a Martial Lord—a pinnacle in the martial world. Especially an eighteen-year-old Martial Lord, whose future was boundless.

"He... is he truly a Martial Lord?"

"Master Su, could you be mistaken? How could a youth of eighteen possibly be a Martial Lord? That is the summit of martial arts today!"

All eyes turned to Su Dingguo. They knew he would not lie about such matters, but his words were nothing short of astonishing.

"Gentlemen, I can vouch for Mr. Chu’s status with my own integrity. He is, without doubt, an authentic Martial Lord!" Su Dingguo declared firmly. "You must have heard of the recent vendetta against the Wei family. Had it not been for Mr. Chu’s intervention, the Wei family would have been wiped out, and I would not be alive today!"

Hearing this, awe and reverence flashed in the crowd’s gaze; none dared look at Chu Tian with contempt again.

"Mr. Chu, please take the seat of honor," Su Dingguo gestured, inviting Chu Tian to sit at his right.

Once Chu Tian was seated, Wang Jiulong quietly withdrew. The auction was of such caliber that even a master of internal strength like Wang Jiulong was not qualified to attend. Like the bodyguards brought by the wealthy businessmen, he waited outside the private room, guarding the entrance.

At this moment, Chu Tian surveyed the assembled guests. Each bore the air of wealth and power; even those who were not titans of commerce were certainly influential figures in their respective regions. Chu Tian began to form a plan, his gaze settling on the middle-aged man who had spoken earlier.

His name was Ma Tianxing; his features were cold and somber, with an aura of lifelessness that suggested a sinister presence. Chu Tian frowned, his instincts warning him that Ma Tianxing carried a fierce murderous energy, thick and unyielding.

It seemed Ma Tianxing was burdened with the deaths of many and the weight of countless karmic ties.

"If he truly is a Martial Lord, then he is qualified to participate in today’s auction," Ma Tianxing remarked lightly, unmoved by Chu Tian’s status, as if it were nothing.

The crowd was taken aback. Ma Tianxing’s disregard was astonishing—he showed no respect even to a Martial Lord. Yet, this was between Ma Tianxing and Chu Tian; none would interfere.

"Master Ma, as a martial practitioner yourself, you know how difficult it is to break through to the rank of Martial Lord. Since fate has brought us together at this auction, let us not let trivial matters sour our relations," Su Dingguo stood to smooth things over.

Ma Tianxing sneered coldly but said no more.

"Mr. Chu, my apologies for not introducing your identity to everyone sooner," Su Dingguo resumed his seat and leaned closer to Chu Tian, his face showing genuine regret as if the earlier incident were entirely his fault.

"No matter; I was late, after all," Chu Tian replied with a wave, unconcerned.

Seeing that Chu Tian was not truly angry, Su Dingguo breathed a sigh of relief.

Another middle-aged man now entered the private room.

"Sorry for being late," said Wan Rongsheng, a tall, thin man whose bald head showed only a few remaining hairs. He lifted his glasses, concealing his sharp triangular eyes behind the lenses.

"Mr. Wan, you are too courteous—we were waiting for you," someone said. "The spiritual stone you sold us before was remarkable; I place it beside my bed every night and now feel invigorated."

"Mr. Wan, do you have any more of those talismans for protection? I’d like to get one for my son, to ensure his safety."

The crowd spoke up, their tone respectful. Wan Rongsheng was the auction’s organizer; without his connections, they would never have acquired such treasures. Though he had never revealed the sect behind him, everyone suspected he was supported by a powerful cultivation sect, not someone to offend lightly.

"Haha, since everyone is so eager, let us begin the auction now," Wan Rongsheng chuckled, clapping his hands. Soon, the first item was brought forward.

It was a fist-sized spiritual stone, identical to the one Wei Yuansheng had gifted Chu Tian.

"Such a large spiritual stone!"

"I bid fifty million!"

"I bid a hundred million!"

"No one try to outbid me—I’ll pay two hundred million!"

The moment the spiritual stone appeared, the crowd became frenzied, as if injected with adrenaline. Yet Chu Tian remained unmoved, showing no intention of bidding.

Su Dingguo was puzzled. Chu Tian had clearly coveted the Wei family’s spiritual stone before; why was he indifferent now, even when faced with the same item? But he did not ask, suppressing his curiosity for the moment.

"Three hundred million!"

Ultimately, the spiritual stone was sold for three hundred million to a regional magnate from a neighboring city, whose face was wreathed in smiles.

Wan Rongsheng then presented a succession of rare treasures—protective talismans, spiritual stones to gather energy—each igniting a new wave of fervor among the business elites.

The Wan family had organized auctions before, but never with so many rare items. Each lot fetched tens of millions, and the total sales for tonight alone exceeded five billion.

Chu Tian watched silently from his seat, never once making a bid. Even Su Dingguo could not resist and purchased a spiritual stone for himself.

"Mr. Chu, is there nothing here that catches your eye?" Su Dingguo asked, holding the stone and enjoying its cool aura, feeling very fortunate.

Chu Tian smiled faintly but offered no explanation.

Just then, Wan Rongsheng stepped forward, producing an ancient-looking box in front of the crowd.

Chu Tian’s expression changed at last, his gaze locking onto the old box...