CHAPTER 990: CHAPTER 685: AUCTIONING THE DAO STONE (PART 2)

"It should be Tang Yingxin," He Qing said in a deep voice.

"Are you sure?"

"It’s definitely him. He just used that perception power to probe us, and I caught it!" He Qing asserted confidently.

She had fought against Tang Yingxin before. Ordinary people might not notice, but she subtly detected this familiar aura.

——

He Qing’s perception was correct; the bidder number 19 was indeed Tang Yingxin.

At this moment, Tang Yingxin looked nonchalant, yet his aura was still somewhat unsettled. A few days ago, he was defeated by He Qing and, thanks to the protection from Dao Palace, survived, relying on his clan’s sacred healing herbs to recover somewhat.

However, this incident had also become his disgrace.

Being defeated by others was one thing, but losing to someone from the crane race was a mental block he couldn’t get past!

After all, their Flying Bird Dao cultivated a superior form of Dao embryo compared to the Crane Dao!

The Dao Stone contained profound Dao embryos, providing a clearer direction for his cultivation!

His understanding of the Dao Stone was the same as He Yunfang’s, treating the original owner of this Dao Stone as his ancestral Dao embryo.

Realizing this, he had to seize the Dao Stone for himself.

Because the crane race already possessed the Divine Phoenix Bone, he needed to comprehend stronger Dao embryos to surpass the Crane Dao once more!

"He Qing, do you think I will let you succeed?"

Although He Yunfang and his daughter had disguised themselves, he had been observing He Qing’s movements these days. By relying on his understanding of the crane race, he noticed some traces and discovered that the people competing against him were this father and daughter!

"Two hundred and twenty fathoms!"

Tang Yingxin unhesitatingly raised the bid again!

——

"It doesn’t matter who, the senior who wrote this ’Dao’ character must have a connection with our crane race. We have to obtain it!" He Yunfang clenched his fist.

"Two hundred and thirty-five fathoms!"

He Yunfang bit his teeth again.

He went all out, only hoping the opponent would not raise the bid again, as his budget was only two hundred and thirty-six fathoms. This price was already his limit!

The auction hall remained quiet for a long time, seemingly stunned by the price.

Because Divine Feather City was just a small city, it did not attract many large clan forces. Many people couldn’t offer so much breath soil, and some of the weaker clans couldn’t even gather two hundred and thirty-five fathoms with the elders’ private stash combined.

On the relative side, the crane race was considered a well-established clan among those present today.

He Qing was also extremely nervous, as this Dao Stone was incredibly important to them; she also hoped to thoroughly comprehend the mysterious essence revealed on the character.

The father and daughter were anxiously observing, so much so that they didn’t even notice someone missing from their room.

But on the other side, Tang Yingxin shouted out his final price:

"Two hundred and fifty fathoms!"

——

He Yunfang’s face turned pale, and he powerlessly sat back down.

He couldn’t follow with the price any longer.

"How could this happen?"

He Yunfang felt truly unwilling in his heart!

It was a Dao Stone that could enable his enlightenment, and yet, he still couldn’t obtain it.

"Dad, we did our best."

He Qing also sighed slightly, comforting her father.

In truth, her desire for this Dao Stone was unprecedented. The mighty senior who could write the word "Dao" had already become a role model in her heart; she hoped immensely to understand that great senior through the Dao Stone!

But reality was just so cruel.

He Yunfang’s mood turned extremely heavy: "Xiao Qing, have you thought about what the consequences would be if Tang Yingxin obtained the Dao Stone?"

He Qing was startled!

Their Crane Dao and Flying Bird Dao, to put it bluntly, actually shared the same lineage. If the original owner of this Dao Stone belonged to their Crane Dao’s remote ancestor, that would mean the original owner of the Dao Stone was also the remote ancestor of the Flying Bird Dao!

If Tang Yingxin, relying on this Dao Stone, comprehended the ancestral Dao embryos, his cultivation could very well reach another level! So, if they ever faced Tang Yingxin again in the future, He Qing might no longer be able to defeat him!

At this thought, the father and daughter felt as if their chests were pressed down by a mountain, heavy-laden, not only had they not obtained the Dao Stone, but they’d also let Tang Yingxin take it away, simply making it worse!

The father and daughter were too disappointed to realize someone was missing from their box.

Xiang Beifei had disappeared.

——

The auction hall was quiet for a long time, with no one raising the bid further.

Two hundred and fifty fathoms of earth was indeed a bit high.

"Two hundred and fifty fathoms of earth—anyone else wishing to raise the bid?" Dongfang Xuan inquired.

No one responded.

Dongfang Xuan asked three more times, then slightly smiled and said, "Since there’s no one else raising the bid, congratulations to this fellow Daoist for winning this rare Dao Stone at the price of two hundred and fifty fathoms."

Tang Yingxin breathed a sigh of relief, and a weight in his heart dropped.

Two hundred and thirty-five fathoms of earth!

Tang Yingxin’s family was wealthier and much more opulent than the crane race; this time, they managed to gather three hundred fathoms of earth, successfully suppressing He Yunfang.

"Crane Race, just you wait. Once I comprehend the Dao embryos and my cultivation advances further, I will surely reclaim my honor!" Tang Yingxin snorted coldly!

——

Dongfang Xuan collected the wooden box, and many people appeared quite disappointed, wishing to glimpse the Dao Stone one more time.

"Would bidder nineteen please come backstage later for the transaction. And now, about today..."

As Dongfang Xuan was about to say some pleasantries to conclude this auction, suddenly a woman hurriedly approached the stage, came to Dongfang Xuan’s side, and gestured to him.

Dongfang Xuan was somewhat displeased. Interrupting a speech under such circumstances was extremely rude, but this woman was also one of the managers of the Divine Feather Commercial Tower. Seeing her urgency, she seemed to have something important; he asked softly, "What’s wrong?"

The woman whispered a few words next to Dongfang Xuan.

Dongfang Xuan’s complexion changed suddenly, astonished, "Are you sure? This isn’t a joke! With so many fellow Daoists present here."

"Absolutely certain, the other elders have already gone over, they’ve all asked you to explain the situation, then come to confirm," the woman delivering the message respectfully stated.

Dongfang Xuan quickly composed himself, looked around, noting that some fellow Daoists attending the auction were preparing to leave; not winning the Dao Stone left them quite uninterested.

"Everyone, wait a moment. Just now, I received some news that even I find incredible, and in all my years, I never thought I’d encounter such a thing," Dongfang Xuan spoke up.

"Senior Dongfang, what has happened?" Many people asked curiously, pausing.

Dongfang Xuan was a highly prestigious elder of the Divine Feather Commercial Tower, who usually would not appear unless for significant auction items. Many people knew him and trusted his words.

"This matter seems unbelievable even to me, but just now, our auction house received another Dao Stone, estimated to be from the same source as the previous one, and it’s also entrusted to us for auction," Dongfang Xuan said.

"What? Another Dao Stone received?"

He Yunfang, sitting in the box, feeling low, suddenly raised his head sharply, looking toward Dongfang Xuan.

He Qing also found it unbelievable—was there a second Dao Stone?

"Is there a mistake? A single Dao Stone is immensely rare, and there is a second one?"

Not only He Yunfang and his daughter but others also appeared skeptical, this scenario seemed too extraordinary—could Dao Stones just appear so easily?

Originally, as Tang Yingxin was about to pay for the earth, he too frowned.

How could there be a second Dao Stone?

A single Dao Stone was already extremely rare; could Dao Stones actually come in pairs?

"I will go and confirm. If any fellow Daoists interested in the second Dao Stone without urgent matters, please wait a moment for further news."

Dongfang Xuan hurriedly left.

Everyone looked at each other; Dongfang Xuan did not attempt to retain them forcefully, he just stated the situation before departing. Still, many people paused, beginning to exchange whispers, wanting to see what Dongfang Xuan was up to.

Especially He Yunfang, waiting eagerly.

If there really was a second Dao Stone, they would have an opportunity!

They understood well that even if Tang Yingxin was wealthy, he couldn’t possibly procure the earth for two Dao Stones at once; in this way, they had hope!

"Is there really a second Dao Stone?"

He Yunfang muttered to himself.