Everyone stared at Li Qiye, thinking that his tone was too much.

“Must have? With what? What do you have to beat the previous offer? You can bid ten billion and it still isn’t enough!” Flying Sword Marvel was the first to criticize him due to their existing feud.

Hate was perhaps the right word to describe her feelings after failing to win the ancestral sword. Moreover, the humiliating nature of that loss in public made it worse. How could a heaven’s favorite like her lose to this wretch’s vulgar method?

Plus, she had great pride in her brother-in-law. In her eyes, nothing in the world could be as valuable as a promise from him. A man who stinks of money like Li Qiye shouldn’t have tried to outbid him.

The crowd knew that Li Qiye had enough money to burn his hands, easily bidding one billion without batting an eye. However, money seemed insufficient before the promise of a progenitor.

“How much will he bid? Ten billion?” One expert saw Li Qiye’s leisurely expression.

“That’s a frightening amount. Some progenitors might not be able to have so much in one go but I still prefer the promise of a progenitor.” Another said.

“True, money means a lot for the normal men but as for the more ambitious ones, they would most likely pick the other choice. I’m sure Arrogance Enterprise will stick with Luminous Master.” An Eternal chimed in.

After reaching a certain power level, cultivators no longer needed resources but more room for growth. A progenitor could provide them with endless possibilities.

“May I ask for your bid, Young Noble?” The auctioneer smiled.

The anticipation built up in the room was at an all-time high. Everyone listened with bated breath.

No one doubted that this madman would bid something insane for this key auction. They just wanted to know the actual price.

“Give me a pen and paper.” Li Qiye smiled: “The world shouldn’t know my bid.” 

This surprised people since he was the first to do so. The auctioneer felt the same way but still told a worker to accommodate him.

“Hmph, trying to be mysterious, so what, it doesn’t matter what insane price he gives, it still won’t win.” Flying Sword Marvel snorted. Many experts felt the same way as her. 

By this point, Li Qiye had finished writing. He folded the paper and handed it back.

The auctioneer took a look; her expression clearly changed. She then told a worker to bring the paper to the backstage.

Though no one saw the content of the paper, the reaction of the auctioneer said it all. This made people even more curious about the actual bid.

After a while, another worker came out and whispered to the auctioneer before handing her an official document.

“Gentlemen, we finally have a result.” She smiled, still as seductive and enchanting as ever.

“Who is it?!” The scene became rowdy as many impatiently shouted.

“Isn’t it obvious? Creek King won for sure.” One big shot emotionally said.

“True, her bid is unbeatable.” Others nodded.

“Is it Creek King?!” Someone loudly shouted towards the stage.

“Gentlemen, please quiet down.” The auctioneer announced: “Thank you for your support in this auction. The esteemed guests included emperors, Everlastings, and most of all, Her Majesty, Creek King, coming here despite being busy. We send our sincerest regards to Luminous Master…”

“Yeah, Creek King won.” A member of the audience said.

“Not surprising at all. Money and resources can’t touch that offer.” Many would have picked the same choice.

“Hmph, see, money is useless. Even a sky-high bid is nothing more than a number.” Flying Sword Marvel heaved a sigh of relief, feeling quite proud.

Her Big Sis has finally defeated Li Qiye and delivered a tough slap. This made her feel so good.

“Only a rich young master, not comparable to a progenitor in the slightest. Might is the true path, money is only external and ephemeral, can’t reach the apex.” She looked at him with disdain, thinking that he was nothing more than an ant.

“I think Arrogance made the right choice. Luminous Master will be unbeatable in this generation. A promise from him will make the store even more prosperous.” Someone said. This seemed to be the consensus among the crowd.

“So money is not the end-all-be-all, not even in an auction.” Another cultivator reflected.

“Obviously.” His friend laughed and said: “You think you can buy me a progenitor? Impossible.”

“True.” The first nodded.

“Gentlemen, I will be announcing the winner of the final auction now.” The auctioneer finally finished her concluding statement and raised her voice to quiet down the chatter.

“Didn’t she announce it earlier?” Some were perplexed.

“I formally announce that the top treasure of the night goes to Young Noble Li!” She revealed while the crowd was still confused. Her voice could be heard across the entire auction hall.

“What?!” Confusion turned into astoundment. 

Mouths were agape for a long time. This answer felt like a hammer striking them in the chest, knocking the wind out of them.

When the auctioneer specifically pointed out Luminous Master in her speech, everyone thought that the enterprise had chosen him. Now, this sudden reversal left them in a daze.

Even a half-step Everlasting like Flying Sword Marvel couldn’t close her mouth.

She thought that her sister had won the key, hence her taunting earlier. It turned out that he was the actual victor. Now she looked just like a fool. This invisible slap robbed her of all face. 

Everyone remained frozen, causing the auctioneer to smile wryly. She was only performing her closing statement earlier for the sake of civility and politeness, not expecting others to be misled.