Chapter 244: Storm Approaching

Watching the fierce competition inside, the rivalry between the two major families was almost suffocating! Every bid shouted out stirred everyone’s emotions, leaving them deeply moved.
With a helpless sigh, Rod knew that this auction was over for everyone. Glancing at those around him, it seemed they had reached some agreement as they all stood up and headed toward the back stage.
This auction no longer had anything to do with them. Whether the Final Mystery Pill fell into the hands of the Scorpion King clan or the Mi Jiao clan didn’t matter to them. Moreover, they believed that as soon as the auction ended, the news would spread instantly to every corner, letting everyone know.
When Rod and his group arrived at the back stage, the man who had led them into the auction hall rushed over to greet them warmly.
Knowing that Rod and the others were leaving, he naturally understood why they were here—those who bought something needed to pay, and those who sold something needed to collect payment.
Adding it up, Rod’s earnings from this auction were astonishing—two million! Two million black coins ended up in his hands. After deducting a 5% fee, he was left with one point nine million. Of course, most of this money came from that secret manual, meaning it was mostly taken from the Nash family.
After deciding to get a savings card usable in the Dark Source, Rod asked the man to transfer all the money onto it.
Next was settling the bill. The group hadn’t bought many items, nor were they very valuable. The total amount came to just six hundred thousand, which was quite frugal.
At that moment, Sognar’s expression changed. Looking at the people around him, he suddenly felt a very badpremonition.
“What… what do you want? Hurry up and pay!” Sognar said loudly, watching them warily, especially Rod, with deep suspicion. His instincts told him Rod was dangerous, especially after seeing his behavior during the auction.
Lilith too—seemed everyone had agreed to look at him, unsure of what they intended.
“Alright, six hundred thousand. I’ll cover one hundred thousand, and the other five hundred thousand can be deducted directly from the entry card. That way, there’s no need for a refund!” As expected, Rod’s next words shocked Sognar. Without waiting for him to protest, Rod paid the man one hundred thousand and then pulled Sognar away.

The entry ticket, which required 500,000 to obtain, had already been given to the man. Everything happened in the blink of an eye. By the time Sognar realized what was happening, it was already too late.
“Damn you, bastard! What exactly do you want?” Sognar was furious now. Rod spent the most money on purchases, and others also bought things—why did he have to pay in the end?
He, who valued wealth more than his own life, would never allow such a thing to happen, so he started shouting.
“Hurry up and leave!” Lilith and Melon on the side quickly joined forces with Rod to pull Sognar outside, under the puzzled gazes of the crowd.
Despite resisting and shouting all the way, it was useless. Sognar gradually accepted reality. With two peerless strongmen like Melon and Lilith present, what could he do? He could only glare fiercely at Rod, as if ready to devour him, panting heavily with his face red with anger. 500,000—just gone like that! He should have been more careful from the start! No wonder he had felt something was off as soon as they entered the auction hall.
Now Sognar understood—these guys had been scheming against him from the beginning.
“Rod, you kid! You’re really ruthless! I’m not done with you! Give me back my 500,000!” Once outside the venue, this seemed to become Sognar’s main refrain, constantly on his lips.
“Hehe, Brother Sognar, there’s no need to be so stingy. It’s just 500,000. You won it not long ago, and most of it was supposed to go to me anyway. You’re not losing anything!” Rod replied calmly, determined not to pay back the money no matter what.
“Bastard! 500,000—that’s a huge amount! Even if I were to give it to you, I wouldn’t have that much! You…” Sognar shouted angrily at Rod, ignoring the fact that they were on the street, surrounded by people. The onlookers stared at them strangely at his outburst, instantly becoming the center of attention.
“Hehe, didn’t you also buy things with the rest? Besides, Lilith and the others all bought things too. It’s fine if you contribute a little!” Rod continued casually.
Sognar’s expression kept changing. Everything else could be argued about, but when it came to money—those were real coins! Losing them like that would be strange for someone of his dragon lineage if he didn’t react.
Suddenly, Lilith, Aida, and others joined in, trying to persuade Sognar.

After much persuasion, things finally calmed down a bit once they returned to their mansion. Perhaps Sognar realized it was useless to keep arguing—there was no point in continuing, as the money was surely unrecoverable, and he could only suffer in silence. On the other hand, maybe his constant shouting had left him exhausted. In any case, once back at the mansion, he glared at them fiercely before falling silent, which made Rod and the others exchange smiles—their plan had succeeded, and they breathed a sigh of relief.

Of course, Sognar was angry, but it didn’t matter. Everyone knew who he was; his anger would pass by tomorrow. It was fine—just one day’s worth of trouble. Seeing him suffer was enough to satisfy them.

The auction had lasted all day, and now dusk had fallen, with night gradually covering the land. The sky was filled with red hues, and a gentle breeze carried a trace of lingering heat. The boundary between day and night created a breathtaking scene.

It was unclear when the trees had started to shed their leaves—autumn had truly arrived. The temperature difference was significant; once the sun set, the temperature dropped sharply, making it somewhat unbearable. Fortunately, everyone was strong enough to use their combat energy to maintain the heat their bodies needed to withstand the harsh environment.

During dinner that night, Sognar still had a dark expression, leaving everyone helpless and forcing them to smile bitterly. Once again, people witnessed the Scorpion King clan’s stinginess and obsession with wealth.

……

“Do you know who bought the Li Xuan Dan yesterday?” Early in the morning, Eida’s excited voice came from the hall.

She must have gone out early to gather information and already had results. One really admired her determination. It seemed the Li Xuan Dan was indeed too important for their demon race.

“It doesn’t matter. As long as it’s not you or me who gets it, that’s fine!” Sognar rolled his eyes and muttered indifferently.

Today, his mood had clearly changed a lot. He was slowly accepting reality and emerging from that shadow, though he still harbored some complaints. He wasn’t upset with others, but he kept a scowl at Rod, clearly placing him among the worst of people—someone he refused to associate with ever again.

“Who is it?” Everyone else, except Sognar, was quite interested.

“It’s still the Scorpion King clan. I can’t believe they bought it again! Six million three hundred thousand! That’s a huge amount. The Scorpion King clan is really rich!” Eida expressed her admiration sincerely.

“Uh…” This turn of events really took everyone by surprise. They had originally thought the Mi Jiao clan had the best chances, after all, they had the support of the Demon Clan. Who would have expected that in the end, it was the Scorpion King Clan that won? It seems the Scorpion King Clan also reaped a great deal from the auction yesterday, getting their most important items. With the Li Xuan Dan, it seems the Scorpion King Clan is about to make another leap forward.

Six million three hundred thousand might not mean much to the Scorpion King Clan. As an ancient clan, alongside the Dragon Clan and the Black Phoenix Clan, they are among the ancient races. Clearly, the Mi Jiao Clan lacks the same depth of heritage.

“It’s going viral now—Heavenly Beads, Li Xuan Dan, and the Dragon Slaying Sword. These three rare treasures have driven the whole Wu You City crazy. I guess the Dark Source will also go wild in the next couple of days. Everyone is gearing up!” Aida said, looking into the distance with a hint of concern.

The appearance of such treasures always brings chaos. No matter who possesses them, a fierce battle is inevitable, even for the four major clans. There will always be some reckless folks ready to fight to the death!

Moreover, everyone can see this as a plot by the Demon Clan’s war faction. Since they’ve orchestrated this scheme, they certainly won’t let things go easily or allow others to obtain these items so simply. They’ll surely do everything in their power. Something big is about to happen—stormy times are coming!

“We can’t worry about too much. You guys should be careful on your end. I think the war faction will take drastic action this time. You should know who will be hit first!” Rod warned, frowning slightly.

“I know. I’ve already sent people to spread the news. I believe my father and the others will realize the implications once they hear it!” Aida nodded in response.

“Demon Clan, what exactly is your scheme?” The atmosphere grew somber as Rod murmured to himself. The others fell into deep thought, clearly pondering the same question.

“Enough, kid. It’s better if you focus on your trip to the Nether Realm in over two months. Don’t get involved in other matters. What’s the point of overthinking? Even if there’s a scheme, do you think only you can see it? Are the others idiots? Everyone sees it, but they just don’t say anything. Why worry unnecessarily? It’s better to focus on yourself. Do you really think it’s easy to enter the Nether Realm? Do you think just having a spot means you can actually get in?” With a roll of eyes, Sognar finally spoke up.

It seems like he’s targeting Rod; it appears he’s complaining about Rod and dissatisfied with him, but everyone can see a hint of concern beneath it. They exchanged smiles without bringing it up—Sognar is just that kind of person, someone who cares too much about face.