Throughout the chaos, Asher remained silent, watching.
Valeris nudged him. "Not interested?"
He smirked. "I was waiting for the right moment."
And then—
"5,000,000."
His voice cut through the noise like a sword.
The entire hall froze.
Eyes widened. Murmurs erupted. The Scarlet Sun Sect noblewoman turned pale, and the Vermillion Flame Elder clenched his fists.
Even the auctioneer looked momentarily stunned.
At this point, it wasn't just about the Phoenix Feather anymore.
This was a message.
And everyone got the message loud and clear.
The Scarlet Sun Sect noblewoman hesitated—her sect was powerful, but they weren't limitless in wealth.
The Vermillion Flame Elder gritted his teeth, but after a long pause, he exhaled and sat back down.
They knew when to stop.
The auctioneer composed himself.
"5,000,000 going once… twice… SOLD!"
The hall had barely settled from Asher's bold bid when a sharp voice cut through the murmurs.
"I demand an explanation."
