Urban: It turns out this is a comprehensive world

"Damn it...cough cough cough—!"

As soon as the arrogant bid drifted in through the soundproof door into Xiao Chen's private room, his already pale and weak face instantly contorted into a ferocious expression, and he let out a venomous curse.

But as soon as this extreme anger surged up, it aggravated the old wound in his chest, causing him to suddenly bend over, cough violently incessantly, and even a trace of scarlet blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

After a long while, Xiao Chen barely managed to suppress the itch in his throat. He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, his gaze like icy knives. Through the one-way floor-to-ceiling window, he precisely locked onto the private room from which the bid had been made, his voice filled with murderous intent as he gritted his teeth: "It's that good-for-nothing rich second-generation Zhao Hao who doesn't know his own mortality!"

"How dare a nobody who's barely scratched the surface of a second-rate martial artist jump around in front of me?" Xiao Chen's chest heaved violently, his breathing becoming increasingly erratic.

The standoff at the entrance of the Yu Group a while ago wasn't just Zhao Hao probing his strength; he had already seen through the other party's true nature—just a pretty face with no substance, barely reaching the level of a second-rate martial artist.

At that time, in order to hide his strength, he deliberately suppressed his cultivation level and only showed the level of a second-rate martial artist. He didn't take this playboy seriously at all.

Moreover, now that he has broken through to the Innate Realm, his strength has undergone a complete transformation, so he no longer takes Zhao Hao seriously. But unfortunately, what is currently hindering him the most is not his strength, but his damned lack of funds!

Does the Dragon King's Palace need money?

What a joke! The total assets controlled by the Dragon King Palace are among the top in the world, far exceeding those of a local aristocratic family like the Zhao family in the Dragon Kingdom.

The key point is that most of the Dragon King Palace's assets are scattered in various overseas locations and are often linked to underground forces and cross-border trade. In contrast, the Dragon Kingdom is the country with the strictest control over funds in the world, bar none.

If he wants to use the assets of the Dragon King Palace, he must go through layers of laundering and numerous secret channels before he can use them safely within the Dragon Kingdom.

If someone dares to directly use funds that haven't been laundered, they'll likely be spotted by the regulatory authorities in China as soon as they make a move, and the trouble will only get worse.

This has resulted in him, now seriously injured and in dire need of money, having far less readily available cash than Zhao Hao, the heir of a wealthy family born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

"Your Majesty, should we raise the price? Even if we can't win, we should at least make this kid surnamed Zhao bleed more!"

Inside the private room, besides Xiao Chen, there were two other men with composed demeanors.

The man on the left is Long Yi, Xiao Chen's personal protector. Normally, he always lurks in the shadows, protecting Xiao Chen's safety like a shadow. But now that Xiao Chen is seriously injured, he is afraid that he will not be able to rush to his aid in time if any accident occurs, so he changed his strategy and guarded him closely in the private room.

The man on the other side was around thirty years old, with an ordinary appearance. He wore gold-rimmed glasses and had a refined and gentle demeanor, looking more like an office worker than a martial artist.

But no one knew that this seemingly frail man was actually a core member, codenamed Ghost Fox, whom Xiao Chen had transferred from the overseas Dragon King Palace's direct mercenary group. He was the chief hacker of the Fox Hunting Squad, not only providing the squad with the most accurate information support anytime, anywhere, but also serving as the squad's strategist, with a mind as meticulous as a hair's breadth.

Youhu naturally understood that trying to compete with the heir of a top family in terms of cash flow within the Dragon Kingdom was simply asking for trouble. That's why he proposed this compromise: even if he couldn't win the Dragon Tiger Pill, he would still make Zhao Hao pay a greater price.

"No need." Xiao Chen waved his hand, his voice still hoarse, but with an undeniable determination. "Inflating prices and maliciously raising them will only offend the Li Family Auction House. The power behind this auction house is not simple. Within the Dragon Kingdom, we don't need to make enemies for this broken pill. Let that rich kid buy it for us first."

He knew perfectly well that to reserve a private room on the second floor, one either needed a sufficiently strong financial background or could pass the auction house's financial verification.

His strength and background were enough to overwhelm everyone present, but his foundation in China was not yet stable, so he could not reveal it for the time being. Therefore, when he booked the private room, he could only pass the verification by showing some of his working capital.

In other words, Li's Auction House has a certain understanding of the amount of funds he can mobilize. If he bids far beyond his financial limit, he will inevitably be judged as a malicious bidder. In that case, he will not only be kicked out of the auction venue on the spot, but will also be blacklisted by Li's Auction House. He would never do such a losing deal.

"Understood, subordinate." A knowing glint flashed in Youhu's eyes. He nodded immediately, quickly took out his specially made phone, and rapidly tapped the screen with his fingertips, issuing the order to his subordinates lying in ambush outside to prepare for action.

In another private room, Zhao Hao waited for a long time. The auctioneer had already raised the gavel, ready to bring it down, but Xiao Chen on the other side still didn't make a move. A mocking sneer appeared on his lips, and he said with certainty, "Looks like that guy Xiao Chen is out of money."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple." Sitting next to him, Yu Bingyu frowned slightly, her tone tinged with worry. "Given Xiao Chen's personality, he's always been vengeful. Now that he's come to the auction, he's not going to give up so easily. I think he's probably planning to wait until he leaves the auction hall before making his move to snatch the loot."

"Don't worry, I was prepared." Zhao Hao was not flustered at all. Instead, he gently patted Yu Bingyu's hand, his tone reassuring, but there was a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes. "I reported him before, thinking that I could send him to the police station for a while. I didn't expect that this kid had such a strong backer. He was only detained for a day and then he was released. Since then, I have never let my guard down against him."

As long as he can get through this period and fully digest the medicinal power of the Dragon-Tiger Pill, and successfully break through to the Innate Realm, then even if Xiao Chen really uses underhanded methods in secret, he will have the power to protect himself.

Little did Zhao Hao know that Xiao Chen had miscalculated from the very beginning. Xiao Chen thought he was just a second-rate martial artist, and even if he obtained the Dragon Tiger Pill, he wouldn't be able to absorb and refine it in a short time. But he had no idea that Zhao Hao's soul had been imprisoned by a mysterious force. During that dark and hopeless period, he never gave up struggling, and his soul power and mental strength steadily improved through daily tempering.

Although Zhao Hao's physical strength did not improve after breaking free from the cage, but instead declined due to the disconnect between his soul and body, his understanding of martial arts reached the Innate Realm.

Once one's understanding of the cultivation realm is in place, the only thing lacking is the accumulation of internal energy, which is not a problem at all for a top-tier family like the Zhao family.

With a vast amount of money paving the way, and various rare and precious herbs and high-grade medicinal liquids being stuffed into his mouth like they were free, Zhao Hao's speed in increasing his true energy was astonishing. He had already broken through the second-rate barrier and was now firmly standing at the late stage of a first-rate martial artist, only one step away from stepping into the innate realm. This Dragon-Tiger Pill was enough for him to increase the true energy in his body and advance to the innate realm.

Of course, such rapid improvement also left hidden dangers, and the true energy in the body was inevitably somewhat weak.

Fortunately, he had previously snatched the Vajra Body Technique from Xiao Chen. This top-tier body-refining technique was just right to help him condense his true qi and solidify his foundation, perfectly making up for this deficiency.

"Bang!"

As the final gavel fell, the auctioneer's booming voice echoed throughout the hall: "Congratulations to the gentleman in box 2018! He has successfully bid for the Dragon-Tiger Pill for 20 billion!"

With the Dragon Tiger Pill settled, this captivating auction has finally reached its final highlight: the Heavenly Snow Lotus!

If this Dragon Tiger Pill is effective, then it will naturally be the grand finale.

However, now that the efficacy of the Dragon Tiger Pill has been greatly reduced, it instantly becomes inferior in the face of true rare and precious herbs.

After all, this Tianshan Snow Lotus is no ordinary thing! This lotus grows on the summit of the towering ice peaks of Tianshan, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and the essence of ice and snow. It takes at least a thousand years to take shape. It can not only bring the dead back to life and heal the wounded, but also purify the impurities in a martial artist's body and solidify their martial arts foundation.

Even if a martial artist with innate cultivation takes it, they can use its medicinal power to break through the bottleneck of their cultivation realm. What's even more rare is that its medicinal properties are mild, so there is no need to worry about the risk of the body exploding during the refining process. It can be called an unparalleled holy product for healing and breakthroughs, and its value far exceeds that of the incomplete Dragon Tiger Pill!

Of course, the above effects are somewhat exaggerated. We don't know how effective they were when the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was abundant in the past, but in this degenerate age, their effects are greatly reduced.

Even so, the bidding was endless. The description of bringing the dead back to life and healing the wounded was obviously exaggerated, but the claim of prolonging life and being a miraculous cure for injuries was true.

Its value is immeasurable, whether for martial artists or ordinary people.

Even Luo Lingtian did not remain silent in the face of the Tianshan Snow Lotus. However, in order to maintain a low profile, he bid through Mo Yu.

"500 million!"

Ultimately, the Tianshan snow lotus was acquired for 500 billion yuan.

"After all, I helped you bid for it. If you use it to develop any medicine, don't forget me."

Even Mo Yu was somewhat moved by the fact that 500 billion had been spent so easily.

Despite being the heir to a martial arts family and the son-in-law of a prominent family, even with the support of both families, it wouldn't be easy for him to come up with 500 billion at once.

After all, neither family is based on business; not lacking money doesn't mean they are very wealthy.

"Don't worry, I won't forget you then."

He calmly nodded. His main purpose in taking the Tianshan Snow Lotus was to use it for research on genetic technology, but there was no need to tell Mo Yu.

Since he believes he is meant to be used to develop medicinal solutions, let him think that way.

"Are literary families really that wealthy?"

Some people who knew Mo Yu were filled with doubts, and Zhao Hao was no exception.

"The Wen family certainly doesn't have that much money, even if you add the Mo family, it's still not enough, but Luo Lingtian does!" Yu Bingyu shook her head and explained.

In the previous life, Mo Yu also bid for the Tianshan Snow Lotus, but it ended up in Luo Lingtian's hands, who seemed to be using the Tianshan Snow Lotus to research something.