Flawless Metropolitan Divine Emperor

Chapter 0034 – Absorbed the spiritual energy for yourself

Actually, Jiang Feng had always felt that Zhang Shengfan and Liu Quanming's behavior was quite abnormal. They must be hiding some unspeakable secret.

Maybe they were plotting something!

Finally, Jiang Feng focused his attention on the Nine Heavens Pendant Zither, as he felt the problem might lie there.

...

While everyone was focused on Liu Quanming, waiting for his response, Jiang Feng carefully examined the Nine Heavens Pendant Zither.

Sure enough, upon closer inspection, Jiang Feng noticed something unusual.

"So that's it. I didn't pay attention earlier and missed a tiny crack on the Nine Heavens Pendant Zither."

"Just this tiny crack is enough to damage the structure of the zither, eventually causing the spiritual energy inside to leak out."

"Although the spiritual energy hasn't leaked out all at once, it has been leaking continuously and will eventually be completely depleted."

"And now, there's not much spiritual energy left inside. If it weren't damaged, there would be much more spiritual energy than there is now."

"I understand. It must be because this Nine Heavens Pendant Zither was damaged that Liu Quanming wants to sell it."

"Yes, that's definitely it. From my observation, the spiritual energy in the Nine Heavens Pendant Zither is almost depleted and will completely dissipate in less than ten days or half a month. By then, it will just be an old zither with no other value."

"So Liu Quanming is in a hurry to sell it, trying to get a good price before the spiritual energy is gone. Otherwise, it will be impossible to sell it at a high price."

"What a cunning plan."

Jiang Feng glanced at Zhang Shengfan again, thinking, he must have noticed something and then informed Liu Quanming.

Now they were trying to deceive people together, playing a double act to extort some money.

No, I must remind Chu Tianxiong at a critical moment, or it wouldn't be right.

They had invited me here so warmly, it would be ungrateful of me to ignore it.

With a plan in mind, Jiang Feng began to wait for the right moment.

Liu Quanming responded to Chu Tianxiong's question with a faint smile, "I know how precious this item is, but I'm a businessman and just want to convert it into money. I don't want to do anything else. I believe that one's fate is predetermined, and forcibly changing it goes against the way of heaven. So, it's better to enjoy the remaining time. Who cares when we die, right, Mr. Chu?"

From his demeanor, it was clear that Liu Quanming had prepared this speech in advance, as if he had anticipated Chu Tianxiong's question.

Chu Tianxiong just gave a dry laugh, obviously skeptical of Liu Quanming's words but not saying it outright.

"In that case, Miss Le Huadie also intends to bid for this zither. I wonder if she has any objections. If not, let's start the bidding." Chu Tianxiong said, looking at Le Huadie.

Liu Quanming smiled, "That makes sense. We should hear Miss Le Huadie's opinion. Miss Le Huadie, do you have any objections?"

"I have none. Let's start." Le Huadie stated directly.

"Hehe, then let's begin. The starting price for the Nine Heavens Pendant Zither is one billion." Liu Quanming said with a smile.

Hiss!

One billion!

Liu Quanming really dared to ask for it.

A starting price of one billion meant that Chu Tianxiong and Le Huadie would bid against each other, and whoever offered the highest price would get it.

So, the Nine Heavens Pendant Zither would sell for at least one billion. If both parties liked it and wanted to get it, the price could go even higher, possibly reaching several billion.

For an ordinary person, one billion is an astronomical figure, enough to live a worry-free life and do whatever they want.

For some businessmen, it could be used for a significant investment.

But starting the price of an old zither at one billion was indeed a bit outrageous.

According to the current market price, the highest auction price for an old zither was only eighty million.

Liu Quanming was asking for a lion's share, directly trying to break the record.

Chu Tianxiong said, "Mr. Liu, isn't this a bit too much? If that's the case, we all need to think carefully. No one can just come up with so much money to buy an old zither."

"Hehe, not at all. I know Mr. Chu loves these ancient items and is quite wealthy. You surely wouldn't mind such a small amount." Liu Quanming said with a smile.

Jiang Feng chuckled to himself. Liu Quanming was indeed a smooth talker. He must have investigated Chu Tianxiong's wealth before coming here and hit the nail on the head.

"As for Miss Le Huadie, I believe she will like this zither even more than you." Liu Quanming added.

This time, he used Le Huadie as a rival to pressure Chu Tianxiong, showing his clever tactics.

However, from Le Huadie's expression, it seemed she wasn't familiar with Liu Quanming and wasn't part of his and Zhang Shengfan's scheme. She was probably just being used by Liu Quanming.

Liu Quanming's actions were aimed at shaking Chu Tianxiong's psychological defenses, planting a seed of doubt in his mind, making him willing to bid or be forced to compete.

"I do like this Nine Heavens Pendant Zither very much and want to get it. If possible, I won't give up." Le Huadie finally spoke, expressing her desire directly.

Chu Tianxiong glanced at Le Huadie, thinking that he couldn't let her buy it.

Seeing that Chu Tianxiong was about to give in and bid, Jiang Feng quickly spoke up, "This Nine Heavens Pendant Zither is indeed nice. I wonder if I could try playing it?"

Jiang Feng's sudden request surprised everyone.

How could such a precious zither be played casually? If it got damaged, it would be a big problem.

Chu Qingqing and Xia Qinghe looked at Jiang Feng in confusion. Chu Qingqing seemed to have noticed something and whispered, "Jiang Feng, did you find something wrong?"

"Yes." Jiang Feng nodded slightly, "I won't say more for now, but at least we can't let your grandfather be deceived."

Chu Qingqing was smart and immediately understood the seriousness of the matter. She said, "I support Jiang Feng's suggestion. It's good to try playing it and let everyone hear the heavenly sound of the Nine Heavens Pendant Zither."

Xia Qinghe also chimed in, "I agree."

Chu Tianxiong's eyes turned, and he looked at Liu Quanming, "Mr. Liu, what do you think?"

"You've put me in a difficult position. This Nine Heavens Pendant Zither can't be played casually. If it gets damaged, who will be responsible?" Liu Quanming said with some difficulty.

"Mr. Liu, don't worry. If it gets damaged, I'll compensate you at the base price. That way, you won't lose anything." Chu Tianxiong said.

Liu Quanming looked at Zhang Shengfan, seemingly seeking his opinion.

Zhang Shengfan nodded slightly, "No problem, let him try. It won't get damaged."

With Zhang Shengfan's assurance, Liu Quanming felt relieved, "Since this young man wants to try, let him. I'd also like to see your skills."

Jiang Feng smiled, "Then I won't be polite. Please forgive my poor performance."

Jiang Feng took out the Nine Heavens Pendant Zither and placed it on the table. Chu Qingqing quickly brought a stool for Jiang Feng to sit on.

Jiang Feng strummed the zither and immediately entered a state of unity with the instrument.

Zheng zheng zheng~~~

A beautiful melody filled the air, captivating everyone and making them momentarily dazed before they immersed themselves in the music.

Jiang Feng played some random tunes, not performing "Fairy Travels," but even so, it was incredibly beautiful and enchanting, making everyone reluctant to stop listening.

The reason Jiang Feng insisted on playing was not out of curiosity but to deeply sense the spiritual energy within the Nine Heavens Pendant Zither.

Soon, Jiang Feng fully immersed himself in the zither, feeling its past experiences and changes.

Quickly, he discovered another significant issue.

It turned out that the Nine Heavens Pendant Zither had a small Gathering Spirit Array hidden within its surface carvings, making it hard to detect.

If Jiang Feng hadn't played it, he wouldn't have discovered it.

And the inconspicuous crack in the middle of the zither was the key factor causing the Gathering Spirit Array to fail.

Initially, Jiang Feng thought the crack affected the entire zither, but now it seemed that the crack had destroyed the Gathering Spirit Array, leading to the spiritual energy leakage.

Understanding this, Jiang Feng continued to look for other issues.

But he didn't find any other problems.

Jiang Feng glanced at Zhang Shengfan, who had his eyes slightly closed, seemingly listening to the music.

Jiang Feng then looked at Le Huadie, who was staring at him calmly.

Jiang Feng was puzzled, thinking, did this woman also notice something?

He had always felt there was something mysterious about her, and now it seemed she wasn't simple.

But Jiang Feng had already decided to absorb the spiritual energy from the Nine Heavens Pendant Zither for his own use.

Such a good opportunity couldn't be missed.

Actually, when he first discovered the spiritual energy in the zither, he had this thought but hesitated. Now, with the spiritual energy within reach, he no longer hesitated.

Everyone was engrossed in the music, making it the perfect time to act.

Jiang Feng pressed his palm against the strings and discreetly absorbed the spiritual energy.

This action was subtle and hard to detect, as Jiang Feng continued to play.

Before long, the spiritual energy from the Nine Heavens Pendant Zither was completely absorbed into Jiang Feng's body, gathering in his dantian and transforming into True Qi.

Rumble!

His dantian roared like a thousand thunders, exuding a domineering aura.

"Great, this is a sign of reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, but the momentum is not enough. I must cultivate the Nine Heavens Tyrant Body Technique to the first level, and my body seems not strong enough. Forcing a breakthrough would cause a backlash." Jiang Feng thought joyfully.

Today's harvest made Jiang Feng very happy. Such opportunities were rare and hard to come by.

It seemed he needed to focus on physical training and quickly master the first level of the Nine Heavens Tyrant Body Technique.

He was confident that once these conditions were met, absorbing the spiritual energy from the Spirit Stone would ensure a successful Foundation Establishment, officially stepping into the path of cultivation.

That way, he would have the confidence to return to the Immortal Realm.

But just as Jiang Feng was rejoicing, Zhang Shengfan suddenly opened his eyes, glaring at Jiang Feng like a sharp blade.

"How dare you! You absorbed the spiritual energy from the Nine Heavens Pendant Zither for yourself!" Zhang Shengfan shouted angrily.

Not good, I've been discovered, Jiang Feng thought in alarm.