With the final auction item sold, the entire auction drew to a close.
Rough estimates put the final transactions at around one hundred and eighty thousand Spirit Stones, a far from insignificant sum for an auction held by a Foundation Establishment family.
It is worth noting that the Lin Family had hosted auctions before, but neither the quality of treasures nor the scale and enthusiasm of the loose cultivators and other participating cultivators could compare to this occasion.
In the past, the highest transaction amount was only sixty to seventy thousand, and each auction seemed less successful than the last, which is why the Lin Family seldom held auctions anymore.
This auction had significantly boosted the Lin Family's momentum and restored their confidence.
Lin Shiming couldn't help but think of a past strategy to retain guests and thus transmitted his thoughts to his seventh great-uncle.
The latter, without much thought, nodded and replied in agreement.
Then, he transmitted to the thirtieth uncle to announce a strategy.
The latter was immediately taken aback upon hearing it, quickly looked to the old patriarch and Lin Houyuan, and noticed that both were nodding slightly. Only on m v|le|mp|yr
Taking a deep breath, his plump face filled with excitement and a hint of madness. This time, the family was truly in the spotlight:
"Esteemed Daoist elders and friends, our Lin Family hereby announces a piece of news: any who have spent over a thousand Spirit Stones at this auction will receive a hundred Spirit Stones off at the next auction. Those who have spent over ten thousand will receive a five hundred Spirit Stone discount!"
Lin Houyuan's announcement sent shockwaves through all the loose cultivators, especially those from Foundation Establishment families.
The boldness of the Lin Family this time was astonishing.
If you do the math, the Lin Family would incur a loss of nearly ten thousand Spirit Stones upfront for the next auction.
At the same time, one could foresee how eager the Spirit Stone-strapped loose cultivators would be for the Lin Family's next auction.
Whether loose cultivators or Qi Cultivation families, praises for the Lin Family began to flow endlessly throughout the venue. Of course, their true thoughts might differ, but the Lin Family's reputation and prestige had definitely soared beyond their previous state, and the promotional reach in Xing County Square Market had met the Lin Family's expectations.
That was enough.
The auction finally concluded, marking a perfect end to the three stages of the Foundation Establishment event.
All the elders of the Lin Family heaved a huge sigh of relief, and even Lin Xianzhi and Lin Houyuan's brows seemed to relax a little.
The elders of the Lin Family proceeded to send off the cultivators from the other Foundation Establishment families, with Lin Shiming following behind, gaining acquaintances with many cultivators from various major families under the introduction of his elders.
The last to leave was Xie An, a deacon of the Qingxuan Sect, who was also the nominal senior brother of Lin Xianzhi and Lin Shiming.
After exchanging pleasantries, Xie An left on his Flying Sword.
Lin Shiming did not believe that the Qian Family was here to talk about the Monkey Wine trade, and the Qian Family did not believe that the Lin Family was unaware of their true purpose.
As the clear sound of pouring tea finished, Lin Xianzhi gestured with his hand, a motion to invite, to drink the tea and also to invite the other to speak first.
Finally, Qian Bosheng could not sit still any longer and began to talk:
"The Lin Family really is skillful; even the great Huang Family met their demise at your hands!"
Qian Bosheng's words clearly had a hidden meaning, which was that he had already made the surviving members of the Huang Family confess.
"Our Lin Family has always believed in harmony begetting wealth. The Huang Family was no more than ousted by the Li Family," Lin Xianzhi continued, not saying a single word about the Huang Family, and he kept his gaze on the Qian Family.
Qian Bosheng took a sip of tea without responding, but the other Foundation Establishment cultivator behind him spoke up:
"Elder Lin, as far as our Qian Family is aware, the Huang Family left behind a Purple Mansion treasure vault. You surely wouldn't want that treasure vault to fall into the hands of the Li Family, would you?"
"Oh, a Foundation Establishment family like the Huang Family has a Purple Mansion vault?" Lin Xianzhi's brows rose.
"Let's not pretend to be ignorant when you are well-informed, Elder Lin. Surely you understand the matter regarding the Foundation Establishment Pill, right?"
"Of course, Elder Lin, don't even think about silencing us by murder. We only have three people here; the rest left after the convention ended!"
Having said that, the Qian Family's Foundation Establishment cultivator sat down, and next to him, Qian Bosheng finally set down his teacup, his gaze meaningful as he looked at Lin Xianzhi.
The room once again fell into silence; the Qian Family said nothing, and the Lin Family did not speak either.
Lin Houyuan cleared his throat and responded:
"It seems that the Qian Family wishes to discuss a grander business with us, so I must ask, have you brought enough Spirit Stones and treasures?"
"Some items, even if available, come at a high price, at least not lower than the price given by the Qingxuan Sect, right?"
"After all, Daoist Xie just left after making his offer..."
Upon finishing his words, the complexion of the several Qian Family members notably changed.
They had not expected the Lin Family to say such a thing.
Nor had they anticipated that Xie An had come here with such a purpose in mind.
The Lin Family had occupied the Purple Mansion Cave Mansion for half a year without notifying anyone; the Qingxuan Sect would definitely hold the Lin Family accountable if reported by them.
But if the Lin Family had already negotiated with Xie An, then having Xie An report it would make the Qian Family appear as if they were threatening to take advantage of the situation.