Chapter 28: Plant Element Spirit Seed: Thorny Demon Vine

"Ling'er, will there be any plant element spirit seeds at this auction?" Qin Chen couldn't help but ask after watching several auctions.

"Can't you look for yourself? There's an auction list at every seat."

Lingling rolled her eyes at him, giving him a look that made Qin Chen feel extremely embarrassed. He quietly picked up the auction list next to him and checked it himself. Sure enough, after the Wind Element Spirit Seed Qingling, there were two plant element spirit seeds listed for auction.

"The next item up for auction is a plant element spirit seed called the Thorny Demon Vine. Not only can it double the power of plant element magic, but it also adds thorns to plants. These thorns have strong penetration power and can easily pierce the skin of even a Warrior-level demon. The starting price is twelve million, and each bid increase must be no less than half a million."

"Fifteen million."

"Seventeen million."

"Eighteen million."

"…"

Plant magic, considered white magic, is much rarer to awaken compared to elemental magic. However, the resources for plant magic are also much scarcer, making plant element spirit seeds rarer and more expensive than other spirit seeds.

Qin Chen did not participate in the initial bidding frenzy. He quietly watched as others continuously raised their bids. When the price reached twenty-one million, he made his move.

"Twenty-four million."

As soon as Qin Chen placed his bid, no one else had the desire to continue. The price had already exceeded the normal price for a plant element spirit seed by three million. The people present were all shrewd and didn't want to overpay.

"Twenty-four million, going once."

"Twenty-four million, going twice."

"Twenty-four million, going thrice."

"Sold for twenty-four million! Congratulations to bidder number two hundred and thirty-three for successfully purchasing the plant element spirit seed, the Thorny Demon Vine."

With the auctioneer's final declaration, Qin Chen successfully won the plant element spirit seed. However, just as he stepped forward to pay and collect his item, he saw two familiar faces. One was as beautiful as a fairy, and the other had an impressive figure. The two sisters sitting together attracted many people to choose that area to sit and bid.

"Qin Chen? You're here too? Aren't you a space mage? Why did you bid for a plant element spirit seed? Are you trying to pursue Sister Mu and plan to give it to her? Why would you choose Sister Mu over me, Ai Tutu? Am I not good enough for you? How could you think that?" Ai Tutu's eyes lit up when she saw Qin Chen, and a barrage of questions burst out from her mouth without a pause, making it seem like Qin Chen was some scumbag who had abandoned her. The people around them all looked at Qin Chen with strange expressions.

"Tutu, stop talking." Mu Nujiao, unlike Ai Tutu, wasn't as thick-skinned and outspoken. Seeing Ai Tutu's nonstop chatter, she used her jade-like hand to cover Ai Tutu's mouth, stopping her from speaking further.

"Qin Chen, don't mind Tutu's words. I just wanted to congratulate you on winning the spirit seed," Mu Nujiao said enviously. As a plant element mage, she naturally wanted a plant element spirit seed, but she knew that Qin Chen didn't buy it for her. Although she and Qin Chen had a good relationship and were the best of friends, it hadn't reached the level where he would give her such a valuable gift.

"Nujiao, when you become a mid-level mage, I'll give you a high-level plant element spirit seed," Qin Chen said. Although he could guess what Mu Nujiao was thinking, their year of living together had made them understand each other well. He felt that Mu Nujiao met his criteria for a partner, so spending money on a high-level spirit seed for her wasn't a big deal. After all, they would be family in the future, and family doesn't keep track of expenses.

"Thank you." Mu Nujiao's eyes shone with joy but quickly dimmed. While she hoped this was true, reason told her it was impossible. Even if Qin Chen did give it to her, she couldn't accept it because, as a member of the Mu family, she might not even be able to choose her own marriage. Accepting Qin Chen's gift now would make her feel guilty if she couldn't reciprocate in the future.

Feelings develop from daily interactions, and a year of living together had made it impossible for Mu Nujiao to have no feelings for Qin Chen. Their relationship was in the early stages of love, pure and sincere. But because of this preciousness, Mu Nujiao didn't dare to touch it. Therefore, she kept their interactions within the bounds of friendship until she could control her own fate.

"Kid, who are you to boast about giving a high-level plant element spirit seed to Mu Nujiao? Do you know how rare those are? The Thorny Demon Vine you bought is only a mid-level spirit seed at best."

At this moment, a young man sitting behind Mu Nujiao stood up and spoke arrogantly. He wore a formal suit with a tie and had well-groomed hair, but his moderately good-looking face was nowhere near as handsome as Qin Chen's.

"Bai Cangfeng, Qin Chen is my friend. Our matters don't need your interference." Mu Nujiao's tone turned stern. Bai Cangfeng's words made Qin Chen uncomfortable. He could give whatever he wanted; who was this fool to interfere? But before Qin Chen could react, Mu Nujiao stood up and addressed Bai Cangfeng with a commanding presence, starkly different from her usual ladylike demeanor.

"Mu Nujiao, I…" Bai Cangfeng was infuriated. He, a member of the Bai family, was on equal footing with Mu Nujiao, yet she defended this guy. His face turned red with anger.

"What do you mean 'I'? Your three lackeys once tried to corner me at the Magic Capital Experimental High School and almost got their legs broken by me. Since then, they haven't dared to bother me. You seem to be just like them. Do you also need a leg broken?" Qin Chen smiled at the pompous Bai Cangfeng. A mere novice mage dared to be arrogant in front of him. He wondered where Bai Cangfeng got his courage from.

*Author's Note: In this book, plant elements will have spirit seeds, soul seeds, and celestial seeds just like elemental magic (In the original Versatile Mage, Wang Yue Qianxun's plant element also had spirit seeds).

End of Chapter