Universal Shelter: I have a gold entry at each level!

Chapter 032: Another Elementalist! The Calm Before the Storm!

Lin Xuan’s shelter blueprint had been obtained from the bronze treasure chest he unlocked after slaying the Rat King in the mine. At that time, in addition to the blueprint, he had discovered 1,000 units of wood, an equipment blueprint, and a spatial ring. He wasn’t planning to sell the spatial ring, and since he already had a shelter blueprint, he decided that today he’d trade it for some wood.

Before unveiling the blueprint, he knew very well how precious it was—after all, it was the key material for upgrading a safe house into a shelter. Yet he had underestimated the crowd’s passion for the shelter blueprint. The very moment he displayed it, pandemonium broke out. Even the man with bidding number 1—who had been quietly drinking in the corner—lost his composure and leaped to his feet, boldly declaring that he would buy the blueprint.

Watching this unruly No. 1 man, Liu Ziming gave a wry smile and said, “Don’t get ahead of yourself, Brother Hao. This gentleman hasn’t even placed a bid yet. Since this is an auction—highest bid wins—you can join in if you truly want it.”

Hearing this, the man known as Brother Hao (No. 1) hesitated for a moment before resolutely proclaiming, “No matter the cost, I’m determined to secure this blueprint! Anyone who dares stand in my way will face the consequences!”

Muttering a few words under his breath, he suddenly whipped his hand behind him. In an instant, a slicing wind blade materialized out of thin air, its howling rush colliding violently with the wine table behind him. With a loud crash, the table shattered into pieces, frightening everyone present.

On stage, Liu Ziming’s face shifted in color as he opened his mouth to speak—only to decide against it after considering the man’s stature. His uncharacteristic silence on his own turf immediately piqued everyone’s curiosity. After all, this was Liu Ziming’s domain, and here was someone so brazen as to slap him down, while Liu Ziming couldn’t even utter a word. That was far from normal!

For a moment, everyone in the hall pondered the potential consequences—none of them wanted to provoke a heavyweight. Just then, witnessing it all, Lin Xuan cast a sideways glance at the No. 1 man and warned,

“Friend, I don’t care who you are, but if you obstruct my blueprint exchange and hinder my profits, you won’t get off unscathed!”

At his words, the temperature in the entire hall dropped suddenly; frost began to cover the surrounding walls. Most remarkably, everything around the No. 1 man was encased in ice—except for him.

At that moment, a thought flashed through everyone’s minds almost simultaneously:

Another elemental mage! And a mastery of ice at that!!!

In that instant, the crowd shared a wry inner chuckle, silently remarking how surreal it was to encounter not one, but—counting Liu Ziming’s earlier display—three elemental mages in one evening.

“Ah… ahaha, we’re all comrades here. Let’s not spoil the mood,” Liu Ziming quickly interjected to defuse the tension. He, too, was astonished—he hadn’t expected Lin Xuan to be an elemental mage as well. Then again, it made sense: after all, Lin Xuan had just sold four elemental fruits; wielding elemental power was hardly surprising.

At that point, the No. 1 man cast a deep, lingering glance at Lin Xuan, letting out a cold snort but remaining silent. Not wishing to let the situation escalate further, Liu Ziming quickly turned to Lin Xuan and inquired, “What’s the starting bid for the auction?”

“Let’s set it at 5,000 units of wood—wood only,” Lin Xuan replied after some thought, offering a price that was neither too high nor too low.

Liu Ziming nodded, then mused, “If we’re only accepting wood, you might end up losing some profit.”

Lin Xuan shrugged and said, “I can’t help it; I’m not short on alternatives anyway.”

Hearing these confident words, Liu Ziming devised a plan and suggested, “How about we postpone the auction for two hours? That will give everyone else some time to prepare, and you’ll likely net a higher profit.”

After a brief moment of contemplation, Lin Xuan agreed. He had calculated that he was still a bit short of the 30,000 units of wood he needed—and if he fell even slightly short at that moment, it would be truly infuriating.

Once Lin Xuan consented, Liu Ziming raised his voice to announce:

“Ladies and gentlemen! Due to the sudden appearance of the shelter blueprint, many of you weren’t financially prepared. Therefore, we’re postponing the auction for two hours. When we resume, bidding will continue!” “And rest assured—I, Liu Ziming, guarantee that whoever wins this auction will not be put in mortal danger. If anyone dares to have ulterior motives, I’ll stake my entire fortune and see them punished!”

His final words were clearly directed at the No. 1 man, and thanks to Liu Ziming’s assurance, many felt more at ease. After all, none of them were ordinary—they all possessed extraordinary powers to varying degrees. Even if they couldn’t defeat the No. 1 man, they certainly wouldn’t be caught dead cowering before him.

As Liu Ziming finished his announcement, the hall burst into activity. Some people hurriedly pulled out their phones to call friends for extra materials, others contacted influential connections, and a few even dashed out the door, purpose unknown. Even the No. 1 man made two phone calls from his corner.

Before long, the entire hall resounded with the sound of ringing phones:

“Hey, is that Tao? Do you want the shelter blueprint? Someone’s auctioning one right now—hurry and bring your wood over if you want in!” “Bro, don’t ask questions—lend me 1,000 units of wood first, and I’ll pay you back 100 extra later!” “Honey, ask your dad how much wood he’s chopped so far and rush over to XXX to deliver it. Your husband’s about to break into the top hundred elite list!”

Amid the flurry of calls and chatter, Lin Xuan resettled beside Ailiya. To his surprise, Liu Ziming followed him over and extended his hand:

“Let me introduce myself—I’m Liu Ziming.” “Lin Xuan.” They exchanged a brief handshake. Lin Xuan studied Liu Ziming curiously, wondering why he had come over. With a chuckle, Liu Ziming explained, “That guy earlier is Wu Qihao—consider him my way of paving the road for the future.”

He continued, “This man has a purple talent and is part of the Fire Seed project, so he tends to be rather arrogant. But don’t worry—in a little while, no matter how things turn out, I guarantee your safety.”

Lin Xuan smiled and replied,

“A purple talent that impressive? Then your backup plan certainly leaves something to be desired.”

At Lin Xuan’s teasing remark, Liu Ziming’s cheeks flushed slightly as he retorted,

“Heh, don’t underestimate the power of a purple talent. Such individuals have enormous potential in the future—they’re very likely to secure a top-tier shelter.” “Moreover, Wu Qihao is a member of the Fire Seed project with official backing. His future shelter’s level won’t be anything to scoff at.”

And so the conversation continued…