Hans's heart bled; the higher the price soared, the greater the cost for him to redeem these artworks.

"One hundred and thirty million!" Seeing the price for "Gypsy Girl" slowly inching up, Hans hurriedly called out a high number, hoping to halt the bidding frenzy surrounding the painting.

But to Hans's despair, another voice sounded again: "One hundred and fifty million!"

Although "Gypsy Girl" possesses significant artistic value, its worth could never reach one hundred and fifty million. Even the one hundred and thirty million Hans had previously bid was already its price peak.

Hans's expression looked conflicted. He desperately wanted to obtain the painting, yet he was acutely aware that his funds were insufficient. If he spent too much on this first painting, he'd be unable to afford the subsequent ones!

Moreover, the paintings Hans most wanted to acquire were "Mona Lisa's Smile" and "The Last Supper." After weighing his options briefly, he ultimately decided to give up on bidding further.

In the end, "Gypsy Girl" was taken by someone at a high price of one hundred and fifty million.

"Next up is the second oil painting, Da Vinci's 'Madonna of the Rocks,' one of the masterpieces by one of the three giants of the Renaissance. I don't need to elaborate on its value. Starting price: fifty million, with increments no less than five million!" Brian said casually.

After a series of fierce bidding wars, "Madonna of the Rocks" was finally taken by a guest in Room 30 at a high price of two hundred million. At the last moment, Hans still chose to bow out, which left him gnashing his teeth in frustration.

...

As one oil painting after another was auctioned off, Catherine's eyes grew increasingly bright. She too hadn't anticipated that so many art-loving tycoons were hidden within the Underworld. When the final oil painting was sold, Catherine leapt up in joy: "Ling Feng, I've done the calculations; this auction brought in over three billion dollars! I'm really over the moon!"

Ling Feng smiled and said, "That's nothing. 'Mona Lisa's Smile' and 'The Last Supper' haven't even gone up for auction yet. Those two alone are worth more than all the others combined!"

Catherine nodded vigorously and hugged Ling Feng, planting a fierce kiss on his cheek. "Now, with this, our Divine Gate's development will never be short on funds!"

The auction lasted for two days, and finally, the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived.

For it was during the final moments of the auction that the event would reach its climax—when its centerpiece items were unveiled. These last auction pieces hadn't even been introduced in the catalog!

"After two days of bidding, I believe everyone must be exhausted!" Brian said with a smile. "But the most important moment of our auction is about to begin. As you all know, the finale items in our auction will never disappoint!"

"So first, let us reveal our first auction item at this final stage—the legendary map fragment of the Atlantis Continent!" As Brian waved his hand, a map fragment materialized at the center of the round platform.

Instantly, nearly every guest in the various rooms bolted to their feet. When discussing recent major events in the Underworld, nothing could compare to the resurgence of the Atlantis Continent legend. The Freedom Organization's spearheaded endeavor to locate the Atlantis Continent map fragments had shaken the entirety of the Western Underworld.

Thus, as soon as such a fragment appeared at the auction, almost everyone present went mad.

"Which organization could possibly be willing to auction off an Atlantis Continent map fragment? It's absolutely… unbelievable!" Ling Feng couldn't help but exclaim.

A map fragment was equivalent to a ticket into the Atlantis Continent. For any faction holding one, it was considered a priceless treasure. Nobody would be so reckless as to auction it.

"Starting price for the map fragment: five hundred million dollars, with increments no less than one hundred million dollars!" Brian said with an amused smile. "Alright, everyone can start bidding now!"

The room fell silent; no one spoke a word. Everyone was watching and waiting, frantically gathering funds while observing the actions of other factions.

"Is there no interest in this map?" Brian asked, feigning disappointment when the crowd remained quiet. "Since nobody's bidding, I'll announce that this piece…"

Before he could utter the word "unsold," a faction couldn't hold back any longer and spoke: "Six hundred million dollars!"

That single announcement was akin to opening a floodgate, unleashing a torrent of voices.

"One billion dollars!"

"One and a half billion dollars!"

"One and a half billion dollars? That's nothing! I bid two billion dollars!"

"Three billion dollars. When it comes to wealth, I fear no rival!"

"Three and a half billion!"

...

Before long, amidst the frenzy of bids, the price for the map fragment had already reached four billion dollars—leaving Catherine in utter shock, her mouth agape. She hadn't expected that merely a fragment of a map could fetch such astronomically high prices.

"This is truly insane!" Catherine murmured to herself. "Is the Atlantis Continent map fragment really worth this much?"

Though she oversaw Divine Gate, her grasp of the Atlantis Continent was limited, and naturally, she didn't fully understand the fragment's value.

A slight smile crept onto Ling Feng's lips. "The climax hasn't even arrived yet. Surely you don't think that's its limit?"

"It's already at four billion dollars!" Catherine exclaimed. "Isn't that enough?"

Ling Feng responded coolly: "The true superpowers haven't even spoken yet. When they do, that's when the real bloodletting begins."

As Ling Feng finished speaking, a voice lazily interjected: "Why are you all raising the price so slowly? At this rate, when will it end? I offer ten billion dollars!"

That voice was like a scythe, swiftly cutting away the uneven chorus of bids.

Ten billion—the auction's first ten-billion-dollar item had appeared.

"Such deep pockets! I'm trembling with fear. I'll raise to eleven billion!" Another mocking voice chimed in.

"Since all of you are joining in, let me add to the fun. Twelve billion dollars!" Yet another room spoke up.

Brian stood by with a pleasant smile, refraining from striking the gavel as he patiently awaited the ongoing chaos.

Now was the moment where the true superpowers showcased their strength. Those lacking the financial muscle had no qualification to participate in the game!

Finally, the price for the Atlantis Continent map fragment stalled at one hundred and seventy billion dollars. After deliberation, several factions ultimately chose to bow out from bidding further.

"One hundred and seventy billion dollars!" Catherine couldn't help but gasp. She had never imagined such an astronomical figure in her life. Compared to earlier, her excitement now gave way to a sense of awe and disbelief.

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