Cao Kun looked at the murder mirror again.

He originally thought that after the ghost mirror "ate" the mirror, the mirror would break.

It now appears that the ghost mirror only "consumed" its spirituality, while the mirror itself was not the problem.

In this way, the mirror, with its antique value and the special value bestowed upon it by its murderous nature, can be preserved.

It may continue to be sold as a special antique.

"etc."

Cao Kun had a new idea.

"The mysterious department in country M is still waiting to see my results."

“If I were to take this mirror out to sell now, they would definitely be willing to buy it back.”

"Such a good opportunity has been delivered to my doorstep. If I don't take advantage of them, even God will call me stupid."

Cao Kun laughed.

"Master, quickly ask me what changes have occurred."

Before Cao Kun could ask any questions, Gui Jing himself couldn't wait to ask.

Cao Kun asked impatiently, "Tell me, what changes have you undergone?"

Ghost Mirror: "Master, first of all, I have become stronger."

The illusions I can create are more realistic, and the range of their influence is also greater.

I can see the fears and desires in people's hearts.

Cao Kun nodded.

To create a more realistic illusion, one must naturally target fear and desire; this is unavoidable.

These changes were within Cao Kun's expectations.

He was more concerned about another change: "Do you possess the ability of this magic mirror to devour, or rather, absorb negative energy?"

Ghost Mirror: "Master, this is my second transformation. I now possess this power perfectly."

I can absorb negative energy to strengthen myself, and at the same time, I can use it as a reserve to attack enemies.

Master, from now on I will do more than just create illusions.

I also possess direct offensive capabilities.

"Demonstrate it and let us see," Cao Kun instructed.

"Yes, Master."

Soon, Cao Kun felt a large amount of evil energy surge into the Ghost Mirror, enter the mirror's surface, and disappear.

Not only that, the Yin energy on the Ghost Mirror also disappeared, absorbed into its own body, and perfectly hidden itself.

From the outside, it looks just like the previous magic mirror, an ordinary antique mirror.

"You actually succeeded." Cao Kun smiled as well.

This gamble paid off.

Cao Kun then asked, "Are there any other abilities?"

Ghost Mirror: "Does it count as surpassing the original power of that mirror to absorb negative energy and attack?"

Cao Kun: "I mean new capabilities?"

Ghost Mirror: "That's all."

In fact, the ghost mirror had undergone another change, which it itself was unaware of.

But Cao Kun could clearly sense it.

That means the Ghost Mirror has completely submitted to him.

Previously, Ghost Mirror was always thinking about killing Cao Kun as soon as possible so that it could regain its freedom.

But now, Ghost Mirror no longer has such thoughts.

This was certainly not the Ghost Mirror's original intention, but rather because Cao Kun had previously controlled the murderous mirror's spirit.

After the ghost mirror devoured these spiritual entities, Cao Kun used them to completely control it.

From then on, it would completely submit to Cao Kun and would never rebel again.

Cao Kun tested the Ghost Mirror's abilities again, and became more and more satisfied with each test.

This time, I gained a lot and it was well worth it.

"Come!"

With a wave of his hand, the Ghost Mirror shrunk itself to the size of a palm and jumped into Cao Kun's hand.

The ghost mirror now looks like it has returned to its original simplicity, appearing extremely ordinary no matter how you look at it.

But it has become more dangerous.

…………

Under Cao Kun's deliberate arrangement, the news that the murderous mirror would be re-auctioned spread quickly.

The auction house went to great lengths to generate buzz, causing quite a stir in the art collecting world.

Two weeks later, Sotheby's was holding a grand auction.

Accompanying Cao Kun to the auction was Charité Theron.

She sat quietly next to Cao Kun in an evening gown, her powerful aura making her seem like an empress.

Surprisingly, his aura was in no way inferior to that of Cao Kun beside him.

No one knew that a little girl lived inside this empress's heart.

Why haven't you been bidding?

Seeing that Cao Kun hadn't made a single bid since the auction started, Charitz couldn't help but feel curious.

Cao Kun said softly, "I'm speaking to the seller."

Charlize suddenly realized: "Are you short of money?"

Cao Kun: "Don't overthink it. This is a normal art transfer. It's about making money; it's business."

Chariz nodded slightly and asked no further questions.

Sotheby's lives up to its reputation; in such a short time, quite a few artworks have been sold, and each one is quite valuable.

The lowest price is six figures, and the highest price reaches eight figures.

However, it just barely reaches this threshold.

This was in 2000, after all, and inflation wasn't that severe yet.

In movies and TV shows, movies are often made with budgets of billions or even tens of billions of dollars. Just watch them for fun.

In reality, the number of people who can readily access so much cash is probably only enough to fill a few tables.

Sofia is worth billions, but if you ask her to come up with 500 million in cash, she would have a hard time doing so.

In terms of cash, Cao Kun now has more than many so-called billionaires.

Cao Kun secretly observed everyone in the auction hall, trying to figure out who was from the mysterious department, and he actually managed to spot one.

The man appeared to be in his thirties, and like most of the people present, he wore a suit and tie, his hair neatly combed, looking every bit the successful person.

However, Cao Kun sensed a fluctuation of power emanating from him.

This is not the power of a cultivator, but a special kind of power. What exactly it is, one would need to interact with it to find out.

"The following item is a remarkable object."

"I believe many people have heard of its reputation."

"It is the murder mirror that was created in 1743..."

The auctioneer went on and on about the murderous mirror, recounting its history and glorious achievements.

She even said that she had just made her first public appearance at a charity gala not long ago.

However, the transaction price from the previous sale was not mentioned.

He was far more professional than the hosts at charity galas.

After a long and detailed explanation, the auctioneer announced, "The starting price is $50 million, and each bid must be at least $10,000. Bidding may now begin."

These words caused an uproar, even among the self-proclaimed elites below.

This price is simply outrageous.

"What the hell? I know this killer mirror. It was only $15 million at the charity gala last time. And now, in just over half a month, it's $50 million? Are they crazy?"

"Did I hear that right? $50 million? The starting bid?"

"Is this the price the seller is asking for, or the price Sotheby's is asking for? Are they idiots?"

...

A chorus of complaints reached Cao Kun's ears.

Cao Kun pretended not to hear.

He could pretend he didn't hear it, but the auctioneer on stage looked helpless.

He didn't want to start the auction at such a high price, but the contract Cao Kun signed with Sotheby's stipulated that the minimum bid price could not be lower than $50 million.

There was no other way; Sotheby's had to start the bidding at this price.

Otherwise, they will have to pay the difference themselves.

“Isn’t this the mirror you bought last time?” Charitz suddenly asked Cao Kun.