Read The Almighty Dominance Novel (Alexander Leonhart and Sophia Lancaster) by Sunshine Updated 2025 -26 - The Almighty Dominance Chapter 536

The Almighty Dominance Chapter 536

The host forced a tight smile.

“We’re here to do business, not start a war,” he said. “Let’s all calm down.”

Leonora took her seat at the very front of the hall, her name engraved neatly on the table. As expected, Alex was seated automatically to her right.

The problem was the seat on her left.

Old man Kaltmann had already claimed it.

Alex Saint-Claire sat down without reacting. As he did, Leonora leaned closer, lowering her voice.

“The man over there—the one you slapped,” she whispered, her eyes flicking forward, “is Marquis Anton Dunkel. The richest man in Dunkelfels. His duke despised my grandfather, so our families have been at each other’s throats for years.”

Her voice hardened. “The one beside him is Leon Zhao—a powerful cultivator from Xia. He defected to Prussia long ago and now works directly under Dunkel.”

Alex followed her gaze.

Beside Anton sat an elderly man in traditional white robes. His hair was completely gray, thick and untrimmed, and his posture was unnervingly composed. He carried an otherworldly presence—cold, distant, detached. His eyes were closed, as if nothing in the hall deserved his attention.

Leonora continued, “And the man who spoke just now—the host—is Count Maximilian von Nachtburg. Head of the Nachtburg family in Winchester. His family’s roots run deep.”

Alex absorbed everything in silence.

“Now that everyone is present,” Maximilian announced smoothly as he stepped forward, “we’ll begin the private auction. Whoever wishes to present their antique first may step forward.”

A man from one of the families rose immediately.

“This blade belonged to my grandfather,” he said proudly. “He acquired it during the Prussian war against Xia. It was wielded by a Xia general.”

He drew the weapon and demonstrated its edge, slicing cleanly through iron as if it were soft tofu.

Whispers spread through the room.

Alex could tell at a glance that if the blade were sold on the Estoria market, it would fetch a staggering price. But this was Prussia. Laser blades were standard here—weapons that cut through iron like empty air.

Compared to modern technology, the artifact felt outdated.

A few people showed interest. Some made low offers. But it failed to catch Leonora’s attention, and Alex barely spared it a glance.

After roughly five families finished presenting their antiques, a red-haired man finally stepped forward.

Before placing anything on the table, his eyes locked onto Leonora. Only then did he set down an iron box and open it.

Inside, resting on velvet, was a book.

“This,” the man said slowly, letting the silence stretch, “is a cultivation manual from the royal family of the Xia Empire.”

The room stilled.

“It can rejuvenate the body, increase power, and cure internal ailments,” he continued. “If cultivated to its highest level, one could live for a thousand years.”

The reaction was immediate.

Eyes widened. Breaths caught.

Even Leon Zhao—who had sat motionless with his eyes closed—snapped them open, his gaze sharp and piercing as it fixed on the book.

People leaned forward. Murmurs erupted. Questions flew.

Authentication was demanded at once.

For the first time since the auction began, the atmosphere shifted completely.

The red-haired man raised his hand, and a three-dimensional screen unfolded in the air. Light flickered as the first and second pages of the book were projected clearly for everyone to see.

“You may examine the first and second pages,” he said evenly. “Decide for yourselves whether it’s authentic.”

Leonora’s eyes lit up instantly. Her breath caught.

“Miss Silberkreuz,” old man Kaltmann said, his hands trembling with excitement, “this must be your lucky day. What you’ve searched for over a decade has finally appeared. This is the book you need. If your grandfather sees this, he’ll be overjoyed.”

Leonora stared at the projection, her heart pounding.

“Do you think the book is real?” she asked.

“Yes,” Kaltmann replied without hesitation. “It’s real.”

Leonora nodded slowly. She wanted it—badly. But when she noticed Alex sitting calmly beside her, completely unmoved, she hesitated and turned to him.

“What do you think, Mr. Saint-Claire?”

Alex didn’t bother to hide his disdain.

“It’s a useless book,” he said flatly. “I suggest you never touch it.”

The words hit the table like ice water.

Kaltmann’s face darkened instantly. He glared at Alex.

“You’re nothing but a young fraud of an appraiser,” he snapped. “Who gave you the right to spew nonsense in front of so many people?”

Before Alex could respond, the old man in white robes finally moved.

Leon Zhao opened his eyes and fixed his gaze on the book.

“May I open it?” he asked calmly, stepping forward.

The red-haired man let out a cold laugh.

“Mr. Zhao,” he said mockingly, “are you serious? Do you not understand the rules of appraisal?” His tone turned sharp. “Books must never be opened. The moment someone reads the contents, their value is destroyed.”

Leon Zhao stiffened, embarrassment flickering across his face.

“Ah… forgive my carelessness,” he said.

The red-haired man paused, then added evenly, “However, I will allow you to touch the cover—for authentication only.”

Leon Zhao leaned forward and gently placed his fingers on the book’s cover. His expression shifted subtly. After a moment, he nodded.

“I cannot say with certainty that the contents are genuine,” he said slowly. “But the cover—woven with gold thread—matches the records used exclusively to preserve the most important cultivation manuals of the Xia imperial family.”

The reaction was explosive.

Gasps. Murmurs. Heated whispers.

To most of them, the contents no longer mattered. A book bearing the royal mark of the Xia Empire carried immense value on its own.

Kaltmann smiled smugly.

“Mr. Zhao has a sharp eye,” he said pointedly, “unlike certain people who lack experience and are nothing but impostors.”

Leonora felt a faint sting in her chest.

She glanced at Alex, a trace of disappointment creeping into her expression. She had trusted him. She believed he was a master.

But compared to these seasoned experts, he now seemed… lacking.

For the first time, doubt quietly took root in her heart.

Alex chose not to interfere.

It was obvious these people wanted to be deceived. They wanted to believe. And if someone insisted on jumping into a trap with open eyes, Alex had no interest in dragging them back.

The red-haired man closed the iron box with a soft click and smiled in satisfaction.

“Well,” he said smoothly, “now that the book has been appraised, isn’t it time to begin the bidding?”

“One hundred million,” Maximilian said immediately.

“Two hundred million,” Anton Dunkel cut in without hesitation.

The red-haired man glanced toward the front row. Leonora still hadn’t spoken.

“And what about Miss Silberkreuz?” he asked, feigning curiosity. “You’re usually the most eager when it comes to cultivation manuals from Xia.”

Leonora hesitated.

Sensing her wavering, Kaltmann leaned closer and whispered urgently, “Miss, this is an extremely rare treasure. It’s worth at least a billion. If you secure it for under five hundred million, the benefits will far outweigh the cost.”

For a moment, Leonora was almost convinced.

Then she looked at Alex.

He sat calmly beside her, expression steady, as if none of this mattered in the slightest. That calm reignited all her doubts.

“Miss Silberkreuz,” the red-haired man pressed, his voice tightening, “we’re waiting for your bid. Opportunities like this come once every fifty years. If I didn’t urgently need funds, I would never sell it.”

That was when Kaltmann stood up.

“Everyone here is an experienced appraiser,” he announced loudly. “Miss Silberkreuz has always been respected by all of you. She has always secured the finest cultivation manuals from Xia for Duke Silberkreuz.”

His gaze snapped to Alex.

“But now, because she listened to this young fraud—who claims the book is useless—she hesitates. He even says it’s fake.” Kaltmann sneered. “Do all of you agree with him?”

The room turned instantly.

Contemptuous gazes locked onto Alex.

Scorn spread like poison.

“Young man, if you don’t understand cultivation books, then get out of here.”

“You’re disgracing the name of appraisal.”

“Just leave.”

Jeers erupted from every direction.

Alex rose slowly.

Without a word, he walked straight up to the nearest man who mocked him—

—and slapped him hard across the face.

The crack echoed through the hall.

Gasps exploded.

Alex turned to the next man.

Slap.

Then another.

Slap.

One by one, he struck every person who had dared jeer at him. His movements were steady, deliberate, utterly merciless.

As he moved, his voice remained cold and even.

“Miss Silberkreuz sends this slap to each of you.”

Another blow landed.

“How dare you look down on Miss Silberkreuz.”

Slap.

“How dare you,” Alex said calmly, “decide who she is allowed to trust.”

No one laughed anymore.

No one spoke.

They finally understood—this wasn’t rage.

It was discipline.

The hall sank into stunned silence.

Leonora stared at Alex, her heart pounding.

She couldn’t escape the truth.

This man feared nothing.

He acted exactly as he pleased—without hesitation, without apology.

Then Alex stepped directly in front of old Kaltmann and lifted his leg to strike.

In that instant, Kaltmann understood—

This time, no one was going to save him.