Chapter 408: Mei Gongzi's Summon

The caves on the peaks gradually filled with bidders. Although this was a grand event, when no more bidders climbed the mountains, Tang San realized there were only about a thousand participants. It wasn't that the Ancestral Court lacked those who could afford a thousand naturae coins, but many great families had likely just sent one representative.

Tang San didn't look around but focused inward, waiting quietly. Who knew how many powerful beings were here, and randomly spying on them would be unwise.

Ringgggggg!

Suddenly, Tang San shivered. He heard a long-awaited, familiar sound he had been yearning for.

His eyes widened, and his pupils contracted.

It’s her!

The sound wasn't from nearby but from the distant Kali City, from the alarm array he had left at the gate of Kali Academy. When someone stayed there long enough, the alarm would be triggered, and he would sense it.

The only person who would stay there long enough was the one he had a promise with!

Tang San almost stood up instantly. He had only one thought in his mind: to leave here, return to Kali City, and meet her. Even with his calm nature, he couldn't control himself at this moment.

After more than a year apart, he was desperate to know her situation and even more eager to see her face.

Just then, three loud hums sounded. The hums reverberated through the heavens and earth, attracting the attention of all the bidders.

On either side of the Ancestral Court Great Beast Fighting Arena, hundreds of towering, burly males from the bear race had appeared, each holding a massive horn over five meters long. The deep, oppressive horn sounds echoed over the arena when they blew them.

The grand auction was about to begin!

Tang San took a deep breath, barely calming his emotions before sitting back down.

His gaze gradually calmed down. Although he wanted to return to her side immediately, he couldn't. The most important event of his trip, the grand auction, was about to begin. Everything he aimed to acquire at the auction was to enhance his and his companions' strength, and even to find suitable treasures for her. It wouldn't be rational to give up now.

Three days. He had agreed with her that when she returned, she would wait for him at the gate of Kali Academy for three consecutive days, and he would appear before her. So there was still time. By flying at full speed and using the teleportation array in Golden Valley, he was confident he could return to Kali Academy within a day. He still had two days left.

Wait for me. You must wait for me!

Tang San silently prayed in his heart, his gaze falling on the center of the grand auction arena.

At this moment, a demon stood in the center of the grand auction arena. Standing over five meters tall, he seemed like nothing more than an ant from Tang San’s point of view, but his aura was nothing short of impressive.

He was a lion demon, and not any ordinary lion, but a Golden Lion—a true inheritor of a golden bloodline. Moreover, his flaming golden hair revealed his god-level cultivation.

The next moment, a loud voice echoed through the grand auction arena.

"On behalf of the Ancestral Court, I welcome all bidders to this auction. The Ancestral Court's grand auction is known for fairness and justice; all treasures go to the highest bidder, and fights are entirely prohibited. Everyone understands the rules, so I won't remind you again.

"Our auction, as always, will be conducted over three days. Each day will feature different items: spiritual items, rare items, and divine items. Today is the spiritual item auction day. Please present the first auction item."

Tang San appreciated this straightforward approach. No nonsense, just starting directly. This saved him a lot of time.

Before participating in this auction, he had gained some understanding of the Ancestral Court's grand auction through his master and the Aetherhorn Merchant Association.

The auction took place over three days. No one could predict what good items would appear on the spiritual item and rare item auction days, but the items were always of high tiers. What was valued or deemed more precious varied from person to person. The final day, the divine item auction day, was the true highlight. If emperor-level beings attended the auction, they usually appeared on the last day.

Divine items might include artifacts, natural treasures, and other such items. The currency for the divine item auction day was not naturae coins but the highest tier of currency, amethystine coins. Without amethystine coins, one couldn't even bid.

The Ancestral Court Council had directly vetted every divine item in the auction. Initially, Tang San had wondered why the emperors of the Ancestral Court didn't just divide the artifacts among themselves. The answer was that due to concerns about fairness, they were sent to the grand auction for fair competition. Whoever had the capital could obtain them.

Tang San hadn't given much thought to bidding on divine items. Undoubtedly, there would be treasures he needed or wanted, but qualifying to obtain them was another matter. Beyond having enough money, safely taking the items away after winning them was a significant issue. The so-called fairness, after all, depended on the stakes. Rules were rules, but those who made the rules were the emperors, and if the stakes were high enough to move them... rules might become meaningless.

Tang San was not under any illusion. At this moment, participating in the divine item auction was impossible. However, he had hoped to broaden his horizons and see the divine items coveted even by the Ancestral Court's great powers. Unfortunately, because of the call from afar, he would have to forgo the divine item auction this time. He could only wait until he saw his master again and asked him what he had seen.

The first spiritual item had already been brought to the Great Beast Fighting Arena.

Twelve burly members of the bear race carried the item in. It was covered in red cloth, and considering the size of the platform, it looked minuscule. However, it was still ten meters long, and the twelve strong bear clan members struggled slightly as they carried it to the center of the arena and slowly placed it on the ground. It clearly had a titanic weight.

The Golden Lion auctioneer approached the item and thundered, "Beginnings are always difficult, so in order to make everyone feel a little more at ease, we brought out a good item to start with. This is a skeleton, the skeleton of a Starmoon Earth Dragon!"

As he spoke, he yanked the red cloth aside.

The moment the spiritual item was revealed, Tang San's Celestial Gaze sensed a surge of overwhelming resentment.

It was a completely white skeleton, and there seemed to be specks of silver light shining on the bones. Tang San didn't need a telescope; he could see it with his Discerning Eye of Heaven.

The massive skeleton was complete, so he could tell exactly how massive the creature had been in life..

The Starmoon Earth Dragon wasn't an actual dragon but a branch of the lizard clan. It was named for its dragon-like appearance and powerful combat abilities. An adult Starmoon Earth Dragon could grow over ten meters long and reach the tenth order. It absorbed the power of stars and moons for cultivation.

𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Despite their large size, their ability lay not with physical power but with spiritual power. It was said that the spiritual power of a powerful Starmoon Earth Dragon could even reach the twelfth order!