Chapter 498: Xu Ziran's Proposal

What surprised Xu Ziran even more was that Asura teamed up with Mei Gongzi to participate in the doubles competition.

As the most loyal supporter of the Peacock Demon clan, Xu Ziran naturally knew that the Peacock Great Demon King intended for Mei Gongzi to inherit his throne and the position of city lord. Although they did not understand why the Peacock Great Demon King would choose someone with mixed blood, this was the will of the Peacock Great Demon King, and as loyal supporters, they had no choice but to comply.

When Xu Ziran saw that Asura and Mei Gongzi had formed a pair, he was truly shocked. Mei Gongzi being strong was nothing surprising, but their cooperation clearly indicated a deep connection!

What is going on? Could it be that Asura himself has some relationship with the city lord?

Thus, Xu Ziran had initially intended to seek out Asura, but unexpectedly, the latter had come to him first. Naturally, Xu Ziran wanted to find out the specifics in order to understand better how to deal with him in the future.

"Brother Asura, what brings you to me?" Xu Ziran asked.

"I have a small favor to ask of you, Brother Xu. You know my companions. They hope to come and watch this grand event of the Ancestral Court Elite Competition. Could you help us get a few tickets for decent seats?"

Hearing this, Xu Ziran's face showed a look of realization, and he quickly smiled, "A small matter, a small matter. There are very few good seats left, but worry not, our merchant association has reserved some seats. We’ll just give you some. How many tickets do you need?"

Tang San said, "Just five."

On his part, there were his three companions and his master. Sadly, Du Bai had to sit this one out. Conversely, he definitely had to arrange a seat for Little Cat. If she was in the stands watching the match, Big Cat's combat power would probably increase by a level. Thus, he required five seats in total.

"Alright, no problem. I'll arrange it as soon as I get back. They can watch the fights together tomorrow."

Hearing Xu Ziran agree so readily, Tang San smiled and said, "Thank you very much, Brother Xu."

Xu Ziran replied, "No need to be polite. I should be thanking you. You have no idea how many orders we've received since you used the teleportation array disc to defeat powerful opponents in the arena one after another. Our merchant association has been flooded with orders. Actually, I was going to contact you about this. The array discs you brought last time are almost sold out.

"We had no choice but to raise the prices again, yet the demand still exceeds supply. Brother Asura, if it's not too much, please ask the array master to make more array discs for us, especially the teleportation ones. They're incredibly popular right now, and the Ancestral Court is full of wealthy people. Rest assured, even if we end up increasing the price, Master Lou’s percentage will stay the same."

No one ever complained about having too much money. Most of Tang San's profits from selling bloodline array discs had already been spent. He said, "I'll find Master Lou later. Speaking of that, his need for materials has been quite high lately. Making the array discs requires materials, of course. We will take whatever you can provide."

"That's no problem," Xu Ziran said, patting his chest with a smile. "Give me a list later, and I'll prepare everything as soon as possible. I'll give them to you after your match tomorrow."

Asura had used a teleportation array disc to consecutively defeat opponents in the competition, relying on the array disc's powerful teleportation ability. Naturally, this caught the attention of many, and recently, sales had soared. The Aetherhorn Merchant Association was at the height of its fame, far surpassing its competitors. Xu Ziran received significant praise, and the Aetherhorn Merchant Association made huge profits, with sales of other products increasing as well. It seemed they were on the path to becoming the continent's top merchant association.

𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

With the potential profits and Asura's demonstrated personal strength, how could Xu Ziran's attitude towards him not change? Even if the Aetherhorn Deer King were here, he would have to be respectful toward Asura.

Tang San said, "That shouldn't be a problem. But it will take some time. Master Lou is still researching the bloodline array discs, and I can't bother him too much."

"Alright, alright. Understood. Sometimes, fewer items can sell at a better price. We will organize it all to maximize profits and ensure the master gains good returns."

Isn't this just scarcity marketing?

Tang San chuckled to himself.

Arriving at the Aetherhorn Merchant Association by carriage, Xu Ziran led Asura to a quiet room. He first had Asura write down the materials needed, then immediately sent his subordinates to prepare them.

Naturally, Tang San couldn't let the Aetherhorn Merchant Association provide all the materials needed to make the array discs. He omitted some essential but inexpensive materials he would purchase himself or have his master buy. He couldn't let them know how low the actual cost of the array discs was.

After making the arrangements, Xu Ziran asked him, "Brother Asura, do you have any specific goals for this competition?"

Tang San shook his head. "Just doing my best. Do you have any suggestions, Brother Xu?"

Xu Ziran pondered momentarily and said, "I wouldn't call it a suggestion, but do you know, Brother Asura, if you can make it out of the group stage and into the finals, there will be significant benefits?"

Tang San feigned a look of surprise. "Please enlighten me, Brother Xu."

Xu Ziran said, "The Ancestral Court Elite Competition is a crucial event for each major family to select elite talents. The competition starts with internal trials within each major clan. Whoever stands out in such a competition is undoubtedly proving themselves to their family, thereby gaining more resource allocation in the future.

"Those who can participate are from powerful clans, and most are at the ninth order. The leap from the ninth order to the tenth is challenging and can be life-threatening if not done correctly. Therefore, achieving this level requires a huge amount of resources. Each race has limited resources, so resource allocation becomes crucial. The Ancestral Court Elite Competition, in a sense, is the final decision on resource allocation. The more victories one achieves in the tournament, the more support they will receive from their clan."

Tang San nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.

Xu Ziran continued, "Once you enter the top sixteen, it’s not just about gaining the attention of major families but also catching the eyes of Emperors. If you happen to be from an Emperor’s clan, you might even get personal guidance from them and maybe even become a direct heir, and consequently a major figure within your clan. And even if you aren’t, you can still gain the favor of an Emperor. You can then choose to join the Emperor's clan and become an important guest official.

"They will also provide a large amount of resources for improvement. Therefore, the further you go in the Ancestral Court Elite Competition, the fiercer the competition. Those who have reached the top three have almost always become the leaders of their respective clans and even races. So, the Ancestral Court Elite Competition is even more important than you imagine."

Tang San said, "I understand a bit now. So, what do you mean for me to do now, Brother Xu?"

Xu Ziran said, "Something else entirely compared to when you competed in the Great Beast Fighting Arena. At that time, the Ancestral Court targeted you because of your impact on the human race. Although humans are generally weak, they are numerous. To avoid unnecessary trouble, they aimed to suppress you. But now, you are competing as an individual; not only do you have noble status, but your bloodline is second-tier or higher. You’re in a different position altogether. If you can gain the recognition of an Emperor in the future, it would be an incredible achievement and could even benefit Kali City."