Chapter 948: The Bidding Begins

With four fire-attribute Emperors gazing upon everyone else from the very top, there were naturally a tremendous number of powerful experts who wielded the fire element below them. Consequently, fire-attribute treasures were among the most highly sought-after.

The Ancestral Court had clearly chosen such an impressive treasure as the opening item in order to set the tone. It was an unprecedentedly grand occasion, and they had every intention of capitalizing on it.

The Tenebrous Demon Emperor's voice was still echoing by the time the first bid was announced.

"VIP Room Ten, fifteen hundred amethystine coins!" announced the auction attendant. The Tenebrous Demon Emperor, naturally, didn't need to handle this part himself.

Certainly, VIP Room Ten wasn't the only one bidding. Many other bidders had surely submitted their bids simultaneously. Although a thousand amethystine coins was a massive price, major clans could still afford it. However, among simultaneous bids, VIP Room Ten's bid was the highest, significantly exceeding the starting price as well. Thus, other bids lost significance.

Was 1,500 amethystine coins worth it for an Everblaze Sunflower? Absolutely. In truth, the value of this item couldn't be measured purely by money. Normally, as the Tenebrous Demon Emperor had said, it wouldn't even appear on the market. The Scorching Sunflower clan kept such treasures strictly for their own descendants. And even on the off chance that one somehow appeared elsewhere, would the clan just let others get away with it?

They were entirely different from the Blue Gold Tree clan. The Blue Gold Tree clan was inherently weak, whereas the Scorching Sunflower clan were the Solstice Empire's top-ranked nymphs. Their status and power, and consequently their attitude on such matters, were as different as heaven and earth. Thus, the Tenebrous Demon Emperor emphasized that the winner could use the flower without fear of repercussions, thanks to the explicit permission granted by the Sunborne Nymph Emperor himself.

"Sixteen hundred!" The next bid quickly followed. Rather than the minimum ten-coin increments, the bids immediately jumped in increments of one hundred!

This bid didn't come from a VIP room, but from the general seating area. To simplify matters and ensure the bidders' safety, bids from outside the VIP rooms were only announced by amount, without specifying the bidder's identity. The auction hall kept thorough records, of course, and successful bidders would settle accounts afterward... or suffer the consequences.

"Big Brother, should we join?" Jin Miaosen asked excitedly. It seemed she was now fully aware of the clan's wealth.

The Grand Elder rolled his eyes and retorted, "Why? To set ourselves on fire?" If anyone disliked the fire element, it was undoubtedly the Blue Gold Tree clan.

In VIP Room Ten sat the dragon race representatives. The bidder was likely the fire dragon who had previously been somewhat disrespectful toward Mei Gongzi.

Tang San smiled lightly. "No rush. Let's observe first and see how far prices get inflated."

After the near-instant raise to 1,600 amethystine coins, the pace of bidding slowed down considerably. The initial increment had been quite aggressive. These were amethystine coins, after all, not naturae coins. The difference was immense: a single amethystine coin was roughly equivalent to ten thousand naturae coins, so great a difference that the empyrean coin had to be minted as an in-between.

Amethystine coins represented the highest currency denomination. Even divine artifacts rarely exceeded a thousand amethystine coins in value, unless it was something absolutely exceptional.

"Seventeen hundred and twenty!" The price rose again, and the number of active bidders began dwindling.

Just then, a voice rang out from one of the VIP suites. "Eighteen hundred!"

Rather than pressing a button to bid, this bidder had directly spoken.

Sensing through his divine consciousness, Tang San immediately recognized the voice. A subtle smile appeared on his lips.

It wasn't just any random bidder—it was none other than the Empyrean Dominion's strongest combat force, the Undying Demon Emperor.

This former third-ranked Emperor, now ranked second overall since the fall of the Crystal Demon Emperor, enjoyed a lofty status within the Empyrean Dominion. Especially after the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor's strength was weakened due to Tang San's tribulation, the Undying Demon Emperor's influence had further risen. Moreover, he was also the undisputed Phoenix Lord, while the Tenebrous Demon Emperor, strong though he was, could not call himself Dragon Lord. In other words, not a single demon matched the Undying Demon Emperor's status, not by a large margin.

Hearing that the Undying Demon Emperor himself had placed a bid, the Tenebrous Demon Emperor was momentarily stunned.

The Everblaze Sunflower, while precious, was virtually useless to someone at the Undying Demon Emperor's level. His own Phoenix True Fire Domain, in some aspects, even surpassed the Blazing Sun Domain; it was only matched by the unique domain of the Sunborne Nymph Emperor.

But the next moment, the Tenebrous Demon Emperor understood. The Undying Demon Emperor didn't need the flower himself, but his juniors certainly did! Why else would the Ancestral Court hold such an auction, if not for the upcoming competition? To put on a brilliant performance, whether it was for the matchmaking part of the tournament or for an Emperor's seat, besides personal strength, the items acquired at this mega-auction would be crucial.

"VIP Room Ten bids nineteen hundred amethystine coins!"

Just as the Tenebrous Demon Emperor wondered whether he should push things further, VIP Room Ten raised the bid again.

The Tenebrous Demon Emperor's eyes narrowed slightly, but he remained silent. Although he served as the acting leader of the dragon race, he was nowhere near being acknowledged as such. One reason was his comparatively weaker status among Empyrean Dominion Emperors, and the other was his darkness element, which most dragons instinctively disliked.

Of course, he knew the dragon race occupied VIP Room Ten. Yet these dragons had nothing to do with him personally; in fact, from a certain perspective, they even opposed him. Those led by Radiant Dragon King Xu An'yu were strong contenders for Crystal City's future leadership.

From the outside, it appeared the Tenebrous Demon Emperor should naturally support his fellow dragons. Internally, however, it was a different matter entirely.

Still, compared to siding with the Undying Demon Emperor, he'd naturally lean toward his own race. Watching VIP Room Ten bidding against the Undying Demon Emperor essentially symbolized the ongoing rivalry between the dragon and phoenix races. Although the Undying Demon Emperor himself was exceptionally powerful, Xu An'yu represented the entire dragon race—and dragons and phoenixes had always been competitors just as much as they'd been partners.

"Two thousand!" The Undying Demon Emperor calmly raised the bid once more. At two thousand amethystine coins, the price now probably exceeded the actual value of the Everblaze Sunflower, especially given the Scorching Sunflower clan's promise of non-interference.

"Two thousand one hundred!" Facing an Emperor's bid, the dragon race displayed admirable confidence, directly increasing the bid by a hundred coins again. Their deep financial reserves were clearly evident.

The dragon race was famously wealthy; they were renowned for their love of collecting treasures.

"Two thousand two hundred!" The Undying Demon Emperor maintained a steady rhythm.

"Two thousand three hundred!" VIP Room Ten persisted.

At this point, other bidders withdrew from the competition. Even those able to continue bidding didn't dare become involved in the power struggle between the dragon and phoenix races.

Tang San, who was sitting quietly in VIP Room Eight, frowned slightly. Was the Everblaze Sunflower valuable? Undoubtedly. Yet, its utility wasn't truly irreplaceable, and he firmly believed the phoenix race possessed treasures of even greater value. But now, the bidding war involved the two great races, and it wasn't merely about the value of the item anymore. This rivalry itself could inflate the price to astronomical levels.