Chapter 949: The Second Item

"Two thousand five hundred!" As expected, the Undying Demon Emperor accelerated the bidding. The price was starting to become ridiculous.

VIP Room Ten fell into silence.

"We have two thousand five hundred amethystine coins. Any higher bids?" the Tenebrous Demon Emperor asked deeply, turning his gaze toward VIP Room Ten.

Losing to the Undying Demon Emperor wasn't shameful, but this was a special time. With the matchmaking tournament about to start, and the dragon race having lost the Crystal Demon Emperor and striving to maintain control over Crystal City, falling behind the phoenix race further would be damaging.

"VIP Room Ten, two thousand six hundred amethystine coins," the attendant finally announced.

No further sound came from the Undying Demon Emperor's VIP room. Compared to his previous consecutive bids, this silence suggested something significant.

Two thousand six hundred amethystine coins far exceeded the actual value of the Everblaze Sunflower.

He conceded? The Phoenix Lord, the Undying Demon Emperor, actually... conceded?

In VIP Room Eight, Tang San's expression shifted slightly, revealing a flash of admiration.

On the auction stage, on the other hand, the Tenebrous Demon Emperor's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

He hadn't anticipated that a proud being like the Undying Demon Emperor would concede just like that, but the moment it happened, Tang San's thoughts naturally occurred to him as well. The phoenix race already held a considerable advantage over the dragon race. Now was clearly an excellent opportunity to further suppress their rivals; the Tenebrous Demon Emperor would have undoubtedly seized such a chance himself. But at this critical bidding point, despite the high price, it was still well within the means of the mighty Undying Demon Emperor. So, why concede now?

After a brief moment of surprise, the Tenebrous Demon Emperor realized something else entirely.

The dragons in VIP Room Ten, led by the Radiant Dragon King Xu An'yu, were internal opponents of

his

leadership. Even as the only Emperor of the dragon race, the Tenebrous Demon Emperor held limited internal support. Xu An'yu's faction represented the race's hope for the future, and Xu An'yu himself was a seedling that held the promise of being able to compete with the Undying Demon Emperor directly in the not-so-remote future.

By choosing to concede at this point, what was the Undying Demon Emperor signaling? Recognition for Radiant Dragon King Xu An'yu! Indirectly, this could also be seen as acting against the Tenebrous Demon Emperor—a calculated move to deepen internal divisions among dragons. Furthermore, the bid for the Everblaze Sunflower had exceeded its practical value by quite a margin, and even for the dragon race's coffers, it was not a meager amount. Essentially, the phoenix race had just gained substantial advantages without spending a single demonshard coin.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

This was precisely why Tang San admired the move. The Undying Demon Emperor wasn't bound by superficial pride and made the correct decision at a critical moment. Such calmness and wisdom were truly commendable.

"Two thousand six hundred amethystine coins. Any higher bids?" the Tenebrous Demon Emperor announced, quickly regaining his composure. As an Emperor, naturally, he wouldn't let personal matters affect him. The auction had to continue smoothly.

"Two thousand six hundred going once.... Two thousand six hundred twice.... Two thousand six hundred... sold! Congratulations to VIP Room Ten for winning the Everblaze Sunflower at two thousand six hundred amethystine coins," the Tenebrous Demon Emperor declared, officially concluding the auction of the first item.

At this moment, excitement throughout the hall reached its peak.

The first item had fetched a remarkable price and attracted a bidding war involving an Emperor himself. Clearly, the subsequent items would also be extraordinary treasures!

If the first item was merely a teaser, then bidders were now even more eagerly anticipating future items that ought to be even better.

This auction directly affected the matchmaking tournament and the Battle for the Throne. Every clan hoped to use this opportunity to strengthen their positions. If they were fortunate enough to secure an Emperor seat, it would fundamentally change their clan's destiny. This was precisely why Big Cat had been chosen to represent the lion race. Were there stronger members in the lion race? At this point, certainly. But Big Cat was the only one with a true first-tier bloodline. Therefore, the lion race had spared no expense in boosting Big Cat's strength, hoping to secure valuable treasures from this auction to equip him to overcome powerful rivals.

Nearly every major clan had similar ambitions, so this time, most clans brought along their entire wealth. Even among the auctions conducted in the Ancestral Court's Grand Auction Hall, it was no exaggeration to call it a grand auction.

The best scenario for an auction was precisely this: top-tier items, numerous wealthy bidders, and an urgent motivation compelling them to bid aggressively. When these three factors aligned, the outcome was perfect.

The Ancestral Court, recognizing this golden opportunity, had chosen to organize this unprecedented event. Clearly, by the time the auction concluded, many clans would suffer severe financial setbacks, potentially needing decades to recover. Meanwhile, the Ancestral Court would reap massive profits. Even just the commission fees from auctioning these treasures would be immense. It was akin to harvesting fully-grown crops they had played no part in sowing.

"Bring the second auction item," commanded the Tenebrous Demon Emperor.

As the stage dimmed again, anticipation heightened, all eyes eager for the next dazzling light.

This time, an icy-blue glow slowly rose, instantly causing the surrounding temperature to drop. A beautiful, ice-blue throne etched with intricate patterns gradually ascended.

When Tang San saw this item, his eyes widened, and he blurted out in shock, "The Throne of Frost!"

It's the Ice Maiden clan's ancestral treasure again! What happened?!

Tang San was genuinely surprised. He had previously fought and defeated the Ice Maiden clan leader in order to pave the way for Wu Bingji, whose mother was an Ice Maiden. Tang San knew then that the Ice Maiden clan faced a challenging future. Yet, he'd never expected them to auction off their most sacred ancestral artifact

again

during this event.

Unlike the Everblaze Sunflower, the Throne of Frost was irreplaceable to its clan. The Scorching Sunflower clan undoubtedly possessed several Everblaze Sunflowers, and whether one was missing was inconsequential to the clan's foundation. The Ice Maiden clan's Throne of Frost, however, was their very foundation. Without it, the Ice Maiden clan would inevitably decline and fade away.

The decision to auction off this divine artifact indicated the Ice Maiden clan had reached an insurmountable crisis... again.

Tang San recalled his earlier discussion with the clan leader, Huang Bingbing, about possibly supporting their clan's development. He was even considering bringing them to the human realm. However, various events had delayed these plans. Tang San had intended to revisit this matter after the matchmaking tournament, confident that his freshly started Elemental Sea project could attract the Ice Maidens to join.

The Ice Maiden clan were naturally compatible and could easily intermarry with humans, and they would most certainly benefit from shared cultivation methods. As for the human side, whether it was awakening their own abilities or producing offspring with high affinity for the ice element, there were only advantages to be had. In other words, both could flourish together. Unfortunately, it seemed the Ice Maiden clan couldn't afford to wait; they had decided to auction their precious Throne of Frost, leaving Tang San with a pang of sadness.

"Due to internal issues, the Ice Maiden clan has decided to auction off their ancestral artifact, the Throne of Frost. It is an ice-attribute divine artifact beneficial for both cultivation and battle, and it can significantly nourish ice-attribute bloodlines. Although we have no ice-attribute Emperors right now, proper usage of this artifact could one day give rise to one. That is almost guaranteed. The starting bid is eight hundred amethystine coins, with increments no lower than ten amethystine coins. Let the bidding begin!" the Tenebrous Demon Emperor announced.