Chapter 952: The Substitute Lotus Seed

As the Tenebrous Demon Emperor had said, the Lotus Clan was so obscure that most demons were barely aware of their existence. Even within the Solstice Empire, they were considered marginal at best.

Yet from such an unremarkable race emerged such a heaven-defying ability! The Substitute Lotus Seed was more valuable, in a sense, than any other divine artifact in existence. Though limited to use below the twelfth order, its value was already fearsome. Especially with the matchmaking tournament and the struggle for the Emperor’s seat approaching, its utility would multiply exponentially.

It was widely known that both demons and nymphs relied heavily on bloodlines. To unleash their greatest power, burning one’s own bloodline was often the most effective method. But the downsides of bloodline ignition included its brevity, and worse, the severe injury to one’s blood essence afterward, often making full recovery nearly impossible. As a result, no one dared burn their bloodline completely in battle.

But if one possessed the Substitute Lotus Seed, that changed everything. Just burned your bloodline power to the point you are dying of depletion? No problem—you can just come back to life! And though the resurrection was bound to take some time, it was unlikely to impact the next battle.

For peak eleventh-order powerhouses, burning all their bloodline power could allow some from stronger clans to erupt with force comparable to an Emperor. The destructive power was unquestionable. Obviously, this did not mean they could actually match an Emperor in combat, but a full-power strike at that level could simply vaporize some of the other eleventh-order contestants.

Placing such a treasure in the auction now meant its value would at least double, if not more. It practically guaranteed a victory. For the strongest Great Demon and Great Nymph Kings, this item could determine the outcome of the most critical duels in the Emperor selection battle.

How could the bidders possibly not be excited? Even inside the VIP rooms, surges of bloodline power could be sensed in the air, proof of the internal agitation among these top-tier bloodlines and city lords.

Inside VIP Room Eight, Tang San’s gaze flickered. Around him, the elders stared at him eagerly.

"Get it, Big Brother. Whatever the cost, get it! This thing is incredible! We Blue Gold Tree clan may not be great at combat, but when it comes to burning our bloodline power, who can match us? We have enough life force to match everyone here combined; if we burn it, we’ll blow a hole through the sky! With this Substitute Lotus Seed, we can burn without fear! And we’re the best at restoring bloodline power too. If we don’t die instantly, we won’t even need to use the seed. But with it, there’s one extra guarantee."

Tang San nodded slightly. How could he not be tempted by such a treasure? Not for himself, of course; this item wasn’t particularly useful to either him or Mei Gongzi. Compared to the innate ability of the Immortal Flame Phoenix, the Substitute Lotus Seed was inferior. It most definitely couldn’t revive someone mid-battle; it had to have some delay, that much he could guess. Nirvana Rebirth, on the other hand, could activate even during a fight.

But if such an item fell into the hands of another competitor, it could become a serious problem. It meant that they could risk full-force bloodline ignition without consequence. The power unleashed could rival that of an Emperor, and such a berserk opponent with literally nothing to lose would be the hardest to face.

That said, the Substitute Lotus Seed would no doubt fetch a terrifying price.

"The starting bid is one thousand amethystine coins. The minimum bid is one hundred," the Dark Demon Emperor announced. "Let the bidding begin!"

The base price matched that of a divine artifact—reasonable. But the high minimum increment made it a clear ploy to drive competitive bidding.

Sure enough, as soon as the base price was set, a bidding frenzy began.

"Fifteen hundred!"

"Sixteen hundred!"

...

The price soared, and before half a minute elapsed, it had passed two thousand.

By Tang San’s estimation, the true value of this item was fairly high; one thousand coins was quite a bargain, and fifteen hundred still reasonable. But in this special period, its value was bound to be greatly inflated. The Ancestral Court sure knew how to conduct an auction, he had to concede that much.

Tang San did not bid immediately. He understood this item was fundamentally different from the previous ones, in that it could be used by every single being in this arena. As for who needed it? Only the Immortal Flame Phoenix clan did

not

. For everyone else, this was a must-have.

There was another reason for his hesitation: observation. He wanted to see which factions would bid most fiercely and use that to gauge their resources. This would be crucial for the items to come. Know the enemy and know yourself, and you will never be defeated.[1]

Before long, the very active VIP Room Ten reentered the fray. Their first bid raised the price to 2,300 amethystine coins.

Because each increment had to be at least one hundred coins, bidding slowed down from there, but it didn’t stop. The price climbed steadily, and soon, the Substitute Lotus Seed surpassed the Throne of Frost, reaching a staggering 2,600 amethystine coins. Only then did the pace relax.

The top contenders in this auction were mostly the demon and nymph races’ elites. Everyone had a sense of what the seed was truly worth, even after some normal calculations. At 2,600 amethystine, it had already far exceeded its inherent value.

"Twenty-seven hundred!" VIP Room Ten raised again, and this prompted a moment of silence across the hall.

The dragon race winning this item meant something completely different from any other race or clan winning it. Everyone could imagine the devastation a Dragon Great Demon King could unleash if they burned their bloodline with no restraint.

"Twenty-eight hundred!"

This time, VIP Room Six joined in. It was their first bid today.

Tang San had long since investigated the room assignments. VIP Room Six represented Sky-Splitting City, home to the Behemoth clan. The city lord had once traveled to Kali City to propose to Mei Gongzi, only to be firmly rejected. For him to bid now was clearly about more than just winning the item; he didn’t want the dragon race to get it.

"Three thousand!" This bid came from VIP Room Two.

Room Two housed the city lord of Solar City, leader of the Scorching Sunflowers; he was one of the most powerful Great Demon Kings around, and kin to the Sunborne Nymph Emperor.

Among the VIP rooms not reserved for Emperors, the top-ranked were, in order: Celestial Fox City, Solar City, Nethermoon City, and Phoenix City.

Now even Solar City had joined in, proving the strategic value of this item. It was no longer about the money or the item itself. This was a matter of getting an advantage over the other clans and races. Even if they didn’t use the item themselves, they couldn’t let rivals obtain it.

When the price passed three thousand, Tang San’s finger, already on the input pad, paused.

It wasn’t that the Blue Gold Tree Clan lacked the means; on the contrary, Tang San was confident that they could match any clan’s wealth. Their amethystine reserves were simply ridiculous. But the real question was whether it was necessary. Was it worth involving himself into this competition?

And more importantly... What would other clans think if the Blue Gold Tree Clan, previously seen as non-threatening, swooped in and snatched up this strategic asset? He would instantly draw attention and scrutiny. What was he buying the seed for? Was he planning to actually compete for an Emperor’s seat in earnest? And if he did, then considering the Blue Gold Tree clan’s famous lack of combat power, what exactly gave him the confidence?

So Tang San did not act rashly. Instead, he fell into deep thought.

1. If this sounds like an

Art of War

quote, that’s because it is. ☜