Chapter 953: Securing the Substitute Lotus Seed

"Three thousand three hundred amethystine coins, VIP Room Four." The auction attendant once again announced a new high bid.

Phoenix City had entered the fray. Even though they knew the Substitute Lotus Seed had no effect on the Immortal Flame Phoenix bloodline, Phoenix City still chose to bid at this moment.

The phoenix race already had two Emperors, so theoretically, gaining another wasn't all that critical. On the other hand, preventing the dragon race from gaining another Emperor was far more important; this something they had to do everything they could to ensure.

𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

So, in the bidding war over the Substitute Lotus Seed, the phoenix race made its move.

"Three thousand four hundred amethystine coins, VIP Room Ten." The dragon race countered, showing just how determined they were.

Meanwhile, the other demon and nymph races seemed to have silently agreed to stop bidding.

At this point, the price had already exceeded the Substitute Lotus Seed's actual value by more than a hundred percent. Tang San even suspected that the Sunborne Emperor might have a similar item in his possession; after all, the seed originated in the Solstice Empire. This seemed to be a classic case of sitting atop the mountain to watch the tigers fight. Once too much capital was burned on early items, bidders would be forced to give up on others later.

At that moment, a faint but distinct spiritual message sounded in Tang San's mind.

—

Push the bid higher. If you end up actually winning it, I'll compensate you.

There was no need to guess who it came from. It was a very familiar presence: The very Sunborne Emperor he had just been thinking about!

Compensation? Heh.

This was practically an imperial decree to bid. A faint smile tugged at the corner of Tang San's lips—this was exactly what he had been waiting for.

Other Emperors might not know the true wealth of the Blue Gold Tree clan, but Tang San was certain that the Sunborne Emperor, as the ruler of the Solstice Empire, knew it well. Tang San hadn't rushed to bid for this strategic item precisely because he had been waiting for this. If they didn't stir up trouble among the demons now, it wouldn't be in the country's interest. There were three Emperor positions up for grabs, and the Solstice Empire was surely aiming to secure two of them.

"Four thousand amethystine coins, VIP Room Eight!" The auctioneer's voice suddenly rose in pitch. This new bid instantly made VIP Room Eight the center of everyone's attention.

While the dragon and the phoenix races were caught up in their tug-of-war, VIP Room Eight suddenly entered the bidding again, raising the price dramatically. This was clearly some kind of tactical maneuver.

"VIP Room Eight... Who are they?"

"The Blue Gold Tree clan, I hear."

"Those lame trees? How dare they... Oh, wait. Didn't the Ancestral Tree just obliterate the Adamant Nymph Emperor recently?"

"It sure did. I suppose that explains how they dare."

A flurry of whispers swept through the crowd. The price of four thousand amethystine coins was nothing short of shocking, approaching three times the Substitute Lotus Seed's actual value.

Even dragons and phoenixes hesitated at that price. As valuable as the Substitute Lotus Seed was, it wasn't irreplaceable, and four thousand amethystine coins was simply too steep.

As time ticked by, the Tenebrous Emperor began the countdown.

"Four thousand amethystine coins, once!"

"Four thousand amethystine coins, twice!"

The auction attendant interrupted him. "Four thousand one hundred amethystine coins from VIP Room Ten!"

The dragon race had made another move after all.

The Substitute Lotus Seed was clearly far more important to dragons than it was to phoenixes. This time, the phoenix race didn't bid again. For them, draining the dragon race's finances with this item was a worthwhile result.

Even the Sunborne Emperor was pleased; forcing the dragon race to spend this much would definitely weaken their bidding power later.

But no one expected yet another bid. "Four thousand two hundred amethystine coins, VIP Room Eight."

Tang San maintained his calm smile as he input the new price.

He didn't need the Substitute Lotus Seed himself, nor did Mei Gongzi. But allowing it to fall into enemy hands was never ideal. And even if the two of them couldn't use it, others surely could.

The Sunborne Emperor had already promised compensation if Tang San actually secured the item. Why would he hesitate? An imperial decree was an imperial decree. The compensation would likely be at least half the cost. What was there to fear?

The Blue Gold Tree clan elders seated beside him also remained calm. They had no way of knowing about Tang San's other bloodlines, so in their view, this item was of great significance and worth acquiring.

The dragon race ultimately did not bid again. Inside VIP Room Ten, Xu An'yu's expression had truly darkened this time. Though the dragon race was wealthy, there were even more valuable and coveted items coming up in the auction. They couldn't overspend too early. Four thousand two hundred amethystine coins had already surpassed their planned budget.

This Substitute Lotus Seed was something Xu An'yu wanted for himself. Though most dragons in Crystal City supported him, in the end, it was every dragon to itself, and he couldn't simply funnel all resources his way. Even the wealthy Radiant Dragon clan had limits.

"Four thousand two hundred amethystine coins going once. Four thousand two hundred amethystine coins... twice. Four thousand two hundred amethystine coins... Sold! Congratulations to VIP Room Eight."

After announcing the final bid, even the Tenebrous Emperor couldn't help but glance once more at VIP Room Eight. Of the first three auction items, they had secured two, spending over six thousand amethystine coins in total. That was an astronomical amount.

But Tang San wasn't fazed. Foundation... What was a foundation? That ring on his finger, containing over

a million coins,

was his foundation. Six thousand? That was nothing. This was the true bloodline ability of the Blue Gold Tree Clan: Pay to Win!

The auction continued. When the fourth item was brought onstage, a collective sigh of relief seemed to ripple through the bidders: It was far less valuable than the previous three. Clearly, not all divine items were made equal. Even so, it was still a precious item, a longsword that started at a respectable two hundred amethystine coins.

The bidding remained lively, with many participants joining in. However, the VIP rooms remained silent. For them, an item at this level wasn't worth their attention.

Tang San also had a calm smile on his face. He wasn't in any hurry; in fact, he was already quite satisfied with the first two items. Even better, it wasn't even his own money; it belonged to the Blue Gold Tree clan. And he had no qualms spending the clan's money, because the path he was laying for the clan's future was worth far more than any amount of amethystine spent here. If the Blue Gold Tree Clan could spread the Ancestral Tree's radiance across the continent, becoming the life core of all the main cities, then the benefits to the Ancestral Tree's accumulation of planar life energy would be immense.

The Daemon Continent had already gathered too much fortune, and was poised to gather even more in the future. When exactly this momentum would lead to backlash or even collapse, Tang San didn't know; but as the self-titled catalyst of the continent's destiny, that was precisely what he wanted to find out.

If they wanted to condense fortune, then fortune they'd condense. He would help them push it to its peak, a peak so high that let alone the laws of the plane, even the laws of the universe would no longer tolerate it. And when that happened, the demon and nymph races, having reached their zenith, might no longer be able to dominate the world.

Only then would humanity finally have its chance.