Chapter 954: The Blue Gold Fruit Appears

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The auction continued in full swing; each item was exceedingly rare, so much so that no one dared miss their chance to bid. Once it was gone, it was gone for good. The most sought-after items were naturally weapons, equipment, and various natural treasures that could be used directly in the Battle for the Throne. Of course, all items meant to be used by Great Demon and Great Nymph Kings carried extraordinary value, but these were the absolute cream of the crop.

While the other VIP rooms continued to place bids sporadically, VIP Room Eight, which had stolen the spotlight earlier, suddenly quieted down. Nobody believed they'd suddenly run out of funds, so there could only be one explanation: They were waiting for the next big thing.

"Your Majesty, just as you instructed, I secured the Substitute Lotus Seed. What sort of compensation will I receive? Are you going to reimburse me?"

In VIP Room Eight, Tang San was currently communicating via divine consciousness with the Sunborne Nymph Emperor.

—Who told you to actually win the bid? You were just supposed to raise the price on them,

the Sunborne Nymph Emperor replied irritably.

"Well, since you asked me to, I just tried a little harder. I was originally planning to let it go if the Dragon clan raised the price again. Who knew they'd stop after following with a five-hundred increase earlier, but not go another hundred?"

He added a trace of grievance to his tone, as if he'd been greatly wronged.

—Well, it's already done. And anyway, it might be useful to you,

the Sunborne Nymph Emperor said calmly.

"So, about that reimbursement...?"

Tang San tested the waters.

—When did I ever say I'd reimburse you?

"Huh? Didn't you say you'd compensate me? You can't go back on your word! I was even planning to keep bidding as per your instructions. We still have some reserves left,"

Tang San replied in a lowered tone.

The Sunborne Nymph Emperor seemed to hesitate briefly, and Tang San could almost see him rolling his eyes.

—Fine, I'll give you another Substitute Lotus Seed as compensation. Consider it reimbursement.

As expected, you have some of these natural treasures in reserve. Heh, I knew you'd try to pull off something like this. Well, don't mind if I do, these things are always welcome

. He wasn't worried about the Sunborne Nymph Emperor going back on his word. Since it was Sunborne himself who had instructed him to bid, it would be foolish to alienate Tang San now.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Tang San didn't press further and simply went with the flow.

—Sure, sure. Anyway, continue bidding. You signed up for the tournament, didn't you? Buy some necessities for yourself. But don't push too hard in the competition. Every contestant this time is going all out.

"Thank you for the warning, Your Majesty. Don't worry, I understand. It's just a trial for me, nothing more,"

Tang San replied with a lighthearted chuckle.

Two Substitute Lotus Seeds and the Throne of Frost—not bad at all.

"Next up is the tenth auction item. This item is incredibly rare. Whether you use it in battle or otherwise, it's practically as valuable as a second life... no, maybe even more valuable," announced the Tenebrous Demon Emperor, his tone revealing a hint of excitement. This was the first time he had begun introducing an item before it was presented.

As the platform slowly rose, a soft blue-golden light shone brightly atop the auction stage, like a rising blue-golden sun. The item was not hidden in any way, and its aura radiated freely.

Rich, dense life energy permeated the air, even causing a faint blue glow to appear around the Tenebrous Demon Emperor himself.

It was a fruit. About the size of a fist, deep blue in color, and with golden flecks resembling stars adorning its surface. A dark blue halo surrounded it—the aura of pure life energy. One could vaguely sense the tremendous amount of life energy contained within. What was more interesting was that it didn't merely emit life energy; it also appeared to absorb other energies from the air, converting them into even more life energy.

Such a miraculous scene immediately drew the attention of all bidders.

In regular auctions, every tenth item was typically something especially valuable, used to rekindle bidder enthusiasm. This grand auction clearly followed that rule. Even a single glance at this tenth item revealed its extraordinary value; it was easily comparable to the first three items.

The Tenebrous Demon Emperor's eyes sparkled slightly as he introduced it. "This item is without a doubt extraordinarily precious. Even Emperors can benefit greatly from it. I used one myself a while back, so I can guarantee its effectiveness based on personal experience.

"Many of you can probably recognize this as a Blue Gold Fruit from the Blue Gold Tree clan. Indeed, this is one of the rarest treasures. The Blue Gold Tree clan is a lineage descended from the Ancestral Tree, wielding the power of life itself. These fruits are produced only after a Blue Gold Tree reaches maturity. Typically, a mature Blue Gold Tree can produce one fruit per year or so. But Blue Gold Fruits vary greatly in quality. Those produced by Blue Gold Trees below the tenth order are also valuable in their own right, but those produced by Nymph Kings and Great Nymph Kings... are beyond value."

Listening to the Tenebrous Demon Emperor's heartfelt praise, even Tang San was a bit surprised. Since when was the Tenebrous Demon Emperor so fond of the Blue Gold Tree clan? He was clearly exaggerating! But why was he so enthusiastic about it? How good could that fruit possibly be?

The Tenebrous Demon Emperor continued, "Blue Gold Fruits are second to no other natural treasure in terms of life energy, which makes them peak-tier healing medicine without any side effects. Most advanced healing medicines stimulate your own life force to recover, which can harm your vitality. Blue Gold Fruits don't. They infuse you with pure, balanced life energy that nourishes and heals. Furthermore, their high-level vitality can significantly improve your physical condition. And most importantly, anyone of any level from any race can safely consume them, and they will have an effect. A Blue Gold Fruit from a Great Nymph King can even extend an Emperor's life by a hundred years. Though it's only effective once, who wouldn't value a century of life? Of course, such fruits are incredibly rare; a single Blue Gold Tree Great Nymph King can only produce two to three in its lifetime."

Hearing this, Tang San glanced at the Grand Elder, who was sitting beside him, in surprise. If he remembered correctly, there were a couple dozen of these high-grade fruits in his storage ring.

The Grand Elder glanced back, a completely innocent smile decorating his wizened face.

—Yeah, about that... Clan Leader, you know what things are like. To sum up... That's just the official story. We can actually produce one every five years. But I believe you haven't produced any yourself, and I advise you not to do it just yet. Producing Blue Gold Fruits affects our life essence; it's not much, but still, it's the life essence. Moreover, if you one day become an Emperor, your first Blue Gold Fruit would be a treasure that could shake the continent. Even other Emperors might go mad for it.

Tang San had to physically restrain himself from shaking his head in disbelief.

You guys are absolutely ruthless! That's what I call a monopoly! You have all the resources, create artificial scarcity, and then whatever price you call becomes THE price.

At his other side, Jin Miaosen sat quietly with her head lowered and face flushed. The Blue Gold Fruit she had tried to sell that day was certainly not from a Great Nymph King, but she had later learned it could still extend one's lifespan by five to ten years, and even after eating it, one could still eat higher-level Blue Gold Fruits and enjoy the effects. Its true value was somewhere in the realm of one hundred amethystine coins; the ten coins she'd been unsuccessfully haggling for meant nothing whatsoever.

Innocence has a price—and that price is squandering family fortune. Luckily, Tang San had stepped in just in time.

1. The title of this chapter has been shifted to the next chapter due to being connected to it (and in no way to this one), and this chapter has been named something more in line with the content. ☜