Chapter 960: Shadowfiend Sword

The moment that black sword appeared, Tang San felt a subtle tremor ripple through him—not from his own divine consciousness, but from the projection of the Asura Sword. The will of the Asura Sword, although currently housed in Mei Gongzi's sea of consciousness, was still deeply linked to Tang San.

Could it be... artifact resonance?

Tang San was genuinely shocked. Since coming to this world, it was the first time he had experienced something like this. Even in the God Realm, such occurrences were exceedingly rare.

Artifact resonance... Others might not have understood what it meant, but as a former God King, Tang San was well aware. It meant that there was perfect compatibility between two artifacts, and not only that, but they were likely at the same level.

A transcendent divine item? Could this black sword actually be one? How is that possible?!

While Tang San was in shock, in VIP Room Eleven, Mei Gongzi had already stood up in astonishment.

Her surprise far exceeded Tang San's, since her connection to the Asura Sword was even stronger. When Tang San felt the resonance, she felt it even more acutely. The Asura Sword was actually humming in her sea of consciousness. Mei Gongzi didn't fully understand what the sword was telling her, but one thing was crystal clear: She

had

to win this sword.

It was connected to the Asura Sword. The divine weapon itself even transmitted a sense of longing to her. How could she let it slip away?

On the auction stage, the Golden Mammoth Demon Emperor began to speak.

"In front of you is the Shadowfiend Sword. It's a high-grade divine artifact; specifically, it's the foundational divine item of the Shadowfiend clan. As most of you know, the Shadowfiends are not exactly a popular clan, and there have recently been sightings of them within the Ancestral Court. Many recent thefts are believed to be their doing. This Shadowfiend Sword once belonged to their clan leader, who had the audacity to attempt a theft from an Emperor. That leader was ultimately slain by said Emperor, and this artifact has remained in the Ancestral Court's possession ever since. It is now up for auction in this grand auction.

"This artifact has multiple abilities. For one, it allows the wielder to become nearly invisible, which makes it ideal for assassination. It's also exceptionally sharp and can suppress divine consciousness, which means it is particularly lethal against it. The Emperor who defeated its previous wielder nearly fell victim to this ability. However, this artifact is extremely domineering. Using it can and will result in backlash. Without enough strength to suppress it, do not attempt to wield it. At minimum, one must be at the eleventh order and have an outstanding physique.

"Bidding begins at two thousand amethyst coins. Minimum increments of a hundred. Let the bidding begin."

The introduction was brief and honest, with no excessive hype. The artifact's unique attributes were clearly laid out, and the price was reasonable. Yet when bidding officially started, the room fell into brief silence.

Any divine weapon would attract bidders. But the Shadowfiend Sword was different.

First, there was the issue of its origins. As the foundational item of the notorious Shadowfiend clan, it was essentially tainted. Though the Ancestral Court now possessed it, few would want to publicly flaunt owning it. Moreover, the Shadowfiends had, in fact, tried—and failed repeatedly—to steal it back.

Second, while its powers were formidable, it posed real risk to the user. The Golden Mammoth Demon Emperor had been honest enough to warn that even Demon Kings might not be able to control it. That, coupled with its long disuse by any Emperor, spoke volumes.

"Twenty-one hundred amethyst coins."

The bid came from the Behemoth clan's VIP suite.

Given what Crystalline had revealed earlier, Tang San immediately understood who the bid was for: Lan Moqian wanted the Shadowfiend Sword.

She clearly met all the usage requirements: a powerful body, Great Demon King cultivation, and an elite bloodline. But if there was one item at this auction that Tang San was absolutely determined to obtain, it was this one. The sword's resonance with the Asura Sword was reason enough, even if it didn't turn out to be a transcendent divine artifact. Tang San had to secure it, for Mei Gongzi's sake, and to study it closely.

Before he could act, Mei Gongzi had already begun bidding. "Twenty-two hundred amethyst coins."

The Behemoths raised without hesitation. "Twenty-three hundred!"

"Twenty-four hundred!" Mei Gongzi showed no sign of backing down. This was her first bid of the day. With the Aetherheart Merchant Association behind her, Kali City's resources were not to be underestimated.

Since Mei Gongzi had entered the bidding, Tang San would not compete directly. And just as he had expected, no other competitors emerged. While unquestionably powerful, the Shadowfiend Sword was simply too niche.

The two continued exchanging bids rapidly, and the price soon exceeded three thousand amethyst coins.

Even the Golden Mammoth Demon Emperor looked surprised. In his mind, the sword was worth

maybe

two thousand. Had this not been the mega auction before a mega event, it might have failed to sell altogether. But now? It was hotly contested.

"VIP Room Eleven, thirty-three hundred."

"VIP Room Six, thirty-four hundred." Lan Moqian wasn't letting go. Sky-Splitting City was no pauper; the Behemoth clan was among the three strongest demon clans, with deep roots tracing back to ancient times.

"VIP Room Eleven, thirty-six hundred."

Instead of toning down, Mei Gongzi actually leaped by two hundred. For Kali City, this was quite a significant sum.

"VIP Room Six, thirty-seven hundred." Lan Moqian remained unshaken. She clearly had her eyes set on this sword.

Before Mei Gongzi could respond, a thunderous bid stunned the hall. "VIP Room Eight, five thousand!"

Until now, only the Blue Gold Fruit had reached that price. And now, the one placing the bid was none other than the Blue Gold clan leader.

A collective gasp swept through the audience.

Reckless extravagance. Truly reckless extravagance. Everyone knew by now that the Blue Gold Tree clan was rich; after all, they'd just earned twenty-five thousand. But to drop five thousand on a single item immediately after? That was madness. This was a fortune that could buy a large-size city!

Then came Tang San's voice from VIP Room Eight. "City Lord Mei, please don't bid further. I will take this item and offer it to you as a token of respect for our first meeting."

In VIP Room Eleven, the moment Mei Gongzi heard that five-thousand bid, her vision nearly went black. But the next moment, Tang San's words made her freeze.

A five-thousand-amethyst-coin gift? She thought back to his passionate gaze earlier, and her expression darkened considerably.

"The Blue Gold Tree clan isn't much in terms of strength, but they're certainly rich," chuckled Luo Qingzhu. "Well, what can I say? Let him buy it if he wants to."

But Mei Gongzi shook her head firmly. "No. I can't accept something from someone else so casually."