Chapter 961: Jin Miaolin, Just You Wait

"VIP Room Eleven, fifty-one hundred amethystine coins." Mei Gongzi continued to raise the bid, expressing her unwavering stance.

In VIP Room Eight, Tang San felt a mix of helplessness and relief.

As expected of her! But also... damn. Well, I guess I tried.

Meanwhile, in VIP Room Six, no one continued to bid. The current price had already far surpassed the actual value of the Shadowfiend Sword.

Naturally, Tang San wouldn't bid again either.

"Fifty-one hundred amethystine coins, going once!"

"Fifty-one hundred amethystine coins, going twice!"

"Fifty-one hundred amethystine coins.... Sold! Congratulations to VIP Room Eleven!"

The Golden Mammoth Demon Emperor announced the final result with a hint of incredulity. They could afford to pay so much just for a divine weapon? The Peacock Demon clan truly was wealthy! But forking out over five thousand amethystine coins in one go must have been a major strain on their resources.

Mei Gongzi's expression was indeed a little sour, but she had no choice but to take the Shadowfiend Sword. She let out a cold snort and said hatefully, "Jin Miaolin of the Blue Gold Tree clan, just you wait! Don't let me see you in the tournament."

In VIP Room Eight, Tang San touched his nose helplessly.

Jin Miaosen whispered, "Big Brother, did the Ancestral Court order you to hike up prices? You'd better be careful not to make too many enemies. Aren't you still hoping she'll become my sister-in-law? I think you're out of luck this time."

"Look, I really did want to give it to her," Tang San said, feeling exasperated.

Jin Miaosen chuckled. "Well, if people could win a girl's heart just by giving her gifts, it would be pretty easy, wouldn't it? If you can't win in the martial tournament, there's nothing to be done. Better find another sister-in-law! Mei Gongzi is probably a lost cause for you. If there wasn't a martial tournament, maybe money could sway things a bit, but with that tournament...

sigh

. Big Brother, you have to face reality."

Tang San knew that Jin Miaosen's reasoning was perfectly sound, judging from Jin Miaolin's situation, but it still felt unpleasant to hear.

𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Fifty-one hundred amethystine coins—a new record high that set the venue buzzing with excitement again. Everyone had just had a break, so the bidders were in peak condition, ready for the next item.

"Bring up the next auction item," the Golden Mammoth Demon Emperor said in a deep voice.

The Shadowfiend Sword sank away and disappeared. A new platform slowly rose, revealing a new item for auction.

"This was put up for auction by the Adamant Nymph clan. It's called the Adamant Heartshield Mirror, and as the name implies, it's a piece of armor. It is not a divine item, but its defensive abilities are at the level of an ordinary divine item. It also enhances the wearer's overall defense by at least twenty percent. When activated with one's bloodline power, it forms an adamant shield over the skin."

It was a piece that looked like a crystalline half-sphere, radiating a soft glow. It definitely fit the description, although it was rather on the large side for something that was created to protect just the heart.

"The starting price is three hundred amethystine coins. Each raise shall be no less than ten amethystine coins. Bidding begins now."

Hearing this starting price, many bidders felt inexplicably relieved. Finally, something that wasn't some priceless treasure! If everything was that rare, their hearts would be unable to take it.

"Three hundred ten amethystine coins!"

For an item like this, Tang San had no interest. A single-area defensive item was great for warriors who fought mainly with their bodies, and the Adamant Nymph clan did make quality goods, but it wasn't something worth competing for.

In the end, the Adamant Heartshield Mirror sold for six hundred amethystine coins.

The next few items were actually not divine items, but they were all special pieces of equipment that could match divine items in certain aspects. For those who needed them, they were practical and affordable, and they quickly found buyers.

The Golden Mammoth Demon Emperor didn't bother with lengthy introductions; he just outlined the basic features of each item. But with this auction's exceptional caliber and the bidders' eagerness, every item sold for a good price.

Through Tang San's divine consciousness, he could tell that once the second round of evening auctions started, most of the Emperors had already left the upper-level VIP suites. From that alone, he could tell this second round didn't have anything truly earth-shattering. After observing for a while, he began meditating in his suite. Nothing particularly caught his eye.

The only thing that still puzzled him was the Shadowfiend Sword. A weapon capable of resonating with the Asura Sword could not possibly be an ordinary item. Even if it wasn't a transcendent divine weapon, it was surely related to one. Yet, the Emperors didn't seem to care much about it, and were obviously unaware of its true power. This oversight had allowed Tang San and Mei Gongzi to snag it at a "bargain."

The auction continued late into the night. By the end, everyone was weary and most chose to meditate on their seats to recuperate, waiting for the next day's excitement. It was not comfortable, but they couldn't do much about it. As for the VIP rooms, they had much better conditions, so those who used them had a lot less to complain about.

After a day of auctioning, Tang San's main haul was the Throne of Frost and two Substitute Lotus Seeds. They were both items he didn't need for himself, but others had plenty of use for them. But the money in the Blue Gold Tree clan's vaults had not diminished; instead, it had actually increased. After all, he'd sold a bunch of Blue Gold Fruits for no less than thirty thousand amethystine coins. He even wondered if he'd be able to spend it all at this auction.

The night passed without incident, and early the next morning, the entire auction house was bustling once again. With the place packed to the brim, it was a noisy affair even before the auction officially began.

According to the rules, this was also the time for bidders who had participated the previous day to settle their payments and collect their winnings. This was not really common practice, but for the sake of ensuring things were transferred to the new owners and money was transferred to the sellers—and the auction house, of course—without mistake or any possibility of fraud, the Grand Auction Hall was implementing this system for the time being.

Tang San quickly washed up and, accompanied by several elders, headed for the transaction area of the auction house. Even in this Grand Auction Hall, so long as there were no Emperors around, no one could guarantee there wouldn't be trouble. Shadowfiend demons could be lurking anywhere. Certainly, while the items were still under the auction house's care, it was their responsibility to ensure safety. But once the item changed ownership, it was up to the new owners to protect their purchases. The auction house bore no responsibility. Naturally, even Tang San was extremely cautious.

He chose a slightly later time to pay and collect his items to avoid the lines. VIP room bidders had a separate transaction area, apart from the general crowd, so that also spared him some headache.

When he arrived at the auction house's settlement area, he saw two groups ahead of him. One of them was Mei Gongzi's group.

She was accompanied by her mothers, along with the other two Great Demon Kings from the Peacock Demon clan. It was a truly formidable entourage.

Besides them, the other group was the Behemoth clan's representatives from VIP Room Six. Jin Anguo was there with Lan Moqian and several other Behemoths, finishing up their transactions, and just as Tang San arrived, they ran straight into Mei Gongzi's group.

Lan Moqian's gaze fell on Mei Gongzi, instantly turning icy. "The Peacock Demon clan has no Emperor, but you sure have plenty of money."

Mei Gongzi looked at her calmly, fully understanding the reason behind the provocation, and smiled faintly. "My city is just a little countryside town, really. How could we possibly compare with Sky-Splitting City?"

Lan Moqian let out a cold laugh. "You'd better be careful in the upcoming martial tournament. If a woman among the top three chooses you... that would be rather embarrassing."

Mei Gongzi smirked. "Are you talking about yourself? I don't think that's very likely."

Lan Moqian raised an eyebrow. "You're awfully confident, aren't you?"