Chapter 966: Purchased at a Sky-High Price

"Big Brother, is this thing really useful?" Jin Miaosen couldn't help but ask. Eleven thousand amethystine coins... Sure, they'd earned a lot yesterday, but this spending was still intense!

Tang San smiled slightly. "Tell me, what do trees need to grow? Sunlight and water, right? For us, radiance is the best nourishment. Besides, the Radiant Dragon Spear can actually enhance my strength. I got to learn some spear techniques while traveling, and I'm not doing too badly. And for this upcoming tournament, I lack a weapon. I think this spear suits me well."

"As long as you like it, that's fine." Jin Miaosen grinned. After all, her brother had already earned more than that. Seeing a few Blue Gold Fruits sell for tens of thousands of amethystine coins had completely convinced her. Outsiders didn't know how the Blue Gold Fruits were produced, but she was well aware.

Gritting his teeth, Xu An'yu raised his bid once again.

"Eleven thousand one hundred amethystine coins, VIP Room Ten."

Calmly, Tang San keyed in yet another number.

"Twelve thousand, VIP Room Eight!"

At that moment, Crystalline's voice echoed inside him.

"Daddy, you're doing this on purpose, aren't you? Just because he flirted with Mei Gongzi?"

"I sure am! Why, feeling sorry for your disciple?"

Tang San chuckled.

"To be honest, I didn't expect you to be so petty. This Radiant Dragon Spear is very important to the Radiant Dragon clan. If you really buy it, there might be a lot of trouble,"

Crystalline couldn't help but comment.

Tang San smiled.

"No, there won't be. I have you. The dragon race won't dare make trouble for me. Also, I'm not this petty normally, but when it comes to Little Mei, I don't care about anything or anyone else. Whoever tries anything will suffer the consequences."

Indeed, as grand and magnanimous as he was in other matters, Tang San could not be any pettier when it came to matters of the heart.

In VIP Room Ten, Xu An'yu once more grabbed the fuming Tang Mohuang, who was so furious he was practically breathing fire, and dragged him back to his seat. If he lost his head now or let his acolytes run wild in front of so many Emperors, how could he ever become Lord of Crystal City in the future?

Twelve thousand. Twelve thousand amethystine coins...

It was way beyond his budget.

"Keep bidding, Brother An'yu. I can lend you some of my money," Sun Honghao suddenly offered.

Xu An'yu was momentarily stunned. When Sun Honghao had bid for the Throne of Frost, he hadn't offered any help. Yet now he was offering support out of the blue.

Taking a deep breath, Xu An'yu shook his head with a bitter smile. "I can't be that selfish. This money isn't mine; it belongs to the Radiant Dragon clan. Even though we want this weapon desperately, if the price goes any higher, it won't be worth it. Forget it. I'm giving up."

Deep down, he wanted to keep bidding; he felt that Sun Honghao's few thousand coins would have given him a chance. But spending such an outrageous sum on a single item would put too much strain on the Radiant Dragon clan. Worse, if he still failed to win the Battle for the Throne despite having that spear in his hand, he might never have a chance at becoming an Emperor again. The pressure he would be subject to within the dragon race would be enormous.

In the end, rationality triumphed over emotion. He gave up, reluctantly but decisively.

"Twelve thousand amethystine coins... Any more bids?" the Soul Capturer Nymph Emperor called, his heart full of astonishment.

He knew that he'd been wrong earlier. This was not price hiking, this was truly about wanting the artifact! Jin Miaolin of the Blue Gold Tree clan was fearless!

While many believed that the fall of the Adamant Nymph Emperor happened entirely at the hands of the Ancestral Tree, the Soul Capturer Nymph Emperor begged to differ.

Before the battle with the Adamant Nymph Emperor, Jin Miaolin had appeared utterly calm. During the clash, the projection of the Ancestral Tree had indeed supplied Jin Miaolin with vast life energy. But the Soul Capturer Nymph Emperor, who knew the Adamant Nymph Emperor's might intimately, felt that even that surge of life energy wouldn't have been enough to kill it under normal circumstances.

Yet the outcome was undeniable. The Adamant Nymph Emperor had fallen. In other words, notwithstanding the Ancestral Tree's power, was Jin Miaolin himself really as weak as people thought he was?

The Soul Capturer Nymph Emperor's eyes narrowed as he suddenly realized something: perhaps this young Blue Gold Tree clan leader truly intended to compete in the Battle for the Throne, aiming to secure a spot. Judging by their recent sale of Blue Gold Fruits, the Blue Gold Tree clan was certainly not lacking in resources.

"Twelve thousand amethystine coins, once!"

"Twelve thousand amethystine coins, twice!"

"Twelve thousand amethystine coins... Sold! Congratulations to VIP Room Eight!"

After three calls, the Radiant Dragon Spear was officially sold to VIP Room Eight at the staggering price of twelve thousand amethystine coins. This was already the third record-priced item won by the same buyer, sending the entire auction hall into an uproar.

Though the Blue Gold Tree clan had participated in the first day's auction, it was nothing compared to today. Yesterday's purchases of the Throne of Frost and Substitute Lotus Seed together hadn't cost as much as this single artifact. They'd spent close to nineteen thousand amethystine coins in total, three quarters of the money earned from selling the Blue Gold Fruits.

"Present the third lot." The Soul Capturer Nymph Emperor's emotions were mixed, while the atmosphere in VIP Room Ten was far from good.

Xu An'yu sat there with a dark expression. As the final call fell, it felt like a huge blow—as if the auctioneer's gavel had crushed something inside him.

He'd gone to so much trouble to bring the Radiant Dragon Spear to auction, only for it to be snatched away. It was a colossal humiliation.

"Brother, maybe we should..." Tang Mohuang leaned closer, his eyes full of murderous intent.

Xu An'yu glanced at him coldly. "This is the Ancestral Court. And he's a city lord. Do you realize how many Emperors are backing him? Don't say such brainless things again."

Tang Mohuang protested, "So we just let him walk away with it? Let him strut around like that? Does the Blue Gold Tree clan really have that much money? Didn't they say selling the Blue Gold Fruits meant they'd have nothing left for a century? And he just spent it all in one go?"

Sun Honghao sneered. "You actually believe everything they say? The Blue Gold Fruits are valuable, no doubt, but do you think they just sold all of them? I don't buy it. And even if they did, what makes you think they haven't sold some more

before

this auction? No... The Blue Gold Tree clan must be up to something big. And Xu An'yu's right, no one can provoke them without an Emperor's support."

Xu An'yu took a deep breath, and his face regained its calm expression. "Let's wait and see. The auction isn't over yet. Not getting the Radiant Dragon Spear doesn't necessarily mean I'm out of the running."

Meanwhile, in VIP Room Eight, Jin Miaosen was elated. Although she'd been rather wary about Tang San bidding on the spear, now that it was won—taken from under the dragon race's noses, no less—it felt like an enormous triumph. When had the Blue Gold Tree clan ever been this dazzling?

The other elders had no objections at all. From the start, they'd planned to give their all to support Tang San. With his successful appointment as Lord of Skytree City, the foundation was already secure. Over these days, how could they not see that only in Tang San's hands could the Blue Gold Tree clan truly revive?

The auction continued. The third piece was still an excellent item, though not as spectacular as the first two—a suit of armor that could adjust to any body size, offering superb defense. But Tang San had no interest in it, leaving it to others to compete.

The auction rolled on, rare treasures appearing one after another. Perhaps driven by Tang San's massive bids, the second day's prices were even more inflated than the first, and the auction hall was truly ablaze with excitement.