Chapter 983: Light Sprite

As far as Tang San was concerned, the situation was the exact opposite from what had happened with the God-Slaying Shuttle. While the rest of the participants had no idea, he knew what this miniature being was the instant he saw it, and he also realized a few other things. For one, he understood why Xu An'yu had been so restrained throughout the previous bidding rounds. By all logic, the dragon and phoenix races—especially the dragons, often hailed as the greatest powerhouses and also greatest hoarders of treasure—should not have remained this low-profile. They hadn't even properly competed with him for the Radiant Dragon Spear. It turned out that this was what they had been saving up for.

On stage, the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor looked at the furious little figure floating in the air, eyes full of admiration. "Many of you might not recognize her, so allow me to tell you what she is. In our world, what exists everywhere? Elements. Elemental energy of all kinds. Even our bloodlines carry their own elemental attributes. And this little figure before you is the very embodiment of the light element. She is what we call a Light Sprite.[1]

"Born from the extreme condensation of light energy and nourished over millennia, she can be considered a spirit of pure light. Wherever she is, there is light. All light naturally resonates with her. You can't even describe her as just a divine item—apart from being an actual intelligent spirit, her utility to any being of the light attribute far exceeds that of any artifact. Well, I won't say much more. If you're not of the light attribute, she won't be of much use to you. But if you are, and you gain her recognition, the enhancement she brings you will far surpass any divine weapon. The starting bid is thirty thousand amethystine coins, and the minimum increment is one thousand. You may start bidding."

The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor did not disclose the origin of this Light Sprite. A spirit born of pure elemental concentration was an exceptionally rare thing. Just as objects could attain sentience as long as they were infused with enough energy over a long enough time, elements too could develop consciousness. It was just that the probability was infinitesimal. Moreover, this Light Sprite was clearly not a newborn, but a mature being. Having her around was like having a practically endless supply of light energy.

The starting price of thirty thousand amethystine coins instantly surpassed the final bid for the Lifebond Necklace, showing just how precious she was. And yet, compared to that necklace, her usability was actually more limited. The light attribute was rather uncommon compared to other elemental attributes among both demons and nymphs. More importantly, none of the Emperors had a light-attribute bloodline; otherwise, this Light Sprite would never have been put up for auction.

But in the Battle for the Throne, there just so happened to be one such light-attribute powerhouse.

Xu An'yu's eyes turned red the instant the Light Sprite appeared. Even though he had known beforehand that she would be up for auction, seeing her for real confirmed her presence—and it filled him with awe.

Whether or not to auction the Light Sprite had been hotly debated within the Ancestral Court. The Emperors were nearly evenly split. In the end, the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor made the executive decision, opting to set a high starting price and release the item for bidding.

"We must get it, Clan Leader! We must!" The Blue Gold Tree clan's Grand Elder was already growing agitated. "She will greatly benefit our clan's growth, and her radiance will surely enhance your power as well."

Though Blue Gold Trees were not actual Life Sprites, the purity of their life energy was as close to the purity of a Life Sprite as anything could ever be. Thus, they could deeply sense the purity of the energy radiating from the Light Sprite. To let such an extraordinary being slip away would be a crime. Their own power might be life, but life and light had always shared a close affinity—not to mention that they were plants, and there was no better nourishment for them than light.

Tang San gave a small nod, but a mysterious smile remained at the corner of his mouth.

"Thirty thousand, VIP Room Ten." The first bid of the dragon race came the very second the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor finished speaking.

All the competing powers knew that Radiant Dragon King Xu An'yu was one of the strongest contenders in the Battle for the Throne. The dragons had been very conservative with their bids so far, but now they were unleashing their full strength. The timing of this bid reeked of absolute determination.

A moment later, the participants were treated to another spectacle.

"Fifty thousand, VIP Room Eight."

Ah, fuck. There we go again. The rich cat is starting.

This time, even Xu An'yu couldn't remain seated. He abruptly stood up, eyes blazing with unrestrained killing intent.

"You!!!"

What in the world had possessed that Jin Miaolin?!

"Sixty thousand amethystine coins, VIP Room Ten."

Xu An'yu didn't even bother with pocket change and directly kicked up the sum by a full ten thousand.

Everyone knew the Light Sprite was valuable, but the way the price skyrocketed from the very first bid left most participants dumbfounded. This was simply outrageous, beyond anyone's expectations.

Sixty thousand! That was sixty thousand amethystine coins! The previous record bid of twenty-five thousand had just been made... how long ago?

Tang San simply shrugged and raised it again.

"Seventy thousand, VIP Room Eight."

Xu An'yu's breathing grew heavy. Every member of the dragon race in VIP Room Ten was now on their feet.

In any other setting, they might have already stormed out to tear the arrogant Blue Gold Tree clan apart. In their eyes, the Blue Gold Tree clan had lower status than even the ants that lived on them. Without the protection of the Ancestral Tree, they were nothing but resources. Yet now, they were provoking people again and again, beyond tolerance.

"Eighty thousand, VIP Room Ten."

Xu An'yu gritted his teeth. If there were only one item he absolutely had to obtain, it was this Light Sprite. With her, becoming an Emperor was practically guaranteed. This was his opportunity to ascend, and it could not be missed. His eyes had long since turned bloodshot.

"Ninety thousand, VIP Room Eight."

The entire auction hall fell utterly silent.

Ninety thousand... Are we seriously still talking in amethystine coins? Did we switch to demonshards and I didn't notice?

No one could have imagined a Blue Gold Tree clan member wielding such overwhelming financial power.

VIP Room Ten fell silent for a moment. Then, a divine consciousness message echoed in Tang San's ears.

—Clan Leader Jin, must we truly become enemies?

Xu An'yu's voice was filled with rage and killing intent.

Tang San smiled faintly.

"Just fair competition, Brother Xu. Can't take the heat?"

Xu An'yu paused.

—Your clan can be neutral. The dragon race will support you. And I promise you: Whether or not I become the Lord of Crystal City, Crystal City will stand by your side.

"Duly noted,"

Tang San replied. And with that, his hand left the bidding button.

"Ninety-one thousand, VIP Room Ten."

The dragons raised the bid again, and this time, nobody challenged it. VIP Room Eight stayed silent.

"Any higher bids?" asked Celestial Fox Demon Emperor, though even he found the price a little hard to believe.

Over 90,000 amethystine coins? This might just be the highest price of the day. Will the last two items even surpass this?

He had a rough idea of the dragon race's total assets. Even across the entire dragon race, Tenebrous Dragon clan included, they likely couldn't mobilize more than 150,000 amethystine coins. And they had already made a few purchases before.

Over 90,000... This had surely emptied the dragon race's coffers.

Among all the clans attending, there were probably fewer than ten that could afford to bring out more than 100,000 amethystine coins. Spending over 90,000 on a single item was an unprecedented display of extravagance.

1. The word used here is indeed different from what we translated as "nymph." ☜