Chapter 985: Of Misfortune and Other Such

The Celestial Fox clan's mastery over fortune could not be any better known; by that token, the Misfortune Pearl had to be a divine item among divine items. The bidders were naturally excited.

It must be incredible. If we could use the Misfortune Pearl to hit the opponent with a curse of misfortune, at the level of a Great Demon King no less, how could they possibly continue to fight effectively? They'd be lucky to muster half their strength. And that's if they're also a Great Demon King. If their cultivation is lower, they might end up just cursed to death instead.

"But I must clarify its limitations," said the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor. "This Misfortune Pearl was forged through great effort, and it consumed much of my own energy. After all, our true intent from the get-go was to dissolve the power of misfortune. Therefore, during use, the pearl actively devours fortune. Over time, as fortune is consumed, the misfortune within is gradually purified. In other words, it is a divine item that weakens over time. Moreover, if the wielder carries it for too long, and especially if it goes without absorbing enough fortune to suppress the internal misfortune, they risk backlash. This is something to be extremely cautious of. However, as of now, it is in peak condition."

As he spoke, the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor extended his right foot and lightly tapped the floor before him. Instantly, a massive white array unfurled beneath him. A powerful suction force emerged from under his feet, pulling the fierce black mist—the very essence of misfortune—toward him like a thousand rivers returning to the sea.

He raised his hand, and a milky-white, pigeon-egg-sized pearl appeared in his palm. The black mist surged into it, and very soon, the once-white pearl had turned as black as ink.

This was a top-tier divine artifact, rare and bizarre beyond comparison.

In VIP Room Eight, Tang San narrowed his eyes as he watched the transformation of the pearl. So, the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor had long since realized the consequences of over-accumulating fortune. Who knew when he had crafted this orb... But even now, the clan's accumulation of fortune was clearly still inflicting misfortune on all races outside the Daemon Continent. The Sea Plague was a clear result of this.

What a scheme. Whoever possessed the Misfortune Pearl would gain a powerful edge in the Battle for the Throne. Misfortune afflicted during battle could sap even the strongest Great Demon Kings of their advantage. And each application of misfortune would gradually cleanse the pearl, drawing out the harmful energies.

Since the Celestial Fox clan would not be participating in the competition, it had nothing to lose. But once afflicted, the victim wouldn't just suffer for the duration of the battle; misfortune would linger, continuing to sap their luck over time. A devious artifact, indeed.

If the pearl was used frequently in the Battle for the Throne, the misfortune within would be significantly reduced, rendering it safe again... for the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor.

Without a doubt, the pearl was created using the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor's own luck. Only someone of his cultivation could contain such concentrated misfortune. If that misfortune wasn't released and purified in time, he himself would become the victim of its backlash.

In an ideal world, Tang San would've secured the pearl himself, sealed it away, and waited for the backlash to strike the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor. But after brief contemplation, he understood he couldn't do that.

Whoever won the Misfortune Pearl would surely be monitored closely by the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor, and perhaps even pressured to use it. Now was not the time for Tang San to draw such scrutiny. He couldn't afford to be under that gaze.

So let him go through with it. After all, the ones whose fortune would be drained were demons and nymphs.

"The starting bid is thirty thousand amethystine coins, and the minimum increment is one thousand. You may begin," announced the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor.

"Thirty thousand amethystine coins, VIP Room One." The first to bid was the Celestial Fox clan itself.

"Thirty-one thousand, VIP Room Six." The Behemoth clan entered the fray as well.

With only three items remaining, all the major powers began bidding without restraint.

In VIP Room Eleven, Mei Gongzi was hesitating under the persuasion of Luo Qingzhu. But just then, a low voice sounded in her mind.

"Don't. It invites fate and entanglements you don't want to have."

Hearing this, she immediately felt at ease. She whispered something to her two mothers; then, she proceeded to sit down and wait.

That voice, of course, wasn't Tang San's; he wouldn't risk revealing himself by using his divine consciousness here. It came from the Undying Demon Emperor, who just so happened to be one of those who had accompanied the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor to the Tainted Yellow Sea.

At first, the competition for the Misfortune Pearl wasn't too intense. Bids came in at intervals. But gradually, the pace quickened. More than half of the VIP rooms, as well as several bidders outside the VIP rooms, entered the competition.

Though the bids weren't jumping in massive leaps like they had for the Light Sprite, the price steadily climbed past fifty thousand amethystine coins.

In normal times, such a dangerous artifact would have deterred many due to the risk of backlash. But with the Battle for the Throne imminent, no one cared. This artifact could change the tide of any fight. Moreover, unlike the Light Sprite, which was only useful to light-attributed beings, the Misfortune Pearl could be used by anyone. In fact, the weaker the contender, the more valuable this item became to their ambitions.

The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor had played this masterfully. Auctioning the pearl not only earned him a fortune but also conveniently offloaded the misfortune. With so many powerhouses competing in the upcoming battles, the orb's harmful energies would be dispersed far and wide; none would fall upon the Celestial Fox clan.

Tang San simply watched in silence. The Misfortune Pearl was the third-to-last item. After it, two more remained, and it was almost certain they would be even more valuable. Without Tang San's bidding, the Light Sprite wouldn't have reached such heights. This pearl hadn't triggered such an explosive bidding war, but more people were competing, and its final price was still up to the whims of, well, fortune.

As expected, the bidding dragged on, and the price inched steadily upward. When it surpassed eighty thousand amethystine coins, the number of contenders finally began to drop. Strangely, it was the VIP bidders who began to bow out, while three participants from outside the VIP rooms continued fighting.

Regardless of where their money came from, this proved once again that there were crouching tigers and hidden dragons among the so-called commoners. Such wealth was truly astonishing.

"One hundred thousand amethystine coins!"

The Misfortune Pearl's final price hit the six-figure mark. This was a divine artifact capable of turning the tide, and for those looking to take a gamble, it was worth every coin. In the end, the Misfortune Pearl sold for 115,000 amethystine coins. It wasn't a major clan from the VIP rooms who claimed it, but an unknown bidder from the stands. Just who they were remained a mystery, but this was now the highest bid of the day, even surpassing the Light Sprite.

Meanwhile, Jin Miaosen turned to Tang San. "Big Brother, why didn't we bid for this one?"