Chapter 989: The Undying Golden Body

"Don't be upset. It was a fair competition. We just don't have the same resources as others, and there's nothing we can do about it," Su Qin consoled her daughter. "Besides, your second mother is right. That item wouldn't have been a good thing for you. It's better for us to keep a low profile while we're operating overseas. From now on, we need to focus all our efforts on the matchmaking tournament. That's what really matters."

"

Mmm.

" Mei Gongzi still had a furrowed brow, but she had calmed down a little. She raised a hand to touch her ear. At times like this, she really wanted to reach out to Tang San, to ask him what she should do. But with so many Emperors present and at such a critical moment in the auction, she didn't dare risk causing trouble and chose not to try contacting him.

"Alright, everyone. After three days of enthusiastic bidding, our mega-auction is nearing its end. On behalf of the Ancestral Court, I'd like to thank every participant, whether they bid for an item or not. Your presence here honors us. And now, let us present the final item of this auction, the climax of this event. I'm sure you're all wondering what kind of item could be worthy of the final spotlight. So, without further ado, let us reveal it."

With the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor's announcement, the crowd's attention locked in. The final item was about to be unveiled. In such an unprecedented, epic-level auction, what treasure could possibly deserve the final spotlight?

A golden-red figure descended from above, landing beside the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor. The figure was clad in a dark red cloak, and the light around it distorted, as if the figure had landed in the middle of a still lake and was causing ripples.

Even without seeing his face, most of the crowd instantly recognized him: it was the Undying Demon Emperor.

The Undying Demon Emperor nodded slightly to the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor, while the viewers were reeling.

What is this thing that it needs two Emperors to introduce it?!

The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor made a gesture of invitation and said, "This final item is provided by the Immortal Flame Phoenix line. Therefore, I've invited the Undying Demon Emperor to co-host this auction with me."

The Undying Demon Emperor nodded and said, "This is a very special divine item. I debated long and hard before deciding to offer it at this super auction. As you all know, divine items also come in grades, and the item you're about to see can be considered one of the most powerful divine items in this entire world."

As he spoke, a golden-red glow slowly rose between him and the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor. As it ascended, a scorching heat began to radiate outward.

It was a golden-red orb, about the size of a clenched fist. Golden-red light flowed within it, and one could faintly see shifting images inside—figures of phoenixes and dragons.

The Undying Demon Emperor spoke solemnly, "This divine item was forged by two Emperors. One was my father, the previous Undying Demon Emperor. The other was the Flame Dragon Demon Emperor, who ruled even before the Crystal Demon Emperor's time. The Flame Dragon Demon Emperor, as some of you may know, was hailed as the strongest fire dragon in history. He and my father were close friends.

"They once secluded themselves together to study the true essence of fire, and eventually, by combining the best abilities of their two races, they forged this divine item. They then spent a full century nurturing it. But in the end, something went wrong. Perhaps the harmony between dragon and phoenix was too perfect, causing the item to ascend beyond its intended level. Or perhaps, touching upon the ultimate essence of fire caused it to reject fire entirely. In any case, neither of our races could wield it. Instead, it responded best to gentler powers. Its name is the Undying Golden Body.

"This divine item cannot form a bond with a single master, but whoever holds it can use it... by sacrificing their own flame of life. Each time it's activated, it grants absolute defense. The level of defense is unmatched in this world, and when I say 'unmatched,' I really mean

unmatched

. As long as the flame of life burns, it grants the user a perfect, undying, indestructible form. And when the flame of life is extinguished, the orb will allow the user to be reborn from their ashes. This flame rebirth can only be used once, but the item itself can then be passed to the next user, who will also get a single use of it.

"While active, the Undying Golden Body grants immunity to all negative effects. Its defense can be described as truly absolute. Even if all Emperors here attacked together, as long as the flame of life still burns, the user will endure. In other words, if not for this single-use issue, it would practically be the divine item of all divine items, a truly supreme existence. I suppose you now wonder what happens if it's used a second time, so let me tell you. It can actually be used a second time for rebirth, it is possible. But what is burned will be your spirit,

all of it

. And once it burns out, you will be completely annihilated; your life will end there, and if there is a next life, you likely won't get to experience it."

This was no mere Substitute Lotus Seed; this was on an entirely different level. Not only would it resurrect the user, but it made them temporarily invincible. If a hundred opponents at once unleashed their strongest attacks and the bearer activated the Undying Golden Body in time, the hundred attacks would be a complete waste of effort.

But precisely because this item was so good, Tang San was genuinely puzzled.

This is absolutely a top-tier divine item even by my standards, one that could truly change the course of any battle anywhere. So why didn't he lend it to Mei Gongzi? Is it just because he doesn't want their connection to be found out? But even if that's the case, why would the Immortal Flame Phoenix clan be willing to auction off something of this caliber? No way. There has to be a catch.

"We shall now begin bidding. The base price is one hundred thousand amethystine coins. Each minimum raise will be five thousand," the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor announced.

Indeed, the Undying Golden Body would be the crown jewel of this final round. Even the starting price dwarfed some of the previous record bids.

Tang San hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to place a bid. Even though he didn't know what hidden flaws this item might have, he had already participated in nearly every previous bid for high-value items. If he sat out the final round, it would look suspicious. Thus, even though he had no intention of winning, he still bid, and he bid in the same style as always.

"One hundred fifty thousand amethystine coins, VIP Room Eight."

Right out the gate, he raised the price by fifty thousand.

The two Emperors on stage both looked toward Room Eight in unison.

Does money grow on trees these days?

After all the spending, the Blue Gold Tree clan could still bid one hundred fifty thousand? Without a doubt, after this auction, the Blue Gold Tree clan had become known as the wealthiest force on the continent, hands down.

"One hundred fifty-five thousand, VIP Room One."

"One hundred sixty thousand, VIP Room Two."

The bidding escalated quickly. As a divine item of absolute power, and one that could be wielded immediately in the upcoming Battle for the Throne, this thing was naturally in high demand. There were only a handful of such items across the entire Daemon Continent, and most were heirlooms of major clans. The very fact this one was up for auction was almost unbelievable.

However, because Tang San had raised the price by fifty thousand right away, the valuation soared too quickly. Although there was competition, the bidding pace was slower than one would have expected.

𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

When the price hit one hundred ninety thousand amethystine coins, the bidding stalled. Tang San had stopped bidding after his initial one hundred fifty thousand, seemingly unable to keep up.

"Clan Leader, let's win this item!" the Grand Elder said anxiously to Tang San. "This could ensure your safety! It sounds even better than the phoenix race's Nirvana Rebirth. We must win it at all costs. Burning the flame of life? That's fine. Who has more of that than we do? If all you have to do to win is set yourself on fire, then where's the problem with that?"