Chapter 990: The Auction Ends

Tang San gently shook his head and said, "We've already drawn enough attention. If we even take the final item, then we'll truly be treated as major competitors. If you think about it, our constant bidding during this super auction significantly increased the Ancestral Court's revenue, so they will probably be very grateful for that. But precisely for that reason, we should quit while we're ahead. Let's leave this last one. Otherwise, if we grab it at a high price, people will start questioning our real reserves of Blue Gold Fruits."

With the amount of amethystine in his ring, let alone one Undying Golden Body, he could easily buy three of them. But to him, it simply wasn't important. The idea of burning one's flame of life to activate the Undying Golden Body definitely had some more nuances to it; there was no way that the Undying Demon Emperor had told people the whole story. Mei Gongzi was the Immortal Flame Phoenix clan's best shot at producing another Phoenix Emperor, but even if he couldn't give her the item now, nothing stopped him from giving it to another top phoenix race contender, or simply giving it to Mei Gongzi later. So why auction it off?

It would come as no surprise if there was something wrong with it. No, it would be weird if there

wasn't

.

"One hundred ninety-five thousand, going once... Any higher?" came the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor's voice.

Another record-breaking price. Almost everyone believed that such a powerful divine item, one that could drastically enhance combat ability and worked for anyone of any race, was definitely worth more than the Celestial Pillar previously auctioned.

Meanwhile, in Tang San's mind, he had already acquired the most valuable items of this auction, and everybody else could go pound sand.

To him personally, the Lifebond Necklace was the most important. Next, there was the Heart of Nature and the Black Tortoise Shield. Any one of these ranked far above the Undying Golden Body in his estimation.

Absolute defense? If the Black Tortoise Shield could be fully activated, wouldn't it offer the same protection? Absolutely. Tang San didn't believe anyone on this plane could break the Black Tortoise Shield, and more importantly, it didn't require him to burn off his life force. All he needed was the shield's acknowledgement and a bit of energy.

"Two hundred thousand, VIP Room Six." The Behemoth clan placed a higher bid.

It was clear now that the Behemoth clan was dead set on claiming victory in the upcoming Battle for the Throne.

"Two hundred and five thousand, VIP Room Two." The Scorching Sunflower clan also raised their bid again. As a fire-attribute clan with relatively low defense but high burst damage, the Undying Golden Body would be a tremendous boost for them.

This top-tier divine item, in the hands of either a demon or a nymph, would directly impact the outcome of the coming battle.

The bidding continued, but now each increase was met with hesitation. This was where financial backing truly showed! And in the end, it was the Scorching Sunflower clan that claimed victory, securing this powerful divine item for an astronomical two hundred and thirty thousand amethystine coins. The clan was going to have to tighten the belt for a long, long time after this.

"Congratulations to VIP Room One, and that concludes this auction," the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor announced with a smile. "Next, an Emperor will personally oversee the final exchanges. Those who bid successfully, please prepare your amethystine. Others may begin exiting the venue. Please maintain order and beware of opportunists."

With that, the mega-auction officially came to an end. Countless gazes lingered reluctantly on the Undying Golden Body, but the bidding was done. The clans that had secured powerful items were ready to showcase their might in the upcoming Battle for the Throne.

Tang San did not immediately leave his VIP room. He waited for the crowd to thin out before leading the elders of the Blue Gold Tree clan to meet up with those waiting outside. Together, they proceeded to the final exchange area.

When he arrived, other groups were still completing their transactions. The Undying Golden Body had likely already been collected by the Scorching Sunflower clan. The person currently finishing the transaction was... Mei Gongzi. She was paying for the Illusion God Mask, and the look on her face clearly showed how important this mask was for her.

Tang San's heart couldn't help but melt. Of course, he had also won many valuable items for her, though the time wasn't yet right to give them to her.

As Mei Gongzi completed her transaction and turned to leave, she stopped in front of Tang San, gazing at him intently. "The Blue Gold Tree clan is really rich, huh?"

Several groups ahead in line turned their heads at the comment—particularly those from the dragon race.

Tang San smiled faintly. "There's plenty left where that came from, and if you marry me, I'll give everything to you as a dowry. We could skip the matchmaking tournament altogether. How about it?"

He was deliberately teasing her. After all, there was no avoiding her wrath later, so why not have some fun while he was still alive?

Mei Gongzi snorted dismissively and was about to retort, but Tang San quickly added, "Don't be so quick to refuse, City Lord Mei. How about a bet? If I make it into the semifinals and we face each other, you have to admit defeat. If I don't make it, I'll give you the last item I won, the one that cost a hundred sixty thousand."

Mei Gongzi was briefly stunned. She hadn't expected him to propose such a wager. And indeed, she did hesitate for a moment. The inheritance from the human Emperor ancestors was undoubtedly priceless for humanity.

But for her, the matchmaking tournament was even more important. She paused for no more than a snap of the fingers, then shook her head. "No bet. I don't think you'll make it to the semifinals, but... You know what, I want you to. Since you enjoy courting death so much, I think I'll play matchmaker for you two."

With that, she turned and walked away

The matchmaking tournament determined her and Tang San's future happiness. How could she gamble it away, even for that Celestial Pillar?

Watching her leave, a faint smile curved Tang San's lips. He had expected that answer. He believed that in Mei Gongzi's heart, he was more important than the Celestial Pillar. Actually, the exact reason he'd proposed this wager was related to this, and it was not that he wanted to stroke his own ego. Rather, it was that the exchange between them was sure to be sensed by some of the Emperors. And since they were unaware of Mei Gongzi's relationship with him, what would they believe? That the Celestial Pillar didn't matter all that much to her. Naturally, this would ease the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor's suspicions.

Soon it was Tang San's turn at the exchange counter. While he hadn't won the final item, in terms of total spending and influence on the auction, he had undoubtedly been the brightest star, and his name was destined for the records.

As a result, the staff treated him with exceptional courtesy during the handover, even giving him a super VIP card. With this card, he could attend any Ancestral Court auction without paying any entry fee, and all final transaction fees would be discounted by 80%. It was a token of gratitude for his contribution.

Aside from the Celestial Pillar, which could not be taken away just like that, Tang San quickly stored all his other winnings inside his ring. As for gaining the Celestial Pillar's recognition, he wasn't in a rush. He couldn't afford to appear overly eager and attract unwanted suspicion from the Emperors. Moreover, there really was no point in doing it now. The legacy of the purported Human Emperor mattered immensely for humanity's future cultivation path, but very little for his own strength. It wasn't needed for the Battle for the Throne.

After completing all the transactions, Tang San led the elders out swiftly. He had other crucial business to do... like rushing to Mei Gongzi's side, this time under his real persona, to soothe her wounded heart.