novelzi Chapter 407: The Auction Begins
Chapter 407: The Auction Begins
Chapter 407: The Auction Begins
The reason for having two people bidding separately was to avoid drawing too much attention and maybe fake bidding against each other if needed. This was the Ancestral Court, rife with influential and formidable entities. Even though Tang San had tokens from three Demon Emperors, he dared not act recklessly here.
However, this grand auction was the main reason for his visit to the Ancestral Court, and he had to participate regardless of the risks.
During his days of crafting array discs, Crystalline remained in a peaceful slumber, showing no signs of awakening. Tang San could feel her silently absorbing his bloodline energy and some of the spiritual energy he had gathered from the world around him.
But this didn't cause him any problems. On the contrary, he found that his ability to draw in spiritual energy had increased by nearly thirty percent. The part Crystalline absorbed was less than the extra amount he drew in, so it didn't burden him. In fact, it even improved his cultivation speed and slightly purified his Mysterious Heaven Technique energy. So, having her imprint occupying his dantian wasn't a waste.
With that said, for Tang San, this was undoubtedly a hidden danger. The only thing that slightly reassured him was that he was sure Crystalline was a newly hatched lifeform, incredibly pure, and he was the first person she saw, so she regarded him as her father. She had no ill intentions toward him and likely never would. Additionally, she was highly intelligent and seemed to have strong learning abilities.
Another point of comfort for Tang San was that the Crystal Demon Emperor seemed to have completely forgotten about this little one. Despite leaving the Hell Garden for some time, the first Demon Emperor had never come looking for him.
The only concern was whether her constant absorption of energy inside him would lead to danger—what if she gathered energy until she accidentally blasted herself apart?
The queue for entry moved quickly. Those allowed in had already paid their deposits and received their number plates. Tang San followed the line of people ahead of him. He was finally about to enter the continent's foremost Great Beast Fighting Arena.
The Ancestral Court Great Beast Fighting Arena was built against a mountain, or rather, three adjacent mountain peaks. These three peaks formed a concave shape, and in the middle of these peaks, halfway up, a massive platform connected them—an impressive feat of engineering.
This platform was actually the arena. The spectator areas were set higher up on the peaks, carved out like caves of various sizes, suitable for demon and nymph spectators of all sizes. Each cave was single occupancy, and it seemed that the tickets were priced based on the location and size of the caves—the larger and higher, the more expensive.
In their eyes, the lack of any bloodline aura was far more terrifying than a powerful presence. If they couldn’t tell his cultivation, it could only mean he was an absolute monster.
Tang San didn't mind this. He was content as long as the top-level powerhouses didn't notice his overwhelming fortune from a distance.
Finally, the height of the staircase exceeded that of the platform of the Great Beast Fighting Arena. Continuing up the stairs, Tang San could see the dark red ground of the arena. The air seemed to grow heavier and more oppressive. Countless beings from various races had died here—some sentenced and forced to fight for their lives, others choosing to risk everything to train here.
After a second check of his badge, Tang San finally found his cave. The caves on the three peaks were densely packed, with a total number exceeding three thousand. Except for the topmost caves, the remaining ones could be occupied by bidders. The three-day auction really continued for three full days, and leaving midway meant forfeiting the right to return and continue participating. Thus, the caves had to be habitable. Of course, the ordinary caves were only suitable for sitting meditation. After all, no one would want to cultivate in such a place and absorb misfortune.
Tang San's cave was close to Zhang Haoxuan's because they had registered together. They arrived separately to avoid their relationship being noticed.
Zhang Haoxuan's position was 338, while Tang San's was 336.
The cave wasn't large, and it was rather far from the grand stage. Naturally, those without connections wouldn't be assigned the best positions.
Tang San's cave, number 336, was about ten square meters. Inside was a table with a crystal ball engraved with a miniature array for bidding. Besides that, there was some food, some water, and nothing else.
The seating was just a mat, and a telescope mounted on one side allowed for detailed viewing of the auction items. After all, the peaks were some distance from the arena. Not every bidder had Tang San's sharp eyesight.
"Master, I've arrived. I'm in cave 336."
—Good, let’s keep quiet and wait for the start.