33: Hybrid Gluttonous Corpse

The sky-high starting bid of 5 billion Spirit Stones did not draw a single challenge from the crowd.

"Six billion!"

Lord Yan called out the price. At this moment, his drunkenness had completely dissipated. He looked down at the auction stage, his gaze sharp and his voice authoritative.

Unseen, a great force of heaven and earth enveloped him, making everyone feel a heavy pressure in their hearts.

"Seven billion!" The Crown Prince of Yan snorted coldly, completely unafraid.

"Haha, on the territory of my Wu Dynasty, how can we let outsiders steal all the thunder?"

The Crown Prince perked up again. He understood the value of the Small Sumeru Mountain Spirit Gathering Array; to the Wu Dynasty, it was nothing short of a national treasure. He dared to bid boldly even without the money.

Emperor Wanwu would surely back him up.

"Seven point one billion!"

The Seventh Prince of Changsheng felt conflicted. How he wished to bring this item back to the Southern Border, but even if he had enough Spirit Stones, he lacked the ability to escort it back. He could only watch helplessly as this supreme treasure fell into the hands of others.

"This mountain should belong to my Demonic Sect!"

A black-clad man from the Blazing Demon Sect of the Western Desert no longer concealed his identity and laughed loudly, "Eight billion!"

"Demonic Path rat, speaking nonsense."

A Venerable Monk from Buddha Temple manifested his golden Dharma Aspect, and the rich golden light illuminated the entire auction hall.

"This item has a karmic connection with this humble monk."

"May I ask what price the Venerable Monk offers?" Behind Shang Yingxue, a Dharma Aspect Realm elder appeared, dispelling all pressure.

"Amitabha, eight point five billion!"

The Venerable Monk from Buddha Temple directly stated the highest price he could bear.

Seeing cold sneers coming from the private rooms of other super forces, he added, "If any patron is willing to forge a good karma, this humble monk will not refuse. In the future, I will surely repay the patron with a great fortune."

Translated, it meant: give me money, and I'll repay you with good fortune later.

"Isn't that the renegade disciple of Buddha Temple, Great Master Wujie? I heard he acts without restraint and is most skilled at swindling and deceiving..."

"It seems the orthodox faction of Buddha Temple didn't send anyone to participate in the auction..."

Someone recognized the Venerable Monk's identity, instantly freezing the atmosphere.

Great Master Wujie, out of respect for the Heaven and Earth Merchant Guild, couldn't act against the person who exposed his past, so he could only explain:

"Patron, your words are mistaken. People often only see the surface of all things and not their essence.

What you perceive as good may not be good, and what you perceive as evil may not be evil.

The rolling Mortal World is like purgatory. Wujie, Wujie, only by letting go of everything and throwing oneself into purgatory can one see the true self.

Young friend, today's cause, tomorrow's effect. If you believe this humble monk's words and offer a small amount of Spirit Stones to my Buddha, it may save your life one day."

As he spoke, his demeanor was solemn and dignified, and Buddha's light shone, swaying people's hearts.

"Old bald donkey, if you have no money, get lost."

Lord Yan became agitated and roared, "Nine billion! I'd like to see who dares to contend with this Lord!"

"Nine point one billion!" The Crown Prince of Great Wu said in a deep voice.

"Nine point five billion!" Bloodshot veins appeared in the Crown Prince of Great Yan's eyes. He was already nearing his limit.

The Great Yan Imperial Dynasty and the Merfolk Dynasty had previously bid on many items, and now their combined Spirit Stones barely approached 10 billion.

"Ten billion!" Lord Yan's breathing became slightly heavy.

The Great Yan Dynasty was in the hot lands of the Western Desert, where the common people were not wealthy, and the national treasury was empty. He was also not diligent in governance, spending his days in revelry, so he didn't have much Spirit Stone reserves on hand.

Any further increase would harm the foundation of the nation.

This amount made many people sober up.

Not all super forces could produce 10 billion Spirit Stones at once.

Moreover, they needed to consider whether they could keep this important treasure after acquiring it. After all, it wasn't a one-time item; it needed to be placed permanently at their Sect.

If, in order to bid on this, the entire Sect fell into poverty, lacking Spirit Stones for Cultivation, failing to improve their strength, and encountering external enemies, what was the probability of them being able to defend it?

For a time, no one made a bid.

Just as Lord Yan was about to breathe a sigh of relief, White Plain and Ji Wuhuang, in the adjacent rooms, spoke almost simultaneously.

"Ten point one billion." "Ten point five billion."

"It's you again, you little girl, ruining this Lord's plans!"

Lord Yan was furious, wishing he could hang Ji Wuhuang up and beat her, but he only dared to think about it, not actually lay a hand on her.

The Great Yan Dynasty still had to rely on the Sun Moon Imperial Dynasty. If he truly laid a hand on the Sun Moon Imperial Dynasty's little princess, he believed that with Her Majesty the Empress's protective nature, the Sun Moon Imperial Dynasty's iron army could breach the borders of Great Yan the very next day.

"Hmph, eleven billion!"

Ji Wuhuang was a little annoyed. She had been outbid by the hidden individual next door for all the heaven and earth great medicine auctioned earlier.

But now, this item was crucial, and she absolutely would not let go.

The Sun Moon Imperial Dynasty had more than a dozen large Spirit Stone mines in its homeland, and after conquering the hundreds of thousands of mountains in the Southern Border, they had gained many more. She wanted to see who could compete with the Sun Moon Imperial Dynasty in terms of financial resources.

"Twelve billion."

White Plain's bidding voice hesitated slightly. She looked at Xia Xuan, but saw that Xia Xuan was calm and composed, showing no sign of giving up.

Shang Yingxue felt strange. His Highness, King Chu, was acting as a shill for her Heaven and Earth Merchant Guild for free.

Was he not afraid that he himself would be the one to eventually win the bid?

"Thirteen billion!" Ji Wuhuang's voice trembled slightly.

"Keep adding," Xia Xuan instructed.

His idea was simple: as long as this great array didn't end up in the hands of the Wu Dynasty, it was aiding the enemy. Since it was aiding the enemy, it shouldn't be too easy to aid them.

If the profit didn't meet his expectations, he might as well take it himself, modify it into a higher-quality Spirit Gathering Array, and then sell it to the Heaven and Earth Merchant Guild.

"I don't believe you still have Spirit Stones after bidding on so much heaven and earth great medicine earlier."

Ji Wuhuang gritted her silver teeth and continued to raise the price.

Finally, when she raised the price to the sky-high sum of 18 billion, there was finally no sound from the next room... "Eighteen billion, going once, twice, three times."

Shang Yingxue struck the gavel, her smile brilliant, "Congratulations, Princess Wuhuang, on successfully bidding for the Small Sumeru Mountain Spirit Gathering Array."

Many people from the middle and upper classes in the venue were already speechless, stunned by the financial power displayed by the Sun Moon Imperial Dynasty.

Xia Xuan didn't know how much Ji Wuhuang earned, but with his shill, he himself earned 30% of 18 billion, which was 5.4 billion Spirit Stones.

As the auction neared its end, the items appearing became increasingly precious.

"The next item is a demon corpse."

Shang Yingxue raised a hand, and on the display stand behind her, a massive demon corpse suddenly appeared. Its entire body was covered in hard black scales interspersed with red fur, it had sharp long horns on its head, a ferocious beast mouth on its belly, and eyes in its armpits, making it incredibly malevolent.

Because it was sealed by a spatial treasure, its true form was even larger than what everyone saw. Just a hint of its aura sent shivers down people's spines, making them feel uneasy.

Whisps of Death Qi could even make Divine Martial Realm Cultivators feel a chill down their backs.

"This is the corpse of a mixed-blood Taotie, which died in the ancient period. Records show it once wreaked havoc in an area, devouring tens of millions of living beings, and was later ambushed and killed by a great array set up by a Guest Elder of my Heaven and Earth Merchant Guild.

Its corpse is well preserved, its true spirit completely extinguished, but the remaining soul power has not dissipated. With a little extraction, it would be a great medicine for the Divine Soul. Additionally, its blood and Physical Body can also be used to refine great medicine for Body Tempering."

"Starting bid: 1 billion Spirit Stones."

"What was its strength when it was alive?" Someone asked.

"The combat power of exotic beasts cannot be accurately assessed, but according to records, my Heaven and Earth Merchant Guild dispatched six Dharma Aspect Realm Guest Elders at that time."

Everyone gasped in surprise, partly astonished by the power of this exotic beast, and partly by the terrifying strength of the Heaven and Earth Merchant Guild.