Chapter 125: The Fair (II) – The Fate of “Step on Snow”

“Five hundred!” Finally, the Dragon Clan made their move. The remaining competitors were undoubtedly powerful forces— the Scorpion King Clan, the Dragon Clan, and the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle Clan, known as the Sixth Clan. The Dragon Clan’s entrance was truly stunning; indeed, they were the clan reputed to amass the most wealth. Five hundred quasi-divine-level early-stage magical beast cores was an astonishing amount.
“Two quasi-divine-level mid-stage magical beast cores!” The Scorpion King Clan, unwilling to give up, bid again.
As the bids kept rising, everyone was amazed. Looking at the three private rooms, all showed envious expressions. This was the style of a great clan—something ordinary clans and individuals could never match.
In no time, the bid rose to fifteen quasi-divine-level mid-stage magical beast cores. Gradually, the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle Clan began to feel overwhelmed. Compared to those two great clans, their strength still seemed insufficient. When the bid reached three quasi-divine-level late-stage magical beast cores, they reluctantly withdrew from the competition.
“Elder Three!” In the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle Clan’s private room, seeing Elder Threeintend to give up, the young clan leader became anxious. He was considered the greatest genius in their clan, skilled in both magic and martial arts, both having reached the quasi-divine level. His swordsmanship was especially masterful and fluid. His main goal for coming here was actually to obtain “Step on Snow.” Naturally, he was worried when Elder Three decided to give up—it affected his own interests directly.
Three quasi-divine-level late-stage magical beast cores wasn’t much, at least not for the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle Clan. If they wanted them, they could afford not just three but even thirty, after all, their status as the Sixth Clan relied not only on strength but also on substantial wealth!
For such a rare and precious weapon, this price was quite low and within their expectations.
“Proud Eagle, stay calm. How can you take over as the leader of the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle Clan like this? It’s just a piece of ‘Step on Snow.’ It’s hard to obtain, but we don’t need to compete with the Scorpion King Clan or the Dragon Clan!” Frowning in disapproval at the young clan leader’s reaction, Elder Three said. Though he had great talent, his impetuous nature made it unlikely he would achieve greatness.

“Are we afraid of them? Even if they’re stronger than us, there’s no reason to give up on Ta Xue just because of that, Third Elder!” He still refused to give up; Ao Ying was well aware of how much help a divine weapon could provide. He didn’t want to miss this rare opportunity.

“Shut up. We’re not afraid of anyone, not even the Black Phoenix clan. Even if they want to go to war with us, they’ll have to assess our strength first. They’re not giving up out of fear. Don’t forget why we’re here today—that’s what we need most!” With a cold snort, it was clear he was quite displeased with Ao Ying’s words.

Hearing the Third Elder’s words, Ao Ying finally remembered that item. Almost all the clans had come here for it today. They couldn’t fail now; to truly become one of the top six clans, that item was absolutely essential.

With a resentful grunt, he had no choice but to give up for the sake of his clan.

……

“Elder, we’ve already collected three divine-level initial-stage magical beast cores. Should we…?”

Similarly, in the Dragon clan’s private room at that moment, a middle-aged man quietly asked the two elders beside him. Their goal today was that item; they couldn’t waste resources on Ta Xue, which wasn’t of much use to them dragons. The real battle would take place later, in the fiercely contested battlefield.

“There’s no rush. We really don’t need this item that much. It would be great if we could get it, but it doesn’t matter if we can’t. As for the Scorpion King clan… heh. It’s been a long time since we last saw those old men. Their Fifth Elder should be here this time. How could he give up on Ta Xue? Today, they, along with the Black Phoenix clan and the Mi Jiao clan, are our biggest rivals. Since the demon clan is auctioning it, they surely won’t compete for it!

That Ta Xue has been coveted by the Scorpion King clan’s Fifth Elder for a long time. They’re determined to get it. It doesn’t matter. Let’s play around with them a bit—it’ll only serve to dampen their momentum. Wasting a little of their resources won’t hurt us at all!” The leading elder said calmly with a slight smile.

“Yeah, big brother is right. Heh, let them suffer a loss—soon we’ll have one less competitor!” The other elder agreed.

“Damn those dragon clans! What exactly do they want? Don’t these bastards even want that thing? Fifteen divine-level early-stage magical beast cores—damn them! Do only the dragons have money?” In the Scorpion King clan’s private room on the other side, an old man with a red face was panting heavily, staring with his bell-sized eyes at the dragon clan’s room and shouting loudly. If not for considering the situation, the entire room would have been destroyed by him.

“Elder Fifth, don’t rush! Haste makes waste. If things get too tough, we can just give up! There’s no need to fight with those guys!” On the other side, another old man sat calmly at the table, stroking his beard and speaking calmly, showing no signs of urgency.

“Second Brother, no! I must have this. I just happen to lack a good weapon—there’s no way I can give up!” Hearing the other old man’s words, the red-faced man became anxious immediately.

“They have money. If we fight too fiercely, even if we win, it won’t benefit us in the end! Don’t forget what the final prize is—twenty, twenty divine-level early-stage magical beast cores. If it doesn’t work out, give up. There are plenty of good weapons; I’ll help you get one later!” Sensing the red-faced man’s urgency, the calm old man smiled bitterly. His fifth brother was just that impatient!

“Fine! Twenty cores, those damned bastards!” With a fierce curse, the red-faced man had no choice but to swallow his anger and endure.

As several groups continued to fight, the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle had already withdrawn, and the competition for Stepping Snow had completely turned into a battle between the dragon clan and the Scorpion King clan. The prices kept rising, making people envious and even making breathing difficult!

“Rich folks!” Rod secretly marveled as the price instantly reached several divine-level early-stage magical beast cores. Even outside, a fine weapon would probably not cost more than five such cores, sometimes just three. But here… indeed, a group of extremely wealthy people!

“The dragon clan has bid nineteen. Don’t worry, it will end soon. The Scorpion King clan should win. The dragons are just wearing down their opponent’s strength!” Lucy, on the side, said indifferently, as if she had seen through everything.

Gasps of shock came one after another from below. Rod also felt his blood boil—this was what true wealth looked like, this was the confidence of the four great families. Turning to look at Lucy, he was somewhat puzzled—how did she know so much?

“nineteen divine-level beginner magical beast cores is not a small amount; a Blade of Snow costs roughly the same! Moreover, there are even better things to come! Do you think there are that many divine-level beginner magical beast cores? Do you think there are that many divine-level magical beasts? Family members must never be killed—even if they die, their magical beast cores are rarely made available for use! They’re usually passed down to the next generation for cultivation. Otherwise, why do you think the four great families can remain powerful for so long? Inheritance is crucial; usually, they use magical beast cores obtained from hunts! The cores of one’s own clan members and vassal races must never be used, otherwise, one will lose everyone’s trust and support. All that’s left are those solitary magical beasts! And do you think there are many divine-level ones among them?” Watching Rod Lucy’s helpless explanation, it was hard to tell if this guy was really a dragon. If it weren’t for that identity card, one wouldn’t believe it! He didn’t even understand such things.

“Twenty!” Sure enough, a furious shout came from the other side, filled with immense anger and resentment, which everyone could sense.

“Hehe, that old guy really couldn’t hold back. Alright, twenty—they won!” The dragons in their private room smiled in satisfaction upon hearing this number; they had achieved their goal.

“Damn it! What exactly do those flying dragons want?” The fifth elder of the Scorpion King clan was furious. Twenty divine-level magical beast cores was a huge amount for him.

In the private room of the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle clan, the young clan leader had a grim expression. His financial resources were nowhere near comparable to theirs, so he could only watch helplessly as his desired weapon was bought away. If they had competed, they might have been able to match that price, but then they wouldn’t have been eligible for anything else.

“Alright, twenty—is there anyone who’ll bid higher? Anyone? If not, we’ll start the auction!” Standing on the stage, the old demon asked around with a smile on his face. Although the price wasn’t high, it was reasonable. After all, there was an item up for auction today, and because of that item, they hadn’t had any hopes for this long sword. Now that they’d reached this point, they were naturally excited.

“Alright, if no one else bids, the deal is done! This Blade of Snow goes to the owner of Room Number Three!” As the small mallet hit the table, the fierce bidding war came to an end.

Everyone in their respective rooms had their own thoughts—some were happy, some were sad. The transaction of the Blade of Snow made them realize many things.

Even Rod was average; one transaction not only taught him a lot but also gave him a deeper understanding of the Source of Darkness, which would undoubtedly be helpful to him in the future. After all, his stay at the Source of Darkness wasn’t just for a day or two—it was a long process, possibly lasting one or two years, or even longer.
“Hehe, the Scorpion King’s clan is truly wealthy. Things should get easier from now on; the best part is yet to come!” Lucy smiled slightly and explained to Rod, now acting like a guide.
“Hmm, by the way, how much do you think these things are worth?” Hearing Lucy’s words, Rod realized his chance might have arrived—he might find something useful for himself. He immediately took out some items from his magic bag and began asking about their value. The previous struggles had left him worried and skeptical about his assets.