Soul Land 5: The Rebirth of Tang San-Chapter 928: An Unexpected Auction

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"Understood, Your Majesty." Tang San responded to the Sunborne Nymph Emperor with due respect, though inwardly he felt puzzled. From his interlocutor's tone, it sounded like he no longer believed Tang San had much chance of becoming an Emperor. This was a clear shift in attitude. Previously, the Sunborne Nymph Emperor had seemed quite eager to support his rise, clearly hoping to benefit from it. But now, that support seemed to have cooled down.

Still, this wasn't something he could question directly. It likely had to do with the discussions between the Sunborne Nymph Emperor and the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor. Celestial Fox again... Should I go visit him in person and try to persuade him? No... Better not stir up new complications just yet.

At least on the surface, the Sunborne Nymph Emperor was still supporting him. If he were to approach the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor now, the Sunborne Nymph Emperor would surely notice—and it could easily raise doubts. He couldn't afford to play the wrong hand right now. He had to proceed carefully.

So what if it's the Battle for the Throne? I need to win this one anyway. Bring it on.

The Sunborne Nymph Emperor seemed to be deep in thought. After a long pause, he finally said, "Anyway, I expect you to compete. Before the tournament starts, come find me. I have something for you."

"Thank you for your gift, Your Majesty," Tang San quickly replied.

The Sunborne Nymph Emperor actually rolled his eyes. "You really know how to take advantage of a situation, don't you? Whatever, I'll see you later."

The temperature in the room suddenly rose slightly, then the Emperor vanished into thin air. At his level, even without a natural affinity for space, he could still wield spatial power to some degree.

So the matchmaking tournament has officially turned into the Battle for the Throne, huh? In any case, it seemed that the original matchmaking format would remain as such, which meant that Mei Gongzi would at least have an advantage. She wouldn't need to fight early on. He just wasn't sure how the actual tournament would be structured.

Last time, he'd joined the Elite Competition out of necessity. But this time, he was eager. After all, if he won, he could rightfully marry Mei Gongzi. Nothing could be more important. He thus immediately sought out the Council Mountain staff to ask how to register.

As it turned out, registration was being handled right there at the Ancestral Court, and the Sunborne Nymph Emperor had already signed him up. He didn't need to do anything else. That saved time.

There was still about a month and a half until the tournament began. By now, all participants were either en route to or already at the Ancestral Court. Without a doubt, this would be one of the most significant competitions in its history. Nothing of this scale had happened before. The number of applicants was increasing daily. Tang San even wondered if every eleventh-order powerhouse on the Daemon Continent planned to try their luck.

And seeing the numbers, he was secretly shocked. The sheer number of eleventh-order beings on the continent was staggering. Indeed, just as the Sunborne Nymph Emperor had told him, over a hundred had already signed up—over a hundred eleventh-order beings, either Great Demon Kings or Great Nymph Kings! That was a terrifying number, and it wasn't even the final number; people were still signing up.

The Blue Gold Tree clan had four eleventh-order members, including Tang San. The Peacock Demon clan had only three or four as well. There were other clans with eleventh-order powerhouses; the dragon race, phoenix race, and Behemoth clan, which were naturally powerful, had the highest numbers.

On the Solstice Empire's side, the Scorching Sunflower clan and the Nethermoon Flower clan also had many contenders. There were even rare species and mutated bloodline beings coming out of the woodwork. Who wouldn't want to compete for an Emperor's seat?

Indeed, this was the best opportunity to become an Emperor in over a thousand years. With solid enough talent, the resources of Falan, and the momentum of the Daemon Continent's fortune, reaching the eleventh order wasn't that difficult. But becoming an Emperor was another story altogether, and the main obstacle was simply the lack of available positions, considering that there was a limited number of them.

Now, three seats had opened up, and with the two countries locked in a struggle anyway, the situation had become incredibly complex. Even the important matter of the Blue Gold Tree clan's neutrality had been delayed because the Battle for the Throne took precedence. The number of Emperors determined the true power of each country.

Tang San began to wonder: Should he take a trip back to Kali City to visit Mei Gongzi? He didn't know if she'd already set out, or if she was waiting until just before the tournament began.

After thinking it over, he decided he should go back. It had been over forty days since they'd last seen each other; if he didn't even make that much effort, she might kick him to the curb even if he won the match.

He smiled at the thought, but it was still best to make the trip.

With that decision made, Tang San headed out, looking for an opportunity to teleport back.

He left the Ancestral Court building alone, once more wearing his large cloak to conceal his identity.

The streets of the Ancestral Court were noticeably more lively than usual. Normally, the population was limited; even when it was comparatively bustling, it rarely looked like this. Now the streets were crowded with all kinds of demons and nymphs, shoulder to shoulder. The larger avenues were packed, and nearly every shop was full to the point of bursting. The entire city was thriving.

Tang San strolled through the crowd. With his cultivation level, he had no trouble navigating. There's still over a month until the Battle for the Throne and already the Ancestral Court is this crowded.... Once the fighting starts, who knows how wild it will get? Clearly, the city is planning to make a fortune from this event. Heh. No way I'm letting others make all the money.

He'd have to tell the clan elders to find a way to profit from the tournament. They'd have to explore the most suitable approach.

While thinking, Tang San moved through the crowd. Not far ahead, he saw a store surrounded by a massive group of people that blocked off the entire road. More and more people were gathering, demons and nymphs alike.

Then, he heard the shouts.

"Bidding now, bidding now! Five amethystine coins—any higher? If not, I'm dropping the hammer! At an auction, this would go for twice as much!"

That voice startled Tang San. It was extremely familiar, and it had no business coming from a shop.

He released a wave of energy, gently parting the crowd amid muttered complaints. Soon, he reached the front of the store.

It was a small shop. A table stood at the entrance, and on it lay two blue crystal-like fruits that sparkled with tiny golden motes. A light fragrance mixed with potent life energy—it was this that had attracted so many people.

And standing behind the table? None other than his very own little sister, Jin Miaosen. She had been the one calling out just now.

She's selling things? Those blue fruits must have come from a Blue Gold Tree. Tang San had never seen fruits like this, but he could sense that they carried rich life energy almost identical to the Blue Gold Trees' own life energy.

"One fruit will give you ten years of life! We have five amethystine coins going once... Anybody offering more?" Jin Miaosen stood with hands on her hips, shouting at the crowd.

Tang San sighed and facepalmed at the sorry sight, then proceeded to approach.

"You want to bid? How much—uh..." Jin Miaosen turned to look at the newcomer, only to see Tang San's face beneath his hood. Her expression immediately turned sheepish.

1. The original title of this chapter didn't line up with the content, so we have altered it somewhat. ☜

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