Unrivaled Martial Emperor-Chapter 1533 - Auction

Maybe it was the influence of demonic qi, but the whole Chaotic Demon City pulsed with chaos even greater than the world beyond its borders.

Here, rules meant little, if any existed at all. Whoever had the bigger fist called the shots. Within fifteen minutes of stepping into the Chaotic Demon City, Chen Fan and his companions bore witness to two brawls: one escalated into a chaotic group melee that left several people dead.

Even so, no one found this strange.

The nearby witnesses even cheered.

Apparently, everyone treated such incidents with indifference. No one would step in to mediate such affairs.

Only now did Chen Fan truly understand that the Chaotic Demon Sea was even more tumultuous than he’d ever imagined. If the city were a storm, then the inner sea was pure pandemonium. Rules were nowhere to be found.

There, anyone could turn into a demon. With nothing to restrain them, ambition grew wild. People infected by demonic qi became half-demons, or even something else entirely, wreaking havoc as terrifying sea killers, hunting both the sea tribe and human experts alike.

Within the Chaotic Demon Sea, whether one was human or sea tribe didn’t matter, as there was no need for the distinction. It was the same even if you were a sea demon.

Gongsun Jing asked, “Little Brother Chen, what are your plans?”

Chen Fan shrugged and said, “I’ll just follow you guys, as I’m not familiar with the Chaotic Demon Sea.”

“Alright, since you said that, I’ll take the liberty to lead this time.” Gongsun Jing secretly sighed in relief.

If Chen Fan struck out on his own, the group would lose a heavyweight ally, and they’d have to creep around the city. Venturing into the inner sea would turn the quest for Soul Nascent Grass into a nightmare.

“We’ll first gather information on the Soul Nascent Grass in the city. We’ll enter the inner sea after we obtain credible information. Frankly, the city’s chaos is manageable, but once we’re out there, the primeval qi gets so corrupted it’ll be a headache just staying alive. That’s why seasoned martial artists always do their homework in the city before diving into the inner sea.”

“Let’s find an inn to settle down at first. Although the Chaotic Demon City is very chaotic, news travels fastest right here. And who knows, some treasures from the inner sea might find their way to us in the meantime.”

Afterward, Chen Fan and the others found an inn and made themselves at home.

Half a day later, Gongsun Jing, Ma Xinglong, and the others returned to the inn.

After returning to the inn, Gongsun Jing found Chen Fan and asked him, “Little Brother Chen, there’s a large-scale auction in the Chaotic Demon City tomorrow, held by the Sunny Day Chamber of Commerce. Would you be interested in it?”

They had gathered quite a bit of information in the Chaotic Demon City and learned that the Sunny Day Chamber of Commerce would be holding a large-scale auction tomorrow.

Auctions were held almost every day in the Chaotic Demon City, but they were small-scale affairs with few good items. But once every half-month, a grand auction offered rare goods worth fighting for.

“Oh? Did Manor Master Gongsun find information on the Soul Nascent Grass already?” Chen Fan asked.

Gongsun Jing nodded and said, “Mmm, we did. It is located on a special, tiny island in the inner sea, surrounded by restraints that even Immortal Kings wouldn’t easily bust through. Only those with a key can enter, and guess what? Ten keys are up for bidding at this auction!”

“It’s located in an herbal garden?” Chen Fan’s eyes lit up, already imagining rarities hiding in that mystical patch of land.

“That’s right.” Gongsun Jing nodded and said, “Actually, this region was once very prosperous. Major sects once existed here, but during the Middle Ancient Ages, the demon race’s invasion left this region as it is today. Those sects were destroyed. This herbal garden is probably the last legacy of a fallen age.”

“In that case, we can’t miss tomorrow’s event,” Chen Fan declared.

Time slipped by. When morning came, the city buzzed with energy. The Sunny Day Chamber of Commerce’s auction was the hot ticket in town. Martial artists by the dozen flocked through the city, each eager for a shot at the treasures on offer.

Chen Fan’s group walked through several streets and arrived at the auction site.

This was the Sunny Day Chamber of Commerce, a relatively well-known merchant force in the Matrka Heavenly Domain. Its branches spread across the entire Matrka Heavenly Domain, and they even established a branch in a place like the Chaotic Demon Sea.

Everyone knew their reputation, so even the city’s most notorious avoided causing trouble. The horrors of history had taught them better. Once, a sea demon force tried to rob the chamber, only for the chamber’s experts to descend in fury the next day, razing the culprits and painting a 500-thousand-kilometer stretch in blood.

Since then, no one dared to cause trouble at the Sunny Day Chamber of Commerce, as there was a cautionary tale from the past.

The Sunny Day Chamber of Commerce’s auction hall was exceptionally opulent, as if to show off its financial strength. Their pillars and beams were richly carved and painted. Every detail displayed the chamber of commerce’s wealth.

The event had been hyped for days, drawing crowds so thick they nearly wore the entrance bare. Anyone could join—human or sea tribe, it didn’t matter—and the Chamber didn’t turn away paying customers.

Chen Fan and the others were also among the crowd making their way to the auction hall.

Along the way, they saw many experts heading in the same direction, including fourth- and fifth-level Immortal Platform realm experts.

Groups with strength comparable to theirs were everywhere.

After paying a fee of a thousand immortal stones, Chen Fan’s group entered the auction hall, led by a female attendant.

Ordinary people would have to pay ten immortal stones per person to enter the auction hall. Chen Fan’s group had to pay a thousand immortal stones because they requested a private chamber.

They were competing for the keys to enter the herbal garden. If they bid for it in broad daylight, there was no guarantee that no one would set their sights on them. It would be much better to do so from a private chamber; it would save them a lot of trouble.

After all, the Chaotic Demon City was, in a word, chaotic.

No one dared to make a move within the Sunny Day Chamber of Commerce, but all concerns were gone once they left its premises.