Chapter 137 Decision
The speaker wore a bronze mask and a black robe, his figure slightly hunched. Judging only from his voice, he sounded like an old man. Beyond that, nothing could be discerned—his robe seemed to possess the ability to conceal one's aura completely, leaving no way to guess his identity.
Still, since he dared participate in this auction and even make a bid, his strength had to be at least at the peak of the Dou Huang level. It was even very likely he was a Dou Zong powerhouse, otherwise he would never have had the courage to say such words.
A seventh-tier… perhaps even an eighth-tier magical beast's corpse.
This statement instantly set the auction ablaze. Countless gazes turned toward him. Everyone knew the value of a magical beast's corpse—especially a complete one. Its flesh, skin, bones, and magic core all carried immense worth. If what he said was true, its value would surely surpass both the Huangji Pill and the Breaking Sect Pill.
Even the auctioneer was stunned. After hesitating a moment, he asked somewhat nervously:
"May I ask, sir… is this beast's body intact?"
"Of course not. If it were complete, do you think I would bring it here for trade? But one thing is certain—this magical beast was above seventh-tier while alive. Even after countless years, the pressure released from its corpse still makes me tremble. The blood essence in its flesh is so fierce it cannot be refined. Once, a Dou Huang tried to refine it but ended up bursting himself apart. That is why I dare make such a claim. An ordinary seventh-tier beast could never reach this degree."
The old man let out a cold laugh, paused to let the crowd digest his words, and then continued:
"As for whether it had reached eighth-tier, even I cannot say. But even as a seventh-tier magical beast, its value should still exceed both the Breaking Sect Pill and the Huangji Pill!"
The auctioneer faltered, uncertain how to continue. What the man had produced was far beyond his knowledge. Seventh-grade pills he had seen plenty, but a seventh- or eighth-tier beast's corpse? Never. He had no way to properly evaluate it.
After a brief silence, his tone turned serious:
"May I ask if you could take it out? I will need to appraise it first."
"Then have a good look."
The old man with the bronze mask chuckled, unconcerned with letting others see. A glimmer of light flashed across the ring on his finger, and immediately a massive dried beast's corpse appeared before everyone's eyes. Its flesh had long shriveled, parts of it exposing crystalline, jade-like bones. The most striking feature, however, was the pair of bone wings on its back.
These wings were peculiar, resembling jade and glowing faintly. A discerning glance revealed they still contained some strange energy. Despite endless years of death, that power had not dissipated. That alone showed how terrifying this beast had been in life, especially its wings, which had clearly been tempered into weapons.
"A dried corpse? I thought it was some kind of living corpse… Heh. The most valuable things inside must have already been taken, right? And now you want to exchange the leftover scraps for a Breaking Sect Pill? Isn't that wishful thinking?"
"That's true. If this were truly a complete seventh-tier beast's body, why would he take it out? A whole seventh-tier corpse is worth far more than a Breaking Sect Pill!"
…
As the corpse was revealed, the hall erupted in noise. Many began sneering mockingly, thinking the old man a clown for describing it so grandly, only for it to turn out like this.
Mo Tianxing wasn't interested in the corpse itself—his eyes kept studying the old man. For some reason, he felt a strange sense of familiarity.
"This corpse…"
In a private room, Yao Yan's expression turned slightly surprised. He hadn't expected this dried corpse to appear here. If he remembered correctly, it should have shown up at the Black Demon Sect's auction in the original work.
Indeed—this was the corpse of someone from one of the three great beast clans: the Heaven Demon Phoenix.
Not only Yao Yan noticed it—Yao Lao, within the Bone Flame Ring, also recognized it. His tone even rippled with surprise:
"As expected of the Black-Corner Region… even taboo things like this appear here. If word of this spread back to that clan, the whole Black-Corner Region would be thrown into chaos, heh~"
He couldn't help but chuckle, seemingly delighted at the thought of conflict between the Black-Corner Region and that clan. After all, neither side could be considered righteous.
And knowing that clan's domineering ways, the hidden rules of the Black-Corner Region might not restrain them at all.
"You saw it too, senior?" Yao Yan asked via soul transmission.
"That clan is easy to recognize. Their wings are born with wind and lightning power, granting them unmatched speed. Even in death, the force within does not vanish. Back in Central Plains, a faction secretly refined such a corpse into a flying Dou Technique. That enraged the clan, and they massacred the entire sect—leaving not a chicken or dog alive. The commotion back then was tremendous." Yao Lao sighed lightly, clearly no stranger to this clan.
The Dou Qi Continent may be vast, but the very top echelon was small. Those at the peak of Nine-Turn Dou Venerate were already among the highest tier. As for Dou Saints… they were lofty existences, never involving themselves in battles beneath their realm.
This was an unspoken rule all Dou Saints abided by.
At their level, if they fought freely, they could destroy a nation with ease. If such battles were common, the continent would be torn apart. None wished for their homes to be destroyed. Even the Hall of Souls did not casually slaughter nations—they only reaped the souls of the dead.
"The stronger the power, the more domineering their style of action~"
Yao Yan replied calmly, unsurprised. Such things were all too common on the continent.
What did surprise him was how certain Yao Lao was of the corpse's identity. Yao Yan only knew because of the original story, but for Yao Lao to recognize it meant he had secretly studied such things in the past.
Meanwhile—
Facing the mocking crowd, the masked old man said evenly:
"When I found this corpse, it was already like this. Its abdomen had been torn open, all internal organs missing, even its essence drained. I could only extract a single vial of blood essence—five or six drops in total. Each drop holds immense energy, but it is so overbearing that ordinary people cannot absorb it. I have already explained the consequences of trying."
As he spoke, he drew a jade bottle from his ring. When he uncorked it, a mass of bluish-red blood floated out under his control. Instantly, the surrounding energy trembled, faintly resonating with the intertwined powers of wind and lightning.
This shocking scene silenced the hall. Everyone stared in astonishment.
With the strength and eyesight present, it was easy to tell how terrifying this energy was—it clearly surpassed Dou Huang level. This validated the old man's words: no beast below seventh-tier could produce such blood essence.
After the crowd quieted, he continued:
"When I found the corpse, its magic core was already gone. What remains is this small amount of essence blood, plus the dried corpse. Together—would that not be worth a Huangji Pill and a Breaking Sect Pill?"
As his words fell, silence blanketed the auction. All eyes turned to the auctioneer. A dried corpse alone might not suffice, but with this blood essence, the value multiplied many times.
If it truly was the corpse of an eighth-tier beast, its worth would be terrifying.
"Peak seventh-tier, but likely not eighth. A true eighth-tier beast's blood essence would be far greater. Still, this blood carries traces of eighth-tier quality. This Heaven Demon Phoenix was at peak seventh-tier, just one step from eighth… How could such a creature fall in the Black-Corner Region?"
Yao Lao's eyes showed doubt. He couldn't understand how this phoenix had died. Perhaps studying the body could reveal clues.
How did it die?
Played to death… Yao Yan muttered inwardly. He had a suspicion—perhaps its death was linked to Zi Yan.
Zi Yan was the daughter of Dragon Emperor Zhu Kun of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan. Back when she was just an egg, she and Zhu Kun were trapped in the Ancient Emperor Tuoshe's mansion. Later, Zhu Kun sent her out. The story skipped over how or when exactly, but one thing was clear: Zhu Kun had been imprisoned for at least three thousand years.
Zi Yan only hatched in the last twenty years, later swallowing a Transformation Grass, taking human form, then being brought to Jia Nan Academy by Su Qian, and eventually meeting Xiao Yan.
The stronger the lifeform, the longer its incubation.
The Ancient Dragons had always preyed upon the Heaven Demon Phoenix clan. This corpse was drained, nearly all blood essence gone, even the energy in its bones vanished… it lined up all too well. Though confirmation required further study.
Unfortunately, Yao Yan was too weak. Otherwise, he could have dived into the magma depths to speak with Zhu Kun. But without Dou Saint strength, even entering was impossible.
The guardian beasts beneath the magma included a half-saint, plus numerous Dou Zong and Dou Huang beasts. Without Dou Saint strength, going down was suicide.
"Trade with him. The corpse isn't worth much, but that blood essence is priceless. If purified, it would far exceed the Breaking Sect Pill." Yao Lao said after some thought. He gave no opinion on the corpse—its only real value was refining the wings into a flying Dou Technique. But once exposed, the Heaven Demon Phoenix clan would relentlessly hunt the user down.
Among the three great beast clans, the Heaven Demon Phoenix were without doubt the most domineering. Their corpses were forbidden for outsiders to exploit. If discovered, they would reclaim them—or directly annihilate the offender.
If Yao Yan refined it into a flying technique, the future trouble would be endless.
"Trade then."
Yao Yan nodded in agreement, transmitting his order to Yuan Yi to complete the deal. He himself rose, waved to Cai Lin, and signaled it was time to leave—the auction was over.
Cai Lin's enchanting serpent tail swayed as she followed him, her cold eyes reflecting his handsome face. Her lips parted slightly:
"You're not going to watch the rest?"
"What's so good about foreplay? The real show comes next~"
Yao Yan smiled softly.
He was very curious about the masked old man who had produced the phoenix corpse. As for revealing his true identity, that depended on whether the Black-Corner Region's strongmen would act. He didn't believe such black-hearted predators would allow him to simply walk away with the pills.
There might even be a Dou Zong ambush waiting. The fun would be great.
…
Just as Yao Yan predicted, after the auctioneer announced the transaction complete, the atmosphere didn't ease at all—it only grew heavier. Even Yuan Yi felt the crushing pressure. The masked old man, however, calmly finished the trade, verified the pills, and then walked away slowly.
Truly walking away slowly… his feet treading the air, with no Dou Qi wings appearing behind him.
This man was actually a Dou Zong powerhouse.
The hall erupted in shock. None had expected his strength to be Dou Zong. Why would someone of that level hide his identity just to auction for a Breaking Sect Pill? With his status and power, there was no need. The overwhelming aura he released silenced all the Dou Huangs present.
"Didn't think one of those Earth Demon Sect brats was still alive. I knew you looked familiar. Turns out it really is you—haha!"
With laughter, the Black Demon Sect's leader, Mo Tianxing, appeared mid-air, also stepping on void space, his Dou Zong aura rolling forth. His narrowed eyes glared coldly at the masked elder. He had planned to simply watch the show, but he hadn't expected the man to be from the Earth Demon Sect.
After all, the Black Demon Sect had risen on the Earth Demon Sect's corpse—their last ancestor had died by Mo Tianxing's schemes.
And this man's mastery of space power was crude, far from that of a true Dou Zong.
"Mo Tianxing!"
The masked old man's body straightened instantly, golden Dou Qi wings bursting from his back, his aura of half-step Dou Zong exploding forth. A killing intent like ice swept across the air.
(End of Chapter)
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