Since he was already asking for favors—
Tang Lan once again transmitted a message to Qian Renxue.
Qian Renxue shot him a strange glance but didn't hesitate.
She immediately placed a bid.
"200,000 gold soul coins."
Tang San looked at Qian Renxue but remained silent.
He wasn't even sure why he had bid earlier—
as if something had been calling out to him.
But since the Crown Prince wanted it, he let it go.
Yet…
Tang San clutched his chest, confused.
When the auction hammer fell,
he didn't know why, but his heart felt incredibly heavy.
Like he had just lost something extremely important.
Tang Lan also found it strange.
Why wasn't there a system notification?
Had something else…
unexpected happened?
Just then!
Dou Dou soared into the air, her voice bursting with excitement, as she shouted—
"Up next is our grand finale auction item—
provided by the Tang Sect's leader, Tang Lan!"
"It is one of a kind!"
"It will immortalize your name for generations!"
"It will make you revered by countless households!"
The suspense gripped the entire audience.
But Emperor Xue Ye…
Why did this sound so familiar?
Dou Dou dramatically revealed—
"The grand finale auction item is—
The second author credit for Volume 2 of the Tang Sect Encyclopedia!"
Dead silence.
Then—
An explosion of uproar!
"Impossible!"
"The Tang Sect Encyclopedia is getting a second volume?!"
"Right now, Tang Sect Encyclopedia is in every household—if even half of them buy the second volume, the author's name will be forever remembered!"
"I must buy this! I want everyone to know my full name!"
"Huh? Duke Picasso, your full name is…?"
"Pablo Diego José Santiago Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno Crispín Crispiniano María Remedios de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz Blasco y Picasso!"
"…"
Encouraged by the intense reaction,
Dou Dou's voice grew even more impassioned—
"The starting bid for this second author credit is 1 gold soul coin, with no bid increment restrictions!"
"I hereby announce—bidding begins!"
The moment she finished speaking—
"1,000,000 gold soul coins!"
Good heavens!
The first bid jumped straight to a million?!
And the bidder was none other than the 'useless' Prince Xue Beng!
But unlike when bidding against the Crown Prince—
no one was going to give Xue Beng any face!
"1.1 million gold soul coins!"
"I bid 1.5 million!"
"2 million! I bid 2 million gold soul coins!"
"It's Duke Picasso—we absolutely cannot let him win!"
"3 million gold soul coins!"
The frenzy of bidding far exceeded anything seen earlier.
Even Zhao Wuji, watching from the shadows, was completely dumbfounded.
When Tang Lan first mentioned auctioning the author credit,
he couldn't understand it.
Who would even bid for this?
And yet—
these nobles were fighting like their lives depended on it?!
He simply couldn't comprehend it.
Was an author credit really worth such an insane price?
Especially that Duke Picasso,
who was ruthlessly adding round-numbered bids like a madman!
At the main table.
Qian Renxue smiled.
"Xiao Lan, it seems everyone loves your auction item."
Tang Lan humbly replied,
"Ah, it's just their generosity. Since Volume 2 is coming out,
there likely won't be a Volume 3 anytime soon."
It's the final edition?!
Emperor Xue Ye gazed at the bidding war below,
his eyes flashing thoughtfully.
Has the budget for Heaven Dou Royal Academy been approved yet?
Maybe I should deduct some from it…
Right at that moment—
the price soared to 7.85 million gold soul coins,
leaving only two competitors still bidding.
Emperor Xue Ye spoke decisively—
"10 million gold soul coins."
The hall fell silent!
This was the first time in history
that Emperor Xue Ye had personally placed a bid at a royal banquet!
Who dared to bid higher now?
Everyone glanced around, their gazes finally landing on Duke Picasso.
His face twisted with indecision—
He wanted to bid, but offending Emperor Xue Ye was too risky.
Just as he struggled—
Emperor Xue Ye spoke.
"Highest bidder wins. No need to hold back."
—Otherwise, if his intervention caused the price to drop, he'd owe Tang Lan a favor instead.
Hearing this, Duke Picasso clenched his teeth!
"35 million gold soul coins!"
"This is my final offer!"
"If Your Majesty bids higher, then it's yours!"
It was obvious—
Duke Picasso desperately wanted this author credit.
But—
Emperor Xue Ye didn't even blink.
"50 million gold soul coins."
A sudden 15-million increase!
Duke Picasso smiled bitterly and sat back down.
He had reached his limit.
Could he keep bidding?
Did he really think Emperor Xue Ye wouldn't hold a grudge just because he said "highest bidder wins"?
Dou Dou, ever quick-witted, didn't drag things out.
"50 million, first call."
"50 million, second call."
"50 million, third call—sold!"
"The second author credit for Volume 2 of the Tang Sect Encyclopediagoes to Emperor Xue Ye!"
"Congratulations, Your Majesty!"
Emperor Xue Ye laughed heartily, extremely pleased.
He stood up.
"Since I am in good spirits today, I shall announce several decrees."
"First— The winning team's entire roster will be granted hereditary baron titles, while their captain shall receive a hereditary viscount title!"
"Second— The winning academy, aside from receiving all auction proceeds, shall also be granted an additional 20 million gold soul coins from the royal treasury for academy development!"
"Third—"
With a flick of his hand,
a palm-sized, three-dimensional blue crystal pyramid appeared, shimmering with waves of fluid-like patterns.
"This is Heaven Dou Empire's national treasure—the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud!"
"Today's most outstanding performer shall be granted a hereditary earl title and receive the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud!"
Tang Lan's eyes locked onto the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud—
full of desire!
If not for this artifact, why else would he waste his night here?!
Wouldn't cuddling with his big cat be a better use of time?
Meanwhile—
Dream God Machine and the other two education committee members looked utterly grim.
99% of Heaven Dou Royal Academy's students were nobles.
Yet Emperor Xue Ye's rewards…
Why did it feel like they were tailor-made for Tang Sect Academy?!
Zhi Lin Strikes Back!
Zhi Lin saw Tang Lan stand up and tried to cut him off first!
"Master Tang, as the leader of a prestigious sect, shouldn't you abstain from participating in such an exchange match?"
Tang Lan blinked—
Then immediately understood.
Zhi Lin was trying to eliminate him before the match even started.
Tang Lan refused to engage.
The Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud was too important.
If he didn't personally oversee the match, he wouldn't feel at ease.
He ignored the trap completely.
"Am I outside the age limit?" Tang Lan asked innocently.
"Or violating any rules?"
Zhi Lin's face twitched!
If they had known he was a Rank 40 Soul Ancestor,
even the Emperor Battle Teamwouldn't have accepted the match!
But since they were already committed,
he could only try to salvage the situation.
—Under no circumstances could Tang Lan be allowed to compete, or Heaven Dou Royal Academy would be doomed!
Zhi Lin had a "brilliant" idea!
He pulled out a black torso bone,
its structure even including eight complete ribs,
glistening like a frozen gemstone.
Just one look—
and it was obviously extraordinary.
Zhi Lin spoke suggestively.
"This is a 30,000-year-old Demon Nether Tiger Torso Bone—one of my personal treasures."
"Today, I shall offer it as a prize."
"But I shall personally choose one member from the winning team to receive it."
"What do you think?"
Oh?
A 30,000-year torso bone?
So he really had hidden stock!
The implication was obvious—
He wanted to bribe Tang Lan into backing out.
If Heaven Dou Royal Academy won,
Zhi Lin could just keep the soul bone within his own team.
A true "something-for-nothing" scheme!
But Tang Lan's thoughts were entirely different.
The soul bone would be personally assigned by Zhi Lin,
and everyone knew about Tang Lan's relationship with Tang San.
If Tang Sect Academy won—
Would Zhi Lin really hand such a precious soul bone to Tang San?
Possible, but unlikely.
Not bad, not bad.
But—
Since Zhi Lin wanted to play games,
Tang Lan decided to play dumb!
—The Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud was non-negotiable.
Tang Lan smiled. "Vice Chairman Zhi Lin is so generous. I can't afford to be stingy."
"I'm willing to offer the Tang Sect's supreme treasure—Nine Yang Divine Art—as a prize and personally select a winner from the victorious team to receive it."
Zhi Lin: (▼へ▼メ)
Damn it!
Not only did his plan fail, he even lost a soul bone in the process?!
Unacceptable!
Just as he was about to change his stance—
Tang Lan spoke again:
"If Vice Chairman Zhi Lin is willing to add another soul bone, I'll promise not to use any soul skills."
Zhi Lin's eyes lit up!
That was exactly what he feared—Tang Lan's fourth soul skill!
But if he wasn't using any skills at all?!
"Deal!"
Zhi Lin, however, was out of soul bones.
He turned to Dream God Machine for help.
Dream God Machine stood up slowly, glancing at Emperor Xue Ye.
Seeing that the emperor didn't object,
he finally took out a dark-gold left arm bone.
"This is the Indestructible Iron Arm Soul Bone, from a 7,000-year-old Vajra Lion King. Does this satisfy you, Master Tang?"
Tang Lan nodded in satisfaction.
Five Soul Bones in Total!
This tournament now had five soul bones as prizes!
Two of them over 10,000 years old.
Plus, the artifact Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud…
Damn!
What kind of jackpot event was this?!
Even the Continental Elite Tournamentwasn't this rewarding.
"With that settled, everyone prepare for the match," Emperor Xue Ye declared.
"In 15 minutes, the exchange tournament will officially begin."
"Yes!"
"Got it!"
Tang Lan and the three education committee members headed toward their respective academies.
He didn't mention the extra bets.
He wanted to give everyone a big surprise.
Adjusting his state of mind—
When the time was up—
Both teams entered the training grounds.
Dou Dou's Grand Introduction!
Dou Dou hovered in the air, introducing each team.
"Let's first welcome—Tang Sect Battle Team!"
Tang Lan led his team forward at a steady pace.
"Now approaching the arena—
The author of the Tang Sect Encyclopedia, Sect Master of Tang Sect, and Captain of the Tang Sect Battle Team—Tang! Lan!"
"At 13 years old, already a Rank 40 Control-type Soul Ancestor!"
"With his mutated martial soul, Life-bound Blue Silver Grass, he is the absolute core of the team!"
"Beside him—Vice Sect Master Tang San, 13 years old, Rank 31 Control-type Battle Soul Elder!"
"Inner disciple Zhu Zhuqing, 11 years old, Rank 31 Agility-type Battle Soul Elder! A true genius!"
"Inner disciple Dai Mubai, 15 years old, Rank 38 Power Attack-type Battle Soul Elder! Those Evil Eyes—do you love them?!"
"Inner disciple Oscar, 14 years old, Rank 32 Food-type Battle Soul Elder! Wow! The youngest Food-type Soul Elder!"
"Inner disciple Meng Yiran, 15 years old, Rank 31 Agility-type Battle Soul Elder!"
"And lastly—"
"Inner disciple Ning Rongrong, 12 years old, Rank 29 Support-type Soul Master!"
"Her martial soul is the number one support in the continent—the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda!"
"Let's give them a warm welcome!!!"
Dou Dou's enthusiastic introduction was practically worship-level praise.
The noble spectators cooperated with thunderous applause.
Say what you want—
But this Tang Sect Battle Team lineup…
Aside from Meng Yiran being a little "average",
everyone else was a monstrous talent!
Especially Tang Lan—
A 13-year-old Rank 40 Soul Ancestor?!
Hearing the audience's chatter,
Oscar muttered quietly—
"If they knew Sect Master is actually a Rank 50 Soul King, what would they think?"
"They'd definitely drop their jaws to the floor," Dai Mubai chuckled.
And now… Enter the Emperor Battle Team!
The Emperor Battle Team entered the arena.
"Leading the team is Captain Yu Tianheng, Rank 39 Power Attack-type Battle Soul Elder, with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul!"
"Vice Captain Dugu Yan, Control-type Soul Master, with the Jade Phosphor Serpent Martial Soul!"
"Teammates Shi Brothers, top-tier Defense-type Soul Masters, with the Black Tortoise Martial Soul!"
"Teammate Ma Hongjun, Power Attack-type Soul Master, with the Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul!"
"Teammate Oslo, Agility-type Soul Master, with the Ghost Leopard Martial Soul!"
"Teammate Ye Lingling, Support-type Soul Master, with the Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul!"
"Let's give a warm welcome to the Emperor Battle Team!"
The "Biased" Introduction
Dou Dou's announcement was noticeably rushed.
But then again—
She was a Tang Sect disciple.
Dugu Yan, ever the proud and rebellious type,
narrowed her green eyes dangerously at Dou Dou.
Being forced to "act" as part of this battle was already infuriating—
Now she was treated differently too?
Unacceptable!
Dugu Bo Arrives!
Suddenly—
Dugu Yan noticed a familiar figure hovering above the battlefield.
Her expression immediately brightened.
She whispered, "My grandfather is here. Let's wrap this up quickly and show him our strength!"
Yu Tianheng nodded slightly.
"That Tang Lan promised not to use soul skills. We are guaranteed to win!"
"Proceed with the original battle plan—quick victory!"
Tang Lan also noticed Dugu Bo floating in the sky.
"Huh, I thought he wouldn't show up."
"I'll go easy on his granddaughter, then."
The Official Start!
Unaware of the growing tension,
Dou Dou continued following protocol.
"Both teams are in position!"
"You have one minute to summon your martial souls!"
"When I announce the start, you may begin attacking!"
"The match ends when one side either surrenders or is completely defeated!"
"Now…"
"Summon your martial souls!"
Martial Souls Unleashed!
In an instant—
A dazzling array of lights burst across the field as everyone summoned their martial souls.
But suddenly—
"Huh?!"
Ye Lingling exclaimed, shocked.
"Something's wrong! My Nine Heart Begonia's healing is greatly weakened!"
Yu Tianheng's expression changed!
What?!
Their entire strategy revolved around the Nine Heart Begonia's immense healing!
If its power was suppressed…
Their battle plan collapsed instantly!
Ye Lingling quickly identified the source.
She turned toward Tang Lan, eyes filled with disbelief.
"It's…"
"It's his martial soul!"
"His Life-bound Blue Silver Grass is suppressing my Nine Heart Begonia?!"
"This…"
"How is this even possible?!"
A Completely Unexpected Turn!
Even Dugu Bo, hovering above,
narrowed his eyes in shock.
How could a plant-type martial soul possibly weaken the legendary Nine Heart Begonia?!
What kind of monster was this Tang Lan?!
(End of Chapter)