Chapter 1785 Chapter 1778: A Game of Mystics (9)
Chapter 1785 Chapter 1778: A Game of Mystics (9)
The number of viewers skyrocketed to unprecedented levels immediately after the conditions were issued as news outlets live updated on many of their subscription tiers, garnered wild interest among the galactic populace. Within the window of the Special Rules & Conditions stage, the number reached nearly two hundred billion!
While this number, when compared to the galactic total population, was almost insignificant in comparison, those watching consisted of almost exclusively Ascended beings! Roughly 99% had ascended on an existential level! Those who held majority authority on the level of planetary, starfield, stellar region, and galactic zone were spectating without fail!
The already hot topic of the foreigner erupted further in the homes, palaces, pavilions, sects, academies, institutes, and towers across the galaxyscape. Accompanying his rampantly discussed name were Shadow Veil, Seers of the Night, Zenith Creation Tower, and Zenith Refinement Tower!
Just the special conditions upon the deaths of Chosen and the mark of 'losing' the game, the death of all three Chosen in Mystics: Royale, was indicative of the bloody, vicious design of this game of Mystics! However, none of them expected that the stakes would explode with such insanity!
Well, not entirely true.
Those four superpowers sought to eliminate the foreigner's spiritual talisman, turning this game into an inconsequential wager with heavy, drastically lethal consequences. They didn't wish for this foreigner to decide the first bid, determining the minimum and maximum wagers! And they horrifically failed as Guo Heng flailed like a tortured fish while Grand Seer Rippledark held his head, unleashing a spine-chilling howl of pain.
Tianshi Ya was fortunate; her Sea of Consciousness, body, and Mystic Soul were protected by a subtle, invisible protection that she hadn't known was there, belonging to a grand power that can resonate with the spirit and heavens with flawless unity.
In a location both not too far and not too close, Suo Haoran silently observed. The spiritual treasure that Tianshi Ya used as a medium for her Spiritual Will was arranged by Tianshi Zaoxuan, and Suo Haoran had long since taken precautions against the Zenith Creation Alchemic Saint, especially since it concerned Tianshi Ya.
However, all of their plans failed. Wei Wuyin had come out victorious beyond a shadow of a doubt, causing curses to be released from the mouths of exceedingly prestigious figures that could summon the wind and rain across entire galaxies. Moreover, the worst-case scenario had occurred. Yet even they hadn't expected that Wei Wuyin would be so viciously brutal in his first bid!
Two perfect Edict Seeds?!
Ten Mystic-Heaven Essence Stones?!?!
Thirty-three peak-quality Arising Sage Elixir?!?!?!
A HIGH-QUALITY SOUL PILL!!!!!!
Fortunately, Wei Wuyin's specifications of his bid weren't necessary to account for. It was mostly posturing of one's wealth. The vast majority of bids were given specific items only to determine value, but they would inevitably be transformed into flat essence stone value and could be paid off using anything of acceptable value, such as planets, secret realms, world realms, solar stars, unique materials of heaven and earth, armaments, talismans, alchemical products, etc.
As long as the value equated to the bid, there was no need for specifications without prior agreement. For example, Wei Wuyin's bid of ten Mystic-Heaven Essence Stones could be interchanged freely with a market equivalent of ten billion Mystic-World Essence Stones. However, Wei Wuyin was going for extreme shock value! And his goal was greatly achieved!
The three Mystical Judges all had violently erratic fluctuations that rivaled the intensity of their heartbeats. Shang Liu was nearly salivating after hearing the bid. It was the dream for any—no, for every Mystic Ascendant!
It wasn't an exaggeration to call this a tailored Resonant Soul Realm package! While it wasn't a guarantee, it was remarkably close.
Lady Missulena and Sun Jiazhen's breathing was incredibly heavy. As Sages, they understood the grand significance of this package of items, including Wei Wuyin's implied meanings behind specifically mentioning each one. Moreover, they now had to distill each one into a numerical value in essence stones for the other contestants.
Normally, as Mystic Judges, they would rely on market value to announce Wei Wuyin's total bid, and while they could do so easily with everything else, the Edict Seeds were difficult to calculate. Some Edict Seeds had been extracted for Heaven's Essence Liquid or used as forging mediums for various talismans, heavenly treasures, and the such, or the core of arrays and formations, reducing their overall quality and value.
This was why the descriptor 'perfect' was important. It meant an Edict Seed that hadn't been used for anything yet perfectly developed. The Edict Seed of Earth had been discovered in the vast Dark Void, untouched and fought for. The Edict Seed of Water was unknowingly kept in obscurity by an organization in the Resolute Dusk Galaxy. Both of them were perfect.
The Mystical Judges didn't jump at demanding to inspect Wei Wuyin's bid to determine its value. They allowed the participants to adjust and recover. Hao Chengxue and Imentet used this time to describe the properties of an Edict Seed, the Arising Sage Elixir, and the Soul Pill.
Meanwhile, Su Yi's calm was crumbling as his handsome visage was marred by a dark, stormy frown. Yue Baoyue's eyes were like tasteless ash, almost entirely dead. What was this?!
WHAT IN THE FLYING HEAVENS WAS THIS?!
If not for her reinforced mental fortitude gained after facing numerous challenges and dangerous obstacles, overcoming them all to become a renowned independent talent that could awe an entire galaxy with her title, she would have been on the brink of a mental breakdown! Su Yi's warning echoed in her ears, and regret began to settle into her chest.
If Wei Wuyin could prove possession of his bid, she might receive an instant loss without any reprieve. She dazedly calculated her total worth, barring selling her services, and she grew increasingly despondent.
Su Yi could feel the waves of depression and distraught emotions emanating from Yue Baoyue. He couldn't help but internally sigh. This was why the others were intent on preventing Wei Wuyin, a foreigner who had turned the Resolute Dusk Galaxy into his vassal as the first bidder. However, seeing Qin Yingyin's relatively composed attitude, he was keenly aware that while Wei Wuyin's bid was excessive, it wasn't outside the realm of expectations.
And he was slowly coming to realize that these organizations weren't fools or ignorant of this potential outcome, placing it well within their expectations as Grand Seer Rippledark, Tianshi Ya, and Guo Heng gradually recovered by consuming alchemical products and using various specific treasures to recover from the mental and spiritual damage to their Sea of Consciousness and Spiritual Will.
Despite Sun Jiazhen dutifully repeating the first bid as a reminder, not a single one was overly shaken outside of a little paleness in their complexion after learning of the sheer amount of wealth wagered. After all, it wasn't their wealth that would be wagered against it. There was a disconnection there, and this helped them retain their mental state.
Guo Heng briefly glared at Wei Wuyin. But then when Wei Wuyin looked his way, drawn by his malicious gaze, a glint of killing intent flickering within his starry gaze, Guo Heng sobered up immediately and instantly realized that he was facing a terrifying existence that was playing a game against those highest sitting figures. He was just a proxy. He discreetly apologized to Wei Wuyin with his eyes, but he only received a calm smile in response that sent shivers down his spine.
With a heavy gulp and a heavier breath, he regained his composed aura of excellence. The rest followed suit, but none of them showed any signs of anger toward Wei Wuyin, understanding their depth and status.
"World-Saint Neo-Dawn, if you wish to get a value for your bid, we will have to see the Edict Seeds to determine their conditions," Grand Seer Rippledark said. He was clearly unwilling for the 'perfect' label to be taken at face value.
Tianshi Ya added, "And we'd have to verify the quality of the products you offered. Unless you wish to bid on their flat market value, which is well within your right." Despite their ill intentions and current state of deadly conflict, both of their voices contained an abundance of respect, even if they were up against Wei Wuyin, they, as cultivators, contained the breadth of mind to revere Supreme Sages and world-class Alchemists.
The Mystical Judges were patiently waiting for them to recover to announce the need to inspect Wei Wuyin's bid prior due to him being overly specific.
"As World-Saint Angelic Peach and Grand Seer Rippledark have said, as Mystical Judges, we must fairly assign value to specifically bid items. Please showcase your bid, World-Saint Neo-Dawn." Sun Jiazhen was on top of things, slowly taking the lead as head Mystical Judge.
Wei Wuyin didn't mind. He withdrew two square jade boxes no bigger than a water bucket. The boxes were inscribed with esoteric runes that emanated a faint aura of eternity, sending waves of shock across the entirety of the room!
Su Yi's eyes glowed intensely. "The aura of eternity?!" This was an aura that was exceedingly difficult to acquire, and if this box was refined with even the slightest trace, it could potentially be used to maintain the initial condition for any item within.
Solemnly, all eyes observed both within the room and beyond it, as Wei Wuyin slowly lifted both leads. A torrential geyser of heavenly radiance imbued with the will of all things earth and all things water rushed out, overwhelming the senses in an instant.
The Edict Seed of Earth was boundless in transformation, exuding a weighty oppression on the soul and mind, in a constant state of flux as it was sometimes a planet, sometimes a mountain, sometimes a tiny pebble, and other times a continent! It shifted into every earthly representation beneath the heavens.
It contained an unparalleled beauty that only Edict Seeds could have.
The Edict Seed of Water was different from the endless transformations of all things earthly. It was a single drop of rain that shifted through three states of condensation, from a gas to a liquid, to a solid, and back to a liquid and then a gas. However, the solid water was not ice, yet it felt as if it was borderline hovering in a potentially icy state. A single touch and ice could be born. It was exquisitely profound.
They both released pulses of perfect auras of Laws, genuinely untouched and kept preserved without the slightest taint. This caused Yue Baoyue's eyes to widen in shock, her gaze fixed intently on that Edict Seed of Earth.
For some inexplicable reason, she felt as if it was meant for her. Su Yi frowned, feeling a strange feeling building within his heart as if this seed was familiar, but he couldn't quite pinpoint why.
The box was sent for the three Mystical Judges to inspect. The process took three full hours. Then, and only then, did they verify that it was a 'perfect' Edict Seed that had been naturally formed yet remained untapped in its powers. The desire for these seeds was undisguised in all of their eyes.
Grand Seer Rippledark off-handedly said, "You're not going to bid your Ice and Wood Edict Seeds as well?"
This question caused the hearts of many to pound. He had four Edict Seeds?!
Wei Wuyin softly chuckled, "No need. But if it gets to me again, I promise to bid something that will certainly make my previous bid seem incredibly insignificant in comparison. You won't mind a few missing Edict Seeds then." Those Edict Seeds belonged to Qing Qiumu and Liu Suyin, and it wasn't a heavy secret either. Liu Suyin carried her seed around her neck while Qing Qiumu assimilated the uniquely mutated Edict Seed that was a result of Enlightened Sage Springfield's great efforts.
"..." Grand Seer Rippledark's attempt to display his knowledge of Wei Wuyin's affairs was met by a vicious threat that he didn't dare to allow. He subtly lost all momentum as he went silent.
The market value for an Edict Seed was roughly equivalent to a Mystic-Heaven grade armament, essentially a Supreme Armament designed to be wielded by Supreme Sages! They typically ranged from five to fifty Mystic-Heaven Essence Stones due to their scarcity in dealings, but the flat market price was only three Mystic-Heaven Essence Stones.
Due to the rules of the bids, the market value was going to be considered for a perfect Edict Seed, and that would be only six Mystic-Heaven Essence Stones. These two were a total of twelve Mystic-Heaven Essence Stones.
Wei Wuyin kept the Edict Seeds. The lingering aura of the heavens hung in the room. Then, he casually brought out thirty-three vials of golden and violet liquid. Thirty-three Arising Sage Elixirs!
Moreover, they possessed extremely tiny Mystic Runes that included all nine base runes and countless complexities. However, strangely enough, whenever runes collided, they were gathered together and not detached, seemingly fusing inexplicably. This was far unlike the high-quality version that was an endless sea of runes exuding worldly aura.
The tiny runes kept gathering and forming a particular shape that could entice the soul and spirit. They all watched this phenomenon with keen gazes, especially the Alchemists who understood this extraordinary phenomenon. Various Alchemic Stars were manifested here in the Worldly Saint Alchemists' eyes.
The runes seemed to fuse into a single rune of a profoundly complex design, exceeding the former runes by hundreds of times! Then, the rune formed completely. A single rune dominated within the liquid of violet and gold.
BOOM!
An explosion that could only be heard in one's Spiritual Sense erupted from the vial. The Mystic Auras of each figure subconsciously activated, creating a soft gust that caused robes to flutter and hair to dance. Yet not a single person looked away as they felt entranced. This phenomenon was unique to peak-quality products of any Mystic-World grade product, solely specific to Mystic-World!
Why?!
Because the runes encapsulated the eventual process of an Ascended Saint's grandest transformation! The transformation that placed them firmly at the height of the Mystic Dao's Ways of Mysticism, truly deserving of the term Mystic Overlord!
The rune undulated with pulsating waves of worldly, heavenly, and mystic radiance!
The Arising Sage Overlord Rune!
While it was an Alchemic Rune, this was an Overlord Rune!
This rune formed the very basis to establish one's sagehood, connecting with the heavens, and reaching unprecedented heights!
"It's all peak-quality!" Shang Liu exclaimed, losing his composure as desire from his Mystic Soul went rampant, forming a hunger that would rival an immortal man who hadn't eaten for decades! It took every last ounce of his willpower to not rush forward and grab one, fleeing immediately as a bandit!
THIRTY-THREE!
ALL PEAK-QUALITY!
This wasn't small. The value of Alchemical Products was violently inflated!
The value of an impure-quality Arising Sage Elixir was, market value, 1.8 million Mystic-World Essence Stones!
The typical market standard price hikes for quality of products was low-quality rose by ten times the value of an impure version, high-quality was twenty-five times, and peak-quality was a hundred times!
By market standards, this was worth nearly SIX BILLION Mystic-World Essence Stones! Or six Mystic-Heaven Essence Stones. While this might be low in comparison to the ten Mystic-Heaven Essence Stones or Edict Seeds, this was a flat market valuation, and its true value was several times that!!!
It would be the second-most valuable thing Wei Wuyin had bid! Moreover, it was almost equivalent to thirty-three Sages!!!
Wei Wuyin kept the elixirs after they formed their Overlord Runes for a brief moment before shattering into a sea of complete runes, verifying their quality. None of them dared to object, only feeling extreme admiration for Wei Wuyin. How many tens of thousands of years did he exhaust to concoct and collect thirty-three peak-quality Arising Sage Elixirs?!
It was clear that Wei Wuyin was also flexing the strength of his Neo-Dawn Empire. If he had these in reserves, how many Sages did he have hidden away ready for any conflict? No wonder his wives had Mystic Overlord servants and a pet that could rival one.
But the highest item that Wei Wuyin announced was a high-quality Mystic-Heaven grade Soul Pill. Just as before, he would have to verify its quality.
He slowly brought it out in a grander and larger box whose aura of eternity was so dense it felt tangible, manifesting as immortal mist. The cost of this box might exceed a few Mystic-Heaven Essence Stones! But before he opened it, Grand Seer Rippledark voiced his opinion:
"A Soul Pill isn't something to casually reveal. I suggest we use its market value without verification."
"I agree," Tianshi Ya solemnly concurred.
Guo Heng had dense fear in his eyes, and he hurriedly agreed as well.
Yue Baoyue was lost in everything, but after understanding why these Seers and Alchemists wanted to avoid exposing the Soul Pill's aura, she echoed their sentiment.
Su Yi shrugged, "I don't mind either way."
The Mystical Judges looked at each other, and they all breathed out sighs of relief. They nodded and made their decision. The Soul Pill would be valued at twenty-five Mystic-Heaven grade Essence Stones. The Soul Pill was the equivalent of an Essence Pill, so by default, despite its effects, its impure-quality version was given a flat rate matching a single essence stone. A high-quality Soul Pill would be twenty-five times that.
Wei Wuyin was rather amused by this display of caution. They were genuinely terrified that it was a high-quality Soul Pill. Why exactly? They were afraid of Soul Enlightenment! They were afraid of a fortuitous encounter! This would effectively send them into a stupor of comprehension and eliminate them for an indeterminate amount of time.
They might be acting as proxies for organizations, but they didn't have proxies for themselves. This was no different than an instant loss! Meanwhile, this foreigner didn't have to care for that because his cultivation was already at the Supreme Sage level!
Wei Wuyin didn't mind. He kept the jade box without a word, not forcing the issue.
Sun Jiazhen calculated and announced: "The approximate value of the bid is fifty-three Mystic-Heaven grade essence stones. The next bidder, World-Saint Angelic Peach—you may offer a higher bid with the minimum of fifty-three Mystic-Heaven grade essence stones or higher, if you prefer."
"..." Tianshi Ya's eyes were solemn, but she didn't hesitate to respond: "I'll stay on this bid."
Ridiculous! Her next bid would have to be at least 106 Mystic-Heaven Essence Stones!
Sun Jiazhen nodded. "World-Saint Inversetoxin, your bid."
Guo Heng emotionally replied, "Stay on this bid."
Sun Jiazhen nodded. They were mostly going through the motions. Everyone should stay on this bid, giving the foreigner no chance to increase the bid further. They would then move on to ensure each participant can bring forth fifty-three Mystic-Heaven grade essence stones or equivalent in materials, treasures, or territory.
"Daoist Su, your bid."
Su Yi nodded. He looked toward Yue Baoyue, who gazed at him intently, her heart already exhausted from non-stop beating. She looked aged by a few years, still retaining her beauty but quite clearly overly stressed.
He silently mouthed, "Do you trust me?"
Yue Baoyue's eyes widened. Then, without hesitation, she firmly nodded with absolute trust in her eyes, alongside a tinge of warmth and feelings. Her stress levels decreased instantly.
The others instantly had a bad feeling brewing in their hearts.
Su Yi smiled, "I bid—"