Scourge Messenger

Chapter 427 Ascension to the Mortal Realm, Tribulation of the Golden Core

Winter Hunting Master had long since given up on bidding and was content to simply watch the show as a spectator.

He realized that the Helan family's meager accumulation over five hundred years was not even qualified to bid in this auction.

Aside from the first two items being fifth-tier legendary items, the next five items were all sixth-tier legendary items, with starting bids all starting at one million True Spirit Jade, or requiring the exchange of various treasures!
The entire fortune of the Winter Hunting Master was not enough to cover a single, ordinary bid increase from a bidder.

Even a century-old family can only be considered a humble family here. The Longshi Clan is an ancient clan that inherited the bloodline of the ancient Dragon Lord. The Yuliuting is a celestial sect with a long history. The Baihuo Sect originated from the ancient Daoist lineage of the True Fire Sect. The Changshengtian is even a celestial monastery comparable to the Heavenly Court.

Although no Seventh-Rank Immortal Lord has yet appeared, the gap between Foundation Establishment True Persons and Winter Hunt True Persons in these forces is as vast as the gap between aristocratic families in Chang'an and landlords in the countryside. They may seem to be on the same level, but the resources that the former can mobilize far exceed the imagination of the latter.

Watching them spend so lavishly, Master Dongshou couldn't help but say to the young man in the straw hat with whom he had gotten along quite well, "This is the first time I've ever seen such an extravagant scene. Do these powerful forces usually hold similar auctions?"

“How could that be?” The young man in the straw hat laughed. “I usually travel to the northern border of the East Sea and attend many small exchange meetings, but auctions are unheard of. Moreover, the buying and selling of tokens mostly stop at the level of rare treasures, and only two or three times a year. As for the trading of legendary tokens, it’s not that they don’t exist, but they simply cannot be circulated.”

"I have long heard of the prosperous trade in the East China Sea. Are there no caravans engaged in the trading of tokens?"

"Yes, there are quite a few, but only those below the rarity level. As for tokens of the rarest or higher, they are often impossible to trade," the young man in the straw hat commented. "For example, you might want to trade a rare longsword for rare boots, but the seller of the rare boots wants a rare Foundation Establishment Pill to pave the way for their own descendants, while the alchemist who wants the rare longsword is completely unaware of your needs and sells the rare Foundation Establishment Pill to someone else... You could clearly each get what you need, but you might not be able to complete the transaction even after a hundred years."

"Can't they exchange them for True Spirit Jade?" Master Dongshou asked curiously. "If these three items are of roughly the same value, can't they exchange them for True Spirit Jade first and then make targeted sales?"

Even those who have reached the Foundation Establishment stage in the Central Plains know to use True Spirit Jade as a general equivalent, yet the Four Desolate Regions in the Outer Domains don't?

The young man in the straw hat shook his head: "Items below the rare level are fine, but anything above the rare level is basically traded for. The price of a fifth-rank legendary token is about 500,000 true spirit jades, but unless you spend 500,000 true spirit jades, it's not as practical as a fifth-rank legendary token in terms of portability or usefulness."

Winter Hunting Master suddenly realized.

The trading market in the Central Plains was too rudimentary, mainly dealing in rare and precious items. He hadn't realized that powerful items were themselves extremely important means of production. Unless truly desperate for money, any Foundation Establishment cultivator would choose to keep their Fifth-Rank Legendary item, because it could generate value itself. As long as its durability was carefully maintained, every use of a Fifth-Rank Legendary item was profitable!

"Even if it's only possible to barter, aren't there similar trading platforms? Won't the major powers set them up?"

“Yes, but they are often called ‘secret vaults,’ ‘treasure rooms,’ or ‘internal catalogs,’” the young man in the straw hat said calmly. “Those who can control a large number of rare treasures and tokens in this world are all powerful forces. These rare treasures and tokens only circulate within the powerful forces and are never sold to the outside world. Moreover, powerful forces will try their best to absorb rare treasures and legends from outside.”

"Ultimately, having high-level tokens idle is a huge waste. Even immortal forces will try their best to allocate and distribute all high-level tokens. But in this way, only immortal forces are qualified to allocate high-level tokens. There is no buying and selling in the conventional sense."

"That's why this auction is so lively," the young man in the straw hat said with a smile. "The most crucial point is that it can complete transactions in the fastest way possible, with no idle period for the tokens. Any messenger who needs to exchange tokens will definitely want to try their luck."

"After this auction, many people will likely see a significant increase in their strength. Those who didn't attend the auction, and those who came but failed to complete a transaction, have all missed this rare opportunity."

Upon hearing this, Master Dongshou immediately abandoned his interest in watching the spectacle and turned to browse the list on the curtain to see if there were any items he could afford.

As the seventh item was sold, the auction hall went dark again, with only the listings on the podium and curtain still glowing. The crowd couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation; the previous auctions had all featured sixth-tier legendary items—could the next items be even more valuable?
"Next is the eighth item."

Jiang Shi pointed to the right, and a ray of golden light appeared on the platform. The golden light wove out the outline of the pagoda. Although the golden light was only an inch in size, it filled the vision of all the onlookers, as if the pagoda was pressing down, suppressing mountains and rivers, and making gods and ghosts flee!
"The Prison-Suppressing Pagoda, imbued with the essence of the Bright King," Jiang Shi explained expressionlessly. "It has three main effects: First, it burns the metal essence to infuse supernatural powers, transforming them into profound metal-based supernatural powers; second, it burns the metal essence to infuse the inner realm, increasing the progress of the inner realm's transformation into a blessed land; third, it burns the metal essence during ascension, increasing the success rate of lifting the blessed land." "Starting bid: four different types of sixth-tier legendary tokens, and a Tribulation Rank inheritance!"

Now, not only Foundation Establishment cultivators but even Immortal Lords stood up straight. Everyone stared at Jin Xing on the platform, most of their eyes filled with greed. The crowd subconsciously moved forward to get a better view.

Metal element!
If the Foundation Establishment Pill can enable mortals to cross the gap between immortals and mortals, then the Golden Nature can enable True Persons to overcome the insurmountable barrier to ascension! A well-prepared Sixth-Rank Golden Realm True Person, as long as they combine the Golden Ascension with a little Golden Nature at the end, has a greater than 50% chance of attaining enlightenment in the mortal world and becoming an immortal at the Seventh Rank!
A seventh-level Immortal Lord is already one of the strongest beings in the Four Desolate Realms of the Outer Regions. They either create their own forces or are powerful figures in super forces. Unless something unexpected happens, their lifespan will be at least over a thousand years, allowing them to witness the vicissitudes of life!

But gold is incredibly rare; even a seventh-rank Immortal Lord would find it difficult to acquire. No one had ever imagined such a treasure would appear at an auction, especially in exchange for a sixth-rank legendary item… Four sixth-rank legendary items were indeed incredibly valuable, enough to empty the coffers of any Grandmaster of Gold, but if this was the only offer, even if it meant going bankrupt and incurring debts for thousands of years, every Grandmaster of Gold present was willing to fight tooth and nail!
However, the seller's second condition deterred many potential investors.

"I can offer five!" someone shouted unwillingly, "Five sixth-tier legendary items! Can the seller be a little more lenient and give up the inheritance of the rank of thief?"

“If the seller is willing to give up the need for the inheritance of the throne,” Dean Huayue said loudly, “Yu Liuting is willing to open the inner treasury, allowing the seller to choose four sixth-rank legendary items, three fifth-rank legendary items, and two fourth-rank legendary items, and to pay an additional one million True Spirit Jade, with taxes borne by us.”

"Clever," a young man in a straw hat chuckled softly from the crowd.

"Why do you say that?" Master Dongshou asked curiously.

“The fact that he is willing to give up his gold essence in exchange for the tokens suggests that the seller is probably not at the sixth level of cultivation. The gold essence must have been obtained by accident or is an heirloom.” The young man in the straw hat said, “With the Imperial Court opening its treasury for him to choose from, he can easily collect all the tokens he has collected along the way to the sixth level of cultivation.”

"The same conditions apply to Changshengtian, but with an additional two million True Spirit Jade!" the mountain lord shouted in response.

Just then, Jiang Shi gently raised her hand, and the entire hall fell silent, with only her voice announcing the bid: "Four legendary sixth-tier items: [Tears of the Sword], [Storm Letter], [Yama Banner], and [Rainy Sandals], as well as the [Eternal Candle] inheritance of the rank of Tribulation."

In the desolate, eternal night, Tong Moli gripped Li Xi's arm tightly, her strength almost crushing it! However, Li Xi looked at her expressionlessly and coldly said, "A touch of gold is far more important than a [Changming Candle] that has vanished for a thousand years. Even without this incident, I intended to train a successor to prove myself as the [Changming Candle]. If the Candle Lord returns, I am willing to atone with my death, bearing all the sins myself… My mind is made up, Tong Moli, you cannot stop me."

The Golden Crow Immortal Lord, who was about to bid, shook his head, and Changsheng Tian and Yu Liuting also withdrew from the auction. The inheritance of the Tribulation Position was too important. Although it was just a piece of information, and although it was unlikely that anyone could verify it if it were to be spread, no one could afford to gamble with it. They would rather keep it hidden than reveal even a trace of it.

It is because the Golden Core Tribulation Master of the Zoroastrian Church has been missing for too long, and the internal sentiments are unsettled, that they dare to use the Tribulation Position inheritance as a bargaining chip.

“The seller really has lofty ambitions…” the young man in the straw hat couldn’t help but say.

"Why do you say that?" When Dongshou Zhenren asked, he suddenly noticed that there were many people gathered around the young man in the straw hat. After all, it was natural for everyone to come and watch such a big expert.

"The fact that the seller wants the sixth-level legendary status and the inheritance of the tribulation position means that he does not intend to take the easiest path of ascension in the mortal world, but wants to prove the Golden Core tribulation position and become the seventh-level tribulation master who dominates the world."

A young man with an earring in the crowd asked curiously, "Ascension from the mortal realm to the Golden Core stage? Is there really two types of seventh-stage advancements?"

“Of course,” the young man in the straw hat replied casually, “the former is the Immortal Lord of the Mortal World, and the latter is the Lord of the Golden Core Tribulation.”

(End of this chapter)