Chapter 44: Chapter 44: Secret Conspiracy; The Bidding War
Under Seraphina’s gentle, radiant light, the dark, spiritual contamination afflicting the Holy Emperor was slowly, meticulously burned away.
After a tense hour, the Emperor’s eyes fluttered open. The gray pallor of his face was replaced by a healthy, if tired, color. The curse was completely purified.
The room, which had swiftly filled with the Empress Consort, the Crown Prince Tristan, and several other princes and princesses, erupted in joyful tears and exclamations.
They had all witnessed Seraphina’s miracle.
The Empress Consort, a woman of sharp intelligence and great presence, rushed to the Saintess. The Emperor himself, still weak but lucid, offered profound thanks.
"Saintess Seraphina, You have saved the pillar of our Empire. In gratitude, and in light of the close ties between Holy Light Empire and White Lotus, I would be so bold as to propose a union. My son, Crown Prince Tristan, is a paragon of virtue and talent. We humbly ask that you consider joining our Royal Family through a marriage."
It was an outrageous demand, placing a subordinate prince on equal footing with the Saintess from White Lotus, but the Empress hoped the debt of gratitude and the long-standing alliance might make it possible.
Seraphina, however, refused politely but firmly, "Your Majesty, I am deeply honored by your proposal. However, my fate is already decided. There is already someone destined for me."
Empress Consort became stunned. "Who is that person, may I ask, Saintess?"
"Someone who is born to defy fate."
With those mysterious words as her parting reply, Seraphina prepared to depart.
Just as Seraphina was about to leave the bedchamber, Crown Prince Tristan, a handsome man who carried himself with a distinctly regal and refined air, joined beside her.
"Saintess. I must ask forgiveness on behave of mother empress, who made such an outrageous proposal. I am deeply ashamed." Tristan apologised, keeping his head low in respect.
Seraphina glanced at him, then smiled,
"You’re good man, Crown Prince. There’s no need to ask forgiveness for such small matter. I am not offended at all."
"Then, please allow me the honor of seeing you off personally."
Tristan couldn’t help but admire her pure, serene beauty. He would certainly marry her if he could, but his mother had already informed him of Seraphina’s clear rejection, and he was too dignified to force the issue.
As they walked through the palace hallways, Tristan spoke in a low, sincere voice, personally thanking her again for her life-saving intervention.
"We owe you a debt beyond measure, Saintess," Tristan murmured, looking wary.
He then suddenly leaned closer and said in a whispering tone, "But I must speak plainly. My younger brother, Tyrian... he is no longer the person I once knew. His emotions, his behaviours, feels fabricated, as though crafted by a unseen hand. Please, keep this in mind and report it to the Holy Land if possible. I fear there is something far greater at work here than any of us realize."
Seraphina listened to his advice seriously. The Crown Prince’s direct warning confirmed the subtle feeling of wrongness she’d sensed from the Second Prince.
She thanked Tristan for his honesty and then, with a final elegant nod, quickly headed toward the main gates. She had a pressing appointment at the Twin Moon Commerce Auction Hall, where Vahn awaited.
---
Meanwhile, in the Twin Moon auction hall.
After the tumultuous, record-breaking sale of the Heaven Grade Body Tempering Liquid, the auction hall settled into a routine of high-stakes bidding. The auctioneer cycled through a variety of rare treasures and unique items.
The rogue cultivators managed to snag a few lower-tier spiritual items after emptying their life saving, while the top factions treated the acquisitions like toys, bidding casually on things merely to add to their vast collections.
In that sense, this world was no different than Earth. Without power and resources your wishes will to be buried under obscurity.
Vahn remained silent in his private box as he contemplated this. He wouldn’t waste his newfound fortune on useless trinkets. His goal was singular: The Lightning Seed.
However, if a powerful weapon had appeared, he might have been tempted, but the current lots were purely supplementary and held no value for the rapid advancement of his Void Refining Art. Every single Spirit Stone was earmarked for one specific item.
And with each second passed, he was getting impatient.
At long last, the moment Vahn had been waiting for arrived.
The auctioneer returned to the stage, a solemn, reverent expression on his face. He was followed by several attendants, who carefully carried a long, velvet-covered table.
The attendants unveiled the objects: five square-shaped glass containers, meticulously sealed and glowing with different colored luminescence. Each container held a small, seed-like item suspended within a protective layer of spiritual liquid.
The atmosphere in the hall, which had been merely electric, now became suffocatingly tense. Everyone recognized the significance of the lot.
"Esteemed guests," the auctioneer announced again.
"We now present a collection of Elemental Seeds! These are Heaven and Earth treasures, fragments of pure Elemental Spirits, capable of granting an innate affinity to the cultivator who successfully merges with them!"
He pointed to the seven containers. "Tonight, we feature the rare Earth Seed, the flowing Water Seed, the fiery Flame Seed, the ethereal Wind Seed... and the final one, ladies and gentlemen, the electrifying, legendary Lightning Seed!"
Vahn’s eyes remained glued to the final item on the table: the small, pulsating purple Lightning Seed. That was his primary target, though he wouldn’t mind acquiring the other elemental seeds if their prices were low. He knew, however, that the chances of that happening were very unlikely.
The auctioneer, sensing the collective eagerness of the room, wasted no time.
"Esteemed guests, let’s not waste time. For the Flame Seed, we are starting with 200,000 Low-grade Spirit Stones, with a minimum increment of 20,000 Spirit Stones. Let us begin!"
"220,000."
"250,000."
"500,000!"
"700,000!"
The price quickly shot up to one million Spirit Stones as various Fire-aligned sects and clans entered the fray, their voices booming with feverish hunger.
Vahn also joined in but quickly shut his mouth. He didn’t need the Flame Seed badly enough to enter such an expensive, early battle. While a Fire Affinity would be useful for the future, sacrificing his budget now would jeopardize his main goal: the purple seed.
The bidding war for the Flame Seed was intense, fueled by desperation and deep pockets. In the end, it went into the hand of Patriarch Xion for a final price of two million Spirit Stones.
Vahn mentally noted that particular transaction. Xion, his so-called ’Father-in-law’ according to the System, might potentially give it away if Vahn asked, but Vahn wasn’t shameless enough to exploit that unknown relationship. Especially since their Daughter hates him.
The rest of the elemental seeds (Earth, Water, Wind) were sold away with similar, staggering price tags, proving that Vahn’s earlier decision to conserve his Spirit Stones was wise. He needed every single stone from his Heaven Grade sale.
At long last, the time for the final, most anticipated item had arrived.
"Honourable guests," the auctioneer added, his voice reaching a dramatic crescendo. "Now for the final Elemental Seed: the Legendary Lightning Seed! With this, your precious child will take a monumental step toward becoming a greater prodigy. Starting price is the same, as well as the minimum increment. So Let us begin once again!"