Chapter 709: PUA
The Shadowmoon Pavilion was also a powerful faction within the Holy Continent.
It gathered countless top-tier assassins.
After Qiao Duo placed his bid...
Zhang Mingruo of the Demon Dragon Palace, Ding Haoji of the Ten Thousand Beasts Alliance, Jian Zicheng of the Holy Sword Guild, and Liu Zheng of the Radiant Guild—all renowned figures—joined the bidding.
"Four billion!"
"Four billion, three hundred million!"
"Four billion, eight hundred million!"
"Five billion, four hundred million!"
"…"
The frequent bidding left everyone else unable to participate, turning the auction into a battlefield between these powerful factions.
Ling Zhan watched the heated bidding silently, frowning slightly.
In truth, everyone in the room, including Ling Zhan, Avril, and their group, was interested in the dragon egg.
After all, it was something tied to the Radiant Treasure.
Even though no one could confirm whether the treasure truly held the Radiant Dragon King or whether the egg was genuinely linked to the Radiant Secret Realm, the dragon egg's value, with its dragon king-level bloodline, was undeniably high.
Avril was tempted.
As Lucia's junior apprentice and the disciple of a level 190 master, she naturally had plenty of funds.
She could certainly afford to participate in the bidding.
The bidding grew increasingly intense.
Just as Avril was about to raise her hand to join in...
Ling Zhan reached out and held her wrist, stopping her.
"What are you doing? I'm going to bid! If this dragon egg falls into another faction's hands, we won't be able to complete the Radiant Treasure mission," Avril pouted.
Ling Zhan shook his head and said, "This dragon egg is incredibly hot to handle. Even if we can afford to bid, we absolutely shouldn't touch it. We're on our own; don't think these factions are in the same situation as us."
"Ling Zhan is right," Adolphus nodded in agreement and said, "The Demon Dragon Palace, Holy Sword Guild, Ten Thousand Beasts Alliance, and Shadowmoon Pavilion all likely have level 150 or even level 160 powerhouses in their teams."
"Even Liu Zheng of the Radiant Guild has a father who's the acting city lord, a level 160 powerhouse. These people can win the dragon egg without fearing retaliation, but if we win it, our small team will become a target for everyone. We might not even make it to the Radiant Secret Realm before being hunted down."
"Ah…" Avril exclaimed softly. She had thought this was just a simple Radiant Treasure mission.
But it seemed different this time.
All the major factions were taking it far more seriously than usual.
Could it really be a dragon treasure inside?
"Should I contact my sister and ask her to bring reinforcements?" Avril asked softly.
"No need," Ling Zhan shook his head and replied, "Let's wait and see. This might be a rare and dangerous trial for us. If we always rely on stronger reinforcements at the first sign of trouble, how are we any different from weaklings?"
Everyone paused, realizing his words made sense.
Ansely's gaze sparkled as she looked at Ling Zhan.
As Ling Zhan said, this was indeed a rare trial.
If they were directly pitted against level 160 powerhouses, it wouldn't be a trial—it would be a death sentence.
However...
The opportunity lay within the Radiant Secret Realm's treasure.
The maximum entry level for the Radiant Secret Realm was 140.
This meant their opponents inside would all be at this level, giving them a fighting chance to secure the treasure.
Ling Zhan saw his three teammates nodding at his words, and he smiled inwardly.
The truth was, this talk of a trial was all a ploy.
If Avril really brought Lucia and her level 160 Holy Knights, the treasure rewards would have to be shared.
After all, those reinforcements wouldn't come all this way to protect the team without expecting a share of the spoils.
For Ling Zhan, who urgently needed resources to grow stronger, that was not an ideal outcome.
Moreover...
Did they really think owning the dragon egg guaranteed their claim to the treasure?
Had they asked Ling Zhan for permission?
At this moment...
The bidding for the dragon egg had been going on for ten minutes.
The auctioneer, aware of its immense value, gave the attendees ample time to consider their bids.
The price of the dragon egg had now climbed to 14.3 billion Holy Crystal Stones.
The bidder was Zhang Mingruo of the Demon Dragon Palace.
"14 billion, six hundred million!"
Jian Zicheng of the Holy Sword Guild spoke solemnly. At this price, no one could remain indifferent.
"As expected of the Holy Sword Guild—so wealthy!"
"But our Demon Dragon Palace is determined to win this dragon egg—15 billion!"
Zhang Mingruo sneered coldly and raised the bid again.
However...
Liu Zheng from the Radiant Guild chuckled and raised his paddle, "Then the Radiant Guild will join in. Since you're so determined, I won't waste anyone's time—17 billion!"
"If anyone bids higher, the Radiant Guild will withdraw!"
Wow!!
The crowd erupted at the mention of 17 billion.
Incredible!
They were truly willing to spend!
At this price...
The representatives of the Ten Thousand Beasts Alliance, Shadowmoon Pavilion, and Holy Sword Guild fell silent.
Clearly, this was beyond their budgets.
Zhang Mingruo's expression turned dark as he glared at Liu Zheng for raising the stakes so high.
Liu Zheng met his gaze fearlessly.
"Damn Liu Zheng!"
Zhang Mingruo cursed inwardly. Despite his frustration, he had to bid—the organization had given strict orders to secure the dragon egg at all costs.
"18 billion!"
Zhang Mingruo raised the bid again, his expression grim.
The crowd looked on in numb silence.
It couldn't be helped...
For the past ten minutes, only these few people had been bidding furiously. At first, it had been shocking, but now it had become almost routine.
"Impressive! The Demon Dragon Palace is truly determined to win this treasure!"
"Then the Radiant Guild will yield. Congratulations, Zhang Mingruo, on acquiring the dragon egg!"
Liu Zheng chuckled again and returned to flirting with the woman beside him.
Zhang Mingruo's expression remained gloomy.
Although he had won, the price of 18 billion Holy Crystal Stones was a massive blow to the Demon Dragon Palace.
In recent years, the faction had been targeted due to rumors of its ties to the Demon Arrival Organization, making its development less than smooth.
But no matter—at least the dragon egg was now in their possession.
Let these people laugh for now!
Once they entered the Radiant Secret Realm, they wouldn't be laughing anymore!
Zhang Mingruo's gaze was filled with venom.
Ultimately, the dragon egg ended up in the hands of the Demon Dragon Palace.
Since it had not yet reached its hatching period, Zhang Mingruo, though eager, couldn't form a contract with it. He had no choice but to wait for the Radiant Secret Realm to appear.