Chapter 60: The Beast God's Hand!
"Our next auction item is quite a famous one. I'm sure many of you have already figured out what it is, haven't you?"
"That's right—it's the egg of one of the twelve peak bloodlines among starry sky beasts. A Chasm Beast egg, beloved by both the Earth and Air origin laws!"
The auction hall erupted with excitement. The eyes of the domain lords lit up with fiery desire.
A starry sky beast cub was incredibly enticing—whether for possession by a junior or for raising into a loyal fighter, it was a guaranteed win.
As the initial excitement died down, Jiang Zhe furrowed his brow, doubting whether he had the financial power to compete.
"However," the goat-bearded auctioneer added with regret, "I must inform you all—this is a dead egg."
He pointed at the large egg on the screen. The camera panned to a chip beside it—something the audience hadn't noticed before.
"This egg failed during a possession attempt. The Chasm Beast's soul was destroyed. Fortunately, a soul master was able to extract and preserve the beast's inheritance memories, which are all stored in this chip. Both items will be auctioned as a pair!"
After the explanation, the hall once again descended into noisy discussion.
"Ugh!"
"What a disappointment—just a second-hand dud!"
"Are they messing with us?"
"What's the use of inheritance memories? Humans can't cultivate those. At most, they're worth a bit for research."
"Couldn't it still be used as material for a clone?"
"Are you dumb? If you're capable of cultivating clones, why would you settle for a run-of-the-mill starry sky beast? Wouldn't you be aiming for a special lifeform instead?"
"Well… after proper preservation, it could be used as a decorative piece at home. Not a bad collector's item, honestly."
…
The auctioneer tried a bit more to inflate the value of the dead egg before starting the bidding.
The starting price was "0", and the bidding began. The prices immediately started appearing on every participant's auction token.
1.5 Hunyuan units!
1.8 Hunyuan units!
…
3.7 Hunyuan units!
…
Jiang Zhe stared at the screen as the numbers kept jumping, reaching 5 Hunyuan units in just a few seconds—leaving him speechless.
"It's already more expensive than that damaged Magic Killer Clan hide…"
That race was known for its powerful space law talent. Their remains weren't just good for clone materials; even their damaged hides might offer insights into spatial secret patterns.
"But this is just a dead egg. Is it really worth it?" Jiang Zhe frowned in confusion.
"Maybe it's because of the inheritance memories?" Oriana offered a guess.
"Ha! Everyone pretends they don't care, but once bidding starts, they're all going all-in!"
Cursing inwardly, Jiang Zhe jumped into the fray.
Eventually, the final bid settled at 56.7 Hunyuan units, from bidder CNB95270—which meant Jiang Zhe had won it.
"Phew. Good thing I sold that top-spec mechanical race ship on the way here. Otherwise, I would've watched the opportunity pass me by with empty hands."
Slumping back into a chair too small for his frame, Jiang Zhe let out a breath of relief.
The silver-robed soul's "study material" was finally secured.
The auction continued, but Jiang Zhe had mostly lost interest.
Occasionally, he'd place test bids on some naturally formed treasures—hoping to stock up on food for Oriana.
But prices quickly shot past a thousand Hunyuan units, pushing them far out of reach.
Until—two items appeared on the screen. Two metallic gloves, one large and one small, glowing with a dark purple-gold hue.
"Huh?! Infinity Gauntlet?"
"Is the Purple Grape Lord applying to become head of the Universe Population Bureau?"
Jiang Zhe couldn't help but chuckle at the odd designs of the weapons.
The goat-bearded auctioneer gestured toward the gloves on the screen and began the introduction.
"First, let me clarify something."
"This weapon set has one copy in each universe nation's auction house. In total, there will be 1,008 sets, and that will be the end. The master craftsman has declared he will never produce this type of psychic weapon again."
The domain lords exchanged looks.
Scarcity marketing?
But honestly, they couldn't see what was so special about these psychic weapons.
Could they be stronger than the nine divine weapons of the Controllers?
Or perhaps… these were made for immortal beings?
The auctioneer continued, "These two psychic weapons are called Beast God's Hand. They're crafted by merging the laws of lightning and time. The two pieces form a progression set, with supporting secret techniques for both basic and advanced usage."
Beast God?
The unique name caught the attention of Jiang Zhe and a few knowledgeable immortals and domain lords.
"Beast God? Are you serious?" Jiang Zhe's eyes lit up, recalling the massive shield of the Beast God weapon that Luo Feng would wield in the future.
It was well known that human cultivators of the Beast God path were almost universally weak. The only notable high-tier inheritance was Beast God Seven Kills from the Golden Horn race's Hero Duo.
Those pursuing the Beast God path often bought this technique and tried to pair it with a matching weapon—but few ever found success.
Jiang Zhe suspected these two weapons were just some King's-level immortal's side project.
The auctioneer elaborated,
"The Lesser Beast God's Hand is slightly weaker than the nine divine weapons of the Controllers in terms of power, but it's just as difficult to master. It only serves as the entry point."
"The key lies in its advanced form—the true Beast God's Hand."
"Only after mastering the Lesser version can one begin learning the advanced technique and try to wield the true Beast God's Hand."
"Its power surpasses even the Controller's divine weapons. If you can unleash its final form, you could stand against even Marquis-ranked immortals!"
"Of course, mastering it is extremely difficult. In addition to understanding the origin laws, it also requires a unique kind of insight."
"In short—this weapon's artistic value far outweighs its practical use. If you're planning to bid, think twice before committing."
For the first time, the auctioneer wasn't trying to hype the price but instead warned the crowd to think rationally.
The domain lords were a bit taken aback by this honesty, but they could sense the weapon's depth.
Only a handful of informed immortals and domain lords remained interested in the Beast God's Hand.
Of course, Jiang Zhe was among them.
"Requires unique insight? That seals it!"
"I've yearned to pursue the Beast God path for a long time."
"Lightning and time—exactly what I've been looking for. None of the current Controller-grade weapons align with my attributes. I can't let this one go."
"Even if I don't fully understand it, I have to win it first and give it a try."
With resolve firm in his heart, Jiang Zhe adjusted his posture and got ready to bid.
"Psychic weapon: Beast God's Hand, one pair!" the auctioneer declared. "Starting bid: 0!"
10 Hunyuan units!
40 Hunyuan units!
100 Hunyuan units!
…
The bidding display ticked up slowly, indicating few participants—but the jumps in price were steep.
Jiang Zhe was momentarily dazed—before he knew it, the price had surged to 300 Hunyuan units, leaving him dumbfounded.
"Guys… come on. Seriously?"
"Immortals and domain lords from universe nations think they can walk the Beast God path?"
Even Jiang Zhe, with confidence in entering the core of the Virtual Universe Company, wasn't sure he could handle the Beast God's Hand.
He suspected there was a good chance it'd rot unused in his hands.
"What about the others? Are they just burning money? Planning to use it as a display piece?"
Still grumbling inwardly, Jiang Zhe clenched his teeth and kept bidding—ready to throw in his full 2,000+ Hunyuan units if needed.
Fortunately, after the price passed 500 Hunyuan units, only a few bidders remained.
"890 Hunyuan units! Any higher bids?"
The auctioneer looked around.
"Counting down: 10, 9, 8… 3, 2, 1! Congratulations to guest CNB95270, winner of the Beast God's Hand set!"
"Whew—"
As the deal closed, Jiang Zhe rubbed his temples and let out a long sigh of relief.
…
The final auction item was the usual finale—a slot to comprehend the Original Universe. It sold for nearly 40,000 Hunyuan units.
And with that, the auction officially ended.
15 days later, Jiang Zhe and Oriana arrived at White Orchid Star aboard their spaceship and successfully received their auctioned treasures.