Soul Land 5: The Rebirth of Tang San
Chapter 978: Sword Saint Statue

Chapter 978: Sword Saint Statue

The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor was obviously very pleased with the price, and his smile grew wider.

Three items in, and none of them had been particularly rare or valuable. This actually made Tang San focus even more. If the first three were so lackluster, that could only mean the later ones would be truly precious. Otherwise, how could this mega-auction conclude properly? Could the final items really be less valuable than the opening ones? That would be a complete disaster

After pocketing a hefty sum from his performance, the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor moved on to the fourth item.

When this fourth item appeared, it drew a chorus of gasps from the entire hall.

It was a statue, about half a meter tall, carved from transparent crystal. The statue depicted a human figure, gazing resolutely into the distance, both hands resting on a long sword with its tip touching the ground.

The moment the statue appeared, the air began to hum faintly. An incredibly sharp sword intent pierced straight through the clouds that had been blocking the sun, creating what looked like a hole in the sky. A beam of sunlight shone directly down on the statue, like a divine sign.

"This statue was personally carved by the Sword Saint Demon Emperor. It took him a hundred days to make and contains a sealed strand of his sword intent. It is a one-time-use divine item, equivalent to a full-power strike from the Sword Saint Demon Emperor."

When the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor began his introduction, many people felt a bit odd.

It felt like these Emperors were just using this auction as an excuse to rake in money. First there was the Soaring Cloud Divine Blade, and now a statue carved by the Sword Saint Demon Emperor. These weren't really divine items.

"The starting bid is three thousand amethystine coins, with each increment no less than one hundred amethystine coins. The bidding begins now," the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor said, not bothering with further explanation. It was clear: a single full-power strike from the Sword Saint Demon Emperor, and that was that.

Unlike the Soaring Cloud Divine Blade, this statue was instantly met with a cold reception. For a good minute, no one even offered the opening bid.

Once was enough, but twice? The Soaring Cloud Divine Blade already felt like a fool's tax and this was even worse—it was a consumable. Moreover, the so-called "full-power strike of the Sword Saint Demon Emperor"... Just how powerful was that, really? Who could say but the Sword Saint Demon Emperor himself?

Apart from the Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor, the Sword Saint Demon Emperor was ranked lowest in the Empyrean Dominion. He rarely made much noise. In the eyes of most, he was the weakest of the Emperors.

Three thousand amethystine coins wasn't a small number; it was the starting bid for a top-grade divine item. Spend it for one attack of the weakest Emperor? Hardly worth it.

Well, most bidders thought it wasn't worth it. Some begged to differ.

"Three thousand amethystine coins, VIP Room Eight."

Yes, it was Tang San who bid first this time, breaking the awkward silence.

The wastrel bids again?

That was the first reaction of most bidders when they heard the bid from VIP Room Eight. Based on the earlier bids, they saw VIP Room Eight as the "deep pockets, shallow brain cortex" group.

Well, in all fairness, the Sword Saint Demon Emperor's statue might not be much use to others, but for the Blue Gold Tree clan, it actually made sense. After all, that clan wasn't known for its combat prowess. Having an item that could unleash an Emperor's strike would be a huge boon, even if it was a bit overpriced.

But this thing wasn't remotely on the level of the God-Slaying Shuttle—at least, not an intact God-Slaying Shuttle. Divine items couldn't just produce Emperor-level attacks; they could also block them, and most of them were certainly not consumables. So three thousand amethystine coins still seemed too steep for most bidders.

Three thousand? You guys are really selling chaff for gold and wheat for copper! Tang San thought silently in VIP Room Eight.

He knew the Sword Saint Demon Emperor's abilities better than anyone, in a certain sense. After all, it was none other than Tang San's own Asura Sword that had taught this Emperor the true meaning of the sword: The strongest sword must be a king's sword, a sword of justice and judgment. And from there, he had drawn his own conclusion: The power of the sword comes from the heart, and in order to grasp the strongest sword, one's heart must be pure and entirely dedicated to the sword.

The Sword Saint Demon Emperor's token, of which Tang San once had several, could indeed store a single strike. This statue that had taken over a hundred days to carve contained, without a doubt, far more than that. It likely held all the Emperor's insights and understanding of the sword, refined through this creation process. Its true value was far beyond that of a typical divine item—though, of course, the average bidder couldn't see that. The Red-Crowned Crane clan didn't know how to market it, and the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor was only a casual acquaintance of the Sword Saint Demon Emperor, so he didn't bother hyping it up. That was why the statue seemed unwanted.

"Three thousand amethystine coins going once... Any higher bids?" the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor asked from the stage.

"Thirty-one hundred amethystine coins, VIP Room Three." The phoenix race placed a bid this time.

"Thirty-two hundred amethystine coins, VIP Room Eight." Tang San bid again, but not too aggressively. He didn't want to draw too much attention.

This move only made most other bidders lose interest. If even the "rich fool" of the Blue Gold Tree clan wouldn't pay more, then clearly it wasn't worth much.

The first four of the final ten items had indeed been a letdown.

The sword intent around the statue was starting to fade. The shaft of sunlight also gradually disappeared, making it seem even more unremarkable.

No new bids came. Just three rounds of bidding decided the statue's fate. In the end, Tang San secured the Sword Saint Demon Emperor's statue for 3,200 amethystine coins.

Excellent! Tang San's smile grew broader, and this time, it seemed that everyone in the room was on the same page.

"Wow! An Emperor-level attack! This is awesome," Jin Miaosen said excitedly. Compared to artifacts that required personal skill to use, she much preferred something that could just unleash a powerful attack by itself. It was also a powerful deterrent that the Blue Gold Tree clan now held.

The other elders felt the same. In their eyes, this was exactly the sort of item that held real value for their clan.

Four of the final ten items were gone; six remained. The auction hall's energy had clearly dropped, though. The disappointment in the earlier items was undeniable. They were said to be divine artifacts, but were they truly?

"Bring up the fifth auction item," said the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor, seemingly unconcerned with the ebb and flow of the participants' excitement.

At that moment, the entire auction stage began to tremble faintly. Then, astonishingly, the entire massive stage slowly rose up as a terrifying aura erupted from below.

"ROOOOOOAAAAAAARR!!!"

A fierce dragon's roar echoed through the heavens.

The earth-shaking roar made many of the weaker bidders in the auction hall turn pale with fright.

What the hell is THAT?

As the stage rose, it revealed a giant cage beneath. Yes, a cage.

It had thick bars made of an unknown material and it was reinforced with several arrays. And inside that cage was a creature.

It looked somewhat like a massive dragon, about thirty meters long and with a pair of huge wings on its back. Its head was quite large even relative to its body, and it sported a single, three-meter-long horn. Its entire body was covered in jagged, uneven scales, making it appear both aesthetically unpleasant and incredibly menacing.