Chapter 1036 - The Undying Tree

Han Wu’s words stunned everyone in the room. None of them doubted his judgment. The Forest Clan’s strength simply left them in shock. Even the younger members had Subcosm power. The family’s overall strength was almost absurd.

The Commerce God King seemed especially mortified. He’d been pitching Ye Cang on a fruit business the whole time, practically treating a Mesocosm powerhouse like a fruit farmer. The fact that the Forest Clan hadn’t beaten him on the spot was a testament to their good upbringing.

“Don’t panic. I only detected it because of my senses as a Great Dragon. They probably didn’t notice. Since they haven’t asked us for anything, they most likely want to keep a low profile. Let’s not expose them,” Han Wu said, recovering his composure.

When he’d first sensed the Forest Clan’s true power, he’d suspected they were assassins sent after him. After all, he had no shortage of enemies. Thankfully, they had shown no hostility over the course of their conversation, in which case it was best not to meddle.

The Commerce God King and the others all nodded and agreed to follow Han Wu’s lead.

The auction continued under Gift God King Shaura’s energetic hosting. Both the VIP box guests and the floor bidders threw themselves into the bidding. Every lot sold at a minimum of three times its starting price. Not a single item went unsold.

Qin Shuang set her sights on a Microcosm Divine Weapon that could harness lightning, called the Lightning Orb. However, she didn’t have any Microcosms of her own, so Han Wu bid on it for her. It cost 3,500 Microcosms.

Setting aside its attributes, those resources alone could’ve raised three Subcosm rank fighters. Han Wu didn’t even blink at the price.

Qin Shuang beamed. With the Lightning Orb, her comprehension of the Lightning Jurisdiction would accelerate tenfold, and the lightning she unleashed would be over a hundred times more powerful. Once she mastered the Lightning Jurisdiction, she could start studying other Jurisdictions and deepen her foundation.

Jing Jing watched from the side with a flicker of envy in her eyes. Then she reminded herself that she had the Evilspawn Ghost Blade, which matched the Lightning Orb in both power and growth potential. Better still, Han Wu had forged it with his own hands, making it more meaningful than any auction item. The envy vanished with a puff at that thought.

The auction pressed on and soon reached the final lot. After delivering a fiery introduction, Gift God King Shaura pulled the red cloth free.

It was a tree. A sapling, to be precise. Shaura announced it as an Ancient Divine Tree, specifically the Undying Tree.

True to its name, the Undying Tree’s greatest property was that its fruit granted a temporary immunity to death. Han Wu felt a faint connection between the Undying Tree’s fruit and his own undying ability.

As the last item, the Undying Tree triggered a bidding frenzy. While everyone knew that true immortality didn’t exist, and that the effect was temporary, even being briefly unkillable was enough to drive people wild. Who wouldn’t want to live forever? The Undying Tree offered a plausible path.

The bids started at 30,000 Microcosms, but shot up to 200,000 within moments. Han Wu listened to the bids soar and marveled at how many wealthy players the Divine Civilization had. Despite hitting 200,000, they were still going. Some people were betting their entire fortunes!

After hitting 200,000, the regular bidders went back and forth with low increases for a time, only for the Forest Clan’s VIP box to cut in with a bid of 250,000 Microcosms! The jump of 50,000 in one go instantly silenced the weaker competitors. Several families immediately dropped out. They simply couldn’t compete at that level.

Still, the price kept climbing. 300,000... 400,000...

Han Wu could hardly believe it. With that many Microcosms, who needed an Undying Tree? Investing those resources in raising fighters would’ve netted enormous returns! That was just his wishful thinking, though.

The bidding finally slowed at 450,000 Microcosms, with only two bidders remaining. One was the Forest Clan in their VIP box. The other was a regional tycoon in the general seating.

When Sun Qingnian spotted the tycoon, he instantly dispatched an informant to investigate. The intel came back fast.

“That guy’s bluffing. His assets and personal strength combined can’t cover 450,000 Microcosms!” Sun Qingnian reported.

Han Wu and the others were shocked at his audacity. Daring to artificially inflate the price of a lot at the Wealth Faction’s annual auction was practically a death wish.

The Wealth Faction’s back office caught on at the same time. Shaura received the notification and announced that anyone wishing to continue bidding would need to pass their asset verification first.

Naturally, the tycoon panicked. He didn’t have the money. He’d simply been driving the price up to bleed the Forest Clan dry. When the verification team approached, he leaped to his feet and bolted for the exit.

Unfortunately for him, the Wealth Faction’s security wasn’t just for show. Every guard on duty was a Microcosm fighter, and they caught him before he could reach the door.

“I forfeit! I’m dropping out! Isn’t that enough?” the tycoon screamed.

It wasn’t. Deliberately disrupting the Wealth Faction’s auction carried severe consequences.

He was dragged from the hall, shrieking like a pig being led to slaughter. Harsh punishment awaited him.