The first auction of the Blazing Fire Chamber of Commerce concluded successfully, under the watchful eyes of six great mythic existences.
It was a legendary event, destined to become fodder for conversation among countless mercenaries and merchants.
"I was once stared down by six mythic lords simultaneously!"
"Awesome!"
Such tales could be retold for centuries back in the Shattered Sea.
"Still, it ended peacefully, which I found a bit surprising."
"Huh? Were you expecting the mythic beings to start a fight? If they did, we extras would be the first to go."
"Not at all, it's just that the mythic beings were able to restrain themselves, which is indeed surprising, especially the one from the Dawn Legion. I heard those from the Dawn Legion have fiery tempers, and they didn't even manage to bid on any treasures this time."
The final two auction items were both highly coveted. One was acquired by Aesphus of the Crimson Lotus Empire, and the other fell into the hands of someone of unknown identity, likely not from any top-tier force.
However, their bid was exceptionally high.
Twenty Divine Crystals, along with four Epic-grade rituals, and a portion of Ritual Stones. Even if the Blazing Fire Chamber of Commerce had similar versions of two or three of these rituals, this bid far surpassed those of other factions.
The Dawn Legion lord's divine aura fluctuated violently, but ultimately, he said nothing and left.
Those familiar with the Dawn Legion's modus operandi were greatly surprised. Yet, some of the discerning Six-Awakened elites, who understood the deeper power dynamics, found it unsurprising. The Dawn lord's choice was, in fact, normal.
"Because the Blazing Fire Chamber of Commerce had two mythic lords present in person, they were indisputably the strongest force. Even if the Dawn Legion wanted to threaten the mysterious bidder, they couldn't."
"Moreover, it's very strange. The Fallen Star City didn't acquire any treasures either, yet Lord Boraimon appeared to be… very supportive. This doesn't make sense."
It made no sense to outsiders.
But to the Fallen Star City, it had to make sense.
One mythic, two mythics, three mythics… having an extra mythic being provided a significant edge in resource competition against other top factions.
Direct confrontations between super oasis factions were rare, but conflicts were not. For instance, when two super factions simultaneously discovered a large vein of Chaotic Crystal, conflict and competition were inevitable. In such scenarios, the side with more high-level existences held the advantage and would secure a larger share.
Exploring ruins and today's auction transactions were similar!
Ultimately, it was a world where power reigned supreme.
And the Blazing Fire Chamber of Commerce, a mere small oasis, was home to three mythic beings? This was utterly preposterous.
What puzzled the super factions even more was the past of the Blazing Fire Chamber of Commerce. If they could arrive here as refugees, having lost everything, and still have two or three mythic beings, how powerful must the Blazing Fire Chamber of Commerce have been at its peak? And which faction was it originally?
"The Chaotic Realm is too vast; it's not impossible for a powerful force to exist in some unknown major domain. The precursor to the Blazing Fire Chamber of Commerce was clearly a super faction with exceptionally deep foundations and a long history."
"They possessed heirlooms like the Clear Heart Tea Tree, capable of elevating a super oasis to a higher level, as well as numerous treasures and chaotic artifacts obtained from ancient ruins."
Outside the auction hall, Karios, the Star Forger, wearing black-rimmed glasses, looked up at the sky and sighed deeply.
He too had been under immense pressure just now, under the gaze of six mythic lords. Their team lacked a mythic presence, making him hesitant to bid, and he could only watch helplessly as the final auction items were taken by other factions.
Regrettable, yet unavoidable.
If only they could have acquired the Water of Origin or Pure Divine Radiance, someone like him, lacking talent, could have glimpsed the mythic realm.
How could Karios not be ardent?
"But there is still hope."
"The Blazing Fire Chamber of Commerce has promised to hold a small auction every month, and a large-scale auction of today's caliber, or even grander, once a year or longer. At that time, Water of Origin and Pure Divine Radiance will be available again."
"The Blazing Fire Chamber of Commerce still has Pure Divine Radiance!"
"In one year, we must use this time to prepare more Chaotic Crystals and Divine Crystals. The next large-scale Blazing Fire auction might be the last chance to acquire Pure Divine Radiance."
After all, these two were almost non-renewable treasures.
It was only because the Blazing Fire Chamber of Commerce urgently needed resources to replenish its coffers, and possibly lacked suitable mythic seeds for ascension in the short term, that they brought these two treasures to market.
Even so, Karios found it unbelievable.
Especially the 'Pure Divine Radiance', which could significantly increase the chances of awakening as a mythic, and also ensure safety if the awakening failed – a treasure desired by countless mythic seeds.
Even if the Blazing Fire Chamber of Commerce currently had no mythic seeds, they would normally keep them for future use.
"Perhaps the young ones are not sentimental about selling off their ancestors' legacies. After all, the two mythic beings of the Blazing Fire Chamber of Commerce look quite young; they might not even be as old as us," Karios mused.
As they exited the auction hall, many merchant caravans, having already packed their belongings, immediately whipped their mounts and departed the Blazing Fire Oasis. Those who had acquired treasures were eager to return to their own oases. Factions that had bid on envy-inducing treasures took extra precautions, implementing elaborate arrangements as soon as they left the auction hall.
Disguises, diversions, evasions—all sorts of methods were employed to shake off any pursuing factions.
This was facilitated by the protection of the Blazing Fire Chamber of Commerce. Within the oasis and its vicinity, such areas were under the Blazing Fire Chamber of Commerce's order and protection, deterring any factions that might readily turn into plunderers from making a move.
This gave the factions that had acquired precious treasures ample time to strategize.
Of course, they could also remain within the city and enjoy the Blazing Fire Chamber of Commerce's protection. However, strong individuals generally did not wish to entrust their safety solely to others; having a buffer period was quite satisfactory.
At this moment, one could see figures and caravans exiting the oasis and disappearing into the dense gray mist in the blink of an eye.
The Dawn lord was the first to depart.
The Fallen Star lord also journeyed away, treading upon a river of stars.
The merchant caravans of Great Sumeru City, Ancient Moon Dynasty, and Crimson Lotus Empire followed.
Before long, the oasis marketplace became sparsely populated, its liveliness fading. Karios from the Sixth Star Island shook his head. He didn't need to return immediately. After all, he hadn't bid on much throughout the entire auction. He couldn't just leave empty-handed.
Since he was here, he naturally had to visit the Blazing Fire Grand Market.
And taste the Blazing Fire cuisine, which was said to be exceptionally unique.
"Let's go."
He signaled his accompanying strongmen.
The top-ranked Six-Awakened individual protecting him suddenly stopped, his head turning towards the horizon. "My Lord, it seems a mythic being is approaching, and…"
Karios also sensed it.
He looked towards the sky. The gray mist outside the oasis churned violently like boiling water. Under the impact of terrifying and profound divine auras, it gradually parted to both sides.
As if soldiers forming ranks to welcome.
As if the vast waves of the sea parting.
Embracing dark green clouds. These clouds flew from the edge of the sky, appearing as if countless vengeful souls were entwined and gathered, their form particularly terrifying, causing observers to feel dizzy and a conceptual toxin to flood their bodies through their sight.
"Don't look! Don't look at that poisonous cloud!"
Karios downed a potion and continued to gaze afar, seeing a figure standing with hands clasped atop the flying dark green cloud.
The newcomer wore a large, loose robe of red and black. His gray hair whipped in the wind, yet his physique appeared emaciated, especially his pale, sunken face, resembling a skull covered with skin. His eyes were as still and cold as an abyss, making it impossible to look directly at him.
He rode the poisonous cloud, unmasked, and flew directly towards the oasis.
"This mythic being seems to be here with ill intentions?"
"Brother, you can remove the 'seems'."
"Which mythic being is this? Could it be an enemy of the Blazing Fire Chamber of Commerce?"
Unlike Lord Aesphus and Lord Neryide who had arrived earlier, many strong individuals found it difficult to identify this aggressively approaching mythic being at first glance.
Karios frowned in thought for a moment, then suddenly spoke, "The controller of poison clouds, the Pale Reviver, Lord Julius!"
Upon hearing this, some of the more knowledgeable elders present suddenly understood.
"It's him!"
"This mythic being is said to have appeared over a hundred years ago. He excels at controlling poison clouds and reviving corpses, and is rumored to be extremely insidious. He rarely shows himself, but he has killed many!"
"Hush, speak softly. Are you tired of living!"
"It is said that Lord Julius established a faction in a remote sea area in the southern Shattered Sea, but it is not well-known and has not developed."
"What is this mythic being here for?"
…
Clearly, he wasn't here for tea.
As the vast and powerful divine might emanated from afar, Citina, still within the auction hall, was the first to notice.
She naturally didn't recognize this Pale Reviver Julius, but from the poison clouds and divine aura, Citina could deduce some things.
—This is a mythic being skilled in poison and spreading disaster.
"We cannot let him approach the oasis, otherwise, if the poison clouds spread, others within the oasis will not be able to withstand it."
At this moment, many within the oasis were already showing symptoms of poisoning. These were awakened individuals who had looked directly at the poison cloud and were of lower cultivation. If they were so potent from afar, allowing the enemy to enter the oasis would result in heavy casualties!
"Then what should we do?"
Qian Qiu looked at the two of them and asked.
Elohi crossed her arms, her chin slightly raised, "Of course, we'll fight him! How dare he cause trouble on our turf? Watch this empress blast him out!"
Citina also leaned towards fighting the enemy. Her blood began to boil, and she wished she could grab her Endless Sword and fight immediately.
However, she remembered her duty as the oasis guardian and that the oasis's safety was her top priority.
She needed to act with caution.
How to act cautiously? She wondered.
"I… we should ask our mentor for his advice."
"Fine, fine."
Elohi waved her hand impatiently. "Hurry up, there's not much time left."
Before Elohi could finish speaking, Citina had already dialed her mentor's direct line in her mind. Soon, she received her mentor's reply.
She stood there, stunned, the tuft of golden hair on her head, which stood up like an antenna, spinning like a propeller with a "didi didi" sound.
"What did the mentor say?"
"Mentor said we can fight if necessary, but how to fight… that's up to us to arrange."
But she just didn't know how to arrange it, which was why she wanted her mentor to give direct orders.
This problem is so difficult!
Citina stared blankly.
"Then it's my turn to shine, to propagate our… the Blazing Fire Chamber of Commerce's prestige! Otherwise, all sorts of riff-raff will show up in the future."
Elohi exuded an imposing aura.
Qian Qiu couldn't help but say, "Hey, hey, that's a mythic being, not some riff-raff."
"Metaphor, do you understand metaphors! I need that kind of spirit!"
With that said, Elohi looked at Citina, "You think slowly, I'll go first."
She waved her hand and walked towards the backstage exit of the hall.
Citina called out to her,
"Wait."
"What, you're not going to steal my spot to fight, are you? I'm telling you, this spot was reserved by me first!"
Citina did indeed want to fight.
Elohi fought for show, while she purely wanted to fight, to engage in a true battle with an enemy of equal standing.
However, among the four guardians of the Blazing Fire Oasis, she tried to avoid fighting if possible, as instructed by her mentor.
She said, "This mythic being is skilled in poison attacks and should not be underestimated. If you accidentally get a touch of poison, it would be extremely dangerous."
After all, Elohi was not yet a mythic.
The gap in their stature was too great.
Facing a mythic being alone, especially one skilled in poison clouds and incredibly insidious, was extremely dangerous.
"Let Mr. Xing accompany you. His abilities might be more suitable for dealing with this enemy. Qian Qiu and I will be responsible for guarding the oasis and preventing any other mythic beings from ambushing us."
As soon as she finished speaking, a large hand forcefully pushed open the door.
Bright sunlight from outside poured into the backstage area of the hall. A sturdy and imposing figure stood against the light, his cloak flapping wildly in the wind. He grinned, revealing perfectly white and neat teeth, his eyes and teeth gleaming.
"I seem to hear someone calling for this great me!"
…
Elohi was a little annoyed, but ultimately agreed.
After all, she didn't want her majestic empress image to be tarnished in front of so many people.
However,
Why was she relegated to playing support! Damn it!
She used an invisible hand to lift herself into the air, her striking wine-red hair fluttering in the wind. She had no divine aura, but spatial ripples emanated from behind her as she crossed her arms, projecting a vast, sky-like pressure.
"She's here, the Mythic Empress!"
Dean Jianhua and Dean Zhange looked up at the sky.
Karios, the Star Forger, watched silently.
The red-haired empress whooshed out of the oasis amidst the gazes of the crowd, facing off against the dark green cloud drifting from afar.
Pale Reviver Julius, standing on the poison cloud, grinned a twisted smile, "Heh heh heh heh, little girl, are you one of the two mythic beings of the Blazing Fire Chamber of Commerce?"
"Since you've heard of my reputation, why don't you beg for mercy quickly."
Mythic Julius: "…"
"I have never been one to hide my intentions. I am here solely for your Chamber's legendary Divine Tree—the Clear Heart Tea Tree. If you hand over the tea tree, I will leave immediately. I will give you a warning: a small chamber like yours cannot handle a treasure like the Clear Heart Tea Tree."
"Besides, you wouldn't want the entire oasis population to be poisoned and slaughtered by my toxic clouds, would you?"
"Heh heh heh heh—"
He let out a laugh of assured victory.
He knew the Blazing Fire Chamber of Commerce had two mythic beings. Fighting them both would indeed be difficult, but the oasis itself was the Blazing Fire's weakness, and he, the master of poison clouds, was best at exploiting such weaknesses.
Once he obtained the Clear Heart Tea Tree, his cash cow, escaping would be much easier.
Moreover, he still had…
He saw angry veins bulging on Elohi's forehead and continued to cackle, about to say something more when a rough roar came from below.
"Your opponent is this great me! Die—!"
The figure actually passed through the dark green poison cloud without evasion, his palm rapidly growing, and grabbed Julius like the underside of a carriage.
He was surprised.
This was a poison cloud that he himself had to be careful of.
The figure in the dark green cloud was corroded, his cloak rapidly rotting and disintegrating in the wind. Halfway through his flight, he was left with only a pair of high-quality elastic shorts, completely defenseless.
What kind of suicidal method is this in the new era?
Julius was surprised and scoffed.
However, this bare-chested figure did not turn blue and purple in the poisonous mist. Instead, he seemed to fly up without obstruction, his palm turning into a fist, and he punched out, causing the air to explode with a piercing sound.
Julius's expression changed slightly.
He pressed his palm down, and the poison cloud shifted, manipulating the toxic fog and exchanging blows with the bare-chested strongman.
"Another mythic being? Does the Blazing Fire Chamber of Commerce have a third mythic being?"
"No, he's not a mythic, just a Six-Awakened. But he's a Six-Awakened with quasi-mythic power. What a pity…"
He was astonished.
And a little regretful.
He didn't stop, controlling streaks of dark green poison pythons and directing them into the Six-Awakened expert.
The skin on his bare upper body visibly turned green, and under the corrosion of the highly toxic fog, even his skin, as hard as epic materials, began to rot.
This was an attack from both inside and out.
The poison mist alone was not enough to deal with him.
With a deafening roar, Xing Jinglei, his entire body green, plummeted from the sky. The highly toxic substance continued to penetrate his body, causing continuous and ever-increasing damage from the poison.
This was the terrifying aspect of Julius, a mythic being.
Once touched, the poison would deepen, making even mythic beings wary.
"No matter how strong a Six-Awakened is, they are still just a Six-Awakened. Moreover, this Six-Awakened's brain doesn't seem very sharp."
He cast his gaze back to Elohi.
Half-guarded, half-triumphant.
"You don't want to see your companion get hurt further, do you? Although your not-so-sharp companion is probably beyond saving."
His words caused the veins on the empress's forehead to bulge even more.
Anger, precisely anger.
This was called impotent rage.
Elohi was indeed furious.
In her mind, in the "Temporary Combat Exchange Group (5)" created by her mentor, Xing Jinglei had been shouting and yelling.
"This is my battlefield."
"Alright, alright, at least give me time to stack some buffs."
"It's fine if I play the second half for you."
Elohi could only endure, endure, but her fiery temper made it incredibly difficult.
Every second felt like an eternity.
Xing Jinglei, his entire body green in the crater on the ground, suddenly exploded like a cannonball, moving several times faster than before.
"What happened?"
Julius was slightly surprised, but only slightly.
His attention remained focused on Elohi, and he casually sent out poison clouds towards Xing Jinglei.
Poison python strangulation!
Poison burst kill!
Toxic explosion!
The Six-Awakened's entire body became even greener, and even his epic elastic shorts became pockmarked, but Julius had a strange illusion: the Six-Awakened strongman in front of him seemed even more energetic? His entire body seemed to have grown a size larger.
No, it wasn't an illusion.
Xing Jinglei's heart pounded violently. His entire body was like a furnace, converting all damage into fuel. Flames blazed fiercely, and endless strength surged from within the furnace, spreading to every part of his body.
Strength, strength was surging out.
His muscles bulged, entwined like dragons and snakes. His body swelled and expanded with each breath, a flowing light traversing its surface.
Standing amidst the poisonous mist, enduring waves of toxic attacks, Xing Jinglei inhaled and exhaled, instantly drawing the surrounding poisonous mist into his body like a whale, his body expanding further, his eyes shining with light.
His internal energy was so abundant that it was expelled from his mouth and nose, creating a storm-like surge!
He flashed to Julius's front and, disregarding the surrounding poison, extended his two powerful arms to directly embrace the mythic being before transforming into a meteor and crashing into the earth.
All of this happened too quickly.
The poison seemed to have lost its effect.
His shriveled face contorted in shock and was smashed into the ground.
The earth trembled, kicking up gusts of wind and tidal waves of energy. Xing Jinglei, clad in green, possessed an aura even more imposing than the mythic being.
He cracked the earth, his eyes glaring.
"You're calling yourself a mythic being!"