Chapter: 2239 - Nine-Shock Sacred Intent
The seventh cauldron of Divine Roaming Pill began its auction, and all cultivators became cautious, afraid of being tricked by Blood Butcher if they were not careful.
"Five hundred divine stones," said the Blade Prison Emperor.
Wu Jiang bid, "Six hundred divine stones."
...
With only four cauldrons of Divine Roaming Pill left, the various factions no longer held back and made their moves one after another.
The Divine Roaming Pill could enhance the cultivation of Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saints, providing a huge advantage in the Heaven Hunting Feast. Even if it meant paying a higher price, they had to secure one or two cauldrons.
Seeing their slow bidding, Blood Butcher could not hold back and eventually called out, "One thousand five hundred divine stones."
Hearing his voice, all the cultivators participating in the bidding had their faces darken.
Killing was as common as a daily meal for cultivators of the Hell Realm. At that moment, many Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saints exuded killing intent, harboring deep hatred for Blood Butcher, wishing they could stomp him into the ground.
Although the price of the Divine Roaming Pill had previously soared to two thousand, three thousand, and even a sky-high price of eleven thousand divine stones, in reality, one thousand five hundred divine stones was already its maximum value.
The Blade Prison Emperor suddenly stood up, glaring at Blood Butcher with a threatening look, and bid, "One thousand six hundred divine stones."
The Blade Prison Emperor was the number one strongest below the Thousand Questions Realm in the Undying Blood Clan, and Blood Butcher was naturally very wary of him. He knew very well that continuing to bid would definitely offend the Blade Prison Emperor.
However, Blood Butcher was now in a dilemma.
If the Blade Prison Emperor could buy a cauldron of Divine Roaming Pill for one thousand six hundred divine stones, how could he explain to Zhang Ruochen that he had spent three thousand divine stones to buy one cauldron?
Compared to the Blade Prison Emperor, Blood Butcher feared Zhang Ruochen more.
"Damn it, this is a huge problem. I shouldn't have helped Zhang Ruochen bid in the first place. Offending the Blade Prison Emperor, how will he let me off easy during the Heaven Hunting Feast?"
Blood Butcher's throat moved as he swallowed, and he said, "Two thousand divine stones!"
Immediately after, he quickly added, "This is my final price. If anyone can offer a higher price, this cauldron of Divine Roaming Pill will be theirs."
"Raising the single-cauldron price to over two thousand divine stones, even if Zhang Ruochen finds out the truth, he should have nothing to say." Blood Butcher thought to himself.
In the auction hall, all the cultivators looked at each other in confusion.
Had Blood Butcher gone mad?
Deliberately raising the price to two thousand divine stones, openly challenging the Blade Prison Emperor?
No one believed Blood Butcher's words. Earlier, Source Demon Prince had believed him, mustered the courage to bid "two thousand ten divine stones," and was humiliated.
How could the Blade Prison Emperor follow in Source Demon Prince's footsteps?
"It's said that Blood Butcher obtained the Blood Flame War God Mark and has become incredibly arrogant."
"The Blade Prison Emperor is known for holding grudges. Blood Butcher openly challenged him in front of so many cultivators. Where is the dignity of the number one strongest below the Thousand Questions Realm in the Undying Blood Clan? He will definitely retaliate."
...
The Blade Prison Emperor's face was as dark as iron, his pupils blood-red. "Blood Butcher, you shouldn't have gone this far. When the Heaven Hunting Feast comes, I will settle this account with you slowly."
The Blade Prison Emperor sat back down, giving up the fight for the Divine Roaming Pill.
The seventh cauldron of Divine Roaming Pill was won by Blood Butcher for two thousand divine stones.
Blood Butcher felt no joy; instead, his face was grim. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that Zhang Ruochen asking him to bid on his behalf was a trap. Before the auction even ended, he had already offended a large number of cultivators.
Now, he could only grit his teeth and continue bidding.
The eighth cauldron of Divine Roaming Pill was again won by Blood Butcher for two thousand divine stones.
For the ninth cauldron of Divine Roaming Pill, after Blood Butcher bid two thousand divine stones, Wu Jiang finally could not hold back and bid two thousand one hundred divine stones.
Blood Butcher felt a sense of relief and said, "Congratulations, Ten-Thousand-Handed Great Saint, this cauldron of Divine Roaming Pill is yours."
When Qi Luo Great Saint announced, "Two thousand one hundred, sold," Wu Jiang was still somewhat dazed, unable to believe that he had actually won it.
So unexpected!
How did it happen so suddenly?
Why did Blood Butcher not follow the usual pattern, making him completely unpredictable?
"Confirmed, Blood Butcher is a shill arranged by Star Sea World."
"In my opinion, the base price Star Sea World gave Blood Butcher was two thousand divine stones."
"Originally, the Divine Roaming Pill could be bought for under one thousand five hundred divine stones, but Blood Butcher forcibly raised it to over two thousand divine stones. Shills like him deserve to die."
"I wonder how much benefit Star Sea World gave Blood Butcher."
"No matter how much benefit he got, what's the use? Blood Butcher has offended all the cultivators this time. He'll suffer for it later."
...
The Upper Three Clans won one cauldron of Divine Roaming Pill, and the representatives of the Lower Three Clans and Middle Three Clans all felt the pressure.
For the last cauldron, they had to fight for it no matter the cost.
Thus, during the auction of the tenth cauldron of Divine Roaming Pill, even though Blood Butcher did not bid, they still raised the price to two thousand eight hundred divine stones, which was taken by Ghost Lord's Seventh Son, Xi.
The auction continued.
Many cultivators participated, and there were many treasures up for auction, various rare items emerging endlessly. A whole day passed, and it still had not ended.
Among those present, the weakest were Saints, and none felt tired. Instead, as the treasures became more and more valuable, all the cultivators were in a state of extreme excitement.
On the first day of the auction, the final treasure to appear was the Nether Sun Divine Wheel.
A Seven-Yuan Monarch Sacred Artifact, a war weapon once used by a Nether Clan deity, containing powerful divine force. As soon as the Nether Sun Divine Wheel was introduced, it caused a sensation, with various factions competing fiercely to bid.
For this, a full twelve Supreme Realm Great Saints, six Demigods, and even two old men suspected to be deities participated in the bidding.
Originally, they had come for the Eon-level Divine Illumination Lotus and the Divine Corpse, but for the Nether Sun Divine Wheel, they started competing first.
Even the acting family head of the Blood Absolute Clan, Qing Sheng Great Saint, made a bid. However, because the competition was too fierce and the price exceeded two hundred thousand divine stones, Qing Sheng Great Saint had to give up.
"A vessel that can survive seven Monarch Heavenly Tribulations without being destroyed must be forged from one of the top ten materials in the universe. It has been tempered by the power of heaven and earth seven times and is almost certain to evolve into a Supreme Sacred Artifact."
"If I can win it and then ask a Heavenly Master of Artifact Refining to help refine it, in a few years, it will transform into a Supreme Sacred Artifact. Then, wielding a Supreme Sacred Artifact, my combat power will increase by a large margin. What a pity, what a pity."
Qing Sheng Great Saint's eyes were fixed on the Nether Sun Divine Wheel on the auction stage, his heart aching as if cut by a knife, regretting deeply.
After cultivating for over ten thousand years, the divine stone wealth accumulated by Qing Sheng Great Saint was still less than two hundred thousand.
"It seems I must propose to the War God to increase the family head's treatment. It can no longer be delayed." Qing Sheng Great Saint thought to himself.
Blood Chen said, "A treasure like the Nether Sun Divine Wheel can serve as a clan's foundational heavy artifact. Who would be so foolish as to put it up for auction?"
Qing Sheng Great Saint quickly glared at him, speaking seriously and cautiously, "Blood Chen, be careful with your words. The existence that can put the Nether Sun Divine Wheel up for auction is most likely a mighty deity. Only a deity would have such a bold move."
"If I am not mistaken, this deity probably wants to buy the Divine Corpse and is currently raising a large amount of divine stones."
Watching the big shots push the Nether Sun Divine Wheel to a sky-high price in the competition, Blood Butcher was in a daze.
"Already two hundred fifty thousand divine stones... No wonder Zhang Ruochen told me to bid freely and buy as much as I could. Damn it, if I had known, I would have targeted those divine sons and daughters of the Heavenly Court on the Kunlun Realm Merit Battlefield. Why did I have to clash with Zhang Ruochen? If I had robbed Mo Sheng back then, wouldn't the Nether Sun Divine Wheel be mine? These divine stones would also be mine."
Blood Butcher slapped his face, regretting it so much that his intestines turned green, wishing he could start over.
If he could start over, he would never go to the Sword Grave or the Blood God Sect. He would focus on only one thing: robbing the divine sons, divine daughters, and leaders of the various realms of the Heavenly Court.
No.
Just rob Mo Sheng alone.
As long as he got the Nether Sun Divine Wheel, what else did he need?
"What are you thinking about?"
Zhang Ruochen's voice suddenly sounded behind Blood Butcher.
Blood Butcher stood up abruptly, showing off, "Senior Brother, you're finally out. I have successfully completed the mission, spending only sixteen thousand divine stones to win seven cauldrons of Divine Roaming Pill. Think about it, War Emperor Mo Luo spent a full eleven thousand divine stones and only got one cauldron."
Zhang Ruochen did not pay much attention to the price, muttering to himself, "Seven cauldrons... a bit much. But since it's the most suitable pill for Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saints to cultivate, having a few extra doesn't matter."
Blood Butcher carefully observed Zhang Ruochen, showing a surprised expression, and said, "Senior Brother, you seem... a bit different."
"Oh?"
Zhang Ruochen raised his right hand, retracted his fingers, and formed a fist without exerting much force.
However, on his fist, a series of nine layers of ripples appeared, spreading outward in all directions. Each ripple struck Blood Butcher's body, causing his immortal body to tremble.
When the ninth ripple hit, Blood Butcher could not help but take a step back.
Although Blood Butcher was secretly shocked, he did not think it was anything special. But just as he was about to speak, a sharp pain surged through his internal organs and even his bone marrow, causing him to fall to one knee.
"Senior Brother, what did you do to me?" Blood Butcher said in pain.
Zhang Ruochen loosened his fist and said, "I just condensed a Fist Sacred Intent. Seeing you nearby, I couldn't help but test its power. I didn't use much force; you should be fine, right?"
Blood Butcher wanted to pretend to be seriously injured, spit blood, and fall to the ground, hoping to extort some divine stones from Zhang Ruochen, or at least get his fiefdom back.
But after thinking about it, he gave up.
How could Zhang Ruochen be so easily fooled?
If he was exposed, and he fell to the ground, Zhang Ruochen would not hesitate to add a few more kicks.
"Senior Brother, I'm fine."
Blood Butcher slowly stood up, his face full of flattery, and said admiringly, "Senior Brother is truly a genius. In just one day, you have condensed a Sacred Intent."
"Not one day, but nine days. The Purple Gold Gourd is a time-space treasure with a time flow ratio of nine to one." Zhang Ruochen said.
Last time, Zhang Ruochen spent a full three months trying to condense a Fist Sacred Intent and ultimately failed.
This time, with the help of the Divine Illumination Lotus, Zhang Ruochen succeeded in condensing the Fist Sacred Intent in just nine days.
The effect of the Divine Illumination Lotus was evident.
The Sacred Intent he condensed was called the Nine-Shock Sacred Intent, a Fifth-Rank Sacred Intent.
If he integrated this Sacred Intent into his fist technique, when he threw a punch, it would unleash nine layers of shockwaves, penetrating the armor or divine patterns on the body, directly impacting the enemy's internal organs and bone marrow, and even their Sacred Soul and Qi Sea.
During the test just now, Zhang Ruochen only lightly clenched his fist.
If he had thrown a full-force punch, even if Blood Butcher had divine patterns protecting his body and wore a Monarch Sacred Artifact-level armor, his internal organs would have been shattered into bloody mud, and his Sacred Soul and Qi Sea would have been destroyed.
Such is the terrifying power of Sacred Intent.
Sacred Intent is divided into one to nine ranks, with nine being the lowest and one being the highest.
Being able to condense a Fifth-Rank Sacred Intent was already a dream for countless Immortal Realm Great Saints. Because it represented the potential to become a deity, earning the title "True God Seed."
For example, War Emperor Mo Luo earned the title "Mo Luo" precisely because he had condensed a Fifth-Rank Sacred Intent.
However, Zhang Ruochen was not content with only a Fifth-Rank Sacred Intent.
According to the Moon God, to become a deity, one must become a deity who controls Profound Meaning.
One must cultivate a Third-Rank or higher Sacred Intent. Only then, when becoming a deity, can one transform the Sacred Intent into Profound Meaning.
A Fifth-Rank Sacred Intent only represented the potential to become a deity.
A Third-Rank Sacred Intent represented the opportunity to become a strong one among deities.
Becoming an ordinary deity was not Zhang Ruochen's goal.
"Condensing Sacred Intent is too difficult. I have done my best, but I can only condense a Fifth-Rank Fist Sacred Intent. How can I condense a higher-rank Sacred Intent?"
Zhang Ruochen's gaze shifted to the auction stage. The Eon-level Divine Illumination Lotus was something he had to fight for.
The bidding for the Nether Sun Divine Wheel came to an end, won by a Nether Clan Demigod for three hundred thousand divine stones.
At this moment, a smile finally appeared on Zhang Ruochen's face: "It seems I won't have to worry about divine stones anymore."
The first day of the auction ended, and there was a brief rest period. What followed was the main event.
The first treasure of the second day's auction was the Eon-level Divine Illumination Lotus.
This Divine Illumination Lotus had a diameter of three zhang, its light extremely brilliant, illuminating the entire three-layer ring world. The moment its light shone on them, all the cultivators felt as if they were about to enter a state of enlightenment, a very wonderful feeling.
Compared to it, the one hundred thousand-year-old Divine Illumination Lotus Zhang Ruochen had bought was dozens of times smaller.
Qi Luo Great Saint introduced, "According to Star Sea World's assessment, this Divine Illumination Lotus has grown for about one hundred eighty thousand years and has already developed a faint intelligence. Using it, whether for cultivating Sacred Intent or comprehending Profound Meaning, one can achieve twice the result with half the effort."
"Everyone should know that Divine Illumination Lotus floating in the universe is very fragile. Any accident can destroy it. Divine Illumination Lotus that can survive an Eon Calamity are even rarer, so the price difference is naturally huge."
"The Eon-level Divine Illumination Lotus has a starting price of twenty thousand divine stones, with each bid increase of no less than one thousand divine stones."
"The bidding begins."
The Hell Realm had not seen an Eon-level Divine Illumination Lotus for over ten thousand years. Hearing the price announced by Qi Luo Great Saint, many cultivators who intended to buy cursed out loud.
Too dark!
A one hundred thousand-year-old Divine Illumination Lotus only cost one or two hundred divine stones.
But the Eon-level one was a hundred times higher.
This directly kicked Immortal Realm and Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saints out of the bidding. Clearly, Star Sea World was targeting Demigods, or even deities, with this price.