A total of fifty cannon sets, which amounted to five hundred crystal cannons, were sold at the auction. The cheapest of them sold for nine hundred billion crystals, while Jiangchen Xie paid the highest price of eight trillion crystals.

All of the guests had lost themselves in the auction. They didn’t even care what else awaited in the lots to come, they needed to get their hands on a set of cannons! These crystal cannons posed greater threats than even weapons of war.

It would be one thing if all of the cannons went to the heavenly courts of the twenty-three facets. The power structure of the world of immortals would then remain unchanged.

But when numerous top factions and reclusive clans began acquiring cannons for themselves, those that missed out couldn’t afford to be complacent. No one knew how many crystal cannons would be put on the block. These weapons would topple the status quo—no matter how high the price was, they had to make their bids.

When all fifty sets were sold and the next lot was something different, many a sigh of regret could be heard from the floating summits. Factions that’d been unsuccessful in their pursuit agitated with frustration; they wanted nothing more than to seize the cannons from others. However, they couldn’t risk doing so in Dusk Province.

Even Scarlet Ape and the North Sea monster spirits under its command had suffered a defeat here. The powerful Dusk restriction had been able to defeat Scarlet Ape, despite the restriction being unarmed and the monster ancestor wielding a connate-grade treasure.

Moreover, Lu Yun wouldn’t have auctioned off the crystal cannons if he wasn’t prepared to face them in battle.

The venue erupted in an uproar again when the next item was revealed: it was a fortress ship! Although there was only one ship sealed behind a faint barrier of light, every one could clearly see it.

Running fifteen hundred meters long, its pitch-black hull seemed to be covered in fine dragon scales, further accentuating its dominating presence. At the bow of the ship sat a giant crystal cannon, clearly of a much higher grade than the five hundred auctioned before it.

“This is the latest invention by Sir Lu—a lord-grade fortress ship. Equipped with thirty-seven crystal cannons in total, there are thirty-six secondary cannons apart from the main cannon. In addition to the cannons, the fortress ship itself is a mighty rank-exceeding treasure. Each of its three layers of defensive formations can withstand the full strike of a nine-fruit arcane dao immortal.

“This fortress ship possesses even more functions that are no less impressive than the defensive formations. I will leave it up to the buyer to discover its full potential.” Wanfeng purposefully leaving some things unsaid enraptured the attention of all the guests.

This lord-grade fortress ship was akin to a moving bastion on the battlefield, which made it even more terrifying than weapons of war. In fact, the fortress ship was enough to compromise the authority of the heavenly courts in all of the facets.

Of course, the ship would be too prohibitively expensive for regular factions to buy.

“The lord-grade fortress ship will start at a minimum price of ten trillion crystals. May the bidding begin.” Wanfeng’s voice was as pleasant as ever, but it doused many immortals’ fervor with chilling coldness.

Ten trillion premium immortal crystals! Many wouldn’t be able to afford it even if they sold their entire clan, unless they sold their greatest treasures and heritages to boot.

No one made any bids in the next three breaths.

“If no one’s going to make a bid, then—”

“Ten trillion and a hundred billion crystals,” declared Fangyang Xing. In a blunt tone, he continued, “Something that can change our world order must not be allowed to circulate freely. On behalf of the Firmament Palace, I will buy it with ten trillion and a hundred billion crystals.”

That had been the reason why he’d bid on the first set of crystal cannons, then given up after seeing more cannons brought to the auction block. However, he wasn’t going to let this bastion of a fortress ship fall into the hands of any other faction.

Disaster would follow if the ship was allowed to circulate in the world of immortals.

Additionally, he didn’t believe that Lu Yun would just sell something like this without a plan. Ten trillion crystals was an astronomical sum, but it wasn’t that expensive for the truly powerful factions in the twenty-three facets.

There were much fewer immortals in contemporary society, roughly one-ten thousandth of the count in the Primordial Era. But after the great destruction befalling the world of immortals, the qi and laws of the world had been disturbed and thrown into disarray. Great turmoil represented great opportunity, and the resources nurtured by such an environment were richer and more varied than before.

After eighty thousand years of accumulation, the various factions in the world had likely accumulated a wealth greater than the primordial world had possessed over their hundreds of thousands of years.

……

“The Firmament Palace? Hehehe, how very impressive.” Jiangchen Xie narrowed his eyes. He could be viewed as the successor of the Venerated Sacrosanct Demon Sovereign, and the demon sovereign saw the Firmament Palace as an archenemy.

The Skyturning Seal from the celestial master tomb, for example, had been snatched by the Firmament Palace just when the demon sovereign was about to acquire it.

Fangyang Xing scowled, seeing Jiangchen Xie intervene again.

“Twenty trillion, I bid twenty trillion! The Firmament Palace’s coffers know no bounds. Twenty trillion isn’t that much for you, is it?” Jiangchen Xie smiled merrily as he spoke, but his brows and eyes suggested a certain viciousness.

“Are you really able to pay twenty trillion crystals?” Fangyang Xing cast a suspicious look at Jiangchen Xie. He didn’t think the Corpse Refiners or the Venerated Sacrosanct Demon Sovereign could afford the bid, either.

“Don’t you worry.” Jiangchen Xie grinned. “I wouldn’t raise a bid I can’t afford.”

Thirteen of the greatest merchant guilds in the world of immortals had jointly organized the auction along with Lu Yun of Dusk Province. If anyone started trouble here, they would be making enemies of them all. All thirteen of these companies together intimidated even the heavenly courts of the world.

“Alright then, show me your twenty trillion crystals!” Fangyang Xing stared angrily at Jiangchen Xie, his gaze brimming with killing intent.

“Twenty one trillion,” called out another voice. “You’re here on behalf of the Truespirit Court, aren’t you, Jiangchen Xie? There’s nothing surprising about Truespirit being able to afford twenty trillion crystals.”

The speaker was a youthful void-ascended immortal. Dressed in a long violet-gold robe, he appeared extraordinarily noble.

“Primus Court will pay twenty-one trillion premium crystals.” He folded his hands behind his back, casting a prideful look at Jiangchen Xie and Fangyang Xing.

The two men’s expression darkened—they hadn’t expected Primus Major to get involved as well.

Primus Major was the most powerful of the nine majors, their strength exceeding all of the other facets. Even after the nine celestial emperors passed down their thrones, Primus’ dominance remained unchallenged.

None of the factions within Primus dared even think about toppling their heavenly court.