The Eternal God Emperor and the Demon Ancestor

Chapter 98 Aftermath

Inside the Gathering Pill Palace, the Thousand Star Civilization shouted out an astronomical price of 500,000 "divine stones," completely shattering the understanding of the weaker cultivators present and causing a huge uproar.

In a corner seat, a young Great Sage from a lower-ranking Great World stared at the dazzling Heavenly Supreme Divine Pill on the auction stage, his face full of astonishment and confusion. He couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Are you crazy? Five hundred thousand divine stones, even a world-renowned supreme artifact might not be worth this astronomical price. Is a single holy pill really worth it?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the old Great Sage beside him, whose hair and beard were all white and whose cultivation had reached the supreme realm, suddenly changed his expression, raised his hand, and gave him a light but not heavy tap on the head.

"Ouch! Ancestor, why did you hit me?" The young Great Sage covered his head, his face full of grievance.

The old Great Sage's expression was solemn, his eyes filled with a sharp look of disappointment, and he scolded in a low voice: "What do you know, brat! The Emperor-grade Saint Pill is a peerless treasure that is rare throughout the ages, not to mention that it was personally refined by the True Universe Divine Lord!"

He looked up at the auction stage, his eyes filled with awe, and his tone became increasingly solemn: "The True Universe Divine Lord is now the Vice Hall Master of the Space Temple. His cultivation is unfathomable. With the support of Haotian and the Five Elements Temple, he will surely hold great power in the Space Temple in the future. He is the pillar of our Heavenly Court Realm, the golden beam that holds up the sea! To obtain a pill personally refined by him, even if it requires the strength of an entire clan and the depletion of all their savings, is an immense opportunity. The symbolic meaning behind it is far beyond what a divine stone can measure!"

The young Monkey King suddenly realized what was happening, and a cold sweat instantly broke out on his back.

He had only focused on the value of the pill itself, neglecting the status and significance of the person who refined it. An ordinary Emperor-grade Saint Pill might be worth a few hundred thousand divine stones at its peak, but this pill, personally refined by the True Universe Divine Lord and publicly auctioned at the Heavenly Palace Saint Pill Banquet, had already transcended the pill itself. It represented a good relationship with the True Universe Divine Lord and the Space Divine Palace. This opportunity was more precious than any treasure to a weak force.

The aged Great Sage gazed at the Heaven-Reaching Supreme Divine Pill, his eyes filled with longing that was unattainable. He sighed deeply, "Furthermore, this pill can help cultivators overcome the legendary Yuanhui Tribulation, a tribulation with a nine-out-of-ten chance of death. Such efficacy is unheard of and unseen! The Yuanhui Tribulation is a sword hanging over the heads of all Divine Realm cultivators. Countless exceptionally talented individuals have perished under this tribulation. This pill is a life-extending treasure, a thing that can defy fate. Its price is naturally beyond our comprehension."

He touched the storage ring at his waist, his heart filled with bitterness. As a Supreme Saint of the realm, the most promising candidate in his clan to break through to True Godhood, he had fought in the Hell Realm for thousands of years, surviving countless brushes with death, yet he had only accumulated a few thousand divine stones—not even a fraction of the starting price of this pill. Auctions involving hundreds of thousands of divine stones were like a fantasy to them, second-rate forces; they were ultimately just spectators.

At this moment, in the top-tier private room on the top floor of the Gathering Pill Palace, where Emperor Tang was located, several True Gods from the Heavenly Dragon Realm and the Western Heavenly Buddha Realm were all shocked upon hearing the bid from the Thousand Star Civilization, and a hint of surprise flashed in their eyes.

They had planned to bid individually, but the Thousand Star Civilization made a ruthless move, raising the price to 500,000 divine stones, completely disrupting their plans.

"The Thousand Star Civilization is going all out to acquire this pill." The leading high god of the Heavenly Dragon Realm frowned and looked at the True Buddha of the Western Heaven Buddhist Realm beside him. "Our chances of winning are slim if we bid alone. Why don't we join forces for now, bid for this pill first, and then discuss the rest later?"

The Buddhists of the Western Paradise exchanged glances and nodded in agreement. The Heaven-Reaching Divine Pill was crucial for their tribulation and they could not afford to give it up easily.

Once the agreement was reached, the high-ranking god surnamed Ao, his dragon aura surging and his heroic spirit soaring to the clouds, loudly announced the price, his voice resounding throughout the entire hall through the divine runes: "My Heavenly Dragon Realm bids 600,000 divine stones!"

He raised the price by 100,000 divine stones in one go!

The entire arena erupted in cheers once again, with countless cultivators speechless and filled with endless感慨 (gǎnkǎi - mixed feelings of emotion and reflection).

One hundred thousand divine stones, if converted into low-grade holy stones, would be enough to completely cover an entire world. Even many true gods of ordinary forces might not accumulate one hundred thousand divine stones in their entire lives. Yet these top-tier ruling worlds and top-tier forces are so dismissive of divine stones, casually raising the price by one hundred thousand at a time.

Many cultivators from lower-ranked realms felt a mix of emotions, filled with a sense of powerlessness. The resources they had accumulated over a lifetime and countless battles were less than the price increase in a single auction by a top-tier power. This was the cruelest class gap in the myriad realms.

Many True Gods and Great Saints from weaker realms have already risen dejectedly and left silently. Staying here would only make them mere foils for the top powers, adding nothing but bitterness.

Inside the Heavenly Realm's private room, the merchants, Issey, and others, upon hearing the Heavenly Dragon Realm's offer of 600,000 divine stones, instantly turned solemn, their hearts sinking.

They had already consumed most of their divine stones, and now, even with the combined forces of the Heavenly Realm and all the storage rings of everyone, they only had a little over 800,000 divine stones left. The Myriad Ruins Realm, which also rules a world, had not yet made a move, and the situation was already extremely precarious.

This Sacred Pill Banquet only recognizes transactions using divine stones; items such as sacred artifacts, divine medicines, and cultivation techniques cannot be used as collateral. They have no room for flexibility, and if the Myriad Ruins Realm were to intervene, they would be powerless to resist.

Inside the private room of the Myriad Ruins Realm, several True Gods of the Xuanyuan Family remained calm and composed, watching the bidding from all sides with a detached and condescending air in their eyes.

Upon hearing the offer from the Heavenly Dragon Realm, the leading high-ranking god of the Xuanyuan family raised an eyebrow slightly, showing a hint of surprise, but still without the slightest worry. They had come prepared, having specifically prepared a million divine stones in reserve for this final Emperor-grade Saint Pill, and were brimming with confidence.

Seeing that the Heavenly Realm remained silent, the high-ranking god of the Xuanyuan family curled up a contemptuous sneer, no longer hesitating, his voice cold and domineering, resounding throughout the Gathering Pill Palace: "The Xuanyuan family of the Myriad Ruins Realm offers 800,000 divine stones!"

Eight hundred thousand divine stones!

The price was like a thunderclap, and the entire hall fell into a deathly silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The auctioneer trembled with excitement, his face flushed, and his hand holding the gavel shook slightly. He frantically calculated his commission; this sum would be enough to support his cultivation for the next ten thousand years, freeing him from worries about resources.

He mustered all his strength and shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement: "The Xuanyuan family of the Myriad Ruins Realm has offered 800,000 divine stones! Is there a higher bid? This is a top-grade imperial holy pill personally refined by the True Universe Divine Lord. It is a rare find in a Yuanhui. Missing it would be a lifelong regret!"

The sound echoed in the hall, lingering for a long time.

The remaining top powers present were all stunned by this astronomical price.

Eight hundred thousand divine stones are enough to cultivate one or two True Gods at the Heaven-Mending Realm and to build a Holy Army of several thousand people. Even the ruler of the world would find it difficult to produce such a sum easily.

Inside the private room of Paradise Realm, the merchant and Issey looked at each other, their faces extremely grim, caught in a dilemma.

With things having come to this point, they had no choice but to burn their bridges and plunder the last remaining divine stones from the cultivators of the Heavenly Realm and all its affiliated forces. Gritting their teeth, they announced their price: "Heavenly Realm, 850,000 divine stones!"

The mere increase of 50,000 divine stones reveals a lack of confidence.

Seeing this, the gods of the Myriad Ruins Realm showed even more contempt on their faces, making no attempt to hide their disdain for the Heavenly Realm's offer.

The mighty Heavenly Court, which rules the world, is so petty that it can't even afford to bid.

Without the slightest hesitation, the high-ranking god of the Xuanyuan family spoke up, pushing the price to its peak once again: "The Myriad Ruins Realm, bid 900,000 divine stones!"

Nine hundred thousand sacred stones!

This directly broke the highest bidding record in the history of the Heavenly Court's Sacred Elixir Banquet!

The people of Heaven fell completely silent. The merchant and Issey were filled with sorrow, their eyes filled with resentment and dejection.

They lost.

Not only did they fail to acquire the Heavenly Supreme Pill, but they also utterly disgraced the Heavenly Realm in front of all the heavenly powers. Now, having suffered a crushing defeat in the auction against the Myriad Ruins Realm, the Heavenly Realm's prestige has been damaged, and upon their return, they will undoubtedly face severe punishment from the realm's higher-ups.

At this point, no further bids were made.

The auctioneer asked three times, but there was no response. Finally, he brought down the gavel: "Nine hundred thousand divine stones, sold! The Heaven-Reaching Divine Pill belongs to the Myriad Ruins Realm!"

Eight Supreme Saints once again carried the bronze cauldron through the main hall, delivering the heaven-defying Emperor-grade Saint Pill into the private room of the Myriad Ruins Realm.

As the dust settled, the various celestial forces rose and departed, bringing to a close this auction of sacred pills that had captivated all sides of the Heavenly Court. Only the lower-level Saint Realm cultivators remained in the hall, engaging in small-scale pill transactions, cherishing this rare opportunity.

Meanwhile, inside the Tongming Hall of the Lingxiao Heavenly Palace.

Upon receiving the news from the Gathering Pill Palace that the Heaven-Reaching Divine Pill had fetched a staggering 900,000 divine stones, Zhenyu smiled faintly. This price far exceeded his previous estimates. With these divine stones, he could reactivate the Time-Space Treasure, allowing his cultivators to accelerate their cultivation and strengthen the power of the Primordial Realm.

Several war gods from the Heavenly Palace stepped forward to congratulate Zhenyu.

Zhao Gongming, dressed in a gray-white robe, exuded a magnificent aura. He smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "True Universe Divine Lord, congratulations! A single Emperor-grade Saint Pill has fetched a staggering price of nearly a million divine stones. Such wealth-generating ability is rarely seen in the heavens!"

As the second War God of the Heavenly Palace, Zhao Gongming controlled hundreds of divine stone mines, producing a massive amount of divine stones annually, so he naturally had no shortage of cultivation resources. Even so, for him to produce a million divine stones at once was no easy feat. Seeing Zhen Yu reap such a huge fortune with just one pill, he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret, even regretting not having cultivated alchemy and talismanic arts alongside him. After all, he had the entire Sword King Realm to support him; he could never have too many resources.

Zhenyu smiled slightly and said humbly, "Senior Zhao is too kind. The Heavenly Palace collected no less than a hundred million divine stones at this Dan Yuan Conference. My little bit of gain is barely enough to make ends meet. Moreover, the Space Temple has enormous expenses and has to support a group of gods. This amount of divine stones is far from enough."

Zhao Gongming glanced sideways at Yu Jingzhen, whose face was grim not far away, and lowered his voice, speaking solemnly: "Since Haotian has appointed you as the deputy temple master of the Space Temple, it means he wants you to shoulder the heavy responsibility of the Space Temple. The Space Temple has long been plagued by problems, factions are rampant, and there are even lurking corrupt elements. After you take office, you can no longer be as lax as before. You must make sweeping changes and rectify the atmosphere in order to be of service to the Heavenly Court."

Zhenyu's eyes narrowed slightly, and he nodded solemnly, already understanding the situation.

Now, the Space Temple is entirely under his control. He has the strong support of Haotian and the Five Elements Master above him, and the backing of forces such as the Primordial Realm, the Thousand Star Civilization, and the Heavenly Dragon Realm below. No one dares to openly oppose him. He slowly turned his gaze to Yu Jingzhen, his eyes deep and cold, carrying a faint but palpable sense of pressure.

Yu Jingzhen felt a chill run down his spine, a coldness shooting from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, making him feel extremely uncomfortable. He knew clearly that Zhen Yu had already decided to kill him, and that his time in the Space Temple was running out.

Not long after, the Dan Yuan Conference came to a complete end.

The gods of all realms in Heaven received their desired divine pills and resources, and each one was overjoyed, bidding farewell and departing. Only the true gods of the Heavenly Realm remained silent, their faces ashen and their expressions gloomy. The Heavenly Realm had suffered a humiliating defeat at this conference, suffering a series of setbacks: on the arena, Loves was utterly defeated by the Martial Emperor of the Primordial Realm, and Ke Yangshan was crushed by Feng Yunba, becoming a laughingstock throughout the heavens; in the auction for the sacred pills, they were defeated by the Myriad Ruins Realm, missing out on a supreme treasure, and their prestige plummeted.

Ke Yangshan, already unable to bear the humiliation any longer, took advantage of everyone's inattention and quietly transformed into a ray of light, slinking back to the Heavenly Realm in disgrace. Being defeated in public by Feng Yunba, whose cultivation was inferior to his own, not only damaged his own Dao heart but also caused the prestige of the Temple of Light to plummet. He had no face to remain in the Heavenly Palace and face the gazes of all the gods.

In stark contrast, the Pangu Realm faction was jubilant.

Feng Yunba, his fighting spirit undiminished and his imposing figure radiating brilliance, spoke eloquently and confidently among the gods of the Pangu Realm. Gods from all the heavens stepped forward to offer their congratulations, their praises ringing out endlessly. The old patriarch of the Feng Clan couldn't stop smiling, his face beaming with glory. Feng Yunba had truly made a name for himself throughout the heavens.

After the conference concluded, Zhenyu did not linger. He led the gods of the Space Temple, along with the True Emperor and Martial Emperor of the Primordial Realm, directly back to the Space Temple.

The grand plan to reform the Space Temple is not yet complete.

Zhenyu was not a selfless person. His purpose in entering the Space Temple was to turn this top-tier Heavenly Temple into his own exclusive backyard, completely seizing control of its power. Within the temple, none of the factions that colluded with the Liang Organization and were subservient to Yu Jingzhen could be spared. They were all exiled to the Starry Sky Battlefield to atone for their crimes, either dying on the front lines in the Hell Realm or submitting completely.

He had already made secret deals with the Thousand Star Civilization, the Heavenly Dragon Realm, the Western Heaven Buddhist Realm, and the Big Dipper Civilization. Once Zhenyu had complete control of the Space Temple, he would readjust the power structure, inviting powerful figures from each of these forces to reside there and divide the temple's power. In this way, the Space Temple could rapidly transform, completely shedding its old constraints and becoming the sharpest blade in his hands.

While Zhenyu was busy rectifying the Space Temple, Mingde and Xuandao also began a deeper restructuring within the Heavenly Court.

The situation in the Temple of Time and the Temple of Merit is far more complex and dangerous than that in the Temple of Space.

The Lord of the Space Temple, Yu Jingzhen, is only supported by the Seventy-Two Lotuses and the Thunder Ancestor in secret, and dares not openly show himself. Zhenyu can deal with him with swift and decisive action. However, the Lord of the Time Temple comes from the Murong family, one of the nine great families of the universe, whose power is deeply rooted. The Lord of the Merit Temple is a direct disciple of the Merchant Ancestor of the Heavenly Realm, and is involved with the ruling world, major powerful families of various realms, and giants of the heavens. His connections are intricate and intertwined, and a single move could have far-reaching consequences.

Even with the decree of the Jade Emperor, Mingde and Xuandao dared not act rashly. If handled improperly, it would cause chaos within the Heavenly Court and incite infighting among the gods, a situation that the Jade Emperor least wanted to see.

The two could only proceed cautiously, relying on the rules and regulations of the Heavenly Court, taking a gradual and step-by-step approach to gradually remove the dissenting forces from the two temples. They could not resort to the direct, brutal, and swift purge that they had dealt with Yu Jingzhen.