Emperor of the Source

Chapter 297: The Crown of Andromeda

The auction continued as one item after another appeared upon the stage, ranging from advanced formation tokens to rare weapon artifacts crafted from high-grade materials.

"Void-Stabilized Barrier Token," Edmund announced, gesturing toward a silver token hovering beneath a protective field. "Capable of withstanding three consecutive High-Level Divine Spells. Opening bid, four million UNI-Coins."

Bids flickered across the displays. The token sold for 6.8 million within minutes.

Next came a sword forged from Celestial Ironwood and Void Alloy composite, its blade etched with offensive divine spells. The weapon drew fierce competition from weapon-focused sects before finally settling at 14.3 million.

Adrian watched without much interest in the items. Each piece carried its own value, drawing waves of bids from across the massive venue. However, despite the variety and quality displayed, Adrian did not find anything that truly warranted his interest or investment.

From his perspective, none of the items offered any meaningful advantage compared to what he could already create or obtain in the future. The formation and weapons were good, certainly, but he could create them himself in the future, once he got enough money.

Hestia, seated beside him within the VIP suite, remained equally restrained. She observed the proceedings with calm focus; her hands rested on the armrests of her seat, but they never moved toward the bidding interface.

The earlier exchange over the Core-Reforging Lotus had already demonstrated the scale of financial conflict present today, and she had no intention of engaging unnecessarily before the main event.

Time passed steadily, and the flow of items gradually slowed. The intervals between announcements lengthened.

Then, at last, the atmosphere of the entire venue began to shift.

The ambient lighting across the colossal venue dimmed gradually, the brightness receding until the entire venue was cast in a controlled, subdued glow. Shadows deepened throughout the lower sections. In the VIP suites, the transparent barriers grew slightly opaque, reducing visibility between them.

Across the central stage, multiple layers of glowing formations began to emerge. Each formation was far more intricate and complex than those used for any previous item, their structures layered with defensive protocols and stabilization matrices.

These formations interlocked with one another, forming a vast formation that pulsed faintly with controlled energy. Adrian recognized fragments of Boundary, Void, and Protection concepts woven throughout, designed to contain and shield whatever rested within.

At the same time, the UNI-Enforcement guards stepped forward, and they formed a perimeter around the central stage.

Adrian observed them closely and immediately recognized the difference in their presence. These were not the same enforcers he had encountered earlier within the UNI-Hub. Every single one of them was at the High Rule Stage, their auras far more stable and powerful. They were clearly selected to maintain order in a situation where even Peak Rule Stage beings were present.

The venue fell silent.

At the center of the stage, a small pedestal slowly rose into view, suspended by controlled gravitational forces. The pedestal continued upward until it hovered in full view of the entire venue, positioned perfectly beneath concentrated illumination.

Resting upon it was a single, unassuming ring.

Edmund finally spoke, "This is the Willforce Recovery Artifact."

"This artifact functions similarly to a Crimson Will Lotus pill. Once activated, the user may cast its effect upon themselves or another individual nearby. After activation, the effect remains passively active for twenty-four hours, during which the recovery speed of willforce is accelerated by approximately sixty percent."

Murmurs began spreading through the lower sections. Disciples leaned toward their companions, voices rising in excitement and speculation.

"Unlike the Crimson Will Lotus pill, however," Edmund continued, "this is a reusable artifact. This item comes pre-loaded with a compressed divine essence crystal containing sufficient energy for fifteen activations."

The murmurs exploded into open conversation. A wave of sound swept across the venue as cultivators processed the implications.

A sixty percent increase in recovery speed, sustained for nearly an entire day, was already extraordinary. The Crimson Will Lotus pills that occasionally appeared at auction offered only a single use. But the fact that this artifact could be used fifteen times elevated its value to an entirely different level.

Adrian observed calmly from the VIP suite. It was clear that UNI-Auction had conducted a thorough analysis of the artifact. Remus, the appraiser, had likely provided the foundational data after testing it personally.

While willforce capacity and natural recovery rates varied between individuals, it was not difficult to establish a generalized metric. For Adrian, full recovery normally required twenty-four hours, while the artifact reduced that time to approximately fifteen hours. The resulting efficiency translated into a sixty percent increase in recovery speed, a universal figure applicable across most cultivators.

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It was a clean, measurable stat, one that could be easily communicated to any cultivator regardless of their personal capacity.

Above the venue, beyond even the VIP suites occupied by the Crimson Vital Sect and other upper minor sects, lay another tier of VIP suites reserved exclusively for the four strongest powers of the Andromeda Galaxy.

Until now, those suites had remained silent. Now, they erupted.

Nightshade's shadows began to bleed outward from his chamber, consuming the surrounding light. Ignis's aura flared with violent heat, distorting the very spatial barriers of his suite. Morwenna's presence spread outward as a deathly chill, coating her window in spectral frost. Balthazar's gravitational field intensified, causing the very structure of the UNI-Auction venue to groan under the pressure.

The combined force of four Peak Rule Stage auras descended upon the venue.

Millions of cultivators felt the crushing weight simultaneously. Some gasped audibly, their chests tightening as though invisible hands pressed down upon them. Some transformed their flesh into non-matter, whilst others compressed their divine domains desperately around themselves in futile attempts to shield their consciousness from the oppressive force. Some struggled simply to remain conscious, their faces pale and slick with sweat as they fought to keep their thoughts coherent. The pressure was overwhelming, suffocating, an undeniable declaration of dominance.

Even experienced Rule Stage elders found it difficult to maintain composure under the overwhelming pressure of four clashing divine concepts.

In that instant, the entire audience understood a single truth. This artifact was no longer within their reach. It belonged to those four alone. And whichever sect obtained it would rise as the undisputed supreme power of the Andromeda Galaxy.

Yet not all were equally affected.

Within the VIP suites, figures like Hestia and Yselia remained steady, their own Peak Rule Stage foundations allowing them to endure the pressure without significant difficulty.

Around the central stage, Edmund stood unmoving, his calm expression unchanged, as though the storm above did not exist. The UNI-Enforcement guards also held their positions, their High Rule Stage auras stabilizing the immediate surroundings.

Adrian narrowed his eyes slightly as he observed the space around the stage. A faint barrier had formed, subtle, nearly imperceptible, yet undeniably present. It consisted of multiple overlapping formations, layered with extraordinary precision. These were not ordinary defensive constructs, but advanced suppression systems designed specifically for environments like this. They isolated the stage entirely, ensuring that no matter how violently the external auras clashed, the auction itself would remain unaffected.

Edmund's voice cut cleanly through the suffocating pressure. "The starting bid… is set at one hundred million UNI-Coins."

The words struck like a hammer. Across the venue, countless cultivators went pale. Even some of the upper minor sect leaders in the VIP Suites who had planned to at least try bidding for it, froze, their expressions tightening as they realized the reality of the situation. The starting price alone had drawn a line they could not cross.

Even the Everlasting Pill Sect remained silent. Yselia's gaze was fixed on the stage, her expression cold, but her hand did not move toward the bidding interface. The two hundred million UNI-Coins she had just spent on the Core-Reforging Lotus weighed heavily on her available reserves. Entering this bidding war was now impossible.

Before the silence could stretch any further, a number appeared on the central display.

"300 Million."

The bid came from Ignis. There was no gradual escalation, no tentative probing. Ignis had immediately tripled the starting price, asserting dominance and attempting to crush any notion of competition before it could begin.

Before this large amount even settled among the audience—

"500 Million."

Nightshade responded instantly. The counter appeared without delay, precise and unwavering. A wave of stunned murmurs swept through the venue. The numbers climbed faster than most present could process. Within seconds, the artifact's value had already reached half a billion.

Within the Crimson Vital Sect's suite, Hestia's fingers tightened slightly against her armrest. For a brief moment, the earlier bidding war replayed in her mind. The numbers they had struggled over, one hundred million, one hundred fifty million, two hundred million, now felt insignificant. This was the true scale of power.

Across from her, in the Everlasting Pill Sect's suite, Yselia's expression darkened as the same realization took hold. While they had fought desperately over a few hundred million, these four sects were throwing around half a billion as casually as breathing.

The bids continued.

"600 Million." Morwenna entered the exchange, her bid appearing smoothly on the display.

Almost immediately, Balthazar followed, pushing the numbers higher without hesitation. "700 Million."

The price had already surpassed any reasonable expectation. The venue had fallen into a tense, breathless silence. No one dared speak. Even the faint rustling of robes had ceased.

Then—

"1 Billion."

Ignis struck again, doubling down in a single, decisive move. It was a declaration of dominance, an attempt to seize control of the auction through sheer financial pressure.

Then, from above, a faint chuckle echoed. It did not originate from the stage; rather, it came from the highest suites.

Nightshade's voice followed, calm, laced with faint amusement. "Still relying on noise to mask your impatience, Ignis?"

A ripple of heat flared in response as Ignis's aura surged slightly. The temperature within his suite spiked, and the spatial barriers shimmered violently. His voice emerged, sharp and cutting. "And you still hide behind silence, as if it makes you profound. If you have the resources, then show them."

Morwenna's voice entered next, soft and distant, yet carrying clearly across the venue, "This is an auction, not a battlefield. Your words are worthless here."

Balthazar's voice followed last, deep and resonant, "If either of you intend to win through intimidation, you misunderstand the situation. We are all here for the same reason."

The conversation was brief, but within those few exchanges, Adrian could see that the four were extremely familiar with one another. Their words carried the weight of countless prior conflicts, alliances, and betrayals. They knew each other's patterns, their strengths, their weaknesses.

Below, the millions of cultivators watched in stunned silence, barely daring to breathe as they witnessed the exchange. For many of them, this was the first time they had ever seen the true rulers of the Andromeda Galaxy interact directly.

While the entire audience within the venue watched with awe at what was unfolding, Adrian didn't share that sense of wonder. He watched calmly from his suite as the four strongest sects in the galaxy began to tear each other's treasuries apart for something he had made with just a few days of effort.

Beside him, Hestia glanced toward Adrian briefly. Then she asked quietly, "You truly intend to mass-produce these?"

Adrian nodded once, "Once the infrastructure is in place."

Hestia's eyes widened slightly. She turned back toward the display, and a faint, incredulous smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.