One billion gold coins.
This astonishing figure didn't make everyone freeze in shock, and the price of the witherstone greatsword didn't stop at one billion gold coins.
"One and a half billion!"
Another bid quickly came from the private box where Gahaffa was located.
And with these two speaking, the competition in the entire auction hall completely intensified.
"Truly insane."
Overlooking the back-and-forth below, Su Lin clicked his tongue in wonder.
He really hadn't expected a witherstone greatsword to be so valuable in the eyes of the Aseram Continent's people.
To be fair, the witherstone greatsword wasn't easy to make, but it was by no means rare.
After all, even the poor An Duo had a witherstone greatsword—
Oh right, An Duo!
Su Lin quietly glanced at An Duo; the little one was so excited she was almost jumping.
That witherstone greatsword was on her, which meant An Duo was carrying billions of gold coins with her!
Although she still didn't have a single coin of actual gold, with this luxurious set of equipment, who would dare say An Duo was poor?
An Duo felt that the moment to return home in glory was approaching.
Tashiniya propped her face up, looking bored, and casually complained.
"A witherstone greatsword that's about to be mass-produced is causing such a frenzy. Is it worth it?"
"It's worth it!"
Veronika replied without hesitation, and meeting Tashiniya's gaze, explained:
"To them, what's important isn't the witherstone greatsword, but the power of Wither!"
"That power, capable of dissolving all things, comes from Wither, a truly transcendent Divine Being, and the power of Wither is also a type of Divine Law."
"For those at the peak of power, this is completely enough to drive them mad!"
Hilulele also nodded with considerable emotion.
"In fact, when the Queens first saw the power of Wither, they were equally frantic. Even now, they are still holding the Heart of the Nether and tirelessly researching it."
"To us, Wither is a floor BOSS, but in the eyes of peak powerhouses, the power of Wither..."
"...is the first time in countless years they've seen something that allows them to grasp Divine Law without ascending, break through their limits in the Nether, and become Gods of the Aseram Continent."
The peak powerhouses of the Aseram Continent had lived for too long.
They had waited for too many years, but the only thing that could respond to them was despair. In the countless years past, many peak powerhouses, as their lifespans neared their end, desperately ascended to the Heavenly Realm, but more chose to die of old age rather than leave.
The Heavenly Realm wasn't that wonderful, especially for peak powerhouses like them, who dominated a region in the Nether.
Below, they were supreme beings no one dared to defy; in the Heavenly Realm, they would be just a roadside.
Who among those who had reached the peak could accept such a psychological gap?
What's more, the Heavenly Realm's exclusiveness was a widely circulated secret among peak powerhouses. Even if they ascended, they would likely just die of old age in a daze.
It was better to enjoy the dominance of being a king in the Nether during their remaining time.
They had grown accustomed to this situation over countless years.
They had searched for countless methods but had never found any opportunity.
And now, Wither had arrived.
Transcendent power, an undeniable Divine Law—this was the only hope they had seen in countless years of waiting.
The witherstone greatsword wasn't important, but if the Divine Law within the witherstone greatsword could be deconstructed, would it mean they too could grasp Divine Law without ascending?
To go further, transcend their limits, and become Gods of the Aseram Continent!
Looking at the long term, if they continued to cultivate and grow stronger in the Aseram Continent, then when they ascended to the Heavenly Realm, why would they fear exclusiveness?
Especially since the Law of Wither sounded like a rather overbearing existence even among Divine Laws.
As long as there was a glimmer of a chance to grasp it, they wouldn't hesitate to give everything to seize this opportunity.
It was the only hope that had arrived after endless ages of yearning.
As for the ability to come with a sword skill, nations would value it, but peak powerhouses didn't care.
To put it plainly, those participating in the auction now were all people of peak powerhouses.
What they were buying wasn't the witherstone greatsword, but the opportunity to possess the power of Wither!
Don't underestimate the Aseram Continent, and even less so those peak powerhouses who had been at the top for countless years.
As long as they obtained the witherstone greatsword, even if they couldn't strip away the power of Wither, they might still have a chance to comprehend the extended laws of the power of Wither.
The extension of Divine Law power, at the very least, leads to demigod status.
Simply put—
—They were too eager to progress.
"It seems my impromptu decision this time had a good effect."
Su Lin smiled rather proudly.
But Hilulele rolled her eyes at him, annoyed.
"More than just good—if nothing unexpected happens, after the auction, for this witherstone greatsword, the peak powerhouses will definitely fight like dogs."
Tashiniya scratched her cheek, her face innocent as she said:
"Since they all desire it so much, why don't they bid for it together and research it as a group?"
Su Lin suddenly felt that this foolish angel's innocence was somewhat terrifying.
Veronika sighed helplessly.
"If you had the chance to be the sole supreme God of the Heavenly Realm, would you allow others to share the supreme divine authority with you?"
"Of course not!"
"Exactly, that's what they think too."
Tashiniya nodded thoughtfully.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, she clapped her hands.
"Doesn't that mean the peak powerhouses will also turn their attention to the Elven Kingdom?"
After all, the witherstone greatsword was produced from the MC Dungeon.
The power of Wither is very important, but don't forget—the MC Dungeon genuinely contains powerhouses who have surpassed their limits.
Doesn't that clearly indicate that entering the MC Dungeon allows one to ignore the Heavenly Realm's restrictions and surpass their limits?
"Eh?! Why are you reacting so quickly this time?"
Hilulele looked at Tashiniya with some surprise.
"Of course! This angel is a genius! But aren't you worried about those peak powerhouses?"
"It's fine."
Hilulele waved her small hand, looking smug.
"They're not stupid."
Elves, as children of nature, naturally have long lifespans.
Ordinary human peak powerhouses have a lifespan of around two to three thousand years, but elves naturally have a lifespan of over a thousand years.
And after successive Elven Queens reached their limits, their lifespans approached seven thousand years.
After all these years, who would dare bet on how many old things the Elven Kingdom truly hid?
What's more, the Elven Kingdom even put this item up for sale; the peak powerhouses must consider whether a being beyond their limits has been born in the Elven Kingdom, right?
If they guessed that, Hilulele would have to say, "You guessed right!"
Seven days ago, the first Elven Queen had already reached Lv101 in the MC Dungeon, and upon returning, she didn't trigger the Heavenly Realm's law of ascension at all.
This indicates that whatever people obtain by entering the MC Dungeon, the Heavenly Realm's laws cannot detect it.
Don't just look at the difference of one or two levels from those peak powerhouses; surpassing the limit is, after all, much stronger than those stuck below the limit.
That Queen could already be described as a demigod.
Simply put, Hilulele was quite hoping that some short-sighted individuals would come to test them, so that they could openly have the demigod Queen take action.
From top-tier strength to grassroots combat power, completely establishing the glory of the Aseram Continent's strongest nation.
Unfortunately, as the Queens would say, the peak powerhouses, who were old and cunning, were not fools.
They were probably busy currying favor with the Elven Kingdom now.
"But ultimately, this blade will indeed stir up a new round of bloody turmoil."
Hilulele shook her head, her face indifferent as if it had nothing to do with her. "After the auction, the peak powerhouses will definitely fight fiercely over this blade. In their eyes, whoever holds this blade will be the public enemy of the world."
For those stuck at the peak, this blade might be the most valuable item in this auction.
Tashiniya chuckled with emotion.
"So everyone on the Aseram Continent also really dislikes the Heavenly Realm—"
"Your 'also' is used very cleverly."
"Of course!"
Tashiniya stood with her hands on her hips, looking proud.
"Pope, you know, I'm always loyal to the MC Dungeon! That rotten place, the Heavenly Realm, I'll never go back!"
Su Lin shook his head and laughed.
Regardless, this impromptu decision to replace the great katana with the witherstone greatsword yielded quite good conclusions.
At least he learned that something like Wither is absolutely a Divine Law on the Aseram Continent.
If that's the case...
Doesn't that mean his evil beast helmet and similar items are genuinely higher-grade Divine materials?
If Wither can be called a quasi-god, then the Netherite Alloy Behemoth and its kind should be called great gods!
Thinking this, Su Lin couldn't help but feel somewhat relieved.
As expected of his MC Dungeon, the caliber is just high!
While Su Lin and the others chatted, the bidding for the witherstone greatsword finally concluded after fierce competition.
At a price of 4.7 billion gold coins, Gahaffa successfully acquired the blade.
The hall was filled with a sense of oppression; even the most sluggish adventurers understood that around this blade, the Aseram Continent would be plunged into a sea of blood.
Gahaffa also wiped a bead of cold sweat from his temple.
Regardless, the weapon of Divine Law was in his hands.
"Hmph!"
A heavy, angry gasp came from a distant private room.
As the window was violently pushed open, a beastman face covered in golden fur appeared before everyone.
Those scarlet and bloodthirsty eyes cast a shadow over the entire hall.
Waves of magic power surged towards Gahaffa.
"Archmage Gahaffa! Very good—I'll remember you!"
Gahaffa was not to be outdone, sneering.
"It is my honor to be remembered by Lion King Dalo."
"I hope you guard the witherstone greatsword well, and don't lose your life because of this blade—"
"Thank you for the reminder, Lion King Dalo."
The two exchanged glances across the distance, their gazes clashing with surging magic power, almost sparking with electricity.
"Silence!"
Lop slammed his gavel down heavily.
"Disrupting the auction order, if there's a next time, you will be expelled from the auction hall!"
The two retracted their gazes, calmed their anger, bowed slightly to Lop, and returned to their private boxes.
Dalo, who had temporarily stepped down from his position as Lion King, angrily slammed the table.
"Damn old bastard! Do you really think you can take it and send it back?"
"Send word to His Majesty, Divine Law has appeared, please have the five Beast Gods come out of the Divine Mountain!"
Like Dalo, Gahaffa also hastily gave orders to call for reinforcements.
With this item in his hands, if he left the Elven Kingdom without anyone to meet him, he would surely die.
He understood better than anyone how frantic peak powerhouses would be over Divine Law.
Moments later, countless magic transmissions streamed out from the many private boxes on the second floor.
The adventurers silently lowered their heads.
They didn't know about the matters of peak powerhouses; they only knew that a more terrifying slaughter was about to shake the continent shortly after the auction ended. "Truly insane—"
Gahaffa murmured.
"So many magic communications, how many old geezers will be called in—"
"Watch your words!"
Fatz covered Gahaffa's mouth, then glanced at Zehi beside him, hesitating before asking:
"Mr. Zehi, don't you need to send a message to the King?"
"We can't contend for it."
Zehi gave a bitter smile.
"Although the Olyana Kingdom also has hidden peak powerhouses, their numbers are too small, incomparable to these ancient empires."
"Even if we were lucky enough to get it, the next day we might face countless peak powerhouses destroying our city. We cannot have this item."
Ultimately, the Olyana Kingdom, which pursued art, wasn't weak, but in terms of foundation, it couldn't be called a great nation.
After much thought, such a treasure could only be contended for by the Magic Dynasty, the Orc Empire, the Dwarf Empire, the Gustik Holy Empire, and the Holy Law Emperor Country.
Lop remained still for a moment, seemingly just quietly waiting for those people to call for reinforcements.
It wasn't until the last magic transmission flew out that Lop spoke gently:
"I believe that during the long auction process, you may have become a little tired, but an even more exciting auction is just about to begin."
"May I present our next item: ten Hippogryph monster eggs!"
Gahaffa, regardless of the magic power cost, sent a magic transmission compressed with immense magic power, which soon reached the Magic Dynasty's outpost outside the Verdan Eternal Forest.
When the outpost commander saw the crimson mark on the transmission's cover, his face changed dramatically.
He quickly tucked it into his robe and rushed out the door.
"Quick! Activate the teleportation array at maximum power; I must return to the Royal Court immediately to see His Majesty!"