While Marcus Lin and Lance Li were deep in conversation, Marcus Lin, the Savage Brotherhood's third hall master, muttered under his breath,
"Xian'er, don't those two guys behind that person look familiar to you?"
"Huh? Uncle Marcus, what do you mean?"
"It's nothing. Weren't you just curious about that kid's identity earlier? Well, now I think I know who he is."
"Oh? So this kid's actually famous? Even you know him, Uncle Marcus?"
Marcus Lin just shook his head and laughed, "He's not just famous—he's too famous! In the last hundred years, among all the legion Thrones fighting in this star-region, there isn't a single one who doesn't know his name! For someone like that, of course I've done my homework. I just never expected him to show up here, and as a Purple-Gold Guest, no less."
Marcus Lin couldn't help but sigh to himself—each generation really does get stronger than the last!
"But Uncle Marcus, you've been talking for ages and still haven't said who he actually is!"
"Isn't it obvious? The guy on his left is Nathan Yates, the one on his right is Lance Li. So, who's the one standing between them?"
After Marcus Lin finished, Lena Lin was startled. "That's the Dragon-Chen Legion! So this kid... judging by his age and cultivation, could it be... he's actually Evan Chu! Frostbane Dynasty's number one young genius, the top Throne of the eight great legions!"
"Xian'er, do you finally get it now? Do you see what kind of force the Frostbane Dynasty really is? Unless something goes wrong, they're about to become the overlord of this entire star-region. And you still think about poaching people from Frostbane? You're just asking for trouble for the Savage Brotherhood!
Frostbane Dynasty isn't like the ordinary dynasties—their strength is just overwhelming... According to the latest battle reports, even the Phantom-Star Dynasty and Rivengrace Dynasty have had to join forces to resist Frostbane, but the more they struggle, the more legions flock to Frostbane's banner. Right now, half the dynasties in this star-region have already declared allegiance to Frostbane.
Do you know why that is?"
Lena Lin was shaken to her core, and even Marcus Lin could barely believe it—but the intel he'd just received couldn't be wrong. Soon, this news would spread throughout the entire Star-River Dominion.
"Just tell me what happened, Uncle Marcus! Don't leave me hanging!"
"It's him! It's all because of him! That one person has nearly changed the entire course of the war."
Marcus Lin pointed at Evan Chu and continued, "Five great dynasties gathered a million troops to besiege the Dragon-Chen Legion, but in the end, all they surrounded were a few decoy legions from minor dynasties posing as Dragon-Chen. By the time they realized they'd been baited, it was too late—the real Dragon-Chen Legion had already looted thousands of years' worth of star-mines and Starstone reserves from those five dynasties!
Tsk tsk, their kill-burn-loot tactics could rival our Savage Brotherhood! And the real kicker is, Dragon-Chen's speed—before the five dynasties even knew what was happening, they'd already swept up all the Starstones and vanished. Now, Evan Chu can show up here at the auction as a Purple-Gold Guest, backed by Starstone wealth—need I say more?"
After Marcus Lin finished, a sharp light flashed in Lena Lin's eyes—who knows what she was thinking.
"And that's not all—just three days ago, Dragon-Chen Legion's ten-thousand-man vanguard, led by a young officer named Nathan Star, teamed up with eighty thousand troops from Heavenwing and Lanridge Dynasties. Using the Stellar Blazeburst battle formation, they wiped out more than half of a million-strong coalition from five dynasties—and the slaughter's still going on..."
"What? Weren't there supposed to be Holy Emperor-level powerhouses among them?"
"Heh, you don't know? Those three idiots are in Yellow-Blade Star-Region right now, waiting to snatch the Starry Void Sigil so they can break the Stellar Blazeburst formation. Too bad for them... hahahaha!"
Marcus Lin burst out laughing, feeling a rare sense of satisfaction.
"Uncle Marcus, you must've spent a fortune buying all this intel from Star-Treasure Pavilion, huh?" Lena Lin pouted, clearly annoyed.
"Tch! You think all this is useless? Big mistake! Besides, your father gave strict orders before we left—anything the Great Sage instructed, if there's any news, don't spare the Starstones, get to the bottom of it! Now, I think I've finally got a lead."
Marcus Lin gave a mysterious smile, but Lena Lin just rolled her eyes. These five sworn brothers—each one dumber than the last—and you expect them to be cunning? I might as well rely on myself!
But this time, Marcus Lin really was clever for once—and because of this moment, the Savage Brotherhood finally began its rise...
"Xian'er, you need to remember this: when it comes to anything involving Evan Chu, you must never act on impulse! I used to think, based on the Great Sage's guidance, that the one who could obtain the Starry Void Sigil this time was the person we should follow. But I was never sure—was it the one who bought the Sigil, or the one who snatched it? But now I understand: the Great Sage meant the person who can actually use the Starry Void Sigil!
There used to be just three great clans and four dynasties, but now Evan Chu is the wildcard—we have to be more careful than ever. Whether the Savage Brotherhood can rise to power in the future will depend on one of these eight forces!"
"Alright, Uncle Marcus, I get it!" Lena Lin said, but she couldn't help sneaking another glance at Evan Chu, curiosity burning in her eyes.
On the auction floor, bidding for the Celestial River Meteor had already begun. For a heaven-defying treasure like this, there was no such thing as a reserve price—it was simply tossed out for everyone to fight over. At this moment, the Celestial River Meteor had reached a price of five thousand Starstones. And these were supreme-grade Starstones!
With each tier worth a hundred times the last, these five thousand supreme-grade Starstones could hollow out an entire small star-region—after all, most star-mines only yield low-grade Starstones.
"Five thousand five hundred Starstones—any higher bids?" Horace Hong asked one last time, ready to bring down the hammer.
The final bidder was an elder from the Ouyang Family, determined to claim the meteor at any cost. But this price was already sky-high—who else could possibly afford such an astronomical sum?
But right then, a plain, unremarkable voice rang out. Evan Chu spoke softly: "Horace Hong, nobody's giving you any face, huh? A Celestial River Meteor is insanely powerful—how could it go for such a low price?
Forget it! Since we're friends, I'll do you a favor and raise the stakes—eight thousand Starstones."
Whoa—the crowd erupted. Eight thousand Starstones... Eight thousand supreme-grade Starstones equals eight million high-grade Starstones, eight hundred million mid-grade Starstones, or eighty billion low-grade Starstones! What does that mean? Enough wealth to instantly raise a mighty army, or to hollow out an entire small star-region in a flash!
The Ouyang elder gasped, glaring at Evan Chu in frustration, unable to utter a word. Even Desmond Mansfield was speechless—are you sure you still want to buy the Starry Void Sigil? With this kind of fortune, you might as well have looted the Frostbane Dynasty!
As soon as Desmond finished speaking, news of the great battle in the Star-River Dominion spread to all the major powers. A Saint Venerable bodyguard whispered something in Desmond's ear, and his expression changed dramatically.
Meanwhile, a commander from the Dragon-Chen Legion entered Evan Chu's private box and whispered something to him.
"Heh, Nathan Star did well! Looks like we'll have to auction off a few more treasures and hand out some rewards when we get back!"