The ordinary guests below the auction stage could only watch with open eyes. They didn't have the qualifications or the strength to compete—not to mention courage, even the financial resources required were far beyond their reach.
This contest of wealth was obviously a struggle between the eight major powers—even the Savage Brotherhood could only sit and watch.
"Three hundred thousand!"
Finally, one of the four dynasties spoke up. Seeing the three apex clans going all out, they couldn't afford to keep holding back.
"Three hundred fifty thousand."
"Four hundred thousand!"
Sure enough, the other two dynasties among the four quickly joined in, and the battle of wealth immediately rose to another level.
Only the last dynasty remained silent. They knew their own situation best—their dynasty was currently fighting fierce wars, and their reserves of Starstones and grain were far from abundant.
Their goal in coming here was simply to prevent any one of the three apex clans from obtaining the Starry Void Sigil. That alone would be enough.
The Starry Void Sigil was indeed a heaven-defying treasure, but it was also a scorching hot potato. If you lacked the strength to compete, forcing it would bring no benefit and could even invite unimaginable disaster.
This point was very clear to the other powers too. But at this critical juncture, they absolutely couldn't let another dynasty rise out of the three apex clans—if that happened, the blow to them would be even more devastating.
"Five hundred thousand!"
A Holy Emperor of the Mansfield Family gritted his teeth and shouted this bid. The hall finally fell into a brief silence.
What does five hundred thousand supreme-grade Starstones represent? It's hard to even estimate. That number was probably the result of countless years of accumulation by the Mansfield Family—and if you converted it all to low-grade Starstones, you could probably pile up a small star mine on the spot.
"Listen to you talking so lightly. Turns out even your clan's old-timers will fight to the bitter end for this, huh? Five hundred thousand... tsk tsk."
Evan Chu glanced at Desmond Mansfield. Up to now, he'd been the one calling out bids, because no matter how high the price went, Evan was determined to buy it.
"How could they not go all out? For those old-timers, opening a Trial World isn't just about waiting for endless years—it's about generations of sacrifice. For this, not only are they willing to spend every Starstone the clan has saved, they'd even risk their lives if they had to."
"That kind of dedication really deserves respect!"
Evan Chu grew solemn with respect. To set aside personal gain and tie one's own honor to the clan—that kind of sense of mission isn't something just anyone can have.
Honestly, the Mansfield Family's way of educating their people was impressive. To get their clan members thinking like that—even though most of them were technically just collateral branches.
"When do you plan to make your move? At this rate, the price will only keep rising. Those old-timers want to win the Starry Void Sigil with five hundred thousand, but that's nowhere near enough!"
"What's the rush? If I step in now, it's just more pointless arguing. All I need is to wait for the final moment, drop a price no one else can even dream of, and lock it down. What we should be thinking about is the bloody fight that's coming next."
"Heh, you're getting harder and harder to read, you know that? Right now, you give me a seriously dangerous feeling."
"Oh? Thinking of turning on me?" Evan Chu glanced back at Desmond Mansfield.
Desmond Mansfield rolled his eyes. "I'd have to be crazy to do that. As long as I keep a good relationship with you, I stand to gain way more. Take you out? Forget the effort and whether I'd even succeed—the real question is, what would I get out of it?"
"Simple—the Starry Void Sigil!"
"You're overthinking it. As far as the clan goes, I'm not that invested. If I can help, great; if not, I'm not risking my neck. For me, true strength is the only thing that lasts. All those other tricks just keep up appearances."
And besides, even if the old-timers manage to open a Trial World, ask yourself—if there aren't enough top powerhouses to guard it, aren't they just handing their achievement over to someone else?
Desmond Mansfield saw right through it all, showing once again his terrifying intellect. Evan Chu admired him deeply in his heart, though he'd never admit it out loud.
"You brat, hahaha! All right, let's get ready. Go talk things over with your clan."
"Don't worry, I've already got everything set up. When it counts, it'll be up to you—just don't let me down, or I'll drag you down with me!"
Evan Chu and Desmond Mansfield were chatting and joking, but over at the Savage Brotherhood, things were boiling over—they were running around like ants on a hot pan.
Marcus Lin watched the elders of the three apex clans battling over the price, his face growing darker and darker. By now, the price had reached eight hundred thousand supreme-grade Starstones!
"Lena! Things aren't looking good. At this rate, one of the three apex clans is bound to win the Starry Void Sigil. Are we really going to have to follow along under their thumb..."
"Uncle Marcus, it's way too early to jump to conclusions. What if an unexpected guest bursts in halfway through? You were clear-headed before—how'd you get so muddled now?
Just because someone wins the Starry Void Sigil at the auction doesn't mean they'll be the one who gets to use it in the end.
"But... things are getting clearer by the minute. If those three apex clans are willing to bleed themselves dry for the auction, you really think they don't have ways to protect the Starry Void Sigil? Unless three or more powers team up to snatch it by force—but then how would they split it afterward? That'd be an even bigger headache!
Where does that leave us, the Savage Brotherhood?
As Marcus Lin spoke, the bidding in the hall was nearing its end. After Cyril Owens painfully called out eight hundred fifty thousand Starstones, no one else made a sound.
Eight hundred fifty thousand supreme-grade Starstones—that was draining their coffers. Such an astronomical figure was beyond even the four dynasties, since they're still caught up in their ongoing wars for supremacy.
At this point, both the Baili Family and Mansfield Family fell silent too. At that price, they didn't have the strength to keep competing. All the powers started thinking about other ways to get their hands on the Starry Void Sigil.
"Eight hundred fifty thousand? Anyone willing to go higher?"
Horace Hong finally called out loudly, his gaze landing on Evan Lin's private box.
Evan Chu gave Horace Hong a slight smile. "Eight hundred fifty thousand Starstones for the Starry Void Sigil? Feels like a slap in the face for Star-Treasure Pavilion. For a treasure like this, shouldn't the price break seven digits before the 'ten-thousand' mark?
Sigh! Since that's the case, I'll do Star-Treasure Pavilion a favor and name a price. If you can top it, I'll treat it as just going through the motions. If not, then I won't hold back on taking the Starry Void Sigil."
As Evan Chu finished speaking, all eyes—from the Owens Family, Baili Family, the four dynasties, the Savage Brotherhood, and everyone else—locked onto him.
That mysterious kid!
Evan Chu opened his mouth and calmly spoke five words: "One million Starstones."