Soul Land 5: The Rebirth of Tang San

Chapter 413: The Stone of Shelter

What was this thing? Could it influence the fortune at this level? Tang San was secretly shocked.

The expression on the Blue Fox auctioneer’s face became noticeably solemn. “Our third-to-last auction item comes from the Celestial Fox Sacred Mountain.” As they spoke, they turned and bowed towards the Celestial Fox Sacred Mountain.

From the Celestial Fox Sacred Mountain? Then it must be from the Celestial Fox Palace. Could it be a treasure offered by the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor?

"As everyone knows, to become a Demon or Nymph King, you must undergo the baptism of heavenly tribulation. If unsuccessful, you perish. Therefore, when unsure of their chances, many strong individuals from various clans use external forces to withstand the heavenly tribulation and achieve a breakthrough. Such methods have been researched for countless years and there are naturally plenty of options.

"However, breaking through using such methods usually limits further advancement. Only those who fully endure and withstand the baptism of the heavenly tribulation can truly be considered strong among gods. And the more powerful the bloodline, the more dangerous the heavenly tribulation!"

The Blue Fox auctioneer rarely used such a lengthy introduction.

Undoubtedly, this third-to-last auction item was related to overcoming heavenly tribulation.

"This item from the Celestial Fox Sacred Mountain, named the Stone of Shelter by the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor, serves the purpose of preserving one’s original level if they fail to resist the heavenly tribulation, giving them a chance to try again."

"Only those who have endured the heavenly tribulation truly understand what it means. Normally, if they fail to break through, they will die.

"But the Stone of Shelter provides a second chance. Not only that, but the second time, you may attempt the tribulation with the experience of the previous one, which greatly increases the probability of succeeding through your own abilities. There’s no better way to unleash the potential of a strong individual."

The Blue Fox auctioneer lifted the red cloth covering the cart.

It was a necklace. The necklace was silver-white, set with tiny white gemstones, clearly Fortune Stones. The pendant on the necklace was a silver-white gemstone, emitting a faint silvery glow. In Tang San’s view, this gem clearly diluted the aura of misfortune around it.

This silver gemstone...

Tang San found it vaguely familiar, and he squeezed his brain for a moment before his eyes widened in shock.

The lotus seed!

Yes, it was the "lotus seed" of the Heavenly Bloom! But somehow, it seemed different. It didn’t have the solid feel that the lotus seed gave him. But it was definitely of the same origin, at least in appearance. It seemed to lack a soul, yet even so, it was enough to shock Tang San.

Was the lotus seed's function actually to provide shelter? Being able to block heavenly tribulation was far beyond mere fortune. This was practically defying the heavens and changing fate!

Damn, bringing this out for auction, its value...

The previously calm audience now began to stir with noise.

Undoubtedly, this Stone of Shelter necklace would be top-tier even on the Divine Artifacts Auction Day. Yet, it was being presented on the Spiritual Artifact Auction Day and as the third-to-last item, not the final showstopper. This made one ponder just how valuable the following two items could be.

The Blue Fox auctioneer didn’t rush; she allowed the noise to persist before slowly saying, “This item is extremely rare, even within the Celestial Fox clan. The bidding starts now, with a starting price of three thousand naturae coins. Each increment must be no less than one hundred naturae coins.”

Was a starting bid of three thousand naturae coins expensive? Absolutely not!

As a former God King, Tang San knew all too well the benefits this item could bring. Being able to face heavenly tribulation twice meant undergoing two baptisms. What did two baptisms by heavenly tribulation signify?

The cleansing by heavenly tribulation was a process of shedding the mortal coil and ascending to sainthood. During this process, one’s impurities would be refined away, divine consciousness would solidify, and the body would evolve. The entire process, while extremely dangerous, differentiated mortals from god-level beings. Once the tribulation was successfully overcome, one reached the god level, and one's lifespan would be greatly extended.

However, as the Blue Fox auctioneer said, the path to becoming a god varied among beings. Those who schemed their way through the tribulation existed, but such god-level beings would fundamentally differ from those who relied on their abilities to withstand it.

Those who successfully schemed through the tribulation couldn’t progress further; Demon King was their final level. Their lifespan would remain at the Demon King level. Only those who successfully endured the tribulation by their own merits could truly advance beyond.

Even among the Demon Emperors, their lifespans varied. Some Demon Emperors could live four to five thousand years, while others could live only one to two thousand years. Why? Because of the difference in their foundations. And where did this foundation come from? Heavenly tribulation was arguably the only opportunity to consolidate this foundation for those at godhood and above.

The Stone of Shelter allowed a strong individual to face the tribulation twice. What did this mean? It meant two baptisms, two chances to consolidate their foundation. Not only did this almost guarantee surviving the tribulation, but the accumulation from these two instances would make their foundation significantly deeper than others at the same level.

Such benefits couldn’t be measured in monetary terms. This was definitely a divine artifact! Especially for those with first-tier bloodlines of a Demon Emperor; having this meant that younger members with the potential of a Demon Emperor would have an additional guarantee for advancing to the level of a Demon Emperor!

So, it was absolutely worth it.

Zhang Haoxuan didn’t send a voice transmission to ask Tang San anything. The Stone of Shelter was useful, extremely useful, to anyone. But whether they could afford it was another matter. Even if they sold the entire Redemption Society, they probably couldn’t afford this truly divine artifact.

“One thousand!” A deep voice almost instantly quieted the entire auction hall.

Hearing this voice, not very loud in itself, felt like a thunderous shock to all the bidders. The overwhelming pressure made the heavens and earth tremble. The voice came from the highest point!

A Demon Emperor! Or perhaps a Nymph Emperor!

Although they didn’t know who had arrived, the grandeur of the voice and its direction unmistakably revealed the speaker’s identity.

Was a Demon Emperor-level powerhouse personally showing up for the Stone of Shelter? It was clear they were preparing it for their successors!

“One thousand one hundred!” A somewhat cold voice came from the other mountain peak.

No matter how envious the bidders below were when the first voice spoke, they understood that this item no longer had anything to do with them. The Stone of Shelter had attracted personal bids from Demon Emperor-level beings. Only emperors could bid against other emperors.

Tang San immediately understood why this item had appeared here. It was likely because more than one emperor had asked the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor for it. Unsure of whom to give it to, he chose to let them compete fairly at the auction. What puzzled Tang San was why this item didn’t appear on the final Divine Artifacts Auction Day but on the first day instead.

But the next moment, a flash of insight struck Tang San, and he seemed to understand something.

More emperors were likely to attend on the last day of the Divine Artifacts Auction. Even emperors would be tempted by the Stone of Shelter, leading to more bidders. The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor probably arranged with the two current competitors to auction the Stone of Shelter on the first day before other emperors noticed, giving one of the current bidders a chance to obtain it.