Soul Land 5: The Rebirth of Tang San

Chapter 205: Golden Wood

The next dozen or so auction items were various weapons and equipment, all appearing to be finely crafted. However, in Tang San's eyes, they could only be described as crudely made, a sheer waste of materials.

Among them were several excellent materials, but since the value added by the forging was actually not bad, and these metals were not as rare as Heavenly Fire Essence Iron to begin with, Tang San did not bother to bid.

Among them, a greatsword with three attribute enhancements sparked a heated bout of bidding, eventually selling for a high price of twelve hundred naturae coins. Of these three attributes, the most formidable was magic-breaking, capable of penetrating nearly all elemental defenses. Extremely powerful.

The materials used were also exceptionally precious, including Moonsilver and Finegold. However, in Tang San's view, the proportions used were problematic and did not fully utilize the capabilities of the materials. The array inscribed on the greatsword seemed decent.

According to the introduction, this greatsword was forged by a great master from the ancestral court and once belonged to a god-level warrior.

The price of 1200 naturae coins was not high for this greatsword. Still, it was 1200 naturae coins, or 120 empyrean coins. There were not many who even owned such wealth, much less afford to spend it on a weapon.

The highest denomination used on the continent, the amethystine coin, hardly ever appeared in the market. Also known as the Bloodline Crucible, it was used by god-level demons and nymphs for cultivation, so it was only technically a form of currency; practically, it was a natural treasure.

Looking at the high price of the greatsword, Tang San felt a bit envious. He would have been willing to spend the money on it if he had that money. If the greatsword were in his hands, he would not use it directly but reforge it, melting it back into its original metals for other purposes.

Moonsilver and Finegold, both extremely precious metals, were most valuable not for their direct use in making equipment but for their ability to improve other metals. Adding a small amount of either metal to other metals could significantly enhance their properties, making the resulting alloy even more powerful and effective than weapons made solely from Moonsilver and Finegold. In cooking terms, these metals were not the meat and vegetables, but rather the MSG added at the end for a flavor boost.

Unfortunately, they did not have enough money to bid on the greatsword.

The more Tang San understood this world, the more he recognized specific issues in this world rich in resources. The crudeness of the forging was in stark contrast to the world's vast resources, and the research into arrays was also very rudimentary. These problems, conversely, represented opportunities for Tang San.

The auction continued with one hot item after the other, with the demon race showing an evident craving for powerful weapons and other pieces of equipment. Of course, pretty much all demons preferred weapons to any suit of armor. Even when comparing items of equal quality, the prices for weapons were noticeably higher than for armor, which made sense considering most demons’ aggressive fighting style.

Tang San and the mayor didn't make any more bids, as their purpose for attending the auction today wasn't for weapons and equipment but for the heavenly materials and earthly treasures that were to come later.

The auction of weapons and equipment lasted nearly two hours, with over forty pieces of high-quality gear being sold. Tang San had undoubtedly snagged a bargain with the Sky Piercing Hammer. He planned to reforge this hammer, not dismantle it for materials.

The properties of Heavenly Fire Essence Iron differed from those of Moonsilver and Finegold. It was a main material for forging, and while even a small amount of it was enough to imbue an item with amazing properties, making something entirely from it would result in an item on a completely different level. That warhammer was decent at best, so now that it was in Tang San's hands, he needed to reforge it, adding an array suitable for Heavenly Fire Essence Iron to unleash its potential fully.

The young girl from the Crimson Fox Clan, Yuan Yinxin, continued to introduce item after item.

Smiling, she looked toward the audience and said, "Next up for auction are some precious materials, as well as treasure plants and fruits we've collected in recent months. Don't miss these great items, especially if you didn’t get your hands on the items we just sold! That only means you can spend your money on some of these precious items—some of them are extremely rare even at our grand auctions! Now, let's bring out the first item~"

As she spoke, a cart had already been pushed into the Great Beast Fighting Arena. It wasn't large and was covered with a red cloth.

When it was pushed next to Du Bai, she smiled and said, "Now, let me introduce this item for auction. Or rather, let's have a look first. Let’s see if anyone here recognizes this item!"

As she spoke, she flicked her hand, pulling away the red cloth to reveal the item beneath.

It was a huge tray covered with a transparent dome, on which lay several strange items.

They looked like tree branches lying randomly on the tray. What was strange was the faint golden radiance emanating from these branches. Despite the distance from the stands to the center of the arena and despite the fact that it was not bright by any standard, the golden radiance was still clearly visible.

The golden radiance clearly showed that there was something extraordinary about these branches. But just as the Crimson Fox girl had expected, nobody jumped up to tell everyone what they were.

The stands were abuzz with discussion.

Du Bai smiled and said, "This item would be more recognizable in the Solstice Empire, among the nymph race. It's more significant to them. This is the remnant limb of a god-level Great Nymph King of the Solstice Empire, who cultivated from an ancient tree and possessed a golden bloodline. This material is therefore called 'Golden Wood,' and it's quite literally a divine material. Even carrying it can nurture a trace of divinity, aiding a ninth-order warrior in breaking through to the tenth order. Although it's just a remnant limb and not the main trunk, there's still sixty-eight kilograms of it. Its value is incredible. The starting bid is one hundred naturae coins, and the minimum bid is ten coins. Let the bidding begin."

Golden Wood!

For both demon and nymph races, the status of the Golden Bloodline is unquestionable, a fact recognized by all races. However, as the auction for this pile of Golden Wood began, it was met with an unusual lack of interest, marking the first lull in today's grand auction.

No one raised a bid!

Somewhat surprised at the awkward atmosphere, Tang San quietly asked Zhang Haoxuan beside him, "Master, why is no one bidding?"

Zhang Haoxuan replied, "This thing is just for show, why bid? Golden Wood isn't really useful; its so-called divinity is mostly symbolic. Neither the demon nor the nymph race truly believes in these. They rely on their strength to break through cultivation bottlenecks. Also, this Golden Wood is rare among the demons but common among the nymphs. It might have attracted some interest if it was the main trunk, with a stronger trace of divinity. But these are just branches; apart from decoration, they're not useful."

When he heard his explanation, the corner of Tang San's mouth couldn't help but twitch. What did people mean when they called something a waste of resources? This was exactly it. He was genuinely grateful to have come to this auction with his master. Both the demon and nymph races were simply....

No, he could not even find words to describe them. Golden Wood is freaking useless?!

penguin’s thoughts: bro literally said those metals are the MSG of forging ??Uncle Roger would be proud