Auction

"Nearly every notable figure in the Heaven Dou Empire had come.

Their strength might not have been high, but they all had influence."

Yu Yuanzhen swept his gaze around and immediately recognized quite a few people.

But just then, a figure appeared on the main road through the city, only several dozen meters away from them.

The moment this person appeared, he drew countless gazes.

He wore robes of gold and silver, embroidered with a majestic silver-white tiger radiating killing intent, while a golden dragon lay beneath his feet.

Many people present understood what this represented at a glance.

"Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty!"

Many people on the street had already begun to bow.

Emperor Xue Ye's expression visibly darkened at that moment.

"The Star Luo Emperor came too!

It seems quite a few people here are from the Star Luo Empire. No wonder I didn't recognize them."

Ning Fengzhi spoke gravely. The moment the Star Luo Emperor appeared, the atmosphere here had completely changed.

The Star Luo Emperor turned his gaze in their direction, settling on Emperor Xue Ye, who was likewise dressed in imperial robes. His eyes were aggressive.

Unlike Emperor Xue Ye, the Star Luo Emperor possessed an imposing dominance, and those around him treated him with great respect.

By comparison, Emperor Xue Ye seemed slightly inferior.

That was because this Star Luo Emperor was not merely a lofty emperor commanding vast armies; he was also a Title Douluo.

The two stared at each other like this, as though sparks were flying through the air. No one had expected them to meet here.

At this moment, the people on the street had clearly divided into two camps, confronting one another.

The smell of gunpowder in the air grew stronger and stronger, as if a war between the two empires could erupt at any moment.

Then, the Star Luo Emperor's expression suddenly changed. He revealed a warm smile and gave Emperor Xue Ye a slight nod in greeting before shifting his gaze to inspect Purple Heaven City.

The tension vanished without a trace. The people from the Star Luo Empire resumed calm expressions and began greeting those they knew.

"It seems something is bound to happen today."

Ning Fengzhi said quietly.

That Mysterious City Lord had invited all of them into Purple Heaven City. How could he not know about the friction between the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire? Today would likely be a fierce clash.

The people from the Heaven Dou Empire also stepped forward to greet Emperor Xue Ye and the others. At the same time, they discovered Tang Xiao among them and were greatly surprised.

Just then, a screen suddenly appeared before Emperor Xue Ye, displaying a line of words.

Please come to the City Lord's Mansion for a discussion, Emperor Xue Ye.

--Purple Heaven City Lord

An arrow then appeared before him, pointing in a direction.

The others' expressions changed slightly as they looked curiously at Emperor Xue Ye. It seemed the Mysterious City Lord had sought out Emperor Xue Ye alone. They wondered what he was plotting in secret.

Instead, Emperor Xue Ye revealed a trace of delight. He glanced from afar at the White Tiger Emperor and confirmed that the other man had not received an invitation. His mood immediately brightened, and a secretive smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

He suddenly thought that if the City Lord could obtain the Heaven Dou Empire's military deployment map, why could he not obtain the Star Luo Empire's as well?

He straightened his robes and followed the arrow with the stride of a dragon and tiger. Before long, he arrived at Purple Heaven City's City Lord's Mansion, entered directly, passed the screen wall, crossed into the outer courtyard, and reached the main hall.

Li Ming was seated in the main hall, waiting for him.

"Emperor Xue Ye."

"City Lord!"

The two addressed each other.

"I wonder whether the City Lord has considered the matter I proposed last time?"

Emperor Xue Ye got straight to the point. He had thought about this matter every day for the past dozen days. How could he not be anxious?

"Yes. I invited Your Majesty here precisely because of this matter.

After considering it, I wish to make a deal with Your Majesty. If you agree, I can guarantee that I will not provide that map to anyone."

Li Ming smiled faintly and spoke unhurriedly.

"What deal?"

Emperor Xue Ye asked without a moment's hesitation.

"I intend to issue a unique currency for Purple Heaven City, called Dream Coupons.

I need Your Majesty to provide Dream Coupon exchange services in every city of the Heaven Dou Empire."

After hearing this, Emperor Xue Ye's eyes flickered as he considered the advantages and disadvantages.

Though this was his first time hearing of Dream Coupons, he roughly understood their purpose.

"Your Majesty may also set your own handling fees to cover operating expenses."

"No problem."

After thinking it over, Emperor Xue Ye agreed quickly. After all, he had no choice but to agree. His weakness was in the other party's hands.

Li Ming and Emperor Xue Ye then discussed the specific details.

To exchange Dream Coupons for Gold Soul Coins, the Dream Coupons first had to be deducted in Dream Space. Li Ming's AI would then send this information to the person in charge of the Bank on the Heaven Dou Empire's side.

After receiving the information, the person in charge would wake up and carry out the exchange.

The reverse exchange, from Gold Soul Coins to Dream Coupons, worked the same way. The money would first be deposited in the Bank, and the Bank's person in charge would then enter Purple Heaven City and provide the information to Li Ming.

Once the discussion was over, Li Ming began showing his guest out.

Before long, the one standing where Emperor Xue Ye had been was the Star Luo Empire's White Tiger Emperor.

Li Ming likewise told the White Tiger Emperor about establishing Dream Coupon exchange points.

"Emperor Xue Ye has already agreed."

Li Ming seemed to mention it casually.

But the White Tiger Emperor's eyes flashed, and he said, "Agreed."

Though he did not know exactly what use Dream Coupons had, since the Heaven Dou Empire had them, the Star Luo Empire could not go without them.

After the White Tiger Emperor left, Li Ming could not stop smiling. He was overjoyed.

As soon as the exchange points were established, he would be able to cash out a huge amount of Gold Soul Coins. By then, forget hiring Spirit Kings—even Spirit Douluos would be within his reach.

Of course, before that, he needed to give Dream Coupons genuine value.

But that was simple. Tonight was precisely what he had prepared for.

Very soon, everyone in Purple Heaven City received an invitation from the Purple Heaven City Lord.

They were invited to the Purple Heaven City Auction House.

They did not delay. One after another, they hurriedly followed the arrows and arrived at an auction hall with several hundred seats.

It did not need to be too large. There were not that many people, after all.

Some influential and powerful figures seated themselves directly at the front, such as the sect masters of the Upper Three Sects and Lower Four Sects, along with the two emperors. They occupied the best seats in the center of the first row.

The others also rushed to claim seats, but no conflict broke out. After all, this was the City Lord's territory.

After everyone was seated, Li Ming, transformed into a white-bearded old man, appeared on the auction platform at the front with a beaming smile.

"Welcome to Purple Heaven City.

I hereby announce that Dream Space will enter the Closed Beta phase today.

As Closed Beta users of Purple Heaven City, you will receive invitations from Purple Heaven City every day at noon and at midnight.

As long as you accept the invitation, you may enter Purple Heaven City."

Li Ming used terms they did not fully understand, but they could grasp the meaning. Joy appeared on all their faces. This meant they could enter Purple Heaven City every day!

"As Closed Beta users, during the Closed Beta period, each of you may use the Personal Cultivation Assistant for free for four hours every day. This is a benefit provided by Purple Heaven City."

Li Ming said with a smile. He needed these powerful Soul Masters to provide him with enough data, so they had to use the Personal Cultivation Assistant. But he also felt that unlimited free access would be too generous, so he limited it to four hours a day.

The others revealed delighted expressions upon hearing this. It was free, after all. They had all experienced the wonders of the Personal Cultivation Assistant, so how could they not be pleased?

"Can we pay for more time?"

The White Tiger Emperor spoke up at this moment, clearly having understood the significance of Dream Coupons.

"Not during the Closed Beta period." Li Ming shook his head.

"I would like the younger generation of my family to use the Personal Cultivation Assistant. Can the City Lord invite them?"

A figure at the edge of the hall spoke at that moment, unaware that he was Li Ming's clone.

The others' eyes immediately lit up upon hearing this. This was exactly what they wanted. They promptly looked at Li Ming with anticipation.

Li Ming smiled faintly, deliberately keeping them in suspense for two or three seconds before answering.

"Of course. However, there are limited slots during the Closed Beta period. This space can only accommodate one thousand people, so I can only provide nine hundred slots.

I know that all of you need these slots, so in order to give them to those who need them most, I have decided to auction off these nine hundred slots. The highest bidders will get them."

Li Ming finally bared his fangs. This was the first step in reaping money.

Of course, he was not lying. At present, his Soul Skill could only support casting Dream on one person at a time. A thousand satellites meant one thousand people.

However, once he broke through Level 30 and became a Spirit Elder, his Dream Soul Skill would evolve along with his breakthrough. At that point, it could affect even more people.

When they heard there were only nine hundred slots, everyone's expressions changed slightly. There were two empires present, which meant each empire would only get four hundred and fifty. Split among everyone, that was not much!

In an instant, the atmosphere in the air began to grow tense.