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Xie Mingzhe had happened to see a Flower Demon Card while running dungeons with Chen today. Its stats were far better than Chen's. Xie Mingzhe clearly remembered that Chen's four-star Flower Demon had only 3,000 base attack, while this one had 3,600. During card evolution, base stats kept doubling. Cards with higher base stats were more valuable to develop later on. No wonder it had been brought to the Auction House.

The card ultimately sold for 3,000 gold.

The auctioneer said, "Next up is another card—a five-star pet card, the Nine-Tailed Fox Card!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the card being auctioned appeared before everyone, along with its corresponding Star Card Illusion—a lifelike white nine-tailed fox. Its eyes were a clear emerald green, and its nine snow-white tails curled upward, forming a fluffy little ball that looked especially adorable.

It was the first time he had ever seen such a beautiful fox. Xie Mingzhe really wanted to buy one and raise it himself, but he wondered how much it would sell for.

The auctioneer said, "This pet card can be brought out of the game and generate a Star Card Illusion in the real world. The starting price is 5,000 gold!"

"..." A newbie with only 100 gold in his bag could only watch the excitement. Still, Xie Mingzhe was quite curious about prices in the game, so he leaned over and asked Senior Brother Qi, "What's the exchange rate between in-game gold and real currency?"

"Recently, it's been around ten to one," Senior Brother Qi said.

"Oh." Xie Mingzhe did the math. Five thousand game coins meant 500 Crystal Coins in real money, and that was only the starting price. People around them quickly began raising the bid, and the price on the screen jumped rapidly until it finally stopped at 8,000 gold.

"8,000 gold, going once! 8,000 gold, going twice! Any further bids? 8,000 gold, going three times! Sold!"

With the fall of the hammer, the Nine-Tailed Fox Card was bought by a bidder.

Since everyone bid by pressing buttons at their seats, only the officials probably knew exactly who had bought it. This was also to protect buyers' privacy.

Prices in the game were really high! A pet card had actually sold for 800 Crystal Coins? That was as much as a month of his rent.

Xie Mingzhe was extremely curious. The Flower Demon Card had sold for 300 Crystal Coins, so why had this Nine-Tailed Fox Card gone for 800? Was the difference really that huge? Thinking of this, he leaned close to Senior Brother Qi's ear and asked softly, "Why did the Nine-Tailed Fox Card sell for so much? Its base stats don't seem very good, and it doesn't even have any attack skills."

"Because it's an original card," Senior Brother Qi said in a lowered voice. "Original cards are made by players themselves and don't drop in the game. The copyright for this card belongs to its creator, and the creator can dispose of it however they wish. The Nine-Tailed Fox Card is expensive because its creator is Man-jie, a well-known pet card designer in the community. Every month, Man-jie makes a limited number of copies of the Nine-Tailed Fox Card to sell. Girls love raising these fluffy pets, so naturally people are willing to fight over them at high prices."

Xie Mingzhe suddenly understood. The Flower Demon Card was not worth much because game Bosses dropped it, and anyone who wanted one could farm it. But the Nine-Tailed Fox Card was different. It could not be farmed in the game; it was an original card made by a player, with the copyright in its creator Man-jie's hands. The creator could sell it whenever she wanted, make dozens of copies each month, and sell each one for 800 Crystal Coins. The creator of the Nine-Tailed Fox Card must be making a fortune!

Xie Mingzhe could not help feeling a little envious.

After the cards up front had been auctioned off, the beautiful auctioneer suddenly smiled mysteriously. "Now comes today's main event: an exceptionally precious Seven-Star Card!"

As soon as she finished speaking, a master of ceremonies carried an exquisite box to the center of the stage and slowly opened it beneath the spotlight.

Inside the velvet box lay a black card in silence.

Its back was pure black, gleaming faintly with a metallic luster, while pale green patterns adorned its surface.

Xie Mingzhe thought of his own Two-Star Card. Its back was blue and had no pattern at all, making it extremely plain. But this Seven-Star Black Card had gorgeous, exquisite patterns on its back. Fine green lines, as thin as strands of silk, twisted and stretched across the black card back in raised and recessed relief. The green markings followed no discernible pattern, yet they did not look chaotic in the slightest. Instead, they resembled an artwork meticulously carved by a master sculptor, even possessing a strong sense of depth.

The back alone was already so beautiful that even an outsider like Xie Mingzhe could tell this card had to be extraordinarily valuable.

Moreover, he noticed carefully that a tiny character was written in the lower-right corner of the card's back—

Tang.

At the moment the camera lingered on the character "Tang," Xie Mingzhe heard a girl seated behind him suddenly scream, "Oh my god, could this be Tang God's work?!" "Ahhh, it must be my idol's work! Only he uses this logo—no one would dare imitate it!"

From the front side came an uncle's voice. "Damn! So the rumors were true—there really is a Tang Muzhou card today?" "Why would Tang God's card be brought to the Auction House?"

The sounds around them gradually shifted from hushed whispers into noisy chaos, like a bomb thrown into a still lake that suddenly stirred up towering waves. The surging tide of voices rolled on, instantly drowning the entire venue.

Sitting among the crowd, Xie Mingzhe's ears were nearly deafened by the noise.

Who was Tang Muzhou? Was his influence really that great?

The auctioneer picked up the microphone to maintain order. "Everyone, quiet down! Quiet down, please remain quiet!"

Only after she said "quiet" three times did the excited audience finally settle down. The beautiful host continued, "This Seven-Star Card was personally created by Tang Muzhou—Tang God himself!" She carefully turned the Black Card over. "Please take a look at the card's stats!"

On the electronic screen, Xie Mingzhe could also clearly see the front of the card.

On the card's face was a cluster of blooming white flowers. The veins of every flower were depicted with exceptional clarity, and some petals even bore crystal-clear droplets of dew. The small white flowers gathered together in layer upon layer, white as jade and lifelike, as though a faint fragrance could drift through the card itself.

Tuberose (Wood Element)

Card Level: Level 70

Evolution Stars: ★★★★★★★