Shen Linglong walked to the front, cleared her throat, and said, "This meeting will adopt a free-trade model, where a deal is concluded once both parties agree and exchange items, with no returns or exchanges. Trading is not limited to tangible goods; high-value intelligence and information can also be traded. If more than one buyer is interested in the same item, the highest offer will prevail."
"Additionally, Lords who are interested may issue purchase requests here."
"Alright, I have finished reciting my piece. Now let's begin the trading, starting with myself..."
She took out three crescent-shaped items and displayed them on the presentation stand in front of her.
"We have here a total of three 'Keys to the Secret Region' from our 'Elf's Courtyard,' which will be auctioned off one by one. Lords who are interested may start bidding."
After a lively round of competition, two Lords successfully bid for these three keys.
Soon, the second Lord took the stage.
This Lord, known as 'Great Dragon,' was a very powerful and senior Lord, and also one at the late stages of 'dragon cancer.'
As soon as he appeared, he said, "Old rules: I'm buying Dragon Soul Remnants indefinitely and in unlimited amounts, but only those of the Superior Grade and above, ah."
Seeing no response, he did not feel disappointed. As long as he managed to purchase a desirable Remnant Soul every month or two, he considered it a win. He didn't dare to ask for more.
"Next, the item I want to sell is a material of Superior Grade called 'Starlight Stone.' This material has multiple uses; aside from being a main material for constructing Miracle Buildings, it is also suitable for use in the domains of astrology and stargazing, among others."
"For this Starlight Stone, I require an exchange with other items of Superior Grade only, and any difference in value can be compensated with Soul Crystals. Similarly, if any Lord offers an item of higher value, I can compensate the difference with Soul Crystals or add other valuable items."
After Great Dragon Lord finished speaking and a few seconds passed, a Lord spoke up.
"How about I trade with 'Blue Bamboo,' a material of Superior Grade, and make up the difference with 100 Soul Crystals?"
The Starlight Stone, among the Superior Grade materials, was considered a 'luxury' because it could be used in astrology and stargazing, and its production was extremely rare, much rarer than the Elemental Series materials.
Lord Tianyuan remained silent.
Because often it wasn't a matter of money, but rather whether the traded items were of any use to the Lords themselves. If an item wasn't what they needed, no matter how valuable, it would be meaningless.
The Blue Bamboo, it seemed, had no significance to Great Dragon Lord.
Soon, another Lord spoke up, presenting a piece of equipment embryo of Superior Grade. This was a versatile treasure, which somewhat enticed Great Dragon Lord.
Mu Yuan spoke, "I am also interested in this treasure. How would it be if I offer 'Purest Crystal,' a material of Superior Grade, plus 100 Soul Crystals? What do you think, Great Dragon Lord?"
Great Dragon Lord hesitated.
One could tell he needed the Purest Crystal, but the adjacent embryo was also a good catch.
Mu Yuan then spoke again, "Purest Crystal, plus 200 Soul Crystals."
The neighboring Lord's mouth twitched slightly.
Two hundred Soul Crystals were something most people in attendance could produce without effort, yet this sort of bidding was unusual. These Lords earned a lot but also spent much, as they had thousands of mouths to feed at home. If they didn't save, they would run out of money for baby formula.
But young and talented Lords like himself couldn't yet appreciate this point. Well then, no more competition, no more competition.
Mu Yuan joyfully acquired the Starlight Stone.
Following that, over a dozen Lords came on stage, each offering treasures of at least Superior or Rare Rank, even the lesser items being rare within their ranks.
Most Lords made trades that left them satisfied.
Don't think that just because there were only a little over a hundred people here, each one of these individuals controlled a domain, possessing numerous treasures and countless needs.
This wasn't a small trade among a hundred people, but a large trade involving over a hundred domains.
If not for the fact that trading through the Secret Realm would incur even higher taxes than cross-border duties, the Lords would have eagerly started trading long ago.
After about a dozen people, it was Mu Yuan's turn.
Great Dragon Lord's gaze followed the young man walking slowly towards the front, "Lord Tianyuan, are you as exceptional as Lord of Ba Long has touted?"
He and the Lord of Ba Long were old friends, sharing insights on the cultivation of Dragon Series troops. Now, the Lord of Ba Long had surpassed him, recruiting an Epic-level dragon—the Molten Steel Dragon—soaring straight to the heights of ninety thousand li, his path to becoming a legend was not far off.
He recognized and even admired Lord of Ba Long.
Yet, the same Lord of Ba Long who he admired spoke so highly of Lord Tianyuan, even claiming that Lord Tianyuan was the future leader of the Dragon Series.
This was simply preposterous!
Tianyuan, Tianyuan, the name of the domain didn't even include the word 'dragon.' How could he be a dragon lover? He, the Great Dragon Lord, would not accept this!
Moreover, Tianyuan was but a rising star, no matter how promising or limitless his potential, he was still a newcomer. Until he truly rose to prominence, he remained a junior.
Mu Yuan stood before the display stand, holding the storage ring Duo Lai had recently brought him.
He pondered for a moment.
Lately, Tianyuan Territory hadn't explored or developed much; he had little in the way of outdoor earnings. However, he had previously purchased a large stash of treasures from the Mysterious Merchant. While he could use some of them, using them himself would be somewhat wasteful. It would be better to exchange them for something he needed more.
With that thought, he first said,
"I wish to pay a high price for intelligence, specifically about the Featherman nation and... If any Lord has relevant information, you can contact me privately. I am prepared to pay up to 2000 Soul Crystal Coins as a reward."
Issuing a purchase request required proof of sufficient financial resources.
So Mu Yuan reached into his storage ring, pulling out bags full of shimmering Soul Crystals, spilling out generously.
The Lords remained silent.
Even if you're rich, you can't just throw money around ! Doesn't it hurt at all?
Mu Yuan indeed wasn't too pained; after all, the generous contribution came from the Goblin Prince. Oh, it couldn't be called a contribution; it was their own hunting harvest, the result of their own hard work.
"Furthermore, I am also purchasing Epic-level Monster Skeletons. The skeletons don't have to be complete, and high-value parts can be omitted. Starting from 300 Soul Crystals for a partial skeleton, with a limited number being bought. We can discuss in person."
"Lastly, I've brought these items today for anyone interested. Lords wishing to acquire them may make an offer."
Lord Shepherd took out the items he wanted to sell from the storage ring, presenting them to the Lords in attendance one by one.