Chapter 223: The Contract and the Illusion of Desire
Given everything the auction had revealed so far, it was clear that this Divine Stone could not possibly make one a god so easily.
As the discussion spread through the crowd, most soul masters began to realize that understanding the Divine Stone's mysteries would surely come at a terrible price.
"In this world, everything has its cost. Nothing comes without loss. To become divine so effortlessly must require a tremendous sacrifice," Ling Yun said calmly.
"The Divine Stone does not simply grant divinity by absorbing its energy. To use it, one must sign a contract with the stone. Once the contract is made, it will create an illusion—a world formed entirely from the user's heart. Every emotion humans possess exists within it—desire, joy, sorrow, anger, greed, obsession, love, and hate. No one knows what form their illusion will take."
"This illusion is indistinguishable from reality. For some, it may last a single day; for others, hundreds or even thousands of years."
As Ling Yun explained, the faces in the hall darkened. Her words confirmed what everyone feared—there were no miracles without risk.
Who among the living was truly without desire or weakness?
If the Divine Stone's illusion preyed on one's inner flaws, then even the strongest would quickly collapse within it.
The treasure that promised godhood now seemed more like a curse.
"Anyone who can overcome the illusion forged by the Divine Stone will comprehend the law within it and ascend to godhood instantly," Ling Yun continued. "But those who fail will be trapped forever in the illusion world—vanishing from the Douluo Continent for eternity."
Her voice struck the crowd like a thunderclap.
Every soul master froze, their expressions grave. The danger far outweighed what any of them had imagined.
Ling Yun then fell silent, allowing the weight of possibility—and fear—to sink in.
Jiang Li, watching from above, wondered silently which faction would have the courage to claim such a prize.
Passing the illusion, in his view, was almost impossible.
No leader among the continent's major factions was free of desire.
Mu En of Shrek Academy sought to revive his academy's ancient power.
Zhongli Wu of the Holy Spirit Cult hungered for dominance over the continent.
Gu Yuena and Di Tian longed to ascend to the God Realm and restore the soul beast race.
These ambitions would all turn into blades within the illusion, piercing straight through their hearts.
"The chance of surviving the illusion—what is it?" a soul master finally asked.
"Less than one percent."
Ling Yun's answer was merciless.
The hall fell silent as hope gave way to dread.
A one percent chance at godhood meant a ninety-nine percent chance of death. Many wavered, torn between glory and annihilation.
To succeed meant supreme power—to fail meant complete erasure.
"Can both humans and soul beasts use the Divine Stone?" asked Di Tian, after a pause for thought.
"Of course," Ling Yun replied. "Any living being can become divine through it. Even within the illusion, no outside interference will prevent the ascension."
Her gaze briefly met Di Tian's, clearly understanding his intentions.
Joy flickered across his face.
So the stone truly had the power to bypass the Divine Realm's detection—perhaps a way for the soul beasts to achieve godhood at last.
"For the future of the soul beasts, we must obtain it," he thought.
"Master, should we bid for the stone?" Di Tian asked Gu Yuena respectfully.
The stone was both opportunity and danger—they needed to tread carefully.
"Win it first," Gu Yuena answered softly. "Whether we use it or not can be decided later."
Her tone was indifferent, but her eyes gleamed with intent.
She would not allow any human to seize a treasure that might yield godhood and disturb the fragile balance of the world.
"Understood."
Di Tian nodded, preparing to enter the bidding.
"This Divine Stone's properties have now been fully introduced," Ling Yun announced. "The starting price is one hundred million gold soul coins, with a minimum increase of fifty million per bid. The auction officially begins!"
"Two hundred million gold soul coins!"
Yan Shaozhe of Shrek Academy immediately raised his paddle.
Though even they hesitated, Shrek could not allow such a divine object to fall into enemy hands—least of all the Holy Spirit Cult.
"Three hundred million gold soul coins!"
Xu Tianran of the Sun Moon Empire quickly followed.
Even at a one percent success rate, he would risk everything. Should disaster strike, the Divine Stone might yet become his last hope.
"Four hundred million gold soul coins!"
Zhongli Wu of the Holy Spirit Cult raised his price next.
Like the others, he planned to take it regardless of whether he used it.
The bidding raged on as every major faction joined the fray.
"One billion gold soul coins!"
Di Tian's deep voice echoed through the hall, cutting through the noise.
He had no patience for drawn-out squabbles. He wanted to end this quickly and claim the stone.
The number struck the hall like lightning.
Would the soul beasts actually seize the path to godhood?
The humans' faces tightened in unease.
They refused to surrender yet, and the bidding climbed swiftly.
"Fifteen billion!"
"Sixteen billion!"
On and on it went.
Ten minutes later, most factions had withdrawn; the price had reached fifty billion gold soul coins, matching that of the previous auction's divine artifact.
This time, however, Di Tian refused to yield.
"Sixty billion gold soul coins!" he declared coldly, raising the price by another ten billion.
No one dared to respond.
Shrek Academy and the Holy Spirit Cult leaders exchanged glances and sighed heavily. That sum was beyond their means—and with Di Tian's overwhelming strength, even forceful seizure after the auction would be suicidal.
Besides, with only a one percent chance of success, perhaps letting the soul beasts take the risk wasn't a loss.
If Di Tian failed and perished within the illusion, that would remove a deadly threat from the continent.
With that unspoken agreement, the human factions withdrew one by one.
When the echo of "sixty billion gold soul coins" faded, the entire hall fell silent.
Ling Yun waited a heartbeat for any further bids, then lifted her auction hammer.
"Sixty billion gold soul coins, once!"
"Sixty billion gold soul coins, twice!"
"Sixty billion gold soul coins, three times!"
"Since there are no more bids, I hereby declare the final auction item—the Divine Stone—sold for sixty billion gold soul coins!"
Her hammer struck with a clear, echoing sound, signaling the end of the auction.
Hearing the result, Di Tian let out a deep breath of relief, his golden eyes gleaming with anticipation. He could hardly wait to uncover the Divine Stone's mysteries.
(END CHAPTER)
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