Chapter 1784: Auction Slot

"That's true..." The other ancient sages of the Master Teacher Pavilion fell silent. Zhang Hongtian's words were blunt, but undeniably true.

Rules and agreements might hold for minor matters, but when the Spring and Autumn Rites were involved, who could still abide by so many restrictions? The Qingtian Ancient Sages and the Saint Beasts, each with only one slot, hadn't argued much – did anyone truly believe they would give up such a treasure?

As long as someone entered, they would know the situation inside. Then, it would be clear who possessed the Spring and Autumn Rites. Once that person left the hall, the ancient sages guarding outside would act! At that point, the Immortal Realm experts could no longer intervene; the final outcome would depend solely on the strength of the ancient sages.

"Let's distribute the slots first!" These words were transmitted telepathically by the various ancient sages, fearing they might cause panic.

"These slots were all obtained by Zhang Xuan alone. We will respect whatever decision he makes regarding their distribution!" "Understood!" Everyone nodded simultaneously. As ancient sages, they had not contributed anything to acquiring these slots, so it would be impolite to demand them.

Ignoring the ancient sages' discussions, Zhao Ya approached Zhang Xuan. She had just sent a message to inquire. As the Palace Master of Glacier Palace, even if she couldn't directly contact Zheng Yang and the others, she would have channels for information. After all, her junior brothers and sisters were no longer unknown figures but prominent leaders in their own rights.

"They can't make it?" Zhang Xuan frowned slightly, then waved his hand. "Never mind. If there's truly a good opportunity, they won't miss out. Whether they enter or not isn't crucial..." It was similar to the Bodhi Fruit; Yuan Tao hadn't entered the sleeping chamber, yet he still received that opportunity to improve his mental state. Therefore, it didn't matter if his disciples had a chance to enter; as long as he obtained something, they would surely get their share.

"Teacher, I won't go in either. My physical body has already reached the Ancient Sage level. I secretly tested it just now, and even with the mother token's protection, I would be repelled by the seal..." Yuan Tao came forward.

"This..." Zhang Xuan frowned. Although this student hadn't successfully broken through to Ancient Sage, he truly possessed an Ancient Sage physique and the abilities of a Half-Ancient Sage. It was understandable that he couldn't enter.

"Me, Luo Ruoxi, Zhao Ya, Wei Ruyan, Luo Qiqi... plus two from the Master Teacher Pavilion, that makes seven for now..." Zhang Xuan calculated in his mind, "That means there are still four slots left..." He rubbed his temples, glanced at the Master Teacher Pavilion members, and then shook his head. It wasn't that he looked down on these geniuses, but giving them the slots would be of little use; giving more would simply be a waste.

"So, have you decided on the candidates?" Seeing him deep in thought for a long time without making a selection, Ancient Sage Yan Qing frowned and asked.

"I've decided... However, with so many slots, I think it would be a waste for us to keep them all. So, I've decided to auction off four of them! All three factions can bid, and the highest bidder wins. How does that sound?" Zhang Xuan smiled and looked up.

"Auctioning the slots?" "Is this guy crazy? Everyone's fighting for them, and he thinks he has too many?" "Is he serious?" A clamor erupted all around. Everyone was stunned. Not just the ancient sages from the three major powers, but even those from the Master Teacher Pavilion, like Zhang Hongtian, felt dizzy. They had finally obtained so many slots, such a great opportunity, and now he wanted to auction them... Was this really a good idea?

"He's doing this..." An ancient sage could no longer hold back and wanted to speak up and dissuade him. "Senior Brother must have his own plan for doing this..." Master Yang said, "We just need to trust him!" "Senior Brother?" The ancient sages all looked over in unison. They had met Yang Xuan before, when they were conscious, and knew him as the most talented person in recent centuries. Now, he had even advanced to Ancient Sage, yet he was calling this young man in the Golden Body realm "Senior Brother"...

"Yes..." Master Yang nodded, using his consciousness to isolate their surroundings before transmitting his voice. "To be honest, his identity is quite special! To be his junior brother, even as an Ancient Sage, is a supreme honor for me! However, I cannot elaborate on this matter yet. Once the affairs of the Temple of Confucius are concluded, I will explain it in detail to you all."

"Special?" The ancient sages were all filled with curiosity. What kind of special identity could make even an Ancient Sage feel honored? However, seeing that he did not wish to speak about it now, they suppressed their curiosity and chose to trust Yang Xuan, remaining silent.

"You want to auction them?" At this moment, Ancient Sage Yan Qing and the others recovered from the shocking news.

"That's right. Having too many slots isn't necessarily a good thing for us; it could easily provoke jealousy and resentment from others. Therefore, I plan to auction off four of them. Whoever offers the highest price will get them!" Zhang Xuan smiled.

"Name your price!" "These slots, our Saint Beast clan is determined to get them!" Hearing that the slots could be auctioned, the ancient sages of the three major powers exchanged glances and nodded. Although the final struggle would be in their hands, having one more person enter meant an extra layer of assurance. In case their descendants truly obtained the Spring and Autumn Rites, they could immediately turn and escape upon exiting. At the Ancient Sage level of strength, killing an opponent was difficult, but escaping was quite easy to achieve. Therefore, the more juniors who entered, the greater their chances, which was beyond doubt.

"Now, I'm auctioning the first slot, valued at... 20, 30, oh, 50 drops of Ancient Sage blood..." Zhang Xuan held out his palm and stated. Grand Sage treasures were of little use to him, and the other parties probably didn't have many Ancient Sage treasures to offer, let alone whether they could even produce them. Furthermore, even if he received them, he lacked the current strength to refine them. The Demonic Black Saber had only fully submitted because he was at the Half-Ancient Sage level during its refinement. True Ancient Sages were unruly, and no matter how strong he became, he couldn't successfully refine them. Therefore, instead of asking for flashy but impractical items, it was better to request something most beneficial to him: Ancient Sage blood! It would also be very useful for his future breakthrough to Ancient Sage.

"Zhang Xuan, 'Ancient Sage blood' is just a general term; it's also divided into ranks. The higher the rank, the greater its value..." Before Zhang Xuan finished speaking, a telepathic message sounded in his ear. It was the Old Ancestor, Zhang Hongtian.

"Ancient Sage blood is ranked?" Zhang Xuan was surprised. He was still far from reaching the Ancient Sage level and was unaware of this.

"That's right. Ancient Sages, like Grand Sages, are also divided into ranks, specifically four. The higher the rank, the more precious the blood. The difference in value between each rank is more than a hundredfold! You must specify the rank, otherwise... you'll be at a great disadvantage!" Zhang Hongtian explained.

"Understood!" Zhang Xuan replied, then couldn't help but ask, "Which four ranks are Ancient Sages divided into?"