Online Game: Evil Dragon Against The Heaven - 226
Ye Ying, well aware of Liu Qi Yue’s nature, has such understanding rooted in her childhood spent constantly by Liu Qi Yue’s side, harboring a special sentiment towards her. Over the years, no one has seen or heard more about what Liu Qi Yue has done and said than Ye Ying.
Her beauty so profound, it repeatedly captivated even Ye Ying, a woman herself, to the point of losing her soul to it, despite being by her side for over a decade. This beauty, impossible for ordinary people to imitate, penetrated deep into the bones and soul. However, this deep understanding also brought with it a hint of fear within Ye Ying, even as she respected and admired Liu Qi Yue.
When she loves someone, she is willing to give everything for him.
When she hates someone, she employs ruthless means to make him regret it for life; those methods are terrifying even in retrospect.
But Ye Ying knew clearly, Liu Qi Yue was not someone rash or ignorant, rather, her astuteness and wisdom were as profound as her beauty.
The words spoken by Liu Qi Yue deeply shocked Ye Ying, almost making her doubt her own hearing, but soon after, she lowered her head and said, “I understand, Master.”
“Go, good child.” Liu Qi Yue’s finger touched her chin, then slowly moved down until it rested upon her plump chest, lightly tapping.
Ye Ying trembled slightly, her face flushing as she withdrew.
The time pointed to eight o’clock sharp.
The auction set by the Sky Obstruction No. 1 Chamber of Commerce and the Seven Moons Chamber of Commerce starts at nine o’clock in the morning. The auction venue established by the Sky Obstruction No. 1 Chamber of Commerce could not compare in scale to that of the Seven Moons Chamber of Commerce, accommodating no more than 5,000 people at a time. However, at this time, every seat was filled, all present eagerly hoping to secure a piece of exceptional equipment. At this stage, owning a piece of silver equipment wasn’t just about strength enhancement or speeding up leveling; it represented a status symbol, an external manifestation of glory. Many would not hesitate to spend vast sums for appearance’s sake. And for those without real power, money alone could not buy these rare items, hence they hurried to arrive first.
The vast influence, power, and reputation of the Wings That Obstruct the Heavens stood apparent, making it an easy choice for those pursuing equipment, compared to the seemingly minor Seven Moons Chamber of Commerce, which consisted only of a few women.
However, just at that moment, an announcement encompassing the entire Huaxia region resounded overhead:
【Ding… A public announcement from the 『Seven Moons Chamber of Commerce』: Our first auction is about to commence, and we welcome all friends to come and purchase equipment suitable for you. Due to special reasons, the price of tickets for this auction will vary depending on the time of purchase—before 8:30 AM today, the price is 200 gold coins; from 8:30 to 9:00 AM, the price will be 1,000 gold coins; for those wishing to enter after the auction begins, the ticket price will be 5,000 gold coins! After 9:30 AM, the price for a ticket will be 40,000 gold coins each. We hope our friends will inform each other and greatly support our Seven Moons Chamber of Commerce.】
Players can request to broadcast an announcement across the entire war zone at major town broadcasting points. However, the cost is extremely high, charged based on the length of the announcement—1,000 gold coins per second! This price is even more outrageous than certain CC advertisements. But in terms of effectiveness, such an announcement far surpasses those CC ads. After all, CC advertisements only reach those who happen to be tuned in at the time, whereas this full-zone announcement ensures that every player in the entire region hears it.
Moreover, the cost isn’t the only restriction on these announcements; there are strict regulations as well. Insulting, obscene, or politically sensitive remarks are obviously not allowed, and even promotional advertisements for brands are prohibited. Otherwise, with the influence of Destiny World, the game would be flooded with endless commercial jingles. On this point, Tianwai Group (天外集团, Tiān Wài Jí Tuán) still maintains some principles, refusing to compromise the gaming environment just for profit.
The announcement from the Seven Moons Chamber of Commerce was particularly lengthy, costing at least tens of thousands of gold coins per broadcast. Yet, what shocked players the most was the content of the message… Their first reaction was—Seven Moons Chamber of Commerce has gone mad.
The Sky Obstruction No. 1 Chamber of Commerce set their auction entry ticket price at 40 gold coins. Given the power and influence of the Wings That Obstruct the Heavens, this price was completely reasonable. However, the Seven Moons Chamber of Commerce priced their entry tickets at 200 gold coins—five times the price! This alone left countless players baffled.
Now, with the full-region announcement echoing throughout the game, everyone was certain—Seven Moons Chamber of Commerce wasn’t just playing the auction game, they were playing the players themselves!
Instantly, exclamations of shock, gasps, sneers, laughter, ridicule and doubts erupted among player groups in every corner of the game.
Ye Tian Xie rode his Ferghana horse, studying the map in his hand as he headed south. At every town he passed, no matter how big or small, he made sure to purchase several return scrolls. This way, even if he needed to return to Tianchen City, he could immediately teleport back to his last location. By now, there wasn’t a single player in sight along the path he was traveling.
Yao Yao was curled up on the horse’s head, sleeping peacefully. It seemed like there was nothing else for her to do except sleep. On the other hand, Xiao Bei was curiously looking around at the scenery, occasionally poking at Yao Yao or licking its own paws. Now at level 16, Xiao Bei’s base attack power had already surpassed that of a level 20 Ye Tian Xie. When combining its attack skills, the power difference was several times greater. This made Ye Tian Xie consider more than once whether he should steal Xiao Bei’s ‘Meow-Meow Punch’ and install it on himself.
Of course, the announcement from the Seven Moons Chamber of Commerce had not escaped his ears. He put away his map, gazed at the sky, and revealed a cryptic smile—
“As expected of Big Sis… truly a brilliant move.”
If the Seven Moons Chamber of Commerce had suddenly increased ticket prices later on, it would have undoubtedly drawn criticism. However, by announcing this pricing strategy to the entire region in advance, they left no room for complaints. When prices skyrocketed later, players would have no choice but to blame themselves for not buying tickets earlier at the lowest price.
Most importantly, Liu Qi Yue’s move ensured that for any future auctions, tickets would be snatched up the moment they were released.
“Heh, I might as well go back and enjoy the show. Wings That Obstruct the Heavens… I never expected you to jump into this doomed clown act so eagerly.”
With such a colossal entity as a contrast, the Seven Moons Chamber of Commerce would inevitably stand out even more. After all, the impact of defeating a bottom-tier opponent is vastly different from crushing one standing at the peak.
Ye Tian Xie took out a return scroll and teleported back to Tianchen City .
“What exactly is Liu Qi Yue planning?”
The announcement from the Seven Moons Chamber of Commerce did not make Tian Zhi Zi assume, like the average player, that they had lost their minds. Given his understanding of Liu Qi Yue, she was an extremely difficult woman to conquer—an absolute enchantress with an incomparably meticulous mind. Such an action was entirely unlike her usual style.
What is she trying to do?
“Sister, did you hear the announcement from the Seven Moons Chamber of Commerce? Do you think there’s something odd about it?”
Tian Zhi Zi picked up his communicator and connected to his younger sister. Whenever he encountered something that unsettled him, he instinctively sought her opinion.
But the only response he got was…
【Ding.】
The call was disconnected.
Tian Zhi Zi lowered his wrist, shaking his head with a wry smile. She had already told him before—she would no longer interfere in matters between him and Liu Qi Yue. In fact, she even hoped that he would suffer a major setback this time.
“Young Master, your concerns are completely unnecessary.”
A voice came from behind him.
The speaker was a man of short and slender build, dressed in full archer gear. Strangely enough, despite no one else being around except Tian Zhi Zi, he had his face covered, revealing only a pair of sharp eyes. One glance at them, and anyone could immediately tell that he was an extremely skilled archer.
“The actions of the Seven Moons Chamber of Commerce are nothing more than a gimmick to create curiosity and lure players into the auction. In reality, it’s just another form of marketing to boost their reputation.”
His voice was indifferent as he continued, “The current scale and positioning of the Seven Moons Chamber of Commerce may be surprising, but they lack a strong reputation and a reliable backing. Given the depth of our Wings That Obstruct the Heavens, do you really think we need to fear them? With our overwhelming power, no amount of trickery from a minor opponent will make them a true threat. They are just as insignificant as ever. Young Master, do you really believe that a Seven Moons Chamber of Commerce—one that doesn’t even have a proper supply chain—could possibly come up with silver-tier equipment to auction?”
Tian Zhi Zi nodded.
“What you said aligns with my thoughts, but… you don’t understand Liu Qi Yue. The woman I’ve taken an interest in could never be just an empty-headed vase who relies on cheap tricks.”
“However, you do make a good point. The Seven Moons Chamber of Commerce has no equipment supply channels, and Liu Qi Yue herself has already stated that she will not attend the auction. So, just what is she planning to use to capture everyone’s attention…?”
“Let’s go. We’ll head to the Chamber of Commerce first.”
Tianchen City – Central Plaza
In the heart of the central plaza, near the resurrection point, four massive magical screens stood at the cardinal directions.
Usually, only two of them were lit, displaying the top ten rankings for player levels and prestige across the Huaxia war zone.
But today…
At exactly 8:30 AM, the very first second, the two ranking screens suddenly changed their display. At the same moment, the other two dormant screens also lit up.
This unexpected shift caught countless players off guard, drawing their gazes to the massive displays.
And when the images on all four magical screens settled, what they saw was—
A grand auction hall.
As the camera zoomed in, four large characters appeared before their eyes—
“Seven Moons Chamber of Commerce!”
The footage displayed was none other than the live scene of today’s auction at the Seven Moons Chamber of Commerce!