CHAPTER 496: START OF THE AUCTION

"We will proceed one item at a time," Lin Mo announced. "As stated in the invitation, this is not a standard auction. Currency is only half the bid. The other half is your ’Pledge of Convenience’. We will evaluate your offer based on two criteria: the value of your wealth, and the value of your commitment to the realm’s defense and the propagation of our convenience. Your highness, will you please explain further?"

Wu Meiyu curtly nodded before standing up. Her gaze swept across the entire table. She paused for a moment at her royal father and brother before composing herself.

"The ’Pledge of Convenience’ is a formal contract of integration," Wu Meiyu began, her voice steady and authoritative. "It is not merely a promise of non-aggression but an active commitment to our cause. It doesn’t necessarily bind you to the Divine Convenience Store. All we expect from you is to rise against the threat in our realm. After all, it will be inconvenient for all of you to submit under our umbrella when you’re supposed to be among the strongest factions in this region. Your status as our honorable patrons is enough."

"In short, the pledge is only for official integration. For example, allowing those hired through the Mercenary and Adventurer’s Guild to operate freely within your territories without sect taxes. Or committing your formation masters to secure the vicinity of the Integrated towers and Anchors. Or designating your elite disciples to serve rotating tours for the Realm Guardian Leaderboard. All of which are something beneficial for you."

She paused, letting the gravity of the request settle. "The winning bid will be the one that best transforms this artifact from a private treasure into a pillar of our collective strength. We have methods to judge the veracity and value of your pledge."

After letting a silence hang for a while, Wu Meiyu gracefully sat back down after bowing slightly.

Lin Mo nodded in approval. "Thank you, Your Highness. Now, let us begin."

He waved his hand over the first pedestal. The holographic barrier around the [Everlasting Spirit Fountain] dissolved, allowing its pure, dense spiritual energy to wash over everyone.

It was at least ten times over what was getting leaked into the store proper when it was still hidden behind a divine-grade array in the middle.

"The first one on the table, the Everlasting Spirit Fountain. An endless source of pure, liquid spiritual energy. A foundation for a sect’s eternal prosperity. Eligible bidders are the Liu Clan, the Southern Wu Royal Family, and the White Ember Sect. Who wants to pitch first?"

After looking at each other, Sect Master Lin Yuanzhi of the White Ember Sect was the first to speak.

He looked confident and nervous at the same time. After all, he would surely be outclassed in raw resources by a Kingdom and a Void Refinement Clan. However, he had come prepared. He believed he had a chance to get it.

"The White Ember Sect bids five million high-grade spirit stones," He announced. "Furthermore, we pledge our entire Alchemist Hall to the ’Professional’s Foundry’. We will refine pills for the store’s patrons at a lower cost, taking no profit for the next hundred years. We will prioritize the processing of materials from the Harvester’s Guild and recipes that would be useful in dealing with the threat in our realm."

A ripple of surprise went through the table. It was a strong opening. He was offering his sect to work for the patrons of the store.

Lin Mo nodded as the system gave its evaluation.

[Bid Evaluated. Convenience Rating: High. Economic Synergy: Excellent.]

Apart from him, only Wu Meiyu and Liu Xiaoyu could see it.

King Wu Tianzhen stood next. He adjusted his dragon robes as he cleared his throat.

"A noble offer," The King said dismissively. "But the Southern Wu Kingdom bids eight million high-grade spirit stones."

Gasps echoed around the table. Eight million high-grade? That was a significant portion of their national treasury. Even Lin Mo raised an eyebrow.

Even if they’re just considered a Mortal Kingdom, their territory was multiple times bigger than the other factions, resulting in higher expenses.

"Additionally," The King continued, his eyes locking with Lin Mo’s. "We pledge the Royal Army. Our soldiers will be sent into Anchors that need to be explored and conquered. If possible, a whole contingent will be tasked to clear all the areas."

"Furthermore, we will assign soldiers to maintain order at every Anchor and Tower integrated to the store within the Eastern Abyssal Domain. We will designate the Divine Convenience Store as the official supplier of the Kingdom, granting you tax-free status in every city we control forever.

He paused for effect. "We will also construct dedicated ’Convenience Hubs’ in every major city, manned by Royal Guards, to serve as secure distribution centers and safe zones for the store’s patrons. We offer you the infrastructure of a nation."

"And lastly, Shopkeeper Lin Mo will be granted the title of Honorary Duke. If you need a land or a fief for whatever purpose, this King will grant it. And this is going to be granted regardless of our winning the bid or not."

With that as his final pitch, the King of the Southern Wu Kingdom took his seat again. The Crown Prince and the Left Minister didn’t say anything but they for sure supported that.

The scale of the financial and political clout was staggering. The other sect masters clicked their tongues, hoping the enticing offer of the mortal kingdom wouldn’t sway Lin Mo.

[Bid Evaluated. Convenience Rating: Very High. Political Synergy: Maximum. Note: The Shopkeeper does not require a mortal title, but the gesture solidifies state-level cooperation.]

Lin Mo kept his face neutral, though internally he was whistling. Eight million high-grade spirit stones were a fortune that could bankrupt a mid-tier sect. Given that the proceeds for this auction would be added to the store’s treasury. He might be able to convert those into Dimension Essences.

He also didn’t care that much about the honorary title but he couldn’t help but notice Wu Meiyu suppressing her giddiness next to him.

’Was she still considering her plan to take me as her Prince Consort? With that title, it smoothed her path to raise it in their royal court. Or rather, that is this crafty king’s intention in the first place.’ He inwardly mused.

After watching the reaction of the other participants, Lin Mo turned his gaze to the final bidder. "Patriarch Liu. The floor is yours."

Liu Tianfeng stood up slowly. He didn’t radiate the desperate eagerness of the White Ember Sect or the calculated grandeur of the King. He radiated absolute, unshakeable certainty. He looked at the fountain not with the eyes of a man reclaiming a birthright.

"Ten million high-grade spirit stones," The Patriarch stated, his voice a low rumble of thunder that silenced the room. "Paid in full, immediately."

Ten million. The number hung in the air, heavy and undeniable. Even the King’s eyes widened slightly. The Liu Clan’s hidden reserves were deeper than anyone had anticipated. They could even offer 100 million if they truly wanted to flaunt their riches. But everyone knew that the most important thing about this auction was the content of their pledges.

"As for our pledge," Liu Tianfeng continued, his gaze sweeping over the assembly, landing finally on Lin Mo. "The Liu Clan does not offer discounts or taxes. We offer our blood. We pledge that every Liu Clan disciple who reaches the Core Formation Stage will serve a mandatory three-year term as an Enforcer for the Divine Convenience Store. We will hunt down anyone who attempts to disrupt the Celestial Shuttle Network. We will guard the Store Beacons in the most dangerous Anchors."

"I am peak Void Refinement Stage. I believe I can touch the ceiling blocking me from the Law Integration Stage in the near future. My son and his wife are Spirit Severing experts. We have three more Elders of the same stage. And my granddaughter... is the future with her Heavenly Physique and your trusted assistant. All of us will be the arms and legs of the Divine Convenience Store. We will bleed so the realm doesn’t have to. We offer not just infrastructure, but our lives and our strength as the spear tip of the Convenience Alliance."

"And if we win this bid, the [Everlasting Spirit Fountain] will not be hoarded. I will use it to create a ’Storm Ascension Ground’. A training facility open not just to our clan, but to any patron of the store who has reached a bottleneck. We will use the fountain to mass-produce experts for the realm’s defense."

[Bid Evaluated. Convenience Rating: Maximum. Strategic Synergy: Absolute. Note: The pledge transforms the Liu Clan into the store’s permanent paramilitary wing. The ’Storm Ascension Ground’ proposal aligns perfectly with the store’s goal of raising the realm’s overall power level.]

Lin Mo stared at the system’s evaluation, then at the resolute face of the old Patriarch.

He expected it. As the Liu Clan had the history of being followers of Taihao, their pledge was a vow of fealty wrapped in a strategic masterstroke.

Unfortunately, the White Ember Sect could only offer labor. The Kingdom, infrastructure and soldiers.

But the Liu Clan offered the one thing money couldn’t buy: the unwavering might of the realm’s strongest cultivators dedicated to his cause as well as another platform for convenience.