NOVGO.NET Chapter 308: Leaving the Crucible Arena
Chapter 308: Chapter 308: Leaving the Crucible Arena
Chapter 308: Leaving the Crucible Arena
Beneath the demonic Asura mask, Rhain’s dark grey eyes narrowed.
He had seventy thousand Blood-Iron Tokens.
He come all the way to the Crucible Arena, thrown himself into the life-and-death blood pits, and risked his life against the ruthless rules of the Nine Seats solely for this one technique.
He had been completely certain it would be enough.
But he had underestimated the sheer desperation of a late-stage Domain Master seeking a second life.
Eighty Thousand Blood Iron Tokens.
He didn’t have it.
Was he truly going to lose it now, simply because he was a few thousand tokens short?
Noticing the tense silence radiating from their Master, the seven subdued Domain Masters standing behind him exchanged uneasy glances.
Skullcrusher stepped forward, bowing his heavy head.
"Master?" Skullcrusher asked tentatively. "What is wrong?"
Rhain let out a quiet, frustrated exhale. "I only have slightly over seventy thousand Blood-Iron Tokens. I am short."
The words sent a wave of panic through the seven slaves.
They immediately checked their own spatial rings out of instinct, only to grimly remember that Rhain had already confiscated all of their life savings the moment they had sworn the Heavenly Vow.
They didn’t have a single token left to their names.
"I cannot afford to lose this item," Rhain murmured, his mind spinning rapidly. He turned his head suddenly to look at the seven slaves standing behind him. "Skullcrusher. Go to the Golden Serpent. Ask him if the auction house accepts Mystic-Grade pills o artifacts as direct collateral for Blood-Iron Tokens."
It was a risky move that could expose him, but Rhain was entirely willing to take that gamble to secure the technique.
Skullcrusher immediately bowed. "Yes, Master. I will go at once."
"Master, wait. There is no need for that."
A refined voice interrupted them.
Rhain turned his head.
Peregrine who had willingly submitted to him just days ago, stepped forward.
With a flick of his wrist, a heavy spatial ring materialized in Peregrine’s palm. He held it out toward Rhain with both hands.
"I still have twenty-five thousand Blood-Iron Tokens on me," Peregrine explained sincerely. "Please, use my tokens. My life already belongs to you; my wealth is naturally yours to command."
Rhain was stunned.
He had completely forgotten.
Unlike Skullcrusher, Deathblade, and the others whom he had beaten half to death in the blood pits, Peregrine had submitted to him willingly inside his stone suite. Rhain had never asked for, nor taken, his spatial ring!
Rhain looked at the middle-stage Domain Master.
"Peregrine," Rhain said, a rare trace of genuine gratitude flashing in his eyes. "I owe you for this favour."
He took the ring, instantly merging the wealth together.
Rhain turned back toward the auction stage.
His dark grey eyes locked onto the opposing VIP booth, and his chilling voice sounded clearly in the silence of the auction hall.
"Eighty-five thousand."
A collective gasp sucked all the air out of the grand hall.
In the opposing VIP booth, the late-stage Domain Master’s triumphant, gloating sneer froze completely.
Bood drained from his face, and then his mind was consumed by humiliation and fury.
"IMPOSSIBLE!" the man roared, his voice shaking the very foundations of the hall.
He pointed a trembling, enraged finger at Rhain’s balcony. "You are lying! A Silver Rank 1 bug could never possess such wealth! You are bidding empty tokens! Golden Serpent, if he dares to lie and disrupt this auction, he must endure the wrath of the First Seat!"
Rhain simply let out a mocking sneer.
"I have no need to lie," Rhain replied, his voice dripping with icy disdain. "I am ready to verify my wealth right now."
Down on the stage, Golden Serpent’s raised his eyebrows behind his golden mask.
"Attendant," he commanded strictly. "Go to Lord Asura’s booth and verify the tokens. Immediately."
A high-ranking attendant instantly flew up to the second floor, arriving at Rhain’s balcony with a respectful bow.
Rhain casually tossed the spatial rings toward attendant.
The attendant swept his Spiritual Sense into the rings.
Within a single minute, the attendant turned pale. He bowed deeply to Rhain before signaling to the Golden Serpent below.
"The funds are verified!" the attendant shouted. "Exactly eighty-five thousand Blood-Iron Tokens!"
The entire auction house was struck dumb.
Rhain leaned over his balcony, his dark grey eyes locking onto the furious, trembling man opposite him.
"Eighty-five thousand tokens," Rhain echoed the man’s earlier taunt, "That is all I have. If you have even one token more, then just bet, and the item will belong to you."
The late-stage Domain Master gritted his teeth so hard a trickle of blood leaked from his gums.
His face turned purple from humiliation, but he couldn’t utter a single word.
He had already bid his entire life savings.
He had no more tokens left!
Golden Serpent didn’t wait any longer.
"Eighty-five thousand going once!"
"Going twice!"
"Sold to Lord Asura!"
The gavel slammed down.
In the opposite booth, the late-stage Domain Master glared at Rhain with a gaze of pure, venomous malice.
"You will not leave this city with that technique," the man muttered viciously before turning and storming out of his balcony.
--------------------------
A few moments later, the attendant delivered the unassuming jade slip to Rhain’s booth.
Rhain secured it carefully in his spatial ring.
Finally, the purpose of him arriving at the Crucible Arena had been completed.
He possessed the method to blind a Monarch.
Rhain stood up from his plush chair and turned to his seven towering slaves.
"We are leaving," Rhain commanded. "We are exiting the Crucible Arena today."
The seven Domain Masters looked at each other, utterly stunned.
It would be a lie to say they were truly willing to leave so abruptly.
They had lived, bled, and fought in the Crucible Arena for years.
It was their sanctuary from the powerful enemies hunting them in the outside world.
Leaving meant stepping back into a dynasty where they were wanted men.
But looking at the demonic masked man, they knew they had no choice.
The Heavenly Vow bound their very souls.
They had accepted him as their master, and they had to follow him wherever he went.
Skullcrusher, and the remaining slaves stepped forward, bowing deeply.
"We will follow you, Master."
"Good," Rhain nodded.
------------------
After the slaves hastily packed their few belongings from their respective stone suites, Rhain’s group finally left the protected inner city.
They entered the chaotic, lawless outer area, heading directly toward the hidden waterfall exit.
But as they approached the desolate boundary of the city that led to the blood-red portal...
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Five figures suddenly appeared before them, and blocked their path to the exit.
Four middle-stage Domain Masters.
And standing at the very forefront, radiating the oppressive, pressure of a late-stage Domain Master.
It was the exact same man who had earlier bid against Rhain for the disguise technique in the auction house.
The man’s eyes locked onto Rhain, burning with greedy, murderous intent.
"Hand over the disguise technique," the late-stage Domain Master demanded coldly, drawing his blade with a flash of light. "Give it to me, and I will let you go alive."