The Peerless Emperor (TPE)

Fifteen billion top-grade soul crystals—just like that, under the envious gazes of the crowd, they landed in Lin Qian's pocket.

Zhang Keren's eyes practically shot flames as he glared at Lin Qian. His teeth ground together audibly, and his eight fists clenched tightly, yet he was powerless.

After all, he was the leader of the Northern Branch. How would it look if he took action against a junior like Lin Qian? Even if he shamelessly dared to make a move at the Treasure Betting Event, Zhang Tianxin would not hesitate to strike him down.

This was the territory of the clan, and it wasn't his place to cause trouble here. Not to mention, during the entire duration of the clan gathering, the Eight-Armed Sea Clan and the human clans had pledged friendship and could not engage in mutual conflict.

The rules of the Treasure Betting Event were strict, and anyone causing a disturbance would face severe consequences, no matter their status.

Zhang Keren didn't dare act out, and the others could only watch Lin Qian leave with jealousy in their eyes.

Soon, the crowd dispersed, each returning to scour the grand hall for treasures, hoping to test their luck.

Lin Qian's success story spurred many hesitant onlookers into action, making them rush to buy items they had previously been eyeing, eager to cleanse the relics of their age-old dirt and appraise their value.

"Hahaha! I struck gold this time!"

"Damn it! How could this happen? That was my entire fortune!"

Some rejoiced in their fortune after successfully betting on a valuable treasure, while others lamented their loss after spending a fortune on worthless junk.

But Lin Qian, oblivious to the cheers and groans of others, continued to stroll through the Treasure Betting Hall, scrutinizing each item with a discerning eye.

"Who would have thought that such a profound secret lay within that broken sword? Zhang Keren truly brought this upon himself," Ye Xin chuckled beside Lin Qian, clearly pleased. "I bet he won't dare target you again."

"At least not within the Treasure Hall," Lin Qian replied, holding Ye Xin's hand. "But outside, who knows? He might still come after me."

"He won't," Zhang Zide added, explaining, "The Eight-Armed Sea Clan encourages competition but forbids infighting. Since the leader of the Eastern Branch is your ally, the Northern Branch can't act against you. At least, not in the sea territories."

"As for your conflict with Wu Chunshan, that's a human matter. We can't interfere. Once on land, it's your own fight."

Li Yunfeng scoffed, "That insignificant Deputy Sect Master of the Cloud Sea Sect is nothing but a clown. He'll meet his end even faster on land."

"Still, thanks to our dear Northern Branch leader, we've struck it rich—fifteen billion top-grade soul crystals!" Zhang Qi exclaimed excitedly as he walked alongside them.

Zhang Wenxuan nudged him with a laugh, "That's Lin Qian's fortune, not yours. Why are you so excited?"

"We're all in this together," Lin Qian said with a smile. "Once this event is over, we'll share the spoils. Joy is better when it's shared."

Lin Qian's words were heartfelt. Earning soul crystals would only become easier from here. He was confident that the products of the Huaxia Empire, once introduced to the world, would be in high demand.

The Treasure Betting Event lasted for an entire month, during which Lin Qian and the others continued to explore the vast hall. The others mostly tagged along for fun, while Lin Qian made the final decisions on purchases.

In their eyes, Lin Qian had an extraordinary eye for treasures. But in reality, it was the Huaxia Empire that stood behind him, with Zhuge Ming and the Ministry of Engineering providing expert analysis.

Of course, nothing was ever absolute. Since the relics were encased in barriers and couldn't be examined with soul power, some margin of error existed. But with Zhuge Ming's expertise, the chances of a mistake were almost negligible.

After the first day of the event, Lin Qian approached Zhang Tianxin through Zhang Zide and proposed a deal. From then on, the items Lin Qian acquired were appraised privately at night by the Treasure Master and then sold directly to the Eight-Armed Sea Clan.

Given Lin Qian's sharp eye for valuable items, as described by Zhang Zide, Zhang Tianxin was more than happy to agree.

While Lin Qian sold most of the treasures to the Eight-Armed Sea Clan, he also made deals with Xiaoyao Sect and the Eastern Branch, as he had promised to support the Eastern Branch in becoming the ruling clan.

Privately trading in this manner helped Lin Qian avoid drawing too much attention. He even deliberately purchased some worthless items during the day and spread rumors that his success was due to luck.

By doing so, Lin Qian ensured that no one would realize he was consistently acquiring high-value items, preventing others from simply following him and outbidding him in the future.

Meanwhile, Zhang Keren and the Bloodthirst Hall were none the wiser that the truly valuable treasures had already been taken by Lin Qian.

The event finally came to an end, and Lin Qian had amassed a fortune of one hundred billion top-grade soul crystals—equivalent to ten billion supreme-grade soul crystals.

While this was an enormous sum in the eyes of others, it was just a drop in the bucket for the Huaxia Empire. Nonetheless, it was a promising start.

With the Treasure Betting Event concluded, participants began to leave. For Lin Qian, however, this was only the beginning. The Ancient Human Relic was about to open soon, and he and his companions would face formidable opponents from the powerful sea clans and the talented human prodigies of the Southern Region.