If the Star City was a money tree, then the Auction House and the Asura Arena were the branches where the coins grew thickest.
The Auction House was operated exclusively by the Void Land — no one else could interfere. In the entire Void Star City, it was the one and only, with no branches or franchises. Yet the Void Land wasn't content with holding the Auction House alone; now they actually wanted a piece of the Asura Arena as well. That was quite the appetite.
Yang Kai chuckled. "Is it? I don't think so. Manager Zhou, you're a man who understands things. Our Void Star City has only been in operation for a few months, yet we already have this level of foot traffic — and we're nowhere near our peak. Just imagine what it'll look like in the future. With a million warriors gathering here every day, if Asura Heaven establishes an Asura Arena in our Star City, it'll be like placing a treasure bowl right here. The Void Land will provide you the venue — no rent, no taxes — and we only take a modest thirty percent. That's a very fair deal!"
Manager Zhou frowned. "Sect Master Yang, the Asura Arena is one of Asura Heaven's most important enterprises. We can't afford to be careless with it. Could we perhaps negotiate a different term?"
Yang Kai slowly shook his head. "Manager Zhou, don't tell me Asura Heaven's Asura Arenas in other places don't have shares held by other powers. As far as I know, in the Thousand Bird Star City's Asura Arena, the Great Battle Heaven holds a considerable share. If they can have a share, why can't the Void Land? Unless Asura Heaven looks down on us?"
Manager Zhou hurriedly said, "Sect Master Yang, you flatter me — I absolutely did not mean that!" He was merely a manager of Asura Heaven, and although he was a Fifth-Order Open Heaven cultivator, within the Void Land he wouldn't dare show the slightest bit of arrogance. Plenty of Open Heaven realm cultivators had met their end here, and now two Grand Saints were in residence — who would dare look down on them?
If not for that, a mere second-rate power wouldn't warrant someone of Manager Zhou's stature condescending to visit.
After a brief deliberation, Manager Zhou said, "Sect Master Yang, what you say is true. Our Asura Arenas in various locations do indeed have shares held by other powers, but no one has ever held as much as thirty percent. Even in the Thousand Bird Star City, Great Battle Heaven only holds twenty percent. How about this — I'll make the decision on my own authority and offer the Void Land a ten percent share. How does that sound?"
"Thirty percent. Not a penny less." Yang Kai shook his head slowly.
Manager Zhou smiled bitterly. "Sect Master Yang, business is about asking high and settling somewhere in between. If you insist on thirty percent, there's really no room to negotiate."
Yang Kai flicked at non-existent dust on his sleeve and smiled. "The reason I'm willing to let Asura Heaven build an Asura Arena in the Star City is because the name 'Asura Arena' is known across all the heavens. Borrowing Asura Heaven's reputation makes things more convenient. But even without the Asura Arena, couldn't I simply build a similar venue in the Star City myself? Hmm, how about calling it the Blood Arena?"
Manager Zhou's face twitched slightly, left momentarily speechless.
But then again, if Yang Kai really did establish a Blood Arena and cut Asura Heaven out entirely, there was nothing Asura Heaven could do about it.
Asura Heaven was one of the Thirty-Six Grand Cavern Heavens — they might not care much about the existence of a single Asura Arena, but Manager Zhou was just a lowly manager. If he could successfully close this deal, it would bring him considerable personal benefit, so naturally he couldn't afford to take it lightly.
After carefully weighing his options for some time, Manager Zhou finally said, "Thirty percent is truly too much for me to authorize on my own. I'll need to consult my superiors. However, if Sect Master Yang could agree to one additional condition, I can guarantee that my superiors will approve your proposal."
"An additional condition?" Yang Kai raised an eyebrow slightly.
Manager Zhou smiled. "This happens to be the second matter I came to discuss with Sect Master Yang."
Yang Kai gestured for him to continue.
Manager Zhou cleared his throat lightly. "I've heard that your esteemed Sect previously auctioned off two Tianyuan Zhengyin Pills. Is that true?"
So that's what this old fox was after — the Tianyuan Zhengyin Pills. Yang Kai kept his expression neutral while laughing inwardly. After waiting so many days, the moment had finally arrived.
He gave a slight nod. "That's correct. The Void Land did indeed auction two Tianyuan Zhengyin Pills!"
Manager Zhou's expression perked up. "And the Void Auction House has announced that an auction will be held every three months, with one Tianyuan Zhengyin Pill available at each one?"
"Indeed!"
Manager Zhou's eyes began to gleam. "If that's the case, does your esteemed Sect know how to refine this pill? Could it be that you've found the World Source Liquid?"
As he asked, Qu Huashang — who had been sitting silently — fixed her gaze on Yang Kai, her beautiful eyes shining bright.
Yang Kai smiled but did not answer.
Manager Zhou continued on his own. "Before the Blood Demon Grand Cavern Heaven opened, the Danxia Auction House once auctioned a Tianyuan Zhengyin Pill along with its refinement formula. As I understand it, Sect Master Yang was the one who ultimately obtained it. However, you traded the pill itself to the Sword Pavilion Master in exchange for a Seventh-Order Yuan Yang Mystic Ginseng, keeping only the formula... But the formula requires World Source Liquid to refine the pill, and World Source Liquid has long since vanished from existence. Now the Void Land is producing Tianyuan Zhengyin Pill after Tianyuan Zhengyin Pill for auction — unless the Void Land has somehow found World Source Liquid, I can't imagine why there are so many pills available."
The reason the Tianyuan Zhengyin Pill had vanished from the world was precisely because of World Source Liquid — a treasure that could only form by chance when heaven and earth first separated. Where would one find it now? Unless a brand-new world came into being, there would be no chance of it appearing.
This wasn't something that could be hidden. Yang Kai had already anticipated it when he decided to use the Tianyuan Zhengyin Pills to draw crowds to the Star City.