Number One Under Heaven

“The highest bid goes to Lady Nuo with at least 300 billion Heavenly Jades! Are there any higher bidders?!”

300 Billion Heavenly Jades was an astronomical number even for these Ancient Goddesses and Big Families. Although they can afford it if they are willing to drop everything they own, it was something easier said than done. Despite their craze for the 9th Painting of Desire, it was not something they can easily do--- that is if they had any common sense left in them.

Jiutian Xuannu, bit her lips and raised her hand, “I offer my entire collection of Heavenly Swords! In it, there is 999 different Ancient Swords, 99 Heavenly Swords, 99 Chaotic Swords, 9 Dao Swords, and the one and only Heaven Sealing Godsword! If you sold all of it, then I can guarantee at least 750 billion Heavenly Jades!”

“WHAT?!?!?!” Everybody there, including Feng Li, Tian Yi’s Mother, was shocked at her unexpected bid.

“Jiutian Xuannu, have you really gone mad?! As the Goddess of War, that collection is something worth more than your life! Without your weapons that you had spent your entire lifetime collecting, what would you be?!” Xi Wangmu yelled at her.

“....” Even the money loving Huan Yishu was shocked speechless. Although Jiutian Xuannu has not appeared in the World for more than a million years, her Legacy still remains as famous as if it was just created yesterday! Jiutian Xuannu, the Goddess who had single-handedly slew more enemies than every other God during a great War was hailed as the Goddess of War. Her feats during that war had impressed even the Celestial Emperor at that time, and she was offered a position in his Tian Family as his General, one of the very few high positions in the Universe only below the Celestial Emperor’s Personal Servants! Everybody was certain that she would accept it, yet they were shocked the next day with the news of her refusing to serve the Celestial Emperor! Although refusing to work in the Celestial Emperor did not mean betrayal, it was something that has never happened before, until that day! Ever since that day, Jiutian Xuannu continued to wander the Starry Sky, increasing her Legend by appearing in many other Wars.

And the next thing that people would talk about after Jiutian Xuannu was, of course, her massive collection of Heavenly Weapons! Her collection of Heavenly Weapons were rumored to have this Universe’s best Weapons, even better than the ones in the Imperial Tian Family! Just this alone already says the worth of the collection.

And as for Jiutian Xuannu who treats her collection as if it were her babies, selling it was something that has never crossed her mind, let alone actually doing it now! “I am as clear now as I will ever be!” She said.

Xi Wangmu could not believe her ears. ‘She has truly gone mad after a million years of isolation!’ She thought.

Other than participating in War and aiming for the Apex of Weapon Mastery, Jiutian Xuannu did nothing else. If there was no War, then she would practice her Weapon Mastery. If she was not practicing her Weapon Mastery, then there is a War ongoing somewhere in the Universe. Nobody knew why she was so obsessed with Wars, and nobody bothered to ask something so meaningless.

Jiutian Xuannu stared at Huan Yishu with her crimson red eyes, and Huan Yishu stared back at her. ‘Crystal clear eyes... If she had gone crazy, she would not have such beautiful eyes. Why is she so desperate about getting his painting? This is not something at the level of a fangirl or that of love… But what other reasons does she have…?’

“Jiutian Xuannu offers her collection of Heavenly Weapons with at least a worth of 750 billion Heavenly Jade! Is there any higher bids?!”

“....”

“......”

The place turned silent; mostly because they are stunned by Jiutian Xuannu’s actions, with the rest unable to outbid her.

Xi Wangmu scratched her hair, and said, “Che, since you look so desperate, I will let you win. But I will visit your place to have a cup of tea after all of this is over with. You better not refuse my entrance, or I will---”

“ONE TRILLION HEAVENLY JADES!”

This sudden bid came like thunder, causing people’s Soul to tremble upon hearing such a number.

“W-Who the f---?!”

“O-One trillion? You can buy one of the 3 God Words with that amount--- and will still have money to spare!”

“Other than the Imperial Tian Family; which Family has a daughter with that much money to blow on a Painting made purely for guilty pleasure?!”

A fierce look appeared on Jiutian Xuannu’s beautiful face, and her emotions began boiling. “Who?!” And just as she said that her head snaps to a particular direction.

There was a petite figure with a trail of dry blood that went from her nose to her neck floating in the sky, and next to her was a girl in a maid outfit. “Y-You…” Jiutian Xuannu freezes the moment she saw the face of that figure.

People began turning to look at the same direction--- only to freeze the same way Jiutian Xuannu did.

“T-T-This…”

“H-Holy shit…”

“So… So perfect. How can someone other than his Highness have such an illegally perfect face? Who is she?! How come I have never heard of her before?!”

“How can someone so beautiful be unheard of?!”

The males drooled nonstop at the sight of this mysterious beauty’s face. Her face was so perfect it was almost impossible to describe. From her eyes to her jawline, everything was perfect! Everything… Everything except her petite figure and immature face!

“Y-You are…?” Even Huan Yishu had to swallow his saliva before speaking!

“Who I am does not matter. I bid one trillion Heavenly Jade. If there is no higher bid, that Painting is mine,” she replied. Her voice was sweet sounding and had this soothing feeling, and it did not sound as childish as one would have thought after seeing her face. Just that one sentence had the males craving to hear more!

“I-Is this what the females feel when they saw his Highness for the first time?”

“This auction no longer feels as stupid and crazy to me as before…”

Huan Yishu had all his attention on this mysterious girl’s face, almost forgetting about the auction; it was as if he was trying to engrave it into his Soul!

“If you dare draw my face on anything, I’ll kill you.”

“Huh?” Huan Yishu wakes up to the feeling of many swords stabbing him. Bewildered, he uses his Divine Sense to see a dreadful pressure surrounding him--- one that came from the mysterious girl in front of him. Fearful of the pressure, he started trembling. ‘This girl is crazy strong! What Cultivation Stage is she at?!’

“I-I understand, Young Lady…” He instantly gave up the idea of drawing her and selling it to the males!

“Good, then continue with your auction. I offered one trillion Heavenly Jade. If nobody can outbid me, then I will take this---” The mysterious girl suddenly disappeared to instantly appear next to the painting.

‘So fast!’ Even Jiutian Xuannu who was hailed as the Goddess of War was unable to see her movements clearly!

“T-Then is there anyone that can outbid this mysterious Young Lady here…?” Huan Yishu asks the still stunned crowd.

“I guess this is the end of the auc---”

Suddenly, a warm and familiar voice resounds in everybody’s ears, instantly relaxing them, and healing them from their shocked status. “Two trillion Heavenly Jade,” the voice said.

“?!?!?!?!” The mysterious girl shivered upon hearing that voice and she snaps her head to the figure flying towards her. The figure was wearing a white colored dress; along with a veil that covered her face.

“Y-You are---”

“Little Su Qi, does your father know that you are here throwing the Family’s money around like dirt?” Said the woman in the white dress.

“Her name is Su Qi? Su? Wait… T-T-T-The Su Family, the second highest ranked Family in the Celestial Emperor’s Realm only under the Imperial Tian Family?!?!?!?!?! THAT SU FAMILY?!”

“What?! They had a daughter?! I have never heard of anything like that!”

“Are you stupid? I wouldn’t let my daughter out even if she only had a tenth of Young Lady Su Qi's beauty!"

The mysterious girl, Su Qi, bit her lips, and said, “Two trillion and five hundred billion!”

“My, my, you sure have a lot of money to spend, no? Three trillion,” said the woman.

“A-And who is she? How is she able to compete with the Su Family?”

“Is it just me or does her voice sound awfully familiar?”

“Eh? You too?”

“Me too! I also remember hearing her voice somewhere; but no matter how much I try to remember, I cannot wrap my head around where I heard such a voice…”

“....”

Su Qi did not bid a higher price. Instead, she stared at the woman in front of her.

“.....”

After a few more seconds, Su Qi sighs, and her next action shocked the living hell out of everybody watching.

“Su Qi, eldest daughter of the Su Family humbly greets her Majesty, Empress Feng Li,” she said while kowtowing.

*Cough*

*Choke*

“HER WHAT?!?!?!?!?” People almost choked to death after hearing that, not daring to believe their ears.

Huan Yishu almost had his Soul jump out of him, forever losing the chance to reincarnate.

The woman who Su Qi was kowtowing to suddenly grabs her veil and pulls it down, revealing her face to the shocked crowd.

The moment the crowd saw the face behind that veil, the World slightly trembled due to people dropping onto the ground to kowtow.

“WE GREET HER MAJESTY, THE EMPRESS, WITH OUR UTMOST RESPECT!!!” Roared every person there, shaking the place even more.

Feng Li nodded, accepting their greetings, and said, “Stand. I am only here as a guest, and not as the Empress.” She turned to look at Huan Yishu who looked like he was having a heart attack.

“Y-Your Majesty, t-t-this…” He did not know where to start! What was he supposed to say? ‘Sorry your Majesty, this one was selling a half naked painting of her Majesty’s son.’?!?!

As if she could read his mind, Feng Li said, “You do not have to explain anything. If I had any complaints, would this auction even have happened in the first place? Though I must say that the painting was much more than what I had imagined… You are one talented individual...”

“Yes! Thank you, your Majesty, for her words!” Huan Yishu bowed deeply.

“Now, about the painting…”

Huan Yishu instantly snapped back up, and said, “Yes! Since I highly doubt that anybody else here would bid against her Majesty, it makes her Majesty the winner! And as a thank you for her Majesty’s previous words, I would like to present her Majesty with the painting as a present!”

Feng Li shook her head. “That I cannot accept. As I said, I came here as a guest, not the Empress. Also, didn’t you mention it in the beginning? That ‘you do not care about one’s status’?”

“....” Huan Yishu was once again shocked speechless by her words. Although he did say in the beginning of the auction that he would not care about anyone’s status, would he really dare to charge the Mother for a painting of her son drawn in such a perverted way--- and the Empress’s son at that?

However, no matter what he thinks, he cannot disobey the Empress! “Yes, this one will humbly accept the payment for the painting---”

“Hold!”

A fierce roar resounds, causing the World to shake once more.

“This voice… Impossible!” Feng Li did not dare to believe her ears and turned around to look at the person who just spoke.

“I BID FOUR TRILLION HEAVENLY JADES!”

“WHAT?!” Not a single Soul there could believe their ears looked at the person just shouted that number. Not only was it a man’s voice, he even had the audacity to outbid the Empress! Who had such balls made of Divine Steel?!?!?!?!

“H-Holy shit…”

“T-T-T-That's…”

“N-No way… Why the hell is he here?!”

“GENERAL XIANG, GENERAL OF HIS MAJESTY, THE CELESTIAL EMPEROR?!?!” Many people cried out as a male in his 50’s came flying in with his white hair fluttering in the air.

“G-General Xiang, what is the meaning of this?” Feng Li tried to speak in a calm voice, but it was obvious that even she was shocked to the core.

General Xiang did not reply to her question immediately. Instead, he kowtowed, and said, “This one greets her Majesty, the Empress! This one would also like to apologize to her Majesty for the sins this one is about to commit, but under the direct orders of his Majesty, the Celestial Emperor, this one has to win the auction and burn the painting afterward!”

“WHAT?!?!?!?!?”

Everybody cries out in a voice that sounded like a Monsters roaring. The shock they had received so far was already enough to kill a Mortal ten times, yet another one came, and one that is stronger than all the previous ones put together!