C12 Too Much Money!

He noticed that a single loaf of bread could fetch a price of 50 spirit coins. So, naturally, the entire length of snake meat would command an even higher price.

With that in mind, he priced it at 1,000 spirit coins.

This was the International Trade Hall, where a processing fee was due after each transaction.

The fee amounted to 10% of the sale price.

At the National Exchange Hall, it would be only 5%.

And for private transactions between Lords, the teleportation fee was a mere 1%—essentially a delivery charge.

Regardless of the venue, Lords were in constant need of spirit coins.

Without them, they were powerless to act.

Yet, to Zhou Yan's surprise, the Black Scaled Snake sold immediately after listing.

Territory Notification: "In the International Trade Hall, you sold a Black Scaled Snake, earning 900 spirit coins."

"What's happening!" Zhou Yan was dumbfounded.

Were people truly that desperate for food?

This was merely a carcass he had casually picked up in the wild.

In the real world, a whole Black Scaled Snake might sell for only a few dozen to a hundred spirit coins.

But now, even at ten times the price, there was a frenzy to buy.

In that moment, Zhou Yan burst into laughter.

He had stumbled upon a gold mine!

It looked like he was in for a substantial payday.

However, Zhou Yan wasn't interested in aiding foreigners.

Seeing the dire food shortage among the Lords, he posted the Black Scaled Snake in the National Exchange Hall, setting a modest price of 1,200 spirit coins.

Later, he listed another Black Scaled Snake in the International Trade Hall, this time for 5,000 spirit coins.

He was determined to make the foreign buyers dig deeper into their pockets.

On the Canglan Continent, the real world was free of war.

But conflicts between nations were ever-present.

The resolution was straightforward.

Military forces from both nations would engage in direct combat on the Lord Continent.

Naturally, these territorial clashes were kept within bounds, never crossing a certain threshold.

The ascended beings of Canglan, those who had achieved immortality and godhood, forbade excessive casualties in these skirmishes.

Combat and harm were permissible, but all-out war was not.

In essence, fair battles were confined to specific zones.

The rapid territorial expansion of the Divine Dragon Country had drawn the ire of foreign powers.

The Divine Dragon Country often emerged victorious from these territorial frictions with other nations.

Zhou Yan took great pride in his country's prowess.

Thus, each nation invested heavily in cultivating Lords of exceptional talent.

Should his performance in the Overlord Trial shine, he would attract attention from the University of Overlords.

Such achievements would earn him not only the university's accolades but also substantial rewards from the state.

The country was never miserly with Lords who showed promise.

These exemplary Lords might even join the national Lord army.

But Zhou Yan had no interest in this path.

He needed to keep the existence of his two Overlord Spaces under wraps.

Territory Notification: "In the National Exchange Hall, you sold a Black Scaled Snake, earning 1,140 spirit coins."

"Darn it! That sold out fast!"

The anonymity of these transactions meant his identity as the seller remained hidden.

Zhou Yan quickly listed several more Black Scaled Snakes.

Territory Notification: "In the National Exchange Hall, you sold a Black Scaled Snake, earning 1,140 spirit coins."

Territory Notification: "In the National Exchange Hall, you sold a Black Scaled Snake, earning 1,140 spirit coins."

Territory Notification: "In the National Exchange Hall, you sold a Black Scaled Snake, earning 1,140 spirit coins."

At that moment, Zhou Yan was elated.

To develop and defend their territories, Lords had to summon barracks from the outset.

The soldiers that emerged might not all be from the Human Clan; they could hail from any of the myriad races across the world. The better the territory's quality, the rarer the soldiers a Lord could summon.

But they all needed to eat.

Confronted with powerful soldiers with voracious appetites, a Lord had to ensure they were well-fed.

Otherwise, their loyalty would wane, potentially leading to mutiny—a scenario no Lord could afford.

This was an easy concept to grasp. It explained why the Black Scaled Snake could command such a high price on the first day, despite its modest real-world value.

With this insight, Zhou Yan set the price of the Black Scaled Snake at 1,500 spirit coins.

He then listed all remaining snakes at once.

Territory Notification: "In the National Exchange Hall, you sold a Black Scaled Snake, earning 1,425 spirit coins."

As the spirit coins tallied up, Zhou Yan couldn't help but mutter a critique.

The evils of capitalism!

Clearly, those with ample spirit coins from the get-go must have purchased some items to bring along.

Such luxuries were only within reach for the truly wealthy.

Territory Notification: "In the International Trade Hall, you sold a Black Scaled Snake, earning 4,500 spirit coins."

"Damn!" Zhou Yan was utterly shocked upon hearing the news. He had only meant to give the foreign Lord a hard time, but to his surprise, a wealthy fool had actually made the purchase. The temptation was too great to resist.

He hung up the last Black Scaled Snake he had been saving for himself on the shelf. A notification from his territory popped up: "In the International Trade Hall, you have sold a Black Scaled Snake for 4,500 spirit coins."

The poor can't even begin to fathom the lifestyles of the rich.

He logged into the chatroom, and as expected, it was buzzing with fervent discussion.

"Unbelievable! A mysterious Lord listed a Black Scaled Snake and it fetched an astonishing 1,200 spirit coins. Are we witnessing a decline in morals or a twist in human nature? Time will tell!"

"Outrageous! That mysterious Lord has gone too far. The price of a Black Scaled Snake soared to 1,500 spirit coins. What a heartless merchant!"

"Insanity! On the international stage, a Black Scaled Snake went for a staggering 5,000 spirit coins. It's outright thievery!"

"The crazy part is that people are actually buying it."

"Well, at least you're not the fool making the purchase, since you can't afford it."

"Despite the exorbitant price, there are still buyers. Curse those filthy rich!"

"Here I am with my soldiers, gnawing on bread, unable to afford such a pricey Black Scaled Snake. In the real world, it would only set you back a hundred bucks!"

"Kid, you just don't have the cash, do you? I can tell you're green with envy. Trust me, I feel you."

"To the Lord who's selling the Black Scaled Snakes, hit me up in private. I'm skilled in many areas and promise you won't be disappointed."

"Who knows, the seller might be a lady."

"Or perhaps this Lord swings both ways."

"I represent the Penguin Group and am interested in striking a deal with the individual selling the Black Scaled Snake."

"The CEO of Pendor is my dad. Hey, snake seller, how about we become friends?"

"I'm with the Mimi Group, and I'd love to have a serious talk with the big bro who's dealing in snakes."