The Peerless Emperor (TPE)

The new ability Lin Qian acquired was quite simple. With just a thought, he could transmit everything he saw directly to the Hua Xia Empire. By using soul power to inspect something, the data collected could also be sent to the empire.

This transmission of data was one-way, meaning it only happened when Lin Qian wanted it to. For instance, when Lin Qian examined the damaged alchemy furnace that Zhang Zide had purchased, he sent what he observed to a small division of the Hua Xia Empire's Ministry of Industry.

Even though the matter seemed minor, this small division was more than capable of identifying the item in detail. In short, Lin Qian's sharp judgment wasn't due to his own abilities alone—he had an entire empire backing him. With this method, Lin Qian could be considered a master appraiser.

Although Zhang Zide was once again unlucky with his purchase, his mindset was positive. Instead of feeling down, he was thrilled as he looked at Lin Qian. "Lin, my brother, since you have such an eye for these things, how about you help me with some more treasure hunting?"

Seeing Zhang Zide so enthusiastic, Lin Qian nodded but couldn't help asking, "Logically speaking, you're not really concerned about making or losing money since this is just a hobby, right? So what fun would it be if I help you?"

Next to him, Li Yunfeng also looked surprised when he heard Zhang Zide's request. Having grown up together and knowing each other well, Li Yunfeng understood that treasure hunting was just a pastime for Zhang Zide, who didn't care about losses—it was all about the thrill of the process.

So for him to ask for Lin Qian's help now was quite unusual, almost unheard of. Suddenly, a thought struck Li Yunfeng, and he turned to Zhang Zide. "Hey, is this for the Treasure Gambler's Fair?"

Upon hearing the question, Zhang Zide smiled and nodded. "That's right, it's for the Treasure Gambler's Fair."

"I knew it! No wonder you've changed your tune and asked Lin for help. The Treasure Gambler's Fair isn't a place to play around," Li Yunfeng laughed as Zhang Zide confirmed his suspicion.

Hearing their conversation, Lin Qian wasn't familiar with what the Treasure Gambler's Fair was. However, with all the new information the Hua Xia Empire had accumulated, it wouldn't be hard to find out.

He discreetly opened a golden interface before him and instructed the Ministry of Industry to search for information on the Treasure Gambler's Fair. In no time, the details of the fair were displayed before his eyes.

On the Soul Martial Continent, grand events that drew numerous powerful factions together to compete for items were called auctions. In auctions, it was all about wealth—those with deeper pockets would win the day.

However, the Treasure Gambler's Fair was entirely different—it relied on luck and sharp eyes. Unlike auctions, the fair dealt in damaged or aged items, many of which came from ancient ruins and had been worn down by time, making them difficult to identify.

If a participant saw something they liked, they could bid for it. If they managed to repair it afterward, its value might far exceed the purchase price, resulting in a massive profit. On the other hand, it might turn out to be worthless junk, leading to a huge loss.

In this way, the Treasure Gambler's Fair could make someone wealthy overnight, or it could ruin them completely.

Zhang Zide didn't mind small losses when treasure hunting at Houhai Street because, with his wealth, the stakes were low. But the Treasure Gambler's Fair was a different story—a loss there could be substantial.

Furthermore, unlike Houhai Street, where the vendors were mostly young Eight-Armed Sea Clan members and some humans, the Treasure Gambler's Fair attracted big names. Many of the talented contestants in the clan's competition would also attend, hoping to try their luck.

Before attending the fair, Zhang Zide wanted to test Lin Qian's appraisal skills, using Houhai Street as a trial ground to see how much profit they could make.

Little did he know that every time Lin Qian approached a stall, he would scan everything with his eyes and transmit the images to the Hua Xia Empire. In the empire, a thousand scholars from the Ministry of Industry were busy analyzing the items based on the images.

They would then send their findings back to their emperor, and Lin Qian would discreetly buy the items, often haggling the price down as well.

For items that couldn't be fully assessed through images alone, Lin Qian would pick them up, examine them closely with a small amount of soul power, and transmit that data to the empire for further verification.

By the time Houhai Street closed for the night, Lin Qian, Zhang Zide, and Li Yunfeng had left with a total of 163 treasures they had acquired.

After leaving Houhai Street, Zhang Zide and Li Yunfeng led Lin Qian to a mansion on the northern side of Coral Island. This mansion housed the temporary warehouse for the clan's current treasures, where competition points could be exchanged for items.

Some contestants exchanged points early on to get medicinal pills for cultivation, aiming to improve their chances in later rounds. Others, confident in their abilities, held onto their points until the competition ended, planning to exchange them all at once for higher-quality goods.

Zhang Zide brought Lin Qian here not to exchange points but to have the treasures appraised by the elder in charge and then sell them for soul crystals to participate in the Treasure Gambler's Fair.

The elder in charge of appraisals had a keen eye, easily assessing the value of the items from Houhai Street. However, the results left Zhang Zide utterly shocked.

"Thirty-six million top-grade soul crystals? Are you sure?" Zhang Zide stared at the storage ring in his hand, incredulous.

The appraisal elder confirmed with a nod. "I wouldn't make a mistake, Young Master Zhang. You should know that."

After repeatedly confirming that he wasn't dreaming, Zhang Zide's hand trembled as he held the storage ring.

They had only spent about a million medium-grade soul crystals, equivalent to ten thousand top-grade soul crystals, to buy all these items.

Realizing this, Zhang Zide couldn't help but look at Lin Qian with shining eyes.

With Lin by his side, they were going to hit the jackpot at the Treasure Gambler's Fair!