The Rich Cultivator
Chapter 420. Shi no Kasa

Chapter 420: 420. Shi no Kasa

Molten Lava Shield.

Air Breaker Spear.

Heaven-Defying Typhoon Glider.

The complete story of Reverend Insanity and Tales of Demons and Gods.

Treasure after treasure was presented on the glowing auction platform. The crowd of merchants, adventurers, nobles, and pirates alike buzzed with excitement. Bidding wars erupted. Fortunes changed hands like pocket change. Artifacts long lost to time returned to the world in gilded trays and shimmering light.

Tyler, in disguise as Phantom Blackwood, sat lazily in the private cabin alongside his crew. He occasionally tossed out bids, not because he wanted the items, but just to see if someone would outbid him for sport.

"Molten Lava Shield, huh," he muttered. "Not bad. Let’s buy it and give it to all the crew members."

Mathilda sat beside him, swirling a glass of fruity spirit, kicking her leg as she browsed through the auction list with a yawn. "Call me when they bring out something spicy. I’m not here to see overpriced paperweights."

Even Lily, usually composed, glanced up with a glimmer of interest when a glowing jade slip containing the Complete Story of Reverend Insanity was brought forward. She almost bid on it but decided against it at the last second.

The auction was in full swing, but soon, the atmosphere shifted.

"The next item is something everyone has been eagerly anticipating," Ashe Transella, the host, stepped forward again. Her peacock-feathered gown glowed with ethereal light. She raised a hand, and the hall fell quiet.

Her voice was calm but carried across the entire hall like a breeze laced with mana. "Before we begin bidding, allow me to share a tale..."

The lights dimmed slightly, and an ethereal spotlight centered on her as she spoke.

"Long ago, in the depths of the sea, a ruin was discovered—a hidden village belonging to a mysterious people known as the Ninja. They were said to be the pinnacle of assassins during their era, shadows that danced between life and death. Among them was a girl unlike any other, born with the power of darkness and death. Anyone who touched her perished instantly. Cursed by her own gifts, she lived in isolation. But despite that, her heart remained pure. Through strength and compassion, she moved the hearts of those around her and eventually became their queen. She was called the Death Queen."

Murmurs echoed across the hall.

"She always carried an umbrella, never letting it out of her grasp. That very umbrella was discovered in the ruins, perfectly preserved beneath layers of sea. It has since been named... Shi no Kasa — the Umbrella of Death."

Two attendants carefully rolled out a glass cylinder. Suspended within was a red oil-paper umbrella, slowly spinning in the air, shimmering softly under the enchanted lights.

"This," Ashe gestured to the item, "is Shi no Kasa—the Umbrella of Death."

Despite its ominous name, the umbrella was strikingly beautiful. It exuded a quiet dignity, a stillness that spoke louder than any weapon.

Ashe continued, "There were concerns, of course. Some feared the umbrella might still carry remnants of the Death Queen’s curse. But according to myth, she took her curse with her when she reincarnated, ensuring that her past wouldn’t haunt the world any longer."

As she finished her tale, Ashe drew a blade from her side. It radiated the unmistakable energy of a Master-ranked artifact.

"To prove its power..."

She stabbed the umbrella.

The blade shattered.

Gasps and murmurs erupted through the crowd once again.

"The current owner cannot yet awaken its abilities. It remains a mystery. But one thing is certain: this artifact once belonged to an immortal. What secrets it holds are waiting to be discovered."

She raised her hand, signaling the start of the bid. "The bidding for Shi no Kasa begins at... one million Lydia."

"One and a half million!"

"Two million!"

"Five million!" a confident voice rang out.

All eyes turned. It was Kael Driftsbane, the infamous dark elf captain of the so-called ’Real Phantom Pirates.’ His red eyes glinted with challenge.

But the hall remained restless.

"Five point one million."

"Ten million."

"Twenty million!" Kael barked again, clearly annoyed at being challenged.

"Twenty point one million."

"Thirty million!"

The tension escalated.

"Something’s wrong..." Kael muttered , he noticed something.

"Say forty million," Talindra whispered beside him, lounging with her legs draped over the arm of the chair.

Kael nodded. "Forty million Lydia."

And immediately, from another cabin, the voice replied: "Forty point one million."

Kael’s eye twitched. "Forty-one million."

"Forty-one point one million."

"Who the hell is doing that?!" Kael growled.

"Pretty obvious," Talindra laughed, her fingers tracing lazy circles on the armrest. "It’s Phantom Blackwood. That cocky bastard."

Kael clenched his jaw. "He’s not even trying to win. He’s just pushing my bids. He is clearly mocking me."

"Heh. Petty. But effective," Talindra replied with a grin. "Too bad he’s a guy. If he were a woman, I might’ve captured him."

Their brief clash didn’t attract much attention—not because it wasn’t intense, but because everyone’s eyes were glued to the center of the stage.

All focus remained on the umbrella.

As the numbers climbed past fifty million Lydia, one by one, the other bidders quietly stepped down. The price had long since surpassed reason—even for an artifact once wielded by an immortal.

And yet, the war continued.

But in the end... who could truly stop Tyler White?

Behind the mask of Phantom Blackwood, is the richest person on that Auction Hall, even that whole Island.

And then came the final blow.

"Seventy-five million Lydia!"

The hall went dead silent.

Even Kael Driftsbane fell back into his chair, stunned and seething. Talindra’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t speak. She just licked her lips and let out a slow, amused whistle.

Ashe Transella’s eyes sparkled with anticipation and drama as she slammed her gavel down with a dramatic flourish.

Whispers echoed across the room.

"The Phantom Pirates have that kind of money?"

"Who is funding them?"

"Wait, is this guy really a pirate... or a hidden Noble family?"

"Sold! Shi No Kasa belongs to Mr. Phantom Blackwood!" she declared, her voice ringing with excitement.

Cheers, groans, and stunned silence filled the hall. No one expected the fake Phantom Pirates to pull such a stunt—and win.

And as if to make matters more confusing, they didn’t even pay in Lydia.

Instead, Phantom Blackwood’s group sent forward a treasure chest filled with shimmering Aura and Prana stones.

It was entirely within the auction rules—alternate payment methods were allowed. However, few ever used anything other than Lydia.

According to the current market exchange, one Lydia was equivalent to eighty-six Aura or Prana stones. By that value...

Tyler had just spent over 6.4 billion stones.

Six. Point. Four. Billion.

All for a single red umbrella.

"Why didn’t they just pay in Lydia?" someone muttered.

The answer?

Because Phantom Blackwood’s account didn’t have that much of cash.