The Auction, Part 2

Upon entering the venue, Su Qing discovered that the main hall inside was extremely spacious.

Above, a transparent stone sky ceiling allowed a clear view of passing cloud shadows.

The lighting was excellent, almost making people forget they were indoors.

As Su Qing walked, the carpet beneath her feet was finely woven, offering an extremely soft touch. Such precious comfort was likely no different from stepping on clouds.

The venue was vast.

Each area had uniformly dressed Nine Heavens Pavilion staff guiding guests with soft smiles, pointing the way.

“If you wish to obtain a number plate, please proceed to the front desk. If you are merely observing, please go to the rear viewing area.”

There were quite a few attendees at this auction. Su Qing estimated roughly a thousand people.

However, not everyone was eligible to bid. The reason was the number plate.

Auctions were conducted by bidding with number plates, and these plates were not given away for free; one had to pay a deposit to obtain one.

The Nine Heavens Pavilion managers conducted themselves with utmost decorum.

They did not differentiate customers by rank based on their number plates.

A polite, respectful smile remained on their faces, and their speech was exceedingly courteous.

However, according to the auction rules, guests with plates sat in the front rows for easier bidding, while those without sat in the rear to observe, ensuring no interference.

This measure was also intended to prevent malicious price inflation leading to unsold items.

This was not difficult to understand, but what was difficult to comprehend was the deposit requirement of ten thousand low-grade spirit stones.

Su Qing inwardly sighed. This place truly did not treat spirit stones as stones.

If one did not wish to pay the deposit, there was another way: their cultivation must reach the Golden Core stage.

The cultivators who entered through this channel had all released a slight pressure of their Golden Core cultivation.

These individuals were naturally ushered by the Nine Heavens Pavilion managers with a bow and respectfully invited to the internal VIP area upstairs.

Su Qing’s cultivation had not reached Golden Core, so she had no choice but to dutifully pay the spirit stones to enter.

She inwardly wondered by what means Tian Ning would enter.

Based on her understanding, it would definitely be through a method that didn’t involve spending money.

“Daoist friend, you may now be seated with your guide.”

A Nine Heavens Pavilion manager handed Su Qing a brand-new number plate on a tray, nodding towards a waiting attendant.

That person immediately offered Su Qing a slight smile and said softly, “Please follow me.”

The Nine Heavens Pavilion staff were of extremely high caliber, clearly having undergone rigorous training.

Regardless of age or cultivation level, they walked on the carpeted floor silently, like floating phantoms.

But upon closer inspection of their faces, one would notice the distance between their brows, the direction of their facial muscles, the arc of their smiles, and even the angles of their limbs were all uniform.

These people didn’t seem like phantoms, but rather like puppets crafted from a single mold.

Of course, Su Qing confirmed that these people were all real, and all cultivators.

Even the guides standing by the aisles were at least at the late Qi Refining stage.

As for those managers with golden embroidery on their collars, they were all at the Foundation Establishment stage.

Although Foundation Establishment cultivators could not be considered great powers, they were not to be underestimated.

Su Qing was inwardly astonished.

As expected of a branch of the world’s number one merchant guild, the employment requirements were indeed extremely stringent.

However, cultivators were ultimately different from mortals.

Those who pursued the Great Dao and transcended the mundane world often carried a rebellious spirit.

Therefore, everyone had their own personality, temperament, and style.

To uniformly train so many cultivators with varying dispositions into a state resembling jack-in-the-boxes, Su Qing frowned, vaguely sensing the strict system within the colossal Nine Heavens Pavilion.

She was merely blending in ordinarily with the crowd, flowing towards the main auction hall, yet she seemed to hear a mechanical whirring sound.

Su Qing casually found a seat in the front rows.

Even the seats in the outer area were carved from entire pieces of spiritual wood, with a warm touch, beneficial for nurturing the body.

This showed the immense scale of their undertaking.

As she walked, she noticed that the surrounding walls were adorned with faint patterns barely visible to the naked eye, and the carpet was the same.

Furthermore, the walls were inlaid with bright pearls and spirit stones, presumably part of a large array that had not yet been activated.

It would be truly difficult to stage a raid in such a highly fortified area where not even a mosquito could fly in.

The auction had not yet begun, and the atmosphere was not tense, but rather somewhat agitated.

People around were often conversing in hushed tones. Su Qing’s five senses were clear, and she could hear everything clearly.

“It’s said that the people in the cloud venue were all brought directly from the Divine Capital. The Nine Heavens Pavilion venues, even branch venues, do not hire locals, saying they are unaccustomed to them.”

“Is that so? Then wouldn’t these people all speak the refined dialect of the Divine Capital?”

“Naturally. When the official bidding begins, the auctioneers on stage will all speak the refined dialect. Have you been to the Divine Capital? The way people speak there is truly something else.”

“But the people here in Tianque City are all country bumpkins who rose to prominence with Carefree Immortal. Their family foundations are not even a thousand years old; most are only a few hundred years old. How many can understand that so-called refined dialect?”

“This… setting that aside, I’d say speaking the refined dialect helps sell items at a higher price.”

Refined dialect? Su Qing mused. Listening to it, it seemed to be a language unique to the Divine Capital, and one that required a certain learning threshold.

She, too, was a country bumpkin who came from the countryside, so she certainly wouldn’t understand it.

Before long, the hall suddenly dimmed, and a beam of light shone down from the sky, illuminating the stage.

And within the beam of light, a woman appeared. Her face was like the moon disk, perfectly proportioned.

Her dark hair was gathered into a bun, adorned with twelve shimmering hairpins.

Flowing ribbons patterned with clouds draped from her arms, as if shrouded in mist. Her aura was majestic, like a divine consort or immortal fairy from the Moon Palace.

The audience below was astonished.

Someone sighed aloud, “Fairy Xia’ai is actually presiding today. This shows the Nine Heavens Pavilion is truly serious this time. We must pay close attention, lest we miss out on any opportunities or treasures!”

From the whispers of the people around, Su Qing pieced together the identity of this woman.

Her name was Song Yunzi, known as Xia’ai. Although she came from a distant branch of the Song family in Tianque City, due to her outstanding talent and eagerness to learn, she was taken in by the main family to be raised.

At just over a hundred years old, she had already reached Golden Core cultivation.

Currently, she was one of the managers of the Nine Heavens Pavilion’s Tianque City branch, and she presided over important auctions.

“Fellow Daoists, today’s gathering is truly a grand occasion. The items presented are also countless treasures, all meticulously selected by the Nine Heavens Pavilion.”

Song Yunzi smiled faintly and spoke unhurriedly. Her voice, amplified by internal energy, reached everyone’s ears.

“Fellow Daoists have waited long. Yunzi will not keep you in suspense. I wish everyone success in obtaining what they desire.”

Although the content of her speech was understandable, it possessed a special rhythmic elegance that was very pleasant to hear. Su Qing understood; this must be the refined dialect of the Divine Capital.

It was indeed pleasant to hear.

Soon, the first auction item was presented.

Cultivators were all people with keen senses.

Upon seeing the cage-like tray made of golden silk and purple Zen wood on the stage, everyone focused their divine sense on it.

Song Yunzi waved her slender hand, dispelling the restriction above, revealing the true object within.

It was three jade-white pills. As the pills appeared, a rich medicinal fragrance spread like rolling waves, slowly permeating the venue.

For a moment, everyone felt somewhat ethereal, their gazes towards the stage becoming fervent.

Song Yunzi said gently in the refined dialect, “This item is called the Myriad Forms Pill. Although it is only Tier 1 mid-grade, esteemed fellow Daoists are all widely knowledgeable and will surely understand that its main ingredient, the Myriad Forms Grass, has been untraceable on the continent for five hundred years. Moreover, there are not many alchemists in the current world who can refine the Myriad Forms Pill.”

“Those who consume this pill can enhance their perception of spiritual energy for the duration of an incense stick, increasing their comprehension of the myriad forms of heaven and earth, and the maxims of the Dao. It is extremely suitable for cultivators whose cultivation is stagnant and has been unable to advance for a long time.”

“Who can say for sure if the opportunity for breakthrough lies within these three pills?” Song Yunzi raised a jade hammer in her hand.

“Starting bid, five hundred spirit stones.”

Five hundred spirit stones?

A Tier 1 pill sold for five hundred spirit stones.

Even knowing its current rarity, Su Qing had to inwardly call it expensive.

Compared to other Tier 1 pills like the Replenishing Pill, Bone-Mending Pill, and Grain-abstaining Pill, which were somewhat dubious, and one couldn’t even tell if they were truly effective or fake, this one was priced extraordinarily high.

The cultivators beside her were already eagerly raising their bidding paddles. “Six hundred spirit stones!”

“Seven hundred.”
“Seven hundred fifty!”
“Eight hundred spirit stones!”

Soon, the price soared to one thousand spirit stones.

After all, it was only a Tier 1 pill. Many people on the scene became calmer due to the price and chose to wait and see.

In the end, only three people were in competition: a middle-aged man in a black robe, an old woman with flowing white hair, and a person wearing a mask.

Su Qing could tell at a glance that these three had been stuck at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining for a long time, their auras stagnant.

Especially the white-haired old woman, her aura seemed withered and dry, a sign of approaching lifespan.

No wonder they were fighting for the illusory Myriad Forms Pill. It seemed the last sliver of hope for breakthrough rested entirely on this.

Although there were three Myriad Forms Pills, each only provided an hour of enhanced perception. Who would be willing to give it up easily?

Therefore, the three of them engaged in a chaotic bidding war, increasing their prices for several rounds, and finally, the white-haired old woman purchased it for six thousand spirit stones.

Six thousand spirit stones wasn’t a lot, but it was the wealth that many rogue cultivators had accumulated in their lifetimes.

Song Yunzi gently tapped her jade hammer. “Sold.”

The sold items would be delivered to their respective owners after the auction.

The old woman had her wish, but she dared not relax.

Seeing the demeanor of the black-robed man and the masked person, they were surely eyeing her.

A battle was bound to ensue after the auction. She sighed inwardly, wondering if she could even protect her treasure after acquiring it.

But with her lifespan dwindling, she had to fight for it with her life.

The Nine Heavens Pavilion also offered guardian services, but the fees were astronomical. She, a rogue cultivator with no income, couldn’t afford it.

After the Myriad Forms Pill was auctioned, the second item was immediately presented.

This was a green bird egg.

Upon hatching, it would yield a Soaring Cloud Bird. This bird was only a Tier 2 low-grade spirit beast, but what made it rare was that it possessed a mutated wind attribute, making it incredibly fast.

It was highly suitable for transmitting messages or for surprise attacks and escapes.

The Nine Heavens Pavilion did not guarantee that this bird egg could be successfully hatched.

Even so, the beast tamers present, or those with young descendants at home, all showed expressions of determination to obtain it.

The starting bid was five thousand spirit stones. After dozens of rapid rounds of bidding, the price soared to twenty-five thousand spirit stones in a short time, finally selling for thirty thousand one hundred spirit stones.

Su Qing’s horizons were greatly broadened.

Dozens of items followed in succession, including pills, spiritual plants, cultivation techniques, spirit beasts, and magical artifacts, all of which were rare and exceptional items, sold off in a short time.

Among them were several items that Su Qing was interested in, but the prices were too high, and they weren’t urgent needs, so she didn’t bid.

Not until the next auction item appeared did her eyebrows gently move, sensing a wondrous and familiar aura.

Song Yunzi waved away the restriction on the tray, revealing the true appearance of the item below: a pile of dark, rusted fragments, like those of some weapon, or array disk, or magical artifact.

The cultivators below stared at it for a long time, most unable to discern its origin.

Song Yunzi, having played up the suspense sufficiently, finally introduced it at the appropriate time. “This item was unearthed from the ancient battlefield tomb cluster in the South Sea. It should be fragments of some magical artifact. The artifact was damaged, leading to this state. According to the Nine Heavens Pavilion’s appraisers, this item is at least Tier 2 top-grade to Tier 3 top-grade. Before it was damaged, it was likely a Tier 4 or Tier 5 magical artifact. There are only seven fragments of varying sizes. Although restoration is hopeless, they are still precious materials for artifact refining. Any artifact refiners present are welcome to consider bidding.”

“Starting bid, twenty thousand spirit stones.”

The specific origin of this item could not be discerned. Even though its grade was not low, it held little appeal for the vast majority of cultivators.

Only a few artifact refiners or array masters, hearing that this item came from the ancient battlefield in the South Sea, tried bidding, intending to study it carefully after purchase.

However, for Su Qing, this was a magical artifact she had to acquire because she had already sensed that these fragments originated from the same source as the Ten Rakshasa Blood Flower Array in her hand.

She couldn’t appear anxious, lest people realize the rarity of this item, so she unhurriedly blended into the crowd at the back and bid.

And she always bid very stingily, adding only one hundred spirit stones each time, appearing very casual about it.

“Twenty-eight thousand three hundred.”