The golden rays of the setting sun painted the high horizon of Imperial Sun City in brilliant shades of amber, violet, and crimson. As nightfall descended upon the ancient metropolis, thousands of intricate array-powered lanterns flickered to life along the central avenues, turning the paved white-jade streets into a shimmering river of golden light.
In the center of the inner district stood the majestic Sky-Gazing Pavilion—an immense, eight-tiered pagoda constructed entirely from rare shadow-iron wood and translucent starry-jade. Suspended directly above the central courtyard of the pavilion were ancient, floating arrays that projected giant, shimmering illusions of constellations across the night sky, casting a surreal and ethereal atmosphere over the entire plaza.
Tonight was the opening of the seasonal Grand Aurora Auction hosted by the Central Merchant League, an event that drew noble clans, grand alchemists, rogue warlords, and hidden masters from across the entire continent.
A luxurious, dark mahogany carriage lined with gold trim came to a slow halt in front of the grand steps of the pavilion. The velvet curtains swung open, and Li-Wen stepped out onto the polished marble platform. He wore a crisp, tailored black coat trimmed with subtle silver threading, his long dark hair tied back neatly, and his broad back carrying his heavy, cloth-wrapped blade as always. His sharp face was calm, cold, and unreadable, his eyes as dark and motionless as an ancient abyss.
Following right behind him, Xiao-Yue hopped out of the carriage. She wore a beautifully embroidered pale-pink winter robe over her soft tunic, her small cheeks glowing with a healthy, rosy warmth. In her left hand, she held a wooden stick with three bright red candied hawthorn apples, while her right hand tightly clutched the sleeve of Li-Wen's black coat. Her dark eyes sparkled with unbridled wonder as she looked up at the vast, floating constellation arrays above the pagoda.
"Brother Li-Wen... look!" Xiao-Yue gasped softly, her voice filled with childhood enchantment. "The stars are so close... it feels like if I reach out my hand, I can touch them!"
"They are artificial projections powered by high-grade spirit crystals," Li-Wen replied smoothly, his hand resting reassuringly over her small fingers. "Keep your mind focused. The spiritual pressure inside the pavilion will be much denser than outside."
As they approached the massive obsidian doors of the main entrance, two rows of tall guards clad in gleaming gold-and-silver chainmail stood at attention. A refined hostess dressed in elegant, flowing crimson silk stepped forward, bowing gracefully with a practiced, warm smile.
"Welcome to the Sky-Gazing Pavilion, honored guests," the hostess spoke sweetly. "May I please view your entry token?"
Without saying a word, Li-Wen reached into his sleeve and produced the heavy crimson Jade Pass sealed with the seven-pointed golden star stamp.
The moment the hostess saw the dark crimson jade and the glowing seal, her polite expression shifted instantly into one of profound shock and reverence. A VIP Crimson Pass was reserved exclusively for influential clan patriarchs or top-tier experts!
"Senior! Please forgive my slowness in greeting you!" The hostess bowed even lower, her voice trembling slightly with newfound respect. "The Vice-President has already instructed us to reserve Box Room 7 on the top tier for you! Please, allow me to escort you and the young mistress personally."
"Lead the way," Li-Wen said calmly.
The hostess quickly gestured toward a private, carpeted staircase situated far away from the noisy, overcrowded main entrance hall where hundreds of ordinary cultivators were queuing up.
As they walked up the floating white-jade steps toward the top tier, Xiao-Yue took a bite of her candied hawthorn, her small eyes looking down through the carved wooden balustrades. Below them, the grand auction hall was gargantuan, capable of seating thousands of people. The lower seats were already filled to capacity with noisy cultivators, merchants, and mercenary leaders arguing over seat numbers.
On the elevated second and third tiers, private balconies were draped with heavy silk curtains, housing mid-sized sects and regional aristocratic families. But the topmost tier—where Box Room 7 was located—was entirely suspended in mid-air by powerful levitation arrays, providing a commanding, bird's-eye view of the entire auction stage while maintaining total privacy and security for its elite occupants.
The hostess opened the heavy, soundproof mahogany door to Box Room 7.
The interior of the box was exceptionally luxurious. The floor was covered with plush tiger-silk carpet, and in the center stood a broad table crafted from fragrant cedar, loaded with plates of rare, glowing spirit fruits, delicate lotus pastries, and steaming pots of high-grade spiritual tea. Facing the main stage was a massive wall made of special one-way crystal glass, allowing those inside to see every detail on the stage below while completely preventing anyone on the outside from peering in or probing with divine sense.
"If Senior requires anything during the auction, simply press the spirit rune on the edge of the table, and a dedicated servant will assist you immediately," the hostess explained politely, bowing once more before stepping back outside and shutting the door soundlessly.
Xiao-Yue immediately ran over to the soft silk couches near the glass wall, her eyes wide as she looked down at the illuminated stage in the center of the arena. "Brother Li-Wen! Look at those plates! There are glowing purple grapes!"
Li-Wen walked over, taking a seat on the high wooden chair beside her. He picked up a purple spirit fruit, inspected its clean energy, and handed it to her. "Eat slowly. These fruits contain mild spiritual energy that will help warm your meridians."
"Thank you, Brother Li-Wen!" Xiao-Yue beamed, taking a happy bite.
While Xiao-Yue enjoyed the sweets, Li-Wen leaned back slightly, his sharp eyes quietly scanning the opposite VIP boxes through his subtle divine perception.
Even through the array-shielded crystal walls, Li-Wen's exceptionally refined soul force could sense several powerful, oppressive aura signatures lingering in the surrounding high-tier boxes.
In VIP Box 1, a heavy, aggressive aura resembling a sleeping tiger thrummed steadily—the distinct signature of the Overlord Sect's outer elders. In VIP Box 3, a sharp, piercing cold blade-intent hovered in the air like an unsheathed sword—the presence of senior representatives from the Sovereign Sword Sect.
"The major factions have all arrived," Li-Wen thought, his eyes narrowing imperceptibly. "They are not here for ordinary pills or weapons. They are all targeting the same top-tier treasures."
BOOM!
Suddenly, a deep, resonant chime from an ancient bronze bell echoed across the entire Sky-Gazing Pavilion, instantly hushing the loud chatter of the thousands of people gathered below.
The ambient light inside the vast arena dimmed dramatically, leaving only a brilliant, focused beam of white golden light focused directly onto the central auction stage.
Stepping into the spotlight was an elderly man with a long white beard, dressed in immaculate dark-blue robes lined with silver runes—Grand Master Lu, the chief auctioneer of the Central Merchant League and a well-known veteran cultivator of the region.
Grand Master Lu smiled smoothly, sweeping his gaze across the vast audience before bowing respectfully in all four directions.
"Greetings, fellow cultivators, sect masters, and honored seniors from near and far!" Master Lu's deep, aura-infused voice reverberated clearly in every corner of the massive building. "On behalf of the Central Merchant League, I welcome you all to tonight's Grand Aurora Auction! I shall not waste your precious time with empty pleasantries. Tonight, we have prepared thirty-six extraordinary treasures!"
Master Lu raised his hand, gesturing toward two young hostesses carrying a silver tray covered with a crimson silk cloth.
"Let the auction begin!"
For the first hour, the auction proceeded at a rapid, energetic pace. Rare spirit herbs, mid-grade tier-4 defensive armors, ancient movement techniques, and high-quality crafting ores were brought onto the stage one after another.
The bidding among the cultivators on the lower tiers was fierce, with spirit stones being shouted out continuously. Li-Wen remained seated quietly in Box Room 7, sipping his tea without making a single bid. None of these common items held any value for him or Xiao-Yue.
Xiao-Yue sat beside him, swinging her small legs happily while watching the colorful lights and energetic shouting on the floor below like an entertaining street play.
Finally, after the twenty-fifth item was sold for a handsome sum of fifteen thousand low-grade spirit stones, Grand Master Lu's expression grew significantly more solemn and reverent.
He clapped his hands twice. Four tall, muscular guards dressed in heavy iron armor slowly walked onto the stage, carrying a heavy, black-iron chest sealed with three glowing runic chains.
The entire hall fell dead silent. Everyone knew that the final, top-tier treasures of the night were finally making their appearance.
"Honored guests," Master Lu announced, his voice dropping into a thrilling, confidential tone. "The next item is one of our main highlights tonight. It was unearthed three months ago from the deepest core of the Northern Frost Wilderness, buried beneath three thousand feet of ancient glacial ice!"
Hearing the words Northern Frost Wilderness, Li-Wen's hand paused slightly over his teacup.
Master Lu stepped forward and struck the iron chest with a runic mallet. The heavy chains unraveled with a loud clanking sound, and the lid opened automatically.
Using a pair of velvet tongs, Master Lu carefully lifted out a thick, rectangular stone slab roughly two feet long. The slab was composed of an unknown, dark-grey ancient mineral, covered in thick layers of eternal frost that emitted a faint, icy white mist into the air.
However, what drew everyone's breath away was the surface of the stone. Deeply engraved into the dark mineral were four jagged, primitive runes that resembled striking lightning bolts and shattered blades. Even from a distance, an ancient, desolate, and terrifyingly sharp sword-intent emanated from the stone, causing the temperature inside the warm arena to plummet instantly!
"This is the Ancestral Northern Rune Slab!" Master Lu proclaimed, his eyes burning with excitement. "According to our League's senior appraisers, this slab contains a fragment of an ancient, lost sword technique from the primordial era! Any swordsman who can comprehend even a fraction of the sword-intent contained within these runes will experience a monumental breakthrough in their martial path!"
Murmurs!
The entire auction hall erupted into a frenzy!
"An ancient sword technique from the Northern Frost Wilderness?!"
"Look at that sword-intent! Even from fifty yards away, my skin feels like it's being cut by microscopic blades!"
"If my clan can purchase this and comprehend the technique, our standing in the province will double!"
Inside Box Room 7, Li-Wen stared intently at the four jagged runes on the stone slab through the crystal glass.
The moment his divine sense touched the dark stone, the ancient cloth-wrapped blade resting against the weapon rack behind him vibrated subtly, emitting a barely audible, metallic hum that only Li-Wen could hear!
Deep within Li-Wen's soul, a long-dormant memory stirred. The structure of those four primitive runes, the desolate, unyielding aura of the sword-intent—it matched the ancient inscriptions engraved on his family's ancestral shrine back in the frozen north!
This was not just any ancient relic. This stone slab was an authentic fragment of the lost Ancestral Frost-Blade Art of his destroyed clan!
A rare, dangerous coldness flared deep within Li-Wen's dark eyes. "It seems my journey to Sun City was truly dictated by fate," he thought coldly. "I must obtain this stone slab, no matter the cost."
On the stage, Master Lu raised his wooden mallet high.
"The starting bid for the Ancestral Northern Rune Slab is... ONE HUNDRED mid-grade spirit stones! Each minimum raise must not be less than ten mid-grade stones! Let the bidding begin!"
"One hundred and twenty mid-grade stones!" a wealthy merchant family head from the second tier shouted immediately.
"One hundred and fifty stones!" a master from a local sword school countered instantly.
"Two hundred mid-grade spirit stones!"
Within less than thirty seconds, the price soared past three hundred mid-grade spirit stones, eliminating almost all the ordinary cultivators on the lower floors.
Suddenly, a loud, arrogant voice echoed from VIP Box 1, carrying a heavy, pressuring aura that silenced the entire hall.
"FIVE HUNDRED mid-grade spirit stones!"
The hall went quiet. Everyone recognized that voice—it belonged to Elder Meng of the Overlord Sect! The Overlord Sect was using its immense wealth and background to intimidate smaller factions from bidding further.
For several seconds, no one dared to speak up against the Overlord Sect. Elder Meng snorted softly from inside Box 1, satisfied with his dominance.
Master Lu looked around the room. "Five hundred mid-grade spirit stones from VIP Box 1! Is there any higher—"
"Eight hundred mid-grade spirit stones."
A low, calm, and utterly indifferent voice echoed from the top tier—originating directly from Box Room 7!
The entire auction hall gasped in collective shock!
To casually raise the bid by three hundred mid-grade spirit stones in a single breath was a staggering display of wealth! More importantly, someone was openly competing against the mighty Overlord Sect!
Inside VIP Box 1, Elder Meng's face instantly darkened. He slammed his hand against his wooden armrest, his voice laced with suppressed fury as he shouted back: "ONE THOUSAND mid-grade spirit stones! Whoever is in Box 7, I advise you to know your place! Do not court death over a piece of broken rock!"
Grand Master Lu frowned slightly at Elder Meng's open threat, but before he could speak to enforce the rules, the calm voice from Box Room 7 responded again.
The tone was completely devoid of anger or fear, carrying only a cold, absolute finality:
"Two thousand mid-grade spirit stones."
BOOM!
The entire Sky-Gazing Pavilion exploded into chaotic whispers! Two thousand mid-grade spirit stones! That was an astronomical fortune capable of buying an entire medium-sized territory or funding a sect for decades!
Inside VIP Box 1, Elder Meng stood up abruptly, his eyes burning with murderous rage. Two thousand mid-grade stones exceeded the total budget allocated to him by his sect for tonight's auction! He could no longer raise the bid!
"Good! Very good!" Elder Meng spat through gritted teeth, his voice carrying a venomous, lethal promise across the room. "I'd like to see if you have the life to carry that stone out of Sun City tomorrow!"
Inside Box Room 7, Li-Wen did not even blink at the Elder's death threat. He sat calmly, his face composed as he held Xiao-Yue's small hand.
Grand Master Lu struck his wooden mallet three times.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
"Sold! For two thousand mid-grade spirit stones, the Ancestral Northern Rune Slab belongs to the honored senior in Box Room 7!"
Xiao-Yue looked up at Li-Wen, her small voice filled with innocent concern. "Brother Li-Wen... that scary old man in the other room sounded very angry. Is he going to try to hurt us?"
Li-Wen gently stroked her hair, his dark eyes looking out over the illuminated arena, his tone as cold and unshakeable as mountain ice.
"Let him try. Barking dogs never bite until they step into the wolf's den.
( I'm very sorry for updating the wrong chapter. I didn't notice it because I was updating the chapter late at night. This is the chapter of the story that was supposed to be updated
See you in next chapter... )