The noise within the Sacred Mansion Auction House gradually died down as a figure stepped gracefully onto the auction stage.
Su Yang's attention immediately shifted toward her.
It was a woman.
A remarkably beautiful and alluring woman.
She wore an elegant crimson dress that perfectly complemented her mature appearance. Every movement she made seemed deliberate, from the gentle sway of her sleeves to the faint smile resting upon her lips.
Her mere presence immediately transformed the atmosphere within the enormous auction hall.
More importantly, Su Yang could vaguely sense that she was not merely beautiful.
Her cultivation was powerful.
Peak Origin Realm.
Su Yang's eyes narrowed slightly.
Even the auctioneer possesses such cultivation…
That alone demonstrated the strength of the Sacred Mansion Auction House.
Without even mentioning the woman's actual age, her popularity within Windfall Town and the surrounding region was enormous.
The moment she appeared—
"Lady Yue!"
"It's actually Lady Yue personally hosting today's auction!"
"Lady Yue!"
Cheers immediately erupted from the crowd.
The woman merely smiled.
That single smile caused the already excited atmosphere to become even livelier.
Su Yang watched from his private room.
"So she's the head auctioneer…"
He had heard several people discussing her earlier.
Lady Yue was the head auctioneer of this particular Sacred Mansion Auction House.
Her reputation did not come merely from her appearance.
She possessed an extraordinary ability to manipulate the atmosphere of an auction.
An ordinary auctioneer could sell a valuable treasure.
Lady Yue could make people fight over something they had never intended to buy.
A change in her tone.
A carefully placed smile.
A few words emphasizing scarcity.
Before bidders realized what had happened, an otherwise ordinary treasure might sell for several times its expected price.
It was a skill in its own right.
Lady Yue raised one hand.
The enormous auction hall gradually became silent.
"Honoured guests…"
Her pleasant voice travelled clearly throughout the hall.
"Welcome to the Sacred Mansion Auction House."
She smiled.
"I won't waste everyone's precious time with unnecessary words."
Several attendants walked onto the stage carrying a long wooden case.
Lady Yue's smile deepened.
"Let today's auction begin."
The case opened.
Buzz!
A sharp spiritual fluctuation immediately swept through the hall.
Su Yang, who had been sitting casually, suddenly straightened.
Inside the case rested a saber.
The weapon possessed a dark metallic blade with intricate spiritual inscriptions running along its surface. The characters occasionally flickered with faint light.
Even while lying motionless, the saber radiated an imposing aura.
Lady Yue gestured toward it.
"Our first treasure today is a Peak-Grade Spirit Saber."
Excited murmurs immediately spread through the crowd.
"A Peak-Grade Spirit Weapon?"
"They're starting with something this good?"
"Sacred Mansion really isn't holding back today."
Su Yang's eyes remained fixed on the weapon.
A saber.
He currently possessed no proper weapon.
His newly strengthened body gave him impressive close-combat ability, but relying entirely on his fists would eventually become limiting.
Moreover, he had recently begun cultivating the Dragon-Tiger inheritance.
Having a proper weapon available would not hurt.
A Peak-Grade Spirit Weapon should be more than sufficient for my current cultivation.
Su Yang leaned forward.
He had already decided.
He wanted it.
Lady Yue allowed the crowd's interest to build before finally announcing the price.
"The starting price is…"
She raised one finger.
"One thousand inferior-grade spirit stones."
Immediately—
"One thousand one hundred!"
"One thousand two hundred!"
"One thousand three hundred!"
"One thousand five hundred!"
The bids rose rapidly.
Most cultivators increased the price by one hundred spirit stones at a time.
"Two thousand!"
"Two thousand one hundred!"
"Two thousand five hundred!"
Su Yang remained silent.
There was no reason to participate in the early bidding.
He simply watched.
Eventually, the price climbed past four thousand.
The number of bidders gradually decreased.
"Four thousand five hundred!"
"Four thousand six hundred!"
"Five thousand!"
Silence briefly descended.
Lady Yue smiled.
"Five thousand inferior-grade spirit stones. Does anyone wish to offer more?"
A cultivator raised his hand.
"Five thousand one hundred!"
Another immediately followed.
"Five thousand three hundred!"
Su Yang sighed.
This could continue for quite some time.
He raised his bidding token.
His deliberately calm voice emerged from the private room.
"Ten thousand."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Several cultivators slowly turned toward his VIP room.
Even Lady Yue paused momentarily.
"Ten… thousand?"
Someone in the audience muttered.
The cultivator who had just bid five thousand three hundred immediately lowered his hand.
He was not foolish.
A Peak-Grade Spirit Weapon was valuable, but ten thousand inferior-grade spirit stones was already far beyond what he was willing to spend.
Besides—
The bidder was the mysterious person wearing the Midnight Star Cloak.
Several people had already concluded that Su Yang was some hidden senior expert.
Who would deliberately offend such a person over a Spirit Weapon?
Lady Yue quickly recovered.
Her professional smile returned.
"VIP Guest Number Seven has offered ten thousand inferior-grade spirit stones."
She swept her gaze across the audience.
"Does anyone wish to offer more?"
Silence.
"Ten thousand once."
Nothing.
"Ten thousand twice."
Still nothing.
Lady Yue raised the auction hammer.
"Ten thousand three times."
BANG!
"Sold!"
Applause echoed throughout the hall.
"The Peak-Grade Spirit Saber belongs to VIP Guest Number Seven."
Inside his room, Su Yang smiled.
His first proper weapon.
Ten thousand inferior-grade spirit stones would once have been an unimaginable fortune to him.
Now—
He barely felt anything.
Being rich really is convenient.
The auction continued.
One treasure after another appeared.
Medicinal pills.
Rare spiritual herbs.
Formation plates.
Cultivation manuals.
Protective talismans.
Spirit beast materials.
Several weapons.
Some attracted fierce bidding wars.
Others barely interested Su Yang.
He watched quietly.
Occasionally, he examined something that appeared useful, but none tempted him enough to spend his spirit stones.
More importantly—
He still had not found the reason he had come here.
A gift for Su Lan.
Su Yang sighed.
Don't tell me I'll leave an auction house with a saber for myself and still forget Sister's gift.
If that happened, even he would feel ashamed.
The auction continued for quite some time.
Eventually, Su Yang began losing interest.
He leaned backward.
Perhaps he would have better luck searching the shops outside.
"After this item, I'll leave."
Another treasure was sold.
Then another.
Su Yang stood.
He adjusted his Midnight Star Cloak and prepared to exit the private room.
But before he could take his first step—
"Honoured guests."
Lady Yue's voice changed.
Su Yang stopped.
The playful charm she had maintained throughout the auction had disappeared.
Her expression was unusually serious.
The experienced cultivators in the audience immediately noticed.
Conversations died down.
Even the Heavenly Law Palace elder Su Yang had noticed earlier opened his eyes.
Lady Yue looked toward the side of the stage.
"Bring it out."
Four attendants appeared.
Unlike the previous items, the object they carried was completely covered beneath a black cloth.
More importantly—
Four guards accompanied them.
Each possessed a powerful aura.
The atmosphere within the auction hall changed.
Su Yang slowly sat back down.
Interesting.
The object was carefully placed upon the center of the auction platform.
Lady Yue did not immediately remove the covering.
Instead, she looked across the thousands of cultivators gathered within the hall.
"This next item was obtained under unusual circumstances."
Several powerful cultivators leaned forward.
Lady Yue continued.
"Our Sacred Mansion Auction House has invited several appraisers to examine it."
Her expression became complicated.
"Yet none of them could completely determine its origin."
That statement immediately caused an uproar.
"What?"
"Even Sacred Mansion couldn't identify it?"
"What kind of treasure is it?"
The Heavenly Law Palace elder's expression became noticeably serious.
His female disciple leaned forward.
Su Yang noticed their reactions.
Could this be what they came for?
His intention to leave completely disappeared.
Lady Yue finally reached toward the black covering.
"However, although we cannot determine its complete origin…"
Her fingers gripped the cloth.
"…we can confirm that this object is anything but ordinary."
She pulled.
WHOOSH!
The black cloth fell away.
The entire auction hall became silent.
Su Yang looked toward the stage.
Then—
THUD!
His heart suddenly beat heavily.
Su Yang froze.
THUD!
Deep within his dantian—
The Dragon opened its eyes.
The Tiger raised its head.
ROAR!
ROARRR!
Su Yang's expression changed drastically.
The two martial spirits that had remained quiet throughout the entire auction suddenly became restless.
Not hungry.
Not excited.
Something else.
Something Su Yang had never felt from them before.
Recognition.
His fingers slowly tightened around the armrest.
"What…"
He stared toward the mysterious object on the stage.
"…is that?