Golden spiritual light illuminated the entire auction hall.
The massive crowd remained silent.
Thousands of cultivators sat motionless.
All eyes were fixed upon the stage.
The opening auction had finally begun.
Yet beneath the calm surface—
currents were already moving.
Far ahead, within the seats reserved for the great factions—
the elder from LinJian Sect narrowed his eyes slightly.
His gaze once again drifted toward the masked youth seated within the second section.
Lin Shuan.
Or rather—
the mysterious "Shuan Hao."
The elder's fingers lightly tapped the armrest.
"That boy..."
"Why does his aura feel so familiar?"
"As if... a fragment of destiny itself is resonating."
Beside LinJian Sect sat the representatives of Sword River Sect.
Their leader was a young woman named—
Jian Xue Ning.
The moment she noticed the elder's unusual attention—
her sword-like eyes quietly followed his gaze.
Soon—
they landed upon Lin Shuan.
A trace of curiosity appeared within her cold eyes.
"Who is he?"
LinJian Sect and Sword River Sect shared a close relationship.
Although she respected the elder greatly—
she had never seen him pay such attention to a junior before.
Especially not a masked youth.
Meanwhile—
within Golden Jade Pavilion's section—
the handsome young master slowly waved his jade fan.
His name was—
Jin Yu Chen.
One of the most famous young merchants within the Eastern Region.
His gaze casually swept toward Lin Shuan.
A faint smile appeared.
"Interesting."
"He entered on foot."
"Yet he somehow obtained a seat within the second section."
"A poor cultivator pretending to be important?"
"Or perhaps someone with hidden backing?"
The fan continued moving.
Jin Yu Chen enjoyed observing people.
Sometimes—
understanding a person was more profitable than understanding a treasure.
At the same time—
within Xuan Yun Sect's section—
Mo Xiao Lan frowned slightly.
An unusual sensation had appeared ever since entering the auction hall.
His Frost Domain Art was subtly resonating.
As though something nearby was drawing upon similar energy.
His eyes slowly turned.
Then froze.
They landed directly upon Lin Shuan.
Even beneath the mask—
something felt familiar.
Very familiar.
"Impossible..."
Mo Xiao Lan's heartbeat accelerated slightly.
"That feeling..."
"Only one person ever gave me such pressure."
He looked toward the elder beside him.
The old man was already staring toward Lin Shuan.
Mo Xiao Lan immediately spoke through spiritual transmission.
"Sect Leader."
"I think that might be him."
The elder remained calm.
"Shuan Hao?"
Mo Xiao Lan nodded.
The elder's eyes deepened.
"So."
"The youth Protector Yi favored..."
"...has finally appeared."
His gaze sharpened.
"If that truly is him..."
"...then perhaps he genuinely possesses the qualifications to become the future Empire Protector."
Mo Xiao Lan remained silent.
Because deep within his heart—
he already believed it.
At that moment—
A beautiful woman descended from the sky.
Dressed in green.
She was Yun Ruoxi.
The chief auctioneer of the Merchant Organization.
No one talked about her beauty because everyone recognized her —
"So she's going to be auctioned this time..?"
He greeted everyone respectfully,
"Welcome to the auction..."
"I hope you all get some accommodation this time..."
Then crimson flower was brought in a small silver vessel.
Yun Ruoshi's voice once again echoed through the hall.
" Congratulations..."
"Now the auction begins..."
"The Crimson Sun Flower."
"Five hundred years old."
"Starting bid."
"Ninety thousand gold coins."
Immediately—
voices exploded from every direction.
"One hundred thousand!"
"One hundred and twenty thousand!"
"One hundred and fifty thousand!"
"One hundred and eighty thousand!"
The bidding rose rapidly.
Many smaller clans immediately joined.
After all—
a five-hundred-year Crimson Sun Flower was extremely useful for fire cultivators.
Especially Meridian Tracer and Soul Spark cultivators.
Soon—
the price climbed beyond two hundred thousand.
Eventually—
a medium-sized clan purchased it for two hundred and sixty thousand gold coins.
The first item was sold.
Applause echoed.
Yun Ruoshi smiled.
"The next treasure."
A crystal platform rose.
Inside rested three blue fruits.
Cold mist flowed around them.
"Three Frost Spirit Fruits."
"Eight hundred years old."
"Starting bid."
"One hundred and fifty thousand gold coins."
The crowd became excited once more.
The bidding continued.
One treasure after another appeared.
Spirit fruits.
Ancient herbs.
Rare ores.
Formation materials.
Beast cores.
None were ordinary.
Yet none were enough to attract the attention of the truly great factions.
The major sects simply watched.
Waiting.
Observing.
Like giant beasts resting before battle.
Half an hour passed.
An hour passed.
Numerous treasures changed owners.
Many smaller clans became increasingly excited.
Several nearly exhausted their entire savings.
Meanwhile—
Lin Shuan remained calm.
Han Qing Li glanced toward him.
"You're not interested?"
Lin Shuan shook his head.
"Nothing useful yet."
Yan Feng Luo nodded.
"I agree."
"These treasures aren't bad."
"But compared to what we obtained inside the Imperial Arena..."
"...they're ordinary."
The others silently agreed.
Especially after witnessing the Primordial Garden.
Their standards had unknowingly risen.
Suddenly—
a new treasure appeared.
The atmosphere changed slightly.
Yun Ruoshi's smile widened.
"Next."
"A two-thousand-year-old Earth Dragon Root."
The crowd immediately stirred.
Even some larger clans straightened.
Earth Dragon Root.
A famous medicinal treasure.
Capable of strengthening the physical body significantly.
Starting bid—
six hundred thousand gold coins.
For the first time—
the auction exceeded the half-million mark.
A clan elder immediately stood.
"Seven hundred thousand!"
"Eight hundred thousand!"
"Nine hundred thousand!"
"One million!"
The competition intensified.
Several sects joined.
Eventually—
a southern clan purchased it for 1.4 million gold coins.
Excitement spread through the hall.
People finally began realizing—
the true treasures were arriving.
Then—
another item appeared.
A long spear.
Ancient runes covered its surface.
Even while resting upon the stage—
its aura remained powerful.
Yun Ruoshi spoke.
"Ancient Crimson Spear."
"Forged approximately twenty-three hundred years ago."
"Heaven Grade's lower tier weapon."
The crowd erupted.
Even some major factions became interested.
Weapons always attracted attention.
Especially ancient weapons.
The bidding began immediately.
One million.
One point two million.
One point five million.
Two million.
The atmosphere became increasingly heated.
Eventually—
the spear sold for 2.7 million gold coins.
Thunderous applause erupted.
Yun Ruoshi smiled brightly.
"The excitement is only beginning."
Meanwhile—
within the second section—
the elder from LinJian Sect quietly observed Lin Shuan.
To his surprise—
the youth never reacted.
Not even once.
As if none of these treasures interested him.
"Either he is ignorant..."
"Or..."
The elder's eyes narrowed.
"He possesses treasures far greater than these."
At the same moment—
Jin Yu Chen from Golden Jade Pavilion arrived at the same conclusion.
His smile deepened.
"Interesting."
"Very interesting."
Soon—
another treasure emerged.
A jade bottle.
Inside floated golden liquid.
The moment it appeared—
the atmosphere shifted dramatically.
Yun Ruoshi's voice became solemn.
"Three-thousand-year Golden Essence Liquid."
Gasps erupted.
Even several major factions opened their eyes.
This was different.
Three thousand years.
Such treasures were already capable of assisting Form Shaper cultivators.
The starting bid—
three million gold coins.
Instantly—
the real battle began.
"Three point five million!"
"Four million!"
"Five million!"
"Six million!"
One clan after another entered.
Even some merchant families joined.
The price skyrocketed.
Eventually—
Golden Jade Pavilion finally acted.
Jin Yu Chen slowly raised a finger.
"Ten million."
Silence.
The hall froze.
Many cultivators swallowed nervously.
Ten million.
Only the truly wealthy could speak such numbers casually.
No one continued.
The bottle was sold.
Jin Yu Chen smiled and closed his fan.
The first major faction had finally moved.
But that was merely the beginning.
Because everyone knew—
the truly terrifying competition had not started yet.
Not until the treasures worth tens of millions appeared.
Not until the legendary items emerged.
Yun Ruoshi glanced toward a backstage attendant.
The attendant nodded respectfully.
Then disappeared.
Several moments later—
a crystal cart was pushed onto the stage.
Golden spiritual light radiated outward.
The atmosphere instantly became strange.
Yun Ruoshi's smile deepened.
Her voice carried excitement.
"The next treasure..."
"...comes from a mysterious merchant."
Lin Shuan immediately recognized the cart.
Han Qing Li also noticed.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"It's yours."
Lin Shuan nodded.
The crowd became curious.
The crystal case slowly opened.
Inside rested a single golden flower.
The moment it appeared—
the entire hall became silent.
A rich spiritual fragrance instantly spread across the auction hall.
Even Form Shaper experts subconsciously inhaled.
Many cultivators widened their eyes.
Yun Ruoshi's expression became solemn.
"Golden Spirit Orchid."
"Top-grade ancient medicinal treasure."
"The quality..."
She paused.
Then smiled.
"...is nearly perfect."
The hall exploded.
Even the major factions became serious.
The LinJian Sect elder sat upright.
Mo Xiao Lan's eyes widened.
Jian Xue Ning opened her eyes completely.
Jin Yu Chen stopped moving his fan.
For the first time tonight—
all the true powerhouses focused on the stage.
Yun Ruoshi continued.
"The starting bid..."
"...one million five hundred thousand gold coins."
The moment her words fell—
the first true battle of wealth began.
"Two million!"
"Three million!"
"Four million!"
"Five million!"
Voices erupted instantly.
The hall shook with excitement.
And within the crowd—
Lin Shuan quietly watched.
His first herb had finally appeared.
Yet judging from the reactions around him—
its final value would likely exceed even his expectations.