“Miss Yun, this is the private room the Pavilion Master reserved for you.”
The errand boy stopped in front of a door with Yun Heng. As the door swung open, a faint spiritual glow illuminated the interior.
This private room was slightly smaller than the one she had rested in earlier, but its layout was far better suited for viewing the auction. Directly ahead stood an entire wall made of water-clear crystal, completely transparent. From here, she had a clear view of the auction stage and the seats below. While Yun Heng could look out from inside, those outside could not see her figure.
A soft armchair sat before the crystal wall, flanked by a low table. Atop the table rested a jade token.
The auction hall below was laid out in a semicircle.
At the absolute center was a raised platform. Bronze lamps stood at its four corners, their flames burning steadily and illuminating every inch of the auction stage with crisp clarity. Beneath the stage were rows of seats, already filled with a fair number of cultivators.
Higher up hung a ring of private rooms.
Concealed behind array patterns, those rooms showed only blurred flickers of spiritual light, hiding the identity of whoever sat within.
Standing off to the side, the errand boy explained in a low voice, “Miss Yun, the seats below are standard seating, while the second floor consists entirely of private rooms. Should anything catch your eye, you need only channel your spiritual energy into this bidding token and enter the amount of spirit stones.”
As he spoke, he gestured toward the jade token on the low table.
“The auctioneer will call the bid three times. If no one raises after the third call, the item goes to the highest bidder. Once the bid is settled, a staff member from the pavilion will deliver the item directly to your room, allowing you to inspect it in person before handing over the spirit stones.”
Yun Heng glanced at the jade token.
It was not large, its surface carved with intricate array patterns that would light up at the slightest touch of spiritual power. The other end of the array was connected to the auction stage—quite convenient.
The errand boy added, “If you do not wish to show your face, Miss, the transaction can be completed entirely within this private room. Wanbao Pavilion will never disclose a guest's identity.”
Yun Heng nodded.
The errand boy bowed. “I shall wait right outside. Should you require anything, simply give a call.”
With that, he quietly withdrew.
Yun Heng took a seat in the soft chair and focused her gaze on the auction stage below.
In her previous life, she had never attended an auction, so she had no real point of reference for what one should look like, but this cultivation world's auction hall was certainly well-arranged.
After an indefinite length of time, a low murmur rippled through the crowd below.
The bronze lamps at the four corners of the auction stage flared in unison.
The scattered chatter gradually died down, and everyone's eyes drawn toward the raised stage.
A figure stepped onto the platform from the side.
Shen Guanlan was still clad in his dark cyan robes, the golden patterns along his sleeves shimmering subtly under the light.
“Everyone.”
When he spoke, his voice resonated through the entire hall via the amplification array.
“The Qingming Secret Realm is about to open, drawing factions from all over to Tianque City. That you have chosen to favor Wanbao Pavilion with your presence tonight—Shen expresses his sincere gratitude.”
“In doing business, Wanbao Pavilion never lets its guests return empty-handed.”
He did not waste words, giving only a brief summary of the auction rules: items went to the highest bidder, bids could not be retracted once settled, private fights inside the hall were forbidden, and Wanbao Pavilion would not interfere with any grudges carried outside Wanbao Tower.
As his final words echoed, Shen Guanlan swept his eyes across the entire audience.
“Tonight's auction officially begins.”
The light of the bronze lamps surged brilliantly.
After Shen Guanlan stepped down, a woman walked onto the auction stage.
She wore a crimson gown embroidered with fine golden patterns across the hem. Her features were bright and striking, yet her demeanor was entirely poised. As she raised her hand, a string of silver bells on her wrist swayed silently.
Taking her place, she bowed gracefully toward the private rooms surrounding the hall and the main seating below.
“Tonight's auction will be hosted by Ming Qi.”
Her voice was crisp and clear, amplified by the array while maintaining a steady tone.
Yun Heng watched her.
This Ming Qi's cultivation was by no means low—she was at least in the late Golden Core stage. To stand on Wanbao Pavilion's auction stage, her judgment, nerve, and sense of propriety had to be top-notch.
Ming Qi raised a hand, and two maids behind her brought a long box onto the stage.
“The first item up for auction: the Profound Scale Shield.”
As the long box opened, a palm-sized black shield floated into the air. Scale-like patterns etched its surface, glowing with a deep, concentrated spiritual aura while a faint chill radiated from its edges.
Ming Qi said, “This shield was forged from the carapace of a Tier-3 Profound Armored Beast. It can expand or shrink at will, making it well-suited for Golden Core cultivators as a defense. If activated by a Nascent Soul cultivator, it can even block an ordinary strike from a peak Golden Core cultivator. Starting bid: eight hundred high-grade spirit stones.”
Bids quickly rose from the crowd.
“One thousand.”
“One thousand three hundred.”
“One thousand eight hundred.”
Bidding shouts rang out continuously, surpassing two thousand in no time.
Yun Heng took a quick glance before looking away.
While decent for ordinary Golden Core cultivators, this shield was of little use to her.
In the end, the Profound Scale Shield sold for two thousand three hundred high-grade spirit stones, and someone promptly took the item down.
The next few items were brought up one after another.
But Yun Heng made no bids; she was waiting for the Qingming Command. Until then, there was no point in wasting spirit stones on items of little value to her.
The auction went on for nearly half an hour, the atmosphere gradually heating up.
Ming Qi raised her hand again. This time, the maid behind her brought up not a box, but a jade tray sealed with spiritual light.
At the center of the jade tray rested a teal token.
The token was no larger than half a palm, its edges engraved with cloud patterns and its center bearing a subtle secret realm insignia. The moment it appeared, the eyes of many below lit up.
Yun Heng's fingers paused on the armrest.
Here it was.
Ming Qi took in everyone's reactions, her smile unchanged.
“You have all waited for quite some time. I trust you are all waiting for this.”
She raised her hand, parting a seam in the spiritual light covering the jade tray.
The teal token floated up half an inch, the secret realm insignia on its surface flashing softly.
“The Qingming Command.”
Voices in the hall immediately hushed.
“Whoever holds this command may enter the Qingming Secret Realm when it opens in one month. Tonight, Wanbao Pavilion has secured a total of ten Qingming Commands, which will be auctioned separately.”
Hearing that there were ten, a muted buzz of discussion broke out among the crowd below.
Ming Qi continued, “The first Qingming Command goes to the highest bidder. Starting from the second, each will use the final selling price of the previous one as its starting bid.”
Yun Heng nodded in silent understanding. The higher the first token sold for, the higher the starting bids for the remaining nine would be. Wanbao Pavilion certainly knew how to do business.
Ming Qi gave the crowd little time to chatter.
“The first Qingming Command. Starting bid: one thousand high-grade spirit stones.”
The moment the words left her mouth, a flash of spiritual light flared on the bidding tokens.
“One thousand one hundred.”
“One thousand three hundred.”
“One thousand five hundred.”
“Two thousand.”
The bidding calls hardly paused for a second.
Though the Qingming Secret Realm posed great danger, the opportunities within were equally enticing. For rogue cultivators, a token could mean a chance to alter their destiny. For sects and prominent families, having one more person enter meant one more chance to claim those opportunities.
The price quickly climbed past three thousand.
Then jumped from three thousand to four thousand five hundred.
By five thousand, many rogue cultivators below had fallen silent.
Anything higher was no longer an amount ordinary rogue cultivators could easily afford.
“Five thousand two hundred.”
“Five thousand five hundred.”
“Six thousand.”
Once six thousand high-grade spirit stones was called, the pace of bids visibly slowed.
Yun Heng watched the Qingming Command, still making no move.
The first token was the easiest one for people to test the waters with.
She was in no rush.
Standing on stage, Ming Qi swept her gaze across the second-floor private rooms, her smile deepening slightly.
“Six thousand high-grade spirit stones. Are there any further bids?”
A cultivator below hesitated briefly before lighting up his token again.
“Six thousand one hundred.”
Once that number was raised, a silence settled over the hall for a brief moment.
Yun Heng finally raised her hand, sending her spiritual energy into the jade token beside the table.
The array patterns lit up.
The next instant, a new bid hovered above the auction stage.
“Seven thousand high-grade spirit stones.”
Ming Qi's eyes flickered slightly, glancing toward a certain private room on the second floor.
“A distinguished guest on the second floor bids seven thousand high-grade spirit stones.”
A low wave of whispers immediately rippled through the hall.
Seeing someone in a second-floor private room make a move, many cultivators below abandoned their ambitions.
Yet the Qingming Command was simply too alluring.
Soon enough, another bid flared into light.
“Seven thousand one hundred.”
Looking at that number, Yun Heng tapped her fingertip down once more.
“Eight thousand.”
Jumping straight from seven thousand one hundred to eight thousand.
Many below looked up toward the second floor, but the array patterns covering the private rooms obscured everything, preventing anyone from catching a glimpse of the bidder.
Leaning back in her chair, Yun Heng appeared completely calm, though she hummed faintly in her heart. Trying to outbid me?
She had just acquired fifty-one thousand five hundred high-grade spirit stones. If she couldn't even secure a single Qingming Command, her trip to Wanbao Tower today would have been entirely in vain.
After eight thousand, the bidding paused for a brief moment.
Just as Ming Qi was about to speak, a private room on the second floor suddenly flared with spiritual light.
“Eight thousand five hundred.”
The hall grew quiet.
Yun Heng glanced over.
Through the array patterns, she could see only a layer of pale gold light shimmering outside that room.
She did not hesitate.
“Ten thousand.”
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