68: Chapter 68 Auction Preview: A Citywide Sensation

Morning light broke through, and the Divine City awoke in the mist.

But today, the Divine City woke up earlier and was noisier than usual. In every street and alley, tea houses, restaurants, Cultivation markets, and even deep mansions, everyone was talking about the same topic—the Heavenly Court Auction!

To be precise, it was the "Heavenly Court First Appraisal Fair." This name, which was still slightly unfamiliar yesterday, had spread to every corner of the Divine City overnight.

The source of all this was the twelve giant posters that appeared on the twelve main bulletin boards of the Divine City this morning.

The posters had a mysterious black background with the big dipper pattern outlined in gold thread. In the center, "Heavenly Court First Appraisal Fair" was written in a dragon-flying, phoenix-dancing style, and below it was the time and location: "11:45 AM, Treasure Gathering Pavilion Main Hall." The most eye-catching part was the partial list of auction items listed on the right side of the poster:

[Low-Grade Spirit Stone Gift Package] x 100 (Each contains 500 Low-Grade Spirit Stones + 3 Medicinal Pills + 1 piece of Advanced Equipment)

[Mid-Grade Spirit Stone] Single Auction (Purity over 85%, total 200 pieces)

[Rare Yao Beast Materials]: Mother Emperor's Heart, Spider Mother Carapace, Mutant Egg Sac, etc.

[Epic Heaven And Earth Treasure]: purple thunder essence gold, cold marrow crystal, starlight dew

[Mysterious Grand Finale Item]: Beyond Epic, to be revealed.

On the left side of the poster was an actual rubbing pattern of ten High-Grade Spirit Stones—the outline of pale gold crystals, with spiritual light flowing inside, labeled next to it: "High-Grade Spirit Stone x 5, displayed on-site."

But this was not the most sensational part.

At the very bottom of the poster, written in eye-catching red-gold characters: [Special Display: Legendary Sword Embryo (Replica) — Cast from Dragon-pattern Black Gold, true Dragon patterns, for viewing only, not for sale].

Legendary!

These three words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up monstrous waves.

West District, in front of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.

The morning mist had not yet dispersed, and hundreds of people had already gathered here. There were Loose Cultivators who came to watch the fun, spies from various forces who came to investigate intelligence, and buyers who were truly preparing to bid. Everyone's eyes were focused on the newly erected display stand in front of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.

The display stand was three feet high, carved entirely from white jade, with a defensive Formation engraved on the surface. Two crystal covers were placed side by side on the stand.

Inside the left crystal cover, five High-Grade Spirit Stones were quietly floating. The pale gold spiritual light refracted a blurry halo through the crystal, and even through the protective cover, one could still feel the extremely pure spiritual power fluctuations within. Each Spirit Stone was the size of a baby's fist, with natural cloud-like patterns on the surface, which was a sign of highly condensed Spiritual Qi.

[High-Grade Spirit Stone Display Item]

Quality: Rare

Purity: 99.1% - 99.5%

Status: Seal (Display only, do not touch)

Description: Produced from the deep veins of the Chenxing Mountain Range, naturally formed, the purity of Spiritual Qi is the best seen in nearly a hundred years.

Inside the right crystal cover was a dark gold sword-shaped object about three feet long. It was called a sword, but it was actually just a rough sword embryo shape; the sword body was rough, the edge was not sharpened, and the hilt was just a simple cylinder. But the winding, swimming Dragon patterns on the surface of the sword embryo made everyone who saw it hold their breath.

Those patterns were not carved, not inlaid, but grew naturally inside the material, flowing slowly as if alive. When light shone on them, the patterns would emit a faint golden luster, and one could vaguely hear a faint Dragon chant.

[Dragon-pattern Black Gold Sword Embryo (Replica)]

Quality: Advanced (Replica)

Status: Display Item (Not for sale)

Description: This item is a replica made by Great Master Appraiser based on the aura of the real item. It only has the form, not the spirit. The real sword embryo is a Legendary-grade material, which has been collected by the owner and is not participating in the auction.

Replica effect: Simulates 30% of the appearance of the real item, and 10% of the aura fluctuation.

Creator: Golden Stone Eye · Great Master Appraiser (Attached with Great Master's handwritten authentication Seal)

"Great Master Appraiser personally authenticated it!"

"Legendary material... My god, this is the first time in my life I've seen something Legendary, even if it's a replica..."

"The real item is not being auctioned? What a pity, if the real item were brought out, the entire Eastern Wilderness would go crazy!"

"What is the background of the Heavenly Court? They even have Legendary Materials?"

The discussions surged like a tide.

In the crowd, a few inconspicuous figures exchanged glances and quietly retreated. They were spies from major forces who needed to pass the intelligence back as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, there were undercurrents surging all over the Divine City.

East District, Ji Family mansion.

In the meeting hall, the third Elder of the Ji Family, Ji Xuanfeng, stood with his hands behind his back, with three Family disciples standing in front of him.

"Have you checked it clearly?" Ji Xuanfeng's voice was calm, but his eyes flashed with sharpness.

"Checked it clearly." The young man in brocade clothes at the head bowed respectfully, "The High-Grade Spirit Stones on the display stand indeed have a purity of over 99%, which is top-tier goods. That sword embryo replica... although it is just a replica, the Dragon patterns and aura fluctuations on it cannot be faked. The authentication Seal of Great Master Appraiser is also confirmed to be correct; it is a true rubbing."

"What about the background of the Heavenly Court?"

"Still investigating. This force appeared suddenly half a year ago. The leader is a young man named Lin Ye, whose cultivation is around Dao Palace First Layer. But they have a close relationship with the Yaoguang Holy Land. Some people have seen Lin Ye and others entering and exiting the teleportation array wearing the Outer Sect Disciple uniforms of the Holy Land."

"Yaoguang Holy Land..." Ji Xuanfeng pondered, "That makes sense. Legendary Materials, High-Grade Spirit Stones... I'm afraid it's a pawn supported secretly by the Yaoguang Holy Land, using the auction to test the reactions of various parties."

He paused and ordered: "Prepare funds. For today's auction, we must take down the cold marrow crystal. Also, find a way to contact that Lin Ye and probe his tone. If possible... win him over."

"Yes!"

South District, Ten Thousand Treasures Tower headquarters.

In the secret room on the top floor, three shopkeepers sat around a round table with heavy expressions.

"This move by the Heavenly Court is going to smash our rice bowl." The chief shopkeeper was a chubby old man, fiddling with two jade balls in his hand, "Legendary material display, High-Grade Spirit Stone auction... This is to establish their prestige."

The second shopkeeper was a lean middle-aged man, flipping through the intelligence in his hand: "What's more troublesome is that they brought out something we have always been lacking—cold marrow crystal. The Old Ancestor of the Jiang Family Cultivates Ice-type Cultivation Techniques and urgently needs this item. He has already sent someone to pass the word that he must take it at all costs. If our Ten Thousand Treasures Tower cannot provide it, the Jiang Family will turn to the Heavenly Court to purchase it. This is a loss of customers."

The third shopkeeper was a graceful and luxurious beauty who said softly: "It's not just the Jiang Family. purple thunder essence gold is useful to the Ying Family, and starlight dew is useful to the Yao Family. The three Epic-grade Materials auctioned by the Heavenly Court this time happen to hit the urgent needs of the four major families. This is not a coincidence."

The chief shopkeeper's jade balls stopped: "So, there is an expert behind the Heavenly Court who knows the needs of every Family in the Divine City. They might even... have obtained some secret intelligence."

The secret room fell into silence.

After a long time, the chief shopkeeper spoke: "Participate in the auction as usual, and bid when you should. But after the auction... send someone to contact the Heavenly Court to explore the possibility of cooperation. If they are willing to supply goods, we can act as intermediaries."

"Then what if the Heavenly Court is unwilling?" the second shopkeeper asked.

A cold light flashed in the chief shopkeeper's eyes: "Then let them know that business in the Divine City is not that easy to do."

West District, a quiet courtyard.

This was the secret stronghold of the Zongheng Alliance in the Divine City.

Alliance Master of Henghe Alliance sat in the main seat, looking at the intelligence scroll in his hand with a gloomy face. Standing below were eight core members of the Zongheng Alliance, all of whom were in the Dao Palace Realm.

"Heavenly Court... Lin Ye..." Alliance Master of Henghe Alliance gritted his teeth, "Killing my brother, seizing my Ore vein, and now making such a big fuss. This is slapping my face!"

A subordinate said cautiously: "Alliance Master, are we going to today's auction?"

"Go, why not?" Alliance Master of Henghe Alliance sneered, "Not only go, but go with great fanfare. I want everyone to know that the Zongheng Alliance is not afraid of his Heavenly Court!"

"But... our funds..."

"Don't worry about funds." Alliance Master of Henghe Alliance took out a token from his arms, "I have already transferred 300,000 Spirit Stones from the Family. Today at the auction, we must compete for all of the Heavenly Court's auction items! If we can't compete, drive up the price and make them bleed more!"

He paused and added: "Also, after the auction, arrange for people to keep a close eye on the Heavenly Court's people. Once they leave the Treasure Gathering Pavilion... you know what to do."

"Subordinate understands!"

Another secret residence.

Nine black shadows knelt before a statue, with ghostly green light flickering in the statue's eyes.

A hoarse voice came from the statue: "Dragon-pattern Black Gold sword embryo... although it is just a replica, the real item must be in the hands of the Heavenly Court. This item is very useful to the Tower Master; it must be obtained."

The leading black shadow said in a deep voice: "Subordinate has already arranged it. During the auction, our people will mix into the ordinary seats. When the auction ends, create chaos and take the opportunity to snatch the auction items. The key targets are Epic-grade Materials and High-Grade Spirit Stones."

"Not enough." The statue's voice was cold, "The real sword embryo is the target. According to intelligence, the real sword embryo is in Lin Ye's hands. After the auction ends, he will definitely return to the stronghold. You divide into two groups: one group to snatch auction items, and one group to ambush Lin Ye."

"As you command!"

The temporary residence of the Olympus temple.

Ares was wearing golden battle armor, wiping a giant axe. Athena sat opposite him, holding a roll of parchment in her hand, which recorded detailed information about the auction items.

"cold marrow crystal, starlight dew, purple thunder essence gold..." Athena read softly, "All good things. Lord Zeus is refining the 'Thunder Battle Armor' and needs purple thunder essence gold. Lord Hades is cultivating the Underworld Cultivation Technique and needs starlight dew to nourish his Divine Soul. Lord Apollo..."

"Just say it, which one are we going to snatch?" Ares said impatiently.

Athena looked at him: "Not snatch, but bid. We have prepared 200,000 Spirit Stones, enough to take down two Epic-grade Materials. But the problem is... other forces will also compete."

"Then raise the price!" Ares grinned, "Olympus is not short of money."

"This is not a money issue." Athena shook her head, "The Divine City is not our territory, and being too high-profile will cause resentment from local forces. And... I suspect the Heavenly Court has another purpose for this auction."

"What purpose?"

"Testing." Athena's eyes were profound, "Through the auction, test the financial strength, intentions, and reactions of all parties. That Lin Ye... is not simple."

Ares hummed: "No matter how simple he is, he is only at the Dao Palace First Layer. When I find a chance, I will chop him with an axe."

"Don't be impulsive." Athena warned, "Taking action in the Divine City has serious consequences. And... I always feel that this Lin Ye has a secret."

She looked out the window, toward the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.

"Legendary sword embryo, High-Grade Spirit Stone, Epic-grade Materials... where does an emerging force get so many good things? Unless... they discovered an undeveloped Treasure Trove."

Ares's eyes lit up: "Treasure Trove? You mean..."

"Chenxing Mountain Range." Athena said slowly, "According to intelligence, Lin Ye and others have been frequently entering and exiting the Chenxing Mountain Range recently. And there, there are indeed rumors of ancient Ore veins."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go and snatch it directly!"

"The Chenxing Mountain Range is too big, and without a specific location, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack." Athena said, "So, we need intelligence. And today's auction is the opportunity to obtain intelligence."

She stood up: "Prepare, we are going to the auction too. Besides bidding, we must carefully observe the people of the Heavenly Court. Especially that Lin Ye... I want to know how much he knows."

Time gradually approached noon.

The crowd in front of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion gathered more and more, already exceeding a thousand people. The Divine City garrison had to send two teams of guards to maintain order, pulling up a cordon in front of the door.

Inside the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, Zhao Wuji was making final checks.

The main hall has three floors and a circular structure. The first floor is an ordinary seating area, with three hundred seats, 80% of which are already full. The second floor is VIP boxes, twenty in total, separated by bead curtains, with tea, snacks, and attendants inside. The third floor is special VIP boxes, only five, all reserved today: Jiang Family, Ji Family, Ten Thousand Treasures Tower, Olympus, Zongheng Alliance.

The auction platform is located in the center of the main hall, three feet above the ground, carved from a whole piece of white jade. Display cabinets for some auction items have already been placed on the stage, all covered with red silk.

Backstage, Lin Ye, Su Qingyue, Chen Hao, Shi Potian, and others were already in place.

"Is everything ready?" Lin Ye asked.

Zhao Wuji nodded: "All auction items are in place, all security personnel are in position, and the leader of the Iron Blood Mercenary Group is personally on guard at the side of the auction platform. In addition, members of Qin Ruoxue's Heavenly Secret Pavilion have already mixed into the audience to monitor for abnormalities at any time."

[part:gemini-3.0-flash]

He paused and lowered his voice. "I just received word. Zhao Zheng from the Zongheng Alliance brought eight Dao Palace Realm Cultivators. They are in Private Box 3 on the second floor. Ares and Athena from Olympus are in Box 5. Shadow Kill Tower's people are mixed in with the general seating; there are at least six of them."

"As expected," Lin Ye said with a calm expression. "Proceed according to plan. You will preside over the entire auction. Qingyue and the others will be on high alert in the shadows with me."

"Understood."

Lin Ye turned to Su Qingyue and the others. "Qingyue, you're responsible for monitoring the Spiritual Qi fluctuations throughout the venue. Alert us immediately if there's any abnormality. Chen Hao, Shi Potian, take ten people and stand by backstage, ready to respond to any emergencies. The rest of you disperse across the first floor and blend in with the audience."

"Yes!"

Everyone took their positions.

Lin Ye climbed to the observation deck at the top of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion. From here, he could overlook the entire main hall and see the streets and alleys surrounding the pavilion.

His gaze swept over the scene below.

In the general seating area, Loose Cultivators whispered to one another, creating a lively atmosphere. Behind the beaded curtains of the VIP boxes, figures could be seen moving faintly. The premium boxes were completely enclosed, with even their windows shut.

In the alleys outside the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, Lin Ye could sense at least five hidden presences. There were people from the Zongheng Alliance, assassins from the Shadow Kill Tower, and likely scouts from other factions.

"So they've all come," Lin Ye muttered, a cold smirk playing on his lips.

He took out a transmission Talisman and sent a final instruction to Zhao Wuji: "You may begin."

At three quarters past noon, the bell chimed.

The lights in the main hall of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion suddenly dimmed, leaving only a bright pillar of light on the auction stage.

Zhao Wuji slowly walked onto the auction stage.

Today, he had changed into a formal moon-white brocade robe tied with a jade belt, holding a small golden hammer in his hand. With a smile on his face and a composed demeanor, one could not tell at all that this was his first time hosting such a large-scale auction.

"Distinguished guests, welcome to the Heavenly Court's first Treasure Appraisal Convention," Zhao Wuji's voice spread throughout the main hall via an amplification Formation. "I am Zhao Wuji, General Manager of the Heavenly Court Chamber of Commerce, and I will be presiding over today's auction."

Sparse applause rang out from below the stage.

Ignoring it, Zhao Wuji continued, "The auction rules are simple: the highest bidder wins, with settlements in Spirit Stones. Each item has a starting price, and each bid increment must not be less than 5% of the starting price. Once the deal is struck, the exchange will happen on the spot—payment for goods, clear and final."

"Furthermore, I wish to clarify two points: first, all auction items have been appraised by Master Appraiser Zhuge Ming's team and are guaranteed authentic. Second, during the auction, the use of force is strictly prohibited within the Treasure Gathering Pavilion. Violators will be expelled and blacklisted by the Heavenly Court."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the audience. "Now then, let us begin with the first item—"

Two maidservants carried a tray covered with red silk onto the stage.

Zhao Wuji lifted the red silk, revealing ten bottles of Medicinal Pills.

[Grade 3 Rejuvenation Pill × 10 Bottles]

Quality: Excellent

Effect: Ten pills per bottle. Each pill instantly restores 2,000 health points, followed by a continuous recovery of 100 points per second for the next 10 seconds.

Starting Price: 500 Low-Grade Spirit Stones

"A sacred medicine for healing, an essential for exploration. The starting price is five hundred, with each increment no less than twenty-five Spirit Stones. Please place your bids!"

"Five hundred and fifty!"

"Six hundred!"

"Seven hundred!"

Bidding voices rose one after another.

The auction had officially begun.

Lin Ye watched quietly from the observation deck.

The early items were common goods: Medicinal Pills, Talismans, Excellent-grade equipment, and low-tier Materials. These were mainly to warm up the crowd and give ordinary Loose Cultivators a chance to participate.

The real highlights would come later.

Sure enough, an hour later, all the common items had been sold, with a total turnover of thirty thousand Spirit Stones. For a warm-up phase, this was already a quite impressive result.

"Next, we enter the core phase of this convention," Zhao Wuji raised his voice. "First, we have the [Low-Grade Spirit Stone Gift Packs]. Each pack contains five hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones, three bottles of Grade 3 Medicinal Pills, and one piece of Excellent equipment. There are one hundred packs in total, to be auctioned in ten groups of ten packs each."

"Group one, starting price five thousand Spirit Stones!"

As soon as this price was announced, the Loose Cultivators in the general seating gasped. Five thousand Spirit Stones was equivalent to the entire net worth of an ordinary Wheel Sea Realm Cultivator.

But in the VIP boxes, bidding immediately broke out:

"Five thousand five hundred!"

"Six thousand!"

"Seven thousand!"

Ultimately, the first group of Spirit Stone gift packs sold for eight thousand two hundred Spirit Stones, taken by a mysterious buyer in Box 7 on the second floor.

The next nine groups sold for between eight and nine thousand. For the hundred gift packs, the total turnover reached eight hundred and fifty thousand Spirit Stones!

This figure caused the entire main hall to fall silent for a moment.

Eight hundred and fifty thousand! Many small to medium-sized chambers of commerce didn't even have that much annual turnover!

And this was only the beginning.

Next were individual Mid-Grade Spirit Stones being auctioned.

"Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, with a purity of over 85%, two hundred in total. They will be auctioned in twenty groups of ten. For the first group, the starting price is... ten thousand Spirit Stones!"

The market rate for a Mid-Grade Spirit Stone was one for a hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones, but in actual transactions, there was often a premium, especially for those with high purity. Zhao Wuji setting the starting price at ten thousand meant one thousand per stone, which was already considered a high price.

Yet the bidding remained fierce.

"Eleven thousand!"

"Thirteen thousand!"

"Fifteen thousand!"

Ultimately, the first group of ten Mid-Grade Spirit Stones sold for eighteen thousand Spirit Stones, an 80% premium!

After twenty groups were sold, the total turnover for the Mid-Grade Spirit Stones reached three hundred and sixty thousand Spirit Stones!

Combined with the previous eight hundred and fifty thousand, the total turnover of the auction had already surpassed 1.2 million!

This figure made the representatives of the major powers in the VIP boxes look grave.

The Heavenly Court's financial strength far exceeded their estimates!

And that wasn't all.

"Next is the rare Yao Beast Materials phase," Zhao Wuji clapped his hands.

Three maidservants each carried a jade box onto the stage.

The first jade box was opened to reveal a fist-sized, dark-red object that pulsed slightly like a heart.

[Mother Queens Heart (Gold Material)]

Quality: Rare

Effect: Can be used to refine Advanced Medicinal Pills or Puppet cores; contains the life essence of the Crypt Demon Spider Mother.

Starting Price: 20,000 Spirit Stones!

"Twenty-five thousand!"

"Thirty thousand!"

"Thirty-eight thousand!"

Ultimately, the Mother Queens Heart sold for forty-five thousand Spirit Stones, purchased by Box 3 on the third floor (the Jiang Family).

The second jade box contained Spider Mother Carapace Fragments, auctioned as a pack of eighteen pieces. The starting price was fifteen thousand, and they eventually sold for twenty-eight thousand.

The third jade box contained Mutated Egg Sacs, in groups of three. The starting price was ten thousand, and they eventually sold for nineteen thousand.

In the Yao Beast Materials phase, the total turnover was ninety-two thousand Spirit Stones.

By now, the auction had been going on for three hours, and the total turnover was approaching 1.3 million!

But everyone knew the true climax had yet to arrive.

"Everyone, please take a short break," Zhao Wuji said with a smile. "In the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, we will enter the grand finale of this convention—the auction of Epic-grade Heaven And Earth Treasures!"

Excited chatter filled the main hall.

In the VIP boxes, representatives of various factions began urgent consultations to adjust their bidding strategies.

The time for a stick of incense passed quickly.

When Zhao Wuji walked back onto the auction stage, the entire main hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

"We will now begin the Epic-grade Heaven And Earth Treasure auction," Zhao Wuji's voice carried a hint of excitement. "The first item—purple thunder essence gold!"

The jade box opened, and the purple-gold Ore flickered with lightning under the lights.

Starting Price: 50,000 Spirit Stones!

"Sixty thousand!"

"Seventy thousand!"

"Eighty-five thousand!"

Bidding voices were like a violent storm.

Ultimately, the purple thunder essence gold sold for one hundred and twenty-eight thousand Spirit Stones, purchased by Box 5 on the third floor (Olympus).

"The second item—cold marrow crystal!"

The ice-blue crystal emitted a bone-chilling cold.

Starting Price: 50,000 Spirit Stones!

This time, the bidding was even more intense. The Ji Family, the Jiang Family, the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower, and even some hidden ice-attribute Cultivators all joined in.

The price soared: sixty thousand, eighty thousand, one hundred thousand, one hundred and twenty thousand...

"One hundred and fifty thousand!" a voice came from Box 1 on the third floor (the Ji Family).

The main hall erupted in an uproar. One hundred and fifty thousand! This was already 30% above the market price for cold marrow crystal!

But the Jiang Family clearly had no intention of giving up: "One hundred and sixty thousand!"

"One hundred and seventy thousand!" the Ji Family followed up.

"One hundred and eighty thousand!" the Jiang Family gritted their teeth.

The Ji Family was silent for a moment and ultimately did not bid further.

The cold marrow crystal sold for one hundred and eighty thousand Spirit Stones, setting the highest price for a single item in this auction!

"The third item—starlight dew!"

The silver liquid flowed within a crystal bottle, shimmering with starlight.

Starting Price: 60,000 Spirit Stones!

This time, the main bidders were the Yao Family, the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower, and several mysterious Cultivators who specialized in Divine Sense Cultivation Techniques.

Ultimately, the starlight dew sold for one hundred and forty-five thousand Spirit Stones, purchased by Box 4 on the third floor (the Yao Family).

The three Epic-grade Materials brought in a total turnover of four hundred and fifty-three thousand Spirit Stones!

Combined with the previous sales, the total turnover for the auction had already surpassed 1.75 million!

This amount was enough to buy an entire street of shops in the Divine City!

"Thank you all for your enthusiasm," Zhao Wuji's smile grew even wider. "Now, we enter the final phase—the mysterious grand finale!"

He clapped his hands.

Four guards carried a square object completely covered in red cloth onto the stage. The object wasn't large, but it seemed very heavy, as the guards were visibly struggling.

Zhao Wuji took a deep breath and grabbed a corner of the red cloth.

"This item is the true grand finale of this convention—"

He whipped off the red cloth!

In an instant, dazzling golden light filled the entire main hall!

It was a transparent crystal cabinet, inside which five High-Grade Spirit Stones were arranged side by side! Each one was the size of an adult's fist, pale gold in color, with spiritual light flowing inside like liquid and mysterious cloud-mist patterns naturally formed on the surface.

Even more astonishingly, the five Spirit Stones were arranged in a pentagram Formation, connected to each other by thin threads of spiritual light, forming a miniature Spiritual Qi cycle. The concentration of Spiritual Qi inside the crystal cabinet had reached a visible level of atomization!

[High-Grade Spirit Stone × 5 (Combined Spirit Formation)]

Quality: Rare (Combination Effect)

Status: Naturally formed Five-Spirit Cycle Formation, increasing Spiritual Qi recovery speed by 300%.

Special Effect: Cultivating within this Formation for a long time increases cultivation speed by 50% and the success rate of breaking through Bottlenecks by 10%.

Starting Price: 200,000 Spirit Stones!

The entire main hall fell into a dead silence.

Everyone was stunned by these five High-Grade Spirit Stones.

While a single High-Grade Spirit Stone was precious, it wasn't enough to make the major powers go wild. But these five High-Grade Spirit Stones that naturally formed a Spirit Formation... this was a treasure that could be sought but not easily found! Its value far exceeded the simple sum of five Spirit Stones!

"Two hundred and fifty thousand!" Box 2 on the third floor (the Ying Family) was the first to bid.

"Three hundred thousand!" Box 3 on the third floor (the Jiang Family) followed.

"Three hundred and fifty thousand!" Box 1 on the third floor (the Ji Family) joined the fray.

"Four hundred thousand!" the Chief Manager of the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower personally called out a bid.

The price climbed at a terrifying rate.

Five hundred thousand... six hundred thousand... seven hundred thousand...

Finally, when the price reached eight hundred and fifty thousand, the other competitors dropped out one by one.

"Eight hundred and fifty thousand once... eight hundred and fifty thousand twice... eight hundred and fifty thousand three times—sold!"

The golden hammer fell.

The five High-Grade Spirit Stone Combined Spirit Formation sold for the astronomical price of eight hundred and fifty thousand, purchased by Box 5 on the third floor (Olympus)!

With this final sale, the total turnover for this auction reached...

2.6 million Low-Grade Spirit Stones!

In the main hall, everyone held their breath.

This figure had surpassed the records of all auctions in the Divine City over the past ten years!

The Heavenly Court had become famous in a single battle!

"Thank you all for your support," Zhao Wuji's voice trembled slightly. "The Heavenly Court's first Treasure Appraisal Convention has come to a successful conclusion! Would the winning guests please proceed backstage to complete the handover procedures. For those who did not win, we have prepared small gifts which can be collected at the door upon leaving."

The auction had officially ended.

But the true storm had only just begun.

On the observation deck, Lin Ye watched the crowds leaving one after another, his gaze cold.

He could feel at least a dozen ill-intentioned gazes staring toward the backstage area.

And in the alleys outside the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, a murderous aura had already permeated the air.

"Are they here?" Lin Ye murmured to himself.

He took out a transmission Talisman and infused it with his Divine Thought:

"Proceed with the second plan. Move out."