284: Announcement of the opening of the cave

On the other side of the VIP section, several gazes instantly focused on Situ Jun, including the one from Mysterious Clarity Master, who had been resting with his eyes closed.

He suddenly snapped his eyes open, his gaze sharp as a blade as he stared fixedly at that piece of black metal. His fingertips moved rapidly in calculation while he muttered something under his breath, clearly trying to deduce the metal's origins.

The middle-aged Cultivator who had bid two thousand five hundred opened his mouth as if to say something, but upon seeing Situ Jun's cold and stern expression, he ultimately shook his head in resignation.

He was merely an ordinary Cultivator, while Situ Jun was the City Lord of the Northern Frontier, commanding a massive army and possessing a Cultivation at the Late Golden Core Stage—offending a City Lord for a piece of metal with an unknown purpose was clearly not worth the cost.

Most other Cultivators shared the same sentiment.

Although they were curious why Situ Jun would take an interest in such a thing, and some even speculated that a secret was hidden within the metal, no one was willing to provoke a City Lord for uncertain benefits.

For a moment, not a single person in the entire auction offered another bid.

An imperceptible glint flashed through Mo Chenggui's eyes. While he was curious why this City Lord of the Northern Frontier would be interested in such an "unpopular" item, it was nothing more than curiosity.

The smile on his face remained thick as he cleared his throat and called out loudly:

“Oh? City Lord Situ bids three thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones! Truly a keen eye! Any item that catches the City Lord's eye must be extraordinary. Are there any other Fellow Daoists willing to raise the price? For three thousand Spirit Stones, you can gamble on a chance for a celestial treasure—this is a rare Opportunity!”

He asked three times, but there was still no response from the audience.

Mo Chenggui no longer hesitated and raised the jade mallet in his hand, his voice booming:

“Three thousand Spirit Stones, going once!”

“Three thousand Spirit Stones, going twice!”

“Three thousand Spirit Stones, going three times!”

Crack!

The jade mallet in Mo Chenggui's hand fell gently as he smiled and said:

“Congratulations to City Lord Situ for acquiring this ancient artifact! I believe that with the City Lord's discernment, you will surely discover the extraordinary nature of this item.”

A chamber of commerce attendant immediately brought over a jade box, trotting to Situ Jun and presenting it respectfully.

Situ Jun didn't even look at it; he casually tossed out a Storage Pouch containing three thousand Spirit Stones and put away the jade box. His movements were smooth and fluid, as if he had just bought an insignificant little trinket.

Sitting beside him, Hua Hanxiang and Widow Ya couldn't help but steal curious glances at him.

The two beautiful Fairies were smart enough not to ask questions at this moment—they knew Situ Jun must have his own considerations, and now was not the time to ask.

Situ Jun felt their gazes and turned his head to look at them. The coldness in his eyes softened slightly, yet he explained nothing, merely gesturing for them to continue watching the auction.

Within his Dantian, the throbbing of the ring had gradually subsided, but Situ Jun could clearly feel that an invisible connection had formed between the ring and that piece of black metal—as long as he wished, he could sense the metal's location at any time.

Clearly, this seemingly ordinary piece of black metal was by no means as simple as it appeared on the surface.

Once the attendant returned to the stage, Mo Chenggui spoke again, his voice becoming enthusiastic once more:

“Alright, congratulations to City Lord Situ on getting what he desired! Next, the item we are about to auction is also of extraordinary origin; it is a...”

Following his words, the atmosphere of the auction house was stirred up once again. The brief silence caused by the black metal was quickly replaced by new bidding sounds, though occasionally a Cultivator would still look curiously toward Situ Jun's direction, trying to read something from his face. However, they only saw his usual composed and indifferent expression, as if the person who had just bid wasn't him... Time flowed slowly, and when the hammer fell on the final item of the auction at a price far exceeding expectations, the clamor in the entire hall still hadn't subsided.

Cultivators gathered in groups of two or three, either showing off their gains of the day or lamenting the treasures they had missed. Even the air was filled with an aura of excitement and restlessness.

Hua Hanxiang gently rubbed her somewhat aching wrists. She had been sweating over the bidding for the final defensive Magic Treasure just now, but now she finally breathed a sigh of relief. Turning to Situ Jun, her eyes shimmering with a touch of softness, she said: “Husband, can we go back now? There are really too many people here.”

Just as she finished speaking, Mo Chenggui, who was originally prepared to announce the end of the auction, suddenly raised his hand. A thick wave of spiritual Qi spread from his palm, instantly suppressing all the noise in the venue.

Standing in the center of the auction stage, he scanned the room. The habitual gentle smile on his face faded slightly, replaced by a touch of gravity:

“Fellow Daoists, please stay calm. I have gathered everyone here today not only to auction treasures but also to announce one more matter.”

The room fell silent instantly. Every Cultivator's gaze focused on him, and even Mysterious Clarity Master, who had been resting with his eyes closed, slowly opened them, his fingertips subconsciously stroking the jade box containing the cold marrow jade fruit in his sleeve.

Since obtaining this spiritual fruit, the spiritual Qi within him, which was surging due to old injuries, had been restless. If not for the mental fortitude he had built over decades of Cultivation, he would have already begun healing right then and there; he wouldn't have been able to sit here listening to the bidding.

“The outer Restriction of Daoist Ming Ya's Immortal Cave has been surveyed for days by several Formation Great Masters from our chamber of commerce. It has been confirmed that its energy fluctuations are at their lowest point in three months. Now is the best time to break the Restriction and open the Immortal Cave!”

He deliberately paused, his gaze sweeping over the wide eyes and gasping expressions below. Before the crowd could recover from their shock, his tone grew even more solemn:

“However, since the appearance of Daoist Ming Ya's Immortal Cave, the ominous baleful miasma and unstable spatial nodes within have always been a sword hanging over the heads of all living beings in the Southern Frontier! Recently, the Restriction's movements have been frequent, showing signs of losing control. If it is allowed to continue absorbing surrounding spiritual Qi, its eventual eruption could result in a massacre, affecting all tribes and Cultivation Sects within a thousand miles!”

As his words fell, the entire venue erupted in an uproar!

“How can this be? A Legacy Immortal Cave being this dangerous?!”

“A massacre? If we go to break the Restriction, aren't we gambling with our lives?”

“What's there to gamble! It's Daoist Ming Ya's Legacy! As long as we can get one Magical Artifact, what does a little risk matter?”

“But what if the Restriction isn't broken and instead triggers a miasma eruption? Wouldn't we become the culprits?”

...

Mo Chenggui did not stop the crowd's discussion, simply observing the reactions below in silence.

It wasn't until the exclamations gradually died down and everyone's gaze refocused on him with anticipation and inquiry that he spoke again, his tone filled with a sense of nobility:

“Our Qingyun Chamber of Commerce upholds the philosophy of 'trading across the world while also aiding all living beings.' We cannot bear to see the Southern Frontier suffer another disaster! Today, as heroes from all sides are gathered here, we should work together to break the Restriction and eliminate the hidden danger—this act is for the people of the Southern Frontier and also to explore the remains of an ancient Cultivator, starting an honorable struggle for Opportunity!”

He raised his hand to look at the time, and a glow of spiritual light condensed at his fingertip, forming a clear hourglass in mid-air:

“Everyone, return to your respective bases to prepare. In one hour, those interested in seeking Opportunity shall gather outside the Nether Crow Cave Mansion to break the Restriction together!”

“Boom—!”

If the previous news was a clap of thunder, then the sentence "gather in one hour" was like a heavy bomb, directly making the entire valley explode into chaos!

Exclamations, shouts of wild joy, and hurried discussions swept across like a tsunami, making people's eardrums buzz.

“It's finally opening! I've been guarding the outskirts of this godforsaken Nether Crow Valley for three months, eating dry rations and drinking cold water every day. Finally, the wait wasn't in vain!”

A burly man with a full beard clenched his fists, his voice as coarse as sandpaper. He was about to rush out when he was grabbed by a companion beside him:

“What's the rush! You need to go back and get your Magical Artifacts and Talismans!”

“Quick! Back to the camp! Bring all the healing Medicinal Pills and high-grade Talismans, and that newly bought Magic Treasure—put them all in the Storage Pouch for me!”

Someone shouted while already summoning the Flying Sword beneath their feet. A flash of sword light appeared as they tried to soar into the sky, only to be bumped into by another Cultivator also in a hurry to move. The two cursed and shoved each other for a moment before immediately flying off in their respective directions.

“Senior Brother, let's go quickly to gather the Disciples and seize a favorable position!”

...