The auction soon began.
Lin Chen and Yan Shou were seated within a first-floor private chamber reserved for VIP guests. A thin screen concealed them from the crowd while leaving the auction platform below clearly visible—granting privacy without sacrificing the view.
A graceful woman stepped onto the stage.
She wore a fitted robe that outlined her figure, her smile confident and well-practiced. The moment she appeared, murmurs rippled through the hall.
"Greetings, honored guests," she said warmly. "Welcome to tonight's auction. I am your hostess—Yu Mei."
Cheers and whistles erupted from the ground floor. Some cultivators even rose to their feet, openly staring without shame.
Lin Chen shook his head slightly.
'It seemed that no matter the world,men were all the same when faced with beauty.'
Yu Mei laughed softly, clearly accustomed to such reactions.
"Fufu~ I'm flattered by everyone's enthusiasm."
She raised her hand slightly, and the hall gradually quieted.
"Then, without further delay, let us begin."
An attendant stepped forward, placing a sealed jade container onto the platform.
"The first item—Winged Tiger blood, harvested from a fifth-stage Spirit River Realm beast. Freshly preserved. Suitable for alchemy, body refinement, or weapon forging."
A faint stir rippled through the crowd. Even as an opening item, this was far from common.
Yu Mei smiled faintly.
"The starting price is ten high-grade spirit stones. Bidding begins."
Yan Shou raised his hand.
"20."
"20 high-grade spirit stones," Yu Mei announced. "Do we have another bidder?"
"30," someone called out.
"30, going once."
"Forty," Yan Shou said calmly.
"40, going once."
"100."
The sudden jump plunged the hall into brief silence. Cultivators exchanged glances. Winged Tiger's blood from a fifth-stage Spirit River Realm beast was valuable, but its true worth hovered around fifty stones. Paying one hundred was already a clear loss.
"That should be —someone from the Skyward Blade Sect," a cultivator whispered, glancing toward a first-floor private chamber.
"That chamber's reserved exclusively for them. Only direct disciples and elders sit there."
"No wonder they bid like that."
"Hah. First-rate sects really burn spirit stones like water."
Inside his chamber, Yan Shou's expression darkened.
"Damn it… those idiots again," he muttered.
"Idiots?" Lin Chen asked.
"Skyward Blade Sect," Yan Shou replied with a crooked smile. "Always flaunting their wealth. A bunch of useless trash."
Before Lin Chen could say anything—
"200," Yan Shou shouted.
The hall stirred.
"Someone's actually bidding against the Skyward Blade Sect?"
"And it's another VIP chamber!"
"This is getting interesting."
"300," the lazy voice from the Skyward Blade Sect's chamber replied.
"500," Yan Shou snapped back without hesitation.
Lin Chen frowned, his brow tightening.
Wasn't this guy always talking about profit? Then what was he doing now? Even Lin Chen—who genuinely needed the item—would never have driven the price this high.
"Yan Shou," Lin Chen said quietly, "this is getting out of hand. We should stop."
"No," Yan Shou said firmly. "I'm not letting them have it."
Yu Mei's gaze swept across the hall.
"Five hundred high-grade spirit stones," she announced. "Going once."
Silence.
"Going twice."
Still no response.
"Sold," Yu Mei declared with a bright smile. "The Winged Tiger blood goes to VIP Chamber Thirteen."
"Ha! Take that," Yan Shou said, even making a small victory pose, clearly satisfied.
Lin Chen glanced at him sideways.
"Yan Shou… do you have some kind of vendetta against those people?"
"No," Yan Shou replied instantly, his face completely straight.
Lin Chen said nothing.
'No my ass, he thought. You were clearly targeting them.'
Since Yan Shou showed no intention of explaining himself, Lin Chen chose not to press the matter.
The auction continued.
One item after another was brought onto the stage—pills that glowed with medicinal qi, weapons humming faintly with spiritual light, rare materials infused with elemental essence. Yet the outcome was almost always the same. Most of them ultimately fell into the hands of the Skyward Blade Sect.
The other bidders kept their hands firmly down, expressions restrained.
No one wished to offend a first-tier sect over a few auction items.
Spirit stones could always be earned again. Enemies like that, however, were far more troublesome.
Yu Mei's clear voice rang out once more, drawing everyone's attention back to the stage.
"The next item—Azure Flame Fruit. I believe most of you are already familiar with its value." She smiled faintly. "Its medicinal properties are exceptional. It can repair damaged meridians, stabilize weakened foundations, and assist in recovery after severe cultivation backlash."
A soft stir spread through the hall.
"The starting price is 600 high-grade spirit stones."
"750."
"800."
"850."
"900."
The bids rose steadily, stopping right where everyone expected.
"1000," Yan Shou said.
The hall quieted slightly. At that price, the fruit had reached its practical limit—any higher, and it would no longer be worth the cost.
But there were always those willing to pay more to obtain what they desperately needed. That, after all, was why auctions existed.
Lin Chen relaxed a little. If nothing unexpected happens…
"2000."
The voice came from the Skyward Blade Sect's chamber.
Lin Chen's expression stiffened.
Yan Shou clicked his tongue. "Those idiots again."
"It's war," someone muttered from the crowd.
"3000," Yan Shou shot back without hesitation.
From there, the auction turned ugly.
Numbers were thrown out like insults—four thousand, five thousand, six thousand. Each bid was less about value and more about pride. The hall buzzed with tension as the price climbed higher and higher.
Finally—
"10,000 high-grade spirit stones."
Silence.
Yu Mei waited for a breath, then smiled.
"Sold. The Azure Flame Fruit goes to VIP Chamber Thirteen."
Lin Chen turned sharply toward Yan Shou.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" he snapped. "You said it was worth a thousand—and you spent ten thousand!"
Even if he failed to obtain the fruit, Lin Chen could have made do with other healing materials. Aiva had already said she could adapt.
That was ten thousand high-grade spirit stones. With that amount, one could buy countless resources—pills, techniques, weapons, even rare materials that most cultivators would never touch in their lifetime.
Yan Shou waved his hand dismissively. "You wouldn't understand."
'Understand my ass. You people clearly don't know what being poor feels like.'
"Let's go," Yan Shou said, standing up as if he hadn't just burned a small fortune. "We got what you needed."
Before Lin Chen could respond, Yu Mei's voice rang out one final time.
"And now—our final item of the night. The mysterious treasure recovered from the ruins of the Southern Region. The grand finale of this auction."
Lin Chen paused.
Southern Region.
His interest flared instantly. He grabbed Yan Shou's sleeve and gestured for him to sit back down.
On the stage, an attendant placed a sealed box onto the table. Yu Mei slowly opened it.
Inside lay a folded paper fan, bright red in color, its surface traced with delicate golden markings. A strange, subtle aura leaked from it—quiet, restrained, yet unsettling.
That moment made everyone in the auction hall hold their breath.
Anyone who could sense spiritual fluctuations knew immediately—this was no ordinary object. The Southern Region was infamous as a land of death, but anything retrieved from its ruins was almost always extraordinary.
Dangerous… yet priceless.
After all, opportunity was often born from danger.
Demand surged instantly.
"The starting price is 50,000 high-grade spirit stones," Yu Mei announced.
"51,000."
"56,000."
"60,000"
"65,000."
The once-quiet VIP chambers erupted. Calm bidding vanished, replaced by sharp, aggressive offers. Even powerful figures who had remained silent earlier were now stepping in.
Lin Chen didn't wait.
"Yan Shou, let's go," he said, standing up.
Yan Shou looked surprised. "I thought you wanted to see it."
"I lost interest."
How could he keep watching? Just hearing those numbers made him feel poor. And to him, it was nothing more than a strange-looking fan. Whatever secret it held had nothing to do with him right now.
They left the chamber quietly.
Later, after settling the payments and collecting the auction items—
"Yan Shou," Lin Chen said seriously, "I won't forget the kindness you've shown me. I'll repay this debt."
These were words spoken from the heart.
Yan Shou waved his hand dismissively. "No need to thank me. I'm no saint. Just remember—when I ask for help in the future, don't refuse."
Lin Chen nodded.