Chapter 292: Tianbao City Auction (Part 2)

The auction house spanned over ten thousand acres, unlike the large-scale auction venues of Jinman Tower. Instead, it featured private rooms of varying prestige, categorized by cultivation level, wealth class, and identity. There were no noisy public platforms, as this auction was specifically for Core Formation and Nascent Soul cultivators.

Attendance would not reach tens of thousands; around a thousand participants were expected at each event. The main items were typically third-tier spirit objects, while fourth-tier items were reserved for the grand finale. The quality wasn't exceptionally high either; it was on par with the Yama Ghost Market auction Wang Yu had previously attended, though the latter offered more rare items. He came with the intention of acquiring what he lacked.

Naturally, it would be great if he could bid on useful spirit objects. Even if not, given Tianbao City's vast market, staying for a while would allow him to collect many treasures that were usually hard to find or quite rare.

Currently, there were still several days until the auction. He had received the news rather late, but accounting for travel time, his arrival was perfectly timed.

“Fellow Daoist, to participate in a D-tier auction, you need to be at the Core Formation stage and possess proof of assets worth at least 500,000 spirit stones,” a steward, who was at the early Core Formation stage, was explaining the requirements to him.

Wang Yu had no objections. Using his Yellow Spring Dharma power to verify his identity and taking out several hundred high-grade spirit stones to confirm his funds, the process was completed.

Seeing this, the steward smiled broadly and was about to hand Wang Yu a gilded invitation, speaking as he did so. “Fellow Daoist, you’ve arrived at a fortunate time. By good fortune, there’s just one last premium private room available. The auction will begin promptly at noon in three days. Don't forget the time, Daoist.”

“Got it.”

“—Wait.”

Wang Yu reached out, took the invitation, and stored it in his Sea-Heart Ring. He prepared to leave as if he hadn't heard anything, but a dazzling, flowing fan spun through the air, blocking his path.

His gaze sharpened, but inwardly, he was speechless. Was that shout directed at him? No way, someone was causing trouble right outside Tianbao Pavilion? How disrespectful!

As expected, the steward's expression also turned serious. A jade token quietly appeared in his hand; if he crushed it, the enforcement team would immediately arrive and apprehend the person. However, the situation was unclear. If these two had a personal grudge, he would only advise them to leave Tianbao City before settling it.

Wang Yu, the steward, and nearby cultivators all involuntarily focused their attention on the newcomers. There were three people in total. At the forefront was a handsome young man dressed in luxurious dharma robes. He wore a magic treasure that concealed his aura, making his cultivation level indiscernible. Beside him were two white-haired old men, both emanating a late Core Formation aura. It seemed they intentionally revealed a hint of their power to deter any malicious individuals.

Seeing Wang Yu stop, he retrieved the folding fan. With a crisp snap, he closed and then reopened it. With one hand behind his back and the other holding the fan steadily in front of his abdomen, he gently fanned himself with the magical fan, displaying a confident and arrogant expression.

“Fellow Daoist, I am Wen Hua of the Yin-Yang Sect. Would you be willing to cede that last premium private room invitation in your hand to this Young Master?”

Wang Yu: “…”The steward: “…”

Where did this fool come from, to be so utterly clueless? Given the size of Tianbao City and the scope of a D-tier main auction venue, how could there possibly be a shortage of premium luxury private rooms? The steward's earlier remark was merely a sales tactic. It was meant to hint at the auction's popularity. After all, scarcity creates value. It also subtly conveyed goodwill towards Wang Yu, who was a Core Formation cultivator from the Yellow Spring Temple, by deliberately showing him "respect."

Unexpectedly, someone took it seriously. Speechless!

The steward was about to speak to resolve the dispute, but he saw Wang Yu wave his hand at him and say with interest: “Then, I wonder what price Fellow Daoist Wen is willing to pay?”

Wen Hua's eyes lit up, thinking his own overbearing aura had intimidated the other Daoist. He couldn't help but feel smug.

He said, “How about 100,000 low-grade spirit stones?”

“Acceptable.”

Wang Yu agreed without hesitation, tossing the gilded invitation over. Wen Hua indeed honored his promise, giving him 100,000 spirit stones for free. With a flick of his fan, he covered his rising smirk and departed, satisfied.

Wang Yu weighed the low-grade storage bag in his hand, then extended his hand towards the steward. After a brief silence, the steward produced another invitation for a premium luxury private room.

This scene made many cultivators who had stopped to watch burst into laughter.

“Damn it, why haven't I encountered such a fool from the Yin-Yang Sect?” The speaker was a burly man, evidently skilled in body refining techniques. Wang Yu, wearing his Netherworld Ghost Mask, glanced over but paid no mind, and this time, he left without incident.

The Yin-Yang Sect was a first-rate force in Liuju State, under the Heaven-Refining Demonic Sect. It had two Nascent Soul ancestors within its ranks, making it top-tier in this particular region. While still far from the overlord status of the Five Demonic Sects, it was powerful enough to disregard the backgrounds of most cultivators. The minor interlude was not something he dwelled on.

During the three days leading up to the auction, Wang Yu spent each day exploring the various trade streets of Tianbao City, acquiring many more spiritual materials. His current magical artifacts included the Glazed Ice Heart Pagoda, the Ghost Wail Flute, the Netherworld Ghost Mask, and the Starfall Cold Furnace. Except for the alchemy furnace, which was a mid-grade artifact, the other three were low-grade artifacts, and none of them were primarily for offensive combat.

His life-bound artifact would only truly unleash its power after his life-bound divine ability was mastered and they were refined together. Wang Yu had also adapted to bare-handed combat, with numerous secret arts and divine abilities at his fingertips. He felt he needed an artifact that could amplify spell power or provide an external energy source. Furthermore, defensive artifacts were also something he lacked.

However, for now, his priority remained collecting spiritual herbs and materials. After this auction, he planned to exchange for the inheritance of the Ten Directions Frozen Demonic Path as well. He would check if there were any suitable artifacts among them. If not, the Ice Soul Demonic Sword, an artifact recorded in the Ice Soul Sacred Demonic Scripture, could also be refined when the opportunity arose to enhance his combat strength.

Thus, the Tianbao Pavilion D-tier auction commenced as scheduled.

“So many people.”

Following the attendant's guidance, Wang Yu encountered no further incidents this time. He smoothly entered the premium private room, where the attendant proceeded to explain how to use the items within.

“My lord, this artifact was crafted based on the Roundlight technique. It connects to the auction stage outside and will display the auctioned items to you in real-time. This is the bidding device. Once activated with spiritual power, simply input your desired bid using your divine sense. After an item is successfully bid on, Tianbao Pavilion will send someone to deliver it and complete the transaction with you promptly. Should you wish to leave midway, Tianbao Pavilion provides small teleportation arrays for exiting the city, free of charge.”

The rules were largely similar to the Yama Ghost Market auction. However, the presence of a small teleportation array here, and its free use, was truly unexpected. This highlighted the difference between established powers and rogue cultivators. While the Daoist couple Yama and Yanfu had established a powerful ghost market, their foundational accumulation still fell considerably short of these major powers.

After the attendant had served all the spirit fruits and tea and asked Wang Yu if he required any special services, they quietly withdrew.

In the hall, the auction began!

The auctioneer was a glamorous woman dressed in a revealing three-piece garment, covered by a layer of sheer, pale pink gauze. It was unclear what body-modifying secret art she had cultivated. She had a pair of cat ears, and a fluffy tail swayed behind her shapely buttocks. Her figure was explosive, and every glance and smile exuded a seductive and charming aura. It had to be said, demonic cultivators certainly knew how to entertain. Most demonic cultivators never concealed their preferences and desires. Both auctions Wang Yu had attended so far had this style.

In Crimson Kite, people were both the most expensive and the cheapest resource!

Moments later, a mature, alluring voice resonated from the stage. The female auctioneer clapped her hands, and a spirit object descended from above, landing on the open display platform.

“The first item up for bid is the Five-Element Spirit Pearls. Whether refined individually into artifacts or combined to form a complete set of five-element treasures, they are exceptionally rare spiritual materials. If refined with Samadhi True Fire, they can be incorporated into spirit pills, talisman ink, or array flags, making them incredibly versatile. Together, their value is considerable. Starting bid: 500,000 spirit stones.”

“600,000!”“650,000!”“720,000!”

Bids from various private rooms continued to ring out. This auction employed an open bidding system, which ultimately differed from the secret bidding of the Yama Ghost Market. The atmosphere became more lively, and there were no issues with the origin of the spirit objects. The prices would be considerably higher than usual.

Despite being five third-tier spirit objects that, when combined, offered a cyclic enhancement effect, the price per pearl was still only around 100,000, far from their true maximum value. Ultimately, the first item, the Five-Element Spirit Pearls, was sold to a distinguished guest in a premium private room for 1,750,000 spirit stones. Averaging it out, each pearl cost 350,000. The price was considerably inflated, but it wasn't considered exorbitant. In the right hands, it was still quite valuable.

Having started with a strong sale, the auctioneer's smile became even more enchanting.

“The second item…”

More treasures continued to appear. Wang Yu didn't make a move for any of them, either because they weren't suitable or their price was too high to be worthwhile.

Until.

“Next up is the fifty-sixth item, a remarkably rare soul-path material named Ghost Cavern Yin Jade!”

The Roundlight mirror artifact projected a black jade pendant, about three fingers wide, covered in smooth, round indentations. Faint, eerie wailing sounds emanated from it as it appeared.

Wang Yu's eyes lit up. This item was undoubtedly a suitable new material to integrate into the Ghost Wail Flute; when he first refined that artifact, he had specifically left room for its advancement. Even after he had upgraded it using artifact-nourishing liquid, this room for improvement still existed. While directly raising it to a high-grade artifact would be difficult, upgrading it to a mid-grade artifact would not be hard. Before his life-bound artifact came into being, the Ghost Wail Flute was his primary combat artifact, so investing in it was worthwhile.

“This item has a starting price of 100,000 spirit stones. Please place your bids.”

“140,000.”“160,000.”“190,000!”

After several bids, fewer and fewer participants remained. Wang Yu made a decisive bid: “250,000!”

This price aligned with the actual value of the Ghost Cavern Yin Jade. Without much fanfare, he successfully acquired it. Once the attendant delivered the spirit object, Wang Yu could finally count it as a successful acquisition.

(End of Chapter)