Fortunately, basic sound transmission techniques still worked, allowing the cultivators to communicate with their companions swiftly.
The Li family was one of the few that didn't leave anyone outside.
To outsiders, the Li family and the Lingxian Sect were like grasshoppers tied to the same rope. As for Li Zhanying himself, after witnessing the actions of the Lingxian Sect over the years, he had no reason to believe the sect harbored any ill intentions.
Qinghe Sect also didn't leave anyone behind.
Regardless of what other sects did, having already pledged loyalty to the Lingxian Sect, any action of mistrust at this point would only be seen as indecisive.
Seeing that everyone had entered without issue, Liu Yunan breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
Although Brother Xiao had reassured him the previous night, analyzing the current state of the various sects and royal families in the mortal world and predicting there would be no problems, Liu Yunan had still been somewhat nervous. After all, this was their sect's first official event open to the public.
Luckily, everything had gone smoothly so far.
"Everyone, this is the largest auction hall here, Hall One. The other doors you see on both sides lead to smaller auction rooms. In the future, smaller auctions will be held in those rooms," Liu Yunan explained, pointing to the open door of Hall One behind him and the smaller, closed rooms along the street.
He continued, "Today, the first auction of Xiushui City will take place here in Hall One. Please, everyone, step inside."
The guests, noting that the space was isolated from the outside but not showing any immediate danger, began to relax slightly. Those unfamiliar with the Lingxian Sect let down their guard just a bit as they followed Liu Yunan into the auction hall.
Inside, the hall was brightly lit, and once the guests entered, uniformed attendants in gray clothing guided them to private rooms.
Xunfang Zun scrutinized the attendant assigned to lead their group from the Chixiao Sect. The man's appearance seemed ordinary, just like any common servant, with a respectful yet appropriate demeanor toward them.
However, Xunfang Zun had lived for hundreds of years and had honed a keen eye for reading people. The attendant's pretense of composure wasn't particularly convincing.
He could see the deep-seated fear in the man's eyes.
It wasn't the fear of a low-level cultivator before a high-level one—it was the fear of a mortal looking at a cultivator.
Though it was impossible to discern the cultivation levels of others in this space, or even if they possessed any cultivation, Xunfang Zun was certain that the person in front of him was a mortal.
A mortal, of all people!
Regardless of the legitimacy of the auction, what could it mean that the Lingxian Sect would use mortals to serve them on such an important occasion?
As Xunfang Zun followed this mortal into the Chixiao Sect's private room, he pondered the implications.
He wasn't alone in noticing that these "attendants" were mortals; many experienced elders from various sects and royal families had also picked up on it.
This raised confusion among them.
For so long, cultivators and mortals had maintained a mutual understanding to keep their worlds separate.
Some wondered whether using mortals in this setting was a subtle power play from the Lingxian Sect, a way of showing their dominance.
As the cultivators quietly contemplated the meaning behind this move, the villagers assigned to greet them were equally nervous.
Du Changsheng was one of them.
Carefully leading the immortals of Qinglian Sect into a private room, he respectfully and politely smiled at them, saying:
"Please take a seat and make yourselves comfortable. There are some light refreshments on the table to pass the time. The auction will begin shortly. If you need anything, you can ring this bell, and I will be right over."
Having spoken, Du Changsheng quickly replayed his words in his head, making sure that his tone and language matched what Yunan had emphasized during their training—respectful, courteous, but not overly servile. Satisfied that he hadn't overstepped, he smiled at the immortals, nodded, and quietly closed the door behind him as he left.
The attendant from the room next door was also just stepping out.
Du Changsheng turned his head and saw it was Hu Laosan from the Hu family in the village.
They exchanged glances and silently exhaled in relief, sharing a brief smile.
No one could have guessed that just a few days ago, Du Changsheng's father, the village chief, had suddenly gathered the young men of the village, announcing that they were to be chosen to serve the immortal guests coming from all over.
The villagers had been utterly shocked.
How could they, mere commoners, possibly serve these powerful immortals?
But the village chief, sighing, had explained:
"You think Brother Xiao and the others want to trouble us, putting us in front of these terrifying immortals? The truth is, they need to put on a big show to impress those from the outside. The Lingxian Sect simply doesn't have enough disciples to handle this, so for the first time ever, they've come to us for help."
Before the chief could continue, the young men of Xiushui Village quickly cast aside their initial shock and hesitation. One by one, they stood up, thumping their chests and saying:
"I'll go! Who cares if they're immortals? I'm serving the guests of our Lingxian Sect. Why should I be scared? I won't back down!"
"I'm not scared either!"
"I'll go!"
"Count me in!"
...
And so, after selecting the appropriate number of people based on the Lingxian Sect's needs, Liu Yunan personally trained them for a few days before they were deemed ready.
Inside Hall One, after all the cultivators had been led to their private rooms, the main hall's lights suddenly went out. The villagers who had been serving as attendants quickly exited and returned to their rest area.
The entire process was smooth, with no confusion or mistakes.
The lights inside the private rooms, however, remained on. The rooms weren't large, with just a round table in the center and a few chairs surrounding it. Directly across from the table was a large window, beyond which lay the central stage of the auction hall. Presumably, someone would soon appear there to conduct the auction.
However, for the moment, the outside was pitch black, with no light.
The window had no frame, and many cultivators reached out to touch it, finding that their hands couldn't pass through, as if a transparent barrier blocked the way.
Peering through this barrier, they saw no light coming from the other private rooms, as one might have expected. Clearly, the barrier also blocked visibility between rooms.
"I wonder if the barrier also blocks sound," remarked Jiang Sisi of the Qinglian Sect.
Master Qiu Jun of Qinglian Sect stroked his white beard with a chuckle and asked her, "Do you think we might hear sounds from outside?"
Realization dawned on Jiang Sisi. "Ah, so it does block sound. I must say, the depth of the Lingxian Sect's foundations is truly surprising. What we've seen today has exceeded anything I've witnessed in over a hundred years of cultivation."