The morning of the auction arrived with the city in a frenzy. Streets that had once bustled now overflowed, every inn and teahouse filled to bursting with cultivators, merchants, and nobles from distant provinces.
Tian Lei stepped out from the inn, his robes neat, his bearing calm—yet the faint pressure around him made passersby unconsciously step aside. His breakthrough still lingered faintly in the air, hidden but not invisible to those with keen senses.
The auction hall loomed ahead, a towering structure of dark stone inlaid with golden patterns, its doors guarded by armored cultivators whose cultivation surpassed most of the crowd.
Inside, a sharp-eyed attendant in crimson robes immediately noticed him. She hurried forward, bowing slightly.
"Esteemed guest, the hall is packed to its walls today. Ordinary seating may not provide comfort. Would you perhaps require a VIP booth?"
Tian Lei nodded lightly. "Arrange one."
