"Do you wish to attend the Mysterious Auction House? Yes or No!!"
A message rang in the Queen of the Spirit Mirror's mind. Instinctively, she understood that if she refused, the token would vanish from her hand and go in search of another fated one. But if she accepted, the token would link with her qi and become one with her—a part of her being.
"Something this interesting? How could I possibly miss it? A mysterious auction house… I hope it won't disappoint me. I want to see just how mysterious it really is, and what kinds of rare treasures it holds."
The Spirit Mirror Queen reached out and accepted the token, speaking softly. She had clearly accepted the invitation.
Immediately, the token shot out a divine ray of light and enveloped her completely, vanishing from the spot without a trace. It was as if some strange law or mysterious power had activated—something beyond comprehension, capable of performing miracles and defying natural order.
…Elsewhere, in a lush forest…
Surrounded by towering ancient trees and thick vines, exotic flowers and herbs bloomed everywhere. Beneath a massive oak tree, a golden, chubby figure squatted, shaking its rear as it dug into the soil. Dirt flew outward as it worked.
The whole scene was eerie. The forest was too quiet. No birdcalls, no insects. As if something terrifying lay dormant.
Yet somehow, in such a place, this golden chubby creature was digging away, absurdly out of place.
It was alert—after digging for a bit, it would perk up and listen carefully, ready to flee at the slightest sound. Suddenly, a gust of wind swept by. The golden figure turned abruptly.
Its full form came into view.
It had a face as wide as a washbasin—a giant cat's face. Its body was round and bloated like a ball. Its limbs were stubby and thick, but its paws were unusually large. A long, fluffy tail dragged behind it, and a large golden bell hung from its neck. Oddly, the bell made no sound, even when it moved.
This was… a golden, comically rotund cat standing upright!
After scanning its surroundings and confirming there was no danger, the fat cat resumed digging. Soon, its face lit up with joy—it had unearthed a withered branch, seemingly part of a vine. Though it was dry and decayed, the cat treated it like treasure, cleaned it gently, and made it vanish—no one knew where it went.
But just then, its fur bristled and its muscles tensed. Its eyes locked forward. The space in front of it twisted. A mysterious token appeared, glowing faintly.
The cat examined it cautiously. Sensing no danger, it picked up the token. As the message reached it, it made a decision—and in a flash of light, it vanished from the spot without a ripple.
…Deep beneath a vast ocean…
At the bottom of a great trench in the sea, massive iron chains stretched across the abyss. Covered in ancient runes, some chains were rusted through. No creature dared approach.
In the deepest part of the trench, countless bones were piled like mountains. A blood lake had formed, staining the entire gorge crimson.
Suddenly, a giant head emerged from the blood—it was a dragon's head, complete with horns and whiskers, vivid and lifelike. Its scales were a striking blood red—this was no ordinary red dragon, but a Blood Dragon, reeking of bloodlust and fury.
The massive creature stirred, and the chains groaned in response—some had even pierced its bones and meridians.
"One day, I will escape…"
The Blood Dragon growled deeply.
Then, it noticed a spatial distortion. A token materialized before it.
"Mysterious Auction House? If it means leaving this place, I'd go even to hell itself."
Without hesitation, the dragon made its choice. The token gleamed—and the dragon vanished.
Such scenes unfolded all across the Eternal World.
No one, not even Yi Tianxing, could predict where the mysterious tokens would appear. All he could do was wait within the auction house. It wasn't long before multicolored spatial tunnels burst into existence in the void surrounding the auction space.
As beams of light flashed, thrones began to materialize one after another. These seats, though grand, were clearly inferior to Yi Tianxing's, symbolizing the host's supreme status.
Suddenly, ten figures appeared, seated atop the newly formed thrones. Each was cloaked in divine light, shrouding their true forms. Only faint silhouettes could be seen.
However, on each throne, a distinct emblem emerged—symbols representing their identities:
A shining mirror
A cat's paw
A blood-red dragon scale
And others, each unique
Upon arrival, each participant instinctively understood some of the Auction House's Rules.
Of course, Yi Tianxing could see through all of it. The divine glow hid nothing from him. As he surveyed the group, even he was momentarily stunned. The diversity was simply… incredible.
"The world truly holds no shortage of wonders. These tokens… they really have no logic in whom they choose."
Among them:
A silver-haired woman in a palace gown, covered in countless delicate mirrors sewn into the fabric. It looked like she was wearing a disco ball. Yi Tianxing blinked. "Seriously? Mirror overkill."
A fat golden cat resembling a lucky charm. "Is this a mascot?"
A ferocious Blood Dragon, exuding wicked and violent aura, terrifying even to behold.
An elderly man with mismatched legs—one adult-sized, the other like a baby's. A crippled cultivator.
A tree demon—an ancient tree with a face carved into bark. Not your average tree spirit.
A druidic elf, wearing clothing made of vines, emitting both natural and beastly energy. Yi Tianxing guessed it was a Nature Guardian—a druid of considerable power.
A fallen angel, with the right three wings torn off, and the remaining three left wings turned black—a being on the verge of corruption.
A drunken middle-aged human cultivator, clutching a wine gourd. Despite his disheveled appearance, his qi was pure and powerful.
A cold-faced general in golden armor, whose mere presence made people instinctively back away—an aura of death and discipline.
And finally… a sentient eye. Yes, just an eye, glowing with intelligence. It was a living, conscious entity—powerful and bizarre.
Truly, a gathering of the most eccentric beings imaginable.
Of course, none of them could see each other's true forms—only Yi Tianxing could. All others were cloaked in divine mist.
They all noticed Yi Tianxing, whose throne clearly outshone theirs.
"Fellow Daoists," Yi Tianxing began, knocking lightly on the armrest of his throne, "if you're here, you already know where you are. But even if you don't, allow me to explain once more."
"This is the Mysterious Auction House. All of you were chosen by fate. Here, your identities, enmities, and races do not matter. You share one status only—that of an auctioneer."
"You need not worry about your identity being revealed. Here, all transactions are protected. Everything remains within the Auction House. No outsider shall ever know."