The auction hall buzzed with excitement. Cultivators, elders, and nobles from various factions filled the seats, eagerly awaiting the treasures about to be revealed. At the center of it all stood a stunning figure clad in crimson robes — Feng Lianhua, the famed auction host, her beauty only rivaled by her sharp wit.
She stepped forward, voice melodic yet authoritative.
"Esteemed guests, welcome to the monthly Grand Auction of the Fallen Sky Auction House! I, Feng Lianhua, shall be your host today. Prepare your spirit stones and your hearts — for what we unveil today may shift your future paths!"
Behind her, a servant unveiled a long, sleek case. Within lay a crimson-black whip coiled like a serpent.
1. Twin Serpent Bone Whip
Feng Lianhua raised her hand. "Forged from the fused bones of two fire-aspect spirit serpents, and imbued with burning poison that lingers for days, I present — the Twin Serpent Bone Whip! Especially lethal against foes with weak internal resistance. Starting bid: 50,000 spirit stones!"
"55,000!"An elder in venom-green robes stood. His eyes gleamed. "Elder Mo of Hundred Venom Pavilion bids!"
"60,000," replied a white-robed cultivator seated farther down.
Ling Xian sat quietly in the back, half-shadowed by his hood, lips slightly curled in amusement.
"Good venom, but too crude for me. I could've forged something stronger in my past life using just the bones of a flame salamander hatchling."
"70,000!"
"85,000!"
"100,000!" shouted Elder Mo, his face growing impatient.
"120,000," he snapped next, his tone final. "Bid again, and I'll personally test this whip on your sect."
The other bidder paled.
Feng Lianhua laughed softly. "Quite the enthusiasm. 120,000 going once… twice… sold to Elder Mo!"
2. Mystic Spirit Incense (Three Sticks)
The next item was brought forward in a delicately sealed jade box. Feng Lianhua's voice turned mystical.
"Next — three sticks of Mystic Spirit Incense. Each enhances soul perception for an hour, allowing breakthroughs in formation comprehension or talisman crafting. Starting bid: 30,000 spirit stones!"
"40,000!""50!""60!"
A small-framed man with formation tattoos stood confidently. "Sun Lin of the Array Guild bids 80,000."
The room stilled.
"Array Master Sun Lin? Interesting… he'll find it useful. But I've surpassed such aids centuries ago."Ling Xian casually sipped his tea.
"80,000 going once… twice… sold!"
3. Crimson Sand Lotus
The next item glowed faintly with crimson light.
"A single bloom of the Crimson Sand Lotus, grown only in volcano cores. This flower enhances fire-based cultivation, potentially pushing one's fire element by an entire stage. Starting at 100,000!"
Ling Xian's brow lifted slightly.
"Not bad. Rare even in upper realms… but my fire element's long been perfected through Phoenix Flame Baptism. Still, interesting to watch."
"110,000!""150,000!""180,000!"
Then…
"250,000!" shouted Jin Yuze of the Burning Cloud Sect, swaggering in with his entourage.
Gasps followed. No one else dared bid.
"Sold!"
Ling Xian didn't even look at him.
4. Heaven Root Essence Pill Recipe
The velvet cloth lifted from the next platform, revealing a scroll sealed in crystal jade.
Feng Lianhua smiled grandly. "This… is the recipe for the Heaven Root Essence Pill. A legendary formula capable of healing damaged spiritual foundations — something even master alchemists struggle to create."
A collective hush.
"That's mine." Ling Xian's eyes flickered with amusement.
"Let's see what it's truly worth."
"Starting bid: 150,000!"
"200,000!"
"260,000!"
From the VIP section, a noblewoman in violet robes stood, her face dignified yet anxious. "Qin Yuxuan, Matriarch of the Qin Clan — 430,000 spirit stones!"
Feng Lianhua's voice trembled with excitement. "Going once, twice… sold!"
Ling Xian closed his eyes for a breath.
"She'll come find the seller. Good. I'll offer a path no pill alone can fix."
5. Foundation Ascension Pill Recipe
Next came another pill recipe, sealed in black iron.
"This is a breakthrough formula: the Foundation Ascension Pill, guaranteeing advancement from Core Vein to Foundation Establishment. Useful for peak Core Vein cultivators bottlenecked by impurities. Starting at 100,000!"
"150!"
"220!"
"300!"
Then came the final bid.
"390,000!" yelled Elder Wu of the Rising Mist Sect.
"Hmph. That old man's wasting his treasury. If only they knew that breakthroughs don't come from pills alone."
"Sold!"
The atmosphere buzzed with excitement as Feng Lianhua gracefully stepped forward once again, her elegant robe trailing behind her like a ripple on still water.
"Ladies and gentlemen," she announced, a faint, teasing smile on her lips. "Our next item may appear mundane to the untrained eye... but as always, the eyes of true cultivators may see what others do not."
A soft chuckle swept through the crowd. Some leaned forward curiously.
Feng Lianhua gestured to the veiled servant behind her. With a dramatic flourish, the servant pulled away the black silk covering the pedestal—revealing a dull, unassuming gray stone, barely larger than a clenched fist.
"Behold… an unidentified stone of mysterious origin, discovered in the depths of a collapsed ancient ruin. No spiritual fluctuations… no inscription. And yet, it refused to be broken, even by high-grade artifact tools."
Murmurs broke out in the audience.
From a quiet corner booth, Ling Xian's eyes narrowed sharply.
"No… it can't be—"
He leaned slightly forward, scanning the texture of the stone, the faint spiral patterns that looked accidental to others but rang clear as day in his memory.
"That's no ordinary stone… that's a Voidstone Core."
His pupils dilated slightly. In his past life as the God of Destruction, he had encountered only three. All had been fought over by celestial sects and ancient clans.
"Even in the Upper Realm, they're practically extinct…"
A flicker of deep interest passed through his expression.
"If I can refine it properly… it can serve as the heart of a Heaven-grade spatial ring—capable of containing its own independent dimension. A perfect, stable pocket world. With time and formation scripts, it could even evolve."
His breath slowed, as a single thought solidified in his mind:
"I must acquire it. No matter the cost."
Feng Lianhua's fingers traced the edge of the stone as she smiled at the murmuring crowd.
"While this object seems ordinary, it may contain secrets waiting to be unraveled. The auction house has set the starting bid at 3,000 spirit stones due to its unknown nature. We begin now!"
A moment of silence.
Then—
"3,000."A calm voice from the shadowed corner.
Feng Lianhua looked toward the source, her eyes momentarily catching the flicker of Ling Xian's robe. "3,000 to the guest in the back. Do we have 3,500?"
The audience stayed mostly quiet. After all, it was just a stone.
Then suddenly—
"4,000!"The loud voice of Jin Yuze, sitting in a prime seat with several Burning Cloud Sect juniors behind him, rang out arrogantly.
Ling Xian's expression didn't change, but his eyes locked briefly onto Jin Yuze.
"So he's here too…"
"Ah, Young Master Jin, showing such insight for such a mysterious piece?" Feng Lianhua teased lightly, maintaining neutrality but clearly amused.
Jin Yuze smirked. "Insight? No, no. Just buying a rock so that someone else doesn't waste their money."
He looked straight toward Ling Xian's booth.
"5,000," Ling Xian responded coolly.
"10,000!" Jin Yuze snapped back, his voice sharp.
The crowd perked up. Now things were getting interesting.
Ling Xian's expression didn't waver. "15,000."
"Twenty!" Jin Yuze leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "You really want this trash that badly, nameless brat?"
Feng Lianhua raised a brow but let the tension build. She began counting."Twenty thousand to Young Master Jin. Going once—"
"Thirty thousand."Ling Xian's voice was still calm, but it cut through the air like a blade.
A few murmurs broke out.
Jin Yuze's eye twitched. He gritted his teeth.
"Thirty-five—"
"Fifty thousand." Ling Xian interrupted.
Now the entire hall was buzzing.
"Fifty thousand for a rock?"
"Has he lost his mind?"
"Is there something we're not seeing?"
Jin Yuze's face darkened. He opened his mouth—then hesitated.
The way Ling Xian sat, completely unmoved, calm as still water… it gnawed at him. Was he missing something?
After a tense pause… Jin Yuze clenched his jaw.
"Tch. Waste of money. I withdraw."
Feng Lianhua nodded, smiling elegantly.
"Fifty thousand going once…Going twice…Sold! To the distinguished guest in the back."
A soft gong rang out as the Voidstone Core was carefully taken off the stage.
"He doesn't even realize what he gave up."
Ling Xian leaned back slightly, fingers tapping on the table.
"With this Voidstone Core, I can begin crafting a storage ring with infinite spatial layers… and later, perhaps something more."
"A realm of my own… hidden, bound only to me."