Here is Chapter 20 of Heaven Auctioneer: Monarchs of the Million Realm, now expanded with over 1000+ word
The chaos of the largest auction ever held in the Lower Realms had finally settled.
Treasures had changed hands, blood had been spilled in quiet corners, and alliances had formed and shattered under veiled smiles. Yet, as the surface world buzzed with excitement and speculation, Li Xuan sat alone in the highest chamber of his hidden auction palace, shrouded in a dim violet glow that pulsed with the karmic essence he had siphoned from the realm.
His expression was calm. Detached. Almost cold.
The auction had been a masterstroke—he hadn't even appeared publicly. His seven generals and their forty-nine elites had orchestrated every move, following his precise instructions to the letter. And they had succeeded. Entire sects had been ruined, ancient lineages had bowed their heads, and sacred artifacts from forbidden tombs were now quietly sealed in his possession.
But Li Xuan knew better than to celebrate. Victory was illusion. Control was temporary unless carved into the bones of the realm.
He stood, walking barefoot across the smooth obsidian floor toward the central altar of his meditation chamber. Upon it hovered a single black lotus, shaped from the karma of one million souls—his first true creation with the Voidheart Enlightenment Sutra. It radiated a pain so profound that even standing near it made his vision tremble.
Voidheart Enlightenment Sutra. The forbidden technique that no one in any realm had ever heard of. It had no levels. No stages. No limits. And it accepted only one cultivator.
Li Xuan.
Every time he meditated upon it, the pain increased. Now, it stripped his mind layer by layer, carving clarity from torment. But with each slash of agony, he saw deeper. Understood more.
He placed his hand upon the black lotus, and the world vanished.
---
He found himself in a sea of white karma. A place outside time.
Thousands of threads extended from him in all directions. Threads connected to mortals, to nobles, to beasts, to kings—and to monsters that dwelled beyond the realm's natural law.
Each thread pulsed with energy, fate, and hidden intentions. And Li Xuan began tugging.
One by one.
He watched a noble sect leader in the western provinces suddenly go mad with paranoia—seeing betrayal in every shadow.
He watched a mighty wandering cultivator fall to his knees, clutching his chest, as his heart shattered from karmic backlash for killing an innocent child three years ago.
He smiled faintly.
"I don't need an army," he whispered into the void. "I am the weight that bends every action."
The Heaven Auctioneer System pulsed in the void behind his mind. New notifications arrived.
> [Karmic Interference Successful – Minor Enlightenment Gained]
[New Influence Region Created: Broken Mirror Province]
[Auction Loyalty Protocol Strengthened – General Hei no longer affected by soul bindings of Outer Realms]
[Voidheart Sutra Compatibility: 0.0004% Increased]
He opened his eyes.
The pain of returning from the karmic sea struck him like lightning through bone. He coughed blood onto the floor, veins bulging, his soul screaming in silent protest.
But his eyes burned with power.
---
Back in the main council chamber, his generals had gathered. They knelt without question.
General Hei spoke first. "Master, the Black Raven Sect was completely crushed. They bid above their means and are now crippled. Their territory is ready to be absorbed."
General Lin added, "The Heavenly Thorne Union accepted the trade alliance. We can seed our hidden supply lines through three provinces."
General Yun hesitated. "However… there is word. Whispers of an immortal shadow. A being watching the auction from beyond the realm walls."
Li Xuan did not react outwardly.
Inside, his thoughts turned sharp.
Even Immortals were stirring. Perhaps drawn by the karmic weight of the auction. Or by the black lotus.
He waved his hand, sending out a pulse of will. "Strengthen our veils. No one from the Forbidden Realms must see more than what I allow."
Then he stood.
"Prepare the Obsidian Auction Protocol," he commanded. "We will create an illusion of power sharing. Allow weaker forces to bid freely next time—but ensure they bid for false treasures. We take their spirit stones. Their heirs. Their secrets."
The generals bowed. "Yes, Monarch."
Li Xuan turned, walking toward his private cultivation chamber once more. But this time, his fingers flicked slightly.
From across the realm, ten hidden assassins activated. Ten threats he had planted among his own allies—contingencies in case even one general thought of betrayal.
He trusted no one.
And yet, no one disobeyed him.
---
In a hidden place beneath the lowest depths of the realm, the First Seed of Karma Bloomed.
Invisible. Untouchable. Pure.
Li Xuan sat beneath it, eyes bleeding light, soul expanding into something that would soon transcend the Lower Realms.
But first, he would root out every thread. Every secret. Every lie.
And make them all bend to him.
---
End of Chapter 20