The first few auction rounds were nothing but so-called famous blades and legendary swords.
Lin Ye didn't even bother looking twice.
Trash.
The only item that was remotely worth noticing was a short sword—not bad, but only barely acceptable.
It sold for two million spirit stones.
To put that into perspective, an average Qi Sea Realm cultivator working as a bodyguard for a wealthy clan would earn maybe five to eight thousand spirit stones a month.
Two million was enormous.
Then came a few Second-Grade pills.
Those sparked a frenzy.
Among them was even a Jade Blossom Pill, marked as produced by Wind-Thunder Mystic Sect.
It sold for five hundred thousand spirit stones.
Lin Ye was stunned—
not because of the price…
but because everyone here was so clueless.
This pill is garbage… and they're fighting over it like it's divine medicine.
The elderly auctioneer cleared his throat.
"The next item was excavated from an ancient tomb."
"This thing is highly toxic—deadly on contact with blood."
"If anyone is interested, you may purchase it for study."
The red cloth was pulled away.
A withered plant was revealed.
Its vines had twisted into the eerie shape of a human face.
It was unsettling.
Several bidders gasped and instinctively looked away.
Those hollow "eye sockets" felt as if they could steal one's soul.
A dense Blood-Asura aura seeped out.
It felt less like a plant…
and more like a severed head that could speak.
Lin Ye's gaze sharpened.
"So it's this."
"A Fifth-Grade herb—Ghost-Face Flower."
"It doesn't rot even after ten thousand years."
"This isn't used for medicine most of the time."
"It's used as a burial ward… to suppress coffins."
This tomb was definitely not ordinary.
If Ghost-Face Flower was inside—
then the grave likely held even more Blood-Asura treasures.
The auctioneer spoke again.
"Starting bid: one hundred thousand spirit stones!"
The moment that creepy item appeared, most bidders hesitated.
Nobody wanted to gamble and end up stuck with something cursed.
Silence spread through the hall.
Then—
Lin Ye raised his hand.
"Five hundred thousand."
His voice was calm.
But the number hit like thunder.
The starting price was only one hundred thousand—
yet this bidder immediately quintupled it.
People who could throw around five hundred thousand weren't rare.
But those who dared to raise it five times at the first bid?
Almost none.
Everyone turned their heads.
They saw a black-robed figure wearing a hood.
His face was hidden.
But he looked young.
Whispers erupted instantly.
"Who is that? Such arrogance!"
"When did Thunder River City gain such a person?"
"Is this actually a treasure?"
"Don't rush. It might be a trap."
"Unknown origin items are dangerous."
"That thing reeks of evil. If he dares buy it so confidently…"
"…then he must be strong enough to suppress it."
Lin Ye had only said one price—
yet the crowd had already created ten different theories.
By the time the final hammer fell, many bidders hadn't even realized the auction was already over.
Three strikes. Sold.
Lin Ye won it in a single bid.
No rich brats posturing.
No hidden experts fighting in the shadows.
It was the easiest auction of his life.
Lin Ye held his bidding token and walked to the back trading hall.
He didn't care about the remaining auction items anymore.
But he was very interested in whoever had brought the Ghost-Face Flower to be sold.
Five hundred thousand spirit stones for a Fifth-Grade herb…
was absolutely worth it.
Trading Hall
A woman in a black dress handled the transaction.
She was beautiful.
Seductive eyes.
A lazy, charming smile.
"Congratulations, Young Master, on winning this item," she said softly.
"If I may ask… where do you hail from?"
"Are you perhaps a citizen of Thunder River City?"
Lin Ye didn't answer.
He simply placed a storage pouch on the table.
"Five hundred thousand spirit stones."
Then he added, "Also, contact the seller."
"If he has more items like this…"
"I'll buy them at a high price."
The woman blinked, surprised.
Most men who entered this room would try to flirt.
Or at least talk.
But Lin Ye acted as if she didn't exist.
For a moment, she almost felt insulted.
Then she became intrigued.
"Oh?"
"That won't be difficult."
"If Young Master leaves an address, we can notify you once we have news."
Lin Ye lifted his hand.
"Leave a message at the Wind-Thunder Mystic Sect branch hall."
"My name is Lin Ye."
With that, he removed his hood.
His face was revealed.
And more importantly—
his core disciple robe.
He hadn't hidden his identity out of fear.
Only to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Now that the transaction was complete, there was no need to keep pretending.
To Lin Ye, "core disciple" meant nothing.
But to everyone else?
It was a gold-plated badge.
The black-dressed woman's expression shifted immediately.
She gasped softly.
"Lin Ye… Young Master Lin Ye!"
"Forgive me for my disrespect."
She bowed, then spoke with warmth.
"My name is Xia Wei."
"Please allow me to properly greet you."
She handed over the Ghost-Face Flower respectfully.
"Here is your purchase."
"And as for the seller—we will do everything we can to communicate with him for you."
Her gaze lingered on Lin Ye as she spoke, seductive yet sharp.
She casually brushed her hair behind her ear, every movement full of charm.
Unfortunately—
that level of beauty meant nothing to Lin Ye.
He didn't even blink.
Instead, he asked calmly,
"Does your auction house sell pill cauldrons?"
Lin Ye still had over twenty million spirit stones left.
And the furnace he'd stolen from Zhang Wenxu had already exploded.
An auction house like this definitely had stock.
Xia Wei smiled brightly.
"Of course."
"Young Master Lin, please come with me."
Auction House Shop
The auction house had its own sales hall.
Prices were higher than the market—
but quality was guaranteed.
No cheap counterfeit trash.
Xia Wei led Lin Ye inside.
Along the way, she casually tested him with subtle questions, trying to understand more about him.
But Lin Ye answered almost nothing.
After a few tries, Xia Wei realized his temperament.
Too many words would only annoy him.
So she changed tactics and went straight to business.
"Recently, our auction house acquired a high-grade pill cauldron from Sky Cauldron River Domain."
She gestured for the staff to open a glass display case.
A massive cauldron sat inside.
Ancient.
Heavy.
Its surface carried an oppressive aura.
The moment it was revealed, pressure pressed down like a mountain.
"Five Tigers Cloud-Sealing Cauldron."
"It's perfect for refining pills with violent medicinal power."
"And it can provide a certain amplification effect."
Lin Ye glanced at it once.
Then said, "I'll take it."
He didn't ask the price.
Not once.
Even the shop clerk behind the counter widened his eyes.
He'd worked here for years—
and had never seen someone like this.
Everyone else came to bargain, argue, compare.
But Lin Ye?
He bought it like he was picking up bread.
Xia Wei's smile deepened.
"Young Master Lin is truly bold."
She leaned slightly closer, her voice softer.
"This cauldron…"
"…will be a gift from me."
Lin Ye's gaze finally shifted slightly.
Xia Wei continued.
"In return, if you ever wish to sell items in the future, our auction house will offer you a highly sincere price."
"And you'll avoid many unnecessary troubles."
Lin Ye didn't care about gifts.
But the phrase—
avoid unnecessary troubles
caught his attention.
He paused.
Then nodded once.
"Deal."
The clerk almost choked.
That cauldron…
was worth 7,430,000 spirit stones.
A three-star cauldron artifact.
And she just…
gave it away?
To a boy who looked like he wasn't even eighteen?
But Xia Wei was one of the auction house's three major managers.
She had the authority.
When Lin Ye agreed, Xia Wei's lips curved slightly.
She knew she hadn't misjudged him.
A cauldron worth seven million spirit stones was nothing—
because Lin Ye's future value…
would be far greater.
Besides…
the cauldron had been bought from a fallen alchemy disciple for less than three million.
Even from a business perspective…
this was a profitable gamble.