Today was finally the day of the Grand Annual Auction of the Golden Basin Auction House. Chen Wentian had been waiting for the event for a couple of weeks. If the Gift Exhibit was the prelude to the main event for the Sacred Daughters, then this was the equivalent for the acolytes.
The auction would be held in the Golden Citadel, the seat of power for the Golden Basin Auction House in the Martial Brilliance Continent. The Golden Citadel was a moderately sized city in the center of the Golden Basin, a peculiar geographic formation in an unremarkable desert province.
The Golden Basin was a circular crater a hundred kilometers across. Jagged peaks formed a perfect ring on the outer edge like a natural set of walls. Inside the ring was a sloping valley like a washbowl where the rocks and dirt were a dull golden color. Under the harsh sun, the entire land glittered and sparkled.
It was said that the ground within the basin consisted of almost pure gold. It was also said that many thousands of years ago, the Golden Basin wasn't a basin at all but a massive, solitary mountain. There must have been a stupendous amount of gold within the mountain. Only with such a fathomless treasure could the Golden Basic Auction House resist the other major powers of the continent and grow to its current position.
Chen Wentian flew into the basin, toward a golden city that was built upon a pillar of golden rocks. The Golden Citadel wasn't a place for idle mortals. It was a playground for immortals only.
Today was the day of the Grand Annual Auction so the teleportation arrays were flashing non-stop with new arrivals. The city was situated in an advantageous central location within the continent. It was like a nexus and served as a hub for trade for many powers.
Chen Wentian flew to the gates and presented his identity badge as an acolyte of the Virtuous Order. He didn't choose to come via the teleportation arrays as he didn't want to run into troublesome people.
The guards allowed him entry and guided him into the vast auction house complex. It was a massive eight side pyramid made of golden stone. The inside of the structure was mostly hollow and held a cavernous auction floor at the center. There were already several hundred immortals gathered but there was still room for more.
As he stepped into the seating area, he was met with a wall of chaotic spiritual energy. The combined auras of so many immortals swirled around dangerously, almost pushing him back out. He quickly summoned a fiery cloak to protect himself and proceeded to his seat which was among the last rows.
All around him, there were countless Spirit Lords, Spirit Kings, and even a few Spirit Emperors which were a rare sight. It was a sea of unfamiliar faces. Nobody paid him any attention and he melded into the crowd.
Chen Wentian tried to study one of the Spirit Emperors, a wrinkled elder carrying a horsetail whisk. He only managed to get a few glances before the stingy grandpa glared in his direction. The spiritual sense of a Spirit Emperor was something else entirely. The old fart didn't hurt him but the lesson was learned and he kept his eyes to himself.
After a while, the steady trickle of immortals increased in volume suddenly. Shouts of excitement rang through the chamber as many heads turned towards the source. Chen Wentian couldn't help but look up as well.
A large group of immortals entered from a nearby entrance. They were a mix of Spirit Kings and Spirit Lords with distinctive clothing. Chen Wentian recognized them; they were the members of the Seven Potentates of Jiannan. True to their infamy, they strutted down to the front rows like they owned the place.
The first was the Starry Wei Clan. Their title was a reference to their cultivation art which utilized spiritual energy from the stars. It was an esoteric Dao that was rarely seen in the world. Outsiders rarely had a chance to experience their power because those that did often died without a trace.
They had the most influence among the Seven Potentates and could be said to be the founding member. There were rumors that the Wei Clan's background wasn't limited to the Martial Brilliance Continent and that they actually came from a blessed realm.
In this endless world of cultivation, a blessed realm was a region that was one tier above a main continent. The same way several subcontinents put together could not compare to a continent, many continents together could not contend against a blessed realm.
There was also one more tier above a blessed realm and it was known as a holy world. These places were far beyond the capabilities of ordinary immortals. They were where divine beasts, archdemons, and the greatest cultivators in all of humanity battled for supremacy.
Following the Starry Wei Clan was a group that Chen Wentian had heard of but had never seen before. They were the Sunken Empire of the East. They were people who lived deep within caves. They wore black armor or black robes with a macabre design that clashed harshly with their pale complexions. They were supposedly fearsome warriors that guarded the eastern borders of the continent against enemies of humankind.
The next group was the Beast Mountain Alliance. They were another group of beast-loving cultivators, similar to Beast God Sanctum of the Eastern Sanmu Subcontinent but much stronger. Several of their cultivators emitted truly wild auras that were indistinguishable from beasts. It was unclear how they could achieve this feat but outsiders speculated that they infused the bloodline of powerful beasts into themselves.
Right after them was the Yang Clan of Great Waves. They resided in a region with a vast inland sea that was as big as an ocean. Their clothes were distinctly blue with embroidered white patterns. They all specialized in Dao related to water.
As the Yang Clan passed by, Chen Wentian found a familiar and detestable face among them. It was Immortal Bamboo Wave Yang Gehu, the one who had harassed Long Yifei at the Gift Exhibit. Chen Wentian glared at that criminally handsome face, wishing he could use his dragon flames and burn it to a crisp. His opponent seemed to sense his animosity and turned in his direction. Their eyes connected and waves of mutual animosity crashed into each other.
Yang Gehu said something to his people and several heads turned in Chen Wentian's direction.
Chen Wentian cursed under his breath. It seemed that he wouldn't be able to escape the provocations of the Seven Potentates, even at the Golden Auction House.
Yang Gehu then laughed loudly and didn't give Chen Wentian another glance, like he wasn't even worth considering as an adversary. Chen Wentian stared at the back of Yang Gehu's head with unexpected malevolence. For someone who dared to covet his disciple so openly, they deserved to die a slow and painful death!
Chen Wentian was so angry that he barely paid attention to the last three of the Seven Potentates. He knew them as the Frostfire Nation, the Profound Sword Palace, and the Undying Medicine Valley. Once all of them took their seats, there was a short period of calm before the auction hall erupted once more.
"On my heavens, a Great Beauty is here!"
"Look, it's Mao Tongxiao! The Western Smile of the Four Great Beauties!"
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