After the four of them got on the carriage, they leisurely passed the time through conversation. Although it couldn't be called speedy by any means, the carriage went straight to the venue so they reached it soon after. The carriage stopped in front of a building that was decorated with the symbol of a cloud releasing coins, the emblem of the Coin Storm Auction House. While Shui helped Emily out of the carriage and Alex did the same for Alicia, a member of the auction house approached from the entrance to escort them inside.
"Sphere clan and accompanying, please, this way."
This was the third time he had been to this branch, so Shui was no longer impressed by its majesty, but Emily was different. As they were escorted inside, her eyes dazzled like the chandelier above them. Every piece of furniture inside the auction house seemed to have been made of gold or worth its weight in it, but even if one ignored the price of everything, the space still brimmed with dignity and elegance.
"Is this your first time at an auction?" Shui asked Emily.
"No, I've gone to some with Master, but this is the first time I've been to one as big as this."
This was no surprise as the only auctions that were bigger than this could be counted on one hand. Even for Shui, this would be the largest auction he had ever attended.
While Emily continued admiring the decor, they were led to a VIP room with one double-seat couch in the center, one single-seater on each side and a table laden with fancy food in front of the couches. There was minimal furniture in the room, but that simplicity gave it a sophisticated appeal. The one who led them was about to explain the use of the items at the edge of the table, but Alex dismissed him. This wasn't the first time the siblings had attended this auction, so they were familiar with how things were run.
There was a little under an hour left until the auction began, but they had no trouble passing the time by partaking in the food and talking. Meanwhile, there was someone who was informed that Shui had arrived. Although Shui's presence control was good enough for him to stop people from remembering his face, for experts in the Sky Realm and above, they might not be able to recall his face, but he could still be recognized if they saw him.
The one who noticed him as well as the one he reported this information to, were both familiar to Shui. They were the man who led Shui to the auction house the first time, and Lefirius. Lefirius wasn't directly involved with the auction that would be held today, but there was a strong chance that there would be an incident, so he had to be on his guard. When he learnt that Shui had arrived with Emily and the two from the Sphere clan, he didn't express any interest and simply looked down on the list of items that would be up for auction. More specifically, the item that Shui had brought in. It couldn't outshine the main attraction, but it was still one of the top prizes. He was suspicious of the base material, but the profit far exceeded the risk so he looked past it.
'His skills have improved far more than I expected.'
As one of the few aware of Shui's origins, he always wondered how he was able to make such great progress, but no investigation bore fruit so he gradually got used to it. As long as he could help his niece get through the trials ahead, he wouldn't ask for anything else.
Everyone with a bit of money to their name either came to the auction or sent someone in their place. Many just came for the experience, or to see if they could get lucky, but the stronger and more influential they were, the more they focused on what items they wanted to get. The big names knew what key item had drawn in people from all across the kingdom, and although all of them wanted it, only a few were prepared to fight for it.
In the private room provided for the Sphere clan, everyone except Emily knew what that item was, but that wasn't something that needed to be discussed. While they waited for more people to arrive, there was a jovial atmosphere in the room.
"I wonder if I should bid for something too."
"You should give up on that dream for your own good."
Alex shot down Emily's idea mercilessly. She wasn't being totally serious, but the way he did it irked her.
"Why should I? I'm not poor, you know."
It was unintentional, but when he heard this, Shui remembered how she was when they first reached Paraj and couldn't help but chuckle.
"Shui..."
As Emily called out his name with a heartbroken look, Shui tried to explain himself but Alex interfered.
"Wait, it's not-"
"See, there's no point in acting tough. But if you really want something, I'm sure Shui will buy it for you, Little Princess."
"You-!"
Shui and Alicia smiled gently while watching the two of them, but then Shui's left eyebrow and Alicia's right index finger twitched. They made sure not to express it any further, but they couldn't ignore what they sensed.
As this was one of the biggest auctions of the kingdom, it was natural for there to be many powerful people attending, with even Masters among their number, but this was the step above that.
There was a saying among cultivators, 'blessed to reach the sky, but must partner with death to touch the heavens'. This was in reference to the blessing that a cultivator experienced when they broke through to the Sky Realm, and how every advancement in the Master Realm and True Master Realm was like walking the tightrope between life and death. In fact, of the many geniuses from the previous generation, several notable ones stayed stuck in the early stage of the Master Realm because they were too afraid to take the risk.
However, they were certain of what they sensed. For both of them, this was the first time they had detected such a profound power, but even though they could no longer trace it, the memory was all the proof they needed.
Shui glanced at Alicia with the intent of asking if this had ever happened before, but she discreetly shook her head. Unlike Shui who was perceptive enough to pick them up, her detection was a result of the sixth sense that came from her sacred treasure. She didn't get the feeling that he would be a threat, but she was forced to recall the future that she saw.
'This may be more climactic than I thought.'