As he arrived, John saw a person in the crowd walk up to the stage, at which point he grabbed the chains of one of the mortals. It was a boy in his late teens, no older than John. The boy had no cultivation, and was incredibly dirtied. A look of hopeless despair was evident on his face, as well as the faces of the others on the stage.
The boy was led by his chains through the crowd, and the auctioneer on the stage immediately started the next bid. A woman in her thirties was the next to be auctioned. She was relatively attractive, but the dirt and grime on her face and body hid that fact.
"We'll start the bid at one thousand Spirit Crystals," the auctioneer bellowed out. His cultivation was at the Core Formation Realm, and he appeared to be in his forties.
"One thousand Spirit Crystals," someone in the crowd shouted.
"Two thousand!"
"Three thousand!"
