The Divine Treasures of the Geo Archon Appear
The faint light of dawn filtered through the floor-to-ceiling window curtains of the Rose Hotel's top-floor suite, casting patches of warmth across the red carpet.
On the large, soft, heart-shaped round bed, Chu Yuan slowly opened his eyes. A pale golden divine light flickered in their depths and vanished.
After bringing Zhu Zhuqing under his command last night, he had brought all three women back to this suite at the Rose Hotel.
Now, two warm, soft, silken bodies nestled against him, one on either side.
Keqing, on his left, seemed to have been awake for some time, lying quietly against his chest.
In the morning light, the Liyue Yuheng's purple hair lay slightly disheveled over her shoulders. The neckline of her purple-and-black dress was slightly open, and her long, shapely legs, clad in dark purple stockings, rested lightly against Chu Yuan's.
Noticing that Chu Yuan was awake, Keqing's amethyst eyes flashed with shyness.
"Master, you're awake."
She spoke softly, propping up her sore, languid body to sit. Taking the white robe with gold patterns hanging by the head of the bed, she carefully helped Chu Yuan put it on and straightened it for him.
On his other side, Mona was roused by the movement and sleepily rubbed her mint-green eyes.
She rolled over, her black pantyhose shimmering enticingly in the morning light as they sheathed her long, shapely legs.
"Mm... is it morning already?"
Mona gave a small yawn and met Chu Yuan's half-smiling gaze. At once, she remembered their intimacies after returning to the room last night, and her entire delicate, oval face turned bright red.
She scrambled off the bed and hurriedly fetched warm water and a towel from the table, personally attending to Chu Yuan as he washed.
Just then, an extremely faint yet steady breathing sound came from outside the suite's tightly closed carved door.
"Come in."
Chu Yuan straightened his cuffs and spoke calmly.
The door opened soundlessly, and a slender figure in a form-fitting black leather outfit stepped inside.
"Your subordinate Zhu Zhuqing greets you, Master, and pays her respects to Lady Keqing and Lady Mona."
Chu Yuan picked up the tea Keqing handed him, took a sip, and looked down at her:
"What's happening outside?"
"Reporting to you, Master, I slipped into the streets at dawn to make inquiries. Since the five death warriors of the Star Luo Imperial Family disappeared last night, no new pursuers have arrived in the city."
Zhu Zhuqing paused, then continued her report, her tone growing serious:
"However, I heard that the Suotuo Rare Treasures Auction House in the west of the city is holding a special auction this morning. Rumor has it that last night, the auction house purchased several 'exotic treasures from beyond the heavens' that fell from the rift in the sky into the mountains on the southern border of the Balak Kingdom. Quite a few Soul Masters and nobles in the city have been heading west because of it."
As her words fell, Chu Yuan's left palm grew slightly warm.
"The Rare Treasures Auction House in the west of the city... it seems there's no doubt they're relics that fell from Teyvat."
Chu Yuan set down his teacup and slowly rose:
"Let's go take a look."
"Yes, Master."
Half an hour later, in the west of Suotuo City, at the Rare Treasures Auction House.
As the largest den for spending money in the Balak Kingdom, the domed building, which occupied nearly a hundred mu, was exceptionally lively today.
The white-stone plaza before its entrance was packed with luxurious horned-horse carriages, while Soul Masters and wealthy merchants in all manner of attire jostled shoulder to shoulder.
When Chu Yuan and his party of four slowly ascended the steps, much of the noisy discussion around them promptly fell silent.
The auction house's chief steward, who stood at the main entrance, was a Soul Ancestor above level forty with a keen eye.
At the sight of Chu Yuan's bearing, and especially upon sensing the unfathomable presence of Keqing and Mona, his heart tightened. He hurried forward and bowed:
"Your presence truly brings splendor to our humble establishment, honored guest! May I ask whether you have reserved a private room, young master?"
Chu Yuan's expression was indifferent. He did not even lower his head to look at him.
Zhu Zhuqing, following behind him, immediately stepped forward and said coldly:
"Arrange a quiet private room on the top floor with the best view. No idlers are to disturb us."
"Yes, yes, of course! We happen to have the Heaven No. 3 VIP room left on the top floor. Honored guests, this way, please!"
The chief steward personally led the way, bending at the waist as he escorted Chu Yuan and the three women through the heavily guarded VIP passage to a private room suspended along the circular balcony on the auction house's third floor.
The Heaven No. 3 room was lavishly furnished and faced the circular crystal auction stage in the center below. Through its one-way transparent glazed window, the entire venue could be seen at a glance.
Chu Yuan sat in the large cushioned chair in the main seat. Keqing and Mona naturally sat on either side of him, while Zhu Zhuqing stood straight behind his chair, her gaze sweeping the surroundings warily.
Just then, Mona glanced at the Heaven No. 1 room diagonally opposite them and gave a soft "huh":
"There seems to be a rather proud local girl sitting in that room."
Chu Yuan glanced casually in the direction she was looking.
In the VIP room diagonally opposite, whose gauze curtains had not been drawn, sat a girl who appeared to be no more than twelve or so.
She wore an exquisite long dress as white as snow. Her smooth, shoulder-length hair framed a stunning face as delicate as carved pink jade, and her skin was so fair it was almost translucent.
On the surface, she wore a gentle, otherworldly smile, but as her lively eyes swept over the ordinary Soul Masters in the hall below, they could not conceal the arrogance of someone born into a foremost noble family, nor her utter boredom.
Her slender fingers idly toyed with a purple-gold soul coin card inlaid with seven-colored patterns.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's little witch, Ning Rongrong.
Clearly, this little princess, who had just sneaked away from her sect and planned to enroll at Shrek Academy tomorrow, had also been drawn by word of the "exotic treasures from beyond the heavens" and had come especially to join the excitement.
Chu Yuan withdrew his gaze, paying no mind to this little girl who had yet to suffer any setbacks.
Soon, the lights abruptly converged on the crystal auction stage below.
An elderly, white-haired auctioneer in a tailcoat strode onto the platform. After selling several conventional thousand-year-old Soul Tools and rare medicinal herbs in succession and thoroughly stirring up the crowd, the old auctioneer revealed a mysterious yet solemn smile and clapped his hands.
Four guards at the Three-Ring Soul Elder level came onto the stage, working together to carry a sealed cold-jade tray.
"Honored guests, this next lot is one of our finale items. I imagine it's the very reason you have all gathered here today!"
The old auctioneer's voice rang out as he whipped the red silk off the tray:
"The night before last, the sky split open in a spectacle unseen since time immemorial, and countless streaks of light fell onto the continent from beyond the heavens. At enormous expense, our auction house found these three otherworldly curios together in a crater on Balak's southern border!"
The instant the red silk came away, a clear, mellow azure light mingled with a brilliant dark-gold radiance, illuminating the entire auction hall!
Three objects lay quietly in the center of the cold-jade tray:
A strange, fist-sized ore that seemed to have sealed within it azure starlight and pure light elemental power; three dark-gold ancient coins engraved with intricate divine contract patterns and radiating an ancient, weighty pressure; and half a fragment of strange yellow stone, floating about an inch above the tray, with a pale golden earth-attribute sheen flowing over it of its own accord.
"That's... Lumenspar Ore from the Chasm, and a Plaustrite fragment?!"
In the private room, Keqing's amethyst eyes lit up the moment she saw the objects on the tray, and she could not help speaking softly:
"And the patterns on those three gold coins... there's no mistaking them. That's Primordial Adeptal Mora, personally forged by the Geo Archon with divine power in his early years and imbued with the laws of contracts!"
Beside her, Mona's eyes also shone as she stared at the three Ancient Adeptal Mora:
"Wow! It really is Mora, and ancient Mora containing highly concentrated Geo power, at that! The light elemental power in that Lumenspar Ore is incredibly pure too!"
Understanding flashed in Chu Yuan's eyes.
Lumenspar Ore could be used to dispel the Abyss's corruption and build a pure land for the divine court; the Plaustrite fragment and Ancient Adeptal Mora were even more superb mediums for anchoring Teyvat's Geo Ley Lines.
In the hands of Soul Masters of the Douluo Continent, these three things would be of no use for absorbing the elemental laws within them. At most, they could serve as somewhat harder forging materials or glowing ornaments, but to Chu Yuan's [Irminsul] and [Crown of Heavenly Principles], they were extremely useful nourishment.
At this point, the old auctioneer on the stage below continued his introduction with some embarrassment:
"To tell you the truth, these three otherworldly curios are made of unusual materials. Our chief appraiser tried every method at his disposal, but could not cut into them in the slightest, much less absorb them directly with Soul Power. However, the level of power contained within them is extremely high. Whether you collect and study them or ask a divine craftsman to research and forge them, they are worth a fortune! The three curios will be auctioned as one lot, with a starting price of five thousand Gold Soul Coins. Each bid must increase by no less than five hundred!"
As his words fell, hesitant discussion broke out across the hall.
Five thousand Gold Soul Coins was no small sum. Most of the local Barak Soul Masters present were hesitant about buying three stones and copper coins that could neither be used as Soul Tools nor smelted by any known method.
Yet, just as everyone hesitated, Ning Rongrong suddenly sat bolt upright in the Heaven No. 1 room diagonally opposite!