At the heart of the capital.
It was bustling beyond measure.
Even if their teahouse lay within the capital's borders, it was still separated from here by a hundred and eight thousand li—so distant it made one's scalp tingle. After all, the Immortal Realm lacked nothing if not territory.
Today, a grand auction was being held here.
It was an extraordinarily vast auction venue, where countless rare treasures were being sold—even living beings.
Yet the auction hall, which should have been roaring with noise, was deathly silent. A chill showed on the faces of numerous cultivators, even those from the great immortal cultivation families of the capital.
"Myriad Forms Water... condensed from the laws of heaven and earth... this treasure came from Qiye... it is a rare marvel scarcely found in the Immortal Realm..."
The auctioneer spoke with a trembling voice. "The starting price... is one hundred thousand high-grade Immortal Spirit Stones..."
After saying that, he swallowed hard.
Yet among the million cultivators in the hall, the atmosphere became strangely eerie after his words fell. Not a single person placed a bid.
The auction house was silent as death.
Upon the high platform, a bead of cold sweat slowly slid down the auctioneer's forehead. His fingers trembled slightly, and he forced a smile onto his lips.
Yet his gaze involuntarily turned toward a VIP room suspended in midair—
Within that wondrous space, surrounded by ninety-nine floating restriction formations and sealed by Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Jade, a figure could vaguely be seen seated. It was only a silhouette, yet it seemed to overlook the entire auction hall, making hearts tremble and preventing anyone from daring to look directly at it.
The next moment, an incomparably majestic voice rang out.
It was neither hurried nor slow, carrying a superiority and majesty that originated