Dengzhou Prefecture, Myriad Phenomena Auction House.
As the venue for the grandest auctions in all of Dengzhou, the nine-story building stood at the heart of the prefectural capital. Spirit jade covered its walls, auspicious vapors curled around it, and inside, the halls rang with voices as prominent figures gathered.
Today marked the Myriad Phenomena Trading Association's grand martial arts auction, held once every three years.
Elder Hong Kuo brought Zhang Jin and Cheng Heng straight to a supreme private box on the third floor. Its sweeping view overlooked the entire auction hall.
Beyond the box, seating was strictly ranked, the divisions between classes unmistakable. The arrangement laid bare the power structure of Dengzhou Prefecture's martial world.
Cheng Heng sat quietly by the window, his gaze sweeping over the hall as he silently sorted through Dengzhou's factions.
The balance of power here was far more stable and formidable than in Qingchuan Prefecture: one sect, three great clans, and one trading association divided the territory.
At the pinnacle stood the dominant Dragon-Tiger Sect.
With the greatest strength and numerous Vajra-Force elders among its ranks, it was indisputably Dengzhou Prefecture's foremost sect.
Next came the Nangong, Xiahou, and Su martial clans, which had held their ground in Dengzhou for a century.
Each clan occupied a private guest room. Their members wore fine clothes and bore handsome features; their foundations ran deep, and their wealth was staggering. Generations had amassed countless resources. On ordinary days, they stood as rivals to the Dragon-Tiger Sect and controlled most of the worldly cultivation resources.
Last was the host, the Myriad Phenomena Trading Association.
The association kept a low profile, yet its trade routes stretched north and south, and it held the lifeblood of Dengzhou's treasure trade in its hands.
Even the Dragon-Tiger Sect and the three great