Calm Before the Stirring in the Sky-Class Pavilion

Myriad Treasures Pavilion stood at the heart of Eastsea City's central commercial district. The entire building was cast from dark gray soul-conducting metal, its outer walls etched with intricate defensive array patterns that gleamed with a cold, shadowy sheen beneath the sunlight.

The main entrance stood ten meters tall. The two bronze doors bore reliefs of intertwined dragons and phoenixes, while the door rings were genuine Thousand-Year Soul Beast eyeballs. Though they had long lost their vitality, they could still emit a terrifying glow when stimulated by specific Soul Power.

When Yun Zhiyu and her group got out of the vehicle, quite a crowd had already gathered outside. Most were lavishly dressed merchants or descendants of soul master families, standing in small groups and conversing in low voices. Their gazes swept toward the tightly shut bronze doors from time to time, their eyes concealing either anticipation or anxiety.

"So many people..." Xie Xie craned his neck to look around, his brownish-gold hair particularly eye-catching amid the crowd, eagerness blazing in his dark green eyes.

"Class monitor, what tier is our invitation?"

Yun Zhiyu did not answer. She simply took a dark gold card from her storage space. The gilded patterns flowed with a restrained luster beneath the afternoon sun. The front bore the two ancient seal-script characters for "Myriad Treasures," while the back carried a small line of text: Sky-Class · One.

Almost the instant she produced the invitation, a middle-aged man in a dark blue uniform hurried over from the entrance. His gaze lingered on the dark gold card for less than half a second before he bowed deeply, his manner so respectful it was nearly humble. "An honored guest has arrived, yet we failed to welcome you properly. Please, follow me."

His voice was not loud, yet it was like a pebble cast into a still lake, sending ripples through the surrounding crowd. Several gazes shot toward them in unison, carrying scrutiny, surprise, and an indescribably complicated emotion.

"Sky-Class VIP Room?" someone exclaimed under their breath, disbelief obvious in their voice. "What family's young master or young lady is that?"

"They look unfamiliar..."

"Is that black-haired one from the Gu Family? No, I've met all the direct descendants of the Gu Family..."

"That one with jet-black hair does have the bearing of someone from a major family..."

The murmurs surged like a tide, then quietly receded when Yun Zhiyu's calm gaze swept across them. Her expression was as indifferent as though she were strolling through her own backyard. A silver-white bracelet peeked in and out from beneath her sleeve, echoing the color of the invitation.

The middle-aged man led them through the main entrance and into a long corridor carpeted in red. Portraits of renowned auctioneers from past generations hung along both walls, each preserved with special soul-conducting materials. The eyes of those in the paintings seemed to turn with the viewer's movements, carrying a scrutiny that transcended time.

"The Sky-Class VIP Room is on the top floor," the man introduced as they walked, his voice lowered as though afraid of disturbing something. "It has a private viewing platform, an exclusive auction channel, and..."

He paused, glancing back at Yun Zhiyu. A trace of deliberation flashed in his eyes. "And priority bidding rights. Regardless of the item, guests of the Sky-Class VIP Room may bid first and are not required to pay a deposit."

Xie Xie sucked in a sharp breath, the sound especially clear in the quiet corridor. Zhang Yangzi nudged him with his elbow, signaling him to restrain himself, yet his own gaze lingered over the portraits as well. His Shadow Martial Soul's sensitivity to energy fluctuations allowed him to detect the special soul-conducting circuits hidden within those paintings.

At the end of the corridor stood a soul-conducting elevator. Its inner walls were lined with warm jade that felt pleasantly warm to the touch. The elevator rose soundlessly, shutting the clamor outside behind its heavy metal doors.

Yun Zhiyu looked at the relief on the elevator ceiling—a Myriad Treasures Pavilion emblem, a spreading phoenix carrying a burning star in its beak—her eyes utterly calm.

With a soft chime, the elevator doors slid open.

The Sky-Class VIP Room was even more spacious than expected. The entire wall facing the auction stage was made of a special transparent soul-conducting material. From within, the view outside was perfectly clear; from outside, it appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary pane of dark glass.

Eight large leather chairs furnished the room, each with a small soul-conducting control console beside it for directly entering bids. A soul-conducting refrigerator in the corner displayed all kinds of spiritual fruit. A purple clay teapot on the coffee table gave off curling steam, and the fragrance of tea mingled with fruit scent to create an atmosphere of reassurance.

A young woman in a moon-white qipao stood quietly beside the door. Upon seeing them enter, she gave a slight bow. "Honored guests, I am the dedicated attendant for Sky-Class Room One today. Please inform me if you require anything."

Her voice was sweet but not fawning. Her gaze passed over each of their faces before finally settling on Yun Zhiyu, a barely perceptible trace of curiosity flashing through her eyes.

Yun Zhiyu took the main seat facing the auction stage, with Gu Yue naturally sitting beside her. Wu Nianbing chose a seat by the window, the Icebound Frost Sword resting across her knees as she watched the audience below gradually fill in. Tang Wulin and Xie Xie squeezed into one chair; the former was still adjusting to the new form of the little grass snake on his shoulder, while the latter eagerly studied the bid button on the soul-conducting console. Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi occupied the other side, while Wei Xiaofeng sat alone in a corner, the gloom of his Azure Shadow Serpent Martial Soul making him more accustomed to shadows.

"The auction will begin in a quarter of an hour," the qipao-clad woman softly reminded them. "The first half includes Battle Armor components, century-old spiritual fruits, second- and third-grade Soul Tools, and the second half will feature even rarer..."

"Understood," Yun Zhiyu said coolly, cutting off her introduction.

"We'll call if we need anything."

The woman paused slightly, then revealed a proper smile and retreated into the shadows beside the door.

The auction stage stood at the center of the hall, a circular platform roughly ten meters across paved with white jade. A ring of soul-conducting light beads was embedded along its edge. The lights had yet to come on, and the stage was empty except for a female auctioneer in a vermilion gown making final preparations.

Her figure was graceful, every movement carrying a trained elegance. Yet Yun Zhiyu's gaze remained on her for less than a second before shifting elsewhere.

The audience below was already seventy to eighty percent full. The front rows near the auction stage held descendants of small and mid-sized families dressed in fine clothes, their gazes fervent and greedy like hungry wolves awaiting food. The middle and rear rows were mostly commoner soul masters or lone soul beast hunters. Their clothing was far plainer, but the light in their eyes burned just as fiercely—an auction at Myriad Treasures Pavilion, even its lesser first-half offerings, was a rare opportunity for them.

The Human-Class VIP Rooms were on the second floor along both sides of the hall, separated by semi-transparent soul-conducting screens through which vague silhouettes could be seen moving. The Earth-Class VIP Rooms were on the third floor, with better views and more luxurious furnishings. The Sky-Class VIP Rooms, true to their name, sat high atop the building and overlooked the entire hall, like deities above the clouds gazing down upon the mortal world.

"Class monitor," Xie Xie finally figured out the bidding button and leaned over, anticipation blazing in his dark green eyes. "Do you think there'll be soul bones in the first half?"

"No." Yun Zhiyu's voice was as flat as if she were stating the weather. "Soul bones will be at least in the second half, and most likely finale items."

"What about Battle Armor components? We can't use those yet, right?"

"We can't."

"Then the century-old spiritual fruits..."

"Useless to you."

Xie Xie pursed his lips and sulkily shrank back into his chair. Zhang Yangzi snickered beside him, earning a glare from Xie Xie. Before the tension between them could rise, the suddenly lit auction stage interrupted them.

"Honored guests, the three hundred and seventy-second auction of Myriad Treasures Pavilion now begins!"

The female auctioneer's voice spread across the hall through a soul-conducting amplifier. Sweet yet suitably impassioned, it acted like a catalyst that instantly ignited the atmosphere in the hall. Behind her, the image of the first auction item slowly appeared on a soul-conducting screen—a second-grade Soul Tool dagger, its blade forged from Hundredfold refined steel and inlaid with the crystal core of a ten-year soul beast.

"Second-grade Soul Tool: Windsplitter Dagger. Starting bid, three thousand Federation Credits. Each increase must be no less than five hundred!"

Bids rose one after another. A young soul master in the front row of the hall raised his paddle first, followed by a bid from a Human-Class VIP Room. The Earth-Class VIP Rooms refused to be outdone. The price quickly climbed from three thousand to eight thousand, ultimately sold to a middle-aged merchant in brocade robes for nine thousand five hundred Federation Credits.

Yun Zhiyu reclined in her chair, her gaze resting on the image of the Windsplitter Dagger without the slightest ripple in her eyes. Her fingers lightly tapped the armrest unconsciously, the rhythm slow and steady, as though she were waiting for something.

The second item was a pair of third-grade soul-conducting bracers that could amplify a soul master's strength output by five percent. The bidding was more intense than for the first item, and the price quickly broke through twenty thousand Federation Credits. Xie Xie sprawled over the soul-conducting console, his finger hovering over the bid button, eager to press it, only for Yun Zhiyu to stop him with a look.

"Useless to you," she repeated, a faint trace of helplessness in her voice.

"Your Light Dragon Dagger and Shadow Dragon Dagger are innate martial souls. External Soul Tools would instead interfere with the circulation of your Soul Power."

Xie Xie reluctantly withdrew his finger and muttered something under his breath, but he did not insist further.

The following items passed by in a stream: century-old vermilion fruits, second-grade defensive Soul Tools, Battle Armor gauntlet components, third-grade energy-gathering soul-conducting array disks... Each triggered either fierce or mild bidding below. Guests in the Human-Class and Earth-Class VIP Rooms made frequent moves, and the atmosphere in the hall grew increasingly feverish as prices climbed.

Yet Yun Zhiyu remained completely still.

Her gaze occasionally fell upon an item, but it was as though she were looking at a display unrelated to her. Gu Yue sat beside her, equally silent, nearly transparent in her quietness. Only the hem of her clothes swayed gently in the air-conditioning breeze, like a crescent moon half-veiled by clouds.

Wu Nianbing unconsciously rubbed the hilt of the Icebound Frost Sword with her fingertips. Frostmark flickered faintly along the blade. Her gaze rested on a century-old ice-attribute spiritual fruit below for less than three seconds before moving away.

"Want it?" Yun Zhiyu turned her head slightly, lowering her voice.

Wu Nianbing shook her head, the corners of her lips curving into a faint smile. "The age is too low, and the effect is limited. It isn't as useful as my own Skyfrost Mist Shadow."

Yun Zhiyu nodded slightly and said nothing more.

The first half slowly progressed at an almost dull pace. The twenty-third item was a third-grade soul-conducting shield capable of blocking a full-powered strike from a Soul Elder. The twenty-fifth was a bottle of juice extracted from five kinds of century-old spiritual fruits, said to temper the body. The twenty-seventh was a Battle Armor belt buckle etched with a miniature energy-gathering array.

Every item drew either fierce or restrained bidding from below, and every one settled under the silent watch of the Sky-Class VIP Room.

Xie Xie had grown so bored that he began counting the soul-conducting light beads on the ceiling. Zhang Yangzi leaned against Wang Jinxi's shoulder and dozed off. Wei Xiaofeng rested with his eyes closed, the aura of his Azure Shadow Serpent Martial Soul forming a faint layer of shadow around him. Little Golden Light on Tang Wulin's shoulder, however, was full of energy. Its emerald eyes curiously observed everything below, and it flicked out its tongue from time to time.

Gu Yue suddenly turned her head. Her black hair brushed Yun Zhiyu's shoulder insignia, bringing a trace of coolness. Her voice was very low, as though she feared disturbing something. "Patience."

Just two words, yet they made Yun Zhiyu's tapping fingers pause slightly.

She turned to look at Gu Yue and met those black eyes as deep as ancient pools. There was no urging, no comfort, only an almost certain calm, as though she were saying: I know what you're waiting for.

The corners of Yun Zhiyu's lips rose unconsciously in a tiny curve.

Perhaps the second half truly would bring a surprise.

The female auctioneer on the stage cleared her throat, her voice spreading across the hall through the soul-conducting amplifier. "Honored guests, the final item of the first half—third-grade soul-conducting aircraft: Cloud Shuttle. Starting bid, two hundred thousand Federation Credits!"

The bidding suddenly turned fierce. The Cloud Shuttle was a small personal flying Soul Tool that allowed soul masters to gain aerial mobility for a short period. For low-level soul masters who had yet to master flight, it was undoubtedly a life-saving tool.

This item pushed the hall's atmosphere to the climax of the first half. The price rapidly climbed from two hundred thousand to three hundred and fifty thousand, ultimately sold to a guest in a Human-Class VIP Room for three hundred and eighty thousand Federation Credits.

"That concludes the first half." The female auctioneer bowed slightly, her vermilion skirt spreading across the white jade stage like a blooming peony.

"We will recess for one hour. The second half will feature even rarer items. During this time, honored guests may raise funds or enjoy the tea and refreshments provided by our pavilion."

The lights gradually dimmed, and the soul-conducting screen on the auction stage slowly went dark. Discussions rose throughout the hall. Some excitedly calculated their remaining funds, some anxiously contacted their families, and others rose to leave, casting probing gazes toward the VIP Rooms.

Yun Zhiyu reclined in her chair, looking at the surging crowd below. At last, a faint ripple appeared in her eyes.

An hour's recess was supposedly for everyone to raise funds, but in truth, it gave guests with influence and strength room to make arrangements. The Sky-Class VIP Room's priority bidding rights, the Earth-Class VIP Room's deposit reductions, the Human-Class VIP Room's exclusive channels—these rules seemed fair on the surface, yet every one of them carried the unmistakable implication of social hierarchy.

She let out a soft breath, her fingertips lightly stroking the dark gold bracelet.

Uncle Mu Chen, if the second half still has no surprises, I'll have to properly "consult" you when we get back.

Gu Yue sat beside her, her hair gleaming softly in the dimming light. Her gaze briefly met Yun Zhiyu's, and a knowing smile flashed deep in her black eyes, as though she had seen through something but chose not to expose it.

The qipao-clad woman stepped forward at the right moment and poured everyone freshly brewed spiritual tea. The curling tea fragrance mingled with the lingering heat of the bidding in the air, creating a strange atmosphere.

Outside the window, dusk slowly descended over Eastsea City, coating the outline of Myriad Treasures Pavilion in an ambiguous golden edge. An hour later, when the lights came on again, the true contest would only just begin.