Purple Zenith Auction

After leaving the Universe Mercenary Alliance outpost, Zhou Yuan did not immediately return to the exploration zone of the Yunyan Secret Realm. Instead, he rented an estate on a nearby habitable planet.

After all, he had spent over a century venturing through the secret realm. Both body and mind needed time to recover, and the vast number of Universe Coins he had accumulated also required a safe environment for him to plan their use.

The estate stood on the edge of an artificial forest on the planet, covering more than ten square kilometers. It contained not only a luxurious main residence, but also dedicated training rooms, a study, and an observation deck.

From the estate's observation deck, he could overlook the forest's magnificent scenery. In the morning, artificial sunlight filtered through the gaps between the leaves, scattering mottled patches of light across the ground and lending the place an exceptional tranquility.

After settling everything, Zhou Yuan returned to the study in the main residence, put on his Virtual Universe helmet, and his consciousness instantly entered the Virtual Universe.

Virtual Universe, Sky Orchid Plain District, Purple Zenith Continent. This was where Zhou Yuan had purchased property in the Virtual Universe: an antique-style Chinese courtyard.

Zhou Yuan walked straight into the study. The moment he sat down, the virtual screen before him lit up, informing him that he had several new emails.

He casually opened the first one. It was an account upgrade email from the Universe Galaxy Bank: "Dear customer, hello.

Your consciousness-bound account with our bank has just received a transfer of 56.83 trillion Universe Coins. Your account balance has reached the threshold of 10 Hunyuan units. Hunyuan is an advanced unit; each Hunyuan unit is equivalent to 1 trillion Universe Coins. Your account has automatically been upgraded to a 'three-star account.'

You have also automatically become an esteemed three-star customer of the Universe Galaxy Bank. As a star-rated customer, you possess many special privileges. A list and explanation of these privileges are attached below this email.

Universe Galaxy Bank"

"More than sixty trillion Universe Coins... Hunyuan units. My assets can finally be counted in Hunyuan units too." Zhou Yuan could not help muttering as he looked at his account balance. More than sixty trillion Universe Coins was already greater than the assets of most World Lords.

The second email was an investment recommendation from the Universe Galaxy Bank. Zhou Yuan glanced at it and closed it. The third was a territory management recommendation, which he barely read as well. The fourth and fifth were the same, promotional emails trying to make him spend money. Zhou Yuan had no interest in any of them.

The sixth email was the first useful one. It had been sent by the Virtual Universe Company. Zhou Yuan opened it. "Hello.

From the moment you became a three-star customer, you gained the qualification to enter the Purple Zenith Auction. In the universe, countless precious items are restricted, while many others are difficult to buy even with money. The auctions held by our Virtual Universe Company provide opportunities for customers to purchase many rare treasures.

The Purple Zenith Auction is held once every three years.

The minimum requirement for attending the auction is being a three-star customer of the First Universe Bank or Universe Galaxy Bank.

The next Purple Zenith Auction will be held one year from now. Please see the attachment to this email for detailed information about the auction.

Virtual Universe Company"

"Purple Zenith Auction!" A flash of excitement crossed Zhou Yuan's eyes. Of course, he knew the importance of this auction. In the original story, Luo Feng had purchased the Yan Shen Weapon and fragments of Mosuo Race skin at a similar auction, then risen all the way to prominence.

Not only could one buy divine weapons and battle armor of the fifth tier or above here, one might also uncover unknown secret techniques, or even obtain a quota to enter the Initial Universe. These were resources he had never been able to access before.

"In one year and three months, I have to go." Zhou Yuan clenched his fist and silently made up his mind.

The final email came from the Giant Axe Dojo. It notified him of a complimentary VIP membership. Upon becoming a three-star customer, he had automatically received a "Bronze VIP Membership" from the Giant Axe Dojo, allowing him to watch its live duel broadcasts for free.

Time passed quickly. One year and three months vanished in the blink of an eye, and the Purple Zenith Auction arrived as scheduled.

Zhou Yuan left his courtyard in Sky Orchid Plain on Purple Zenith Continent and found a Virtual Universe teleportation point on the street. He took out the electronic invitation sent by the Virtual Universe Company and entered the destination coordinates.

"Buzz—" After a faint ripple of energy, Zhou Yuan's figure instantly vanished from where he stood. When he appeared again, he was already outside a gigantic city floating above the clouds. This was the venue of the Purple Zenith Auction—Purple Zenith Sky City.

The entire city was forged from pale violet metal and emitted a faint glow. Its walls rose over a hundred meters high, carved with all manner of profound runes that gave it an ancient yet imposing air.

Most eye-catching was the building at the city's center. It stood a full thousand meters tall and resembled a gigantic inverted bowl. It was the auction's main venue—the Purple Zenith Auction Hall.

The invitation in Zhou Yuan's hand suddenly emitted specks of violet light. A passage instantly opened in the city's protective barrier, allowing him to enter.

Zhou Yuan stepped into the city, and the sight within shocked him even more. Majestic palaces lined both sides of the streets, while pedestrians streamed endlessly along the roads. Among them were various branches of the human race: some had snake bodies and human heads, some possessed enormous wings on their backs, and some stood over ten meters tall with knotted muscles, clearly wielding terrifying strength.

Zhou Yuan swept his gaze across them and discovered that nearly all were World Lord-level powerhouses. From time to time, he could even sense the auras of several Immortal Level experts. Clearly, this auction held tremendous appeal.

Following the crowd, he arrived at the entrance of the Purple Zenith Auction Hall. Four long lines had already formed there. Everyone held an invitation and waited to enter. Zhou Yuan joined the back of a line and listened to the discussions among the surrounding World Lords.

From time to time, he heard keywords such as "Initial Universe quota," "Immortal Level weapon," and "Extraterritorial Battlefield."

Some were also discussing the latest developments in the Yunyan Secret Realm: where a pack of World Lord-level ferocious beasts had newly appeared, where an immature F-grade treasure had emerged, and where the Universe Mercenary Alliance had captured a special lifeform.

Soon, it was Zhou Yuan's turn. The robotic attendant at the entrance smiled and said, "Hello, sir. Welcome to the Purple Zenith Auction. Here is your seat number."

Zhou Yuan accepted a token. It was violet and had a translucent screen on its surface displaying his seat number—LGD66892.

Zhou Yuan took the token and entered the auction hall. The moment he stepped inside, he was stunned by the sight. The entire hall resembled a massive football stadium, with densely packed seats surrounding it. Each seat was six meters wide and ten meters tall, enough to accommodate human race members of all shapes and sizes. By rough estimate, there were at least five million seats.

At that moment, nearly half the seats were already occupied. The entire auction hall buzzed with voices, as discussions among the different human races intermingled and created an exceptionally lively atmosphere.

Following the instructions on the token, Zhou Yuan found his seat and sat down. Since he was using a human form in the Virtual Universe, the six-meter-wide seat felt exceptionally spacious.