Xu Qingtong arrived at the Auction Venue early, took out his invitation, and handed it to the gatekeeper for inspection before stepping inside.
"Senior, your invitation is for the Ding Arena. Please follow me!" After checking Xu Qingtong's invitation, a maid led him to a seat toward the left at the back.
Xu Qingtong looked it over. The seating area was horseshoe-shaped, with walls on either side and behind it, while the front and the space overhead were open.
After leading Xu Qingtong to his seat, the maid bowed and said, "Please rest here for a while, Senior. The auction will begin in another hour!"
Xu Qingtong nodded with a murmured acknowledgment, and the maid withdrew.
Once the maid had left, Xu Qingtong took out a cloak and pulled it over his head. Then he sat down and closed his eyes to rest.
Before long, people began entering the Auction Venue one after another, each finding a seat.
Another tea's worth of time passed before Xu Qingtong suddenly opened his resting eyes. He had felt a powerful sweep of divine sense pass over him.
Looking up, he saw a tall, middle-aged man in a deep purple robe walking toward a seat in the middle of the front row.
After that middle-aged man, several more people entered in succession and took the other seats in the front row.
Xu Qingtong silently mused that these people in the front row must be of considerable standing. Judging by their imposing presence, most were Golden Core Stage cultivators.
As he was pondering this, someone walked onto the stage. The man was in his fifties, with a silk scholar's headcloth and a green brocade robe. His eyes shone brightly, and his three strands of beard were about five inches long.
"My surname is Ding, and