The auction house's entrance was also semicircular and, like the building as a whole, milky white. Four tall young women stood before it.
These young women had clearly been selected through a rigorous process. Not only were they all around 175 centimeters tall, but their figures were also extremely well-proportioned.
Although they could not be called peerless beauties, their lovely looks were still quite attractive. They appeared to be no older than twenty.
They wore floor-length dresses that even covered their arms, leaving not an inch of unnecessary skin exposed. Yet the dresses hugged their bodies, fully tracing their graceful curves.
Silver patterns were embroidered on their snow-white dresses. The patterns vaguely formed words, but Yu Tianlong could not make out what they said.
All four young women held exactly the same posture, their hands resting together in front of them and smiles on their faces. Although these were professional, artificial smiles, they still easily inspired goodwill.
Seeing Yu Tianlong's group approaching directly, the four young women stepped forward three paces in unison, then bowed slightly and said:
"Welcome, Sect Master Ning, Sword Douluo, and Your Highness the Crown Prince!"
Ning Fengzhi and the others did not show much of a smile when facing these young women.
They merely nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
"Take us inside!"
"Yes, my lord!"
After entering the auction house, Yu Tianlong did not find it dazzling with gold and splendor.
The floor was milky-white marble, and the surrounding walls were decorated with various reliefs. The reliefs used few colors, looking clean, crisp, and exceedingly elegant.
Besides the reliefs, there were also display cases built against the walls.
Inside were exhibits such as porcelain and armor.
Had he not known what this place was for, Yu Tianlong might have thought it was a museum.
The young woman leading them was highly professional. Every ten steps or so, she would pause and make an inviting gesture, precisely indicating the way.
She guided Yu Tianlong and the others all the way to their destination.
Since Yu Tianlong was an unfamiliar face and very curious about everything around him, the young woman, after receiving permission, also explained many of the auction house's basic rules along the way.
As the largest auction house in the entire Heaven Dou Empire, any kind of auction item could appear here.
The auction house's first rule was that no one was allowed to inquire into a seller's background. Information about the items being auctioned inside was even more strictly forbidden from being disclosed outside.
Auctions ran around the clock, twenty-four hours a day, without any breaks.
Every night was the time for auctioning the finest items.
During those two hours, only buyers with deposits exceeding one million Gold Soul Coins could participate.
At all other times, any bidder could participate.
The rules were simple, but Yu Tianlong could tell that these nonstop auctions undoubtedly brought the auction house enormous profits.
Taking a ten-percent commission on a valuable auction item might not seem like much from a certain perspective, but in reality, it accumulated into a terrifying fortune.
It was even far greater than the earnings of a Great Soul Arena.
No wonder they could afford the subsidies Spirit Hall provided to commoners.
Spirit Hall was quite slick at this trick of being generous with other people's money.
It won the people's hearts and ensured a steady stream of talent for Spirit Hall's future, all without spending its own money.
Moreover, the two great empires had to pay Spirit Hall a certain sum every year.
Without a few powerful money-making tools, relying on taxes alone...
Would leave the nations in a rather difficult position.
But because the disparity in strength was so enormous...
The Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire had no choice but to swallow it!
Still, thoughts were only thoughts. These things did not actually have much to do with him. After all, his current level was still too low, nowhere near the stratum where he could engage in political maneuvering.
Besides, even if he reached it, Yu Tianlong felt that in a world like this, individual martial prowess was far more powerful than building up a faction!
After walking for a while, Yu Tianlong asked a question.
"How much longer until we reach the auction area?"
The young woman smiled.
"It's just ahead!"
After walking a little longer, Yu Tianlong and the others reached the true heart of the Heaven Dou Auction House.
The auction center was on the auction house's second floor, accessible by no fewer than eight staircases from the main hall.
There were also young women distributing masks at the entrance, but after seeing who had arrived, they did not approach.
Once the young woman leading them reached this point, she bowed before turning to leave. The auction center had its own attendants, so she was no longer needed here!
Yu Tianlong, meanwhile, was stunned at the sight of the attendant who came to take over.
Was this right?
What did she grow up eating?
Was there really no padding?
Compared with the young woman who had guided them earlier, she was likewise dressed in white, and it was still a dress, but the impression she gave was entirely different.
The attendants in the auction center were all women, about the same height as their previous guide, but their figures were fuller and much more voluptuous.
Their white dresses were sleeveless, with plunging necklines.
The short skirts extended only seven inches below their waists, revealing smooth, lustrous thighs. Paired with white high heels, they were especially alluring.
The deep cleavages at their chests and the full, lifted curves beneath their short skirts all sent the imagination wandering.
Yu Tianlong had only taken one look before three figures appeared in front of him.
Qian Renxue, Ning Fengzhi, and Chen Xin had already moved in front of Yu Tianlong and Ning Rongrong, denying them any chance to look.
Seeing them act like this left Yu Tianlong speechless.
They really were treating him like a child!
Still, it did not matter. He had not come here to look at women!
But credit where credit was due, the auction house really understood this sort of thing!
No wonder it could attract so many customers!
What Yu Tianlong had not expected, however, was that Qian Renxue would actually invoke those damned red-tier VIP privileges. After the voluptuous attendant led them into the auction center, she promptly sent her packing.
The auction center felt more like a large auditorium. Its layout resembled the main Soul Fighting area of a Great Soul Arena, with a circular platform in the middle and concentric rows of seats radiating outward around it.
It was divided into five main sections.
The three rows of seats closest to the platform were red. Radiating outward, the colors were black, purple, yellow, and white, in that order.
They were clearly designated for bidders of different ranks.
With so many heavyweights in Yu Tianlong's group, they naturally could not sit in the outer sections. Instead, they took a special passage straight to a red-tier VIP private room!
As soon as they pushed open the door to the private room, an air of luxury greeted them.
The moment he stepped inside, he felt softness beneath his feet. The carpet was made from the fur of some unknown Soul Beast. The room offered a panoramic view of the auction outside, and a huge sofa stood in its center.
The surrounding walls, meanwhile, held an assortment of drinks and decorations.
Seeing Yu Tianlong remain silent, Qian Renxue assumed that what had just happened had displeased him.
She immediately offered an explanation.
"Little Brother Xiaolong, you're not sulking because I sent those attendants away, are you?"
Yu Tianlong shook his head gently. Beautiful though those attendants were, they had neither soul nor strength. At most, he would have a little fun with them.
After all, he was no saint.
But the crucial issue was that he had arrived at the wrong point in time.
He was still too young right now!
"Not at all. You're overthinking it, Big Brother!"