Among those figures, the one that drew every eye was, of course, the woman in a blazing red dress.

“Everyone, quiet down. Remember where you are.”

A clear young voice rang out through the hall. In an instant, the noisy crowd fell silent.

On the stage… snow‑pale skin, cheeks like peach blossoms, and a generous, confident smile resting slightly on her lips. At first glance she had the charm of a beautiful girl, but the full curves and graceful posture on that figure gave her a mature allure that was downright hypnotic.

At her side stood a tall woman in white. Her looks weren’t quite as stunning, but she was still extremely beautiful. Her face, similar to the one in red by a fraction, carried a cool indifference that made people instinctively keep their distance.

Compared to the woman in red, she was a bit greener, but had her own kind of flavor.

“At the very least, they’re not any worse than the Wu clan’s eldest princess,” Wuxian muttered.

The two of them were top‑tier beauties. Walking together, they looked like a pair of sister flowers. Showing up here side by side, they drew a crowd without even trying. Judging from the mix of heat and awe in the gazes around them, their status clearly wasn’t ordinary either.

“Chief Steward Haidong and Young Miss Han just get prettier every year. Looks like something really important is going on the block today.”

“Man, I wonder which lucky guy’s gonna end up with these two sisters someday. With figures like that, it’s just—”

“You got a death wish? Chief Steward Haidong’s a peak Boundless expert. You really wanna make a move with her standing right there?”

“I’m just talking, just talking, alright?”

Hearing the auction house guards whispering nearby, Juxi’s heart stirred. So these two were probably Pavilion Master Han’s daughters? Yuanhui just let his gaze sweep over them once, then calmly withdrew it.

“What’s wrong?” Wuxian teased. “Seen too many beauties to care about them anymore?”

“…Teacher, are you okay in the head?”

“Eh?”

“It’s not that I don’t care who she is. I really just don’t. Right now I’m way more worried about getting some elixirs that can nourish my soul power,” Yuanhui said honestly.

With that, he didn’t linger. He turned and started slowly wandering around the hall.

Talking here required care. There wasn’t a single rookie under the Nine Hearts realm in this place—none of them were people Yuanhui could casually provoke. Of course, like they’d said, this was a refuge for the weak. But—it was also sacred ground where the truly strong climbed to the peak.

When Juxi was about to stand and head into the auction hall to check the lots, she realized it was already packed with people.

“Master, we…”

“Hold on a sec!”

Wuxian glanced at the main hall of the auction, thought for a moment, then took a hood from his bracelet and pulled it over his head. Only then did he pick a seat near the center and sit down.

This wasn’t the Central Plains; most people here shouldn’t recognize him. But better to be cautious and avoid trouble after buying something than regret it later.

“Master…”

“Mm?”

“Uh, aren’t you being a little narcissistic? After all these years, even Wu Duantian’s probably forgotten you… He’s already dead, and have you thought about how anyone is supposed to recognize your face now?”

“…You’ve got a point.”

By the time Yuanhui and Wuxian sat down, the auction still hadn’t started. Yuanhui found it hard to calm his nerves, while Wuxian simply shut his eyes to rest, quietly waiting for things to begin.

The inner court really was on a different level. The treatment here was nothing like the mess of street stalls outside.

Wuxian and Yuanhui had been given top‑tier service. No crowding, just small two‑person tables laid out as viewing seats.

The hall was split into two levels. People like Wuxian and Yuanhui, whose origins were unclear, could only sit on the lower floor. As for the upper floor…

“Master, why are there only four seats up there?” Yuanhui yelped. “No way, don’t tell me…”

“That’s right. Only imperial royalty from super empires can sit up there—countries like Star Emperor Nation and the like.”

“That so… Too bad Wu Yanze stirred up such a mess. He’s probably got no chance of showing up at this auction.”

Not long after Wuxian closed his eyes, a stir spread through the hall again. Yuanhui didn’t even need to look back to know it was probably those two annoying women from before causing it.

He was about to ignore it when, out of nowhere, he noticed Wuxian trembling beside him.

That made Yuanhui jolt slightly. His gaze shifted toward the back. His eyes brushed over the two women first… then stopped on the old man in blue walking beside them.

“Uh…”

The moment Juxi saw the plainly dressed old man, she finally understood. This was none other than Pavilion Master Han—the man who had recognized Wuxian before.

Staring at the old man, the corner of Yuanhui’s eye twitched. But thinking about it, this was his turf. It made sense he’d show his face.

So he didn’t plan to dodge. He quietly withdrew his gaze.

As for Wuxian, he practically shoved his head under the table. Forget showing his face—he didn’t even dare breathe too loudly, like he had some deep blood feud with that old Han.

Bang—

He crushed the glass of juice the maid had just brought over into powder in an instant. His burning Chi vaporized the juice on the spot.

The noisy crowd around them went dead quiet. Countless eyes turned in their direction.

Now Yuanhui started to panic. “Teacher, you’re being… uh, just a bit too flashy, don’t you think?”

“…”

Even though that old man hadn’t shown any hostility toward them last time, it still didn’t hurt to stay careful.

“Hm?”

Just as Yuanhui pulled his gaze away, the old man let out a soft sound of surprise. His eyes swept over the packed hall. He had also felt a slight fluctuation of spiritual power, but after probing with his senses, he found nothing. His brow creased slightly.

“Father, what’s wrong?” the woman in the red cheongsam asked, puzzled.

“Heh, it’s nothing.”

The old man shook his head, deciding that earlier feeling was just an illusion.

He waved his hand. “The auction’s about to start. Let’s head to the host seats.”

“Yes.”

The two daughters clearly held him in deep respect.

The woman in red smiled, nodded, and took the lead, heading toward the second floor on the other side of the hall.

Only when they’d gone far away did Yuanhui and Wuxian quietly let out a breath. Just now, they had clearly felt Pavilion Master Han’s spirit sight sweep over them. But since Wuxian had already recovered to the Immortal Ascension realm, the old man hadn’t noticed anything.

Spirit sight—only mid‑ to late‑stage Boundless experts could use it. Its purpose: to sense abnormal fluctuations in soul power nearby.

“This Pavilion Master Han’s soul power is insane. It’s probably reached the third or even fourth Seal,” Yuanhui thought.

From that brief scan earlier, he had faintly sensed just how overwhelming the man’s soul power was. Before, he hadn’t understood the soul at all—ignorance had kept him fearless. But now that he’d stepped into the Boundless realm, he could finally feel how terrifying this old man really was.

“No wonder even people with obvious status show him that much respect,” Yuanhui muttered under his breath.

“Clang! Clang! Clang!”

As his thoughts churned, clear chimes rang out from within the auction hall. The entire place erupted with excitement, and Yuanhui finally focused on the auction stage.

The Xizhou Grand Auction—had begun.

This level of auction was a first for Yuanhui. Back in his small town, he’d hardly ever even laid eyes on things like this. He couldn’t help feeling excited. What kind of treasures would show up here?

Under countless burning gazes, several beautiful women in cheongsams walked onto the stage. Ahead of them stood a middle‑aged man in a brocade robe, beaming as he cupped his hands to the guests on all sides.

“Honored guests, welcome to the Grand Auction of Xizhou. I hope each of you leaves with the items you desire and need.”

He offered a few warm words to open, but seeing the impatience on many faces, he cut straight to the point.

“Everyone, our first item today is a specialty of Xizhou—the Wind God Sword, a masterpiece of craftsmen.”

Behind him, a maid stepped forward, holding a jade tray. Resting on it was a massive azure greatsword that looked incredibly heavy. The blade shimmered like overlapping fish scales, and faint sigils of Boundless experts’ seals flickered on its surface. A strange chill rolled off it in waves.

“This sword was forged jointly by several famous masters. I won’t waste words with introductions; I’m sure you’ve all heard those names a thousand times. It’s said an ‘immortal’ from Clearwater Mountain also took part in its forging.”

“…”

The hall fell silent. The Wind God Sword sounded and looked impressive enough… but there was a big problem.

“Ahem. The starting price for this sword is fifty million gold coins. If you’re interested, please begin bidding.” The middle‑aged man gave an awkward nod and smile.

“Fifty million gold coins… that’s insane,”

Yuanhui muttered, his mouth twitching. He could tell the so‑called “Wind God Sword” really was a deadly weapon. Its value clearly exceeded even that price; the final bid would probably go much higher.

“Forged by the ‘Immortal’ of Clearwater Mountain… That’s the legendary forging prodigy, the one called the Continent’s Forging King—Senior Ling Yizi, right? Maybe the whole thing was done by that master alone… No—by that grandmaster.”

As he marveled at the staggering price, Yuanhui murmured to himself.

By now, plenty of people in the hall were already fighting over the Wind God Sword. Clearly, the living immortal of Clearwater Mountain hadn’t earned his reputation for nothing.