Chapter 715: The Ten Thousand Merchants Auction
The caravan rolled slowly into the city. The roaring tide of noise washed over them at once, and after several days in the Beast Forest, Lin Langtian found the sudden bustle almost jarring.
Beiling City was no smaller than any place he had seen on the Tianxuan Continent. Perhaps because it stood within the Great Thousand World, the whole city radiated a grand, imposing aura.
Wide streets flowed with an unending stream of people, a testament to its thriving life.
Now that they had arrived, Lin Langtian was ready to formally bid farewell to the Song Clan caravan.
Song Yanfei looked at him—now in a fresh green robe, tall and straight, his handsome face refreshed—as her lips curved slightly, a natural charm flickering in her eyes.
Though he had risen from a lower plane, she had to admit that even by her standards, Lin Langtian was the most unique and extraordinary man she had ever met.
He seemed unaffected by her gaze. Instead, as though recalling something, he turned to her with a smile.
"By the way, Miss Yanfei, does Beiling City have any well‑known auction houses? I'd like to take a look around."
He asked because, though he had successfully cultivated the Supreme Demonic Body, he had lacked several key materials in the lower plane. As a result, the technique remained incomplete.
At the time, with the Demonic Emperor descending and the Tianxuan Continent on the brink, he had had no choice but to make do.
Yet Lin Langtian believed the Supreme Demonic Body's potential was immense; if brought to perfection, it would rival even the five top Supreme Dharmic Bodies of the Great Thousand World.
As it stood, his incomplete version carried impressive power, but by Aunt Ling's estimation, it ranked only around sixtieth among the ninety‑nine Supreme Dharmic Bodies.
He found that far from acceptable. Mid‑to‑low tier among the ninety‑nine would never satisfy his ambitions.
His priority now was to gather the three crucial materials he needed. Even if he could not vault the Supreme Demonic Body straight into the top ranks, he at least wanted it among the best fifty—or better yet, the top thirty.
At his question, Song Yanfei blinked. She did not pry into his reasons; after a brief pause, she replied:
"There is indeed a very famous auction house in Beiling City: the Ten Thousand Merchants Auction House.
"Its backing is formidable, with branches all across the Qiankun Continent, and rumor has it that it has ties to the Commerce Continent."
"Commerce Continent?" Lin Langtian lifted a brow.
He remembered that name. As the name suggested, it was a continent built on trade.
The Commerce Continent was home to countless renowned auction houses. Though its landmass was not immense, its fame echoed through the Great Thousand World.
That reputation had been built on a single foundation: it gathered countless rare treasures.
Its slogan was simple—if you had enough Sovereign Spiritual Liquid, you could buy anything you wanted.
Boastful as it sounded, the very claim spoke volumes.
Hearing that the Ten Thousand Merchants Auction House might be linked to such a place immediately piqued his interest.
Perhaps this visit really would yield some unexpected gains.
"Where is this auction house located in Beiling City, Miss Yanfei?" he asked.
She bit her lip lightly and met his eyes. "I've been there a few times. I know the way.
"Now that we're back in the city, I'm free for a while. Why don't I accompany you, if you don't mind?"
"That… would be welcome," Lin Langtian said. Her offer surprised him, but he saw no reason to refuse.
Once they had agreed, Song Yanfei dismissed Song Jiang and the others, then led Lin Langtian toward the Ten Thousand Merchants Auction House.
Watching them leave together, Song Jiang could only shake his head with a sigh. "Never thought I'd see the day our young lady took the initiative with a man…"
…
Lin Langtian and Song Yanfei walked several streets and turned a corner. The view ahead opened wide.
Before them rose an enormous hall, quietly dominating the street, a vast surge of spiritual power leaking from within.
Crowds streamed in a ceaseless flow through its doors. Even Lin Langtian had to admit the scale was impressive.
"Ten Thousand Merchants Auction House," he murmured as he read the golden characters above the entrance. "Quite the establishment."
The hall loomed like some ancient beast, its open maw swallowing the tide of people without ever feeling cramped.
By Tianxuan standards, such a place would have ranked among the very greatest.
"Ten Thousand Merchants is usually not this busy," Song Yanfei explained. "We've just happened to arrive on the day of its biannual Heaven‑Rank Auction.
"In addition to its normal sessions, the auction house runs three special levels: Human, Earth, and Heaven.
"Human‑Rank auctions are held every three days, Earth‑Rank auctions once a month, and Heaven‑Rank auctions only once every six months.
"Each Heaven‑Rank Auction brings out extremely valuable treasures—rare divine artifacts, divine arts, pills.
"Once, they even auctioned a damaged divine art, which shook all of Beiling and much of the Northern Region.
"So whenever one is held, major powers from across the Northern Region send representatives."
She smiled slightly. "There should be no shortage of rare items this time either."
"Heaven‑Rank… and even divine arts?" Lin Langtian's brows lifted.
Thanks to his past‑life memories and Aunt Ling's guidance, he was no stranger to the Great Thousand World, despite his origins.
Divine arts were techniques only Earth Supremes could cultivate, fearsome beyond measure.
Even a broken one was still a divine art—and well beyond the reach of ordinary Supremes.
To find such things auctioned here spoke highly of the Ten Thousand Merchants' resources.
He could not help the trace of anticipation that crept onto his face. The more impressive the auction, the better his chances of finding those last ingredients.
His only real concern was whether his funds would be enough.
"Come on," he said with a shake of his head.
With a casual wave, he led the way into the towering hall.
As they stepped through the entrance, a ripple of spatial power brushed over him. His vision blurred for an instant, then cleared.
Inside, the hall blazed with light. The floor was laid with glittering crystal.
The place was packed with people, yet somehow remained open and spacious.
Lin Langtian let his gaze sweep the surroundings. The building's design and grandeur might have crushed lesser men, but as a Plane Master, he felt no trace of small‑town awe.
His expression stayed composed, even faintly appreciative.
Song Yanfei watched him from the corner of her eye, inwardly startled.
She had expected some rustic wonder, given his origins. Yet from start to finish, he had shown only calm confidence and a mountain‑like steadiness.
He looked less like a lower‑plane native than a scion of some top‑tier Great Thousand faction on a casual outing.
Whatever her thoughts, she quickly moved them along. With a flick of her wrist, she dropped ten drops of Sovereign Spiritual Liquid onto a nearby counter and collected two admission tokens.
Tickets in hand, she led Lin Langtian through the main hall and into a glowing doorway.
Beyond it lay a vast arena‑like space, large enough to hold tens of thousands.
Already, it was nearly full. The surge of human presence was like a living sea.
Lin Langtian's eyes narrowed slightly. The sheer scale of it spoke volumes of the Great Thousand World's power.
As Song Yanfei searched for seats, his gaze drifted to the right, where another glowing doorway stood.
A small group was just stepping through.
The moment they appeared, many nearby heads turned, eyes warming with interest.
Lin Langtian followed their line of sight.
At their head walked a woman in a tight red cheongsam, her figure outrageously curvaceous.
A mane of fiery red hair spilled over her shoulders. Her delicate features wore a bewitching smile that made men's hearts tremble.
Her narrow waist moved like a serpent as she walked, the slit of her dress flashing glimpses of pale skin that seized every eye around her.
Behind her strode a middle‑aged man of utterly ordinary face. He kept a single step behind her, and every so often, his gaze flicked up, sharp as a blade.
Lin Langtian felt a faint weight settle over him.
For all that the man looked plain, his strength was anything but. Lin Langtian guessed he was at least a Fourth‑Grade Supreme.
"They're from the Heavenly Demon Sect," Song Yanfei said quietly. "It's one of the strongest powers on the Qiankun Continent.
"They've got a hand in most of the major auction houses here.
"That woman must hold no small rank there. Otherwise a Fourth‑Grade Supreme wouldn't be shadowing her closely."
"Heavenly Demon Sect," Lin Langtian repeated, filing the name away.
It was the first major sect he had heard of in this world.
As he and Song Yanfei watched, the middle‑aged man seemed to sense their attention. He lifted his head, gaze skimming over the crowd—then stopping briefly on Lin Langtian.
His step hitched, almost imperceptibly.
The tiny pause did not escape his red‑clad companion. She glanced in the same direction, her enchanting eyes locking with Lin Langtian's.
The moment their gazes met, his heartbeat stuttered. He could feel his blood quicken.
Something was wrong.
His eyes hardened. Thunder boomed silently through his core, and the strange heat washed away.
"Charm arts," he thought, chilled.
Such techniques were a branch of spiritual power, used to cloud and influence the mind.
"Not charm arts," Aunt Ling growled. "That woman has the Heavenly Demon Charm Body. Every smile and glance can hook the soul. It's a rare constitution in the Great Thousand World.
"And one this old woman can't stand. If you see one, hit one—and I'll deal with the fallout."
"Heavenly Demon Charm Body…"
Lin Langtian blinked. Aunt Ling practically never lost her composure. For her to react like this was… interesting.
Had someone with such a body stolen a lover from her in the past? The absurd thought slipped through his mind.
"Hm?"
As he speculated, the woman let out a soft sound of surprise. Yet she made no move, her petal‑like lips curving faintly as she studied him for another heartbeat before looking away.
Under the hungry stares of half the arena, she glided to the very front and ascended into a veiled private box.
It was quite clearly not a place ordinary people could enter.
Lin Langtian spared it barely a thought. He was new here, with no backing and no name; even his strength was nothing special by Great Thousand standards. Special treatment meant nothing to him.
He was just about to follow Song Yanfei in search of seats when another group entered.
At their head walked a white‑robed youth. The instant she saw him, Song Yanfei's expression soured.
The youth noticed her at the same time. A smile spread across his pale, slightly feminine features.
"Yanfei. What brings you here?"
(END CHAPTER)
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