From the fake emperor to the concubine

After examining these items, Zheng Yi made up his mind.

These materials are all very precious and will be helpful for his cultivation and the growth of his subordinates. However, they are not cheap either; if he were to buy them all, it would probably cost more than half of his spirit stones.

"Manager Liu," he asked, "how much higher do the final selling prices of these items usually go compared to the starting prices?"

"It depends on how intense the competition is," Liu Yuanfa said. "Popular items attract fierce competition, and the final price can be two or three times the starting price, or even higher. Less popular items attract less competition, and the final price may only be slightly higher than the starting price."

"And what about these other items?" Zheng Yi pointed to the materials in the booklet. "Is the competition fierce?"

Liu Yuanfa looked at the items Zheng Yi pointed to and pondered for a moment.

"Both the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Marrow and the Crimson Flame Refined Gold are highly sought-after materials, so the competition will definitely be fierce. Especially the Crimson Flame Refined Gold; it's said that several major powers are very interested, and the final transaction price will likely exceed two million."

"Purple electric stone and Xuan Tian black jade are slightly less popular, but there will still be competition. The final transaction price should be around 1.5 times the starting price."

"As for the Nine-Turn Rejuvenating Grass, it's extremely rare, with a price but no market. Once it appears, it will definitely trigger fierce competition, and the final transaction price is difficult to predict."

Zheng Yi nodded, feeling reassured.

"Manager Liu, what are the requirements for participating in the auction?" he asked.

“You need to register for entry first,” Liu Yuanfa said. “Our Tianbao Pavilion auction is divided into regular seats and VIP seats. Regular seats require a deposit of 10,000 spirit stones, while VIP seats require a deposit of one million spirit stones.”

What is the purpose of the deposit?

"The deposit is to guarantee the bidder's creditworthiness," Liu Yuanfa explained. "If the bid is successful, the deposit will be deducted from the price of the item. If the bid is unsuccessful or the bidder does not participate, the deposit will be fully refunded."

What special privileges are offered in the VIP seating area?

"The VIP seating is located in the private boxes on the second floor, offering a better view and more privacy. VIPs also have priority bidding on certain special items and enjoy personalized service," Liu Yuanfa said with a smile. "With your magnanimity, young master, you shouldn't care about the one million spirit stones deposit, right?"

Zheng Yi smiled slightly, "Then let's arrange VIP seating."

He took out one million spirit stones from his pocket and handed them to Liu Yuanfa.

Liu Yuanfa accepted the spirit stone, his smile growing even brighter.

“Young master is very generous,” he said. “Please wait a moment, young master, while I process your VIP status.”

He turned and left, and returned shortly afterward with a golden token in his hand.

“This is your VIP token, young master.” He handed the token to Zheng Yi. “The auction begins in three days. With this token, you can enter the VIP box on the second floor. Box number three is one of the best boxes in our Tianbao Pavilion.”

Zheng Yi took the token and put it into his pocket.

"Thank you, Manager Liu," he said. "I'll come again in three days."

"Please take care, young master." Liu Yuanfa personally escorted him to the door. "If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask, and I will do my best to assist you."

Zheng Yi nodded, turned around and left Tianbao Pavilion.

Walking on the streets of Tianyuan City, Zheng Yi was in a very good mood.

There were indeed many items at this auction. If he could acquire those materials, they would greatly aid his cultivation. In particular, the Xuan Tian Black Jade would make it much easier for him to move around in the future if he could use it to forge a spatial magic artifact.

Back at the mansion, Zheng Yi told everyone about the auction.

"Master, what are you planning to buy?" Zheng Bowen asked curiously.

"It's mainly cultivation materials and weapon-refining materials," Zheng Yi said. "I looked at the auction list, and there are a few good items that I plan to bid on."

"Do you need us to accompany you?" Su Wanqing asked.

"No need," Zheng Yi shook his head. "There will be too many people and too many eyes at the auction. It's safer for you to stay at home. Besides..."

He paused, then said, "I want to go check on the situation in Tianyuan City by myself. You all stay home and cultivate for the next few days until I return."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

For the next three days, Zheng Yi did not stay in the mansion, but went out to stroll around Tianyuan City every day.

He traveled to every corner of Tianyuan City to learn about the city's situation. He went to the commercial district in the east, where shops lined the streets and people bustled about—the most prosperous area of ​​Tianyuan City. He went to the cultivator gathering area in the west, where many independent cultivators and disciples of small sects lived, a diverse mix. He went to the aristocratic district in the south, where Tianyuan City's high-ranking officials and nobles lived, and where security was tight. He went to the slums in the north, where ordinary people lived in hardship.

Through these few days of observation, Zheng Yi has gained a deeper understanding of Tianyuan City.

Although this city is prosperous, it also harbors many problems. The gap between the rich and the poor is huge, the powerful oppress the common people, and various forces are intertwined, vying for power. Compared with Qingyun City, Tianyuan City is more treacherous and its situation is more complex.

"This is definitely not a simple place," Zheng Yi thought to himself. "I must be even more careful when operating here in the future."

Three days passed in a flash, and the day of the auction finally arrived.

Zheng Yi got up early, changed into clean and tidy clothes, put on the human skin mask, and went out towards Tianbao Pavilion.

Today he was dressed as an ordinary businessman, looking to be in his forties, with an unremarkable appearance. This was a deliberate choice to avoid attracting unnecessary attention.

Upon arriving at the entrance of Tianbao Pavilion, one finds it already packed with people, bustling with activity.

The number of cultivators attending the auction was endless. Some were dressed in fine clothes and had an extraordinary bearing, clearly from powerful forces; others were dressed simply and looked cautious, obviously ordinary rogue cultivators. They gathered in twos and threes, discussing today's auction.

"I heard there's an ancient magical artifact being auctioned today, called the Heavenly Gang Sword. It's said to be the sword of a powerful ancient being."

"What Heavenly Gang Sword? I heard it's a ten-thousand-year-old Ganoderma lucidum; eating it can directly break through a major realm."

"You're all wrong. The most precious item today is an ancient cultivation manual, said to have been left behind by a powerful cultivator at the Tribulation Transcending stage."

Various rumors were flying around, which Zheng Yi found somewhat amusing.

These people's information is so inaccurate. The auction list clearly lists all the items, yet they're still making wild guesses.

Zheng Yi ignored those people and walked straight to the front of Tianbao Pavilion, showing his VIP token.

Upon seeing the golden token, the guards at the gate immediately became respectful.

"Please come in, esteemed guest." He stepped aside. "Please come this way; someone will escort you to the private room."

A maid in green robes approached and respectfully said, "Honored guest, please follow me."

Zheng Yi followed the maid through the hall and arrived at a private room on the second floor.

A gold plaque hung on the door of the private room, with the four large characters "Number Three of the Heavenly Order" written on it.

The maid opened the door and invited Zheng Yi in.

"Please come in, esteemed guest," she said. "This is Private Room No. 3, one of the finest rooms in our Tianbao Pavilion. Tea and snacks are served inside. If you require anything, please press the bell, and someone will be at your service immediately."

Zheng Yi entered the private room and looked around.

The private room wasn't large, but it was exquisitely decorated. A comfortable chaise lounge sat in the center, facing a floor-to-ceiling window offering a clear view of the auction hall below. Next to it was a small table set with tea and snacks.

He sat down on the couch and looked out the window at the auction hall below.

In the center of the hall was a circular platform with a display shelf showcasing the auction items. Seats arranged in concentric circles around the platform were already full. Private boxes on the second floor surrounded the hall, offering a commanding view.

Zheng Yi noticed that there were also people in the opposite private room. It was a young gentleman dressed in purple robes, handsome and with a noble air, accompanied by several attendants. He was leisurely sipping tea, his gaze casually sweeping across the auction hall, appearing confident and composed.

"Who is that person?" Zheng Yi wondered to himself. "Judging from his demeanor, he must be the young master of some powerful family."

He looked away and stopped staring.

Not long after, a bell rang in the auction hall.

After the bell rang, an elderly man in a red robe walked up to the platform. The man was about sixty years old, with a white beard, and looked very dignified.

"Distinguished guests, welcome to Tianbao Pavilion," the old man announced in a loud voice. "I am Zhou Tianxing, the head manager of Tianbao Pavilion. I will be hosting this auction today."

"Enough with the small talk, the auction is now beginning."

As soon as he finished speaking, a waiter carried a tray up to the platform. On the tray was an exquisite jade vase, its surface engraved with intricate patterns.

"The first item for auction is the Qi Cultivation Pill," Zhou Tianxing introduced. "The Qi Cultivation Pill is a precious elixir that can help cultivators consolidate their foundation and increase their cultivation speed. This bottle contains ten Qi Cultivation Pills of superior quality. The starting bid is 50,000 spirit stones, and each bid must be at least 5,000 spirit stones higher."

"Fifty thousand spirit stones!" someone immediately shouted in the hall.

"Fifty-five thousand spirit stones!"

"Sixty thousand spirit stones!"

Bidding was incessant, and the price was quickly driven up to 100,000 spirit stones.

Zheng Yi did not participate in the bidding. Although the Qi Cultivation Pill was good, it wasn't very useful to him. His cultivation level was already quite high, and the Qi Cultivation Pill's effects were limited.

In the end, the bottle of Qi-Nourishing Pill was sold for 120,000 spirit stones.

Next, several more elixirs and magical artifacts were auctioned off. Zheng Yi wasn't interested in any of these items; he simply watched quietly without making a move.

About an hour later, it was finally Zheng Yi's turn to talk about what he was interested in.

"The next item up for auction is Purple Lightning Stone," Zhou Tianxing introduced. "Purple Lightning Stone is a rare lightning-elemental material, containing powerful lightning energy. It can be used to forge lightning-elemental magical artifacts or to set up lightning-elemental formations. The starting bid is 600,000 spirit stones, and each bid must be at least 50,000 spirit stones higher."

A waiter carried a purple stone up to the platform. The stone was about the size of a fist, entirely purple, with faint crackling electricity within it, radiating an astonishing aura.

"Six hundred thousand spirit stones!" someone shouted immediately.

"Six hundred and fifty thousand spirit stones!"

"Seven hundred thousand spirit stones!"

Bidding resumed, but not as fiercely as before. It seems that although the purple lightning stone is precious, not many people are interested in it.

Zheng Yi waited a moment, until the bidding subsided slightly, before speaking, "Eight hundred thousand spirit stones."

His voice came from the private room, clearly reaching everyone's ears.

People in the hall looked up at the No. 3 VIP room, wondering who had offered that price.

"Eight hundred thousand spirit stones! The bid from the third VIP box is eight hundred thousand spirit stones!" Zhou Tianxing announced loudly. "Any higher bids?"

A moment of silence fell over the hall, then someone shouted, "Eight hundred and fifty thousand spirit stones!"

Zheng Yi glanced at the person who made the bid, a middle-aged cultivator in a green robe, with a deep aura, who should be at the Integration Realm.

"Nine hundred thousand spirit stones." Zheng Yi bid again.

"Nine hundred and fifty thousand spirit stones!" the green-robed cultivator retorted defiantly.

“One million spirit stones,” Zheng Yi said calmly.

The green-robed cultivator hesitated for a moment, but ultimately gave up.

"One million spirit stones. The third VIP box in the Heavenly tier has offered one million spirit stones. Are there any bids higher?" Zhou Tianxing asked.

Silence fell over the hall.

"One million spirit stones, once. One million spirit stones, twice. One million spirit stones, three times. Sold!"

Zhou Tianxing made the final decision, and the Purple Lightning Stone went to Zheng Yi.

Zheng Yi smiled slightly. Although the price of this purple lightning stone was much higher than the starting bid, it was still within his budget.

Next, several more items were auctioned off. Zheng Yi wasn't interested in any of them and simply waited quietly.

Another half hour passed, and it was finally his second target's turn.

"The next item up for auction is Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Marrow," Zhou Tianxing introduced. "Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Marrow is an extremely rare ice-type material, produced from the ancient glaciers of the far north, containing pure ice-type spiritual energy. It can be used to refine ice-type magical artifacts or to aid in the cultivation of ice-type techniques. The starting bid is 500,000 spirit stones, and each bid must increase by at least 50,000 spirit stones."

A waiter carried a crystal-clear block of ice up to the platform. The ice was about the size of a palm, completely transparent, and emitted a faint chill, making the surrounding temperature drop slightly.

"Five hundred thousand spirit stones!"

"Five hundred and fifty thousand spirit stones!"

"Six hundred thousand spirit stones!"

Bidding erupted, becoming much more intense than before. The Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Marrow was even rarer than the Purple Lightning Stone, attracting even more interested bidders.

Zheng Yi waited a while, until the price reached 800,000 spirit stones, before speaking, "One million spirit stones."

He immediately added 200,000, showing his determination to win.

The hall fell silent instantly, and many people were stunned.

"One million spirit stones?" someone exclaimed. "Is this guy crazy?"

Zhou Tianxing looked at the No. 3 VIP room and a look of surprise appeared on his face.

"One million spirit stones! The third VIP box in the Heavenly tier has offered one million spirit stones. Any higher bids?"

There was a moment of silence in the hall, then a voice came from the private room opposite.

"One million one hundred thousand spirit stones."

The voice was leisurely and self-satisfied, carrying a hint of unquestionable arrogance.

Zheng Yi looked up and saw that the one who made the bid was the young man in the purple robe.

"So it's this young master," he thought to himself. "It seems he's also interested in the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Marrow."

"One million two hundred thousand spirit stones," Zheng Yi bid again.

“One million three hundred thousand spirit stones,” the purple-robed young master said unhurriedly.

"One and a half million spirit stones." Zheng Yi immediately added two hundred thousand. (End of Chapter)