I gain ten years' worth of cultivation every day, and even geniuses will only see my doorstep!

The concentration of spiritual energy here is at least five times that of the outside world! Qin Yuan was slightly moved—if he cultivated in this environment, his speed would far surpass that of any other place in Qingzhou.

He quickly realized what was happening.

It's not that Fengling City is naturally rich in spiritual energy, but rather that the entire city is built on a giant spiritual vein, and with the addition of the spirit-gathering effect of the city's protective array, it has become such a sacred place for cultivation.

This is the foundation of the top forces in Nanzhou.

Qin Yuan followed the flow of people toward the giant crystal tower in the center of the city.

The headquarters of the Wind Spirit Merchant Guild is located in that tower.

The Fengling Chamber of Commerce is one of the top three commercial forces in Nanzhou, primarily engaged in the trade of rare and precious materials, with branches throughout major cities in Nanzhou. Rumor has it that a Mahayana-stage patriarch stands behind it, and that it has intricate connections with the three top sects.

Only a power of this caliber would put a treasure like the Wind Spirit Feather up for auction.

As Qin Yuan walked, he observed the layout of the city.

The streets were wide and smooth, lined with shops on both sides. Some sold pills, some sold magical artifacts, some sold cultivation manuals, and others sold spirit beasts, spiritual herbs, and materials for refining weapons. Each shop was decorated in a magnificent manner, and at the entrance stood shop assistants of considerable cultivation, warmly greeting passing cultivators.

However, Qin Yuan noticed that most of the customers in these shops were cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage. The real experts all headed straight for the central crystal tower.

He is also included.

Half an hour later, Qin Yuan stood at the foot of the crystal tower.

Looking up, the tower soared into the clouds, its top completely invisible. The tower was as transparent as crystal, and one could vaguely see countless layers of pavilions inside, with cultivators moving about on each floor.

The tower gates were wide open, and two guards at the early stage of the Void Refinement realm stood at the entrance, watching each person enter with expressionless faces.

Qin Yuanmai stepped inside.

The moment he stepped into the tower, he felt at least ten divine senses sweep over him.

Each of his divine senses was stronger than his.

Even the weakest one had reached the late stage of the Void Refinement realm.

Qin Yuan remained expressionless and continued forward.

The first floor of the tower was a vast hall, thousands of feet in diameter. Around the hall were counters, behind which stood uniformed chamber of commerce deacons, engaged in transactions with customers. In the center of the hall were dozens of jade tables, each with a person seated beside it, some conversing quietly, others sipping tea and discussing philosophy.

Qin Yuan had only taken a few steps when a servant in blue robes came to greet him.

"Senior, are you looking to buy or sell items? If you are buying, please tell me what you need, and I will take you to the appropriate floor. If you are selling, please provide the item information, and I will ask the steward to come down and appraise it."

The young servant in blue was only at the Nascent Soul stage, but he spoke fluently and his attitude was respectful without being servile.

Qin Yuan said, "Purchase. Wind Spirit Feather."

The young servant in blue was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said, "Senior, please follow me. For a treasure like the Wind Spirit Feather, you need to inquire at the auction house on the seventh floor."

He turned and led the way, taking Qin Yuan deeper into the hall.

At the end of the hall were eight teleportation arrays, each leading to a different floor. The servant in blue led Qin Yuan into the teleportation array leading to the seventh floor. A flash of white light, and the two appeared on a more luxuriously decorated floor.

The seventh floor is much smaller than the first floor, only a hundred feet in diameter. But the furnishings here are more exquisite, with calligraphy and paintings by famous artists hanging on the walls, soft carpets on the floor, and a faint sandalwood fragrance in the air.

Dozens of sandalwood chairs were arranged in the hall, each with a small table beside it, on which were placed spiritual tea and fruits. At this moment, more than a dozen people were already seated, all of them possessing profound auras.

Qin Yuan's gaze swept over them.

Five people at the late stage of the Void Refinement realm.

Three people at the peak of the Void Refinement stage.

There is one more person—

Qin Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly.

The man sat in the corner, dressed in gray cloth, with an ordinary face, seemingly a mortal without any cultivation. But Qin Yuan's Nine-Turn Nascent Soul faintly sensed a sense of oppression from the depths of his soul.

In harmony with the Dao.

That was a powerful being at the Dao Integration stage.

Qin Yuan withdrew his gaze and calmly found a seat in the corner.

The servant in green poured him a cup of spiritual tea and whispered, "Senior, please wait a moment. There happens to be a small auction today, and the Wind Spirit Feather is on the auction list. The auction will begin in half an hour."

Qin Yuan nodded, signaling him to step back.

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and casually glanced at everyone present.

The auction had not yet started, but a subtle atmosphere was already permeating the air.

The five late-stage Void Refinement cultivators sat in three separate groups, subtly displaying hostility towards each other. Two of them wore similar attire, with a small golden sword embroidered on their chests—the emblem of the Heavenly Sword Sect, one of the three major sects of Southern Continent. The other three were dressed as rogue cultivators, and one wore a black robe, obscuring his face.

Three peak-stage Void Refinement cultivators, two men and one woman, were present, their auras even more restrained. The woman was strikingly beautiful, dressed in a fiery red dress, and was conversing quietly with the man beside her, occasionally letting out a soft laugh. The man, on the other hand, had a cold and stern face, his gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping over the crowd present from time to time with a scrutinizing air.

As for that powerful being in the Dao Integration stage, he kept his eyes closed and seemed indifferent to everything around him.

Qin Yuan made no attempt to conceal his cultivation level; his early-stage Void Refinement aura was completely undisguised. Among everyone present, he had the lowest cultivation level.

But no one looked down on him.

None of those who are sitting here waiting for the Wind Spirit Feather to be auctioned off are simple characters.

Half an hour passed quickly.

Suddenly, the wall at the front of the hall lit up, and a light screen slowly appeared. From the light screen, an old man in white robes walked out. He had a thin face and a gentle aura, and was clearly a cultivator at the peak of the Void Refinement stage.

"I've kept you all waiting." The old man cupped his hands and smiled. "I am Gu, the manager of the seventh floor of the Fengling Merchant Guild. You may call me Manager Gu. I will be hosting this small auction today."

He clapped his hands, and four maids in green robes walked out from the light screen behind him, each carrying a jade plate covered with red silk.

"I won't go into the rules. The highest bidder wins. Spirit stones, treasures, cultivation techniques, and favors can all be exchanged for a price. The only requirement is that once the deal is done, the money and goods are settled, and there can be no backing out."

Steward Gu smiled and lifted the red silk on the first jade plate.

"First item for auction: a piece of ten-thousand-year-old warm jade marrow, which can be used to refine a top-grade soul-nourishing magic weapon, or worn directly to nourish the soul. Starting bid: 100,000 high-grade spirit stones."

The auction has begun.

Qin Yuan did not participate in the bidding for the first item; he simply observed quietly.

In the end, the ten-thousand-year-old warm jade marrow was won by the two disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect for 180,000 spirit stones.

The second item was an eighth-grade spiritual herb, which was acquired by a late-stage Void Refinement cultivator disguised as a rogue cultivator in exchange for a sixth-grade pill and 50,000 spirit stones.

The third item, the fourth item, the fifth item...

Qin Yuan did not make a move.

Until the seventh lot.

The steward lifted the red silk, revealing the item in the jade plate—a fist-sized crystal, entirely blue-green, with countless fine feather-like patterns on its surface.