"I appreciate it. Lead the way."
Xiao Lin nodded to the Primer attendant, preparing to lead his kinsmen into the heart of the facility. However, before they could take a step, a loud, familiar clamor erupted from the entrance.
"Xiao Lin! Wait for me!"
Xiao Lin paused and glanced back, a small smile tugging at his lips. Charging through the crowd was his lifelong friend, Nalan Jie, trailing a small group of Nalan family members behind him. Because of the bond between these two men, the Xiao and Nalan families had become more than just allies; they were true sister-clans, destined to be intertwined for generations.
"Nalan Jie," Xiao Lin called out with a dry chuckle. "With that impatient temper of yours, I assumed you'd have been seated an hour ago."
Nalan Jie laughed and delivered a friendly thud of a punch to Xiao Lin's shoulder—a gesture of brotherhood that made the surrounding guards blink. Behind them, the younger members of both clans exchanged polite, if slightly nervous, greetings.
Nalan Jie produced a gold-gilded invitation identical to Xiao Lin's. It confirmed a silent truth of the capital: Gold status is reserved only for those who command the power of a King.
"Honored guests of the Nalan family, please join the Xiao party," the Primer attendant said, his voice smooth and professional. "I shall escort you all to your respective private suites."
As they walked, Xiao Lin observed the staff. Even the low-level attendants of the Primer Clan were masters of social grace—polished, observant, and unfailingly polite. It was the mark of a merchant empire that understood that every guest was a potential gold mine.
The group entered the main auditorium, a breathtaking circular arena of colossal proportions. At the center sat a grand stage, currently bathed in soft light. Below it, thousands of seats were already filled with the "lower" elite—regional lords, wealthy merchants, and powerful mercenaries.
A year ago, the Xiao and Nalan families would have been down there, fighting for elbow room. Today, they didn't even stop to look. The attendant led them past the common hall and up a sweeping marble staircase to the second level.
The auditorium was split into two worlds:
- The First Level: A bustling sea of three to four thousand guests.
- The Second Level: Twelve exclusive VIP suites, overlooking the stage like the boxes of an imperial opera.
The attendant stopped at Suite No. 6 for the Xiao Clan. Directly next door, Suite No. 7, was assigned to the Nalan family. Xiao Lin noted that the Mu Clan had arrived early and were already settled in Suite No. 8.
As for the occupants of the remaining boxes, Xiao Lin didn't bother using his Heavenly State Soul to pry. Who cares who else is here? he thought. Though, it's safe to bet the Imperial Family, the Yun Lan Sect, and the Alchemist Association are occupying the first few slots.
Inside Suite No. 6, the Xiao party was greeted by a dedicated female attendant whose sole job was to cater to their whims. After explaining the bidding crystals and refreshments, she bowed and stationed herself outside the door, ready to enter at a moment's notice.
The suite offered a bird's-eye view of the entire auction floor.
"Incredible..." Xiao Ze whispered, leaning against the velvet railing. "The Xiao family has never had treatment like this. It's all because of you, Young Clan Head."
The younger generation—Xiao Ze, Xiao Zhen, and Xiao Yi—looked at Xiao Lin with eyes full of hero-worship. He had forcibly dragged their family out of the shadows and into the golden light of the VIP tier. Even the elderly Elder accompanying them had a flushed face, his hands trembling slightly as he held a cup of rare spirit tea.
"Get used to it," Xiao Lin said calmly. "As long as I am here, this is the new standard for the Xiao Clan. Don't let the luxury overwhelm you; learn to treat it as your natural environment."
The four kinsmen nodded solemnly. They understood that their status in the capital had shifted permanently.
As the lights began to dim for the start of the auction, Xiao Lin turned to the three youths. "Do you know why the clan allowed me to bring the three of you today?"
The trio blinked, taken aback. Xiao Yi spoke up first. "To... broaden our horizons, Young Clan Head?"
"That's only half of it," the Elder interrupted, his voice stern but proud.
The three youths looked confused. Was there another reason?
"You three are the most talented of our generation, excluding Xiao Lin," the Elder explained. "Xiao Lin has decided that during this auction, each of you may choose one item to bid on. The clan will foot the bill, provided the item is directly beneficial to your current cultivation."
Xiao Ze, Xiao Zhen, and Xiao Yi nearly jumped out of their skins. "Thank you for your patronage, Young Clan Head!" they cried in unison, bowing deeply. They knew such a gift could only come from Xiao Lin's personal influence.
"Don't thank me yet," Xiao Lin said, his gaze turning serious. "I am one man. I can lead the Xiao Clan to the top of the empire, but a clan cannot survive on one man's strength alone. My hope is that one day, the Xiao Clan will be respected even without me standing at the front."
The three youths felt a sudden, heavy weight on their shoulders. They looked at each other, their earlier excitement tempered by the reality of their own limitations. They were nearly thirty years old—a full generation ahead of the future Xiao Yan—and while they were confident they could reach the Dou Ling realm with enough resources, the Dou Wang realm felt like a distant, impossible dream.
Xiao Lin saw their frozen expressions and gave a small, resigned shake of his head. "It's a high bar, I know. Just do your best. The future isn't written in stone yet."
He turned back to the window. He didn't expect them to surpass him—not in this lifetime—but he wanted to plant the seeds of ambition. If they could at least become the "shield" of the clan, it would give the future Flame Emperor a much sturdier house to grow up in.
As time ticked toward the opening bell, Xiao Lin watched from his elevated vantage point. The thousands of seats below were now a packed sea of humanity. More importantly, the lamps in the neighboring VIP suites began to flicker to life, signaling the arrival of the true power players.
"The manifest was a distraction," Xiao Lin whispered, his eyes narrowing. "There are items coming today that weren't on the public list. Why else would Yun Shan of the Yun Lan Sect show up in person?"
Xiao Lin allowed his Heavenly State Soul to ripple outward—a silent, invisible wave of perception that bypassed all physical barriers.
"I knew it. Jia Xing Tian, the Guardian of the Imperial Family, is here. And Suite No. 3... that aura is refined and medicinal. A late-stage Mortal Realm soul paired with Dou Huang cultivation? That has to be Fa Ma, President of the Alchemist Association."
Xiao Lin leaned back, a cold smirk touching his lips. These were the legendary figures of the Jia Ma Empire, men who rarely appeared in public, let alone at the same event. "Even the Xiao Clan isn't high enough on the ladder to know the 'insider' secret that brought them all here. And since the Primer Clan is the host, I expect the 'Ice Emperor' Hai Po Dong to make his entrance any second."
Sure enough, as if answering his thought, a bone-chilling aura swept through the hall. A man cloaked in an air of frost entered Suite No. 1.
The four pillars of the Jia Ma Empire—Yun Shan, Jia Xing Tian, Fa Ma, and Hai Po Dong—were now all under one roof. The atmosphere in the auction house shifted instantly; it was no longer a mere trade event, but a summit of giants.
Soon after the Ice Emperor's arrival, a young man stepped onto the central stage. He moved with a refined confidence that suggested a hidden well of power.
"Primer Tengshan," Xiao Lin noted, seeing through the man's cultivation at a glance. "He's broken through to the Dou Wang realm as well. A Dou Huang and a Dou Wang in the same family... no wonder they say the three new clans combined can't touch the Primer legacy."
Tengshan's breakthrough was a well-kept secret, catching many in the audience off guard. But Xiao Lin remained impassive. As long as the Primers weren't enemies of the Xiao, their strength was irrelevant to him.
Tengshan wasted no time with flowery speeches. A true merchant, he understood that time was money and his audience's patience was thin.
"Welcome, friends. I am Primer Tengshan, and I will be your lead for today's event. Look, bid, and buy. But a word of warning: anyone who maliciously inflates prices without the funds to back them up will be blacklisted by every Primer branch in the empire forever. Now... let the auction begin!"
Within three minutes of stepping on stage, the first item was brought out: a wooden box draped in ceremonial red silk.
The Opening Salvo: The Water Spirit Decree
The mystery of the red silk was the Primer Clan's signature move, building tension until the very last second.
"Our first item," Tengshan announced, whipping away the silk to reveal an ancient, blue-bound tome. "A Water-Attribute Mid-Level XuanTier Qi Method—the Water Spirit Decree!"
Note: It is a Qi Method, not a Dou Technique!
The auditorium went silent for a heartbeat before a collective gasp sucked the air out of the room. In the Jia Ma Empire, a Mid-Level Xuan Tier method was a treasure that could sustain a clan for centuries. Most Dou Lings were lucky to possess a Low-Level Xuan Tier method. Even the Xiao Clan, before Xiao Lin's rise, only possessed a single Low-Level Xuan Tier scroll.
Normally, such an item would be the "Grand Finale" of an auction. To use it as the opening item was a terrifying statement of the Primer Clan's current inventory.
"The starting bid is 100,000 gold coins," Tengshan's voice rang out. "Minimum increments of 10,000. The floor is open!"
The price was a death sentence for ninety percent of the audience. A common family of three could live comfortably for a year on 20 gold coins. 100,000 was a fortune beyond comprehension.
While the commoners in the hall looked like deflated roosters, the wealthy merchants and minor sect leaders in the front rows began to lean forward, their eyes burning with greed. They knew that if they could secure this for their descendants, their family's standing would jump an entire tier within a generation.
Xiao Lin watched the frenzy begin with a detached calm. The games have truly started. Let's see how much gold it takes to buy a future.