"I'll ask one last time... does anyone wish to bid on this Annotated Guide to Basic Formations? If there are no takers, this item will officially be withdrawn, and we will move to the next lot."
Primer Tengshan stood on the grand stage, his face burning with a mixture of shame and irritation. He had spent the last five minutes hyping this item up as a "relic of a secret realm," and the resulting silence was so thick he could almost taste it.
I knew it, Tengshan grumbled internally. I wanted to use this book as a doorstop at home, but Old Man Hai insisted on 'recycling' it for the auction. Now I'm stuck here looking like a swindler who can't even give away trash...
Tengshan wasn't entirely wrong. In the current era of the Dou Qi Continent, if you had the talent to manipulate energy, you became a fighter. Why would anyone waste decades drawing complex geometric patterns on the ground?
In the history of this world, something had caused a massive rupture in the ancient inheritances. Crafts like Weapon Refinement and Array Formations had almost entirely vanished, leaving Alchemy as the sole surviving "auxiliary" profession.
Formations in the current era were seen as a "clunky" science. They were used for stationary sect-protection barriers, like the Yun Lan Sect's Cloud Mist Array. But these were logistical nightmares; they required constant, expensive maintenance even when dormant. Once activated, they consumed resources at a rate that would bankrupt a Dou Wang family like the Xiao Clan in days.
Furthermore, you couldn't use them in a real fight. You couldn't exactly ask your enemy to wait thirty minutes while you dug trenches and placed energy stones. Because the heritage was broken, there were no "Instant Arrays" or "Mobile Formations." Consequently, the profession was seen as a dead end—a hobby for those with zero Dou Qi talent.
But Xiao Lin knew better.
Thanks to his Suhui, he knew that in the realm above this one—the Great Thousand World—Array Masters (known there as Spiritual Array Masters) were terrifying powerhouses. In that higher dimension, a master could snap their fingers and manifest a world-ending array instantly.
Xiao Lin didn't expect to become a Spiritual Array Master overnight, but he was a man who planned for the next century. He was already preparing for his eventual ascension to the Great Thousand World alongside his grandson.
I can't be an Alchemist, Xiao Lin thought, but there's no rule saying I can't be the continent's only 'Modern' Array Master. While the rest of the world ignores this 'trash,' I'll build a secondary career in the shadows.
Just as Tengshan was about to tap his hammer to announce the "No-Bid" failure, a calm voice cut through the derisive whispers of the crowd.
"11,000 gold."
The sound was clear, steady, and originated from VIP Suite No. 6.
The hall went silent for a different reason. Thousands of heads snapped upward, staring at the Xiao Clan's box as if they were looking for signs of mental illness. Even Tengshan froze mid-motion, his hammer hovering inches above the podium.
Heaven and Earth! A savior! Tengshan's eyes nearly teared up. The bid was only a minimum increment of 1,000 gold, but to him, it sounded like a celestial choir. He didn't care if the bidder was crazy; he just cared that his reputation was saved.
"The guest in Suite 6 bids 11,000 gold!" Tengshan shouted, his voice cracking with relief. "The Xiao Clan truly has an eye for hidden potential! A wise investment indeed!"
In his heart, Tengshan decided right then and there: The Xiao family is incredibly supportive. I must find more ways to cooperate with them in the future!
The rest of the audience, however, wasn't so kind. "Is the Xiao Young Clan Head showing off his wealth again?" "Buying trash just to save the Primers' face? Talk about expensive vanity." "He's got more gold than brains, it seems."
Xiao Lin ignored the "NPC" chatter. To him, 11,000 gold was the price of a future he alone could see.
"11,000 gold once! 11,000 twice! 11,000 thrice! SOLD!"
Xiao Lin blinked. Usually, Tengshan waited five to ten seconds between counts to bait more bids. This time? The intervals were barely three seconds. It was as if Tengshan was terrified Xiao Lin would suddenly wake up from his "delusion" and retract the bid.
In less than three minutes, the dusty, leather-bound book was delivered to Suite No. 6.
As Xiao Lin ran his fingers over the ancient cover, a satisfied smile spread across his face. He had secured the medicinal liquids for his son, the treasures for his kinsmen, and a seed of power for his own future.
The "shopping" portion of his trip was over. Now, he could sit back and watch the Dou Huangs fight over the real "grand prizes" that were about to take the stage.
The other four members of the Xiao party were visibly confused by Xiao Lin's purchase of a "useless" formation guide, but they held their tongues. As the Young Clan Head and a confirmed Dou Wang, Xiao Lin's authority was absolute. If he wanted to spend ten thousand gold on a paperweight, they would simply chalk it up to a "peculiar hobby" of the powerful.
In their eyes, being a Formation Master was a dead-end career—"even a dog wouldn't do it." Little did they know that the man sitting next to them was already looking toward the Great Thousand World.
Xiao Lin leafed through the dusty manual briefly. He didn't plan to study it here; the environment was far too loud for the delicate mental calculations required for arrays.
As another two hours passed, the marathon auction finally reached its twilight. It had lasted nearly six hours—half a day of non-stop bidding and soaring adrenaline.
"The time we have shared has been brief, but all things must reach a conclusion," Primer Tengshan announced, his voice regaining its professional vigor. "Our final item of the day is something that I promise will not disappoint. It is the reason many of you traveled across provinces to be here."
An attendant stepped onto the stage, carrying a wooden tray shielded by a reinforced crystal dome. Resting on the velvet was a diamond-shaped gemstone pulsating with a rhythmic, emerald-green light.
The hall went silent. Every gaze was pulled toward that gem like iron filings to a magnet.
"Is that... a Monster Core?" a sharp-eyed mercenary gasped. "It doesn't look like any core I've ever seen," another whispered.
Tengshan's smile widened as he felt the collective breath of the room hitch. "Your eyes do not deceive you. This is indeed a Monster Core. Specifically, it is the life essence of a Rank 7 Magical Beast!"
The revelation hit the hall like a physical shockwave. A Rank 7 beast possessed strength equivalent to a human Dou Zong—a realm beyond the Dou Huang, a level of power that could topple empires.
"Think of the possibilities!" Tengshan shouted, fueling the fire. "With the help of a high-level Alchemist, this core can be refined into a pill that offers a genuine chance to break through the barrier and reach the Dou Zong realm! Alternatively, forge it into a weapon to create a peerless artifact, or use it as the heart of a grand defensive array. The choice is yours!"
"The starting bid is 2,000,000 gold coins. Minimum increments of 100,000!"
The price tag instantly vaporized the hopes of 99% of the room. Two million gold? Most mid-sized clans didn't see that much liquid capital in a decade. Even for the "New Three" Dou Wang clans—the Xiao, Nalan, and Mu—this was a "sell-the-manor" type of investment. It was strategically unsound to bankrupt their entire clan for a single core they didn't even have the alchemists to refine.
Xiao Lin watched the silence with a thoughtful expression. So this was the secret, he mused. The Rank 7 core wasn't on the public manifest. That's why Yun Shan, Jia Xing Tian, and Fa Ma are all sitting in their boxes like hungry tigers.
He felt a spark of interest, but the price-to-utility ratio didn't move him. While others saw a shortcut to the Dou Zong realm, Xiao Lin—with his Star Manual and Heavenly State Soul—was already 100% confident in his ability to break through on his own. He didn't need a beast's heart to find his path.
Just as the bidding was about to start, a cold, authoritative voice drifted from VIP Suite No. 4—the box belonging to the Yun Lan Sect.
"Primer Tengshan," the voice said, belonging to none other than Yun Shan, the Nine-Star Dou Huang. "I do not doubt the authenticity of the core. However, I am curious about its origin. If we purchase this, are we also purchasing a blood-feud with a powerful Beast Clan? If their kin comes knocking, will the Primer Clan stand between us and their wrath?"
The room collectively shivered. Everyone knew that high-level magical beasts were fiercely protective of their lineage. If this core belonged to a member of a major beast tribe, owning it was like holding a ticking time bomb.
In the shadows of their boxes, Jia Xing Tian and Fa Ma leaned forward. This was the trillion-gold question. Before they emptied their treasuries, they needed to know if they were buying a treasure or a death warrant.