Chapter 116: The Temple Street Auction (Part I)

The martial arts auction in Harbor City this time was set to take place on Temple Street in the old district. Temple Street in Harbor City was renowned far and wide; most of the products sold there were very affordable, earning it the nickname of the people's night market.

In essence, it was somewhat akin to the Yiwu small commodities market, only divided into numerous small stalls offering a dazzling array of goods. In a city like Harbor City, rich with gold everywhere, this street stood out as unique and distinctive.

The shop signs lining both sides of the street were a mix of traditional Chinese characters and English, interspersed with strange patterns—complex yet intriguing in appearance.

Nearby, there were many open-air food stalls and small eateries where one could sit and enjoy seafood or sample specialty snacks infused with curry-flavored Indian-style meatballs, fish balls, and so forth. An old-established shop famous for its pork bone broth even had a long queue stretching out front.

Of course, every so often on the streets and alleys, scantily clad young women could be seen wandering back and forth.

This was a unique feature of Harbor City's old district, where Han and Tang cultural styles blended with Southeast Asian and Western influences to present a charm all their own to the world.

Xiao Kaitian followed Luo Yanxin with keen interest, observing the bustling crowd around them. Soon, the two arrived in front of a somewhat worn-looking building—that was the venue for the Harbor City auction.

From the outside, it resembled a guesthouse or hotel; no one would have guessed the secrets it held inside. Luo Yanxin pushed open the door and entered, immediately greeted by someone.

Xiao Kaitian’s eyes flickered. Everyone here was a martial cultivator—even the young woman who greeted them had combat power exceeding one hundred. It seemed martial cultivators were quite common in this world.

Luo Yanxin handed over their invitation cards. The reception staff quickly processed the formalities. The rooms had been pre-assigned. She took out two masks and a room card, presenting them to Luo Yanxin. "Since this isn’t your first time here, I trust you’re familiar with the rules."

Luo Yanxin smiled, pocketed the card, and nodded in acknowledgment. She handed a mask to Xiao Kaitian. Once they donned the masks, they proceeded to their room.

Luo Yanxin’s status was respectable; thus, they were allotted a room on the highest floor—the eighth. The surroundings were quiet, and the corridor bore no signs of life. But Xiao Kaitian knew that all these martial cultivators were lying low, able to detect even the slightest movement in the building.

As the elevator dinged open, he sensed the presence of at least a dozen individuals—each with combat power not inferior to his own, some even at the White Rose level.

Luo Yanxin led Xiao Kaitian inside the room. It was modest in size, just enough for a sofa set. Across from them, a wall-mounted television was broadcasting live images of the auction.

After Xiao Kaitian settled onto the sofa, Luo Yanxin handed him a tablet.

“This is the auction interface. The TV shows the live broadcast. If you see something you want, just enter your bid on the tablet.”

“If you want to inspect the item in person, that’s possible but involves more formalities. Most participants are regulars, so this rarely happens. Of course, you have every right to request a live inspection.”

Xiao Kaitian was pleased with this system; it minimized unhealthy competition, making the event purely about the buyer’s financial strength.

He locked his spiritual source within the room, not letting it out lightly. Among martial cultivators, there were experts capable of detecting such things. If others sensed his spiritual source, it could be detrimental to him. But confined to the room, it was nearly impossible to detect.

Being in such a precarious place, caution was always wise.

After about half an hour of waiting, when the clock pointed to 7:58, the television screen changed. Following a beep, a male and female host appeared.

“Welcome everyone to the Harbor City Temple Street auction live broadcast. I am your host, Zhao Bin,” the male host began with a smile. “As everyone knows, our auction has nearly a century of history, and integrity remains our core principle…”

The hosts elaborated at length on the auction’s history, emphasizing trust and rules. Soon, the female host took over, announcing the bidding procedures and important points.

The auction employed the English method—simply put, the highest bidder wins.

“The first item for auction is a pill used by cultivators below the Yellow Realm,” the formalities concluded, and the auction officially began. “This is a Qi Recovery Pill, with a starting bid of 100,000.”

The camera zoomed in on a single pill. Xiao Kaitian had obtained one like this before—it was a low-grade item and now provided little effect for him. He crossed his legs and watched the bidding unfold.

The pill sold for 310,000, a reasonable price. The commercial value of Yellow Realm cultivators was below five million, and items that boosted power accounted for less than ten percent of that—very logical.

Next up was an herb. Xiao Kaitian had no plans to craft medicine currently, so he paid it little attention. The herb sold for 560,000, which surprised him.

In truth, compared to finished pills, raw herbs were more valuable. A single herb could be used to make low-grade or high-grade pills, and its value varied depending on use, hence the higher auction price.

Besides pills and herbs, there were cold weapons up for auction—swords, sabers, hidden weapons, and the like—varied but all sold for low prices. Martial cultivators typically had their own preferred weapons, so there was little need to buy more for power enhancement. Buyers usually purchased these to gift to disciples or juniors.

These early items were just appetizers; Xiao Kaitian understood the real treasures lay ahead.

Sure enough, around the midpoint—likely to liven the atmosphere—the female host presented an item that immediately caught Xiao Kaitian’s eye.

It was a jade piece, emerald green with streaks of crimson. Its color was ordinary, but Xiao Kaitian noticed it contained four-dimensional energy.

Though not abundant, it was better than nothing. If worn by Zhao Qixi, it could help buffer her physical depletion. Xiao Kaitian almost decided to buy it on the spot.

The starting bid was 600,000. The female host smiled as she revealed the jade's origin. “This jade was once worn by the previous head of the Emei Sect in his youth. It carries a trace of spiritual energy, which adds to its value. We hope a worthy person acquires it.”

“One million,” Xiao Kaitian entered the bid without hesitation.