Chapter 492 - 464: Inner Circle Preview

Chapter 492: Chapter 464: Inner Circle Preview

In the inner pre-exhibition hall at the island’s center.

This grand hall was forged from solid white jade and Star Iron, its exterior shrouded in an exceptionally complex, shimmering barrier of Restrictions. It was a venue exclusively for top-tier buyers to preview auction items and socialize before the main event began.

The requirements for entry were exceedingly high. Only cultivators at the Golden Core Stage or higher, or Foundation Establishment Honored Guest Elders holding a special invitation token from the Kunpeng Alliance, were qualified to enter.

Li Yuan, dressed in a nondescript gray robe, slowly ascended the steps, his body shrouded in the deep, restrained aura of the Golden Core Stage.

The four Late-stage Foundation Establishment guards flanking the main gate didn’t even step forward for an inspection; they simply bowed respectfully and let him pass.

He took a single step over the threshold.

An incredibly deep and ancient, formless wave swept out from the depths of the hall, instantly passing over Li Yuan.

The lingering might of a Nascent Soul.

Li Yuan didn’t break his stride, his expression showing not the slightest change.

’Aided by multiple layers of concealment, the Mid-grade Demon Pill in my body has my aura completely locked down. Even back in the Qi Refining Stage, I could fool the senses of Foundation Establishment Cultivators. With all my accumulated traits, a mere scan from a Nascent Soul’s Divine Sense is nothing to worry about.’

Upon entering the hall, he found the space within was far more expansive than it appeared from the outside.

The floor was paved with lustrous Spirit Jade, and a faint, refreshing fragrance permeated the air. Dozens of enchanted glass display cases were artfully arranged throughout the hall, each surrounded by a barrier that insulated Spiritual Power.

Over a dozen Golden Core Cultivators were already gathered in the pre-exhibition hall, scattered in small groups. Some were observing the auction items, while others conversed in hushed tones using voice transmissions.

Li Yuan’s gaze swept over the display cases on either side.

The items within were of an exceptionally high caliber, far surpassing anything found in the markets outside.

In a case to the left lay several pills emanating a five-colored halo. They were High Tier auxiliary pills for Breaking Realms—top-grade supplements specifically designed to stabilize one’s Spirit Platform and increase the chances of a successful breakthrough from the Early-stage to the Mid Stage of Golden Core.

The case on the right held several materials with ferociously volatile auras. There was a strange Crystal Stone that constantly flickered with cyan Wind Blades, and a piece of withered wood wreathed in purple lightning. They were rumored to be Wind Spirit and Thunder Spirit catalytic materials that had fallen from a spatial fissure in the Upper Realm, holding a deadly allure for Golden Core Cultivators who practiced specific Cultivation Techniques.

Li Yuan walked past these display cases with his hands clasped behind his back, deliberately staying within three feet of them.

Flashes of blue and green light lit up in the periphery of his vision.

’Several of the items have traits.’

Li Yuan didn’t reach out to touch them. The rules of the pre-exhibition hall were strict: items could be viewed, but not purchased, and certainly not touched. Through the glass and the protective Array, Li Yuan could sense the grade of the traits, but he couldn’t interact with them any further.

[Equippable Item Detected]

[Item Trait Grade: Blue]

[Note: Item is not owned. Cannot be equipped. Detailed information unavailable.]

After viewing several display cases, Li Yuan paused briefly before one containing a matching set of flying swords.

His gaze pierced through the bottom of the glass case, and just beneath the swords’ hilts, he detected an extremely faint distortion in the Spiritual Power.

’An Array Pattern. Not the Defensive Array protecting the item, but a hidden mark.’

Li Yuan focused his Divine Sense, sweeping it over the adjacent display cases. ’At the core or base of every High Tier resource, there’s a similar hidden pattern embedded. The Celestial Peak Sect has left a tracking mark on every single one of its auction items.’

Li Yuan nonchalantly averted his gaze and walked toward the center of the hall.

In the center of the hall stood a five-foot-high white jade platform, which a few Golden Core Cultivators had gathered around.

Li Yuan walked over and casually joined them to have a look.

"You’re a new face, Fellow Daoist. Did you also travel from the outer seas for this grand event?" A portly cultivator in a loose-fitting Daoist robe, at the Early-stage Golden Core cultivation, struck up a casual conversation as Li Yuan approached.

The pre-exhibition hall was a gathering place for cultivators from across the region; it was perfectly normal for people to be strangers.

Li Yuan nodded slightly, his voice a bit raspy. "Just a Loose Cultivator, here to see what all the fuss is about. Do you know which item here is the most valuable?"

The portly cultivator chuckled and pointed toward the center of the white jade platform.

"There. That’s the one."

Inside the platform’s protective Array, a single, palm-sized, ancient-looking jade box sat alone. Its surface bore no carvings, and its material was unidentifiable. The seams were firmly sealed by several dark gold Talismans.

Its contents were a complete mystery.

Li Yuan took a step forward, coming within three feet of the platform.

In the next instant, an intensely vibrant purple light exploded in his field of vision.

[Special Equippable Item Detected]

[Item Trait Grade: Purple]

[Note: Item is not owned. Cannot be equipped. Detailed information unavailable.]

’A purple trait.’

’So the most valuable item is a purple trait after all,’ Li Yuan thought.

Just then, a subtle fluctuation of Spiritual Power emanated from the hall’s entrance.

The casual atmosphere in the hall instantly grew tense.

Several immensely imposing figures strode into the pre-exhibition hall one after another.

At the forefront was a middle-aged man in an aqua-blue robe, the faint sound of crashing waves echoing around him. He was a Late-stage Golden Core elder from the Coral Palace.

Walking beside him was a stern-faced old man carrying a heavy sword on his back. With each step he took, the white jade tiles beneath his feet issued a faint groan, as if unable to bear his weight. This was a Late-stage Golden Core Sword Cultivator from Dragon Abyss Pavilion.

These two were the representatives of the two dominant powers of the outer seas. Their auras clashed subtly, neither willing to yield to the other.

Not far behind them followed a roiling cloud of dense Evil Qi. The qi receded, revealing an emaciated old man in a red robe.

It was Dark Slaughter Zhenren, a Late-stage Golden Core cultivator sent by the Abyss Sect.

Then, two even more terrifying wills suddenly descended upon the hall.

Without a single footstep, two illusory figures materialized in mid-air.

The figure on the left was an old man in a gray robe, his back hunched and his face a web of deep-set wrinkles like ravines.

Although his aura felt ancient to the extreme, the oppressive might that seemed capable of crushing anything belonged, without a doubt, to a true Nascent Soul Stage expert. It was the Divine Thought of the Kunpeng Alliance’s Nascent Soul Ancestor stationed in this region.

The illusory figure on the right gradually solidified, taking the form of a middle-aged man with an imposing countenance, clad in platinum-and-white robes.

The Sect Master of the Celestial Peak Sect. His true Nascent Soul body had not come; he had merely manifested a human form with a wisp of his Divine Thought. Yet the sharp sword intent radiating from him was even more terrifying than that of the ancient Nascent Soul Ancestor beside him.

The Golden Core Cultivators in the hall all bowed their heads in greeting.

The two Nascent Soul projections gave a slight nod in return.

After the pleasantries were exchanged, the Celestial Peak Sect Master’s projection surveyed the room, his authoritative voice echoing through the hall.

"Fellow Daoists, my sect is greatly honored by your presence here today."

"On the occasion of this preview, I have an announcement to make. The grand, long-range Teleportation Array, a project spearheaded by my Celestial Peak Sect to connect the mainland with these outer seas, is nearing its final completion."

As soon as he spoke, a quiet murmur rippled through the hall.

The Celestial Peak Sect Master paid the whispers no mind and continued, "As a show of our sincerity, during the array’s initial trial phase, all Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators may use it by paying only a small fee of Spirit Stones. As for our friends at the Golden Core Stage and above, you may make one round trip, free of charge."

The hall instantly fell silent.

The cost in Spirit Stones for a single trip through such a long-range Teleportation Array was typically astronomical.

"And that is not all," the Sect Master’s projection said with a faint smile, dangling an even greater lure. "Our Celestial Peak Marketplace in Liangzhou has recently been upgraded with a new set of top-tier Gathering Spirit and Defensive Arrays."

"If any of you have disciples who have reached Foundation Establishment Perfection and are on the verge of breaking through to the Golden Core, I suggest you send them to stay at the Celestial Peak Marketplace. The environment there will undoubtedly increase their chances of successfully achieving Core Formation."

Li Yuan stood at the back of the crowd, his expression serene.

’Paving the way with their own money, offering free transport, and even preparing the perfect place for breakthroughs... The Celestial Peak Sect is sparing no effort to funnel cultivators from the outer seas—and even other provinces—into Liangzhou, right under their own noses.’

The Late-stage Golden Core cultivators from the major powers exchanged glances. Dark Slaughter Zhenren let out a harsh, dry laugh. "Sect Master of Celestial Peak, what a grand gesture. Recruiting cultivators from all corners like this... could it be your sect has some major event planned that requires a large crowd to add to the spectacle?"

The Celestial Peak Sect Master’s projection glanced at Dark Slaughter Zhenren, showing no sign of anger.

"Your information is quite up-to-date, Fellow Daoist Dark Slaughter." The Sect Master’s voice became exceedingly solemn; he dropped all pretense and made a direct admission. "I am about to enter seclusion to attempt the breakthrough to the Divinity Transformation Stage."

The sound of breathing in the hall came to an instant halt.

Although there had long been rumors, hearing it confirmed by the Celestial Peak Sect Master himself still struck everyone like a thunderclap.

"The site for my attempt at Divinity Transformation has been chosen." The Sect Master’s projection’s gaze swept over every Golden Core Cultivator present as he spoke his next words.

"It will be on the main peak of our Celestial Peak Sect. I invite you all to come and witness the ceremony."