842: The auction has begun!

Looking at the long queue at the entrance, a trace of imperceptible self-satisfaction appeared on Old Black Mu's face. He had long ago obtained two "Xuan" grade VIP invitations through secret channels! Such invitations not only represented status and wealth but also granted many privileges, eliminating the need to squeeze into the noisy hall with ordinary Cultivators.

The two walked straight toward the VIP channel, which had sparse crowds and heavy security. The Sun Moon Divine Cult Disciples guarding it were all sharp-looking with eyes like lightning. Taking the pitch-black invitation handed over by Old Black Mu, a blood-colored jade plate in a Disciple's hand lit up slightly. After confirming it was correct, he immediately adopted a respectful expression: "Two distinguished guests, please come inside!"

Stepping inside Ten Thousand Treasures Tower!

Buzz—!

An invisible, intangible, yet bone-chillingly strange energy fluctuation swept through Yao Delong's entire body like spilled mercury! This fluctuation was extremely hidden; if not for Yao Delong's powerful Primordial Spirit and keen Physical Body perception, it would have been nearly impossible to detect!

'Here it comes! The identity detection Formation!' Yao Delong sneered inwardly. The Origin core of the Thousand Mechanisms Formless Art within his body operated automatically, like a perfect layer of camouflage covering the true source. As the cold fluctuation swept past, it only "saw" a slightly cold Origin of Evil Qi and a fierce Body Cultivator, with no other abnormalities. He remained impassive, appearing as if he hadn't noticed a thing.

Meanwhile, on the top floor of Ten Thousand Treasures Tower.

Inside a luxurious room constructed entirely of transparent crystal, with an excellent view yet isolated by a powerful Restriction.

A woman dressed in a blood-red gown stood by the railing. Her silver hair cascaded like a waterfall, gently swaying in the breeze and shimmering with a cold, moonlight-like glow. Her skin was translucent and whiter than snow, her features were as beautiful as a painting, and her red lips were as full as blooming poppies—alluring yet deadly.

Most heart-pounding were her eyes—a pair of pure, deep, crimson pupils that looked like congealed blood! There was only an endless, Soul-shuddering blood-red! Strands of actual moonlight spilled over her through a special skylight, making her stunning face, which could eclipse everything in the world, look even more breathtaking.

If Yao Delong were here, his mind would be shaken! For this woman's facial features bore a seventy percent resemblance to the Heavenly Demon Sect Saintess, Xin Yuelan! However, the woman before him had a more demonic, cold, and aloof temperament, like a Blood Moon Goddess!

Inserting a picture.

Not far from her, a figure stood respectfully. This person's frame was slightly thin and hunched, as if bearing an invisible heavy pressure. He wore a bizarre robe woven from countless distorted, wailing, and constantly shape-shifting fragments of deep-blue demon Souls!

The robe moved without wind, emitting a nauseating Soul filth. His face was firmly shrouded in a layer of constantly writhing foul mist, seemingly composed of billions of resentful thoughts, making it impossible to see his features. Only a pair of obsidian-like eyes, deeply embedded like two pieces of jet in ten-thousand-year-old ice, pierced through the foul mist, shimmering with a cold, indifferent, and all-seeing luster as they scanned the crowd of Cultivators moving like ants below!

It was the Hall Master of the Ten Thousand Demon Hall of the Heavenly Demon Sect—Zhu Wuneng! A name that struck terror into the entire Demon Realm!

Zhu Wuneng's raspy voice, sounding like scraping metal, rang out with absolute obedience: "Hall Master Xue, through the feedback from the 'Myriad Demon Heart-Reflecting Mirror' and the detection of the tower's 'Thousand Mechanisms Soul-Guiding Formation', it has been confirmed that seventeen people from the Nine Nether Sect have infiltrated..."

He paused, his cold, star-like eyes flashing with a hint of cruelty: "The lowest cultivation is the Late Nascent Soul Stage; there are nine in the Spirit Transformation Realm, and seven in the Void Refining Realm... Among them, the one with the highest cultivation has an aura reaching the Void Refining Peak! It is suspected to be that old thing, 'Ghost-Faced Old Man'!"

The blood-eyed woman called "Hall Master Xue" curled her red lips into a slightly demonic and cold arc, like a bloodthirsty rose blooming. She extended her slender jade finger and lightly tapped the glowing Formation core, a trace of heart-shaking crimson Qi wrapping around her fingertip.

"Entering is easy..." Her voice was clear and pleasant, yet carried a chill that could freeze the Soul, "...leaving? Hmph. The bones of the Nine Nether Sect should be buried forever in the soil of River of Oblivion City to nourish our cult's 'Blood-Evil Asura Tree'! Hall Master Zhu, are your people... all ready?"

"The elites of the Ten Thousand Demon Hall have already laid out the 'Ten Directions Annihilation Soul Refining Grand Formation' inside and outside River of Oblivion City. Just wait for Hall Master's command, and we will surely make these Nine Nether remnants suffer total annihilation of body and Soul, never to be reincarnated!" Zhu Wuneng's voice was filled with supreme confidence and cruelty.

"Very good." Hall Master Xue's gaze was like a cold blade, scanning the area below. "Keep a close eye on the rats in those booths... especially those old fellows in the Void Refining Realm. When the auction ends, the feast shall begin."

Led by a beautiful maid whose aura was at the Late Nascent Soul Stage, Yao Delong and Old Black Mu passed through a shimmering corridor and arrived at an elegant private booth labeled "Xuan Seven."

The booth wasn't large, but it was exquisitely decorated, featuring comfortable jade chairs. In front of them was a crystal light screen where the huge central auction stage could be clearly seen, and on the table were spirit fruits and fragrant tea. On the surrounding walls and doors, powerful Formation runes for isolating Divine Sense detection were inscribed.

Yao Delong took his seat, his Divine Thought spreading out silently like a spider web, avoiding the core of the Restrictions and only scanning the public areas of the hall. This sweep made him secretly marvel at the Sun Moon Divine Cult's grand scale.

In the hall, people were crowded together, their auras mixed. However, the lowest cultivation was at the Late Nascent Soul Stage, and most were just guards or followers! The vast majority of the Cultivators actually participating in the bidding were in the Spirit Transformation Realm! A rough count revealed hundreds of them! This was nearly half of the Spirit Transformation Cultivators in the Xuan Ye Dynasty!

As for the closed booths upstairs, which were also shrouded in isolation Formations, although there were only a dozen or so, the faint, abyss-like, and obscure auras emanating from them all indicated the terrifying nature of their owners—at the very least, they were in the Void Refining Realm! There might even be hidden existences at the Void Refining Peak!

As time passed, the atmosphere inside Ten Thousand Treasures Tower became increasingly heated. Thousands of Cultivators gathered together, their various discussions, speculations, and even aggressive Divine Sense collisions intertwining. The air was filled with a complex mixture of greed, excitement, and tension.

Finally!

Buzz!

A beam of light, soft yet containing majestic power, descended from the sky, precisely projecting onto the huge circular auction stage in the center!

The entire noisy venue instantly fell silent! Everyone's eyes focused on that beam of light.

The light dissipated, and a stunning figure with a graceful and exquisite silhouette, dressed in a moon-white light gauze gown, landed lightly in the center of the stage like a moon palace Fairy. Her face was beautiful, her temperament gentle with a hint of coldness, and her cultivation had actually reached the Late Stage Soul Transformation!

"Fellow Daoists, Seniors!" Her voice was like spring water hitting stones, yet it had a strange penetrating power that rang clearly in everyone's ears. "Thank you for gracing us with your presence at the River of Oblivion Grand Assembly hosted by my Sun Moon Divine Cult. I am Yue Li, and I am honored to serve as the host for this auction. My cult has established this assembly with the aim of befriending heroes from all over the world, exchanging what we have, and jointly celebrating this grand occasion of the Immortal Dao!"

She bowed slightly, her posture elegant and appropriate, instantly attracting countless gazes.

"Without further ado, I'm sure everyone has been waiting for a long time." Yue Li smiled, like a hundred flowers blooming, her charm striking. "Then, this session of the River of Oblivion Auction now—begins!"

As her voice fell, a similarly beautiful maid, holding a tray covered by red silk in both hands, walked gracefully to the front of the stage.