23: The auction has begun!

Lu Qiu didn't delay for a moment and left the small courtyard immediately.

After weaving through the Market and conducting a careful observation, he quickly found the stall belonging to the Loose Cultivator named Yu Li.

The stall owner was a lean middle-aged man with a cultivation level only around the seventh or eighth layer of the Qi Condensation Stage. His stall was laid out with a motley collection of Ores and Spiritual Plants; business didn't seem to be doing well.

Low-level Loose Cultivators like this spent their days toiling for a few Spirit Stones. With their shallow experience, it was impossible for them to recognize a rare Artifact Refining material like mica iron core.

Lu Qiu squatted down before the stall without a word, picking up a few decent-looking Ores and casually inquiring about their prices.

Finally, he 'unintentionally' picked up the unremarkable grey Ore mixed among the others.

"How much for this stone?"

The stall owner, Yu Li, glanced at it and casually quoted a price.

"Two Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

Lu Qiu laughed inwardly, but he feigned hesitation and went through the motions of bargaining for a while.

Ultimately, for the price of one Low-Grade Spirit Stone, he pocketed the Ore containing the mica iron core.

The entire process didn't draw anyone's attention.

Having easily obtained this excellent material capable of refining a Top-Grade Magical Artifact, Lu Qiu was in a quite good mood.

He didn't return to the small courtyard but headed straight toward the very center of the Market.

Star Dust Pavilion.

This magnificent pavilion, standing twenty to thirty zhang tall, was an industry operated by the Tianxing Sect itself and was the largest and most authoritative shop in the entire Market.

Lu Qiu's purpose for this trip was to attend the large-scale auction about to be held here.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, he had already changed into a voluminous black cloak and wore a bronze mask that blocked Divine Sense probes, completely concealing his true appearance and cultivation aura.

The moment he stepped into the Star Dust Pavilion, the clamor of the outside world seemed to be cut off by an invisible barrier.

The main hall inside the pavilion was extremely spacious, enough to accommodate hundreds of people. The floor was paved with blue jade slabs smooth as mirrors, and giant pillars carved with dragons and phoenixes supported the dome, appearing exceptionally grand.

At this moment, people were coming and going in the hall. Many Cultivators were picking out treasures at various counters, and there was no shortage of Foundation Establishment Stage experts among them.

A young attendant dressed in Star Dust Pavilion attire saw a customer enter and immediately approached with a face full of smiles.

"Fellow Daoist, is there anything I can do for you?"

"I heard the Star Dust Pavilion is holding an auction today," Lu Qiu's voice sounded somewhat hoarse and low after being disguised. "I'm here to attend the auction and, incidentally, I'd like to put some items up for consignment."

Hearing this, the smile on the attendant's face became a few degrees more respectful.

"So you are a Senior here for the auction. Please follow me."

He led Lu Qiu to a side hall and said politely, "According to the rules, attending the auction requires a verification of assets, and items for consignment must be appraised by our pavilion's manager. Please wait a moment, Senior."

Lu Qiu nodded and sat down in a grand armchair.

A moment later, a middle-aged manager dressed in a brocade robe, looking quite shrewd and capable, walked in quickly.

He first politely cupped his hands toward Lu Qiu before speaking.

"I wonder what item Senior wishes to consign?"

Lu Qiu didn't waste words and directly took two items out of his Storage Pouch and placed them on the table.

One was the grey Ore he had just obtained, which had not yet been processed.

The other was a silver Ore the size of a fist, covered in strange dragon-shaped patterns, which he had previously obtained through information in Yellow Maple Valley.

It was indeed the dragon pattern stone.

The manager initially wore a professional smile, but when his gaze fell upon the dragon pattern stone, he froze instantly.

He stepped forward quickly, picking up the dragon pattern stone with great care and examining it over and over. The expression on his face shifted from surprise to unbelievable shock.

"This... this is... a dragon pattern stone?" The manager's voice trembled slightly. "And such a perfectly preserved dragon pattern stone!"

He set down the dragon pattern stone and picked up the unremarkable grey Ore, probing it with his Divine Sense for a moment.

The next second, his breathing became even more rapid.

"This... inside this Ore, it's actually mica iron core!"

The manager suddenly looked up, and the way he looked at Lu Qiu had completely changed, filled with awe.

dragon pattern stone, mica iron core.

Both of these were rare Materials for refining Top-Grade Magical Artifacts, and each was of immense value.

Yet this mysterious cloaked person before him had casually brought out both!

Who on earth was this Senior?

"Senior, please forgive my lack of respect!"

The manager's attitude instantly became incredibly warm and humble. "These two treasures of yours are definitely qualified to be one of the grand finales of our auction! Please rest assured, Senior, our Star Dust Pavilion will surely give you a most satisfactory price!"

"Mm," Lu Qiu replied indifferently.

"Senior, the auction is about to begin. This way, please. I will take you to the VIP private booth upstairs."

The manager personally led the way, keeping his posture very low, treating Lu Qiu entirely as a distinguished guest.

Under the manager's guidance, Lu Qiu was brought to an independent private booth on the third floor of the Star Dust Pavilion.

The booth was elegantly decorated. Through a large one-way crystal wall in front of him, he could clearly overlook the entire auction hall below, while those outside could not see the situation inside the booth.

After the manager respectfully served spiritual tea and snacks, he bowed and withdrew.

Lu Qiu sat alone in the booth, waiting quietly.

He waited for a full two hours.

The hall below was already packed with Cultivators who had come to attend the auction; it was bustling and extraordinarily lively.

Finally, on the high platform in the center of the hall, a flash of light appeared, and an old man at the Foundation Establishment Stage with white hair and a youthful complexion, wearing the robes of a Star Dust Pavilion Elder, appeared before everyone.

With his appearance, the originally noisy hall instantly fell silent.

The old man looked around the room, a warm smile appearing on his face.

"Welcome, Fellow Daoists, to our shop's auction and exchange. Among today's guests are old customers and newcomers attending for the first time. However, that does not matter; our shop will treat everyone equally!"

His voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached the ears of everyone present.

"The rules for this transaction remain unchanged. Our shop will call out a base price in Spirit Stones, and everyone will compete using Spirit Stones. If anyone lacks sufficient Spirit Stones on hand, they may also use other items of equal value as collateral; the specific value will be assessed by our shop! In short, the highest bidder wins the item."

"I won't waste any more words on nonsense."

The old man paused and raised his voice.

"I now announce that this auction has officially begun!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a graceful maid walked onto the high platform, carrying a tray covered with a red cloth.

The old man reached out and pulled back the red cloth, and a magnificent feather fan, shimmering with light and emitting a scorching aura, appeared before everyone's eyes.

"The first item of this auction, a Top-Grade Magical Artifact, the fire cloud fan!"