As a grand elder of the Divine Will Sect, An Miaoli enjoyed the privilege of a private booth at the Heavenly Evolution Pavilion auction without needing to verify her funds. The auction was about to begin.

An Yuyi sat in the booth, brimming with anticipation. Securing the Thunderbane Bamboo Core would balance her dual spiritual roots, paving the way to form a ninth-grade Golden Core with the Star Thunder Stone. Once achieved, she'd soar to new heights and challenge Li Feng again to reclaim her honor. Surely, Ye Chen would see her in a new light then. The thought fueled her excitement.

An Miaoli, by contrast, remained composed.

The auction kicked off swiftly. Given the rarity of the items, it was hosted by the Golden Core-stage manager of Heavenly Evolution Pavilion himself. True to form, the pavilion opened with a bang.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoists, for attending," the manager said, holding up a jade slip. "Let's skip the formalities and dive in. Our first item is a fragment of the Eternal Cosmos Sutra's Golden Core chapter, discovered by an elder of our Heavenly Evolution Holy Land in the ancient Immortal Battlefield ruins. It contains 112 words."

He continued, "The elder has sworn a Heavenly Oath that only ten copies of this fragment will ever be sold. Successful bidders must also swear a Heavenly Oath to study it alone, with no sharing permitted. The value of an immortal scripture needs no explanation. The Holy Lands owe their status to such texts. Even a fragment can spark profound insights, perfecting one's cultivation and boosting combat strength. It can also inspire modifications to other techniques, elevating their grade.

"This is the Golden Core chapter of the Eternal Cosmos Sutra, hailed as the ultimate for Golden Core cultivation. Comprehending even a trace of its Divine Ability could propel you to dominate your peers. Starting bid: fifty thousand high-grade spirit stones, with increments of at least five hundred. Let the bidding begin!"

As the manager's voice fell, bids erupted. Many powerhouses from beyond the Divine Will Sect had come specifically for the scripture fragment. The price skyrocketed, soon hitting one hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones.

An Miaoli's eyes gleamed as she gazed at the jade slip. No cultivator could resist the allure of an immortal scripture, especially the Eternal Cosmos Sutra. As a late-stage Golden Core cultivator, comprehending it could refine her cultivation and bring her closer to perfection.

But she was realistic. There was no way she could afford it. And indeed, the bidding for the Eternal Cosmos Sutra fragment soared. It was finally claimed by a cultivator for a staggering three hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones, drawing gasps from the crowd.

The thousand-plus cultivators in attendance whispered among themselves, speculating which powerhouse faction could afford such extravagance. Three hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones could, with luck, buy a Heaven-grade Golden Core technique. Yet this bidder spent it on a fragment that couldn't be cultivated and offered no guaranteed insights. It was sheer opulence.

...

"The spirit stones have been counted," said the steward, who had come to Ye Chen's booth to finalize the transaction, a hint of surprise in his eyes. "Please, Fellow Daoist Ye, make the Heavenly Oath."

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Ye Chen nodded and swore the simple oath, ensuring the fragment would be studied by one alone. With the Eternal Cosmos Sutra fragment in hand, his mood was buoyant. But he didn't study it immediately, instead tucking it into his storage ring.

What was the point of comprehending a mere fragment? He aimed to master the complete scripture. Since Li Feihuang was in seclusion, he'd gift it to An Miaoli. With her two-hundredfold multiplier and a potential critical hit, he was confident the system would reward him with the full scripture.

After securing the fragment, Ye Chen turned to the steward. "Please arrange a new booth for me. I'll continue bidding."

The steward's eyes widened slightly. Three hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones were a fortune most Nascent Soul cultivators couldn't muster. For a Foundation Establishment cultivator like Ye Chen to not only afford it but also keep bidding? What kind of wealth was this? Even the Golden Core direct disciples of the Heavenly Evolution Holy Land rarely had such resources.

Surprised but professional, the steward promptly escorted Ye Chen to a new booth. Heavenly Evolution Pavilion's service ensured discretion—Ye Chen's high-profile purchase of the scripture made him a target for attention, and a new booth would help him bid discreetly.

Ye Chen wasn't worried about being targeted as a rich mark. Heavenly Evolution Pavilion had a solid reputation, and his Heavenly Evolution Holy Land Holy Son token guaranteed his safety. He was completely at ease.

The next two auction items stirred the crowd. The first was an Earth-grade, high-tier Foundation Establishment technique with no teaching restrictions, sparking a frenzy among the clans as they threw spirit stones at it. The second was the Thunderbane Bamboo Core, Ye Chen's target.

This treasure could enhance a cultivator's aptitude, improving anyone below an Earth Spiritual Root, though it couldn't elevate one to that level. For clans and sects, it was a prize to nurture promising juniors, ensuring they walked further on the immortal path. Even cultivators with lesser roots coveted it, making the bidding fiercer than ever.

"Thirty thousand high-grade spirit stones…"

"Thirty-one thousand high-grade spirit stones…"

"Sixty thousand high-grade spirit stones!"

A clear, cold female voice cut through the heated competition, silencing the buzzing auction hall. All eyes widened in shock. While others were inching up from thirty thousand, she'd jumped straight to sixty thousand? Was she insane?

The steep price deterred many smaller clans and individual cultivators. Larger clans and sects could afford it, but sixty thousand was exorbitant—there were likely better options at that cost. Competing against such resolve seemed futile; the bidder might push even higher. Yet if they backed off suddenly, anyone stuck with the high bid would regret it. It was a dilemma.

The hall fell quiet.

In their booth, An Yuyi clenched her fists, nearly jumping with excitement. "Aunt, no one's bidding against us!"

An Miaoli nodded. Auctions could get overheated, with cultivators losing their heads. By throwing out a bid far above the Thunderbane Bamboo Core's value, she'd forced everyone to cool down and hesitate. The strategy had worked perfectly.

"Once you get the Thunderbane Bamboo Core, go into seclusion to refine it," An Miaoli instructed. "Then use the Star Thunder Stone to break through to Golden Core."

An Yuyi nodded eagerly, her eyes sparkling.

An Miaoli's flawless gaze fixed on the auction stage, awaiting the manager's final call.

But at that moment, a voice rang out: "Seventy thousand high-grade spirit stones!"

An Yuyi's excitement froze. An Miaoli's lips tightened, her eyes flashing with disbelief. Someone was still bidding—and adding ten thousand high-grade spirit stones at that? The price had far surpassed the Thunderbane Bamboo Core's intrinsic value.

Logically, it wasn't worth fighting for. But for her niece, the Thunderbane Bamboo Core was critical. Without it, An Yuyi would likely form a seventh-grade Golden Core at best, with no hope for ninth grade. Advancing to Nascent Soul would become nearly impossible.

An Miaoli couldn't give up. But… with only sixty thousand high-grade spirit stones, she was completely tapped out. Not a single stone remained.

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