The private room was spacious, yet dimly lit, designed for discretion. Lin Shu sat in silence, his gaze fixed on the large auction hall below through a thin veil of misted glass. The seats were already filled, figures clad in luxurious robes and sturdy armor whispering among themselves as they awaited the event's start.
Down below, the auctioneer strode onto the elevated stage, a man of tall build with a radiant smile. His brown hair was tied neatly back, and his striking blue eyes gleamed with enthusiasm. His voice carried across the hall, smooth and inviting, full of charm.
"Welcome, dear guests, to the second day of our grand auction! Some of you have traveled across vast lands, others have fought bitter battles, all in pursuit of wealth and power. I assure you, your efforts will not be in vain! Today, we present treasures worthy of your ambition—but remember, this is only the second day! The rarest, most coveted items are yet to come on the final day. So do not despair if you haven't yet found what you seek! Now, let us begin!"
A light applause rippled through the audience as the first item was brought forth—a small jade box held by a robed attendant.
"The first treasure of the evening is something that has not appeared in Darkveil Crossing for ages!" The auctioneer's voice swelled with excitement as he dramatically lifted the lid, revealing a shimmering golden pill resting on a silk cushion. "Behold! The Dragon Surge Pill! A peak-tier Rank 1 elixir of immense value! For those unfamiliar, this pill unlocks your body's full potential, granting you the strength to fight an opponent a stage above your own! However, power always comes at a cost… Once the effects wear off, the user will be left in an extremely weakened state. Yet, let me tell you this—when you stand on the precipice of death, when all hope is lost, you will beg for such a pill!"
A murmur spread through the hall, then a frenzy of bidding erupted. Everyone recognized the worth of such a treasure. Survival. Victory. A last resort in life-or-death struggles.
Lin Shu watched the commotion without participating. He would have liked to own such a pill, but he knew its value far exceeded what he could earn from his egg. A peak-tier Rank 1 item was simply out of reach. At best, he could trade for a high-tier Rank 1 item, and even that depended on how the auction viewed the egg's worth.
No, Lin Shu wasn't here for a one-time life-saving pill. He had a far more ambitious goal—he needed a body refinement technique, preferably one that focused on bones.
If he could find a technique that transformed his bones into iron, steel, or even rarer, more resilient materials, his power would skyrocket. His Ivory Dominion would become an unbreakable fortress, his weapons deadlier than ever. He speculated that with iron-infused bones, he could withstand a high-tier Rank 1 attack, something that would normally shatter his defenses. But techniques that altered bones so drastically were rare—perhaps too rare to appear here.
If nothing suitable appeared, his next priority was a neutral body refinement technique—one that wouldn't clash with any future methods he acquired. The last thing he needed was an irreversible conflict between different refinements, a mistake that could leave him crippled… or worse.
And if even that failed?
Then he would settle for a ranged battle skill.
Right now, his combat style revolved around ambushes. He struck from the shadows, exploiting his speed and the element of surprise. But it was only a matter of time before he faced someone he couldn't ambush—someone too fast, too wary, or too skilled to be caught off guard. His Lightning Steps technique gave him great mobility, but it wasn't infallible. If he ever encountered an opponent faster than him, he had no way to stop them from escaping or, worse, from overwhelming him.
The auction continued, bringing out an array of treasures—blades honed to cut through steel, hammers that rumbled with barely contained force, axes built for raw destruction. Battle skills for healing, tracking, and sensing hidden enemies. Defensive arts designed to fortify the body against harm.
There were even one or two body refinement techniques—but they were either too specialized or didn't align with his goals.
Lin Shu leaned back, silent, waiting. The real treasures had yet to come.
Lin Shu sat in his private room, watching the auction unfold below. He had already endured hours of frustration, forced to sit through item after item that he either couldn't afford or had no use for. He had tried to strike private deals using the room's hidden trading function, a privilege that allowed occupants to make offers discreetly without the audience below knowing. But every attempt had been met with rejection. Worse, some had even mocked him for it.
"Damned bastards," he muttered, fingers tightening into fists.
There had been one item that truly caught his eye—a body refinement technique that allowed the user to sprout bone wings. He wasn't sure how flight would work without feathers, but he hadn't been able to read the full manuscript. Not that it mattered. He never even got the chance to negotiate. The owner had refused outright, as if his offer wasn't even worth considering.
"Isn't this egg supposed to become a peak-stage Rank 1 beast? Why the hell isn't it even getting high-tier arts? What the fuck is wrong with these people?" His frustration only deepened. Maybe his egg was considered common somewhere else, or maybe this wasn't the right place to trade it. Either way, it had been utterly useless so far.
At this point, he wasn't expecting to get anything valuable. He would settle for a Crimson Flow Pill—a mid-tier pill that could cleanse the impurities left behind by hastily consumed pills. If he couldn't get a good technique, then at the very least, he needed something to boost his cultivation speed.
With a tired sigh, he resigned himself to waiting. Another half hour passed before his egg was finally announced.
The moment its description was read out, something changed. The quiet, almost dismissive atmosphere that had surrounded his item before vanished.
Suddenly, the communication device in his room lit up.
One call.
Then another.
And another.
Dozens of requests flooded in all at once. Lin Shu's heart pounded. He didn't understand what was happening. A few moments ago, no one had cared about the egg. Now, people were practically begging to inspect it.
"What the hell is going on?"
Outside, in one of the high-ranked silver rooms, three figures were watching the auction unfold.
A black-haired young man scowled as he leaned forward. "I really hate that damned empire. We lost the egg again because of them. First to that old bastard, and now this."
His companion, a brown-haired woman, remained silent.
A third figure, a white-haired boy with a mask, also said nothing.
The black-haired man continued, his voice dripping with resentment. "That old bastard from Windgrove Village is one lucky worm, finding the egg after we worked so hard for it. And the empire… those bastards should be dealing with the Far Lands or the Chaotic Lands. They shouldn't have had time to chase after us."
The truth was, their group had attacked multiple Chi Clan convoys months ago, targeting anything valuable. They hadn't even known what they were stealing at first. Their leader, a Rank 2 cultivator, had given the orders, and they had obeyed. The battle had left entire forests razed, the land unrecognizable. The Chi Clan had retaliated immediately, throwing vast resources into hunting them down.
They had only later learned that the egg wasn't just a normal Infernoheart Salamander. It was a King—a rare variant capable of reaching mid-stage Rank 2. In a large-scale clan like the Chi, a beast of this caliber was more than just a pet. It was a future war asset, something that could change the balance of power. The egg had been intended for the clan heir, and its loss had sent shockwaves through the Chi Clan.
Bounties had been placed. Assassins had been sent. The entire region had been turned upside down in the search for the stolen treasure.
And now, that very same egg had appeared in an auction.
The black-haired man nearly jumped out of his seat. "Is… is that it?!"
The brown-haired woman's eyes narrowed. "Contact the owner. We need to confirm if it has a golden thread at the base. If it does, it's the King's Egg."
Meanwhile, in another silver room, members of the Chi Clan had also reacted immediately.
"The egg!" One of them barked. "Request an inspection—immediately!"
Other cultivators took notice, though most of the audience below remained oblivious to the growing tension.
Lin Shu, however, was not oblivious.
Not with his room being bombarded with messages and offers.
"What the fuck is this?!"
Just minutes ago, no one had wanted the egg. Now, people were throwing high-tier battle skills and massive amounts of gold at him. Someone had even offered a peak-tier battle skill.
His mind raced.
This isn't normal.
His paranoia kicked in, warning him of the obvious—something was wrong.
"Did I steal something I shouldn't have?"
Before he could think further, a message arrived.
"Hello. You previously requested a high-tier body refinement technique or a Crimson Flow Pill. This is you, correct?"
Lin Shu's stomach twisted. That was his original request… but that had been before he realized his egg was worthless. Or rather, before he thought it was worthless and now it became a treasure desired by everyone.
"Fuck! If I leave, they'll track me down. They might even bribe the auction into giving up my location. Shit, shit, shit… what the hell did I get myself into?!"
He could feel his body tensing, muscles coiled as if ready to run, but where would he go? The people contacting him were from the golden rooms.
Rank 2 cultivators.
A single one of them could turn this entire auction house to rubble. If they found out he was in a bronze room, they wouldn't even bother negotiating. They'd just break his neck and take what they wanted.
I need to sell it.
Now.
If he made the right trade, then their attention would shift to the new owner. Maybe they'd still try to track him down, but at least he wouldn't be the primary target anymore.
He didn't hesitate. He picked an offer from someone willing to trade a peak-tier body refinement technique, thousands of gold, and other valuables. It wasn't the best offer, not by a long shot. If he had time, he could have easily gotten five peak-tier techniques for something like this.
But time wasn't on his side.
He accepted immediately.
A butler arrived, handling the transaction in his place. Lin Shu didn't even touch the egg himself—he wanted nothing to do with it anymore.
The second the trade was finalized, he bolted from the room.
His heartbeat pounded in his ears as he moved. He kept his face expressionless, forcing himself to stay calm, but inside, his mind screamed at him to run.
Get the fuck out of here. Now.