The ruler of the Pirate Alliance was known as the Pirate Emperor. However, across the seas, the true power still lay in the hands of the numerous Pirate Kings—each commanding vast fleets, veterans of naval warfare, tyrants of the waves, treasure hunters venturing into the unknown. They fought storms, battled sea beasts, and carved their names into legend. Every Pirate King was a force to be reckoned with.
No one knew how many Pirate Kings truly existed in the Caribbean Sea Realm. Today one might fall, and tomorrow another would rise—emerging from the tide to dominate the seas again. In this lawless realm, passion, blood, treasure, wine, and pirate ships were the ultimate truths. And the ships themselves were no ordinary vessels—they were battlecraft infused with unique powers, all strange and exceptional in their own right.
The Demon Sea Realm
Despite its name, the Demon Sea wasn't ruled by literal demons.
Instead, it was home to a Primordial Spiritual Root: the Demon Fruit Tree. This miraculous tree could produce Devil Fruits of various kinds. Eating one would instantly awaken life apertures and grant supernatural powers—a shortcut to becoming powerful that was nothing short of demonic temptation.
Devil Fruits fell into three main categories:
Paramecia (Superhuman)
Zoan (Beast-type)
Logia (Elemental)
If one fully developed the abilities granted by a fruit, they could reach the level of changing the world.
But there was a price.
Eating a Devil Fruit meant permanently losing the ability to swim. The sea became your greatest enemy. If submerged in water, the powers granted by the fruit would be completely sealed.
Despite this flaw, Devil Fruits were one of the quickest and most direct paths to power. Even ordinary mortals could leap into the ranks of the extraordinary.
The rarity and temptation of these fruits made them unsurpassed treasures in the Demon Sea Realm—prized beyond imagination.
The Dead Sea Realm
A place of true danger and death.
The Dead Sea was shrouded in a thick white fog of death, where the aura of decay permeated every wave. Taboo upon taboo filled the region, and rumors abounded of ghost ships, phantom fleets, and cursed waters. Encountering one of these meant certain doom—a journey with little chance of return.
The sea itself had become a forbidden zone.
The Bohai Sea Realm
In contrast, the Bohai Realm was comparatively normal.
Here, the races of the myriad heavens coexisted. All sorts of factions and species formed their own enclaves.
But strength was king.
Weaker forces were routinely suppressed by dominant races. Over time, inter-racial and inter-factional unification began to accelerate. Mergers, alliances, and assimilation became the trend.
Big fish devoured little fish. The process of becoming a behemoth unfolded day by day.
Both human and non-human races began forming defensive alliances, tribal coalitions, and even fully unified realms. And with the news of Great Yi's unification of the Vast Sea Realm, the process only intensified.
The age of fragmented fiefdoms was ending. Integration and centralization were on the rise.
The Immortal Peach Banquet
This grand banquet once again thrust Great Yi into the center of world attention.
Their prestige and influence surged across realms.
Yi Tianxing: Behind the Scenes
At this moment, Yi Tianxing entered the 16th Cloud Realm—a plane connected to the Mystery Auction House.
This realm did not open to outsiders. Not even Cai Yan or the empresses were allowed access. It was the core of the auction house, shrouded in mystery and immense power.
"The years on the Divine-Demon Battlefield delayed everything… The Mystery Auction House, established during the 10th year of the Eternal Era, still hasn't officially opened. And now it's nearly the end of year 48..."
That was thirty-eight years passed.
"Ten Mystery Tokens have been issued each year. By now, there should be around 380 scattered tokens across the Eternal World. I wonder how many holders will attend the first official auction."
Yi Tianxing took his seat amid the endless starry void, eyes scanning the boundless space. A flicker of anticipation danced in his gaze.
Over the decades, even though the auction house had never been active, the Mystery tokens were still issued annually—ten each year. Now, nearly 400 of them existed. Those who possessed them were all extraordinary cultivators.
This would be no ordinary auction—but a gathering of the world's rarest treasures.
A Mysterious Host Appears
"Subordinate greets the Emperor."
From the void emerged a white-robed old man, emanating profound mystery.
This was the Mystery Auction House's Spirit of Eternity—Silent Wanderer.
He had been born within the auction house itself, a spirit imbued with the power of treasure appraisal. With his god-like eyes, he could instantly determine the value and grade of any item. For an auction house, such a host was a divine asset.
"Indeed, the tokens are sufficient. It's time to begin formal operations. We'll accept consigned items, hold standard auctions, and activate Eternal Coin exchanges," Yi Tianxing nodded.
With a gesture, a massive circular auction platform manifested in the void—enormous and majestic.
There were no preset seats, as every token holder's entry would cause a unique seat to appear, bound to their token and inaccessible to others.
Auction Maidens – But Not Quite
"No living beings may serve here. Replace them with puppets."
With another wave, rows of elegant maidens appeared—stunning, elegant, and poised.
These were high-grade puppets, refined with sophisticated techniques. Each had no will of their own but was thoroughly trained in etiquette and service. They also possessed combat strength and came in various racial forms: humans, elves, serpentkin, foxfolk—gathered from the Divine-Demon Battlefield and repurposed here.
They poured tea, assisted with auctions, and fulfilled every necessary duty. Even experts would struggle to detect that they were not real beings.
"Excellent. With these assistants, operations can now begin in full," Silent Wanderer smiled.
The Eternal Bank and Treasure Appraisal Pavilion
"The auction must also have an exchange hall and Eternal Bank—staffed by puppets."
Yi Tianxing waved again, and a massive, bronze-glowing structure emerged from the void.
It was imposing, ancient, and noble.
Above it, four characters shone brightly:
Eternal Bank (永恒钱庄)
In every city of Great Yi, a branch of this bank already existed. It was the financial backbone of the empire, handling coin exchanges and storage. No external faction could interfere—it was a government-controlled institution.
Inside the void-formed bank, vast reserves of Eternal Coins poured into the treasury:
Gold Coins
Purple Coins
Violet-Gold Coins
Each shimmered with radiant brilliance.
Puppet attendants took their places to manage the coin exchanges.
"The auction house also needs a Treasure Appraisal Pavilion. Condense!"
With a final gesture, a magnificent nine-story crystalline tower appeared.
This was the Appraisal Pavilion—a place where items could be evaluated, registered, and consigned for sale.
Inside were puppet staff and an appraisal platform. If a puppet couldn't judge a treasure's value, Silent Wanderer could step in for flawless evaluations.
In this space, everything was created from the void.
To any outsider, this spectacle would appear divine—miraculous, beyond comprehension. But here, it was normal.
For in this realm, Yi Tianxing was supreme. No matter how powerful the guest, his word was law.
Let the Auction Begin
"Open the auction house. Notify all holders of Mystery Tokens."
With that, Yi Tianxing activated the full launch.
A wave of information swept across the Eternal World, traveling through the void into every realm…
Elsewhere…
On a towering Mirror Mountain, a woman known as the Spirit Mirror Queen sat brushing her hair before a divine mirror, mesmerized by her reflection.
Suddenly, her expression shifted as she sensed… the call of the Mystery Auction.