A token appeared before her, shimmering with mysterious light.
"Twenty years… it finally lit up again."
The Spirit Mirror Queen gazed at the glowing token. The Mystery Auction House had been dormant for two decades. Now, it was reopening.
"The timing matches the duration of the Divine-Demon Battlefield. It seems the one behind the auction also took part in the war. I wonder who he really is… though I'm ninety percent sure I know."
"This time will be lively. With ten tokens added each year, hundreds must exist by now. How many will show up this round? Two or three hundred, perhaps? I'm excited to see what kind of rare treasures will appear."
It had been decades since her last attendance. Naturally, she was filled with expectation. And since she had no pressing matters at the moment, there was no reason not to go.
"Better than idling around."
Elsewhere, in a Mountain Mine
In the depths of a mountain, a Firecloud Magma Mine was being excavated. This mineral vein had likely formed from an ancient underground lava river. The ore within produced Firecloud Magma Iron, a rare fire-attribute material inscribed with glowing red cloud patterns.
Even a single piece could fetch a high price.
Refined or raw, it was a treasured commodity.
Inside the mine, a fat golden cat was enthusiastically clawing at the rock, unearthing chunk after chunk of ore and stashing them away.
"One Eternal Coin, two Eternal Coins, three Eternal Coins… so many Eternal Coins…"
He murmured these words with tireless devotion—an endless motivational chant. It was none other than the infamous Lucky Cat. Over the years, he had scoured every corner for valuable items, even personally mining veins, all to collect Eternal Coins.
Then suddenly—
Ding-a-ling!
The golden bell on his wrist rang.
His body trembled.
"It's ringing!"
The Mystery Token he owned had taken the form of this golden bell, and for over twenty years, it had remained silent. He'd even worried the auctions might never return.
But now, hearing its chime, his entire body surged with joy.
"It's back! The auction is finally back! I want Eternal Coins! Piles and piles of Eternal Coins!!"
He leapt in excitement, nearly smashing his head against the cavern wall.
Deep in an Unknown Sea
At the bottom of the ocean rested an enormous celestial clam—over a hundred meters in diameter, shimmering with jade-like luster, covered in mysterious, interwoven markings that seemed to reflect the laws of the cosmos.
Click—
The clam opened.
Inside lay a woman in white jade celestial robes, holding a glowing Mystery Token.
"The Mystery Auction House… intriguing."
"It connects powerhouses from all over the Eternal World. That alone is worth the trip."
She was the Pearl Empress, a ruler of the Celestial Clam Clan, a supreme power of the sea realms. Her status and wealth were immense. In terms of rare resources, the ocean realms often surpassed the land in both quality and quantity.
"Of course I'll attend."
In a Hidden Paradise
In a blessed realm, an elderly cultivator glanced at his token and the message it conveyed.
But he only looked at it briefly before putting it away.
"This auction is not enough to draw me out of seclusion."
He had more important matters to focus on.
A Ripple Through the Realms
Across the Eternal World, powerhouses in countless realms—those with great fortune and destiny—felt the summoning of the auction. Some decided to attend, some chose not to, some hesitated, and others were filled with anticipation.
But all of that had nothing to do with Yi Tianxing.
The auction was free to join or ignore. He would not interfere. Nor was there any need to.
Those who wish to come will come.
Back in the Mystery Auction House
As the message spread, one figure after another began appearing in the mysterious auction space. Each was enveloped in mist and fog, making it impossible to identify their appearance—even if one of them were a pig, you wouldn't know.
Every voice automatically transformed into a language all attendees could understand—a function of the auction house's unique magic.
Old attendees took their previous seats.
Newcomers had customized seats form beneath them, suited to their preferences, all hovering naturally in the void.
Everyone instinctively understood the rules—engraved into their minds the moment they entered.
None spoke.
They quietly examined their surroundings: the massive central auction platform, the Eternal Bank, and the Appraisal Tower beside it.
"Fellow Daoists," Yi Tianxing's voice echoed, "Here, there is no distinction of race or cultivation. If you are here, you are a Daoist friend."
"This auction has hundreds of participants. The old method of bartering no longer suits our scale. So, this time, we are going fully formal."
"If you have rare treasures, please visit the Appraisal Tower for authentication and consignment. Once your item goes on stage, it will not go unsold. If no one buys it, I will. I never dislike having too many treasures."
"The Eternal Bank handles the exchange of Eternal Coins. Any spiritual materials you don't need can be traded there. The exchange is fair and just, offering you the best possible rates. No one will be shortchanged."
"There is no upper limit to the amount of Eternal Coins you can exchange."
A quiet hush followed.
But every strong cultivator's gaze sharpened. Then came understanding. Enlightenment.
Unlimited Eternal Coin exchange.
Only a handful of forces in the Eternal World could support such boldness, such wealth, and such scale.
In their minds, only one name could possibly match.
Even if this wasn't the leader himself, the host of the auction must be closely tied to that power.
But no one said it aloud.
There was no need to expose what was already understood. It didn't concern the auction.
What mattered was: they could exchange Eternal Coins—and that was a tremendous boon.
Since the Divine-Demon Battlefield ended, Eternal Coins had become more widespread and frequently traded. However, there had never been a place where one could freely and stably convert them.
Now there was.
Until now, most had treated Eternal Coins like priceless collectibles, rarely absorbing or spending them—preferring to hoard them as premium currency.
This news changed everything.
First in Line: Lucky Cat
A shadow shot toward the Eternal Bank.
Though his appearance was hidden in mist, Yi Tianxing easily recognized him: Lucky Cat.
The joy on his face was unmistakable.
"Finally, finally!"
He immediately began piling rare materials—minerals, ores, spirit herbs—before the puppet attendants. Each was evaluated and priced quickly and fairly. Some high, some low, but always just.
Lucky Cat didn't even care to haggle. He trusted the fairness.
"What's fair is fair."
Technically, this system could be exploited for profit margins—but Yi Tianxing had no interest in that.
His goal was simple:
Disseminate the Eternal Coin.
Everything else was secondary.
Soon, many others followed Lucky Cat's example.
Each brought out rare materials they personally had no use for, exchanging them for Eternal Coins. After all, Eternal Coins never depreciated, and the more one had, the better.
Yi Tianxing smiled.
"As expected… every token holder is a being of vast fortune and power. They come from every corner of the world, bearing countless exotic treasures that are worthless to them—but priceless elsewhere."