The atmosphere in the arena was a physical weight. Every breath felt heavy, as if the air itself was saturated with the greed and desperation of the hundreds gathered within.
The Auction Master, a seasoned man named Elder Hwa, stepped toward the jade box. With trembling fingers, he lifted the lid.
SHING—!
A faint medicinal fragrance drifted outward subtle, refined, carrying a depth that made even restless internal energy calm down on its own. Several martial artists subconsciously adjusted their breathing, startled by the cooling effect in their chests.
The auctioneer straightened his robe and spoke with solemn clarity.
-"This item has been verified by the Azure Cloud Medicine Pavilion."
A man seated near the stage an elderly figure in dark-green robes gave a slow nod. His bearing was calm, his presence restrained, yet anyone knowledgeable knew the name he carried: Hall Master Gu Wen. As one of the highest authorities on medicine in the city, his silent nod was worth more than a thousand words of praise.
-"This Spirit Medicine," Elder Hwa continued, his voice echoing, "can repair damaged meridians, suppress internal energy backlash, and heal severe internal injuries caused by cultivation deviation. Starting bid: 10,000 gold coins!"
-"50,000!"
The voice belonged to Elder Mu Tian of the Iron Mountain Sect.
He stood at the edge of his balcony, his Peak First-Rate aura crashing down like a physical hammer. "I have no time for games! This medicine belongs to the Iron Mountain!"
The room went silent for a heartbeat before a calm, melodious voice drifted from the highest balcony.
"60,000 gold."
The speaker was Namgoong Shuo, the representative of the Great Namgoong Sect. A Peak Master of refined elegance, he didn't even look at Mu Tian; his eyes were fixed solely on the jade box.
In the Golden Crow balcony Merchant Union, the Overseer's face was contorted with malice. He signaled the Poison Master, who flicked his wrist, releasing the colorless Soul-Wither Vapour.
A colorless, odorless mist the Soul-Wither Vapour snaked through the air. It was a terrifying toxin that targeted the nervous system. Even a First-Rate master would find their meridians seizing within seconds.
Namgoong Shuo's nostrils flared. He sensed it. So did the City Lord and Mu Tian. Their eyes darted toward the Flying Crane balcony, but they remained seated. In the Murim, poison was a coward's tool, but it was effective. They watched, waiting for Soo-bin and the mysterious Jin Tae-Yun to collapse.
The mist reached the Flying Crane Union's balcony. It coiled around Soo-bin's throat and drifted toward Tae-Yun's face.
Soo-bin felt a momentary chill, but then The Five Elemental Lotus Band on his wrist pulsed with a warm, golden radiance. The chill vanished instantly.
Tae-Yun didn't even blink. The Five Elemental Lotus Band beneath his sleeve hummed with a resonance that simply absorbed the poison from existence.
The old appraiser, seated behind them, had his hand on his dagger, ready to intervene. But he stopped, his eyes bulging. He saw the poison mist hit the invisible barrier of the Lotus Band and shatter like glass.
"It... it nullified a Poison Master's toxin without a single hand sign?" the appraiser thought, terror-stricken.
Namgoong Shuo and the City Lord were equally stunned. "The Crane Union... how deep are their secrets? They have a treasure that renders a Poison Master's life's work useless!"
Seeing his first attempt fail, the Poison Master grew desperate. He threw an invisible concentrated orb of Heaven-Severing Miasma directly at the Auctioneer, Elder Hwa.
Namgoong Shuo was about to intervene, but a blur of midnight blue streaked across the arena. Tae-Yun landed on the stage and pulled the elderly Auctioneer into a wide, boisterous hug.
"Magnificent!" Tae-Yun shouted with a booming, fake laugh. "A truly world-shaking auction! My congratulations, Elder!"
The black miasma hit Tae-Yun squarely in the back. The Poison Master's eyes widened.
That dose should have forced a Peak Master to their knees. But Tae-Yun patted the Auctioneer's back, his Lotus Band absorbing the toxin completely. He stood back, smiling brightly, and walked casually back to his balcony.
The Poison Master, paralyzed by primal fear, turned and fled the arena. He wanted no part of a man who could absorb his deadliest poison without a flinch.
The City Lord stood, his voice cracking. "180,000 gold! I am the Lord of this City! This medicine is for my wife!"
The room was silent, but Namgoong Shuo remained unmoved. "200,000 gold," he said, "and... a High-Grade Spirit Stone."
The City Lord slumped back, defeated by the sheer wealth of a Great Sect.
"Going once... going twice... Sold! To the Namgoong Sect!"
Tae-Yun sat back, his eyes scanning the exits as the "hunters" began to slip away.
Tae-Yun whispered to Soo-bin, "The auction is over. But the hunt has just begun."