Newcapital City's auction has both an inner hall and an outer market. The outer market doesn't require a token—you can bid directly in the open air. But the inner hall needs a token for entry, and Evan Chu holds a second-class VIP token, while Blazefire only has a standard room pass. Everyone entering the inner hall is strictly checked to prevent troublemakers from sneaking in.
There are plenty of people entering the inner hall—the line is long, so it seems many are willing to spend Immortal Stones. Most of those in line are between Da Luo Golden Immortal and Heavenly Immortal; they'll be seated in the main inner hall.
The line slowly moves forward. After about half an hour, it's finally Evan and Blazefire's turn. Five inspectors, all Immortal Lord level, check the tokens. One of them looks surprised when he sees Evan's token.
That's because Evan's revealed cultivation is only Da Luo Golden Immortal. Right now, with his Chaos Immortal Force sealed, he can't hide his true realm at all. Anyone stronger can see through him at a glance.
After seeing Evan's token, the inspector immediately becomes respectful and says, "Young master, you're a distinguished second-class VIP. We'll have someone personally escort you. Please wait a moment."
Soon, a young maiden appears before Evan. She glances at him and smiles, "Young master, please follow me." Her voice is sweet, and she's quite pretty—her cultivation is about late-stage Heavenly Immortal.
Evan nods and follows the maiden into the inner hall. Blazefire heads in alone; after checking his token, an inspector tells him where his room is.
All the way in, Evan keeps looking around, hoping to spot Luna (Yvonne Xuan), but is disappointed. There are plenty of Da Luo Golden Immortals, Ninth-Heaven Arch-Immortals, and Immortal Lords here, with Ninth-Heaven Arch-Immortals making up the bulk since they're qualified for inner hall access.
Before long, Evan is led to a room on the second floor. The room is extremely luxurious, with every facility imaginable. The most special thing is a white jade recliner that makes you want to lie down and nap as soon as you see it.
"Young master, this is your room. I've been specially assigned to serve you—whatever you need, just give the word. I'll be here with you until the auction ends," the maiden says.
Gotta admit, this maiden's figure is seriously hot—every curve in the right place, every hollow perfectly shaped. Especially those big, clear eyes—they make you want to possess her.
But Evan isn't about to act on that. With his Chaos Immortal Force still sealed, his Pure Yang Qi could be deadly right now. Even though the girl drops some hints, Evan stays completely unmoved.
"Go prepare some tasty food and good wine for me. I’ll have a drink first—since the auction hasn’t started yet, you can tell me all about it while we wait," Evan says with a smile.
He’s been through two auctions before, so he’s got some experience with bidding. The maiden walks to the table, and with a wave of her hand, a hot dish appears. In no time, the table is full of steaming delicacies, plus two pots of wine—the same Celestial Nectar Jadewine he drank with Blazefire at Wealthrise Pavilion.
"Young master, your food and wine are ready. Please enjoy," the maiden says respectfully to Evan.
Looking at the food and wine on the table, Evan says, "So you guys prepared all this in advance? And you can keep it hot in a storage ring? Newcapital’s City Lord is seriously impressive—coming up with tricks like this."
"Young master, you may not know this, but every VIP room has a dedicated attendant. Not only do we prepare food and wine, but if you want, bed-companion service is also included. Each attendant is a virgin, trained in bedroom arts, so VIPs can truly experience luxury."
Evan breaks out in a cold sweat—this is wild. If it were the old him, maybe he couldn’t have resisted, but now his heart is calm as still water. "Got it. Don’t worry, I won’t ask that of you. Just sit and drink with me, and tell me about the auction."
The maiden smiles, "Young master, you can just call me Lotus Lian. What do you want to know? If Lotus knows, I’ll tell you everything."
She fills Evan’s cup, then pours herself a drink too. Her smile is subtle and full of charm.
"What are the most valuable items in this auction? Are there any energy crystals, like Glasswind Crystal, Waterglass Crystal, or Woodglass Crystal?" Evan asks, downing his wine in one gulp.
Lotus Lian replies, "Why does young master need those energy crystals? They're extremely rare and expensive. This auction actually has two: one Waterglass Crystal and one Platinum Crystal. If you want them, you'll have to spend a lot of Immortal Stones."
Evan is instantly delighted and laughs, "As long as they're here, I'll do my best to win them. Go on."
"This auction is bigger than any before—there are first- and second-grade Immortal Pills, plus top-grade and supreme-grade Immortal artifacts up for bid. All of these are incredibly rare, but honestly, most people here aren't interested in those. What they really care about are magic treasures, talismans, and especially the Immortal Emperor Treasure Key.
Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but you really don't need the Immortal Emperor Treasure Key. The saying goes, 'A man's wealth invites his own ruin.' Not only would you spend a fortune, but you'd also attract deadly trouble. No one wants that. Still, plenty of people are willing to risk everything for that key," Lotus says as she refills Evan's cup.
Evan smiles and asks, "Did you follow Newcapital's City Lord from childhood, or were you specially chosen? You seem pretty sharp."
A fleeting look of sadness flashes across Lotus’s face, but Evan catches it right away. Clearly, she has some pain she doesn't want others to know about.
"Young master, please don't ask. Lotus is just a bitter-fated person, destined to be used as a tool. If you want to know anything about the auction, I'll tell you whatever I can," she says.
"What are the headline items of this auction? One is the Immortal Emperor Treasure Key—what else?" Evan asks. Since she doesn't want to talk about herself, he doesn't press. With all the rooms staffed by girls like her, even if he wanted to save them, there's nothing he can do.
PS: Five chapters a day, six on weekends! You guys are so enthusiastic, I can't hold back—let's go for six chapters every day, unless something special comes up. Please support the novel with your votes—monthly and recommended! If we hit 100 monthly votes in a day, I'll add another chapter the next day. Extra chapters depend on you!