After Evan Lin and Blazefire Immortal Lord dismounted from the Celestial Vulture, they walked straight along the official road. With the grand auction being held in Newcapital City this time, the place was livelier than ever—so crowded that the road was packed wall-to-wall with people.
Walking in the midst of the crowd, Evan Lin asked Blazefire, "Blazefire, will anyone recognize you if we enter Newcapital City like this?"
"Usually not," Blazefire replied. "For this auction, every faction in the Immortal Realm is sending people—maybe even Immortal Emperors from the other major powers will show up. So we need to keep a low profile, and especially not provoke the Treasureforge Sect's disciples."
Evan Lin glanced casually at the people on the road—there were thousands at least. He couldn't help but wonder just how massive the auction venue must be. Was it going to be held outdoors in the open?
Among these people, the factions varied in strength. Evan Lin even noticed that some were Immortal Lord Realm experts. As for how he could tell their cultivation level, he wasn't too sure himself.
Before long, they arrived at the city gates of Newcapital. As expected, there was an entrance fee to get inside. Evan Lin took a look—the city wall was dozens of meters high, built from some kind of glossy black stone.
No doubt, the stone used for the wall had to be incredibly tough. Above the city gate, three huge characters spelled out 'Newcapital City.' Seeing Evan Lin staring at the inscription, Blazefire immediately warned him:
"Don't stare at those characters. There's a strange power in the writing—it's easy to fall into an illusion. It's not dangerous, but it's pretty ridiculous: when entering the city, you only need to pay a hundred Crystal Coins, but if you get caught by the illusion, you'll end up handing over all your Immortal Stones, however many you have."
"Seriously? If someone hands over all their Immortal Stones as the entry fee, don't the gate guards warn them? That's just shameless!" Evan Lin exclaimed in surprise.
"It's just one way Newcapital City gathers wealth. But it doesn't happen much—almost everyone coming here already knows about the inscription's trick. Only first-timers get fooled." Blazefire explained.
"Good thing you warned me. Otherwise, if I handed over the few Immortal Stones I have, I'd regret it to death," Evan Lin joked.
They joined the queue and slowly made their way toward the city gate with the crowd. When Evan Lin reached the entrance, he noticed that the guards were actually Ninth-Heaven Arch-Immortal Realm experts.
And there were twenty of them—clearly, Newcapital City's backing was no joke. Beside the gate, a notice was carved stating that flying over the city was forbidden except for Immortal Emperors of the Six Great Powers.
It also said that private fighting inside the city was strictly prohibited. If a fight was deemed serious, the City Lord’s Mansion’s guards would execute both sides on the spot—no matter who was at fault.
After Blazefire paid two hundred Crystal Coins, he and Evan Lin entered the city. Evan Lin looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of Luna, but was left disappointed.
"Evan, we need to find an inn. With all the people coming for the auction, rooms are going to be scarce—even in a city as huge as Newcapital, there’s only so many taverns and inns. You get what I mean, right?" Blazefire said.
"Of course. But I’m not familiar with Newcapital, so I’ll have to rely on you to check things out. Besides, I’m pretty short on Immortal Stones—prices must be through the roof with so many people here," Evan Lin said, laughing.
Blazefire gave Evan Lin a sidelong glance but didn’t say anything more. He knew Evan was telling the truth—having just ascended, it was hard to get Immortal Stones. So the two quickly made their way through the city.
The city was crisscrossed with streets stretching in all directions, lined with towering buildings. On both sides, open spaces were filled with Immortals running stalls—some strong, some weak, and the goods on offer were dazzlingly diverse.
Evan Lin knew it was impossible to spot Luna among the crowds in the streets—only at the auction itself would there be a chance. Just thinking about the auction made him all the more excited.
Blazefire asked at several inns, but all claimed to be full. A few had empty rooms, but those had already been reserved in advance.
"Looks like we'll have to sleep on the streets. I didn't expect Newcapital's inns to do such booming business! Maybe I should open an inn myself and earn some Immortal Stones—sounds like a pretty good idea, right?" Evan Lin joked.
"Sleeping on the street isn't going to happen, but it will cost a lot of Immortal Stones. There's a super luxurious tavern in Newcapital called Wealthrise Pavilion. The cheapest room there goes for one high-grade Immortal Stone per night—normal people can't afford it. But that's the only place guaranteed to still have rooms," Blazefire explained.
Evan Lin laughed, "Then let's check out Wealthrise Pavilion. A high-end place like that must have a great environment. It's just Immortal Stones—Blazefire, don't tell me you're short on those?"
Blazefire's face instantly darkened—this kid was all talk. But thinking of Evan Lin's identity, he could only grit his teeth and endure. "Fine, let's go. I'll show you what Wealthrise Pavilion is like."
Soon, the two arrived in front of a massive tavern. Evan Lin glanced at the sign—it was carved from a single crystal stone, giving off a truly imposing vibe.
A waiter immediately came out to greet them. After sizing up Evan Lin and Blazefire, he asked, "Are you here to stay?" His tone was neither warm nor cold.
The waiter's cultivation was actually late Golden Immortal Realm. Evan Lin couldn't help but feel speechless—a mere waiter with such strength, this tavern was truly something else.
"We’re staying. Give me an upper room," Blazefire said.
"Make that two rooms. I don’t like sharing with another man," Evan Lin added.
Blazefire's face nearly twisted—just the rooms would cost two high-grade Immortal Stones, and with food and drink, they'd spend more than ten. The tavern's dishes were outrageously expensive, but the flavors were irresistible, especially the wine—people would kill to dive into the wine vats.
After the waiter led them to their rooms, Evan Lin quietly told him, "Prepare one more upper room for me. I have a friend coming. These two high-grade Immortal Stones are your tip."
Handing over two high-grade Immortal Stones, Evan Lin headed straight for Blazefire’s room. "Blazefire, I know you’re still upset about the room fees. How about this—I'll cover the drinks, okay?"
"How about it?"
Blazefire’s face lit up, but just as he was about to speak, his expression darkened again. After a moment, he grumbled, "The drinks cost more than the rooms. Do you even have enough Immortal Stones?"
Evan Lin didn’t answer. Instead, he tossed a storage ring onto the table. "There are enough Immortal Stones in here to cover the drinks. Go order some food—I like eating in the tavern, you hear all sorts of interesting news that way." With that, he turned and left the room.
Blazefire stared after Evan Lin, half believing, half doubting. Then he picked up the storage ring and looked inside. "Holy crap..."