Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The few major king-rank forces in Skywind City owned their own trading zones in the city. The trading zones were areas in the city that were like shopping districts. A force would open businesses in its trading zones. Most of the businesses belonged to the force. The empty shop lots that they did not need would be rented out to outsiders. Apart from that, 10% of transactions and profits made in the trading zone had to be given to the force that owned the trading zone.
Since the other places in Skywind City only sold ordinary items, most people would shop in the king-rank forces’ trading zones.
Naturally, the Zhou clan’s auction house was located in the clan’s trading zone.
There were still a few days before the auction, but the streets of the Zhou clan’s trading zone were bustling with people from Skywind City and also those from the surrounding areas.
…
“It’s so crowded.”
This was not Duan Ling Tian’s first time in the Zhou clan’s trading zone. He had been here not long after he first arrived at Skywind City. However, at that time, there were far fewer people than there were now. Now, the streets were packed with people.
“I wonder if I’ll be able to find any treasures today,” Duan Ling Tian muttered to himself. There was still one day left before the auction, but he came to watch the excitement since he heard about how lively it was during the days leading up to the auction. Most importantly, he heard there would also be more vendors setting up stalls by the streets to sell things. Similar to those who rented the shops, these vendors had to giive 10% of their profit to the Zhou clan.
There were quite a few people like Duan Ling Tian who came to the Zhou Clan’s trading zone hoping to find some rare treasures.
Alas, Duan Ling Tian, and the others like him, were disappointed.
“I should’ve expected this. It’s only natural that I won’t be able to find treasures so easily here when I’m not a native. After all, even the inhabitants here who have higher cultivation bases than me, like Kings of Gods, have a hard time finding treasures. Moreover, perhaps, when I was browsing the stalls and shops earlier, I’d actually browsed past some treasures, but I just didn’t recognize them.”
In the end, Duan Ling Tian returned to the inn empty-handed. He decided to exchange 10 million supreme celestial crystals for divine rocks tomorrow before he attended the auction.
…
Since the Zhou clan’s auction was held in the evening, Duan Ling Tian had plenty of time during the day.
He left the inn slightly earlier and made his way to the Zhou clan’s trading zone. As he drew closer and closer to the trading zone, the number of people grew as well. At the same time, many people were descending from the air as well since no one was allowed to fly in the trading zone. Only members of the Zhou clan on patrol were allowed to fly in the trading zone.
Each team on patrol had ten members, and all of them were advanced gods. All of them had direct contact with the Kings of Gods from the Zhou clan and could contact them at any time. Apart from that, there would be a King of Gods guarding the Zhou clan’s trading zone at all times.
When Duan Ling Tian finally entered the Zhou clan’s trading zone, he finally knew what it meant when people said ‘packed like sardines’. There were even more people today compared to yesterday. At this time, the conversations in his surroundings entered his ears.
“I heard the entrance fee to the auction has been raised to 100 taels of divine rocks.”
“Really? That’s ridiculously expensive! Is there’s some rare treasure during the auction?”
“That’s right! I heard that the Zhou clan is going to auction off a lord-grade cultivation method!”
“A lord-grade cultivation method?! Heavens! In the history of all the auctions in Skywind City, I don’t think there was any lord-grade cultivation method that was put up for auction before!”
“I wonder why the Zhou clan isn’t keeping that lord-grade cultivation method for themselves? If I’m not mistaken, the Zhou clan’s cultivation method is just a king-grade cultivation method that’ll only help one to become an intermediate King of Gods at most. That’s why there aren’t many advanced King of Gods in the clan.”
“The people of the Zhou clan aren’t stupid. They know they’ll be targeted if word gets out about them cultivating and possessing a lord-grade cultivation method. Since the lord-grade cultivation method would bring them trouble, it’s best they put it up for auction.”
“That’s right! I heard there’s a Formation that seals the cultivation method, proving that the Zhou clan didn’t open it before.”
“Since it hasn’t been opened, how do they know it’s a lord-grade cultivation method?”
“That’s because the cultivation method is rather famous. In the past, it used to belong to one of the lord-rank forces in the Eastern Ridge Mansion. Most people have heard of it. It’s the Six Gods Profound Shadow Technique!”
“The Six Gods Profound Shadow Technique!”
“Heavens! I can’t believe the Ke clan’s Six Gods Profound Technique has been found!”
“I heard that after the Ke clan was annihilated, those who were responsible couldn’t find the Six Gods Profound Shadow Technique. No one knew where it was hidden. Not only am I surprised that it has been found, but I’m also surprised that it appeared here!”
With this, Duan Ling Tian learned about the star of the Zhou clan’s auction, the lord-grade cultivation method; the Six Gods Profound Shadow Technique.
It was only natural such a cultivation method would cause a huge commotion in Skywind City. After all, the main cultivation methods of the major king-rank forces in the city were only king-grade cultivation methods. How could the appearance of a cultivation method that usually only lord-rank forces possessed not cause a stir?
Naturally, apart from the lord-rank forces, there were also sectless cultivators who possessed lord-grade cultivation methods. They might have chanced upon one or they could have been handed down from their family or masters.
‘Lord-grade cultivation methods are useless to me,’ Duan Ling Tian thought to himself. After all, his master, Feng Qing Yang, had given him a supreme cultivation method before he entered the Nine Serenities Battlefield in the Devata Realm.
Not all supreme-rank forces possessed supreme cultivation methods. Usually, only the strongest supreme forces would possess supreme cultivation methods.
Supreme cultivation methods were unpredictable. For example, the supreme cultivation method Feng Qing Yang had given Duan Ling Tian could convert rudimentary cultivation methods to supreme cultivation methods.
With the supreme cultivation method his master had given him, Duan Ling Tian had converted the Nine Dragons War Sovereign Technique, which was a cultivation method he used to cultivate in the past, into a supreme cultivation method. Hence, he was currently cultivating the transformed Nine Dragons War Sovereign Technique.
Out of the cultivation methods he had obtained, he had chosen the Nine Dragons War Sovereign Technique due to nostalgia. Moreover, with the supreme cultivation method Feng Qing Yang gave him, there was no difference between the Nine Dragons War Sovereign Technique and the cultivation methods in Devata Realms.
Naturally, just because Duan Ling Tian did not care about the lord-grade cultivation method, it did not mean others were the same.
“I heard there are some lord-rank forces that sent their men here. Some of these forces don’t even have a complete lord-grade cultivation method so how can they let go of a golden opportunity like this?”
“That’s right. Even those who already possess a lord-grade cultivation method would still try to obtain the Six Gods Profound Shadow Technique. After all, there isn’t anyone who’s going to complain about having too many lord-grade cultivation methods!”
“This is the reason why the entrance fee to the auction is so high this time. Moreover, the prices of the illegal tickets to enter the auction are still rising. With the way things are going, I’m afraid even the ordinary seats are going to cost 200 taels of divine rocks each.”
“The price of the rooms has also increased from 1,000 to 2,000 rocks. It’s expected to break through the 3,000 mark before the auction begins.”
Duan Ling Tian felt rather speechless when he heard these words. This was similar to the expensive tickets for some concerts on earth in his previous life. He did not expect things to be the same here as well.
‘I should exchange for divine rocks first,’ Duan Ling Tian thought to himself. After all, he had come earlier to exchange for divine rocks.
It did not take long for Duan Ling Tian to arrive at a shop to exchange divine rocks. Unlike other times, when he brought out 10 million supreme Celestial Crystals, no one batted an eyelid on this day. After all, there were many people who were exchanging for an even higher number of divine rocks today.
Apart from those from king-rank forces and lord-rank forces here today, there were also special groups of people that could be considered as king-rank forces. These groups of people were more like wandering bandits. They wandered from place to place and would leave once they felt threatened.
People like this existed in the mundane realms, the Devata Realms, and the Realms of Gods. As long as greed existed, these people would exist.
These bandit forces in the Realms of Gods were rather formidable, and there were quite a few of them as well. In the Eastern Ridge Mansion, there were quite a few king-rank bandit forces. Moreover, they were not even afraid of ordinary lord-rank forces since they never settled down in one place and could leave any time they wanted.
The king-rank forces might not dare to bid for the lord-grade Six Gods Profound Shadow Technique, but the king-grade bandit forces did not have such qualms.
Many of these bandit forces were rather wealthy and possessed many divine rocks. However, some of them even brought out the supreme Celestial Crystal they had saved to exchange for more divine rocks. They were afraid of not having enough divine rocks to bid for the lord-grade cultivation method, after all.
There was even a bandit force who exchanged for divine rocks with 30 million supreme Celestial Crystals.
Meanwhile, a few people who saw Duan Ling Tian exchanging for divine rocks speculated that he was a bandit as well.
Upon hearing their conversation, Duan Ling Tian only smiled helplessly.
After returning to the busy street, a girl suddenly blocked Duan Ling Tian’s path before calling out to him excitedly, “Brother?! Brother!”
