The room darkened slightly as the light crystals above dimmed. A hush swept over the crowd as the auctioneer’s attendants shifted the trays and rolled out a new red carpet onto the stage. The announcer stepped forward with a poised elegance, hands raised to silence even the nobles whispering behind golden fans.

  “We now enter,” she declared, her voice slow and heavy with importance, “the mid-stage of the Divine Ascension Auction.”

  A subtle shift rippled through the audience like a wave of restrained excitement. Nobles sat up straighter. Eyes narrowed. Pouches were quietly double-checked.

  “From this point forward,” the announcer continued, “we shall present items of profound value—refined pills, trinkets, and tools that may determine life or death, success or stagnation, on your path to ascension.”

  With a delicate gesture, one of the veiled girls stepped forward, revealing a tray lined with crystal vials, each glowing with a different hue—cool blue, blazing red, gentle green.

  “These are Grade-Two Human Realm Pills,” the announcer intoned. “Consolidation Pills for stabilizing breakthroughs, Healing Pills for regenerating torn meridians, Rejuvenation Pills that restore stamina and internal qi, and even...” her voice lowered for effect, “the elusive Ascension Leap Pill—capable of temporarily increasing a cultivator’s power by an entire sub-realm.”

  A ripple of awe ran through the crowd.

  “Starting bid: 20,000 spirit stones per vial!”

  Immediately, voices exploded across the hall.

  “Twenty Two thousand!”

  “Twenty Three!”

  “Thirty thousand!”

  “Forty thousand!”

  Jin Yu slowly raised a hand.

  “All of them,” he said.

  The entire crowd froze.

  Even the announcer paused. “Excuse me?”

  “I said,” Jin Yu repeated, his voice calm and absolute, “I’ll take all of them. Every pill on that tray. And the next one.”

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  A silence so thick you could slice it fell across the auction hall.

  Gasps. Murmurs. Someone dropped their wine glass.

  “Young master...” Min Li’s voice was a mix of horror and awe. “That’s more than three hundred thousand stones worth of pills.”

  Jin Yu waved it off. “I’ll need them Maybe .”

  A noble finally stood, veins bulging. “Who do you think you are!? You dare monopolize the auction!?”

  Jin Yu leaned forward lazily, resting his elbow on the armrest. “I am Jin Yu.”

  His name spread like wildfire across the room.

  “The one from the southern territories?”

  “The one who dismembered a noble heir on the capital streets?”

  “The one who outbid the Duke of Azure Cloud for a mansion—then burned it down because it didn’t face the right direction?”

  That Jin Yu?

  He smirked. “Now you remember.”

  The furious noble roared. “Even if you’re rich, you have no right to monopolize public resources! I bid—”

  “Your bid means nothing,” Min Li cut in coldly, rising to his feet. “My young master declared his purchase. Do you dare challenge that?”

  The noble’s lip curled. “My clan is backed by the Blue Flame Pavilion. If you deny me—”

  “Blue Flame?” Min Li scoffed. “Tell them to bring water. You’ll need it when your house starts burning.”

  Gasps again. Fury boiled in the air.

  Ding!

  Influence +3,000

  Ding!

  Influence +4,200

  Ding!

  Influence +5,000

  Min Li pointed at the noble. “You think this auction is about fairness? About opportunity? It’s about spirit stones, dog! If you don’t have the coin, sit down and bark softly!”

  “You—!”

  A second noble stood up. “My family is part of the Northern Phoenix Alliance! You dare offend multiple clans at once?!”

  “Tell your clan to form a line,” Jin Yu said with a yawn. “They can kneel one by one and apologize after the auction.”

  The announcer tried to regain control, her voice strained. “S-Sirs, please, let us proceed—”

  “More pills,” Jin Yu interrupted. “Bring them all. Human Realm. Essence Core. Nascent soul if you have them.”

  The crowd lost it.

  “That's madness!”

  “Is this boy trying to rob the auction house!?”

  “He’ll bankrupt us all!”

  Min Li smoothed his sleeves. “My master is doing a public service. You people, crawling toward breakthroughs one step at a time? Pathetic. My young master is clearing the path—for the worthy.”

  Another tray was brought out.

  This one gleamed with talismans sealed with golden scripts, formation flags made of dragon bone, and defense trinkets pulsing with spiritual energy.

  “Here we have formation-grade defensive tools!” the announcer called. “Low and mid-tier Human Realm defense seals, array flags to repel attacks, and talismans capable of creating temporary shields or amplifying attacks!”

  “Starting bid—!”

  “All of it,” Jin Yu said, not even bothering to look up.

  Heads snapped toward the VIP mirror again.

  “What!?”

  “He’s buying again!?”

  “THAT BASTARD!”

  Jin Yu sighed. “Why do they sound surprised every time?”

  “Because no one has this many spirit stones,” Min Li muttered reverently. “Except maybe a sect treasury...”

  “We need these,” Jin Yu said. “I won’t have my people walking around defenseless while these peacocks strut in spiritual armor.”

  Someone below finally snapped. “Do you want war!?”

  Min Li clapped once. “Excellent! A war of wallets. My young master has brought his.”

  The crowd groaned.

  Ding!

  Influence +3,500

  Ding!

  Influence +5,000

  Ding!

  Influence +6,000

  Even the auctioneer looked pale now. “Young Master Jin... are you... are you sure?”

  “I’m buying everything below Transcendent Grade,” Jin Yu confirmed. “And if a Transcendent item appears, I’ll consider it.”

  A murmur of despair rippled through the crowd.

  “He’s... clearing the auction...”

  “My sect was depending on that pill set!”

  “We prepared for months—!”

  “Then you should’ve prepared years,” Jin Yu said coolly. “Your mistake was assuming you were the main characters today.”

  Min Li chuckled darkly. “You all thought this was your story? No. You’re just background actors.”

  One noble finally screamed, “This is tyranny!”

  Jin Yu turned his head toward the sound.

  “No,” he said simply. “This is wealth.”

  And the auctioneer, her hands trembling, declared:

  “All human realm and essence core items… have been sold… to Young Master Jin Yu of VIP Room Seven.”

  Thunderous silence followed.

  Ding!

  Influence +7,000

  Ding!

  Influence +9,000

  Ding!

  Influence +11,000

  Min Li bowed. “My master thanks you for your contributions. Your hatred is most appreciated.”

  Jin Yu twirled his cup of wine and sip it slowly with all the grace of a bored emperor.

  “Next item, please.”