Qin Ming was shaken to the core. In the remote, unknown depths of the night mist world, someone actually possessed the technique of "golden needle threading."
He could not help but wonder. Over nine hundred years ago, Patriarch Qin, one of the founders of the silk book method, had departed Night Province alone and walked into the depths of the night mist world.
There was also another claim: that Patriarch Qin had originally been an outsider, so in the end, perhaps it had not been a distant journey into the unknown, but rather setting out on the path home.
Turbulent emotions surged through Qin Ming. Could this be connected to Patriarch Qin, or perhaps to another branch of the Qin lineage?
The dream bug was only the length of a single finger knuckle, glowing with flowing particles of light. Its form shifted, appearing at times like an insect and at times like a miniature human, ethereal and gossamer-light.
It radiated a soft luminescence and possessed a pair of nearly transparent wings dotted with fine, starry specks. As they fluttered faintly, it seemed as if stars in the night sky were shimmering.
"Is this truly the wondrous bug ranked fifth in the world?"
Many people stared at the memory crystal, their gazes burning and voices buzzing with discussion. Its reputation was simply too formidable; throughout history, it had only ever appeared in legends.
"Though it's called a bug, why does it look like an inch-tall fairy sleeping in the depths of that sacred halo, endowed with a pair of wings of order?"
"Deep night hasn't even arrived, and you're already dreaming?"
"I was born with spirit eyes—I really saw it!"
Crowds gasped in marvel, sighing in awe that this was indeed a peerless wondrous bug that could normally only be glimpsed in ancient texts.
It was gravely afflicted: golden needles pierced its body, silver threads were stained with blood, and it was sealed inside ice soul crystal, its survival uncertain.
It had to be said that the standard of the Kaiyuan Grand Gathering was extraordinarily high. From prominent young paragons to respected senior figures and illustrious grandmasters, not a single attendee was ordinary.
The ground trembled slightly as a fifteen-meter-tall golden ape-demon stepped inside, a testament to just how magnificent and lofty the hall was. The titan took a seat toward the back.
From the vaulted ceiling hung crystal chandeliers over two men tall, their facets cut with exquisite craftsmanship. Suspended by entwined silver chains, they formed tiered petals of blooming lotuses. Within each fixture lay exceptionally rare golden sunstones, casting down brilliant yet gentle, nonglaring light.
At the auction, Qin Ming chose to enjoy the privileges of a grandmaster and entered a VIP private box.
The furnishings were elegant. Upon a warm, lustrous blue sandalwood table rested delicate tea refreshments.
Standing in attendance beside him was a fair, pretty girl with a fluffy, snow-white fox tail. Her large eyes fluttered; she was responsible not only for pouring tea, but also for transmitting bids on behalf of the grandmaster.
Qin Ming settled his mind. Dwelling on it now was useless. The dream bug had been provided by the Godkin Society; if he approached to investigate, it could prove exceedingly dangerous.
He closed his eyes as if taking a brief rest, but was actually performing a cautious resonance, hoping to filter valuable information out of the chaotic sea of thoughts around him.
Soon, his body jolted slightly. There were simply too many people at the auction, their complex emotions tangled together like an undulating torrent.
Had he attempted such a forceful resonance during his weakest days, his head might well have burst like an overripe fruit.
Fortunately, he was now strong enough, his willpower as unyielding as divine iron, so he suffered no severe backlash.
The fox girl poured tea without making a sound, her large eyes darting, not daring to disturb him.
Before long, the Kaiyuan Grand Gathering officially commenced.
The very first auction item was a precious material at the grandmaster level: a blackened tree stump dense with spiritual nature and covered in intricate Dao patterns.
"Everyone, this is five-tribulation lightning-strike wood. It is far more than an ordinary log struck five times by lightning. Each time it endured thunderfire, it received a unique Dao rhyme, giving rise to five distinct textures. It can be forged into a grandmaster-grade rare treasure."
Qin Ming opened his eyes to look, unable to help admiring the scene. High-standard auctions like this truly held abundant treasures; the one hundred and eight thunderfire swords he had recently reforged had been made from this exact material.
The main hall erupted into a flurry of noise, with many people whispering among themselves, their eyes burning with eagerness.
"As the saying goes, a good start brings good fortune. The first item naturally can't be shabby, or it would ruin the mood."
Bidding began shortly after. A bearfolk shouted, "Ten thousand day gold."
Not far away, a silver wolf seated in its true beast form spoke in a flat voice: "Fifty thousand day gold."
The bearfolk wanted nothing more than to curse: *Are you a fucking shill? Can't you bid gradually?*
However, sensing the silver wolf's quasi-grandmaster aura, he clamped his mouth shut immediately.
Day gold was hard currency, traded by mortals and cultivators alike. A miraculous substance could be extracted from it, and its refined essence was in no way inferior to exotic metal.
In the depths of the night mist world, certain Earth Immortal dynasties favored day gold above all else. So long as the national treasury was abundant, they could attempt to smelt divine treasures and forge terrifying, realm-guarding weapons entirely under the immortal dynasty's control.
Naturally, doing so consumed day gold at a horrifying rate.
"Eighty thousand!"
"One hundred thousand."
...
Qin Ming listened in silence, his thoughts drifting.
Several years ago, in a remote place like Black-White Mountain, a single piece of day gold would have been enough to cover his basic food and clothing for an entire year.
Later, as his strength gradually grew, he often carried several thousand pieces of day gold at his wealthiest, yet even that fell short of buying a courtyard along the banks of the Shuyu River in the Dayu imperial capital.
Now, this crowd was bidding in increments of tens of thousands of day gold.
Even now, Qin Ming did not possess tens of thousands of day gold in raw coin, though if all his weapons, precious medicines, and other treasures were tallied, his wealth would be quite substantial.
The atmosphere in the hall grew lively. Several extraordinary items were brought out in succession, sending the crowd's excitement soaring.
Qin Ming, however, felt a bit numb, realizing his day gold might not suffice. After all, astronomical prices had already emerged right at the start.
"Up next is a wondrous medicine titled: Reappearance in the Mortal Realm."
A peculiar black flower rested quietly on a platter, sealed inside a spirit crystal of the highest purity, a faint black mist drifting around it.
Many in the hall peered at it, and murmurs broke out. What was it? Very few people recognized it.
"This is an Earth Immortal's relic!"
"What?"
"Don't lose your heads! This is a peculiar medicinal plant that took root on the coffin lid inside an Earth Immortal's grave. Calling it a wondrous medicine is accurate, and it is exceptionally rare. Some say it forms when an Earth Immortal clings to memories of the mortal dust, blooming to reappear in the world."
"Holy shit!"
...
A great many people considered it an ominous object.
Yet the starting bid for this Reappearance in the Mortal Realm was set at five hundred thousand day gold. Moreover, the auctioneer had changed; one of the gathering's head directors took the stage in person, a clear testament to the item's weight.
"Those who understand, understand," he said simply.
"Understand your grandfather!"
"Can't you explain it clearly?"
Several dissatisfied attendees grumbled in low voices below. Still, given how powerful the organizers of the Kaiyuan Grand Gathering were, no one dared to cause trouble or turn hostile.
An elderly grandmaster remarked, "Such a 'Reappearance in the Mortal Realm' is said to be a black wondrous flower born when an Earth Immortal roamed through the realm of death and struggled with great difficulty to claw back to the mortal world before sinking into oblivion forever. It might carry extraordinary information."
"Forget it. Anyone who consumes this flower dies on the spot! It's a demonic flower, also known as the 'Earth Immortal's evil'!"
While they were still debating, someone called out a bid.
"Six hundred thousand day gold!"
"Eight hundred thousand day gold!"
"One million!"
...
Instantly, many people were dumbfounded. This supposed Earth Immortal's evil was actually being bid on by several prominent major factions of this world one after another.
"Let's put it this way: if the Earth Immortal's evil is decocted together with the sacred Earth Immortal Flower, it might produce the Dragon-Tiger Great Medicine that even supreme Earth Immortals require!"
Of course, opening a furnace to refine the medicine also required all manner of extremely rare auxiliary ingredients, making it exceedingly difficult to assemble.
"No wonder, then. Naturally, something needed by supreme Earth Immortals would be fiercely pursued."
People realized the weight behind the phrase "those who understand, understand."
"That kind of Dragon-Tiger Great Medicine requires thunderfire to bombard the divine furnace. Managing to succeed once in five attempts is already fortunate, so no one will be foolish enough to drive it to truly absurd heights. Everyone just wants to pick up a bargain, so the final price won't be too ridiculous."
Although Qin Ming could not participate—having nowhere near enough day gold to place bids—he had broadened his knowledge. Hearing all this for the first time made him feel he had come to the right place.
Afterward, the supposedly "not too ridiculous" price still made his scalp tingle, leaving him to watch in a daze.
Earth Immortals rarely walked the mortal realm, but their descendants kept bidding against each other.
Clearly, Reappearance in the Mortal Realm was one of the masterworks of this Kaiyuan Grand Gathering, detonating the atmosphere throughout the entire venue.
In the end, it went to VIP Box Tian-Three for over six million day gold. And this was only because the top factions exercised some restraint, considering the high likelihood of medicinal failure and refraining from aggressive bidding.
Qin Ming was deeply shaken. He murmured to himself, "Maybe I should become an archaeologist in the future. It's such a bright and noble field—bravely exploring ancient tombs, rescuing former sages from the dust of ages, and bringing them back to the light of day. It holds immense significance!"
He felt that this might also be a golden highway; if he could blaze that trail, it could help him break through bottlenecks at lightning speed.
The organizers of the Kaiyuan Grand Gathering were highly skilled, adept at pacing the event. After the climax of Reappearance in the Mortal Realm, they appropriately brought out items that were moderately priced yet possessed unique charm.
Once seven items had been gaveled down in a row, the excitement in the hall surged once again.
"The next auction item is truly distinctive. She is alive, possessed of breathtaking beauty, and most importantly, she is a grandmaster!"
As soon as the chief auctioneer finished speaking, the hall erupted into a frenzy. Attendees were not ignorant that living beings could be auctioned, but putting a price tag on a grandmaster was exceedingly rare.
Qin Ming acutely realized how rigidly hierarchical and utterly ruthless this world was, showing no pretense of concealment. Anywhere else, this would surely be conducted as a private transaction rather than displayed openly on the auction block.
"She hails from a distant land and was once an exceptionally dazzling pearl."
Following the auctioneer's introduction, a woman wearing Dao-sealing shackles stepped onto the stage. Her figure was slender and shapely, with cascading silver hair reaching her waist. Her skin was porcelain white, her countenance bewitching and striking, exuding an untamed wildness, while her eyes bore gold-traced patterns.
"She belongs to the tigerfolk, possessing rare White Tiger blood. In all likelihood, she is a descendant of the White Tiger Heavenly God. Even separated by many generations, her bloodline remains remarkably pure."
Someone immediately called out, "She is a grandmaster and has quite a background. Could there be hidden hazards? Might she turn on her master in the future?"
The chief auctioneer replied, "There will be none. She was captured from the outer territories. Our pioneer expeditions expanding outward have continually reported victories of late, leaving behind no loose ends. Furthermore, we provide a well-established slave brand here; whoever wins the bid can plant it within her immediately."
Instantly, many in the hall grew restless. Who wouldn't want a loyal grandmaster servant? Even members of the paramount orthodox sects were tempted.
Stroking his beard, the auctioneer remarked, "She was originally a rising star, possessing far greater potential than you imagine. Buying her will never be a loss. Once the slave brand is applied, you will instantly obtain a grandmaster-level Dao companion. Of course, she could also serve as your master, maidservant, senior martial sister, disciple, or intimate confidante. Her role is entirely up to you."
"Disgraceful old coot!" A female cultivator in the crowd glared at him.
"She probably hasn't even reached sixty yet, right? Perhaps she isn't even forty. I've heard that the early burst of potential from descendants of Heavenly Gods is utterly defying the heavens."
"Why don't you just claim she's under thirty?!"
"Useless old turtle, don't start an argument with me!"
In moments, the female grandmaster of the White Tiger clan was bid up to over a million day gold, and the price was still skyrocketing.
Qin Ming noticed the fox girl in his private box stealing a glance at him. He immediately realized that he, too, was currently playing the part of a tigerfolk—and a gold-patterned, divine-eyed spirit tiger, one in a million.
As a fellow member of the clan, staying completely silent without placing a bid seemed somewhat unnatural. Thus, while the bidding was still fierce, Qin Ming quickly joined in twice at suitable moments.
The fox girl's beautiful eyes fluttered. While transmitting bids on his behalf, she swayed alluringly, displaying her tea artistry as she poured tea up close.
"Why are you swaying around like that?" Qin Ming frowned.
The fox girl lowered her head at once, silently complaining to herself. This tigerfolk grandmaster was truly unfeeling. As a striking fox girl, she naturally wished to borrow the tiger's might and depart in the grandmaster's retinue.
Qin Ming naturally knew the fox girl's intentions, but had no desire to get involved. How could she compare to Li Qingyue's ethereal, peerless beauty? Even in terms of an enchanting figure, she could not match Tang Jin's astonishing silhouette from behind—an assessment he knew firsthand, having kicked her backside himself...
He shook his head at once. How could he compare the fox girl before him to old acquaintances? That was disrespectful and profane.
Following that, the atmosphere grew increasingly heated, with everyone's excitement running high.
From the *Immortal Slaying Scripture* to broken Earth Immortal treasures, everything under heaven seemed to appear.
To his dismay, Qin Ming discovered he had not won a single item. He disdained ordinary goods, yet everything he took an interest in commanded sky-high prices. Unable to see the bidding through to the end, he sputtered out after a few rounds of calls.
This was truly embarrassing; he was in danger of leaving empty-handed.
To everyone's surprise, the dream bug was brought out early—it was indeed not the grand finale. The chilly aura of ice soul crystal drifted from the stage, engulfed in flowing light particles.
Instantly, fervent discussion swept the hall.
"Teacher, will you take part in the bidding?" In the adjacent private box, someone was communicating through a secret voice transmission.
Qin Ming resonated, immediately picking up bits of information.
However, he could not resonate with the "Teacher's" thoughts; the figure's mind was as still as ancient, undisturbed water.
A moment later, Qin Ming understood: that was a decaying deity. Although severely degraded and fallen to the fifth realm long ago, their state of mind remained terrifying, lacking the slightest emotional ripple.
The two young disciples accompanying this decaying deity, however, had extremely active thoughts. From them, Qin Ming resonated with astonishing revelations.
The dream bug must never be touched!
This was the deity's warning, leaving the two disciples thoroughly shaken.
"A dream bug can make use of another's natural gifts to comprehend the Dao. To put it pleasantly, it borrows the target's talent to cultivate; in truth, it can be considered a form of borrowing life."
It ranked fifth among the myriad wondrous bugs of the world, competing purely as an individual rather than triumphing through swarms. Furthermore, it possessed an instinct for seeking fortune and evading calamity—how could it be easily tamed?
"In the end, whether man raises the bug, or the bug master feigns subservience to man, is difficult to say."
The two disciples could not stay calm. To think such hidden truths existed!
Inside their box, specks of decaying ash drifted down as the deity transmitted leisurely, "It is deeply sinister; avoid it if at all possible. Unless it is a paramount orthodox sect guarded by an unmatched master, juniors are never permitted to raise such a creature. Otherwise, do not dabble in it."
According to the deity, only under the watchful eye of a supreme old monster would the dream bug refrain from becoming the master.
The decaying deity said, "There is a saying: one bug passes through three generations."
A young disciple asked, "The dream bug enjoys a vast lifespan. Why can't it pass through four or five generations?"
"Supreme old monsters have finite lifespans; they cannot outlast it. Before passing away, they must eliminate the hidden danger for their descendants and send the bug deep into the night mist world."
The two disciples were appalled. Was the dream bug truly that terrifying? For even a deity to dread it was absurd!
The decaying deity continued, "Though the dream bug is exceedingly rare and the stuff of legend, it didn't spring from a crack in a stone. It must have parents. When it is captured and brought into the mortal dust, who knows whether an ancient bug lurks in the darkness, watching over everything?"
Supreme experts speculated that elder bugs deliberately allowed their young to be honed, using this unique method to harvest the myriad arts of the mortal crucible and comprehend the Dao.
The decaying deity said, "In the distant past, if the bug was not sent away after passing through three generations, horrifying catastrophes could occur. Ancient records vaguely note that an appalling blood calamity once befell an immortal sect."
A disciple turned pale. "So the theory of the 'bug master' is closer to the truth? The dream bug can never truly be enslaved."
The decaying deity nodded. "Indeed. Even if the bug appears docile and obedient on ordinary days, leaving its so-called master thoroughly pleased, one cannot place faith in it. Who knows if it isn't the dream bug orchestrating everything, causing its 'master's' mind to feel pleased despite themselves? When you think on it carefully... it is chilling. As far as I know, an Earth Immortal once sent a dream bug into the depths of the night mist world as if banishing a god of pestilence."
Qin Ming had caught none of the old god's conscious ripples, but from the exceptionally active thoughts of the two disciples, he pieced together the truth.
Immediately, he felt immense wariness toward the creature known as the dream bug.
Opening his Eye of the Newborn, he looked at the inch-long wondrous bug encased in ice soul crystal on stage. It glowed faintly, shifting between insect and human form, its transparent wings dotted with star-specks as though bearing entire rivers of stars.
Most crucially, the creature was pierced through with golden needles, hovering on the brink of death.
Qin Ming felt a headache coming on. In the future, if he displayed similar techniques and the dream bug clan discovered it, would an elder bug come seeking vengeance against him?
*Still, it's worth studying. The Golden Thread Jade Clothes exhibit the property of longevity in my hands, yet inversely, they can plunge someone into a deadly tribulation from which returning to life is nearly impossible.*
"This dream bug is practically dead, yet you dare set a reserve price of eight million day gold? Have you lost your minds?!"
The crowd could scarcely believe it. Under normal circumstances, any seller acting in good faith would never set such terms.
Qin Ming was equally incredulous. He wondered: if he were put on display with all his talents laid bare, could he command such an opening bid?
Subsequently, young dragons, exotic metals, qilin blood, and other treasures were brought to the stage one after another, all fetching astronomical prices that left Qin Ming stunned to numbness.
He reaped nothing here. There was simply no way he could compete.
For a brief moment, Qin Ming felt the urge to leap onto the stage and roar: "I, the High Sovereign, am robbing this place!"
Of course, he could only indulge the fantasy in his mind.
The top-tier items were all swept up by the mysterious guests in the Tian-tier VIP boxes—among them grandmasters from immortal orthodox sects and dignitaries from Earth Immortal dynasties.
Compared to them, Qin Ming was poor to the point of having virtually nothing.
Sighing, he prepared to leave. He watched a silver butterfly pulling a palm-sized carriage bearing a beaming red bird grandmaster off into the distance, and saw an old treant with a miniature forest atop his head walking out of the hall amidst swirling green light rain...
Most grandmasters of the fifth realm came away with spoils.
Qin Ming shook his head. He would treat this as broadening his horizons; today had indeed been an eye-opener.
"Are you Grandmaster Hu Dingming?" At the final moment, the chief auctioneer of the Kaiyuan Grand Gathering unexpectedly came over in person, asking with a genial smile.
What was going on? Alarm bells clanged in Qin Ming's mind.
He considered himself exceptionally low-profile. During the bidding, he hadn't driven up prices or engaged in spiteful bickering; nor had he slipped out early. Above all, he hadn't won a single item! How could he possibly attract attention?
He had kept his presence thoroughly understated, revealing none of his assets. In the eyes of major organizations here, he was penniless. He could not conceive of any reason for them to seek him out.
The chief auctioneer informed him, "In the Tian-tier box over there, a distinguished guest wishes to speak a few words with you."
At that moment, the heavy blue sandalwood door of that private box swung open, and a group of people strode out.
Qin Ming realized trouble was brewing. The newcomers belonged to the Godkin Society; the emblems on their sleeves were unmistakable, displayed without the slightest concealment.
"Brother, we harbor no ill intent." The newcomers all wore cordial smiles, and among them stood none other than the rumored Godchild.
Qin Ming knew full well that the dream bug had been consigned to the auction by the Godkin Society, yet now this very faction was approaching him.
*"I, the High Sovereign, am robbing this place!"* Would he really be forced to shout those words before leaving and stir up an all-out battle?
Chapter 520