Auction

Chi Yu, Tongming, Ling Ruogu, and the others worked with great efficiency. In just a few days, news that Yaoguang planned to auction a flying-boat-type Dao artifact had spread across the entire Heavenly Dao Sect. Upon learning of this, the lineage masters—who occupied high positions of power and had amassed great fortunes—remained relatively composed. However, the peak masters, who stood a notch below them in stature, grew quite excited. All at once, peak masters hurried about spreading the word, scrambling to pool resources and make preparations for the upcoming auction. Involving a Dao artifact as it did, the news naturally reached the ears of Sect Master Zong Wenxian. Yet the Heavenly Dao Sect Master was not at all surprised that Yaoguang had produced such a treasure. "Back before Yaoguang became a true disciple of our Heavenly Dao Sect, Hou Feng, Jiang Tianzun, and their party pursued him for a long time without ever catching him. Even then, I surmised he had to have a flying-type Dao artifact in his possession." Zong Wenxian looked at Xiang Zhenlong, who had brought the report, and frowned slightly. "Originally, I thought this Dao artifact might have been bestowed by Dao Lord Penglai. But now..." If it had been a gift from Dao Lord Penglai, Yaoguang would never have put it up for sale. In other words... Had Yaoguang truly inherited some incredible legacy, catching Dao Lord Penglai's eye before being sent to the Heavenly Dao Sect? What was Dao Lord Penglai's objective? Did he have designs on the Heavenly Dao Sect? Was this an idle move on a grand chessboard? Or did he merely want to watch a good show? Yet at the time, Yaoguang had only possessed an Azure Blue Golden Core. No matter how much amusement such a cultivator might provide, how could it ever draw the lingering interest of an exalted Dao Lord? As he pondered, Zong Wenxian had no intention of acting rashly. He planned to keep observing for a while longer. "Him putting a Dao artifact up for sale at this point in time indeed doesn't look like Dao Lord Penglai is backing him," Xiang Zhenlong noted. "Of course, it's also possible that the Dao Lord is deliberately setting up a smoke screen." "Unlikely. If that Dao Lord truly wished to make a move against our Heavenly Dao Sect, he wouldn't resort to such methods," Zong Wenxian reflected. "If Yaoguang truly sells this Dao artifact, if nothing else, it will at least prove his ties to Dao Lord Penglai aren't particularly deep. If they aren't close, perhaps we can try reaching out to him again to see if we can draw him into our circle..." With that, he sighed with some emotion. "With his void-type special constitution, his chances of attaining Void Refining were already higher than most. Now that he's selling a Dao artifact to secure a vast hoard of resources, the time it takes him to reach Void Refining will likely shorten even further. Even if someone told me he could attain Void Refining within a hundred years, I wouldn't be surprised." "Void Refining." Xiang Zhenlong's expression tautened slightly. A Void Refining expert was undeniably a heavyweight pillar of strength in the Heavenly Dao Sect. Across the entire sect, there were barely over twenty experts at that level. More importantly, if Yaoguang broke through to Void Refining, he could transition directly from junior sect master to vice sect master, taking over governance of the Southern Domain from the sect master. That meant... he would be qualified to take a seat at the table and claim a slice of the pie. "So, Sect Master, when he sells the Dao artifact within the sect, are we not going to interfere?" Xiang Zhenlong asked. "On the one hand, we cannot stop it. If he cannot sell it in the Heavenly Dao Sect, he can easily sell it to other factions. Everyone is in need of Dao artifacts. On the other hand, if we forcibly blocked it, it would surely provoke discontent among many peak masters. Out of the thirteen peaks of our Heavenly Dao Sect, only five peak masters possess Dao artifacts." Zong Wenxian waved a hand dismissively. "Let him sell it. This transaction is the perfect opportunity to see through his relationship with that Dao Lord." Hearing this, Xiang Zhenlong nodded. "Then should we..." "If you take a liking to it, you may bid for it as well. You could even use some methods to probe Yaoguang's confidence. What trump cards a person holds can generally be discerned from how they handle unexpected events." Zong Wenxian paused for a moment before adding, "However, mind your methods. I do not wish to see underhanded tricks making things look too ugly. Do you understand?" Xiang Zhenlong's heart tightened. "Understood!" They couldn't use underhanded tricks to make an unsightly mess... but legitimate means were fair game. Only a handful of peak masters had the financial power to buy a Dao artifact. If they threw a few obstacles in their way before the sale to disrupt their cash flow, perhaps they could snag the Dao artifact at a relatively low price. Though they held similar status on paper, there was a world of difference between holding real power and holding none. *** The auction for the Dao artifact, the Longxiang Flying Boat, proceeded methodically. A month was obviously very brief—so brief that people hardly had enough time to make full preparations and mobilize sufficient assets to bid. Likewise, within that month, several underlying conflicts previously concealed beneath the surface came to light due to the rushed timeframe. Only now did Yaoguang discover the truth of why the Heavenly Dao Sect was considered a grand coalition. The sect master maintained balance across the entire sect, securing benefits for everyone while taking the lion's share of the pie. Next came the Supreme Elder Council; because they wielded formidable martial might, their share of the sect's profits was indispensable. Right behind them were the four lineage masters and the three vice sect masters. Each of the three vice sect masters held sway over an entire domain, functioning like de facto local emperors, yet they still had to hand over the annual taxes and specialty tribute owed to the sect. Once these resources were carved up by the sect master and supreme elders, it fell to the four lineage masters to take their cut, and only then did anything reach the peak masters. In this light, the vice sect masters and the peak masters were all just working stiffs. At best, the vice sect masters enjoyed greater freedom because the emperor was far away beyond high heavens, yet they were still subject to the sect master and the four-lineage system under his command. Under such conditions, peak masters sought ways to become lineage masters, while vice sect masters engaged in open and covert struggles with the sect master, doing everything possible to withhold more profits for their own use after meeting their quota of tributes to the sect. And the maneuvers along the way... could hardly be called open and aboveboard. Why had the position of vice sect master for the Southern Domain remained vacant, overseen directly by the sect master? It was because eight hundred years ago, Vice Sect Master Song Youque, who governed the Southern Domain, had repeatedly assassinated delegations secretly dispatched by the sect master to audit the region's exact revenues. Killing them was one thing, but crucially, during one of those attempts, Sect Master Zong Wenxian caught him red-handed with solid proof. Whatever means Zong Wenxian used to persuade the Supreme Elder Council, half a month after the evidence was presented, the council declared that Vice Sect Master Song Youque had committed treason. Three supreme elders mobilized alongside ten battle halls and dozens of Void Piercing experts, marching into the Southern Domain and completely annihilating Vice Sect Master Song's entire lineage. This was considered one of the larger internal upheavals in the Heavenly Dao Sect over the past thousand years. As for smaller affairs—such as an elder embezzling funds or taking bribes—they occurred every century or so. It was merely internal factional struggle, something everyone had grown accustomed to seeing. *** "For sects on Beihai Star, heritage and history have never mattered. Fighting tooth and nail over the division of interests to the point of killing one another is completely normal. Even if internal strife leads to a sect's destruction... at worst, the survivors gather again and build another. Where there are people, there is a sect. So long as the Dao Lord endures, the sect's flame will burn forever." Yaoguang reviewed the predicaments of three peak masters. One peak master had their funding cut off. Another peak master's assigned garrison was suddenly plagued by a rampaging demon king, forcing him to rush off to quell it. Yet another peak master was directly exposed for colluding with the God Race and was promptly hauled off by the Law Enforcement Hall to "assist in an investigation." Theoretically, these three would have been Yaoguang's biggest prospective buyers. Whether this Dao artifact could fetch a handsome price depended largely on their performance at the auction. Now, all three had run into trouble... "I hope it won't go below one billion. Otherwise, don't blame me for going back on my word and calling off the sale," Yaoguang murmured to himself. Selling a Dao artifact inside the Heavenly Dao Sect carried less risk, but... it was far too easy to manipulate behind closed doors. *** The month slipped by quickly. In such a short window, the group led by Wan Liugui and the others couldn't even arrive at the Heavenly Dao Sect in time. For this Dao artifact sale, Yaoguang had no choice but to rely on members of the Ling and Chi families to run around handling the preparations. Fortunately, only a limited number of people in the entire Heavenly Dao Sect were qualified to compete for this Dao artifact. When the auction day finally arrived, only fifteen people gathered at the Guest-Receiving Peak designated for the auction. Aside from the four lineage masters, only six of the thirteen peak masters came. The three vice sect masters did not attend in person, but each dispatched a Void Piercing elder as a representative. In addition, two Void Piercing cultivators attended to observe on behalf of supreme elders. If the price was low, they wouldn't mind picking up a bargain. If the cost ran high... the supreme elders backing them were not lacking in a single Dao artifact. *** Without making these peak masters, lineage masters, and representatives of the vice sect masters and supreme elders wait long, Yaoguang appeared directly on the mountain peak designated for guests. "Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend the sale of my Dao artifact. Without further ado..." Yaoguang raised a hand, and the Longxiang Flying Boat soared into the air, instantly revealing its true form—a full five li long—hovering above the Guest-Receiving Peak. "Take a look, everyone. Not only does this flying-type Dao artifact possess extraordinary void shuttling capabilities, but its interior also features excellent living quarters..." Yaoguang introduced the relevant details of the Dao artifact. Meanwhile, the Void Piercing and Void Refining cultivators sent out their divine minds one by one to inspect its specific properties. Naturally, Yaoguang did nothing to stop them. After speaking for ten-odd minutes, once everyone had gained a solid understanding of the Dao artifact, Yaoguang spoke again: "Now that everyone is familiar with this Longxiang Flying Boat, let the bidding commence. The starting price is one billion Pure Yang Great Pills, with minimum bid increments of ten million Pure Yang Great Pills." The moment Yaoguang finished speaking, the master of the Immortal Lineage immediately chimed in, "Auctioning with Pure Yang Great Pills? We Void Refining cultivators don't typically keep such vast quantities of Pure Yang pills on hand. Why not transact using Void Dao Pills along with rare heavenly materials and earthly treasures? How about converting one Void Dao Pill for twelve thousand Pure Yang Great Pills?" "Isn't a starting price of one billion a bit too high? Junior Sect Master Yaoguang, you don't understand the market for Dao artifacts. Although Dao artifacts sold outside often fetch one billion Pure Yang Great Pills, those artifacts each boast unique marvels. This Longxiang Flying Boat performs quite averagely in void shuttling and lacks any other capabilities. Aside from a decent interior environment, there is nothing noteworthy about it. For a Dao artifact like this, I believe a reserve price of five hundred million would be far more appropriate." A peak master smiled and added, "I'll start off with five hundred million. How about everyone bid up from that number?"