Shrouding the Heavens: Starting by joining the Holy Land of Yao Guang

Chapter 258 Setting up an Auction

A gentle spring breeze blows; it's April in the human world.

Xiba City is a magnificent and imposing city, with walls as black as cast iron, stretching for more than a hundred miles. The layout of the city is grand and exudes an ancient charm.

This city is one of the ten ancient cities of Zhongzhou, possessing both antiquity and prosperity. Moreover, because it is backed by Qishi Mansion, this place has been spared from the ravages of war, and the surrounding area has been peaceful for thousands of miles.

In recent years, with the opening of the Qishi Mansion, the geniuses of the five major regions have gathered, making Xiba City even more prosperous.

On this day, the renowned Xiba City Auction, which was famous throughout the Central Plains, was held by the Jiuli Dynasty at the Jiuli Baoque.

Auctions like this, held every two years, are something many people have long been accustomed to.

However, a piece of news recently caused a sensation in Zhongzhou.

The Holy Lord of Yaoguang is currently in Xiba City. He happened to have some miscellaneous items to dispose of, so he entrusted the Jiuli Treasure Palace to auction them off.

This news immediately attracted widespread attention from cultivators.

Who is the Holy Lord Yaoguang?

The youngest saint in ancient history, the first genius of our time to break through to sainthood, with astonishing combat power, a great master who defied the saints...

He has so many legendary stories; if we were to explain them all, it would take a whole day and night.

Such a person's belongings would probably be considered treasures by the world.

Sure enough, Jiuli Treasure Palace soon released the news that there would be incomplete holy weapons at this auction!
Although it wasn't explicitly stated, everyone knew that this belonged to the Holy Lord of Yao Guang.

Even a damaged version of a sacred weapon, a strategic item of this caliber, possesses unimaginable power.

Even for a holy land, there's no shortage of things of this caliber.

"Why is Senior Brother auctioning off a damaged sacred weapon at the Nine Li Treasure Palace?"

In a luxurious palace in Xiba City, Weiwei asked Li Yao curiously.

Even incomplete sacred weapons are not uncommon in the Yao Guang Sacred Land. Such items have extraordinary strategic significance, and no one would sell them.

Even if they do occasionally, it's usually those who are alone and don't need the resources anymore that take them out to dispose of.

But as the Holy Lord of Yaoguang, Li Yao may not need these things, but many others will need them later.

But Weiwei also knew that Li Yao must have had a purpose in doing this, which is why she asked out of curiosity.

"What do you think of the auction's revenue, Weiwei?" Li Yao asked gently, a smile in his eyes, as he looked at the fairy-like girl before him.

“Auctions are naturally very profitable, often resulting in premium transactions. Whether you're auctioning for someone else or doing it yourself, you can earn a substantial amount of revenue,” Weiwei replied.

Li Yao nodded.

"This is a highly profitable business, and if you can get into it, you can make a continuous stream of wealth."

"So, Senior Brother wants to use the Nine Li Treasure Palace to build his reputation?" Weiwei realized and guessed Li Yao's purpose.

"Yes, I plan to establish the Yao Guang Treasure Pavilion in the Holy City and hold an auction. This time, I'll just use it as a way to spread the word."

A damaged sacred weapon is undoubtedly a treasure. Once the news leaks out after the auction, the Yao Guang Sacred Land will naturally set up its own auction to continue auctioning similar treasures, which will cause a stir.

Weiwei was somewhat worried. In the past, Yaoguang Holy Land had naturally held auctions before, after all, it was a treasure trove.

It's a pity that for an auction to stand firm, it's not enough to be popular for a short time; it needs to have a long-term and sustainable presence.

The Yao Guang Holy Land possessed a profound foundation, and initially, there was a constant stream of excellent items at the auctions. However, after a while, the momentum waned, and the auctions ceased.

The eight major auction houses in the holy city have already divided up the entire market, making it extremely difficult for newcomers to enter the fray.

"Don't worry, your Holy Lord has collected a lot of junk lately. If we put it at an auction, it would be enough to fetch a lot of money for a long time," Li Yao said confidently, noticing the girl's worry.

In recent years, he has been like a locust swarm, collecting anything of value without letting anything slip by.

Even a sage would take a second look when he saw a treasure of great power.

Therefore, the miscellaneous items he currently carries could pile up into thousands of mountains.

In essence, an auction is simply a show where one or two eye-catching treasures take the lead, driving up the sales of less prominent items.

The miscellaneous items he carried were treasures to ordinary cultivators, items that could be the grand finale at an auction.

Simply take out one or two items, add some rare treasures, and you can hold a sensational auction.

Once you establish a reputation and gain recognition from the world, other cultivators will naturally prioritize placing the items they wish to auction at your auction house.

In the original story, Ye Fan cut out a rare treasure from a stone. The young master of the Heavenly Demon Palace, one of the most outstanding talents in the Eastern Wilderness, immediately lowered himself to befriend him, hoping to put the treasure he cut out into his own auction house for auction. His purpose was to enhance the prestige of the Heavenly Demon Treasure Palace.

Therefore, it is extremely easy for Li Yao to establish Yao Guang Bao Que and bring the Yao Guang Holy Land into the auction industry.

Once they have established a firm foothold, the Yao Guang Holy Land will have a golden goose, providing a steady stream of income.

"Junior Brother is truly a restorer of the dynasty," Yao Xi praised.

She listened from the sidelines and immediately understood that if the auction were to be successfully established, it would be of great significance even to the Yao Guang Holy Land.

A few days later, the auction was held as scheduled at Jiuli Baoque.

As expected, the auction was a huge success. All the items were auctioned off, and the final item, a fragmented holy weapon, fetched an astonishing price of a demigod source.

The transaction price stunned everyone.

The auctioneer was one of the Hundred Schools of Thought, but not very famous. If it weren't for today's event, Li Yao wouldn't even know that this great school existed.

The reason they did this was because they desperately wanted a treasure to protect their religion.

Yes, it is the treasure of the religion.

Don't underestimate a damaged sacred weapon. Even if it's only one or two tenths of its full strength, it's still far more powerful than a king-level divine weapon.

Moreover, the incomplete sacred weapon that Li Yao auctioned off possessed about 50-60% of its power at its peak.

It's definitely unnecessary for powerful forces or those possessing legendary sacred weapons to spend such a huge sum to auction off a damaged sacred weapon.

However, for forces that can only obtain incomplete sacred weapons at best, it is not surprising that they would spend a great deal of money.

In the world of cultivation, strength is paramount, and all external things serve to protect oneself and the path to enlightenment.

The transaction price actually exceeded Li Yao's budget; even he hadn't expected it to fetch such a terrifying price.

Undoubtedly, this is a premium transaction; normally, a damaged holy weapon wouldn't be worth this price.

But that's part of the charm of auctions; rare items are often sold at a premium, and it's rare for someone to snag a bargain.

This is also why Li Yao wanted to enter the auction industry.

No one can ever have too much of this kind of resource.

In the past few months, Li Yao has spent at least several million kilograms of resources due to his frequent forays into the field of innovation, which is quite an expense.

The Imperial Ascension Scripture needs to be completed soon, which will be another huge expense.

Furthermore, after the Heavenly Book is upgraded, the scriptures in the human realm will be deduced to the level of immortal scriptures, which is an astronomical number that will be required.

It's unimaginable, but it's definitely more than you can handle.

Even the sacred land of Yao Guang cannot afford such expenses, therefore, increasing revenue is essential.

Li Yao must ensure that the lack of resources does not become a burden on his path to becoming stronger; this is absolutely unacceptable.

……

After the Jiuli auction ended, Li Yao immediately gave orders to the Yao Guang Holy Land to spread the word and hold an auction.

This event caused quite a stir, especially after news spread that Li Yao was auctioning off a damaged sacred weapon at the Jiuli Treasure Palace, which attracted even more attention.

Smart people know that the items auctioned at the Yaoguang Auction are bound to be rare treasures, at least no less valuable than the incomplete sacred weapon.

Many people are quietly waiting, because rare and precious items are often priceless and rarely appear on the market.

For the Yaoguang Auction to become an instant hit, it must be truly spectacular to leave a lasting impression.

If it starts strong but ends weakly, it will surely fail before it even begins, and no one will pay attention to it if it is held again in the future.

As the Holy Lord, he certainly doesn't need to do these things personally; he only needs to give the order, and there will be specialists in this field to handle them.

……

The Holy City of the Northern Territory.

As the absolute center of the Eastern Wilderness, the Yao Guang Auction is naturally held here.

With Li Yao's command, the Yao Guang Holy Land began to bustle with activity.

First, a grand enough palace must be built; this is a matter of prestige, and it must at least not be inferior to other auction houses.

The Yao Guang Holy Land acted swiftly, commencing construction within just a few days, attracting countless onlookers.

"Is the Yao Guang Holy Land really going to hold an auction? It turns out it wasn't just talk."

"This is going to be interesting. The auction market, which was already stable, has suddenly been disrupted by a disruptive force."

"The eight major auction houses have a deep foundation, but I wonder if Yao Guang Holy Land can successfully establish itself?"

The holy city erupted in chaos, with countless cultivators keeping a close watch, unwilling to miss any opportunity to watch the drama unfold.

Some people even opened betting pools, betting on whether Yaoguang Holy Land could truly establish itself and turn the eight major banks into nine.

Countless cultivators placed bets, but many thought it wouldn't work, as the auction house's profits had already been divided up, and the eight major auction houses wouldn't allow a new auction house to appear on the market.

Once Yaoguang Auction House officially starts its auction, the other eight major auction houses will surely follow suit and hold their own auctions, drawing away the crowds.

In this situation, I might forgo making money, but I'll kick you out of the game first.

Under these circumstances, the Yaoguang Auction House would have a hard time holding up, so many people are pessimistic about the Yaoguang Holy Land.

However, some people feel that there is absolutely no problem with Yaoguang Holy Land.

In recent years, they have been conquering east and west, accumulating countless rare treasures. As long as they are willing to spend a lot of money, they have nothing to fear about being targeted.

No matter how many tricks you have, I can defeat you with sheer force. What can you do about it?

If incomplete holy weapons, semi-holy weapons, rare medicines, and other treasures appeared at auctions, would there still be any fear of being targeted?
Countless people began preparing their resources, waiting for the great battle between the eight great powers against Yao Guang. At that time, rare treasures were sure to appear, and they would enter the arena wielding their resources to make a fortune.

When cultivators set out to build palaces, the speed is naturally extremely fast. In just one month, a colossal palace rose from the ground.

Then, the Yao Guang Holy Land spread the word that the auction would be held a month later, and the Yao Guang Holy Lord would be present in person.

Furthermore, they released information about some of the items to generate buzz for the auction, one of which was a damaged sacred weapon.

There are also rare treasures such as the Nine Great Divine Jade series, a piece of mutton fat jade divine iron the size of a human head, as well as the Nine Heavens White Jade Wall and the Nine Heavens Azure Jade.

After news of these auction items spread, the entire Eastern Wilderness went crazy.

Whether it's the incomplete sacred weapon or the divine jade from the Nine Divine Jade Series, these are all rare treasures.

An auction is considered a success if it has even one highlight item.

Everyone knew that Yaoguang Auction was going to make a name for itself in one fell swoop, but no one expected it to be this exaggerated.

This is just the announcement; whether it will be the most precious items is still unknown. However, cultivators with considerable wealth are starting to collect Pure Source, Divine Source, and other resources, preparing for the auction to acquire one or two items.

Some rare treasures, especially those of pure origin, cannot be auctioned; they must be of divine origin.

The eight major auction houses found the situation extremely troublesome; the Yao Guang Holy Land had launched such a powerful attack, and they didn't know how to respond.

Keep up?

This is easier said than done. The incomplete sacred weapon, the mutton fat jade divine iron among the nine divine jades, the nine heavens blue sky divine jade, and the nine heavens white jade wall are all rare treasures.

These items are not even enough for the eight major trading companies themselves, so they would never be willing to put them up for auction.

Ultimately, they reached a consensus not to confront Yao Guang directly.

In any case, establishing a foothold in the auction house isn't just about winning the first battle well.

A brilliant start is only half the battle; you need to keep up and maintain consistent firepower to truly make a name for yourself.

The eight major auction houses decided to wait and see what items Yaoguang Auction House would offer next. If it didn't match the momentum of the first auction, they would launch a collective attack to suppress the other party's momentum.

And so, the expected confrontation did not materialize; the eight major banks remained silent and took no action.

Before we knew it, the month was up.

On the very day of the auction, Li Yao also rushed back from Zhongzhou and arrived in the Holy City.

His arrival naturally caused a sensation.

Today, his every move is magnified in people's minds, and no one can ignore him.

Wherever they go, they are the center of attention.

Yao Guang Tian Que is incredibly magnificent, covering a vast area, like a city within a city.

At the entrance to the Heavenly Palace, there are countless gates. Once you step through one, they will flash, displaying each person's power. Then, someone will lead you to a different location based on your cultivation level.

Of course, those with deep pockets can spend a thousand catties of resources to enter a private room.

Li Yao's location was in the highest private box, a suspended palace overlooking the auction hall below. It was incredibly luxurious and extravagant, exuding an air of nobility and otherworldly elegance.

"when!"

With a resounding bell, the auction officially began.

A beautiful young woman walked confidently onto the auction stage amidst countless gazes, introducing the items to everyone in her clear voice.

"A spiritual herb that is 30,000 years old, with a starting price of 50,000 catties of source material, and each bid must be increased by no less than 5,000 catties of pure source material."

"Sixty thousand catties of ore!"

"Sixty-five thousand catties of elixir!"

……

Ultimately, the medicinal herb was sold for 80,000 jin of raw materials, serving as a small warm-up for the auction.

A 30,000-year-old elixir is quite a rare treasure, but it ultimately failed to cause a stir among the crowd.

However, no one was in a hurry. Everyone knew the nature of auctions and waited quietly.

Finally, after the tenth lot was sold, the first item with some weight appeared.

"The eleventh item for auction is a piece of mutton fat jade and divine iron, with a starting price of 600,000 jin of raw materials!"

With a "boom," the auction hall erupted in cheers, and many people couldn't help but stand up to watch.

It was an object the size of a human head, as translucent as mutton fat jade, without any flaws or metallic characteristics, like a divine piece of jade.

This is the renowned mutton fat jade divine iron, one of the nine divine jade series. It is of immeasurable value and can be used to forge sacred weapons. It is a rare treasure that even saints would need.

"Six hundred thousand jin of Yuan!"

"Seven hundred thousand catties of ore!"

"Eight hundred thousand jin of ore!"

Many people were very excited, as they all wanted to get their hands on the 100,000 jin of raw materials at once, even with the price increase.

Ultimately, it wasn't until 1.7 million jin of the source material was sold that it was finally acquired by people from Dao Yi Holy Land.

After this round of bidding, the atmosphere in the hall noticeably heated up. Even though the subsequent items weren't particularly impressive, it couldn't dampen the excitement. Everyone knew that soon, new, high-profile items would be available for auction.

"The twenty-second item for auction is the Qiyue and Zhuri swords, with a starting price of three million jin of Yuan."

The auction hall erupted in cheers, with countless eyes drawn to the auction stage.

The sword was as cold as frost, exhaling a silvery-white aura, as serene as the moon palace, and flowing with the divine laws of the Great Dao.

Beside it, there was a fiery red sword, as red as blood, spewing forth smoke and flames, its heat unbearable.

The twenty-second item, the Moon-Piercing Sword and the Sun-Chasing Sword, is a pair of divine weapons of kings. Moreover, the materials used to forge them are the Silver Moon Jade and the Crimson Jade King from the Nine Heavens Divine Jade.

"Three million one hundred thousand catties of ore!"

"Three million two hundred thousand catties of ore!"

……

These items caused a sensation, with many cultivators participating in the bidding. Often, a new price would appear the moment after a bid was placed, and in no time, the price had reached over five million jin of source material.

Each of these legendary weapons requires countless rare and precious materials to forge, and even the combined strength of an entire sect cannot create them.

Not to mention, the materials for the Qiyue and Zhuri swords are Silver Moon Divine Jade and Nine Heavens Crimson Jade King, which are among the nine great divine jades. The materials alone are rare treasures.

The bids continued to rise, and each jump in the numbers stimulated everyone's nerves.

It's not that I'm making a fuss, it's just that it's really too exaggerated. That's millions of kilograms of source material, not just a few hundred kilograms.

Such a huge number would be an enormous expense even for a holy site.

However, no one hesitated; they were bidding wildly because it was worth it.

The King's Divine Weapon, made of Heavenly Jade, is a combination of unparalleled treasures.

Finally, when the Wang family, an ancient clan from the Northern Wilderness, offered 6.2 million jin of Origin, they finally broke through the encirclement of all the bidders.

Everyone in the auction hall was stunned.

Six million two hundred thousand catties of ore—that's an astronomical figure, simply beyond imagination.

They didn't even dare to imagine how big a source mountain would be if so many sources were piled together.

Even the people from the eight major auction houses were astonished. If they were to auction such a treasure, it would definitely be the grand finale item.

However, it appeared very early at the Yaoguang Auction, the meaning of which is self-evident, and similar auction items followed later.

Amidst great anticipation, the Nine Heavens Azure Jade and the Nine Heavens White Jade Wall soon appeared among the thirtieth to fortieth auction items, both fetching approximately two million catties each.

In the top-of-the-line box, Li Yao clicked his tongue slightly, experiencing the power of the auction. The rarer the treasure, the more exaggerated the premium it often fetched at the auction.

Sometimes, when someone raises the price, the price often exceeds expectations.

Without a doubt, the first battle of the Yaoguang Auction was a success, and even if it ends here, it will still be a successful auction.

But since Li Yao has decided to enter the arena, he certainly won't stop there. He wants to dominate the entire arena and make the so-called Eight Great Families not even have the thought of challenging Yao Guang to a duel.

The grand auction was a resounding success, with numerous rare and priceless treasures appearing. Even the noble families and dynasties of the holy lands went wild, waving their source stones and bidding against each other.

until……

"The ninety-ninth item for auction is a Blood Diamond Gun, with a starting price of four million catties of Origin or five hundred catties of Divine Origin."

"boom!"

The entire venue erupted in chaos. Everyone stood up, including members of the Holy Land Families and the Imperial Dynasty. No one could remain calm, because the auction item was none other than the incomplete Holy Weapon that had been advertised.

The blood-red spear was mostly intact, but there was a huge notch on the tip.

"The Blood Spear was forged from Blood Diamond, one of the Nine Divine Jade Series. It is now incomplete, but its power still retains 70% of its peak strength. Those who need it should not miss it."

The crisp sound rang out on the auction stage, completely igniting the atmosphere in the hall and private rooms.

"Seven million catties of source, I am a man from Tianchi in the Northern Plains. I will remember your kindness."

An aged voice came from the No. 32 private room in the Oriental Heavenly Hall, sounding weak and feeble.

However, this reputation caused a stir in the hall, and no one dared to underestimate it.

"The Celestial Master of Tianchi, a figure from four thousand years ago, was an unparalleled king." Someone couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice.

But with a damaged sacred weapon before them, even a king could not refuse it.

“Master Tianchi, under other circumstances, I would certainly give you face, but not today. Let’s rely on our own abilities.”

A living fossil of the Zhongzhou Yin-Yang Sect spoke up and subsequently asked for 7.5 million catties of source.

"Eight million catties of raw materials!"

"A thousand jin of divine energy!"

In an instant, the bidding was incessant, with the lords of various holy lands joining the fray, each bidding more outrageous than the last, and the price quickly surpassing ten million jin of source material.

Finally, they could no longer even bid for the pure source, and instead switched to the divine source.

Because if it were pure source, even if everyone emptied their reserves, they probably wouldn't have that much. Only divine source, which everyone has reserves of.

"A half-god source!"

Finally, amidst a few scattered bids, the price reached a demigod source, causing everyone in the hall to hold their breath.

A demigod source—that's an unimaginable number.

Divine Source, the most precious of all, is the most widely circulated currency in the market, regardless of its origin.

One half-god source, which was also the transaction price at that auction in Xiba City, Zhongzhou.

Judging from this, a damaged holy weapon is about the same price. However, this holy weapon is much less damaged than the one in Xiba City.

"One side contains another 1,600 catties of divine essence."

"One side contains 1,700 catties of divine essence."

The bidding didn't stop; it continued to rise until it reached two divine sources, at which point no one else bid, and the Illusion Palace acquired the incomplete holy weapon.

Just like the one in Zhongzhou, it was another transaction at a premium, and both had one thing in common: neither the Illusion Palace nor the great sect in Zhongzhou possessed a holy weapon.

In today's world, where ancient tribes have emerged, this situation is very unsafe.

Although the damaged holy weapon is not as powerful as the full-fledged holy weapon, it still retains some of the power of its peak, which can give them a sense of security.

The essence of a transaction is necessity. Extreme powers and great holy lands would not spend two divine sources to auction off a damaged holy weapon, because such a thing is good to have, but not necessary.

However, even the top-tier holy lands, ancient families, and dynasties could not remain calm when the final items were auctioned off.

(End of this chapter)