"Fellow Daoists, welcome to the Ten Thousand Immortals Pavilion's auction. I, He Shuixiu, offer my greetings."

At this moment.

A woman draped in a crimson gown stepped gracefully onto the stage, bowing to the gathered crowd.

Her demeanor was poised, radiating an innate elegance.

Yet, the most astonishing aspect was her cultivation base—she was a Foundation Establishment Grand Cultivator.

Naturally, a grand spectacle of this scale required a Foundation Establishment Grand Cultivator to suppress any unrest.

As the auction loomed, Xu Changshou swept his gaze across the venue; every corner of the vast hall was packed to the brim.

The dozen private booths at the front were similarly fully occupied.

With every booth taken, it meant no less than a dozen Foundation Establishment Grand Cultivators had descended upon the pavilion.

Though this minor auction primarily catered to Qi Condensation cultivators, it still managed to draw the attention of such mighty figures.

Perhaps an item listed today aligned perfectly with a Foundation Establishment Grand Cultivator's needs.

Or perhaps one of them had come to bid on a treasure for their Junior.

"Silence, if you please."

The radiant He Shuixiu swept her gaze across the hall, waiting for the murmurs to die down before she spoke:

"First, welcome, Fellow Daoists, for gracing the Ten Thousand Immortals Pavilion with your presence. On behalf of the pavilion, I offer my sincere gratitude."

"Without further delay, let us commence. Behold our first lot."

Whoosh—

The moment He Shuixiu's words fell, a sprightly maiden piloted a purple-gold flying boat down onto the stone dais. The vessel radiated a blinding purple-gold treasure light, searing its image into everyone's eyes.

Its prow was carved in the likeness of a roaring dragon's head, sweeping back into a sweeping tail.

From afar, it truly resembled a soaring wyrm.

"Heavens, the Purple Dragon Cloud Boat!"

"It is the Purple Dragon Cloud Boat forged by the Mo Clan of Fulong Ridge!"

"Good heavens, to present the Purple Dragon Cloud Boat as the opening lot. As expected of the Ten Thousand Immortals Pavilion!"

Waves of astonished gasps rippled through the venue.

Countless eyes ignited with covetous light; as Qi Condensation cultivators incapable of Sword Riding, who among them did not crave a flying boat?

He Shuixiu waved a hand to suppress the clamor, a smile gracing her lips: "Indeed. I am sure many Fellow Daoists have already recognized this vessel forged by the Ten Thousand Hammer Sect, capable of traversing four thousand li a day.

The Ten Thousand Hammer Sect's mastery over forging is universally renowned, and I trust everyone here understands its worth..."

Four thousand li a day—formidable!

Xu Changshou was inwardly shocked. His knowledge of flying vessels was limited, only knowing that Ye Shanhu's White Jade Boat topped out at three thousand li a day.

This Purple Dragon Cloud Boat was vastly superior in speed.

An early Foundation Establishment cultivator's Sword Riding speed roughly equated to three thousand li a day.

The Purple Dragon Cloud Boat outstripped even Sword Riding.

Naturally, three thousand li was merely a baseline cruising speed for a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Should they burn their Spiritual Qi to accelerate, the Purple Dragon Cloud Boat would undoubtedly be left in the dust by an early Foundation Establishment expert.

Xu Changshou cast a glance at Li Linhao, an expert in such vessels, curious for his assessment.

Yet Li Linhao's expression remained placid, utterly unmoved by the Purple Dragon Cloud Boat's grandeur.

Evidently, he possessed a far superior vessel.

"Fellow Daoist Li, what do you make of this Purple Dragon Cloud Boat?" Su Miaomiao inquired.

Li Linhao replied calmly, "It is passable. A mere stopgap. This is far from the Ten Thousand Hammer Sect's pinnacle craftsmanship."

Xu Changshou cupped his hands. "To think this Purple Dragon Cloud Boat is not their finest work. Forgive my shallow experience, but may I ask Fellow Daoist Li, what qualifies as a pinnacle vessel?"

Li Linhao chuckled. "The dragon head on this vessel is bloated, skewing its aerodynamic arrays and squandering Spirit Stones. A true masterpiece prioritizes pure speed over such gaudy, superfluous flourishes.

From what I understand, the Ten Thousand Hammer Sect's premium vessels all boast speeds exceeding five thousand li a day. The absolute pinnacle among them can even shatter the ten thousand li mark."

Breaking ten thousand li.

Ten thousand li in a single day.

What kind of terrifying concept was that? Even the top speed of a Foundation Establishment Grand Perfection cultivator was likely no more than that.

Xu Changshou was thoroughly shaken.

Su Miaomiao's eyes flashed with calculating light. "Fellow Daoist Li, what is the value of such a pinnacle vessel?"

"Hmph!"

Yang Jieyuan shot her a mocking glare, sneering, "Any flying vessel worthy of the title 'pinnacle' commands a price of at least one thousand Spirit Stones."

Such an exorbitant price!

Xu Changshou inhaled sharply. With a current net worth of over five hundred Spirit Stones, he had considered himself quite wealthy.

He never imagined his entire fortune would fall utterly short of purchasing even a single pinnacle vessel.

Five hundred Spirit Stones among the Miscellaneous Disciples was a heaven-defying sum; an absolute fortune.

Many minor cultivation clans could not even scrounge together five hundred Spirit Stones.

Take a Miscellaneous Disciple, for instance. Those at the twelfth level of Qi Condensation commanded the highest monthly stipend—roughly three Spirit Stones a month, thirty-six a year. It would take them nearly two decades of bitter hoarding to amass five hundred Spirit Stones.

Yet Spirit Stones were crucial consumables. The vast majority of cultivators burned through them instantly. Xu Changshou himself exhausted five Spirit Stones a month just on Spirit Gathering Pills. For bottom-tier cultivators, accumulating wealth was a pipe dream.

Saving up for a flying vessel was nothing but a delusion.

Only the pampered heirs of prestigious lineages could afford such luxuries; lowly cultivators dared not even harbor the thought.

Only now did Xu Changshou truly grasp the monstrous chasm of wealth dividing the cultivation world.

"Fellow Daoists, observe! The entire hull of this Purple Dragon Cloud Boat is sculpted in the likeness of a swimming dragon. Imagine taking the helm of this vessel, soaring through the heavens as if riding a true dragon. What boundless prestige, what unparalleled majesty!"

He Shuixiu's honeyed words were laced with an irresistible allure, expertly stoking the crowd's greed for the Purple Dragon Cloud Boat.

Among the audience, numerous affluent young cultivators felt their blood pound with eagerness.

While the Purple Dragon Cloud Boat might not be the absolute pinnacle, many in attendance had come solely to claim it.

"Enough idle chatter. We shall commence the bidding. The starting price for the Purple Dragon Cloud Boat is five hundred Spirit Stones," He Shuixiu declared smoothly.

Good heavens.

Xu Changshou sighed inwardly in resignation; he had appraised his own limits, and this treasure was utterly beyond his grasp.

The starting bid alone matched his entire net worth. What qualifications did he have to compete?

"I bid five hundred Spirit Stones!"

"Five hundred and ten!"

"Five hundred and thirty!"

"Five hundred and fifty!"

"..."

"Six hundred!"

In mere moments, the price of the Purple Dragon Cloud Boat surged to six hundred Spirit Stones.

Yet even at this steep price, the frenzy of the bidders showed no signs of cooling.

"Six hundred and ten!"

"Six hundred and twenty!"

"Six hundred and thirty!"

"Six hundred and fifty!"

"Six hundred and fifty-one!"

"Six hundred and fifty-three!"

"Six hundred and fifty-five!"

Once the price crossed the six hundred and fifty mark, the bids finally took on a veneer of rationality.

People began adding a mere one or two Spirit Stones at a time.

None present were fools; driving the price up to eight or nine hundred was senseless. For that sum, they might as well spend a full thousand Spirit Stones to commission a bespoke pinnacle flying vessel directly from the Ten Thousand Hammer Sect.

"Six hundred and sixty-six!"

At this moment, a youth draped in ostentatious jewels loudly bid six hundred and sixty-six Spirit Stones.

Xu Changshou cast a glance his way. The youth was festooned with an array of treasures. These were no mere trinkets; they pulsed with true spiritual energy, marking them as genuine offensive and defensive Magical Artifacts.