Tan City

"HALT!!"

As the young man neared the entrance of the city, a commanding voice rang out. A figure clad in full-body armor stepped into view a few meters ahead—it was a guard.

"State your business inside the Tan city," the guard demanded firmly.

Xiao Yang instinctively tried to use [Inspection] on him, but… nothing happened.

'Looks like I really can't use this ability on living beings...' he thought. He glanced over him who appeared to be an 8th-level Spirit Intermediate.

"I've come to sell some goods to the auction houses," the young man answered calmly. He had begun recalling bits and pieces of the cultivation world's structure and norms. Auction halls were a common place to trade beast cores for something else or money.

The guard nodded slightly. Truth be told, it was just protocol. The guards didn't really care what business people had—unless it involved trouble.

"What's your name?" the guard asked again.

"Xiao Yang," he replied with a nonchalant tone. It was a name he had thought of earlier. Until he recovered his real one, a fake name would do just fine.

The guard nodded once more and handed him a bronze medallion.

"You can stay in the town for one week. After that, you'll need to report to the Administration Hall to extend your stay—otherwise, it'll be considered a violation, and you will be punished."

He let out a sigh before continuing, more softly this time. "Also… due to what's happened recently worldwide, our town—being so close to the cursed forest—lost many cultivators who abandoned it. So for now, entry and stay extensions are free. Have a nice visit."

The guard finished his words with a stiff, forced smile—one that practically screamed inwardly, "F*** I hate to act polite"

Xiao Yang just nodded, placing the medallion inside his soul space, then stepped through the gate.

As he walked, his long, flowing white silk robe caught the guard's attention. It was loose, not so elegant, and frankly didn't look like proper clothing.

'What a weird guy… Is he that poor he can't afford something normal? And what's with that weird sword swaying between his legs...?'

His brows furrowed. The shape—there was something familiar about it. He stared until he realized.

"!!!!"

"H-Hey! You can't enter dressed like that!! Quickly, change your clothes!!"

The guard's voice cracked as he shouted, but it lacked its earlier authority—it sounded shocked and devastated causing to Xiao Yang pause and blink, puzzled.

"But… I only have this to wear."

"...@123o!!^?!" The guard gritted his teeth in frustration. 'Is this brat doing it on purpose? Playing innocent?! I'm not stupid enough to let the female guards see him like this!!'

He fumbled through his spatial ring and shoved a neatly folded cloth toward Xiao Yang.

"Take these! Wear this! Now!!"

Xiao Yang didn't argue. Without much thought, he began to remove the white silk robe right in front of the male guard.

"Wait stop—!!"

A few moments later, Xiao Yang stood fully dressed in a proper cultivator's tunic, plain but clean. He turned slightly to glance back. The guard had stepped away—his expression was blank, his eyes lifeless

'Why is he acting like his entire cultivation just shattered?' Xiao Yang wondered as he walked into town, shaking his head.

Behind him, the guard remained rooted in place.

'H-He can't be a human... noo... my... Why…'

He couldn't even form a sentence.

Just how cruel and unfair were the heavens…?

As Xiao Yang strolled through the streets, he couldn't help but be surprised by the unusual silence. The town felt hollow. Many shops were closed, their signs hanging loosely in the wind. Even the few stalls that were open looked half-abandoned, and not a single customer was in sight.

'I should've asked that guard where the auction house was…' he muttered inwardly, slightly annoyed.

But just then, his eyes caught sight of a large building near the center of the city. The structure stood taller than most others, built from dark wood and reinforced stone, with curved roofs and carved ornaments shaped like beast heads.

There were guards stationed outside, and an aura of faint spiritual energy could be felt around it.

Just as he approached the steps—

"Welcome, esteemed guest!"

A gentle, cheerful voice echoed in his ears.

Startled, Xiao Yang turned his head. A youthful beauty in a clean white dress was already standing beside him, smiling with perfect poise. Her eyes sparkled beneath her long lashes, and a light fragrance floated around her.

Her sudden respect caught him off guard. She bowed slightly, her posture graceful, and looked at him with the kind of attention typically reserved for important guests.

'...He must be from a big family. He's so handsome…' she thought while mesmerized as she glanced at him once more. But then, her spiritual senses swept over his body. 'Sixth level of Spirit Elementary…?'

Disappointment flickered across her thoughts, though she kept her expression warm and polite.

Most heirs of big families, even those with average talent, were already at least Spirit Intermediate by this age. With enough resources, even trash could be polished to shine brighter than others. So seeing someone so striking—and yet so low in cultivation—felt like his talent could be the worst.

Still, she didn't let her internal thoughts show.

"I've come to sell some beast cores," Xiao Yang said calmly. "Can I speak with your manager?"

Hearing his words, the cute girl's expression was subtly distorted. He was far too polite for someone assumed to be a young master… and his cultivation? Spirit Elementary? Her initial guess started to shake.

'Did I… misjudge him? Is he really from one of those big families?'

He certainly carried himself with confidence—an aura that didn't match his realm—but she couldn't be sure anymore. Not wanting to risk calling her superior for nothing, she asked with a little suspicion behind her voice.

"Esteemed guest, may I see the cores first?" she asked respectfully on the surface, but the tone was just a bit too cautious. Almost doubtful.

Still, Xiao Yang—innocent and unaware of those things—found nothing strange about it. He simply nodded and took out a few beast cores from his soul space.

He didn't show everything, just a small fraction...

But even that was enough to cause a huge shock given it was just a small auction house compared to those residing in big towns and empires.

A total of thirty-two Spirit Warrior beast cores glowed softly on his hand.

And alongside them—two Spirit Master beast cores.

"AAH! T-This… I-I will immediately notify the manager! P-Please follow me to the VIP room!" the girl stuttered, her eyes wide with disbelief.

'Are these cores really that rare…?' Xiao Yang mused inwardly, genuinely surprised by her reaction.

He followed as the girl—still visibly trembling—led him down a private hallway.

Once seated inside the comfortable VIP room, the girl gave a quick bow and fled the room with nervous haste.

Just moments later, the door opened again—this time, with a composed middle-aged woman entering. Her robes were pristine, and her posture was formal—but her eyes couldn't fully mask the mix of awe and respect within them.

"It is an honor to welcome your esteemed self to our humble auction house…" she began carefully, pausing briefly as if unsure whether she was saying enough. "May I… examine the cores?"

Despite her composed exterior, her heart was pounding. She was merely a Spirit Warrior cultivator, and this was her first time seeing Spirit Master beast cores up close.

She was both nervous and exhilarated.

Xiao Yang gave a simple nod and pushed the cores toward her as if they were no big deal.

The manager's hands trembled slightly as she reached out—trying her best to remain composed. But deep inside, her thoughts swirled wildly.

'So casual… He handed over Spirit Master cores like they were stones from the roadside. There's no doubt… He must be someone from one of the big families.'

Her hands trembled.

Each core she inspected was flawless—unharmed, uncracked, and glowing with pure, condensed energy. Not a trace of damage. Not even the slightest spiritual instability.

They were 100% pure.

That could only mean one thing.

'These beasts were killed… with a single strike!'

A shiver ran down her spine.

She was merely a Spirit Warrior cultivator just like the city lord, the strongest being in the town. Yet this boy—this calm, soft-spoken youth—was selling not one, but two of them.

And they were both perfectly unharmed.

'Why… is someone like him coming to our auction house?!'

Even if he had simply brought Spirit Warrior cores, it would have been a huge gain. But Spirit Master cores—pure ones—were the stuff of legend for a small town like this.

She didn't know whether to cry… or laugh.

Suppressing the rising disbelief in her heart, she forced her tone to remain steady.

"We will offer you a five percent—no, a three percent commission rate for the sale of all your items," she said, trying to sound calm.

Xiao Yang didn't respond immediately.

The silence made her flinch.

She panicked.

"One percent!" she blurted. "A one percent commission rate. How about that?"

Normally, the auction hall charged twenty percent, and for important clients, they'd reduce it to ten. Dropping to one was something they had never done.

But this…

This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

These cores alone would make their upcoming auction the most prestigious event since the hall's founding. News of them would spread to surrounding cities—possibly even sects.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yang—still relatively ignorant about many worldly matters—was trying to recall what commission rate even meant. But just after hearing her adjust it to one percent, a vague memory clicked into place.

"Alright," he said casually.

The manager's body visibly relaxed. Her expression softened into deep relief—and excitement.

"Excellent. Then we shall prepare immediately."

She waved her hand, summoning a glowing jade token. A few moments later, another attendant entered the VIP room with a respectful bow

"We will hold the auction in three weeks. Your items will be kept under triple-lock formation until then, and all earnings will be sent directly to you after the auction ends. If there's anything else you need, just tell us."

Xiao Yang nodded slightly, but then opened his mouth to add one more thing.

"I want my identity to remain unknown."

"Of course, esteemed guest," the manager responded with a composed smile. It wasn't an unusual request—many wealthy or powerful cultivators preferred anonymity during auctions.

As he stepped out of the VIP room and into the quiet streets once more, Xiao Yang muttered inwardly.

'Three weeks… That's quite a long time. I should use it to cultivate… But where?'

The streets were still quiet, only a few townspeople moving about. The sense of unease hadn't vanished—this town was still recovering from the aftermath of the catastrophe.

As Xiao Yang wandered aimlessly, his gaze landed on a peculiar structure not far from the auction house. A tall building, modest in design, yet brimming with faint spiritual fluctuation. A simple sign hung above its entrance, glowing softly.

'Cultivation Chambers?'