As time passed, the clamor gradually subsided.
Ripple stood on the stage, and only when the last sound completely faded away did she slowly speak.
“Everyone, to be honest, when I first received this item, I too didn’t understand why a single piece of clothing would be described as two separate objects. But after the seller’s introduction and our own appraisal, I finally understood the reason. Please, take a look.”
She gently raised her hand.
Without a sound, the garment that had been lying on the table began to slowly float up.
“Scatter.”
Once again, she brought her fingers together and tapped lightly, channeling Star Power.
With a ripple of energy—
The sound of “crack, crack” rang out.
The garment, originally black with a tint of pale blue, began to show cracks.
The black silk-like outer layer started to flake off like chips of stone.
Yet, the fragments didn’t fall onto the platform like ordinary dust.
Instead, as if coming alive, they moved toward the first fragment, hovering in mid-air.
With each piece that peeled off and joined, the once chaotic stone fragments began, under the gaze of all, to piece themselves together.
No one uttered a word; only the sound of fragments rubbing and colliding could be heard.
At last, with a deep and heavy hum, the space trembled and the true form was revealed.
“This—this is a Mystic Realm Stele!”
Someone with sharp eyes immediately caught the clue, and astonished exclamations swept through the crowd.
“What!? A Mystic Realm Stele? They’re actually auctioning this thing? Are they insane?”
“And look at that presence, the power contained within… it’s already formed a Dao Charm Divine Ability, this is truly unbelievable!”
No one could contain themselves anymore.
Exclamations rang out one after another.
Even among the people in the high-level private rooms, several could no longer maintain their composure.
After all, the Mystic Realm Stele is one of the most precious items on this entire continent.
The stele records secrets and mysteries of the Secret Realm, and holds the key to unlocking inheritance methods from the Secret Realm.
It is an item every cultivator desires to possess alone.
You should know, across the whole continent, Secret Realms are divided into only two types.
One type is the Natural Mystic Realm.
These usually form because a certain area contains too many extraordinary resources, such as rare minerals, rare herbs, and other remarkable treasures.
The presence of these items causes immense energy to gather in a small area.
The Heavenly Dao, seeking to balance the forces and prevent excessive impact on local life and environment, causes a Secret Realm to naturally form.
The other type is the Inheritance Mystic Realm, the kind that contains a stone stele—just like this one.
Such realms are usually created by ancient mighty cultivators who used their own power to carve out a pocket space.
While it can’t be proven whether the one who left the inheritance is still alive, it’s certain that only experts at Seventh Revolution and above can open such a realm.
The treasures and inheritances left behind within are enough to make anyone’s eyes go red with envy.
But now, someone is actually putting it up for auction?
Such wastefulness—truly wasteful beyond compare.
That was everyone’s first thought.
To possess it, to take it for themselves.
That was everyone’s second thought.
Could it be—the person in Room One brought it?
That was… everyone’s third thought.
The scene started to spiral out of control, but Ripple remained composed and unhurried, as if clouds drifted by her side.
She had long anticipated this outcome.
“Everyone, quiet.”
She clapped her hands softly.
There was no shouting, yet her ethereal voice spread to every corner of the inner chamber.
Her voice seemed to carry a kind of magic; in an instant, absolute silence fell.
“Everyone, according to the rules of Wanbao Pavilion, I would normally introduce both treasures in detail. But at the seller’s request, I can’t disclose too much.”
“So, I will only say two points about each item.”
She first pointed to the Magic Robe and spoke softly.
“This garment is a high-grade fifth-tier Magic Robe, crafted from more than ten types of fifth-tier and above materials, including Heavenly Silkworm Silk, Stellar Sand, and Spiritwood Fiber. In special environments, it can even display the effects of a low-grade sixth-tier item.”
“Fifth-tier high-grade? Seems like this thing is just a freebie,” someone remarked, but nobody responded.
“But, this robe is a Magic Robe that has been Cursed. As for the specific Curse, Wanbao Pavilion can only reveal this: it is related to the user’s spiritual power.”
“As expected, I knew I was right. The tier isn’t high, and it has a Curse too. Definitely a freebie. Stop wasting time and introduce the stele!”
That same voice sounded again, still ignored by everyone else.
“As for this stele, I’ll mention two flaws.”
“First, the stele is bound to the robe. If you want to take the stele, you must take the robe along with it. The Curse you heard about just now—according to Wanbao Pavilion’s appraisal—was brought to the robe by the stele. Therefore, we cannot guarantee you will not be affected by the Curse after acquiring the stele.”
“What the hell?”
This time, a hint of mocking laughter followed the shout.
“Second, this Mystic Realm Stele is missing a piece, so it is incomplete. The inscriptions on it are in ancient script… So, based on all these factors, Wanbao Pavilion has decided as follows…”
“The starting price is one hundred Supreme-grade Spirit Stones. The Magic Robe is the auctioned item, and the stele comes as a gift.”
“What the hell!?”
This time, the exclamation slipped out.
The laughter was even louder than before.
As if prearranged, no one made an immediate bid.
Instead, they all mocked this attention-seeker, now slapped in the face by reality.
But then, a voice with a spoiled, domineering tone rang out, and all fell silent.
“Room Two, five hundred Supreme-grade Spirit Stones.”
The atmosphere instantly became solemn.
To be honest, a Curse means little to most of those present.
But a Mystic Realm Stele missing a piece—that’s a major problem.
You see, only a fully intact Mystic Realm Stele can reveal its power and provide accurate information.
Even the smallest missing part can cause grave errors.
According to unofficial records, many cultivators in history have gone mad and perished from trying to comprehend an incomplete stele.
Many others, misled by incomplete clues, entered the Forbidden Land and never returned.
Most often, though, it’s the exposure of owning a damaged stele while searching for the missing piece that leads to disaster—the person, or even their entire clan, gets wiped out.
As the saying goes, “One who has a treasure is guilty of harboring it.”
No one wants to be the one in the spotlight, nor the one who becomes a stepping stone.
But now, someone had placed a bid, and everything changed.
Almost instantly—six hundred, seven hundred, eight hundred, the numbers sped by, and before anyone realized, the price had already reached two thousand Supreme-grade Spirit Stones.
It is terrifying to possess a coveted treasure, but to give it away while someone else reaps the benefit is even harder to endure.
So, when the six words “Yun Mu, Room One, light the sky lantern” fell, the hall went utterly silent.
“Room One, light the sky lantern.”