The auction chamber trembled with ation. Crystal chandeliers shimmered like constellations caught in a dome of fate, illuminating hundreds of top cultivators, nobles, sect masters, and secretive emissaries—all converged from the farthest ends of the lower realms. But none of them knew the true puppeteer who orchestrated this spectacle from the shadows.
Li Xuan.
In a secluded chamber behind the walls of the Grand Heaven Auction Hall, he sat alone in lotus position. His eyes were closed, but his presence permeated the very structure of the hall. Threads of karma stretched from his form like invisible tendrils, entangling every bidder, every treasure, every transaction.
A faint voice echoed in his mind—the Heaven Auction System.
"+8,200 Karma… +31,000 Karma… +11,400 Karma…"
He smirked faintly. The sheer scale of this auction was unprecedented. More than four thousand top-tier treasures were being sold. A single talisman, forged by a long-dead Saint of the Upper Realms, had sold for the price of an entire sect's treasury.
Li Xuan's generals moved like elegant blades through the crowd. Seven of them, each with distinct auras, yet all spoke with one voice—his will. The forty-nine elites beneath them guarded treasures, guided bids, incited rivalries, and ensured the blood flowed subtly enough to keep bidders desperate, not dead.
"General Lin," Li Xuan whispered mentally.
A voice answered, steady and respectful. "Auction of the Dark Immortal Bone completed. Highest bid secured from the Eternal Ice Sect. The elder tried to pull out. He was… reminded."
"Good. Let him believe he made the deal of a lifetime. And… General Qing?"
"Handled. The Blood Wolf Clan lost control during bidding and attacked another. We let them kill one before we intervened. They'll be grateful and indebted."
Li Xuan opened his eyes.
His gaze was cold now—like frost devouring flame. This wasn't just an auction. This was power consolidation through chaos. He didn't need to trust anyone; he needed only their obedience and karma. That, he commanded absolutely.
Hours passed.
Dozens of rare items rotated through the stage. One by one, ancient items emerged—beast cores, soul pearls, forbidden array manuals. All authentic. All deeply infused with karmic value.
But none of these compared to what was next.
A white-robed elite stepped onto the stage, her voice ringing with clarity.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we now present: The Void-Patterned Mirror. A relic from the pre-God Era."
The entire hall went silent.
Even Li Xuan's generals halted mid-movement.
This mirror was one of Li Xuan's private finds—dug from a ruin he had personally destroyed weeks ago. Its karmic signature was so complex that even the Heaven Auction System strained to evaluate it. It radiated hidden truths, echoing unknown futures.
"Starting bid: 1.2 billion spirit stones."
Screams. Gasps. Then frenzy.
Within seconds, sect masters who had been whispering politely were now cursing aloud, their eyes bloodshot. A Saint-ranked alchemist attempted to teleport the treasure mid-auction and had his hand severed in response by Li Xuan's formation.
The mirror sold for 8.9 billion.
And gave Li Xuan nearly 200,000 karma.
But it was more than numbers. As the karma surged into him, his mind cultivation stirred violently.
The Voidheart Enlightenment Sutra—that forbidden, painful art—roared to life. Threads of karma flowed into his mind, coiling and tightening like vipers. Pain lanced through his skull, his veins, his soul.
"Aaaaargh!"
He didn't scream aloud. But internally, his world was thunder.
The pain was worse than being torn limb by limb. His heart nearly stopped. Blood leaked from his nose and ears as he forced himself not to move.
Still… he smiled.
Because the visions came next.
Dozens of karmic threads flared to life before his eyes. Every major player who bought from this auction? Their secrets. Their betrayals. Their ambitions. All exposed.
He didn't need spies.
He was the spy.
And he had seen the future.