Ash at the Gates — A Dog Barked Away
Twilight wreathed Blackflame City in molten hues, each street lit by spirit lamps flickering like captured phoenixes. Before the grand obsidian gates of the Chamber of Stellar Commerce, masked elites queued like stars converging.
And then—one did not.
Lin Tian arrived in plain robes.
No embroidered crest, no sect sigil. Just a single ring on his finger, a blade at his hip, and tired dust at his heels.
The guards sneered immediately.
> "Wrong street, peasant." "City dump's two alleys down."
Lin Tian stayed silent, only raising a palm—revealing a token. Silver lotus emblem. Faint spirit fluctuations.
The guards stiffened. One stepped forward, eyes widening.
> "Issued by… her?"
He bowed quickly.
> "Honored guest. Forgive us."
With a wave of spirit qi, the barriers parted, and Lin Tian entered, face unreadable.
Behind him, mocking laughter twisted to confused murmurs.
> "Mock me while you can," he thought. "Soon you'll beg to breathe."
---
From Above — A Familiar Threat
High above the auction pit, veiled behind spirit mist, Gu Changge reclined in the shadows of his sky booth. A bronze mask cloaked half his face, but behind it—his gaze glinted sharp.
The system hummed:
> [Protagonist detected. Fate Thread fluctuating. Current Fate Suppression: 43%.]
Gu Changge sipped wine from an onyx cup, watching Lin Tian descend into the bidding floor like a misplaced pawn.
> "So, the little brat dares show himself."
He glanced down just as Yue Qinghe's voice rang out.
The next bid would expose the knives beneath smiles.
---
Wounded Flame — The Soul Object Appears
Yue Qinghe's calm voice silenced the crowd.
> "Next item: Soul-Wound Coral Flame—extracted from the Abyss Crucible beneath the Noxshade Rift. It heals fragmented souls and strengthens old legacy artifacts. Sealed within a jade crucible."
Gasps echoed.
Lin Tian's breath caught.
> "That's it."
The ring on his finger flared as his master's voice stirred.
> "Boy, with that flame, I can reforge my will." "If you bond it, I can arrive Peak Golden Core… maybe even Early Nascent Soul."
His pulse spiked.
Yue Qinghe raised a hand.
> "Starting bid: 100,000 high-grade spirit stones."
Lin Tian raised his hand.
> "150,000."
Another voice echoed across the chamber.
A crimson-robed youth with phoenix embroidery.
> "500,000."
A Divine Flame Hall disciple. Arrogant. Smirking.
Lin Tian growled.
> "1 million!"
The youth lazily waved his fan.
> "1.5 million."
Lin Tian pushed again.
> "2 million!"
Gasps swept the seats.
The flame disciple snorted.
> "3.2 million."
The room went silent.
Lin Tian froze, blood draining.
> "I… can't match it."
He clenched his fists. His three million weren't enough.
Yue Qinghe nodded.
> "Sold. To honored guest of Divine Flame Hall."
The crimson-robed youth smirked at Lin Tian as he accepted the sealed soul object, flashing his clan insignia with spiteful pride.
> "Maybe sell your shoes next time, commoner."
---
Darkness Rises — The True Prize Emerges
Yue Qinghe returned, face composed.
> "Next item: unidentified bead. Retrieved from a collapsing ruin beneath the Boundless Ice Sea. Resists all appraisal, all damage."
A black bead floated on a lotus platform, encased in layers of warded ice.
Lightning flickered inside it like a storm sealed in glass.
> "Confirmed unbreakable—survived direct strikes from Deity Transformation Realm cultivators. Its full capabilities remain unknown."
Silence. Then a storm of whispers.
Gu Changge leaned forward.
The system pulsed:
> [Analyzing… Artifact identified: Damaged Immortal Weapon Fragment — Downgraded Classification: Half-Immortal Tier]
[Effects: (1) Conceals cultivation below Immortal Realm
(2) Defends soul from psychic attacks
(3) Boosts cultivation within secret realms attuned to Heavenly Dao]
[ — Strategic Acquisition Recommended.]
Starting bid: 50,000 high-grade spirit stones.
A flurry followed.
100,000
500,000
1 million...
> "1.8 million!"
"2.2 million!"
Gu Changge raised his token.
> "3.5 million."
Yue Qinghe's fingers trembled slightly.
No one else bid.
> "Sold."
---
Beneath the Mask — Protagonist's Fury
Lin Tian sat frozen.
He had failed—twice. First the soul object. Now the unknown bead.
And that masked bidder…
> "Who is he?"
"That voice… that pressure…"
Something inside Lin Tian screamed.
The ring pulsed again.
> "That man… is beyond you, boy. Yet your hatred is a gift. Feed it."
Lin Tian's lips curled into a bitter smile.
> "Then let hate bloom like fire."
His gaze flicked toward the Divine Flame Hall disciple.
> "You robbed me. You mocked me. I'll show you blood."
---
Plans of Blood — Exit in Shadows
Later, after the final item was sold and Yue Qinghe's closing remarks faded into the vault's obsidian walls, the crowd began to dissipate.
Gu Changge remained still, sipping his wine.
He watched the Divine Flame Hall youth strut with the soul object like a peacock, unaware of the knives forming in Lin Tian's eyes.
He chuckled softly.
> "Let the brat stew. Hate forges sharper blades."
The system chimed once more.
> [New Thread Established: Protagonist seeks blood debt — Divine Flame Hall Disciple. Fate Divergence Opportunity Detected.]
Gu Changge's fingers tapped his chair.
> "Let him kill. Let him be hunted."
> "That's how you grow a villain…"
> "...and starve a hero."
---
End of Chapter 12
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