Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension

Returning City is the core and most bustling city of the Gui Family, with a population that exceeds a million year-round.

Compared to its closed-off neighbors, Returning City undoubtedly has an open and inclusive style. The Gui Family welcomes all cultivators to settle here or to come for shopping and leisure.

Therefore, Returning City can be said to be one of the most prosperous cultivation megacities in the southwest region of Shenzhou.

On this day, one by one, cultivators with extraordinary auras arrived either riding beasts or controlling devices, or simply using tunneling light, landing in front of a large palace building in the northeast of the inner city.

They quickly and confidently walked into the building.

However, a very few esteemed guests holding invitations were approached by attendants who respectfully ushered them inside.

...

As early as yesterday, Zhao Sheng had already arrived in the renowned Returning Immortal City of the southwest.

On the day of the auction, he disguised himself as an old man with a pale, beardless face and slowly walked along a bustling street in the inner city towards the venue.

The street was very spacious, wide enough for five Immortal Crane Flying Cars to race side by side, with shops belonging to various cultivation families lining both sides and a large volume of pedestrians.

Having never been to Returning City before, upon close examination, he witnessed the prosperity of this famed southwestern city.

This city truly lives up to its reputation as a commercial hub; the prosperity of just this street far surpasses several streets in the Chen Family's Floating City.

Compared to the "coldness" of his own place, Returning City was truly "lively" and bustling with activity.

After walking for about thirty minutes, a large palace building slowly came into view.

This palace covers an area of over a hundred acres, with a large and wide entrance, divided into five levels vertically, with high eaves and intricate carvings, looking extremely luxurious.

In front of the palace door hung a huge plaque—Returning Home Tower!

These three large characters were actually inlaid with top-grade spirit stones, the handwriting like dancing dragons and phoenixes, grand and magnificent.

Zhao Sheng glanced at the plaque, a hint of curiosity flashed in his eyes.

Soon after, he stopped at the entrance, took out a Sound Transmission Talisman, input a few words into it, and then silently waited.

Before long, a middle-aged man in brocade hurriedly walked out from inside the building, and upon seeing Zhao Sheng not far away, he was overjoyed and quickly approached.

"A real immortal has graced us with your presence; I must apologize for not welcoming you from afar!" Gui Zongzheng bowed with a hand gesture, speaking respectfully.

Zhao Sheng waved his hand: "No harm done! I made time to come, I hope this auction won't disappoint me."

Gui Zongzheng smiled confidently: "I guarantee that this auction will satisfy you. Please, follow me, Sir!"

With that, Gui Zongzheng stepped aside, gesturing for him to enter.

Zhao Sheng nodded slightly, then followed Gui Zongzheng into Returning Home Tower.

Under Gui Zongzheng's guidance, Zhao Sheng smoothly ascended to the third floor, entering a private box with excellent privacy.

Zhao Sheng casually walked to the innermost part, and through the transparent crystal window, a large circular venue suddenly appeared before his eyes.

The venue covered tens of acres, arranged in a staircase pattern, with nearly a hundred jade tables on each level, the number decreasing and the distance increasing as you moved down.

In the center of the venue was a circular high platform, from which the entire venue could be seen at a glance.

At this moment, a temporary auction was being held here, serving as a warm-up before the main event.

There were about a hundred people scattered throughout the layers of steps inside the venue, occasionally interspersed with bidding calls.

"Sir, this is the main auction hall of Returning Home Tower, not usually open to the public. It is only used during special occasions, such as this decade-long auction event." Gui Zongzheng explained.

Zhao Sheng nodded, sweeping his gaze across the venue a few times before quickly withdrawing it.

Seeing his lack of interest, Gui Zongzheng quickly added: "Of course, the venue for the high-level auction is not here; it is on the fourth floor."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Sheng said lightly, "Now take me up for a look!"

Gui Zongzheng agreed at once, immediately leading him out of the box and towards the higher level.

The fourth-floor auction hall was an exceptionally spacious grand hall.

At a glance, the decor was more elegant and luxurious, with low tables carved from whole aged wood and meditation cushions made from extremely rare thousand-year-old celestial silkworm silk.

On each low table, there were not only a few plates of spirit fruits but also a pot of spirit tea with cups.

In addition, an apricot-colored jade scroll was placed in one corner of the table.

At this time, the hall was sparsely seated with over a dozen individuals, each exuding a dignified and extraordinary presence, all of whom were unmistakably Golden Core Masters.

Halting at the entrance, Gui Zongzheng whispered: "Sir, I can only accompany you this far; please go ahead."

Zhao Sheng acknowledged with a hum and stepped inside.

Upon crossing the threshold, he immediately attracted the attention of the present immortals, and various gazes of different meanings landed on him in an instant.

Aincreased pressure followed as well.

Having seen many grand scenes, Zhao Sheng paid no heed to the probing of a group of young Golden Core Masters, directly ignoring them and casually walking to an empty low table, sitting down.

First, he leisurely poured himself a cup of tea, then casually picked up the jade scroll to check it with his divine sense.

As expected, the jade scroll indeed contained a list of treasures for the auction, recording not only those in this fourth-floor event but also those in the third-floor auction convention.

Upon seeing one particular treasure, Zhao Sheng's eyes flashed as he thought, "Devouring Immortal Silkworm eggs?!"

In that instant, he decided he must win it; no one was going to sway him!

Soon after, Zhao Sheng discovered seven or eight other treasures that caught his heart, and he resolved to acquire as many as possible if circumstances allowed.

Time gradually passed as they awaited the event.

In the blink of an eye, Zhao Sheng had already poured and drank half a pot of spirit tea by himself.

At this point, more than half of the low tables in the hall were occupied, with over fifty Golden Core Masters present.

Among these individuals, Zhao Sheng also spotted Chen Daxian and Chen Dalong, two Golden Core Clan Elders from the Chen Family.

A moment later, a clear bell suddenly echoed throughout the hall, and the seated immortals immediately composed themselves, ceasing their conversations.

At that moment, a blaze of fire suddenly flew in from outside the door, landing on the high platform at the far end with a flash.

The fire dispersed, revealing a tall elder with red hair and whiskers, a face full of rosy light.

This person was none other than Gui Family's Nascent Soul Ancestor Gui Menglai, respectfully referred to in the cultivation world as "Heavenly Fire Ancestor."

Heavenly Fire Ancestor swept his gaze around, laughing heartily, his voice like a bell, saying: "On behalf of the Gui Family, I welcome all Golden Core Taoist friends to this auction. Without further ado, the auction begins now."

Having said that, he clapped his hands.

Upon the applause, a group of beautiful women gracefully emerged from behind the scenes, holding jade plates with both hands as they walked elegantly onto the stage.

On the jade plates were shimmering treasures, each casting a dazzling light.

Heavenly Fire Ancestor introduced, "The ten treasures before you are all detailed in the jade scroll. I needn't elaborate further. Once you've examined them closely, we'll start bidding on the first treasure."

It must be said that Heavenly Fire Ancestor's straightforwardness was perfectly to Zhao Sheng's liking.

Other auctions often indulge in rhetoric, eager to praise the treasures to the skies.

In contrast, Heavenly Fire Ancestor didn't even bother to introduce them.

After a while, Heavenly Fire Ancestor continued, "The first item, the low-grade magical treasure Zigui Sword Pill, starts at ten top-grade spirit stones. Each bid increment must be no less than one top-grade spirit stone. Start now!"

As soon as the words fell, a Golden Core Master immediately shouted, "Twenty top-grade spirit stones!"

"Twenty-one!"

"Twenty-two!"

Voices resonated throughout the hall, with the price quickly being pushed above thirty top-grade spirit stones.

From this, it can be seen that the spirit stone resources of the Da Chun Realm surpass those of the Tianzhu Realm by far, and the wealth of Golden Core Masters is even greater.

Soon, the Zigui Sword Pill was won by a gaunt old man for thirty-four top-grade spirit stones.

"The second item, the Thousand Spirit Hundred Bird Net, a low-grade magical treasure, starting at twelve top-grade spirit stones, start bidding."

"Twenty-five top-grade spirit stones!"

...

The auction proceeded in an orderly fashion, with each treasure drawing the Golden Core Masters into a bidding frenzy, often selling for several times their starting price before closing a deal.

But Zhao Sheng also came to realize,