In this process, there is both the chance for life and the seeds of destruction — a terrifying crisis that can annihilate all living beings. Yet along with it also comes immense opportunity. For cultivators with a water attribute, the benefits are especially great, countless in number; the various spiritual items obtained from it can greatly enhance one's foundation, even help complete a breakthrough, or bring insight into higher realms. For many, this is a golden opportunity.
The message shared here is something that, if you were not from the Tianhe Domain, you would never have known. But now, once the cultivators in the mysterious auction house have a corresponding need, they can go to the Tianhe Domain and wait for the chance to appear. This is an unseen benefit.
Where else could one hear such hidden secrets?
Even if you knew of them, it would likely be after the fact. By then, it would be too late, with no way to make up for the loss.
Only here, in the mysterious auction house — where people from all directions and different domains gather to share the news of their own regions — can such information retain its timeliness.
After hearing this piece of information, many strong cultivators nodded silently, as if they had gained something in their hearts. They silently took note of it; whether or not they would go there, at the very least this information must be recorded, and some might even immediately inscribe it by special methods after leaving the auction house, to be kept for future reference.
As a form of heritage, it would be passed down.
"The Great Xia Emperor Court, centered in the Longque Domain, has been expanding outward, already ruling over three major domains. According to reliable intelligence, Great Xia is about to be promoted to a Holy Court. Furthermore, within Great Xia, armies have already gathered, ready to go to war at any time. They show immense military might, and in Great Xia, the rites and customs of Xia are used to overawe all directions. Wearing Great Xia robes, following Great Xia etiquette, speaking the Great Xia tongue — they are wholly citizens of Great Xia. The Nine Tripods guard its borders; where the tripods stand marks the territory of Great Xia."
A cultivator began sharing a piece of intelligence he knew.
Great Xia is on the verge of becoming a Holy Court. Without a doubt, their rate of development is extremely fast, due in no small part to their foundation as an ancient kingdom.
From Great Xia's emergence until now has been but little more than a decade, and yet they have already achieved so much. This shows just how important a deep foundation is. Naturally, their great contribution in guarding the Demon Abyss of the Eternal World cannot be ignored — their merits are immense, and Heaven itself aids them.
The forces of Heaven and Earth work together for them, so their path is smooth.
Yi Tianxing felt this was not a bad thing. Whether it was Great Yi or Great Xia, they were both human empires, and at least for now there was no possibility of conflict — their domains were far apart, with no overlapping interests in the short term.
"In the Jinyang Domain, the Eleventh Prince of the Golden Crow Clan, Zhao Hao, has established the Taihao Emperor Court. He has gathered numerous beast clans into a grand Demon city, creating laws and order, developing Demon-kind civilization. He has already made great progress, backed by the ancestral court of the Demon race, with a deep foundation. Imperial Dew Nectar falls from time to time, and many Demon prodigies assist him, with the White Marsh (Bai Ze) as his prime minister. Now, it is flourishing, having already taken six major domains, and is on the verge of becoming a Holy Court."
Another cultivator spoke.
The Demon race is unquestionably one of the great clans, blessed with natural advantages for development. A single fall of Imperial Dew Nectar can create a vast number of Demon, from which countless prodigies and heroes can be chosen. With focused cultivation, success comes easily.
Yi Tianxing inwardly sighed: Interesting… it seems Zhao Hao's status as a Heaven's Favored, combined with his fate as the Eleventh Prince of the Golden Crow, will indeed allow him to achieve something. But how far he can go remains to be seen.
Being a Heaven's Favored does not mean smooth sailing forever, nor immunity from death — it only means somewhat better luck. With the Demon race at his back, Zhao Hao has advantages that others lack, so his early rise is inevitable. But the path of ruling an empire is not simple; the further one goes, the harder it becomes.
Still, Zhao Hao was no mediocrity. He understood that an empire's essence lay in developing order and civilization. With those two principles, any race could found a lasting legacy. Whether he could create a truly unique Demon civilization, however, depended on his ability.
More news followed: several Emperor courts were already advancing toward Holy Court status.
Their growth rates were fast, and it was foreseeable that many Holy Courts would appear soon. Once they reached that stage, they would likely remain there for a long time — promotion to Immortal Court was extraordinarily difficult, and the prerequisite of possessing a Ancestral vein blocked most empires' progress.
The sharing of these messages made the atmosphere lively.
Those attending the auction felt it had been worth the trip — especially newcomers, who were greatly broadening their horizons. Such information was not something they could usually obtain.
Piece after piece of secret news stirred curiosity and longing rather than boredom. For many, learning about events beyond their own domains was a cause for joy — whether about empires, treasures, or strange sights they had personally encountered.
With so many participants this time, the variety of information was greatly enriched. In a short span, everyone felt their knowledge and experience had grown.
Silent Wanderer recorded all of this for storage in Great Yi's Scripture Pavilion, as part of its heritage.
"According to reports, on the Primordial Continent, the Chaotic Heaven Ladder is about to open. This ladder is also called the Supreme Ancient Road — the Road to Proving the Dao."
Before long, a cultivator suddenly spoke:
"The Chaotic Heaven Ladder is located on Buzhou Divine Mountain. Starting from the foot of the mountain, if one can reach the summit, one can prove the Dao — perhaps even attain the realm of Hunyuan and achieve supreme divine powers. It is said this supreme road was established by the Great God Pangu himself. It contains three thousand checkpoints, and whoever can overcome the ladder will have the qualification to prove the Dao of Hunyuan , and may even obtain Pangu's legacy."
"What?"
Many cultivators sucked in a cold breath in unison.
In the Eternal World, there were few who had not heard the name of Pangu. The first divine mountain of the primordial age was formed from his body, and the legend of him splitting heaven and earth, standing between sky and earth, had been passed down through countless ages without fading.
If a road set by Pangu himself offered a chance to prove the Dao, that possibility was beyond doubt — in fact, the odds might be quite high.
"Now, in the Primordial Continent, the prodigies of all the top clans are rubbing their fists, ready to rush onto the ancient road the moment it opens. This is a sacred road — but it is also destined to be a blood-soaked road of buried bones. According to many experts' predictions, seventy percent of the prodigies who step onto the road will die there. Exactly how many can succeed is unknown."
It would be a trial both bloody and cruel — a tempering and a test of proving the Dao. One careless step meant death, even for geniuses. No special treatment would be given.
Yet the benefits for those who succeeded would be beyond measure.
"According to reports, the Chaotic Heaven Ladder only accepts young prodigies under a bone age of one thousand years. Any older, and they cannot step onto it — and even if they do, they will gain nothing, only lose their lives. It is said that whoever reaches the very end of the ladder will obtain… Hongmeng Purple Qi."
This bombshell caused everyone present to show expressions of shock.
Hongmeng Purple Qi — the ultimate treasure of proving the Dao, something countless beings dream of. Even if it meant certain death, few would hesitate, for it was the path to the Dao.
"This will be a trial destined to be remembered for all time. Many will reach the summit; many more will be buried along the way."
Yi Tianxing sighed inwardly.
He had no need for Hongmeng Purple Qi — he already possessed it, and had decided not to rely on it for his Dao-proving opportunity. But those who desired it were countless.
The Battle to Slay the Heavens had been for his sake; if great powers could not avoid calamity, how much less the young prodigies?
"Is there a specific opening time?" someone asked.
"There is no definite date yet, but some skilled in the art of fate estimate roughly a hundred years from now. Whether it will be sooner or later, no one can say — it's only a rough estimate. But it can be predicted that when it happens, it will herald a golden age. A battlefield of contending prodigies."
With that, the speaker fell silent.
Whether the listeners believed him was their own business, but clearly, his words had planted thoughts in many hearts.
Time passed quietly, and before they knew it, the auction was drawing to a close. The exchange of information gradually ceased.
As at the beginning, when the auction ended, the bidders vanished one by one, naturally departing and returning to where they had come from. No one could see the true workings behind it; the comings and goings were like a dream.
"The Primordial Continent, is it? There's still time. Even if I don't take part, Xianhuang and the others can go. That may be an excellent trial for them. To live is to have the chance to grow."
Seated upon his throne, Yi Tianxing remained silent for a long while before looking up at the void and sighing inwardly.
This kind of trial was no longer suited to him.