Quiet murmurs rippled through the main floor of the auction hall. Attendants moved quickly, clearing the stage and preparing the next lot, but the audience remained focused on the private pavilions above.
"The buyer in Room Nine is sweeping everything," a rogue cultivator in the back rows whispered, leaning toward his companion. "First those dry seeds, and now the meteorite core. Who is that?"
"A pampered young master, surely," the companion replied, looking up at the dark light barrier. "He spent fifty-five thousand spirit stones in less than half an hour. Only a young master from a wealthy clan would waste such wealth on dead wood and stubborn iron just to show off."
Inside Room Nine, Su Ming sat back in his wooden chair, taking a slow sip of his tea. The voices from the lower floor carried through the array, but his expression did not change. He did not care about their assumptions. The two core materials were secured, and that was all that mattered.
***
