My Wife Turns Out to be an Empress of the Dynasty

"Sheng Xuzi, spare us your commercial rhetoric!" exclaimed one individual in the gathering. Read exclusive chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

"The Heart of the World holds immense value, but is ten thousand top-grade spirit stones not a bit excessive?" questioned another.

"The sect has already exhausted its resources to produce ten thousand top-grade spirit stones. Besides acquiring the Heart of the World, there's the matter of preparing various resources for constructing a mini-world and handling myriad issues within the sect."

"I fear that if we fail to establish the mini-world, our sect will collapse."

"Whoever wants the Heart of the World can have it; we dare not take it," declared a candid representative from a lesser-known faction, promptly opting out of the auction.

Initially, he harbored a faint hope for the Heart of the World, but now, deterred by the demand for ten thousand top-grade spirit stones, he withdrew.

Acquiring the Heart of the World could elevate their sect to the second tier of the Immortal Realm.

However, this hinged on the condition that the sect would not disintegrate after parting with such a significant sum of spirit stones.

If the sect were to fall, even possessing a mini-world as its base would be futile.

"We cannot participate," another faction conceded, swiftly followed by yet another.

"Esteemed friends!" Sheng Xuzi interjected, addressing the dissuaded bidders.

"I understand the high starting price, but acquiring the Heart of the World was no small feat for the Star Picking Pavilion."

"I paid a hefty price to obtain this Heart of the World," he continued earnestly.

"To be frank, even if the final price reaches ten thousand top-grade spirit stones, the Pavilion would still incur a loss."

"And the value of the Heart of the World itself justifies this price!"

Sheng Xuzi was not surprised by the reactions of the factions below; their responses were within his expectations.

Though a bitter expression adorned his face, inwardly, he was elated. If the Heart of the World remained unsold, he could use it as a spectacle for future events.

If someone did bid for it, that would be fine too. The damaged Heart of the World had already been manipulated, making it impossible for appraisers to detect any issues in the short term.

As long as no problems arose immediately, any future issues could be resolved easily, even if it meant compensating financially.

In any case, the transaction volume of today's auction had far exceeded previous ones, thanks to the reputation of the Heart of the World.

The Star Picking Pavilion had amassed abundant wealth, enough to handle minor troubles in the future.

"This is quite the performance," remarked Gu Lan calmly from the chief VIP box, observing Sheng Xuzi's theatrics.

These days, even merchants possessed acting skills that could outshine most of the previous generation's celebrities.

Gu Lan had been aware of the situation regarding the Heart of the World from the start.

He had contemplated experimenting with the incomplete Heart of the World's compatibility with the Divine Sky Ring, but it seemed the Star Picking Pavilion intended to use it as a spectacle, making it unwise to reveal his interest.

Who would be foolish enough to bid ten thousand top-grade spirit stones for it? Gu Lan smiled faintly, then resumed his study of the Nine Heavens Earth Essence, leaning against the soft form of the Empress.

Since the Nine Heavens Earth Essence had separated from the mysterious yellow earth, it had been constantly changing.

Regardless of the external forces it faced, it exhibited different transformations. If subjected to strong attacks, its volume expands, enhancing its defensive capabilities.

Conversely, weaker attacks caused it to shrink until it returned to its original state. So far, the defensive prowess displayed by the Nine Heavens Earth Essence had even surprised Gu Lan.

If fully refined, it would undoubtedly become an immensely powerful defensive treasure.

Gu Lan's mind suddenly sparked a bold idea: each of the nine realms of the Immortal Realm might contain a Nine Heavens Earth Essence.

Gathering all nine might even summon a divine dragon. Surely, there would be unexpected surprises in store.

Additionally, he needed to ascertain the origin of this particular Nine Heavens Earth Essence. Lost in contemplation, Gu Lan pondered.

At the auction, various factions remained silent, observing with no one making a bid. In the center of the platform, Sheng Xuzi theatrically sighed, feigning disappointment.

"It's regrettable. It seems no one desires this precious Heart of the World," he lamented, preparing to declare the auction a failure.

However, just then, someone in the VIP box raised a sign high.

"Only ten thousand top-grade spirit stones? If you don't have the financial capability, why participate in an auction? Go home and rest!"

The voice echoed throughout the venue. "Heart of the World... Divine Grace Sect bids!"

Yunlu infused his voice with qi, resonating across the entire hall. "Damn!"

"Divine Grace Sect, truly bold and prosperous!"

"Frankly, if Divine Grace Sect hadn't stepped forward, I couldn't imagine any other faction bidding ten thousand top-grade spirit stones for this Heart of the World. Their confidence is astonishing!"

"So Yunlu wasn't lying before; he truly came for the Heart of the World."

"Damn, he got himself into it..."

The hall fell into silence momentarily, then erupted into murmurs and whispered discussions.

Even representatives of various factions exchanged rumors and information, fearing they might miss something crucial.

Unfortunately, none of them discovered why the Divine Grace Sect felt compelled to auction off the Heart of the World.

No one knew, not even Sheng Xuzi, that the Divine Grace Sect had obtained a complete Heart of the World from a hidden realm not long ago.

Though it was of a lower grade compared to the Blissful Immortal Palace's world, it provided a foundation for their family's mini-world.

The Divine Grace Sect had already implemented strict information control regarding this matter.

At this moment, the Divine Grace Sect stood on the threshold of becoming a second-tier power in the Immortal Realm.

With just one more Heart of the World to integrate, they could secure their position.

When news of the Heart of the World auction in Tianqi City reached them, the Divine Grace Sect dispatched representatives immediately for this very reason.

Now, with the Heart of the World before them, even if the price were higher, the Divine Grace Sect would spare no effort to acquire it.

Observing the Divine Grace Sect's bid, Sheng Xuzi's lips twitched slightly. He never expected someone would actually volunteer as the scapegoat.

With things having progressed this far, he couldn't be courteous anymore; otherwise, their deception would be exposed.

Unperturbed, Sheng Xuzi discreetly signaled to the prearranged informant.

"Ten thousand and ten," unexpectedly, a bidder in one of the VIP boxes raised a sign.

As bids were placed, Yunlu instructed his subordinates to continue bidding. However, regardless of his efforts, the opposing bidder consistently raised the bid by only ten top-grade spirit stones above the minimum requirement.

This bidding strategy furrowed Yunlu's brow. He was very familiar with it because it was the same tactic his subordinates had used to irk various factions before.

Initially proud of it, now that he found himself on the receiving end, it was far from delightful.

Yunlu's gaze turned dangerous. If they weren't in Tianqi City, he would have made sure the bidder knew the consequences of offending the Divine Grace Sect.

It was permissible for him to raise the bid, but not for others. Unlike Yunlu, the others watched the bidding war as if spectating a show, secretly hoping the prices would escalate further, reveling in the spectacle of wealth.

Especially the wandering cultivators, who felt no pressure whatsoever. Regardless of the outcome, they could boast about today's events with their friends.

When the price reached eleven thousand top-grade spirit stones, Yunlu, who had remained calm until now, finally lost his composure. With a cold snort, he flew directly above the VIP box.

"Fellow cultivator!"