Whispers spread like wildfire across the entire auction house.

The news of the spatial rift on Kharvax Prime had electrified the crowd. In the lower sections, eyes widened with a mix of fear and desperate hope. Many had never heard of it before. For them, it sounded like a mythical chance — a place where even the weak could stumble upon treasures that could change their entire fate. Some whispered excitedly about the possibility of finding rare herbs or ancient manuals that could push them into higher realms. Others looked pale, already imagining the horrors that could await them.

In the middle sections, the reactions were more measured. Several cultivators had heard rumors over the years. A few had even entered the rift in previous openings, returning with scars, missing limbs, or haunted eyes. They spoke in low, urgent tones to their companions, warning about the living nightmares inside while secretly calculating their chances of survival this time.

The upper VIP boxes remained mostly composed, though even some of the elites leaned forward with interest. For them, the rift was not a myth — it was a known hunting ground. Dangerous, yes. But also profitable.

Lian stood by the peephole, his blue void eyes locked on the stage. A rare, wide smile stretched across his face — ear to ear, sharp and hungry. For the first time in a long while, genuine excitement burned in his chest. This was exactly what he needed. An opportunity. A place filled with danger and treasures where he could grow rapidly, far faster than normal cultivation allowed. The solution had arrived at the perfect moment.

Finally, he thought. A real path forward.

He could already imagine it — fighting unknown creatures, claiming ancient relics, pushing to the limit and beyond. The white-eyed old man felt one step closer.

All of a sudden, a crushing pressure descended upon the entire auction hall.

It was heavier than anything before — thick, suffocating, and filled with pure madness. The air seemed to warp. Many in the lower sections dropped to their knees again, gasping. Even some mid-level cultivators gripped their seats tightly, faces turning pale.

Then, from one of the VIP boxes, loud, unhinged laughter echoed through the hall.

“Hahahahaha! It’s finally here! After all these years!”

The voice belonged to a powerful cultivator, clearly at least Nebula Dominion Realm. His laughter was wild, almost deranged, bouncing off the walls like breaking glass.

“I’ve been waiting for this! The last time I entered that beautiful hell, I lost two limbs and my favorite disciple... but the treasures! The blood! The joy of hunting stronger opponents until they begged for death! Ahhh, I can already taste it. New creatures to slaughter, new ways to break souls. This time... this time I will come back even stronger!”

The man continued laughing maniacally, describing in gruesome detail how he had killed other explorers, how he had bathed in the blood of unknown species, and how the rift had shown him pleasures that normal life could never offer. His voice carried pure insanity wrapped in overwhelming power. Several people in the hall visibly shivered.

Not everyone shared his joy.

Some faces lit up with excitement, already planning expeditions. Others looked grim and sad, remembering friends or family who had entered previous rifts and never returned. A few openly shook their heads, muttering that they would not risk it again — no matter the treasures.

The host stood calmly at the center of the stage, a small smile on his refined Elyssan face as he observed the crowd’s varied reactions. He waited until the mad laughter died down before raising his hands for attention.

“I am sure most of you already know about Kharvax Prime’s spatial rift,” he said smoothly. “Some of you have been there before. You know how dangerous it truly is. You will meet killers, ruthless explorers, and species never seen in our universe. There are races inside that have never been documented. Ancient traps, reality-warping zones, and creatures that feed on cultivation itself. Even Void Ancestor Realm experts have died there. But...” he paused, smiling wider, “we do love an adventure, don’t we?”

The entire auction house erupted into loud talking and chatting. Voices overlapped everywhere — some planning teams, others discussing what equipment they would need, what escape methods worked best, which alliances to form. A few declared openly they would not go, calling it suicide. The atmosphere had completely shifted from greedy bidding to something far more primal and ruthless.

Lian and Elara remained silent in their hidden compartment, both lost in deep thought.

Lian’s mind was racing. He needed deeper information about that place. Everything. Maps, survivor accounts, known dangers, safe zones if any existed. He could not afford to die there. He needed to get much stronger before the rift opened. Six years was both a long time and dangerously short.

Elara stood beside him, arms crossed, her blue cyber eyes thoughtful. She could feel the shift in the air even from up here. The excitement, the fear, the bloodlust. She knew Lian was already planning. And she would follow him, as always.

The host continued speaking over the growing noise.

“In six years, the rift will open once again. Prepare yourselves well. Because inside that lost universe, treasures await... but so does death. Everyone there will be your enemy. Even those you consider close. Nobody can be trusted. Kill, or be killed. That is the only rule that matters.”

Power Scale / Cultivation Realms (Quick Reminder)

Foundation Realm (Layers 1–9): Body forging, no external Qi.

Circuit Awakening Realm (Early–Peak): First Qi loop, internal bursts.

Core Condensation Realm (Early–Peak): External Qi release, short flight.

Stellar Circuit Realm (1–9 Stars): True flight, Qi armor, energy projection.

Nebula Dominion Realm and higher: Domain control, galaxy-level power, etc

Power Scale Reminder

Lian Yu: Stellar Circuit Star 1.

Elara Voss: Core Condensation Middle

The Four Pillars: the most powerful organizations in the lower core universe — ancient, influential, and dangerous beyond measure.

Keep it as reminders