A huge red cloth was pulled aside, revealing atop the pedestal an ancient scroll, yellowed by time, enveloped in a delicate preservation formation that prevented any deterioration. The auctioneer carefully lifted the scroll.

"The first main item of tonight... A complete recipe for the Hundred Meridians Purification Pill, a Rank Six pill."

A murmur immediately spread through the hall. Alchemy recipes were far more valuable than finished pills.

A pill could only be consumed once. A recipe could produce thousands of them.

"The recipe is complete, including all proportions, flame control methods, and refinement procedures. It has been authenticated by the Alchemists Association. The opening bid... One hundred thousand medium-grade spirit stones."

The silence lasted only a second before the bids exploded. One hundred and fifty thousand, two hundred thousand, two hundred and twenty thousand.

Kyrian watched attentively. A Rank Six recipe... His interest flickered slightly. Although he was still far from possessing the cultivation required to refine pills of that level, a recipe like this would be extremely useful in the future.

Furthermore, complete recipes were much harder to obtain than spiritual materials.

He had more than enough money, thanks to the steady sales of his perfect pills and the profits he would continue receiving throughout the festival.

When the price reached four hundred thousand spirit stones, Kyrian finally pressed the small jade bidding plaque. His voice was transmitted through the formation.

"Six hundred thousand spirit stones."

The entire hall fell silent once again. Raising the bid by two hundred thousand spirit stones in a single move demonstrated tremendous financial confidence. The auctioneer smiled.

"VIP Room Thirty-Seven offers six hundred thousand. Does anyone wish to outbid?"

Another voice sounded.

"Seven hundred thousand."

Kyrian remained calm.

"Eight hundred thousand."

The bidding continued. Another buyer raised it to eight hundred and fifty thousand.

Kyrian answered immediately.

"Nine hundred thousand."

This time, the silence lasted much longer. The ordinary buyers had already given up. Only two VIP rooms remained in the competition. After a few seconds, a woman’s voice let out a sigh.

"I withdraw."

Only one competitor remained.

"Nine hundred and twenty thousand."

Kyrian pondered for a few moments. The price was high, but it was still worth it. The recipe could accompany him for many years. Without hesitation, he made his final bid.

"Nine hundred and fifty thousand."

The entire hall became completely silent. Even the auctioneer seemed surprised. A few seconds passed. No new bids appeared. She smiled gracefully.

"Nine hundred and fifty thousand... Going once."

Pause.

"Going twice."

A few more seconds.

"Sold!"

The small hammer struck the table with a sharp crack.

Kyrian quietly let out a breath. The recipe was his. A staff member silently entered the VIP room a few minutes later, handing him the carefully sealed scroll while recording the debt onto his VIP token.

Kyrian immediately stored the recipe inside his spatial ring, feeling the weight of that knowledge in his hands. His heart remained calm, but he was satisfied. Even if it took years before he could use it, it was an excellent investment.

The auction continued, revealing treasure after treasure: a black armor forged from the scales of an ancient Spiritual Awakening Realm spirit beast, sold for nearly four million spirit stones; a low-grade Heavenly weapon spear, whose dark crimson shaft and black crystal tip radiated a razor-sharp aura, fought over by experts until the price exceeded five million.

A batch of ten Serene Soul Fruits, capable of strengthening the spiritual sense of cultivators above the Spiritual Awakening Realm.

Kyrian cast a few interested glances at them, but gave up once the price became excessive.

Then came a blue crystal the size of a human head. A Glacial Essence Crystal obtained from the depths of the far north, an excellent treasure for cultivators who followed the path of ice. It was also sold quickly.

Another item caught everyone’s attention. A small piece of black wood that appeared ordinary at first glance yet was tens of thousands of years old. It was a Void Spirit Log, an extremely valuable material for formation masters due to its natural affinity with spatial energy. Its price surpassed six million spirit stones.

Over the following hours, cultivation techniques, armor, alchemy materials, exceedingly rare ores, and spirit beast eggs. Even an incomplete map indicating the location of an ancient ruin left behind by a sect destroyed thousands of years ago appeared one after another. Every item caused the entire hall to erupt into another frenzy of bidding.

Kyrian simply continued watching. Aside from the Rank Six recipe, nothing else interested him enough to spend more money. He preferred to save his spirit stones for the coming days. There were still thirteen days of auctions remaining, and it was almost certain that even greater treasures would appear.

When the final item was sold, the auctioneer gave an elegant bow.

"We thank everyone for your attendance. We hope to see you again tomorrow for the Second Grand Auction of the Celestial Descent Festival."

The crowd slowly began leaving the hall. Kyrian also stood up. As soon as he presented his VIP token, a staff member discreetly handed him a card containing the record of every batch of pills that had been sold that night.

The first few batches alone had already earned him an astonishing amount of spirit stones. The following days would likely bring even greater profits.

Putting the card away, Kyrian left the Celestial Dawn Hall. The night air was pleasant, and the streets remained completely crowded. Spiritual lanterns illuminated the entire city like countless tiny stars suspended in the air.

Music echoed between the buildings, performers entertained the crowds in the plazas, and cultivators walked through the streets excitedly discussing the treasures they had just seen at the auction.

Kyrian took a deep breath. After spending so many weeks isolated in his courtyard, walking among such a lively crowd felt refreshing. His stomach rumbled quietly, and he smiled. All the excitement had awakened his appetite once again.

It did not take long for him to find another bustling restaurant, one specializing in grilled spirit beast meat. The aroma of melting fat dripping over the fire mixed with the scent of fragrant herbs, filling the entire street.

Without a second thought, Kyrian entered, took a seat by a window, and ordered several different cuts of meat, accompanied by spiritual vegetables and a large pot of stew.

While waiting for his meal, he looked out the window at the bustling city. The Celestial Descent Festival had only just begun. There were still many auctions, competitions, experts, treasures, and, above all, countless opportunities ahead.

Kyrian picked up a slice of the first serving of meat, took a bite, and allowed himself a small, satisfied smile. The coming days would certainly be far more interesting than he had imagined.