Golden Basin Auction House (II)

All the heads in the auction hall turned as one towards the source of the commotion. A figure descended from one of the high balconies, floating gently towards the center of the hall. Their voluminous blue robes fluttered in the air behind them. A large hood and a face veil obscured the majority of their facial features, leaving only a pair of round eyes and startling grey irises.

Chen Wentian had heard of the Four Great Beauties but he didn't know much. Supposedly, they were the four most beautiful and all-around most talented and powerful women in the Martial Brilliance Continent. There was no official ranking or method of joining or leaving the group. The denomination was purely based on reputation and word of mouth.

This Mao Tongxiao was also known as Immortal Frostfire Hurricane, a cultivator at the Spirit Emperor Realm. She was the wife of the sect master of the Frostfire Sect as well as the empress of the Frostfire Nation. Although her beauty was hidden, her power and status were peerless.

Chen Wentian's first impression of her was that she wasn't anything impressive. He didn't see why she had to dress so conservatively and hide almost everything from view. Not only did she obscure her face, but she was also stingy about showing her body. With so many layers of puffy clothing, there was no way to tell if she was skinny or fat.

Even Long Yifei hadn't bothered hiding her physique. He considered her, along with Jasmine, the two most beautiful women he had ever met. Although the various abbotesses and prioresses were certainly a cut above ordinary beauties, they were still a bit lacking in his eyes compared to his two most stunning disciples. He could only wonder how beautiful one had to be considered among the Four Great Beauties.

Mao Tongxiao landed in front of the first row of seats. The people there all parted to make way for her, even the Spirit Kings. It wasn't clear if they were fearful of her reputation or something else. Nobody dared to speak but everyone's eyeballs were still glued to her figure, following her every movement.

Mao Tongxiao approached a hunched-over elder carrying a horsetail whisk and bowed with a level of respect that surprised many in the hall.

"Junior Mao Tongxiao greets Golden Emperor Hu." Her voice was soft but it was hard to grasp. Fitting of her moniker, it was filled with tenderness as well as coldness.

The elder chuckled and stroked his long white beard, "Mmm, your frostfire has improved yet again. Perhaps Frostfire Nation will once again be able to improve its ranking within the Seven Potentates of Jiannan… These are certainly splendid times we live in."

Chen Wentian frowned. That old man was actually Immortal Golden Basin Hu Bao, the master of the Golden Basin Auction House. He didn't expect the master of such a powerful auction house to be so old. The oldest person he had ever seen before was Immortal Solemn Duke Huang Wuji and yet this person looked even older. Although Hu Bao was a Spirit Emperor Realm cultivator, it was likely that he was already reaching the limit of his lifespan. Chen Wentian wasn't sure if living for over a thousand years looking like death was even worth it.

Mao Tongxiao bowed once again, "Golden Emperor Hu, please don't jest like that. Our Seven Potentates are all of equal standing. There is no point trying to figure who is stronger or weaker as that would only hurt our harmony."

Her words were reasonable but far from the truth. Everybody knew this but didn't bother to argue. Humans were naturally competitive. Someone had to be the strongest, someone had to be the weakest, and others fell in line in between.

She continued, "Golden Emperor Hu, I heard that a certain item is going to be auctioned off today, a certain flower I had been looking for for a century. Is it true?"

Hu Bao's lips split into a knowing smile, revealing pink gums that were devoid of teeth, "Indeed, we have it. There was some trouble obtaining it but it is here. If your money bag is heavy enough, perhaps you will be able to obtain it!"

Melodic laughter rang out. Mao Tongxiao's entire demeanor changed as happiness radiated off her in great waves. Her eyes turned into inverted crescent moons as she serenaded the auction hall with joy.

At that moment, nobody dared to breathe. It seemed impossible that a single woman could capture the souls of over a thousand immortal men. But she was doing it somehow. Her laughter pierced even the most impenetrable hearts; she was irresistible.

This was the ability of a Spirit Emperor Realm beauty, one of the Four Great Beauties of the Martial Brilliance Continent. It was truly fearsome. Already, weak-minded Spirit Lords around Chen Wentian were staring at her with hopelessly lovelorn eyes. Some Spirit Kings were actively trying to fight her off while others willing gave up trying to fight a hopeless battle. Only the few Spirit Emperors weren't affected and watched the scene with amusement.

Chen Wentian had to retreat into his soul realm to escape from her captivating power. He hid behind one soul after another as her intoxicating laugh addled his defenses one by one. He was so focused on his task that he didn't notice her shooting a curious glance in his direction.

"Alright, alright. That's enough." Hu Bao said. A wave of golden spiritual energy swept over everyone's heads, freeing everyone from Mao Tongxiao's power. "Xiaoxiao, take a seat. We're starting."

With a swish of his horsetail whisk, he flew into the air above the main platform. He spun slowly in place and addressed the auction hall. "Welcome, all the heroes of the continents and lands far beyond our borders. Welcome to the Golden Basin Auction House for our Grand Annual Auction!"

A roar of approval rose among the crowd. Over a thousand immortals let their voices out as well as their spiritual auras. It was the greatest gathering of Spirit Lords, Spirit Kings, and Spirit Emperors that Chen Wentian had ever seen. It was a scene befitting of the reputation of this auction house and the goods it was able to provide.

Hu Bao raised his hands together in a salute, "I, Immortal Golden Basin Hu Bao, master of the Golden Basin Auction House, am honored by your attendance today. The goal of us holding this auction is for the continued prosperity of the Virtuous Order of Chunzhen, our precious partner in everything we do, as well as all who are allied with our values. As such, of the proceeds the auction house receives for all auctioned items, we will share half of it with the Virtuous Order! This is how we have always conducted business here at the Golden Basin Auction House and it will continue as such for many millennia!"

Another roar of support came from everyone. Although everyone had their own intentions, the anchor that held them all together was indeed the Virtuous Order of Chunzhen and the Sacred Daughters.

"Good, good!" Hu Bao laughed spiritedly, "I see you are all excited to get started. So am I! We have some shocking and stirring items today. Let's have a good show. Let's begin!"

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