Pruxus Hall.
The foremost hall in the world of stone sculpture, with branches in several of the top cities across the Yulan Continent. Pruxus Hall occupied an enormous expanse of land, and most of the people who came and went through its doors were those who considered themselves cultivated and refined.
If you wore a few magic crystal rings on your fingers in Pruxus Hall, people would likely look down on you, mocking your lack of taste.
Art, sophistication!
These were the things that mattered most here.
Pruxus Hall charged an admission of one gold coin per person.
Music, gentle as the tinkling of a mountain stream, drifted out from Pruxus Hall, filling the listener with a deep sense of tranquility. A steady stream of visitors stepped inside—nobles, noblewomen, beautiful young ladies, all dressed with impeccable taste.
Common folk, standing before Pruxus Hall, could not help but feel a pang of shame at their own humble appearance.
Lin Lei and his three brothers, along with Kas and the other three guards, arrived directly at the plaza in front of Pruxus Hall. Anyone with a discerning eye, upon seeing the Ernst Academy uniforms worn by Lin Lei's group of four and the Blue-eyed Thunder Eagle perched on Kas's shoulder, could not help but adopt a more deferential attitude.
"Uncle Kas, come in with us. The other three can wait outside," Yeru said casually.
Lin Lei and the other three, along with Kas, entered Pruxus Hall. In the center of the great hall stood a towering human-shaped stone sculpture—the sculpture depicted the number-one figure in the world of stone carving, Master Pruxus himself.
The entirety of Pruxus Hall was remarkably hushed.
Almost everyone, no matter how high their status, kept their voices low, afraid of disturbing others.
Yeru, Rein, George, and Lin Lei gazed at the stone sculptures on display, each one feeling that these works were truly exquisite and magnificent.
"The exhibition halls of Pruxus Hall are divided into three main sections—the Ordinary Exhibition Hall, the Expert Exhibition Hall, and the Master Exhibition Hall. The Ordinary Exhibition Hall is where stone carving enthusiasts submit their own works to be displayed, appraised, and priced by the public. Each piece is exhibited for one month, after which it goes to the highest bidder. These works are fairly ordinary—most are worth a few gold coins, with the better ones fetching a few dozen at most."
Yeru continued with a smile, "The Expert Exhibition Hall is different. It's divided into individual private rooms, each displaying the works of a single expert. To be called an 'expert,' one's skill in stone carving must be widely recognized, and their works generally sell for around a thousand gold coins."
"As for the Master Exhibition Hall—now that's something else entirely. It's in the innermost part of the hall, displaying works by only a handful of masters. A master's work commands a terrifying price—a single piece can fetch tens of thousands of gold coins, and a master's famous works can go for hundreds of thousands," Yeru explained in detail to his three companions.
Lin Lei listened, holding his breath.
A master's work—tens of thousands of gold coins for a single piece. For a master of stone sculpture, money no longer meant anything.
"Of course, stone sculpture masters rarely produce a single piece. After all, they don't want to leave any blemish on their reputation," Yeru remarked with a sigh. "A work that can be passed down through the ages requires strength, talent, and a flash of inspiration in just the right moment!"
"The works in the Ordinary Exhibition Hall only look decent on the surface. Let's move on ahead." Yeru took the lead.
Walking through the quiet, spacious halls of Pruxus Hall, listening to the music that brought such a sense of calm, Lin Lei felt himself immersed in an ocean of art. At that moment, Derinkoort emerged once again from the Coiling Dragon Ring, and Derinkoort too took in the surrounding sculptures.
"Terrible, terrible—what level is this? And they dare put it on display for people?" Derinkoort said with disdain.
"Grandpa Derinkoort," Lin Lei turned to look at him, "this is just the Ordinary Exhibition Hall of Pruxus Hall. Ahead there's the Expert Exhibition Hall, and beyond that the Master Exhibition Hall."
"Pruxus Hall?" Derinkoort froze, then fell completely silent.
"Grandpa Derinkoort? Grandpa Derinkoort?" Lin Lei called out several times in his mind, but seeing that Derinkoort remained lost in thought, he decided not to disturb him. He followed Yeru, Rein, and George into the Expert Exhibition Hall. The Expert Exhibition Hall was indeed different—in the lobby, there was information on each expert along with the location of their private exhibition rooms.
Yeru, Lin Lei, and the others proceeded to enter the individual rooms one by one.
Although Lin Lei did not know much about stone carving, he could clearly sense that these experts' works were vastly different from the ordinary pieces outside. They seemed to carry a special quality, an inner spirit that set them apart.