Leaving the auction house, both Shopkeeper Tong and Shopkeeper Jin were trembling slightly, unable to contain the excitement welling up inside them.
Shopkeeper Jin clutched a jade bottle in his hand. The Spirit Pill inside was the extraordinarily rare Heaven Origin True Seal Pill!
Recalling what Elder Lu had just said, Shopkeeper Jin said with admiration, "The Void Land truly handles everything with impeccable thoroughness — it's deeply reassuring!"
"Indeed." Shopkeeper Tong stroked his beard and nodded. "Now that we have no more worries, all we need to do is wait patiently for the right opportunity."
When the two had gone to Elder Lu to collect the pill, the Elder had told them that before they sold the Heaven Origin True Seal Pill in their possession, the safety of both themselves and their families would be fully guaranteed by the Void Land. Not a hair on their heads would be harmed. Furthermore, in the future, if they found a buyer and needed it, they could request the Void Land to serve as a neutral arbiter, ensuring the Heaven Origin True Seal Pill sold at a fair price.
The two shopkeepers had been overjoyed upon hearing this!
They had harbored some worry beforehand — the two of them were few in number, and even though they had exhausted every effort to win the auction for the Heaven Origin True Seal Pill, there was no guarantee that some powerful figure who caught wind of it wouldn't come knocking to seize it by force. Now, with Elder Lu's assurance, what was there left to fear? In this Void Star City, was there anyone who dared oppose the Void Land?
The Void Land had clearly anticipated their concerns, which was why they had brought it up proactively. Moreover, the Void Land understood that even if they had won the pill, they would never use it themselves — something this precious would undoubtedly be sold for the best price possible.
Strictly speaking, after winning the pill at auction, the two of them no longer had any formal connection to the Void Land. Yet the Void Land had still given them this guarantee. It was only natural that it inspired such confidence.
Shopkeeper Jin handed the jade bottle over to Shopkeeper Tong. "Brother Tong, as agreed, you take charge of it for this first month."
Shopkeeper Tong smiled and shook his head. "No need. Just keep the pill at your place, Brother Jin."
Without the Void Land's guarantee, Shopkeeper Tong might well have worried about Shopkeeper Jin trying to abscond with the pill. But now? There was absolutely no reason to worry. Shopkeeper Jin would never dare risk offending the Void Land.
Keeping the pill meant bearing the risk of it being lost — a thankless task. Why would Shopkeeper Tong volunteer for that? That was why he had spoken so generously.
Both were old foxes, and Shopkeeper Jin knew exactly what he was thinking. He chuckled. "Brother Tong, you really are a master at avoiding work. Very well — the pill stays with me. It should be sold within a few months at most. During that time, I won't be going anywhere — I'll remain right here in the Star City."
Shopkeeper Tong cupped his fists with a smile. "Then I'll have to trouble you, Brother Jin!"
After the Void Star City's first auction concluded, it was obvious that many cultivators had departed one after another. The shopkeepers in particular had left the Star City in a hurry, vanishing to destinations unknown.
The Star City had already been lacking in foot traffic, and with their departure, even fewer cultivators remained. Meanwhile, the thirty thousand Void Land Disciples were hard at work throughout the Star City, construction buzzing with fervent energy.
Cultivators who had achieved success in their Cultivation naturally built things differently from mortals. Every single day, the Star City underwent visible changes. In less than a month, construction across the entire Star City was essentially complete.
Even the massive auction house Yang Kai had requested had taken shape through the joint efforts of Yun Xinghua and Yue He. Built to Yang Kai's specifications, the auction house was in no way inferior to the Danxia Auction House — its interior could easily accommodate ten thousand people. The enormous structure sat right at the center of the entire Star City, practically becoming one of its most important landmarks.
Yang Kai personally penned the five characters "Void Auction House" in his own hand, which were fashioned into a grand plaque and hung above the building's main entrance.
Nanmen Dajun had been running himself ragged lately. With the Star City now expanded and rebuilt on a larger scale, the formation arrays throughout needed to be completely redeployed. His mastery of formation craft couldn't compare to that of Grandmaster Wuliang, and the Void Land simply didn't have the kind of resources to squander — so a second Nine-Layered Heaven formation was out of the question.
That said, Nanmen Dajun had trained under Grandmaster Wuliang for several months, and his natural talent in the dao of formations was exceptional. Laying down the various arrays across the Star City now wasn't overly difficult for him.
Of course, limited by his own cultivation level and various other factors, the formations he deployed weren't particularly strong and couldn't withstand serious attacks.
But the Void Land was only a hundred li from the Star City — practically right on its doorstep. Who would have the audacity to attack the Star City right under the Void Land's nose? If someone truly did, the three hundred Open Heaven cultivators of the Void Land would be more than happy to teach them a lesson they'd never forget.
The Star City was complete. Compared to its previous incarnation, it had expanded to several times its original size. And because it had been subject to meticulous planning, the buildings within the Star City were layered in clear hierarchy and neatly arranged — a far cry from the former chaos.
The Star City had been built, but managing it still required someone to take charge.
Following the administrative model of Thousand Bird Star City's Datian Bureau, Yang Kai established a Governor's Office within the Star City, and Mo Mei, a Sixth-Order Open Heaven cultivator, was appointed as the Star City's first Grand Governor.
There was simply no other choice. In the entire Void Land, the strongest were Yue He and Mo Mei. Yue He had no interest in managing such affairs and only wished to stay by Yang Kai's side, so the burden inevitably fell on Mo Mei.