"This time, the final auction items are truly of extraordinary value, or I would never have dared suggest that Lord Ming ask the four Elders to come out of seclusion," Hu Yushuang said respectfully.
"It's nothing — just four or five days, hardly enough to delay our cultivation. Girl Hu, no need to fuss over us old folks. Go on with the auction." The thin elder smiled as he spoke. The other three stood expressionless to the side, showing no intention of speaking at all.
"Four Elders, please wait a moment. I will hurry to finish auctioning off these three final items." Hu Yushuang agreed, then turned and beckoned to the three palace-robed women.
The three women stepped forward, came to a stop less than ten feet away, and stood perfectly still once more.
The four elders of the Helian Merchant Alliance flickered and appeared at the four corners of the stone platform, where they sat down cross-legged.
At this point, the many alien cultivators in the plaza, upon seeing the Helian Merchant Alliance deploy four Mahayana-stage elders in one go, were greatly astonished.
It seemed the final auction items really were extraordinarily rare — otherwise, there would be no need for such an impressive display.
Now, after Hu Yushuang finished channeling her technique, the light screen on the soft silver tray flashed once and abruptly vanished. From within, she drew out a small, hazy gray banner.
The banner was barely half a foot long. Its pole was light gray, its surface entirely devoid of spiritual light — only a few faint yellow spirit patterns of unknown origin were inscribed upon it. It looked entirely unremarkable.
Yet across the surface of the small gray banner, seven or eight silver talismans of various sizes were pasted densely. Even so, waves of eerie fluctuations emanated from it, casting a strange, hazy distortion over the surrounding void.
"As everyone knows, the Myriad Spirit List speaks for itself. This list records the most powerful treasures across an entire world. The spirit treasures ranked lower on the list — perhaps some fellow Daoists here possess them even now. But the Profound Heaven artifacts ranked near the very top — I doubt many among you have truly seen one with your own eyes." The woman's gaze swept across the plaza, her expression charming.
"Lady Hu, are you saying that this time's final auction item is a Profound Heaven artifact?" A Body Integration-stage alien cultivator could not help but ask.
"Hehe, you're all clever people. The item in my hands is indeed a Profound Heaven artifact — and it happens to be the Heaven-Turning Banner, ranked ninth on the Myriad Spirit List." The woman let out a light laugh and raised the small banner in her hand.
"What — the Heaven-Turning Banner!"
"That's impossible! Hasn't that Profound Heaven artifact been missing for years?"
"Back then, seven or eight major clans on the Tianyuan Continent were left severely weakened fighting over it — two smaller clans were completely wiped out. I never expected this treasure would resurface today."
...
In an instant, everyone in the plaza was thrumming with excitement, and whispered discussions rippled across the entire venue.
Even among the dozen or so flying houses, the Mahayana elders were mostly shaken.
"The Heaven-Turning Banner — I've heard of it too. For such a treasure to appear at an auction is truly beyond expectation. The Helian Merchant Alliance really lives up to its reputation as a supreme force!" Han Li gazed at the woman on the distant stone platform, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.
Beside him, Blood Soul and Zhu Guo'er's eyes were wide open, their faces full of disbelief.
"Allow me to ask — is this truly the Profound Heaven treasure from the Myriad Spirit List? Hehe, if it truly is, I find it hard to believe the Alliance would be willing to put it up for auction rather than keeping it in private storage." The Mahayana existence who had competed with Blood Soul for the Golden Marrow spoke coldly.
"Elder's discerning eye is keen indeed. If what I hold were the genuine article from the Myriad Spirit List — the real thing, ten for ten — then even with our Alliance's strength, we would never dare bring it out so openly. To say nothing else, if even a few ancient True Spirits came looking for it, our Alliance would face endless trouble. However, when I said earlier that this was the Heaven-Turning Banner from the Myriad Spirit List, that was no falsehood." Hu Yushuang bowed slightly, her expression solemn.
"From your tone, there seems to be more to this treasure than meets the eye. Stop beating around the bush and explain clearly." Another unfamiliar Mahayana elder spoke slowly.
"Yes — allow me to explain. While most fellow Daoists here have heard of the Heaven-Turning Banner and know something of its brief appearance in the past, few would know that the artifact's true body was actually split in two — divided into the Yin Banner and the Yang Banner. What I hold is merely the Yin half. Used alone, it can only display the power of an ordinary Heavenly Spirit Treasure. Only when the Yin and Yang banners are reunited can it unleash its full Profound Heaven might. Otherwise, our Alliance would never have put it up for auction." The beautiful woman hurried to explain.
"Split in two?"
"Yin and Yang banners?"
...
The alien cultivators in the plaza naturally stirred once more.
Many nodded in sudden understanding.
"So this treasure is merely half of the Heaven-Turning Banner. But Profound Heaven artifacts have always been supremely spiritual — since the Yin Banner has appeared, the Yang Banner should have emerged as well. Does your Alliance have any information regarding the Yang Banner?" From within another flying house, a deep inquiry rang out.
The moment this question was asked, the cultivators in the plaza all held their breath.
It was clear this question struck at the heart of what they all wanted to know.
"Elder jests. If our Alliance knew the whereabouts of the Yang Banner, we would have found a way to obtain it long ago — why would we put the Yin Banner up for auction by itself? Even this Yin Banner came into our Alliance's possession by chance. As for the Yang Banner's whereabouts, we truly know nothing at all. Now then — I have finished my explanation. I shall demonstrate the treasure's power to a small degree. Though it cannot display the might of a true Profound Heaven artifact, it should be sufficient for everyone — fellow Daoists and elders alike — to verify its authenticity." The woman replied respectfully, then gripped the small banner in her hand and shook it open.
The originally hazy gray banner immediately emitted a loud hum. Rays of yellow light shot forth from within, then coalesced with a rolling surge, transforming into countless tiny yellow flowers that instantly engulfed the entire stone platform.
In the next moment, the woman's low incantation drifted from the platform. With a sharp cry, the yellow flowers began to spin and whirl.
The very spiritual energy of the entire Grotto-Heaven trembled. Then it surged toward the platform in a torrent, pouring into the yellow flowers and vanishing without a trace.