The Heavenly Horizon Farm emerged from the void, slowing to a gentle hover on the outskirts of the Central Hub—a colossal space station carved from the husk of a dead star, surrounded by thousands of trading vessels and floating pavilions.
Li Xian stood at the edge of his island, wearing dark silk robes woven from celestial spider thread, with Little Ling resting on his shoulder. Below them, a grand procession of luxury ships cleared a path, guided by the escort vessels of the Starbound Pavilion.
Manager Chen stood at the bow of his lead ship, wiping sweat from his brow as he looked back at the floating continent behind him.
— Esteemed Realm Master, — Manager Chen’s voice echoed through a transmission jade. — The Grand Auction Hall is ready. Representatives from the Ancient Phoenix Clan, the Immortal Sword Pavilion, and even emissaries from the Supreme Alliance’s rival factions have gathered!
Li Xian stepped off the cliff side, floating smoothly down toward the main entrance of the Central Hub. As he landed on the polished obsidian platform, the surrounding crowd fell dead silent. Whispers spread like wildfire through the crowd of high-ranking cultivators, merchants, and sect leaders.
— Is that him?! The one who destroyed the Dark Star warship and absorbed the Seven Star Array?! — He brought an entire floating realm with him... Look at the aura radiating from his body!
Inside the Grand Auction Hall, three floor-to-ceiling tiers were packed with powerful figures. At the front row sat Elder Mu of the Immortal Sword Pavilion, a stern woman with a sword glowing at her back, and Young Master Bai of the Ancient Phoenix Clan, fanning himself with a fan made of divine feathers. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
Manager Chen took the stage, striking a gong that echoed through the vast hall.
— Welcome, honored guests! — Chen announced, his voice amplified across the room. — Today, we present an item never before seen in the history of the Astral Expanse. Sourced directly from the primordial soil of the Heavenly Horizon Farm... the Star-Core Fruit!
Two attendants carried a crystal box containing a single, brilliant fruit that radiated light like a mini constellation. The entire hall gasped as the ambient qi inside the room instantly doubled.
— Bidding starts at one million high-grade astral stones! — Chen shouted.
— Three million! — Young Master Bai called out immediately, his eyes blazing with greed.
— Five million! — Elder Mu countered without hesitation. — Plus three thousand-year-old spirit herbs!
Li Xian watched the chaos unfold from the VIP box above, sipping tea brewed from his farm's own spiritual spring water.
— Master, — Little Ling whispered, pointing toward a dark corner in the highest tier. — Someone is watching you... and their energy is completely hidden. New chapters come out on novelping.com first.
Li Xian turned his gaze toward the shadowed box. Sitting in the dark was a figure draped in a pitch-black cloak, holding an ancient scroll that bore the symbol of the Void Realm.
As the bid for the Star-Core Fruit surged past twenty million astral stones, the cloaked figure leaned forward, whispering a voice transmission directly into Li Xian’s mind:
— Enjoy your auction, cultivator. But know this: the Realm Core you awakened in your farm is the key to opening the Void Gate. The ancient gods are coming to harvest your garden.
Li Xian set his teacup down with a soft click, a cold smile forming on his lips.
— Let them come, — Li Xian thought back. — My garden always needs more fertilizer.