Chapter Three: The Lin Family of the Imperial Capital is Banned from Participating in the Auction

At that very moment, in the Martial King’s Mansion of the Lin family in the Imperial Capital, a guard hurried in to report.

"Martial King! A mid-grade Earth-level cultivation technique has appeared on the Great Xia dark web! It’s the exact body-tempering technique that Young Master Tianjiao needs!"

Lin Zhengyang, who was personally overseeing Lin Tianjiao’s training, turned around immediately. "Is this information verified?"

"Absolutely! It’s already in auction mode, and over ten thousand people are already bidding!"

"A mid-grade Earth-level technique worth tens of millions, and so many ignorant fools think they can lay a finger on it?" Lin Zhengyang laughed coldly.

The guard quickly explained, "Martial King, the starting bid is only 500,000. It seems the seller is desperate to offload it, which is why it has attracted so many competitors."

"I see. That explains it."

Hearing the price, Lin Tianjiao, who was in the middle of refining his vital energy to break through a bottleneck, felt his heart stir. Noticing the look on his son's face, Lin Zhengyang asked, "Tianjiao, do you want it?"

"Yes, Father! This should help me break through my bottleneck faster and reach the Bone-Condensing realm."

"Very well. Your current body-tempering technique is only a low-grade Earth-level; it is time for an upgrade. A-Long, go bid on behalf of the Martial King’s Mansion!"

The guard nodded. "Understood! What is our limit? Given the number of bidders, I’ve noticed that several other royal houses have suddenly appeared on the dark web."

"Other royal houses? Hmph, no limit! Do they think they can compete with the wealth of the Lin family’s Martial King’s Mansion?" Lin Zhengyang waved his hand dismissively. "As long as we secure it and it helps my son Tianjiao reach the Bone-Condensing realm, no amount of wealth matters. Go and win it!"

"By the way, Martial King, it seems Young Master Lin Yin has truly left the capital. Should I send someone to..."

"Do not mention that rebellious son!"

A-Long’s expression turned complex, and he swallowed his words.

***

At the White Deer Academy, the premier institution of Great Xia, a major theft had occurred just last night—an event unseen in a decade. The academy’s secret vault had been breached; over a thousand pill formulas, weapon blueprints, and martial arts texts were stolen. More importantly, a mid-grade Earth-level technique was missing.

This technique was one of the academy's greatest treasures. It was priceless, and its loss could not be rectified in the short term, which threatened to delay the progress of every student at White Deer. Just as the academy’s leadership was agonizing over how to fill the void, they received news from the dark web.

"Hah! Just as we were drifting off, someone handed us a pillow! This is a lifesaver!"

"This mid-grade Earth-level technique must be acquired, even if it costs the academy’s entire annual budget!"

"The royal houses are on the dark web, too? Bid! At any cost, we must have it!"

***

In the network department of the Great Xia Imperial Clan:

"Have you tracked it down? Where is it?"

"We have, sir. It’s in Tianhe City, near the Great Wall of Jiayuguan." Network Minister Yang Qi looked cautiously at the middle-aged man in fine robes wearing the Imperial crest. "But, my Lord, the seller seems to be using an untraceable virtual ID with no personal information. I can only identify the location as Tianhe City; anything more specific is..."

"It’s fine. If they wish to remain anonymous, we shall respect that," the middle-aged man replied. He was the sovereign of Great Xia, a contemporary King-ranked martial artist, and one of the strongest among the eight human nations. He pondered for a moment before turning to the Minister of Finance. "Elder Li, go represent the state and buy it. Great Xia is in a period where we need to strengthen our core. We aren't like the Great Zhou or Great Wu, which are close allies; we are isolated, our land is flat and hard to defend, and we are dangerously close to the Great Wall. In the last two years, the demonic tribes there have been restless. Anything that can aid our nation must be secured. I authorize you to spend up to 50 million."

"As you command, my Lord."

***

On the dark web, the auction price soared. With the entry of a royal house, the price quickly reached a level far beyond the reach of ordinary martial artists.

"12.52 million!" bid the Yang royal house of the Southern Frontier.

Once the price hit eight figures, the royal houses began to clash.

"20 million!" bid the Li royal house of Bachu.

"25 million!" bid the Zhang royal house of Nishui.

The bidding suddenly quieted down. The auction timer began to tick away.

"We thank everyone for giving the Zhang family face," the Zhang royal house announced. "We will take this mid-grade Earth-level technique..."

Before they could finish, a new royal house entered, throwing out an astronomical price.

"35 million!" declared the Lin royal house of the Imperial Capital.

The Lin family was here too!? Countless people were shocked. The Lin family was backed by the Martial King Lin Zhengyang, a man who had single-handedly pushed through thirteen demon cities. Their status and power far exceeded the other royal houses, coming close to the strongest in the land.

The Zhang family ceased their bidding, evidently giving up on competing with the Lin family.

"It’s over. Once the Lin family enters, all other royal houses back off."

"Does the Lin family need them to show face? Their raw power alone crushes them!"

The auction’s comment section was in an uproar, with some already publicly congratulating the Lin family on their victory.

In the shadows, Elder Li of the Ministry of Finance hesitated, unsure whether to intervene. The influence of the Lin family was simply too great—so great that even the sovereign needed the current Martial King to stand by his side.

"Forget it. No need to sour relations with the Lin family at such a critical time. I’ll just visit their mansion later to learn from them."

On the other side, the guard A-Long, controlling the Martial King’s Mansion account, nodded in satisfaction as the timer ran down with no further bids. The body-tempering technique for Young Master Tianjiao was all but theirs.

Just as he waited for the countdown to hit zero, the dark web administrator suddenly paused the auction.

"An urgent update from the seller!"

"New auction rule: The account [Lin Royal House of the Imperial Capital] is disqualified from participating."

"Per the rules, the bid reverts to the [Zhang Royal House of Nishui] at 25 million!"

A brief silence followed, then the comments exploded with question marks.

"?"
"???"
"Holy hell! Is the seller insane?"
"They’ve lost it. Even the other royal houses backed off to avoid offending the behemoth that is the Lin family, and the seller just banned them?"
"I can safely say this is the most arrogant and brazen seller the dark web has ever seen."
"Does the seller have a grudge against the Lin family? Why change the rules the moment they bid?"
"This is reckless. They’ve completely offended the Lin family. I fear the Lin family will dig three feet into the earth to find them."
"Run, you madman! There won't be a safe place left in all of Great Xia."