My Apocalypse Territory-Chapter 463 - 430: The Auction (Third Release!)

I had crossed mountains and seas, as well as seas of people.

But I had never heard of Architecture Series abilities.

As soon as I stepped off the Floating Airship, many people were stunned to the point of idiocy.

All of us had undergone an Awakening, all were Cultivators, all were ability users, so why were others’ abilities... so different from my own?

It always felt like they were playing a different Cultivation game.

With various doubts, Gong Changping walked through the city gate wide enough to accommodate eight trucks driving side by side, entering the Green Shadow Sanctuary.

Outside the city were golden wheat fields, inside was the flow of people coming and going.

Gong Changping keenly noticed the difference.

It wasn’t the architecture...the development of Green Shadow was well planned, roads were straight and proper, storefronts on streets symmetric, a soothing sight for anyone with OCD, but he didn’t have OCD. He noticed the crowd, many of whom were ordinary people without the aura of an Awakener, yet those people all had smiles on their faces, wrapped in clean cotton-padded jackets, hurrying along.

Radiating a kind of brilliance known as hope.

The three of them walked through the streets.

Watching Mutant Beasts pulling carts.

Watching Iron Skin Puppets patrolling the streets.

Watching Awakeners sparring with each other in the arenas.

Watching strong individuals with powerful auras reluctantly pull out Source Crystals and pay their fines with resignation.

I couldn’t understand,

I just couldn’t understand.

Suddenly, Gong Changping could relate to the feelings he had fifty years earlier when, after having learned martial arts in the mountains, he had followed his teacher into the big city and saw all sorts of novel objects.

The composed eldest disciple was fine, but the youngest disciple was constantly amazed, buying four or five trinkets to wear after just turning two street corners.

They had initially asked for directions to the Extreme Martial Arts Hall and started heading straight there, but after half an hour of walking and stopping, they hadn’t managed to get far.

"Teacher, are we still going to the Extreme Martial Arts Hall? I think we should find a place to stay and have a meal first... That Dragon Palace has such a domineering name, and that Delicacies from Land and Sea looks really good too... Wow, so many people are lining up at Heavenly Joy Inn..."

The plump youngest disciple looked left and right, saliva almost dripping from his mouth.

Gong Changping had no choice but to agree.

Originally, he had intended to directly seek knowledge, whether it meant spending a large sum of Source Crystals or becoming a part of the Martial Arts Hall as an apprentice, Gong Changping didn’t mind—those who are skilled serve as teachers, age isn’t an obstacle.

Listening in from the sidelines would have been fine as well.

But now it seemed that there was too much in Green Shadow that he didn’t understand; walking in uninvited could easily lead to being turned away. It was better to observe first.

They settled into an inn, eating their fill and even purchasing a new set of Equipment.

Conversations of passersby reached his ears.

"Have you heard? There’s going to be a big auction tonight, with Equipment that only high-star adventurers can buy, and even treasures that the ’adventurer guild’ hasn’t displayed."

"You just got internet at home? I’ve known that news for a week! Green Shadow Auction House has held twelve small and one large auction. Tonight’s is the second large auction... And now, there are far more Awakeners in Green Shadow than before; it’s very likely that some unexpected treasures will be consigned."

Gong Changping, who had been ready to visit the Martial Arts Hall Teacher, once again stopped in his tracks.

He glanced at the time, it was 6:50 PM, with only 70 minutes left before the start of the auction, and it seemed necessary to enter early.

’Why not attend the auction first? It’s said there are high-level Cultivation Skills among the auction items, it would be great if I could get my hands on them.’

Gong Changping had to change his decision on the spot.

The path to seeking knowledge is truly arduous.

...

Green Shadow Commercial District.

Auction house.

After a month and a half, the large-scale auction was held once again, and some Awakeners who were not permanently based in Green Shadow also rushed over upon hearing the news.

The spacious streets seemed crowded.

The auction house was large enough to accommodate two thousand people, but given the nearly one hundred thousand Awakeners in Green Shadow at the time, it wasn’t considered much.

Therefore, there was a threshold for entry into the auction house.

Four-star adventurers could enter.

Well-known adventure groups, well-known business associations, high-level individuals from the surrounding Sanctuaries, and others all received varying numbers of invitations distributed by the Municipal Department.

Advanced invitations even allowed for bringing others along.

Moreover, to facilitate Awakeners who had just arrived in Green Shadow and had nothing, the auction house also opened a "convenience channel." Awakeners with sufficient strength were also qualified to participate—in today’s world, strength represented wealth.

Gong Changping only understood this after he had wiped off his cold sweat in secret.

His strength at the Peak of Eighth Layer made him a significant figure elsewhere. But in Green Shadow, it seemed to count for little; he just barely qualified to bring two people with him.

Soon, the three of them were led into the auction hall by the server.

As expected, they were seated in the main hall at a corner spot on the side.

Gong Changping arrived quite late; in ten minutes, the auction would start. By then, the occupancy rate in the main hall had reached 90%. The auras of countless Awakeners interweaved together like a simmering volcano... His senior disciple with Sixth Layer strength was alright, but the junior disciple with only Fourth Layer strength was turning slightly pale. Gong Changping quickly covered the junior disciple with his spiritual power.

On closer inspection, almost all the Awakeners in the hall displayed strength above the Sixth Layer.

That was nearly two thousand people!

Some Sixth Layer Awakeners were even kept out at the door!

Comparing this to the Sanctuary where he originally stayed, Sixth Layer strength was referred to as a big shot, capable of controlling a Mercenary Corps of over a hundred people.

"Indeed, only by stepping out into the world can one realize how vast it is."

"No wonder it’s called a Holy Land. Green Shadow is terrifying in this respect."

...

Apart from the main hall, there were private rooms on the second and third floors, but Gong Changping, sitting in the main hall, couldn’t perceive anything. It was either the people in the boxes concealed their auras, or the materials of the boxes themselves had the effect of isolating auras.

With a quick glance from the corner of his eye, he noticed an Awakener two seats away suddenly turned deathly pale, covered his mouth with his hand, and blood seeped between his fingers.

Just a moment ago, Gong Changping had felt a burst of spiritual power extending from this person.

"Could it be that he tried to probe into the private rooms and was backfired upon?"

...

At eight o’clock on the dot.

The lights dimmed in the auction hall.

A spotlight fell on the stage, and a seductive woman stepped forward with a graceful gait.

"Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed powerhouses, leaders, honored guests, and friends, boys and girls, hello and welcome to the Green Shadow Auction. I am your lead auctioneer, Liu Yao."

She wore a low-cut dress, and the "scenery" of the upper hemisphere drew sidelong glances from the Awakeners in the hall.

Whistles were even heard.

In an instant, the atmosphere reached its climax.

Soon, the first item was presented.

"This is a Grade B Equipment ’Dragon Pattern Gold Armor,’ accompanied by two Spells. One is ’Protection,’ which can trigger an energy shield to save your life in critical moments, and the other is ’Dragon Pressure,’ which can have a shocking effect on Demonized Beasts. It is a rare Secret Treasure."

(PS: The author is about to die QAQ...)