Chapter 47: The First Interstellar Auction

 

The ruins of the Kunlun Main Hall had been replaced by a structure that defied the laws of both nature and geometry. From the outside, it was a traditional nine-story pagoda carved from white jade; but inside, the space had been expanded by the Ark’s spatial folding technology into a stadium that could hold ten thousand souls.

Scarlett Night stood behind the translucent curtains of the VIP box, her golden eyes scanning the crowd below.

"They’ve come from every corner of the Eastern Continent," Scarlett whispered, her voice carrying the calm authority of the Sovereign Navigator. "Sect leaders, demon lords, merchant princes... even the reclusive alchemists from the Southern Swamps."

Caleb leaned against the railing beside her, his arms crossed over a chest now clad in a sleek, black uniform woven with spirit-reactive fibers. His golden eyes were fixed on the security feeds—holographic screens that hovered in the air, showing every thermal and Qi signature in the room.

"They're not just here for the trade, Scarlett," Caleb noted, his voice a low, protective rumble. "They're here to see if the rumors of the 'Sky-Eating Fortress' are true. Half of them are carrying concealed weapons. Three of them are trying to probe our firewalls with their divine sense."

"Let them try," Scarlett smirked, tapping the Stellar Navigator on her belt. "The Ark’s encryption can withstand a black hole; a few old men with long beards won't break through."

She stepped onto the floating center stage, the spotlight—a beam of pure, filtered star-light—following her every move.

"Welcome to the first Kunlun-Ark Exchange," Scarlett announced, her voice resonating through the spiritual and neural links of every attendee. "We do not accept gold. We do not accept spirit stones. Today, we trade for knowledge, rare materials, and loyalty."

She waved her hand, and the first item materialized in a pillar of violet light. It was a sleek, silver bracelet engraved with microscopic runes.

"Item One: The Neural-Qi Interface," Scarlett explained. "It allows any cultivator to visualize their meridians in real-time with 99% accuracy. No more blind meditation. No more accidental Qi-deviation. It comes with a built-in AI tutor modeled after the ancient masters."

The hall went silent for a microsecond before exploding into a cacophony of bids.

"I offer the secret recipe for the Seven-Flame Pill!" a Sect Leader shouted.

"I offer the location of a dormant Dragon Vein!" another countered.

As the auction roared to life, Caleb noticed a figure in the back of the room—a woman draped in robes of pure, shifting water, her face hidden by a veil of frost. Her energy signature didn't match anything in the database.

"Warning: Anomaly detected," the ship's AI whispered in Caleb’s ear. "Psionic frequency matches Subject 003-Gamma, but with a 40% variance. This is not the Siren we know."

Caleb’s body shifted into a hunting crouch, his silver-gold tattoos beginning to pulse. "Scarlett, we have a guest from the Deep Sea. And I don't think she's here to bid."

The woman in water-robes stood up, and as she did, the temperature in the hall plummeted. The spicy smell of the hot pot dinner from the night before was replaced by the overwhelming, salty chill of an ancient trench.

"The Alpha and the Navigator," the woman’s voice echoed, sounding like waves crashing against a cliff. "You have built a beautiful cage for yourselves. But did you think the Gamma strain was the only thing our ancestors left in the dark?"

She raised a hand, and the jade floor of the auction hall began to crack as water—dark, freezing, and filled with ancient malice—began to seep through.

"I am the Abyssal Tide," she declared. "And the Empire of the Stars has sent me to remind you that some experiments... should have stayed buried."

Scarlett didn't panic. She stepped forward, her jade brush glowing with a defiant brilliance.

"Caleb, secure the guests!" Scarlett commanded. "System! Activate the 'Prometheus' Vacuum-Seal! If she wants to bring the ocean here, we’ll show her how it feels to boil in a void!"

The Star-Weaver and the King looked at each other, a silent vow of war passing between them. The peace had lasted less than twenty-four hours.

The true challenge of their new empire had just arrived.