I Was Forced to Marry a “Trash” Cultivator, But She Turned Out to Be a Reborn Empress!

Chapter 231: High-Grade Spirit Treasure, Fourth-Tier Top Grade

Xu Tian respectfully led Shen Xian into the grand foyer of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion. The hall was a hive of activity, packed with dozens of Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators craning their necks, eagerly awaiting the start of the day’s auction.

In the center of the hall, a massive white light screen hovered in mid-air. Golden characters scrolled across its surface, listing the treasures up for bid.

The list was sorted by value, ascending from the bottom. Low-grade Magical Artifacts formed the base, climbing higher and higher until the pinnacle—a top-grade Dharma Treasure that most Golden Core cultivators would kill to possess.

In the Northern Region, the spiritual laws grew more complete the further north one traveled, and the cultivators grew correspondingly stronger. Although the Dao Xuan Sacred Land was a “Sacred Land,” it bordered the weaker Southern Region, and Azure Nether City was merely on its periphery.

Since the Pavilion held auctions daily, top-grade Dharma Treasures were standard fare.

For higher-level Spirit Treasures, however, the story was different. While not unheard of, they rarely appeared in daily auctions. They were reserved for the monthly grand auctions.

Most Nascent Soul cultivators considered themselves lucky to own two or three Spirit Treasures. Only those from major sects or ancient clans might possess a few more, and even they would never casually sell them.

Someone like Shen Xian—a Nascent Soul True Lord casually carrying a hoard of Spirit Treasures like spare change—was an anomaly.

Along the way, Xu Tian chattered incessantly, explaining the Pavilion’s rules and repeatedly emphasizing the ten percent handling fee.

Shen Xian ignored him. His expression remained placid, his mind elsewhere.

In his view, the Heaven-Reaching Chamber of Commerce was too small to swallow his inventory. Leveraging the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion’s reputation was a strategic move to build his own brand. This sale was just the opening move in a longer game.

Sensing Shen Xian’s lack of interest, Xu Tian tactfully shut his mouth.

They arrived at a private appraisal room. An elderly man in purple robes sat behind a heavy desk. Seeing Xu Tian, he nodded.

“Elder Xu. What are you offloading today?”

Xu Tian stepped aside. “This is Senior Wang. He wishes to consign a few items.”

The appraiser looked up. He saw a young man, but heard the reverence in Xu Tian’s voice. Senior Wang? The appraiser’s eyes sharpened. A Nascent Soul True Lord.

“Senior Wang, please sit,” the appraiser said, his tone instantly respectful. “What item do you wish to appraise?”

Shen Xian waved his hand.

Clink.

A jade bangle appeared on the desk, glowing with a profound, rhythmic light. It was the Diamond Bangle.

The moment it touched the wood, a majestic aura washed over the room. The air grew heavy, charged with power.

Both old men froze. Their eyes widened, pupils constricting.

High-Grade Spirit Treasure.

The Pavilion saw items of this caliber maybe once every few years. High-grade Spirit Treasures were strategic assets; no one sold them unless they were desperate or insane.

“This…” The appraiser’s voice trembled. “Senior, you intend to auction this?”

Shen Xian nodded.

He had plenty of Spirit Treasures, but he was new to the city. Better to test the waters with a single high-value item than flood the market and crash the price.

The appraiser swallowed hard. “Senior, please wait. This item exceeds my authority. I must summon my Master!”

He crushed a jade communication talisman immediately.

Xu Tian stared at Shen Xian, his heart pounding against his ribs.

He’s selling a High-Grade Spirit Treasure because he doesn’t need it.

Xu Tian realized just how ridiculously underestimated this “Senior Wang” was. No wonder he had brushed off the offer to explore the Secret Realm. To a man who treated Spirit Treasures like trash, a dangerous expedition for “potential loot” was a waste of time.

In the Northern Region, danger was omnipresent. Cultivators fought for resources inside the Sacred Lands, and battled alien races for territory outside them. In these conflicts, equipment was life.

A pill could heal. A talisman could defend. But a Spirit Treasure? That could turn the tide of a battle.

Suddenly, a wave of heat rolled through the room.

BOOM!

An elderly man with wild white hair and a beard appeared out of thin air. Faint spiritual flames licked at his robes—the sign of a master artifact refiner with profound cultivation.

He frowned, his aura restless. “What treasure is so important that you interrupt my—”

His voice died in his throat. His gaze locked onto the Diamond Bangle.

The casual irritation vanished, replaced by intense, predator-like focus. He stepped forward, his trembling fingers tracing the intricate patterns etched into the jade.

“This… these rune structures are flawless!”

This was Master Chen Min, a Rank 4 High-Grade Artifact Refiner and the Pavilion’s chief appraiser. In Azure Nether City, his status rivaled that of Soul Formation Venerables. A single Rank 4 refiner could arm an entire sect; their strategic value was incalculable.

Chen Min whipped his head around, staring at Shen Xian with burning intensity.

“Fellow Daoist! Who forged this item?”

He had appraised thousands of treasures, but the structural perfection of this bangle shocked him. The purity of the materials, the logic of the spirit circuits—it was masterful.

“I did,” Shen Xian said calmly.

This was his play. To make money fast, he needed fame. Selling the treasure was step one; establishing himself as a master refiner was step two.

Chen Min gasped. The corner of his eye twitched. He took a deep breath, forcing down the storm of shock in his heart, and bowed deeply—a peer-to-peer salute.

“This old man is Chen Min, Chief Refiner of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion. Since Fellow Daoist trusts us with this masterpiece, we will spare no effort!”

He turned to the purple-robed appraiser and barked an order.

“Activate the Heaven-Class Auction Protocol! Send invitations to every major power in the city immediately! Tell them a High-Grade Spirit Treasure has appeared!”

A High-Grade Spirit Treasure was usable by Early Nascent Soul cultivators and coveted by those in the Mid-stage. It would cause a frenzy.

In Chen Min’s eyes, Shen Xian was no longer just a customer. He was a peer—likely a Rank 4 Top-Grade Refiner.

The appraiser scrambled out of the room to execute the order.

Chen Min turned back to Shen Xian, his expression transformed into warm eagerness.

“Where is Fellow Daoist staying? I have a batch of artifacts to finish today, but I must pay you a visit soon to discuss the Dao of Refining.”

If not for his deadlines, he would have dragged Shen Xian into a discussion right then and there.

Shen Xian glanced at Xu Tian.

“Master Chen,” Xu Tian jumped in, “Senior Wang is a guest of the Heaven-Reaching Chamber of Commerce.”

“Good.” Chen Min nodded. He quickly opened a VIP account for Shen Xian. “I have set your commission fee to a mere two percent. The proceeds will be deposited directly.”

Shen Xian cupped his hands in thanks and left the room.

As soon as he was gone, Xu Tian leaned in, his voice lowered.

“Master Chen… what level of refiner is Senior Wang?”

Chen Min stared at the door, his eyes gleaming.

“At least Fourth-Tier Top Grade,” he said with absolute certainty. Then, after a pause, he added, “Perhaps even… Fifth-Tier.”

Xu Tian’s heart skipped a beat.

He had stumbled upon a monster.

Thinking of his President’s recent worries, Xu Tian didn’t hesitate. He pulled out his transmission talisman and sent an urgent message.