A sudden shout of excitement broke the tense atmosphere.
"Haha! I bought a bottle of mineral water!"
The voice belonged to a young man in black, his face brimming with disbelief and excitement.
But the moment the words left his mouth—
He froze.
Because now—everyone was staring at him.
The black-clad youth was no weakling. He was at the second stage of Origin Mastery, a level considered formidable among ordinary cultivators.
But here?
Among these powerhouses, standing near the Ancient Ruins, he was nothing.
As countless piercing gazes locked onto him, he felt his throat go dry.
He didn't even dare to breathe too loudly.
For the first time in his life—
He truly understood what it meant to be the center of attention.
A hoarse voice broke the silence.
"This fellow Daoist…" An elderly cultivator stepped forward, his expression amiable yet pressuring. "Would you be willing to part with it? I'll offer 10,000 spirit crystals."
Before the young man could even react—
"Heh, 10,000? Are you joking?" A burly man scoffed. "I'll pay 20,000 spirit crystals!"
"50,000 spirit crystals!"
"100,000 spirit crystals!"
The offers skyrocketed in an instant.
More than a dozen powerhouses began outbidding each other, their voices growing sharper.
The very air tensed, thick with hostility.
The black-clad youth felt like crying.
He had never said he was selling!
Yet somehow—this had turned into an auction?!
But did he dare to complain?
Of course not.
These were masters—each capable of slaughtering him with a single strike.
He wasn't stupid. The only reason they hadn't simply taken the mineral water by force was because of the mysterious store owner's presence.
Otherwise—
A cultivator of his level, holding something this valuable?
That was no different from a death sentence.
The bidding intensified.
An elderly man, his hair silvered with age, stepped forward. His eyes were tinged with red, his aura surging uncontrollably.
"One million spirit crystals!" he declared.
A wave of silence swept through the crowd.
Then, someone sneered.
"Heh, Old Monster Chu, planning to use this on your unborn grandson? Smart move."
Hearing this, many cultivators' expressions changed.
They had all seen the effects of the mineral water.
It could enhance potential, making it priceless for young cultivators.
And the younger the recipient—
The greater the benefits.
This wasn't just an item for restoring vitality.
It was an investment in the future.
Old Monster Chu coldly laughed.
"So what if that's my intention?" His voice turned sharp. "Are you telling me you're not thinking the same thing?"
His killing intent seeped into the air.
"It's been a while since I stretched my muscles," he muttered. "Perhaps today's a good time."
"Hah! You think I'm afraid of you?"
Tension exploded.
Several powerhouses began preparing for battle.
A terrifying storm of spiritual energy surged within the ruins—
On the verge of breaking out into all-out combat.
But then—
A voice cut through the tension like a blade.
"Fighting is forbidden inside Origin Mall. Violators will be blacklisted."
A single, flat sentence.
Yet instantly, the killing intent vanished.
The crowd stiffened.
No one had even noticed when Luo Chuan had appeared.
And that realization sent chills down their spines.
If someone as powerful as Luo Chuan could stand among them unnoticed—
It meant that, if he wanted to, he could eliminate them without them realizing it.
The once arrogant cultivators now looked like children caught misbehaving.
Even if anger still lingered in their hearts, none of them dared to show it in front of him.
Luo Chuan's expression remained indifferent.
"You should read the rules more carefully."
With a casual flick of his wrist, the light curtain at the counter changed.
The section displaying the store's rules expanded several times, making it impossible to ignore.
All eyes turned toward it.
And as they read—
A wave of understanding washed over the crowd.
"So many rules…" someone muttered.
"Origin Mall really is different from any other store…"
"Well, it makes sense. A shop with divine artifacts should have strict regulations."
Although they had initially been shocked, none of them complained.
Instead, they simply accepted it.
After all—
This was Origin Mall.
It wasn't just a store.
It was a place that defied common sense itself.
Among the crowd, Ji Wuhui, the Emperor of Star Empire, let out a knowing chuckle.
"Compared to the Nine Stars City branch," he mused, "these rules are actually quite lenient."
Old Bai, standing beside him, nodded in agreement.
"If these people ever visit the main store…" he trailed off, smirking.
"I wonder how they'd react."