1611. Celestial Opera House

The Grand Celestial Opera House was a great sight in the waning light of the setting sun. With its dark facade hewn from dark obsidian and basalt, it looked less like a theater and more like a monolithic fortress.

The lower half was deliberately rough and jagged, retaining the natural texture of frozen magma, while the upper tiers were meticulously carved into smooth, sweeping tiers that caught the light in enchanting patterns, anchoring the skyline with a brutal, tectonic elegance.

Crowning the massive structure was a colossal, ribbed dome forged from uncommon copper. Over decades, it had oxidized with a brilliant, iridescent sea-green patina. Even in the waning daylight, the bright color gave a brilliant contrast to the dark facades.

Hanging between massive basalt pillars on each side of the entrance were long silk banners. Woven in deep crimson and gold, they bore the insignias of the Council of Merchants and the Alchemist Guild, proclaiming the grand auction to the entire city.

The blacksmith had to say, architecture-wise, the Cloud Continent was a lot more impressive than expected. The man from Urth had spent most of his life in vast concrete canyons more focused on practicality than beauty.

But even among the sights he had witnessed after leaving home, the landmarks of the XiGuang province didn't lag behind. The trio took in the sight of the massive Opera House as they approached the entrance, crowded with people.

The heavy obsidian doors of the Grand Celestial Opera House stood open as illustrious guests and their entourage were ushered in. Spice-scented air wafted out from the inside into the warm Doushi afternoon.

Although the entrance was crowded, the line to get in was relatively short. The crowd mostly consisted of followers who couldn't enter with their employers or leaders and had to wait outside because the number of participants was limited.

Seth showed the token he had received from the clerk at the alchemist guild's shop and was let in without a problem. Stepping past the threshold, they were enveloped by a world of dramatic opulence that made them feel that they were visiting a true cultural monument.

The interior was breathtaking. The entire theater was a colossal, multi-tiered amphitheater carved from dark volcanic basalt. The stone had been polished to a mirror-shine, reflecting the thousands of floating amber candles that drifted lazily through the air like a sea of captive stars.

From the ground floor of the pit, rows of plush crimson-velvet seats cascaded down toward a massive, circular stage made of pure white jade. Looking up, floating just below the upper basalt arches above were the private VIP suites.

These sky boxes were shrouded by heavy, gold-threaded curtains, hiding the identities of the elite guests peering down at the stage below. As mentioned by the clerk, apart from wealthy people of Doushi, the auction expected foreign dignitaries, sect representatives, and high-ranking alchemists who didn't wish to expose their identities.

Fin, Seth, and Mina were ushered to a couple of seats roughly in the middle of the auditorium. Before the concierge guiding them could leave, Seth mentioned 'The Spread Maw' and he was given a small booklet of black, empty pages. It was just like the guard captain had told them. The grandeur of the venue didn't make them forget their goal of coming here; still, there was no reason not to enjoy the moment, so they relaxed a little.

Looking around, they realized that the limit on guests was not because there were not enough seats, but because the organizers put some thought into spacing out the seats of guests, so nobody sat directly beside strangers.

"Now this is more like it," Seth muttered, leaning back in the soft, velvet cushion, with Fin and Mina to his left and right.

"I have to admit, this place is great. Do you think the Architect is still around, considering this world had immortals?" Mina mentioned, mesmerized by the polished basalt and white jade. Although she knew cathedrals and dwarven architecture from her own world, this had a quality that made an impact.

Seth gave the interior a once-over and gave an appreciative nod. He was not opposed to the idea of having something like this built in one of the Tree Stations, or Delta.

“I bet Vathon could take inspiration for an own project,” he mentioned. This was already the second time he thought of Vathon Stonechiseler, their resident head mason, who had also built the foe dungeon for the Grand Tournament. He had already considered sending him here to have a look at the Spirit Temple; maybe they should make a list of places for him to visit...

As they continued their idle chat, the atmosphere around was electric with anticipation. Hundreds of wealthy buyers were already flipping through leather-bound item catalogs, while elegant attendants glided between the rows serving chilled drinks and delicate, glowing pastries.

“Snow-lotus Wine, esteemed guest?” one of them asked the trio, too, and they readily received three jade cups and a cooled bottle of wine to refill among themselves. They realized that most people here had their own servant to pour drinks.

They had not thought that far, but they were not the only ones without a servant, so it was probably okay. Ignoring their own inadequacies, they began slowly sipping the exotic wine. It was a cool, slightly sweet alcohol without too much of a punch.

Talking about the theater and sipping wine, they watched the stage with the same anticipation as everyone around them.

Above the white-jade stage, a massive, translucent barrier array shimmered faintly in the air. Apparently a safety measure to protect the audience from any potential effect the items might unleash, but also to stop any shenanigans troublemakers in the audience may cause.

A couple of minutes after settling into their velvet seats and being given their drinks, an attendant handed them a small, polished jade slab."Your bidding tablet, honored guests," the attendant said with a deep bow.

"Simply press your thumb to the surface to register your bid with the main array," he explained and pointed above the stage. High above the jade stage hung a colossal, enchanted display array that would track the bids in glowing neon characters.

The blacksmith weighed the heavy jade slab in his hand, a big smile spread across his face. Now this was what he expected from a developed magic society. This was really advanced technology compared to what they experienced at the auction house in Konan.

No need to shout or lift plates, but would that mean less drama? At least the bidding was much more anonymous, so they wouldn't have to worry about drawing attention to themselves if they made any big purchases.

Thanks to their deal with Master Lu, their coffers were currently bursting with spirit stones. They had no need for local weapons, but they were interested in pills, herbs, materials, and maybe artifacts.

Fin was currently perusing the ledger cataloging the lots for the Grand Auction, but Seth was sure they would finally be able to get something worthwhile. Doushi was a big trade hub, and this was its annual grand auction. He was looking forward to potentially even getting a legendary material.

"Well, Fin," the husband said, leaning over comfortably. "We have a small fortune burning a hole in our pockets; did you already find something worth blowing it on?” he asked the fairy, glancing at the catalog in her hands.

“Yeah, the later lots have some heaven-grade pills and materials, but the descriptions in here aren't very helpful,” the brute explained, a little frustrated, handing him the ledger. The blacksmith immediately knew what she meant.

All the lots were described with the vocabulary of the continent, which sounded grand and verbose, but until they properly appraised it with a skill, there was no telling how the effects and abilities actually translated into the effects and vocabulary of the system.

Receiving the ledger from Fin, Seth took notice of the auction rules explained on page one. Although bids were made in medium-grade spirit stones, the auction organizer didn't insist on being paid in spirit stones. Obviously, one could pay in high-grade spirit stones, but it explicitly stated that barter for something of equal or higher value was welcome.

Although he was Mr. Moneybags, he wasn't Mr. Moneybags because he kept throwing out money left and right. He still had more than enough clutter in Legion and his inventory, loot too good to just throw at a street vendor at a discount.

Apart from that info, the ledger seemed pretty useless. It showed pretty pictures of the items and explanatory flavor text. However, the latter actually made Seth raise an eyebrow at one particular item. There was a name he recognized. Artificer Mo; there was actually one of his works among today's lots, and it was judged as a heaven-grade armament, too.

Seth's attention was on reading the description of the item when he was interrupted by a loud sound.

Down from the white-jade stage, a sharp, resonant gavel-strike echoed through the theater, instantly silencing the crowd. The grand auctioneer had stepped up to a white-jade podium, his gold-embroidered silk robes catching the candlelight.

The Grand Auction of Doushi had officially begun.