SUPREME ARCH-MAGUS

Early in the next morning, as the first rays of the sun painted the sky over Nine Cauldron Summit, Fatty and Kent woke up, feeling refreshed. The sight of the sun rising behind the majestic nine cauldrons was truly breathtaking, casting a golden glow over the entire summit.

While Peak Master Porus had gone off to meet someone, Fatty eagerly dragged Kent along to explore the summit. Fatty, curious about store operations and eager to learn for his future business, wanted to see every store. Kent, accompanied him helplessly.

Together, they began wandering in and out of various shops, each one wealthier than the last. Fatty's eyes widened in surprise and awe at the vast array of goods on display: rare herbs, exquisite artifacts, powerful weapons, and luxurious garments.

However, his excitement quickly turned to dismay when he learned the prices of these items. Each one seemed more exorbitant than the last.

"Master, these high places are very pricy. With one mana stone, I could have spent a good life in Silver Leaf town," Fatty muttered, thinking about his meager stash of gold, silver, and bronze coins. Kent couldn't help but chuckle at his friend's wide-eyed reaction to the summit's riches.

By noon, the pair found themselves utterly exhausted from their exploration. They collapsed into chairs at the Cauldron Chef store. The aroma of hot, flavorful soup wafted over them, reviving their spirits. Fatty eagerly dug into his bowl, savoring every bite.

Little did he know, the soup he was enjoying cost a whopping five mana stones. If he had known, he might not have dared to touch it. Kent, seeing Fatty's blissful ignorance, decided not to spoil the moment.

After they had eaten their fill, Kent placed a superior mana stone into the hand of the servant lady, saying, "Keep the change." The lady's eyes widened in astonishment, and she bowed deeply, a wide smile spreading across her face.

Fatty, after knowing the worth of the superior mana stone Kent had just spent, swore under his breath, "I'll never eat food in these lavish places again." The extravagance of the summit was overwhelming for someone used to simpler means.

As evening approached, a glass orb in Kent's storage bracelet began to glow. As Kent picked up the sky orb, Peak Master Porus's voice echoed from it, instructing them to head to the central Sun Stone Tower, where a grand auction was about to take place. Fatty and Kent exchanged excited glances.

After ending the communication orb, Kent lifted his head and stared at the distance tower, which is the highest building in the summit situated at the center. It is glowing with sun rays, attracting everyone's attention.

"An auction at the Sun Stone Tower, huh? This should be interesting," Kent said, a glint of anticipation in his eyes.

"Let's hope the auction items are not as expensive as everything else around here," Fatty replied, half-joking and half-serious.

They made their way to the central Sun Stone Tower, the tallest and most imposing structure on the summit. The tower gleamed in the setting sun, its golden surface reflecting light in all directions.

As Kent and Fatty reached the Sun Stone Tower, a long line of people stretched from the entrance to the outer gate. Wizards in shiny armor, holding long spears. lined the path, their stern gazes ensuring order among the guests. The air was filled with a mix of loud murmuring and excitement.

Peak Master Porus, disguised in a mask and plain clothes, joined Kent and Fatty at the back of the line.

As they moved forward, Kent noticed two lines of young, attractive ladies standing in graceful greeting gestures. The elder wizard at the gate meticulously checked each group's identity, directing them to specific floors based on their status.

While waiting, Kent observed several familiar faces. A short distance ahead, he saw the ten girls from the Ice Castle from yesterday, their icy demeanor unmistakable.

Closer to the entrance, Mo Jinn and the disciples of the Jade Mountain Sect stood, their distinctive badges proudly displaying their affiliation. Many other prominent sect disciples and their masters were also present, their elaborate attire and badges indicating their importance.

Unlike other auctions where VIPs were given distant, elevated seats, this one placed top sects close to the auction platform at the base, while lesser sects were sent to the back. The arrangement created a palpable hierarchy among the attendees.

As they neared the entrance, Peak Master Porus showed the Eternal Sun Sect token to the elder wizard. However, instead of examining the token, the elder wizard's eyes fixed on Kent's face with a deep, scrutinizing look.

"Young master, is your name Kent?" he asked in a polite tone.

Surprised, Kent nodded. "Yes, that's me."

The elder wizard's face broke into a smile. "Master Long Chu spoke specifically about you. Here, please sit close to the auction stage."

He handed three seat tokens to Kent, ensuring them a prime position near the auction platform. As they made their way inside, the atmosphere grew even more electric.

The grand hall of the Sun Stone Tower was filled with a low hum of conversations and the clinking of fine glassware. Beautiful servants' ladies in alluring clothes were moving among the guests to serve the precious wine.

As Kent lifted his head to observe the tower, he felt stunned by the visuals. The tower has spiral steps at the edges that lead to different floors. The auction stage was situated at the base, close to one corner, and seats were arranged in ascending steps opposite the stage.

A tall aurora glass is fixed on the background wall of the auction stage, which stretched up to tower height. The people who were on the top floors could only witness the auction through aurora glasses.

Checking the number of jade tokens, the three of them occupied the third row from the auction stage.

"Master, these seats are so amazing." Fatty muttered with a wide, open mouth.

But Kent was not in the mood to hear what Fatty said. His gaze was fixed on Princess Eila, who was staring back at him in the front seat. Coincidentally, the Ice Castle sect disciples got the second, exactly before Kent.

As per custom, the wizard association allocated a second row for the top four sects of the blue planet.

"Princess, who is he?" Suddenly, a coarse voice disturbed Eila.

As Kent turned his head, he saw a well-built man with fair skin and a bald head. The badge of the Celestial Sun Fire Sect was hanging from the pocket of that bald man.