The atmosphere inside the Thousand Lantern Pavilion became increasingly heated after the Mu Yue Clan acquired the Rank 4 Thunderfang Leopard’s Beast Core. Discussions echoed continuously throughout the massive hall while the cultivators from other clans silently measured each other’s reactions. Lin Yuan calmly sat within the Qing Clan section, his eyes quietly observing the surroundings.

This auction was far more than simple trading. It was a battlefield of wealth, influence, and status. The weak remained silent and unhappy, but the powerful spoke once and obtained everything.

Meanwhile, Mei Lanyin stood gracefully beneath the golden lantern lights at the center stage, her faint smile never disappearing.

"The second treasure of today’s auction..." Mei Lanyin stated, slowly gesturing toward the attendants behind her.

Two attendants carefully carried an ancient black wooden box toward the platform. The moment the box appeared, the atmosphere inside the hall subtly changed. Even several clan elders narrowed their eyes slightly.

Mei Lanyin slowly opened the box. Inside rested an old dark-gold parchment covered with faded beast markings. Ancient aura faintly leaked from its surface.

"The Ancient Spirit Vein Map." Mei Lanyin hollered, her calm voice echoing throughout the hall. "This map was recovered from ruins discovered beneath Frost Abyss Cliff in Xuehuan continent."

The hall immediately became quieter. Even Xiao Renjie slightly leaned forward.

"The map records several hidden spirit vein locations along with a partially damaged beast ruin pathway." Mei Lanyin continued, a faint grin lingering on her lips.

The cultivators in the hall instantly became interested. Spirit veins were extremely valuable cultivation zones where high essence naturally gathered over centuries. Even sects fought wars over them.

"The starting price of this map is three hundred essence stones." Instantly, the bidding began.

"Three hundred fifty."

"Four hundred."

"Four hundred eighty."

The prices climbed rapidly. Lin Yuan merely observed silently, this map itself was valuable. But what truly interested him was the fourth treasure: The ancient beast cultivation manual.

Meanwhile, the Spirit Vein Map was eventually acquired by the Gu Clan for eight hundred twenty essence stones after intense competition with several smaller sects. The atmosphere inside the pavilion only became more heated afterward.

"The third treasure..." Mei Lanyin whined, her voice became low as whisper. "...is one of today’s most valuable cultivation resources."

Several attendants carefully carried a crystal jade, transparent container toward the stage. Inside the transparent container floated a beautiful silver-blue lotus.

The moment it appeared, a wave of essence remnants spread across the hall instantly. The surrounding lantern lights themselves seemed brighter beneath its glow.

"Heavenly Lotus..." Teng clan elders unconsciously whispered. The lotus possessed twelve shimmering petals covered with faint silver patterns resembling flowing water. Tiny streams of essence drifted continuously around it like mist.

"The Heavenly Lotus was retrieved from a hidden branch stream directly connected to the River of Origin." Mei Lanyin calmly elucidated, waving her left hand slightly. "The lotus naturally absorbs river essence for decades before blooming. It is suitable for essence purification, breakthrough stabilization, and beast synchronization. And it is most important for Baby Beast Realm - Peak stage cultivators to break into Spirit Beast Realm - Lower stage."

The hall immediately erupted into discussions. Even Teng Jiuxuan slightly opened his eyes hearing the final words: Spirit Beast Realm ascension support. That alone made the item priceless for younger cultivators.

Mei Lanyin’s voice echoed again. "The starting price is five hundred essence stones."

Immediately, the competition exploded between the cultivators of various clans.

"Six hundred!"

"Seven hundred!"

"Seven hundred fifty!"

The prices rose terrifyingly fast. Lin Yuan quietly narrowed his eyes. This lotus was perfect for him. His current cultivation already stood at Baby Beast Realm Peak Stage. The Heavenly Lotus would not merely stabilize his breakthrough, but it could also purify the beast essence perfectly compared to others.

Meanwhile the bidding continued.

"Eight hundred!"

"Nine hundred!"

"Nine hundred twenty!"

Several smaller clans already stopped participating entirely. Only major clans remained. Then, Xiao Renjie calmly spoke. "One thousand."

The hall instantly became quieter. The pressure from the Xiao Clan immediately spread through the atmosphere.

Chen Ming, who sat beside Lin Yuan quietly as companion attendant, nearly swallowed hard hearing the amount.

"One thousand essence stones..." Chen Ming quivered, his voice low as whisper.

Lin Yuan still remained calm, his fingers slowly tapped the chair armrest once. Then, he raised the jade token slightly.

"One thousand one hundred." Lin Yuan’s voice beamed across the auction hall.

Silence consumed the murmurs of the auction house. Several gazes immediately turned toward the Qing Clan section. Even Xiao Renjie slowly darted his eyes toward Lin Yuan. The middle-aged clan head slightly frowned. He clearly did not expect a young academy disciple to participate personally.

Whispers immediately spread through the hall.

"That’s Qing Clan?"

"That boy is from the academy..."

"He is a ’pathless young guy’, but he was the grandson of the Qing clan’s head..."

"And he is also Lin Cangxuan’s representative..."

Meanwhile, Lin Yuan remained calm, but in his mind, he understood clearly. He could not overcompete recklessly. Every essence stone used here represented Qing Clan resources. And more importantly, Lin Cangxuan’s reputation.

Xiao Renjie silently observed Lin Yuan briefly. Then calmly spoke again. "One thousand two hundred."

Lin Yuan’s expression did not change.But before he could respond, another voice echoed from the western private section. "One thousand five hundred."

It was Teng Jiuxuan. The entire hall instantly became quiet again. That amount was enormous even for major clans. Several cultivators already gave up mentally. But surprisingly, Mu Yue Jian never participated.

The silver-eyed young man merely sat silently observing the auction. As though the Heavenly Lotus itself did not interest him. Lin Yuan quietly noticed that detail. Then, after several more exchanges between Xiao Clan and Teng Clan, the Heavenly Lotus price eventually reached one thousand eight hundred essence stones.

Xiao Renjie’s expression darkened slightly. Even Teng Jiuxuan finally stopped bidding. The atmosphere became silent briefly.

"Two thousand." Lin Yuan grinned, his voice reaching everyone calmly.

The entire pavilion erupted into murmurs instantly. Even Chen Ming nearly jumped from his seat.

"Lin Yuan?!" Chen Ming flabbergasted, his eyes fluttering in anxiety.

Lin Yuan remained calm and silent. Xiao Renjie narrowed his eyes deeply. Two thousand essence stones for a Mid-Tier spirit resource was already excessive. More importantly, continuing further would damage clan relations unnecessarily for a younger generation item.

After several moments, Xiao Renjie slowly closed his eyes, and he stopped bidding.

"Two thousand essence stones from the honored Qing Clan representative." Mei Lanyin smiled faintly. "Any further bids?"

No one wanted to continue. There was only an eerie silence.

"Sold." Mei Lanyin announced, striking the crystal hammer lightly. "The Heavenly Lotus belongs to the Qing Clan."

Chen Ming immediately exhaled heavily beside Lin Yuan. "We’re alive..."

Lin Yuan calmly accepted the crystal container from the attendants afterward. The moment he touched it, he felt the dense river essence flowing from the lotus itself.

It was pure, stable and heavy. Exactly what he needed. Meanwhile, the atmosphere inside the pavilion slowly calmed again. But, Mei Lanyin’s expression became more serious.

"The final treasure..." Mei Lanyin’s voice echoed throughout the massive hall. "...is an incomplete ancient beast cultivation manual."

Two attendants carefully carried another dark jade box toward the center stage. The moment it opened, an old black parchment appeared inside. Ancient beast markings covered its surface. Even Lin Yuan’s eyes slightly narrowed instantly, and his instincts reacted immediately. The manual contained extremely old cultivation structure records. Maybe it was helpful for him to cultivate with multiple beasts at a time.

"The manual was discovered from ruins beneath the Qinglin continent." Mei Lanyin calmly clarified. "Although damaged it contains partial records regarding dual-beast circulation theories."

Lin Yuan’s eyes sharpened slightly. This is exactly what he needed, and followed by the hall instantly becoming noisy again. Teng Jiuxuan looked more interested this time.

Mu Yue Jian finally opened his eyes fully. "The starting price of the beast cultivation manual is one thousand essence stones."

The auction exploded immediately.

"One thousand two hundred!"

"One thousand five hundred!"

"Two thousand!"

The prices climbed insanely fast. Lin Yuan quietly clenched his fingers slightly. He wanted that manual very badly, because his theories regarding multiple beast synchronization might truly become possible through it.

"Three thousand." Mu Yue Jian finally hollered, darting his eyes onto the ancient beast manual.

Silence followed instantly. That amount alone crushed most participants mentally. Lin Yuan quietly stared toward the Mu Yue Clan section. If he continued competing, the Qing Clan would clash with the Mu Yue Clan publicly and cause internal conflicts between one of the four authority clans in the world. And he knew clearly, Lin Cangxuan supported him personally, but not politically. Using that kindness recklessly for his own desires would be selfish.

Lin Yuan slowly exhaled quietly. Then leaned backward calmly, and he stopped bidding. Meanwhile, the remaining clans gradually gave up one after another. No one truly wanted to offend the Mu Yue Clan for a damaged manual.

Soon afterward, the crystal hammer struck again.

"Sold." Mei Lanyin announced. "The ancient beast cultivation manual belongs to the honored Mu Yue Clan."

Mu Yue Jian calmly accepted the black parchment without visible excitement, but Lin Yuan noticed something. The moment Mu Yue Jian touched the manual, the beast markings across the parchment faintly shone for a second and then disappeared again.

Lin Yuan silently memorized that detail. The auction slowly ended afterward. As cultivators began leaving the pavilion one after another, the atmosphere outside remained lively beneath the countless lanterns of the western district.

But Lin Yuan quietly departed alone without any excitement or celebration. He walked to his house only with calm thoughts about how he lost the manual.

’No worries. I have the Heavenly Lotus,’ Lin Yuan thought, his gaze locked straight. ’Now, I can ascend to the Spirit Beast Realm finally.’

****

At Lin Yuan’s room in the Qing Clan residence.

Lin Yuan sat cross-legged inside his room beneath faint candlelight. The Heavenly Lotus floated quietly before him within the crystal container while dense silver-blue essence filled the surroundings. The turtle ring around his finger faintly glimmered softly. And then the turtle materialized instantly in his hands. It slowly crawled on his hand, moving its head calmly.

Lin Yuan slowly reached out the turtle, and he carefully fed the Heavenly Lotus to his turtle. The turtle tore the petals of shimmering lotus one by one, sluggishly gnawing them into its stomach. After completely eating the lotus, the turtle let out a faint smile on its face.

Lin Yuan closed his eyes, concentrating his consciousness into his aperture. The aperture slowly started resonating with the turtle, and the beast essence began to swirl after a few seconds. Then—

WHOOSH!!

The essence from the lotus in the turtle instantly flooded into his aperture. The surrounding air trembled faintly. Lin Yuan’s pale-green beast essence began changing rapidly. The Heavenly Lotus continuously purified the unstable impurities within his aperture while stabilizing the cultivation properly. His beast essence movement gradually became smoother.

And a few minutes slowly passed. Then, a powerful swirl of beast essence suddenly erupted from Lin Yuan’s body. The pale-green essence within his aperture slowly transformed into light-red essence.

"Spirit Beast Realm - Lower Stage," Lin Yuan whispered, slowly opening his eyes. And his beast essence was now 12%.

The surrounding candle flames flickered beneath the pressure from Lin Yuan. His breathing gradually stabilized. Then, a faint smile slowly appeared across his face. Lin Yuan started his journey by taking his first step now.

//Readers interaction:

Thank you for reading Eternal Beast Cultivation. Honestly, when I first began writing Lin Yuan’s story, I didn’t want to create a protagonist who simply receives power and dominates the world effortlessly. I wanted to create someone who understands failure deeply. Someone who has already lived one life chasing something impossible, only to die with regret, exhaustion, and unanswered dreams. That is why Noir exists. Noir was not a chosen hero. He was not a legendary king, nor a supreme genius worshipped by the world. He was simply a man obsessed with one impossible idea — removing the limits of magic itself. He failed countless times. He wasted his entire life on an experiment nobody believed in. Even at death, he carried regret rather than glory. And then he became Lin Yuan, but even in this new world, fate did not suddenly become kind to him. The River of Origin rejected him, and the world mocked him. Even his own father looked down on him. The cultivation world of Origin World is cruel because strength defines worth. Talent determines destiny. A single moment in front of the River of Origin decides how society sees you forever. And Lin Yuan began below everyone else.

That is the core of this story. Not immediate greatness, but growth. The slow, steady, and realistic growth. The turtle pathway itself represents this philosophy. Compared to dragons, phoenixes, golden rocs, or white tigers, a turtle sounds insignificant. Slow. Weak. Unworthy. But the more I thought about it, the more meaningful it became. A turtle survives. A turtle endures. A turtle carries stability. And Lin Yuan himself is exactly like that. He is not reckless. He is not arrogant. He observes, analyzes, adapts, and slowly moves forward step by step. His greatest weapon is understanding. His experience as Noir, his failures, his mindset, and his willingness to learn are what slowly separate him from ordinary cultivators.

The cultivation system in this novel is also something I deeply wanted to focus on. I didn’t want cultivation to feel empty. I wanted every realm, every beast, every herb, every pill, and every battle to feel connected to the logic of the world itself. That is why alchemy matters. That is why beast synchronization matters. That is why stability matters. And Lin Yuan slowly learns how to survive within it.

It is also a story about discovering what truly exists beyond the known cultivation world. There are still countless mysteries:

’Why was the turtle pathway never recognized?’

’What happened to the First Cultivator?’

’Why does the River of Origin reject certain people?’

’What is the truth behind multiple-beast cultivation?’

’And why does Lin Yuan’s pathway feel fundamentally different from everyone else?’

All these answers will slowly unfold as the story progresses. The auction arc itself was important because it showed Lin Yuan something very important: The true cultivation world is ruled by monsters far beyond academy disciples. The terrifying geniuses standing above ordinary cultivators. Lin Yuan is still small right now. But that is what makes the journey meaningful.

I want readers to grow alongside him. To feel excited when he breaks through. To feel frustrated when he fails. To feel tense when stronger enemies appear. I hope something in this story stays with you.

Thank you again for reading and supporting Eternal Beast Cultivation. The story of Lin Yuan has only just begun.