Xiao Lei rose leisurely and headed toward the back.
After a while, he returned to his seat.
"We've confirmed that this gentleman can provide an offer of equal value. He isn't simply driving up the price. The auction will now continue."
The crowd below immediately erupted in an uproar.
"Someone really offered a Mystic Tier Advanced Dou Technique for a single medicinal herb? Have they gone mad?"
Before the man could finish speaking, his companion beside him clamped a hand over his mouth.
"Shut up! Do you want to die? You think you can casually criticize someone who can offer a Mystic Tier Advanced Dou Technique?"
The man struggled to pry the hand away from his mouth. During their scuffle, he noticed that Xiao Lei seemed to be looking over at them. The two immediately fell silent, and even the man whose mouth was covered stopped struggling.
After a long while, Xiao Lei turned away. Only then did the two of them finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Once for the Mystic Tier Advanced..."
"I'll offer a Mystic Tier Advanced Dou Technique!"
Xiao Yan spoke from Box Three. The bystanders, who had already been stunned, were now thoroughly dumbfounded. One ruthless character offering a Mystic Tier Advanced Dou Technique had been shocking enough, but now there was a second?
Have they gone mad? Since when had Wutan City had so many Mystic Tier Advanced Dou Techniques?
He took the bait!
Xiao Lei struggled to keep the corners of his mouth from turning up on their own.
The only Mystic Tier Advanced Dou Technique he currently had was Mad Lion Roar, and its attributes didn't suit him.
He had copied three Dou Techniques from Xiao Yan, but when it came down to it, only Eight Extremities Collapse had any real use in battle. He could only use Sucking Palm to bully weaklings.
Hopefully, Yao Lao won't offer Eight Extremities Collapse. Otherwise, all this will have been for nothing!
Ya Fei also spoke up from the stage. "Since the offers are of the same tier, the consignor needs to inspect the Dou Technique before making a choice. May I ask the guest in Box Three to provide a detailed description of the Dou Technique?"
Xiao Lei wasn't foolish enough to go inspect the Dou Technique under Yao Lao's watchful eye. All he could do was leave it to fate and accept whatever Yao Lao offered.
He had already discussed all this with Ya Fei beforehand.
Still, he thought it unlikely to be Eight Extremities Collapse. After all, once cultivated to its peak, this Dou Technique could rival a Earth Tier Dou Technique, making it more precious than ordinary Mystic Tier Advanced Dou Techniques.
"Alas, the Jia Ma Empire really is too poor. With the system's copying ability, I could copy other people's Dou Techniques and even skip the whole learning process!"
Xiao Lei grumbled helplessly. Unfortunately, he had no way to leave the Jia Ma Empire anytime soon. He still needed to prepare to copy Yun Yun's cultivation.
Ya Fei pretended to go somewhere, returning to the stage only after quite some time. Then she once again flashed a seductive smile.
"Congratulations to the guest in Box Three on winning this Ice Spirit Flame Grass!"
"Damn, someone really was stupid enough to offer a Mystic Tier Advanced Dou Technique for a single medicinal herb!"
The bewildered crowd was utterly baffled.
"If I remember correctly, this medicinal herb is precious, but it still can't compare to a Mystic Tier Advanced Dou Technique!"
"I had no idea medicinal herbs were this profitable. Looks like I ought to make a trip to the Magical Beast Mountain Range sometime!"
"Want to team up, brother...?"
Xiao Lei heard the mercenaries discussing this nearby and could only shake his head helplessly.
He had merely counted on Yao Lao being unwilling to give up this medicinal herb.
After all, a Mystic Tier Advanced Dou Technique was nothing special to Yao Lao!
Still, the auction of the Ice Spirit Flame Grass had completely stirred up the atmosphere. As a result, the prices fetched by the second- and third-tier pills Xiao Lei put up for auction afterward were much higher as well.
"I've seen so many pills in one day. This has really opened my eyes!"
The sheer number and variety of pills on offer had everyone present exclaiming that they had come to the right place.
"That's right. Usually, we're lucky if an auction has even one second-tier pill, and most of those are just healing medicine. I never expected to see so many pills with different effects today. I wonder where the Mittal Auction House got all these pills?"
"Don't you know? A big shot has come to Wutan City. He's young, but apparently already has the strength of a Dou Wang expert—and he's an alchemist, too. I've heard this expert has some... connection with Miss Ya Fei. These pills might have come from him."
A mercenary whispered the gossip.
No one dared to join in. If someone else had gotten involved with Ya Fei, they would probably have already been furious, howling at the sky in protest.
But a Dou Wang expert... and an alchemist, too!
They wouldn't dare cause trouble even if they had a hundred times the courage. Word was that a few days ago, the Jia Lie Clan's patriarch, Jia Liebi, and an alchemist had both been killed by this man. The reason was supposedly that the patriarch's son and the alchemist had harassed one of this man's... uh... friends.
And from beginning to end, the Jia Lie Family hadn't made a single ripple, while even the slain alchemist's master had done nothing at all.
"Hey, brother, have you heard of this Xiao Lei? Everyone makes him sound incredible. Some people who were there say he's really young, with a pair of purple wings and looks that are off the charts! Man, I'm so jealous. When will I become a Dou Wang and grow wings of Dou Qi?"
Xiao Lei thought, How tactless can this guy be? I'm wearing a black robe, and you still can't tell I don't want to talk?
Besides, he had to correct one thing: his looks were off the charts for a reason other than his purple wings!
After a moment's thought, Xiao Lei said, "All I know is that he's an extremely mysterious expert who rose to prominence out of nowhere. He's over eight feet tall and exceptionally handsome..."
This time, the man who had spoken earlier was left speechless. Who's paying attention to all that stuff you said afterward?
The two fell silent, while the auction of the Fragmented Map that had caught Xiao Lei's attention began.
"This Fragmented Map was accidentally found in the mountains and forests. It seems to point to some powerful spiritual treasure. If fate favors you and you find it, you might just rise to the top in a single bound!"
Fragmented Maps were always an awkward auction item. Most people wouldn't gamble on their value, and Ya Fei couldn't understand what had given Xiao Lei the confidence to put one up for auction.
But in truth, she couldn't understand why the Ice Spirit Flame Grass had fetched such a high price, either.
As for the person who had won the medicinal herb... she already knew it was Xiao Yan and the alchemist behind him.
Could Xiao Lei know about the alchemist behind Xiao Yan? This...!
At the thought, Xiao Lei's image grew even more mysterious in Ya Fei's mind.
"At the consignor's request, this Fragmented Map will also be auctioned through barter. You may offer whatever you wish, and the consignor will choose."
Casting aside her complicated thoughts, Ya Fei promptly announced the start of the bidding.
As expected, not a single bid was heard. Instead, everyone began discussing the item.
"A Fragmented Map? Isn't something like this just a scam? Never mind where the thing it records is, who's lucky enough to gather all the fragments?"
Many people shook their heads, clearly uninterested.
"Whoever brought this in for auction must be out of their mind. They're using something like this to swindle people!"
Xiao Lei merely glanced at the person who spoke and said nothing.
The value of an auction item sometimes depended on where it was auctioned. In the original story, the final Fragmented Map had fetched the price of a Nine-Colored Eighth-Tier Pill at an exchange meet.
"Come on, hurry up and move on. What idiot would buy this thing?"
Many were getting impatient. Just as everyone agreed that the Fragmented Map would go unsold, a voice suddenly rang out in their ears.
"I'll offer a Mystic Tier Dou Technique!"
"It's Box Three again!"
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