Ancient Abode

Thirty million!

"Thirty-three million!"

Prices soared like wild horses amidst bidding wars by representatives of the top sects across the Northwest Continent, with each bid causing an uproar throughout the arena.

Inside the private room, Ya Fei was already somewhat numb to the terrifying bidding.

With the wealth accumulated over many years, the Mittel Family could certainly afford this price.

However, after the sale Mittel Family will not have enough working capital and reserves for a long time to come.

They underestimated the value of Advanced Earth Tier Dou Technique.

However, there was nothing that could be done about it, since the Mittel Family had never auctioned off items of this caliber since its founding.

At this moment, Xiao Yan appeared much calmer. He leaned back in the soft chair, his slender fingers gently tapping the armrest, his eyes slightly narrowed.

His gaze did not linger on the silver scroll that had stirred up the storm; instead, like the most sophisticated radar, it silently scanned the entire auction hall, especially the most secluded corners.

"The people from the Wind Lightning Pavilion... they really are quite composed."

Xiao Yan sneered inwardly.

After using his own senses, he had already detected the Wind Lightning Power within those people. Although it was just ordinary Wind Lightning Power, not as powerful as the wind and thunder that Zi Yan had summoned from the void for him, it was clearly enough for him to cultivate the Three Thousand Lightning Movement.

Therefore, he could finally confirm that they were from the Wind Lightning Pavilion.

They weren't indifferent to their own prized possession being auctioned on stage; on the contrary, in Xiao Yan's perception, the people from the Wind Lightning Pavilion never took their eyes off that silver scroll.

They were clearly waiting, waiting for the final bidder to emerge, and then they would surely strike and kill him after the auction ended!

This can be considered a way of making an example of someone.

However, it seems that Thunder Venerable is not coming this time, so at most only a few branch pavilion masters and elders will be here.

With such strength, they really can't cause trouble at the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion; they can only wait until the auction is over!

Tsk, if that's the case, then Xiao Yan is determined to have these Three Thousand Lightning Illusion Body!

"Xiao Yan, you really don't want it?" Zi Yan had somehow gotten back onto Xiao Yan's shoulder, licking her lips as she looked at the scroll crackling with electricity. "It looks pretty delicious... uh, I mean, it's pretty powerful. If you master it, can your clone also make pills for me to eat?"

Xiao Yan chuckled and flicked her smooth forehead, "You little glutton, all you know is food. This stuff isn't so easy to get, there's no rush now."

"Why? Don't you have that... Three Thousand Lightning Movement? That should be very useful to you, right?"

Zi Yan was puzzled.

"Precisely because we have the Three Thousand Lightning Movement, there's even less need to act now." A glint of light flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes. "The Wind Lightning Pavilion is holding back, waiting for a sucker. Whoever bids for it now will immediately become a target for the Wind Lightning Pavilion. It's like paying an exorbitant price for a death warrant."

Immediately afterwards, Xiao Yan's voice carried a hint of cold laughter:

"Moreover, without the Three Thousand Lightning Movement as a foundation, there's no way to cultivate the Three Thousand Lightning Illusion Body. For others, this thing is far less valuable than they imagine, except for bringing trouble upon themselves."

To be honest, Heavenly Treasure Pavilion might have known that the people from the Wind Lightning Pavilion had come looking for them, but they weren't afraid of the Wind Lightning Pavilion and didn't want to provoke them, so naturally they didn't dare to use it for their own cultivation. They simply sold it off to make a lot of money, and then turned a blind eye to the people from the Wind Lightning Pavilion, giving them face.

Don't cause me any trouble later, and I won't cause you any trouble either. This is a good outcome for both of us.

As for us, we don't need to get involved so early. We can just wait for these people to make their own mess and wait until everything settles down before we make our move to bring these Three Thousand Lightning Illusion Body."

Hearing Xiao Yan's well-thought-out plan, everyone around him turned to look.

Meanwhile, in the private room where the clues to the Nether Poison Flame and the mysterious Fragmented Map had been won, Si Ming was also watching the frenzied bidding.

A faint expression of speech appeared on his handsome, effeminate face.

Si Ming picked up his teacup, gently blew on it, and couldn't help but mutter to himself:

"If I had known it was the Three Thousand Lightning Illusion Body of the Wind Lightning Pavilion, I wouldn't have come in the first place."

It should be known that those Three Thousand Lightning Illusion Body are the Wind Lightning Pavilion's Achilles' heel; to touch them is certain death.

Moreover, without the Three Thousand Lightning Movement as a foundation, the Three Thousand Lightning Illusion Body is nothing more than a nameless but useless thing. It is unwise to spend such a huge sum of money on Dou Technique that cannot be cultivated and only invites powerful enemies. These bidding forces are really stupid. They know nothing and yet dare to seek death here.

Even a fool could tell that the people from the Wind Lightning Pavilion were definitely watching from the shadows. He didn't want to be chased by a bunch of crazy lunatics who played with thunder right after he bought a gift for his Holy Maiden sister; that would be a huge problem!

"Forty-three million! Is there any higher?"

Qian Wanguan's voice trembled with excitement, becoming hoarse.

Finally, after a thunderous bid of "Forty-five million!", the auction house fell into a brief silence.

Qian Wanguan, his face flushed with excitement, shouted hoarsely, "Forty-five million! This distinguished guest has bid forty-five million! Any more? Forty-five million once! Forty-five million twice! Forty-five million... three times! Sold!!!"

The auction gavel slammed down with a crisp sound, signaling the end of this high-stakes bidding war.

"Congratulations, esteemed guest, on successfully acquiring the Advanced Earth Tier movement Dou Technique — Three Thousand Lightning Illusion Body!"

As Qian Wanguan announced it, the entire auction hall erupted in a huge uproar. There were gasps of amazement, envy, and some schadenfreude glances cast at the private box.

Almost at the same moment, Xiao Yan clearly sensed that the subtle auras belonging to the Wind Lightning Pavilion, like venomous snakes locking onto their prey, instantly became sharper and colder, focusing firmly on the direction of that private room.

Xiao Yan picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and the smile on his lips deepened.

Good, it's good that they've got their eyes on it!

In this way, he can be the one who reaps the benefits.

However, it's not advisable to reveal the identity of the Yan Alliance leader.

Fortunately, he could also be the head of the Xiao Family in the Heavenly Snake Empire!

It seems I need to find out where the Heavenly Snake Mansion is located in the Tianxin Empire. I wonder if Qing Lin and Lu Man came along.

Well, we'll have to trouble Elder Hai to handle this. After all, it's not his first time here, so it's much more convenient for him than for the alliance leader, who's unfamiliar with the place.

Speaking of which, the four girls, Yao Ling, had wandered off somewhere while shopping. In any case, they hadn't returned by the time Xiao Yan arrived for the auction.

However, Xiao Yan wasn't worried about the safety of his four sisters. Don't be fooled by his seemingly cheat-like abilities, where he could easily defeat even Yao Ling Dou Zong Xiao Yan the other three was also comparable to that of other experts in the Northwest Continent, capable of overwhelming even Dou Zong level experts. If they were to push them too far, they could simply crush their Communication Jade slips. Not to mention Dou Zong level experts, even Dou Zun expert would be terrified by the powerful figures they summoned.

Speaking of which, Xiao Yan is the least prestigious. He can't summon any powerful figures at all. If he's in a real life-threatening situation, he can only activate his ordinary Ghost Possession mode.

Inside the auction hall, the uproar caused by the sky-high price fetched for the "Three Thousand Lightning Illusion Body" had not yet completely subsided, and the air was still filled with the scorching atmosphere of the previous bidding.

Qian Wanguan stood on the auction stage, his professional smile faded, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity and gravity.

He cleared his throat, and his voice, amplified by the loudspeaker, carried clearly throughout the venue, drowning out all remaining noise.

"Distinguished guests, please be quiet! What follows is the grand finale of this auction, the very last item!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's attention once again focused on the stage.

Keep in mind that the previous auction items were things like clues to Heavenly Flames and the Three Thousand Lightning Illusion Body. What could possibly be more important than those two, and yet it's been placed at the grand finale?

However, Qian Wanguan's next words surprised everyone.

"This item is neither a rare treasure nor Cultivation Methods and Combat Skills," Qian Wanguan's voice deepened, carrying a strange allure. "It is a message, an invitation, a ticket!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the faces of the audience—faces filled with doubt, anticipation, or greed—before slowly speaking:

"Just recently, my Heavenly Treasure Pavilion discovered a spatial anomaly deep within the 'Soul Burial Mountain Range,' which border the Tianxin Empire and Central Plains. After some investigation and at a great cost, we confirmed that it is an Ancient Abode that has been sealed away for a long time!"

"Hiss..."

A collective gasp rippled through the audience.

Ancient Abode often signify great opportunities!

Qian Wanguan's voice suddenly rose, filled with barely suppressed excitement:

"Based on the residual restrictive fluctuations, spatial structure, and some vague ancient marks around the cave, it is highly likely that the owner of this cave possessed strength at the Peak Dou Zun during his lifetime!"

"Peak Dou Zun?!"

"It's actually the cave dwelling of such a powerful expert?"

The entire auction hall erupted in chaos!

Exclamations, doubts, and discussions swept across the scene like a tsunami.

Peak Dou Zun!

A powerhouse at this level is an absolute powerhouse at the very top of the Dou Qi Continent, not to mention in the Northwest Continent, even in the Central Plains!

Moreover, he was Peak Dou Zun powerhouse from ancient times. You must know that with the changing times, many good things from ancient times have been lost. Whether it is rare treasures, rare Dou Techniques, or some rare medicinal herbs and pill formulas, they may all appear in this collection.

Back then, the Old Yao obtained the Flame Mantra in an Ancient Ruins!

Inside the private room, Xiao Yan, who had been lounging lazily against the back of his chair, suddenly straightened up, his eyes flashing with an unprecedented glint!

The cave dwelling of a peak ancient Peak Dou Zun?

This is a great place!

"Teacher, what do you think?"

Suppressing his excitement, Xiao Yan quickly asked.

"I'm afraid it's a trap."

The Old Yao pondered for a moment and then said...

"While it's true that the emergence of a cave dwelling of this caliber is impossible to hide, there's no need to go to such lengths to expose its information prematurely and then try to make a quick buck through ticket sales. Heavenly Treasure Pavilion is certainly cunning."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan calmed down.

"Does the teacher mean that Heavenly Treasure Pavilion has ulterior motives?"

Xiao Yan seemed to be deep in thought.

Speaking of which, if he remembered correctly, there was a branch of the Soul Hall within the Tianxin Empire!

It seems to be in... Heaven Burial Ravine?

Qian Wanguan was quite satisfied with the crowd's unusually excited reaction. He pressed his hands together lightly, and waited for the noise to subside before continuing:

"You all heard correctly! It is indeed the Peak Dou Zun! The value of such an ancient powerhouse's cave is beyond my comprehension! However, the outer restrictions of the cave are extremely powerful, and the spatial structure is also extremely unstable, full of unknown dangers. Therefore, powerhouses with strength of Five-Star Dou Zong or above cannot enter at all. However, the interior of that cave also seems to be fraught with danger. Even my Heavenly Treasure Pavilion feels that it is beyond our capabilities and does not have complete confidence in exploring it on its own."

He abruptly changed his tone, becoming highly inflammatory:

"But with such an opportunity before us, how can we miss it? Our Heavenly Treasure Pavilion has decided to make this information public and invite all the powerful figures of the Northwest Continent to explore this Dou Zun Peak Abode together! This opportunity will not be enjoyed by the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion alone!"

Therefore, this final item for auction is the qualification to explore this Ancient Abode! The auction will be conducted on a per-person basis! Each person needs to pay one million gold coins to purchase a 'ticket'! The price is quite reasonable, but places are limited, so it's first come, first served!

"One million gold coins per person?"

This price was indeed quite attractive to everyone present, and they all nodded in agreement, clearly prepared to spend a little money and take a gamble.

After all, any single item inside that cave could be worth well over a million!

"After the auction, those interested in participating can immediately proceed to the back hall of my Heavenly Treasure Pavilion to register, pay the fee, and receive their spatial coordinates and entry credentials! The exploration will commence three days from now at the designated location!"

Qian Wanguan's words were like igniting a powder keg, and the entire auction hall erupted in chaos!

Inside the private room, Xiao Yan lazily stretched.

"Elder Hai, go buy one later. Knowing where it is is enough. It's a waste to spend more money. I have a way to bypass Heavenly Treasure Pavilion's blockade."

Xiao Yan said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Zi Yan couldn't help but purse her lips.

Hmph, how shameless!

What do you mean he has a way to bypass the blockade?

In the end, won't we still have to rely on Lady Zi Yan?

No, I'll have to give him a good few bottles of the best pills then!

"Okay, leave it to me."

Hai Bodong nodded slightly upon hearing this, showing that he basically trusted Xiao Yan's words unconditionally.

At the same time, the powerful figures in all the private rooms and the front row of the hall of the entire auction house surged towards the registration area behind the auction stage like a tide.

The hidden auras of the Wind Lightning Pavilion also showed obvious fluctuations, quickly merging into the crowd.

Even they couldn't ignore the Dou Zun Peak Abode. Moreover, the scroll containing the Three Thousand Lightning Illusion Body bore the mark of the Wind Lightning Pavilion, and since the person couldn't escape, they might as well take a trip to this cave dwelling.

However, Xiao Yan in the private room suddenly frowned:

"Elder Jia, everyone's rushing to the caves to search for treasures, so will the Sect Assembly still be held?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Xingtian was also taken aback:

Uh... I don't know!

Xiao Yan: "..."