Qing Lin's Transformation, an Encounter with an Auction

The sight was truly wondrous. It was Qing Lin's first time seeing such a thing, and her little face was full of astonishment.

Tang Chen stepped forward and carefully sensed the purple cocoon of light.

Within the cocoon, Zi Yan's small body lay curled up. Energy slowly circulated around her, as though she were undergoing some kind of transformation. Other than that, Tang Chen detected nothing amiss.

Once he confirmed that Zi Yan was unharmed, Tang Chen relaxed and softly said to Qing Lin beside him, "It's nothing serious. Let's leave first. Zi Yan's breakthrough won't be finished anytime soon, and there's nothing we can do by staying here."

Qing Lin had gotten along very well with Zi Yan these past few days. Hearing Tang Chen say that Zi Yan was fine, she also let out a breath of relief and nodded with a smile.

Before leaving, Tang Chen left a mark near Zi Yan so that he could sense the instant she successfully completed her breakthrough.

Once everything had been taken care of, Tang Chen left with Qing Lin.

Since Lu Yan was still in seclusion, Tang Chen summoned the master of the Heavenly Snake Mansion.

Only a few breaths later, a middle-aged woman arrived before Tang Chen.

She was Lu Yao, the publicly acknowledged master of the Heavenly Snake Mansion. She possessed the strength of an eight-star Dou Zong. Her features were striking, her figure graceful, and she carried the distinctive allure of a mature woman.

Arriving before Tang Chen, Lu Yao respectfully bowed. "My lord, you summoned me?"

"Pass down the order. No one is to approach this place. Anyone who does, dies." Tang Chen spoke calmly, enunciating every word.

"Yes." Lu Yao's expression turned solemn. After giving him a grave salute, she hurried away to relay the order.

Once Lu Yao had left, only Tang Chen and Qing Lin remained.

When Zi Yan had been around, Qing Lin had not felt shy in front of Tang Chen. Now that she was alone with him, the little girl began to grow nervous. Her gaze darted away, too afraid to look at him, while her small hands did not seem to know where to rest.

Tang Chen could not help but smile at Qing Lin's uneasy appearance. "What's wrong, Qing Lin? You seem rather nervous."

"It's... it's just that it's been so long since I was alone with Young Master, so I'm a little nervous..." Qing Lin tugged at the corner of her clothes with her little hands, answering hesitantly with a flushed face.

"You little girl..." Tang Chen reached out and stroked Qing Lin's head, his tone softening. "Come to think of it, you haven't gone out to have fun since coming to the Heavenly Snake Mansion, have you?"

"Mhm." Qing Lin nodded gently.

Ever since Tang Chen had brought her to the Heavenly Snake Mansion, Qing Lin had remained within its grounds. Every day, she either cultivated or rested and rarely went out.

She cultivated with utmost diligence, wanting only to grow stronger as soon as possible so she could keep pace with Young Master and help ease his burdens.

Seeing how obedient the little girl was, Tang Chen felt a pang of heartache.

Cultivation also required a balance between work and rest. He had been refining pills for so long that he was feeling somewhat tired as well. He immediately decided to take Qing Lin out for a stroll and let her relax properly.

"Come on, Qing Lin. Young Master will take you out to have some fun." Tang Chen took Qing Lin's little hand and invited her warmly.

"Okay!" Learning that she would be going out with Tang Chen, Qing Lin was instantly overjoyed. It had been a long time since she had gone out with Young Master, and she had always missed the days when she could be by Tang Chen's side.

Holding Qing Lin's hand, Tang Chen took a single step into a spatial rift.

The Heavenly Snake Mansion was located in the Heavenly Snake Kingdom, at the heart of the Northwest Continent, and held an extraordinary position within the empire.

It was roughly similar in nature to the Misty Cloud Sect of the Jia Ma Empire, but the Heavenly Snake Mansion was even more dominant. Its sect stood above imperial authority; even changes to the imperial family required the Heavenly Snake Mansion's approval.

Therefore, Qing Lin, dressed in the attire of the Heavenly Snake Mansion, was treated with great respect wherever she went.

The two arrived at the Imperial City of the Heavenly Snake Kingdom. Almost everyone who saw Qing Lin bowed and scraped before her, their manner exceptionally respectful, afraid of offending this esteemed figure from the Heavenly Snake Mansion.

In the face of their flattery, Qing Lin responded to each with a smile. She carried herself with grace and composure, without the slightest trace of timidity.

Back in Stone Desert City, if others had praised her like this, she likely would have been overwhelmed with unease, believing herself lowly and unworthy of such treatment.

Now, that self-conscious and timid Qing Lin was gone for good.

Watching Qing Lin gradually change from a timid little girl into someone brave and confident, Tang Chen felt deeply gratified.

"Young Master, what's wrong?" Seeing Tang Chen staring at her, Qing Lin's face flushed faintly as she asked shyly.

"Qing Lin has grown up. Young Master is very happy." Tang Chen smiled and stroked Qing Lin's little head, sounding rather like an old father.

Yet when those gratified words reached Qing Lin's ears, the little girl immediately misunderstood, and her cheeks turned bright red.

Does Young Master mean... Qing Lin can... Certain images involuntarily surfaced in her mind. Though she was ashamed beyond measure, she could not stop a faint anticipation from rising in her heart.

"You're still so easily embarrassed." Seeing Qing Lin blush again, Tang Chen helplessly shook his head and pulled her onward.

Qing Lin's shyness was reserved for Tang Chen alone. Before outsiders, she could remain cool and detached, but whenever she was before Tang Chen, she became that little maid who blushed so easily again.

The two spent the rest of the day touring the Imperial City of the Heavenly Snake Kingdom. Tang Chen bought Qing Lin plenty of delicious food and fun trinkets. Her little face remained wreathed in smiles the entire time. It was clear that she was truly happy and greatly enjoyed the experience.

As they wandered along, they reached the vicinity of an auction house and suddenly saw a vast sea of people outside it, with a queue stretching far into the distance.

"Young Master, why are there so many people here?" Qing Lin had never seen such a scene before and could not help feeling curious.

"There should be a large auction taking place here." Seeing Qing Lin's curious expression, Tang Chen patiently explained.

Seeing that Qing Lin was interested, and since they had nothing urgent to do, Tang Chen directly led her through the crowd toward the auction house's VIP entrance.

Unlike the crowded ordinary entrance, the VIP entrance was rather deserted, with not a single person lining up.

A red carpet covered the ground, and beautiful maidservants waited at the door to receive guests. It was clearly a passage reserved for important figures.

When Tang Chen and Qing Lin reached the VIP entrance, the maidservant immediately sensed Tang Chen's extraordinary bearing. Then, when she noticed the Heavenly Snake Mansion attire Qing Lin wore, her heart trembled, and she did not dare show the slightest neglect. She quickly approached them with a beaming smile.

"Welcome to the Wanbao Auction House, esteemed guests. May I ask if you have VIP cards?" The maidservant came before Tang Chen, bowed, and asked respectfully.

"I don't have a VIP card, but this should do, shouldn't it?" Tang Chen did not beat around the bush and directly took out a sixth-grade medicinal pill.

"Please wait a moment, esteemed guests." The maidservant accepted the pill with both hands, then promptly hurried into the auction house.

Only moments later, the maidservant came running back out. She returned the pill to Tang Chen with both hands and gestured for the two to enter. "Esteemed guests, please come in!"

Afterward, guided by the maidservant, Tang Chen entered the auction house with Qing Lin.