Black Seal City Auction House

At the foot of the mountain range, a massive city constructed from pitch-black boulders loomed in the distance, its blurred silhouette flickering in and out of view. At the city's four gates, one could vaguely discern dense swarms of tiny black dots, resembling ants as they converged and poured into the city's gaping, dark maw.

"Heh, Xiao Li, you're in luck. You've arrived just in time for Black Seal City's annual auction. Want to go and broaden your horizons?"

Elder Qian stood beside Xiao Li. Spending all his time in the interlayer space was rather dull, so he was currently acting as Xiao Li's guardian while he traveled. While that was indeed the case, he had now stepped out into the open.

"Since I've stumbled upon such a grand event, I naturally have to see it for myself." Xiao Li stood with his hands behind his back. In the Black-Corner Region, danger and opportunity always went hand in hand.

"Do you have any money?" Elder Qian's single question brought Xiao Li back to reality.

Xiao Li turned his head stiffly. "Uh, haha, isn't that why I have you two elders here?"

"Hmph, this old man doesn't have any money." Elder Qian snorted, though a hint of a smile flickered in his eyes. He had already made up his mind to help Xiao Li scout for some useful items.

Ten minutes later, Xiao Li approached the pitch-black city gate. He slowed his pace, fell in behind the flow of people, and waited quietly for his turn to enter.

Standing before the massive, ink-black walls, Xiao Li's gaze swept over the three large characters for "Black Seal City" above the gate. His eyes drifted downward, finally resting on the dozen or so men in black tight-fitting outfits guarding the entrance. They seemed just like the city guards of the outside world, except that here, anyone entering was required to pay a hefty entry fee.

One had to realize that if such an entry fee were demanded in a place like the Gama Empire, it would likely incite a riot. Yet, here in the Black-Corner Region, it seemed to be a mundane, everyday occurrence.

The line moved slowly. After waiting for nearly half an hour, it was finally Xiao Li's turn. He handed over a pouch of gold coins at the gate and successfully entered the city.

He headed straight for the auction house. Xiao Li couldn't refine pills to get rich like Xiao Yan, but...

Looking at the wicked villains along the roadside, Xiao Li's eyes were cold. Violent clashes and bloody fights were rampant here; in a single street of a few hundred meters, dozens of life-and-death struggles had broken out in just a short time.

Filtering out those seeking revenge and those who appeared innocent, and confirming that everyone else was simply killing to plunder treasures, Xiao Li didn't hold back. His Thunder Scale Spear darted left and right, and in the blink of an eye, he had struck down several people.

He plucked the money pouches from their bodies and gave them a quick glance.

Seven people had brought him a haul of about ten thousand gold coins, doubling his net worth in an instant.

Xiao Li wasn't obsessed with wealth, and since he didn't need to prepare medicinal ingredients for "Heavenly Flames" like Xiao Yan, he hadn't deliberately collected any before. It was only upon encountering the auction that he realized his predicament.

However... if absorbing a Heavenly Flame required the aid of medicinal pills, surely absorbing a "Heavenly Lightning" would as well. In any case, having pills would certainly improve his odds.

The thought flashed through Xiao Li's mind. It seemed he would have to trouble Xiao Yan and Yao Lao in the future.

Especially Yao Lao; he was knowledgeable and experienced. If Xiao Li truly discovered a Heavenly Lightning, he would likely have to rely on Yao Lao to research what kind of pills would be needed.

Looking at the crowded streets, Xiao Li licked his dry lips, and his figure vanished from the spot in an instant. These were all windfalls; losing even one was a loss.

Ten minutes later, Xiao Li walked out of the street, satisfied, with one hundred thousand gold coins in his pocket. Behind him, however, lay over a hundred corpses and a few terrified passersby.

"Sigh, a bunch of paupers. Over a hundred Dou Zhe and a few Dou Shi, and they only had one hundred thousand gold coins. At least there are some miscellaneous medicinal herbs and weapons; I can sell them all at the auction house later."

Elder Qian listened to Xiao Li's muttering from the side, feeling quite helpless. He shouldn't have lectured him on the true essence of cultivation back then. He had been worried the boy wouldn't be able to survive in the Black-Corner Region, but who would have thought he would be so adept at it?

Now, Elder Qian was most thankful that Xiao Li's strength wasn't too high. If he were a Dou Huang or a Dou Zong, he would probably pluck the fur off any dog that dared to pass by in the Black-Corner Region.

Standing at the end of the bustling street, Xiao Li looked up at the behemoth of an auction house before him and couldn't help but let out a gasp of amazement.

He reckoned that even the Mittel Clan of the Gama Empire would be nothing compared to this "Black Seal" auction house.

At the entrance of the Black Seal Auction House, dozens of men in black, tight-fitting outfits with indifferent expressions wore sharp weapons at their waists. Their hawk-like, piercing gazes constantly swept over the flow of people entering and exiting.

Judging by the aura faintly seeping from these men, five of them were at the Dou Shi level, while the others were at the peak of the Dou Zhe level.

Xiao Li tightened the large black robe wrapped around him and lowered his head slightly, the shadow of his hood completely obscuring his face. In a chaotic place like the Black-Corner Region, he didn't think it was a wise decision to expose his appearance so casually.

Following the crowd, Xiao Li slowly entered the auction house. Its vast interior caused him to lose his focus for a brief moment before he regained his composure and walked toward the center of the hall.

Inside the auction house, massive screens were hung on all sides, scrolling through countless items participating in the auction. Xiao Li took a rough look but didn't find anything particularly rare. He assumed those exotic items were being kept as the "grand finale" to maintain a sense of mystery.

Of course, powerful factions would naturally be able to find out about those hidden treasures through other channels.

His gaze swept across the surroundings and finally settled on the door frame of a "Treasure Appraisal Room." After a moment of hesitation, Xiao Li walked inside.

Stepping into the so-called Treasure Appraisal Room, Xiao Li was somewhat taken aback to find that the spacious room was neatly divided into no fewer than a hundred small, private chambers. This was likely a measure set up to avoid exposing the treasures.

As soon as Xiao Li entered the room, a maid dressed in revealing attire walked up to him. Her sweet, delicate voice carried a hint of seduction: "Sir, are you here to have a treasure appraised? Or are you here for a price assessment for an auction?"

"Selling things," Xiao Li said, intentionally making his voice sound slightly hoarse.

"Please, follow me." The maid gave a charming smile and turned around, her water-snake waist swaying in an incredibly alluring arc. It seemed the maids here were specially trained in how to maximize their charm in the eyes of men.

With his gaze lowered within the shadow of his hood, Xiao Li ignored the maid's swaying figure. In a chaotic place like the Black-Corner Region, even a woman with no strength could cause one to stumble into a massive trap. Therefore, Xiao Li dared not—and did not want to—have any entanglement with the women here.