Heading to the Starlight Auction House

Five days passed quickly amidst a packed schedule.

Wang Shaojie's potential retaliation never materialized, though upon reflection, that was to be expected. Sun Moon Academy was Jing Hongchen's territory; even Crown Prince Xu Tianran wouldn't dare make a move against him there, let alone a mere member of a royal branch family.

Early morning, at the entrance of the Hongchen Duke Mansion.

Meng Hongchen was chatting away happily with Ye Guyi about something, while Xiao Hongchen leaned against a door pillar, contemplating their plans for after they entered the Star Dou Great Forest.

Less than a minute later, Jing Hongchen walked out of the mansion with a composed air. The old man had changed into dark casual clothes today, devoid of any Hongchen Family insignia.

Heading into enemy territory with three children in tow, he had naturally made foolproof preparations. In fact, he carried two ninth-level fixed-firing Soul Tool shells on his person; even a Limit Douluo would struggle to take him down without sustaining injuries.

He swept a glance over Xiao Hongchen and the others.

"Everyone ready? Then let's depart."

With those words, Jing Hongchen vaulted into the air. Two slender, delicate golden lights unfurled from his back, lifting his body slowly upward.

The flight-type Soul Tool he used was biomimetic. The wings were thin and supple, lacking any metallic feel. Pale golden light rippled across them, and without a single trace of soul power discharge, they simply stretched gently, carrying Jing Hongchen into the sky.

The cicada-wing-thin flight Soul Tool suddenly flared with golden light. The three of them felt a curtain of golden light descend from above, and in the next instant, their bodies were enveloped within it.

Immediately after, they were propelled into the sky as if riding the clouds.

Only then did they realize that Jing Hongchen's flight Soul Tool had suddenly expanded a thousandfold. They were encased in a golden membrane of light, suspended behind Jing Hongchen as two massive golden wings, ten meters wide, flapped gently.

Meng Hongchen let out a "Wow," pressing her hands against the edge of the light membrane, her nose nearly touching it.

Everything outside became blurred, yet inside the membrane, it was as stable as a stationary room. There was no sound of wind, no vibration, and even the sensation of weightlessness during the ascent was reduced to almost nothing.

If not for the scenery outside rushing backward, they wouldn't have felt like they were flying at high speed at all. Xiao Hongchen looked down at his feet.

The streets, buildings, and crowds of Ming Capital were shrinking at a speed visible to the naked eye. The entire city looked like a map being rolled up.

Ye Guyi stood quietly beside him, her gaze fixed on the clouds flowing outside the membrane. With her fingers resting lightly against the inner wall of the light membrane, this was her first time riding a flight-type Soul Tool of this caliber.

Upon reaching the border of the Star Luo Empire, Jing Hongchen steered the flight Soul Tool to climb toward the high altitude.

He only stopped ascending once they exceeded five thousand meters, then flew toward the interior of the Star Luo Empire. After crossing the Star Luo Empire's reconnaissance lines, he immediately lowered their altitude to two thousand meters, and their flight speed surged.

Several hours later, a city covering over a thousand square kilometers, stretching over a hundred miles in both directions and boasting walls a hundred meters high, appeared in Xiao Hongchen's field of vision.

As the capital of the Star Luo Empire, Star Luo City was the undisputed largest city in the empire, as well as its political, cultural, and economic center. It held the title of the "Imperial Capital That Never Falls."

The walls of Star Luo City were a hundred meters high and a terrifying hundred meters thick, constructed entirely of solid rock. The widest main thoroughfare in the outer city could accommodate sixteen carriages traveling in both directions simultaneously.

Though it couldn't compare to Ming Capital, it was still the second-largest metropolis on the continent.

Jing Hongchen landed in a wooded area on the western outskirts of Star Luo City.

After distributing cloaks to the three of them, they entered Star Luo City along with the crowd.

The auction was to be held in the evening, so the four of them first booked rooms at the Star Emperor Hotel.

Xiao Hongchen had just intended to spend some time quietly in his room when the door was opened.

"Brother! Come shopping with us!"

"...You two go ahead. I'm resting."

"No way. Grandpa said we can't act alone."

"The two of you together doesn't count as alone."

Meng Hongchen was choked up for a moment, then switched to her tried-and-true pouting:

"Brother—just come! I haven't been shopping in ages. The last time was the day before yesterday! Do you have the heart to let your cute little sister walk alone on the streets of Star Luo City where she doesn't know anyone?"

"Aren't you with Ye Guyi?"

"That's still alone!"

Am I not a person? Am I really not a person?

"Guyi, Meng says you aren't a person."

"No, no, that's not what I meant!" Meng Hongchen hurriedly explained to Ye Guyi.

"I know."

Meng Hongchen breathed a sigh of relief, then turned to glare at Xiao Hongchen. "Brother, you're sowing discord!"

Xiao Hongchen leaned against the headboard, hands behind his head, his tone flat. "I was just helping her translate."

"Translate what! Sister Guyi, don't listen to him, he's been like this since he was a kid." Meng Hongchen hugged Ye Guyi's arm tightly and huffed. "Let's go, we're going shopping. We aren't taking him."

"I couldn't ask for more."

Ye Guyi turned her head and whispered something into Meng Hongchen's ear.

Meng Hongchen's eyes lit up. Then she let go of Ye Guyi, walked back, and grabbed Xiao Hongchen's sleeve. "Let's go."

"...Didn't you say you weren't taking me?"

"Changed my mind."

Xiao Hongchen was dragged off the bed by her and pulled out the door. As he passed Ye Guyi, he glanced at her. "What did you say to her?"

Ye Guyi looked straight ahead, her pace steady. "Nothing."

And so, Xiao Hongchen was dragged along to shop for half the afternoon.

Meng Hongchen carried everything he bought.

However, he was actually enjoying himself. Heh~.

Night fell, and they stood outside the Star Emperor Hotel.

Jing Hongchen changed into a dark formal suit. When he came downstairs, the three of them were already waiting at the entrance.

Xiao Hongchen and the others soon arrived at the auction venue.

Starlight Auction House.

From the outside, its facade was no more than three meters wide, the sign was half-worn, and two wall lamps cast a dim yellow light. It looked no different from any other shop on the street.

Jing Hongchen pushed open the door. Inside was a staircase leading downwards, a red carpet, wall lamps, and no staff to guide them. The four descended about twenty meters, where a waiter at the registration desk took their invitation cards and presented them with four masks.

Passing through an ancient wooden door, the scene changed abruptly. Before their eyes, everything was a dazzling gold. A wide, magnificent corridor gleamed with splendor, its luxurious decoration even surpassing that of the Star Emperor Hotel where they were staying.

At the end of the corridor, ornate crystal chandeliers hung down, but they didn't feel oppressive at all, as the corridor's height was a full five meters. The lighting was a soft, bright yellow, and against the golden walls on either side, the three-dimensional golden world was enough to dazzle anyone.

Jing Hongchen distributed the auction numbers they had just received to the three of them and said:

"Later, you can bid on anything you like. There's nothing our Hongchen Family can't afford at this auction house."

Xiao Hongchen and the others followed a hostess into a private box.

One of the young women walked to the smooth wall and pressed it gently. The wall gradually transformed into a huge soul-guided screen.

The soul-guided screen gradually became clear. Patterns appeared on both sides, while the center showed a place resembling an auction stage. The stage didn't look large, and it appeared very clear on the soul-guided screen.

Before long, a beautiful and melodious female voice rang out, and the auction hall fell silent.

"Welcome, distinguished guests, to the Starlight Auction House. Our auction is about to begin. Please take your seats."

The surrounding wall lamps, which were not very bright to begin with, gradually dimmed, while the lights on the auction stage began to intensify.

A woman in a purple long dress walked onto the stage from one side of the auction hall. She looked to be around thirty years old, with a dignified and beautiful appearance, a faint smile on her face, and she moved with graceful elegance.

The auction officially began.