Yao Chen looked at the System Panel before him.
In just a short while, he had completed the mission, won Yun Yun's admiration, revealed his Dou Zong strength, and obtained an Exotic Flame Lucky Bag, which had been stored in the System Panel's inventory.
[Host completed the mission and obtained an Exotic Flame Lucky Bag. It can be opened at any time.]
Yao Chen immediately drew from it.
He now possessed two Heavenly Flames: his own Bone Spirit Cold Flame and the Sea Heart Flame he had taken from Han Feng through the system.
If he obtained another Heavenly Flame, it would bring tremendous benefits and improvements not only to alchemy, but also to the Flame Mantra.
Most importantly, he would then be able to cultivate the Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Transformations, which required three Heavenly Flames.
After Yao Chen drew from the bag, the result appeared on the System Panel.
[Host opened an Exotic Flame Lucky Bag and drew the Green Lotus Core Flame, ranked nineteenth on the Heavenly Flames Ranking.] [Host obtained the Green Lotus Core Flame and successfully devoured and subdued it.]
As Yao Chen subdued the Green Lotus Core Flame, green flames flickered in his pupils, then vanished in an instant.
With his current Dou Sheng cultivation, devouring the Green Lotus Core Flame would be effortless, even without the system's help.
After all, he was a Dou Sheng. What could a low-ranked Heavenly Flame like this do to him? It was nowhere near strong enough to hurt him or trigger a backlash.
In the back hills of the Xiao Clan, Xiao Yan was refining a Rank 1 Pill.
After failing several times, he finally began to grasp the knack.
Xiao Yan's talent was undeniably impressive. Even without Yao Chen's help, he would still achieve great things in the future.
If the Xiao Clan hadn't fallen into decline and lost its bloodline power—taken by their ancestor, Xiao Xuan, to break through to Dou Di—
then, given his talent, he would have been no less exceptional than the young prodigies of the Central Plains.
Several days passed, and before long, the day of the auction arrived.
At the Miteer Auction House in Wutan City,
countless experts from the Imperial City of the Jia Ma Empire had gathered, along with members of clans and sects—among them, many Dou Wang and Dou Huang experts.
Experts had also come from the Chuyun Empire and other parts of the continent.
They had heard that in the northwestern part of the continent, in a place called the Jia Ma Empire, a Sect-Breaking Pill was going up for auction.
It could help a Peak Nine-Star Dou Emperor break through the bottleneck and enter the realm of a Dou Zong.
Such a rare Sixth-Grade Pill had naturally astonished countless experts, who had flocked here for the auction.
Among the auction's distinguished guests, whether it was Pill King Gu He of the Jia Ma Empire, Teng Shan, the patriarch of the Mittel Family, or Yun Yun, the sect master of the Misty Cloud Sect, every one of them was astonished.
Nalan Yanran sat beside them, gazing at the many unfamiliar faces who had come to the auction today.
Some of them wore strange clothes and were clearly not from the Jia Ma Empire. They had come from elsewhere on the continent.
"I never expected the sale of a Sixth-Grade Pill to draw so many experts from across the continent—even all the way to our Jia Ma Empire for this auction," Nalan Yanran said in surprise.
Her teacher, Yun Yun, nodded and replied, "Of course. It isn't just any Sixth-Grade Pill. The Sect-Breaking Pill can help a Dou Huang break through the bottleneck and enter the realm of a Dou Zong."
Though Pill King Gu He was also a Sixth-grade Alchemist, he didn't know the formula for the Sect-Breaking Pill.
So even as a Sixth-grade Alchemist, he couldn't refine a pill that would help a Dou Huang break through the bottleneck.
He couldn't help but marvel inwardly. This Mr. Yao is truly extraordinary. Not only is he a Dou Zong, and not only is he a Sixth-grade Alchemist like me, but most importantly, he actually knows the formula for this pill. That speaks volumes about his background. It's truly fortunate for our empire to have someone like him in the Jia Ma Empire.
He then glanced at Yun Yun beside him. "Yun Yun, if the Misty Cloud Sect could build a good relationship with Mr. Yao, it would be a tremendous blessing for the sect."
Yun Yun sighed. "How could I not want to get along with Mr. Yao and build a connection with him?"
"But he won't even give me a chance to meet him. Sigh, perhaps in the eyes of a Dou Zong expert, Dou Huangs like us are beneath notice."
As the Miteer Auction House's chief auctioneer, Ya Fei had never hosted an auction so grand and prestigious.
So many powerful figures had come to bid on the Sixth-Grade Sect-Breaking Pill that she could hardly contain her excitement.
Perhaps, once this auction was over, she could leave Wutan City, return to the Mittel Family, and take on an important position.
After all, Ya Fei was the one who had secured the auction of a Sixth-Grade Pill and built a good relationship with Mr. Yao. She was the Mittel Family's greatest contributor.
When she returned to the family, she was certain to be richly rewarded, and her standing there would rise dramatically.
In the end, I have Mr. Yao to thank for all this. Otherwise, who knows how many more years I'd have had to work in Wutan City before I could return to the family and take on an important position? Ya Fei thought gratefully.
"All right, our auction officially begins! The final lot today is a Sixth-Grade Pill called the Sect-Breaking Pill. It can help a Peak Nine-Star Dou Emperor break through the Dou Huang bottleneck and advance to the realm of a Dou Zong."
As soon as Ya Fei finished speaking, the entire auction hall erupted in excitement.
Several hours passed. Nobody showed much interest in the Cultivation Methods and Combat Skills offered earlier.
Soon, it was time for the grand finale.
"All right, the item we're about to auction is today's most eagerly anticipated lot: the Sixth-Grade Sect-Breaking Pill."
At the level of such a rare pill, mere gold coins were no longer enough to measure its worth.
So, in addition to gold coins, many clans and sects brought out their own Cultivation Methods and Dou Techniques to compete for the Sect-Breaking Pill.
They were secret arts that their families never shared with outsiders. But what did that matter if they could break through to Dou Zong?
The bidding continued for hours, and night fell without a final result.
Everyone wanted to claim the priceless Sect-Breaking Pill. No one was willing to give up, even if it meant spending their entire fortune.
If they missed this auction and eventually reached the Peak Nine-Star Dou Emperor level, they might never get another chance like this—and could remain forever cut off from the realm of Dou Zong.
In the end, the one who won the Sixth-Grade Sect-Breaking Pill was Old Man Yin Gu, a Dou Huang who had come from the Black-Corner Region.