Xu Qianqian, Ning Fengzhi, Xue Qinghe

Heaven Dou Auction House was housed in a circular building located in the bustling district of Heaven Dou City.

It stood eighty meters tall and had a diameter of up to five hundred meters.

The refined middle-aged man stood between the other two. To his right was a broad-boned, powerfully built old man. Neither of them wore the masks required by the auction house.

To the middle-aged man's left stood a blond young man. A mask covered his cheeks, concealing his appearance, but his every word and gesture carried the bearing of nobility.

"Qinghe, you were in such a hurry to find me. There must be something going on, right?"

The middle-aged man was Ning Fengzhi, the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Hearing that the auction house had recently acquired catgirls, tigergirls, and the like, he had rushed over to see whether there were any worth taking an interest in.

Martial spirit mutations were the sort of thing where, if one was properly nurtured, he might strike gold and add more strength to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. It would not be surprising if they produced several more powerful soul masters.

Even if he failed to find a hidden gem, a few years of cultivation would still earn them a sense of belonging to the sect.

If they married within the sect, their descendants would also have a higher chance of becoming soul masters.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect did not lack money. What it lacked were soul masters with potential.

As the leader of an auxiliary sect, he had no choice but to tirelessly plan for its future day and night.

Did they really think Ning Fengzhi had so much money that he burned it for fun whenever he had nothing else to do?

"Teacher, do you know about what happened in Notting City?" Though the young man called Qinghe wore a mask, the fact that he addressed Ning Fengzhi as teacher made his identity obvious—he could only be Crown Prince Xue Qinghe.

Normally, the Crown Prince would not come to a place like this, as it would reflect poorly on him. But he truly cared about the matter involving Tang Hao.

"Notting City?" Ning Fengzhi exchanged a glance with Bone Douluo beside him before answering, "I heard that powerful experts fought in the skies above Notting City, resulting in some casualties."

"Yes." Xue Qinghe nodded.

"I happened to receive word that one of the parties fighting in Notting City was the missing Clear Sky Douluo, Tang Hao," Xue Qinghe said thoughtfully.

"Tang Hao?" Bone Douluo and Ning Fengzhi stopped walking.

The three of them were in a private passageway, with no one else around to overhear their conversation.

"I sent people to investigate and questioned the city's residents in detail," Xue Qinghe continued. "They said they saw a gigantic hammer appear in the sky, as well as what seemed to be an extremely terrifying giant wolf. But judging from their descriptions, it did not seem to be a soul beast."

Not only did it not resemble a soul beast, it was somewhat similar to the summoned creature mentioned by the Spirit Hall Soul Ancestor during the earlier extermination of the Wolf Bandits—a girl named Wendy's summon.

But Wendy was only a one-ring soul master. No matter how he thought about it, she could not possibly have fought Tang Hao to that extent.

Xue Qinghe did not voice those thoughts.

Aside from that, Xue Qinghe had also thoroughly investigated Notting Academy, the Spirit Hall branch, and the city lord's residence, obtaining several important pieces of information.

Tang San, who possessed innately full soul power, and Xiao Wu, who also possessed innately full soul power.

Innately full soul power was not something common as cabbage on the Douluo Continent.

Not everyone started out like Qian Renxue, with innate soul power at level twenty.

For two people with innately full soul power to appear in a small city was simply unbelievable.

Xue Qinghe had yet to uncover any information on Xiao Wu, but he had pieced together Tang San's background and origins from various clues.

Tang San came from Holy Soul Village, and his blacksmith father was named Tang Hao.

However, no matter how he looked at it, that blacksmith's behavior did not resemble one of the Clear Sky Twins of the Clear Sky Sect—the Clear Sky Douluo.

Thus, Xue Qinghe hesitated over whether he should report the matter, or first confirm more information to avoid alerting the enemy and implicating innocents.

Tang San and Xiao Wu were said to have already graduated, but where they had gone afterward was also a mystery.

The headmaster of Notting Academy was dead, and no one knew where they had gone.

Pressed for time, Xue Qinghe had not yet been able to check the registered soul master academies to see whether they had enrolled somewhere or gone elsewhere.

But Tang Hao, the Clear Sky Douluo, was someone who had escaped from the hands of his grandfather, Qian Daoliu.

Even now, he had no choice but to deal with him cautiously.

"Qinghe, what are you thinking about now?"

Ning Fengzhi was rather curious. His disciple had been lost in thought all the way through the private passage without saying a word, and now that they were almost at the end of it, he finally spoke up to remind him.

"Ah, I was thinking about Father Emperor's instructions." Xue Qinghe gave an awkward smile and had just raised his head.

"Hm? That is..."

Seeing Xue Qinghe freeze, Ning Fengzhi followed his gaze.

"It's her!" Xue Qinghe said in surprise. "The information regarding the Clear Sky Douluo was given to Spirit Hall by that girl over there."

The auction center had a radial circular layout, divided into red, black, purple, yellow, and white sections.

The girl sat quietly in the black section, her jet-black hair draped over her shoulders.

Her eyes glimmered with brilliant light, but that was not what concerned Xue Qinghe the most.

Rather, it was because she was not wearing a mask. Xue Qinghe recognized her at a glance as the mysterious girl who had helped Spirit Hall resist the Wolf Bandits, and who had also told her about Tang Hao.

Of course, under Xue Qinghe's current identity, she could not say that. She could only claim that the information had come from Spirit Hall.

So far, aside from the Clear Sky Sect, the relationship between the Upper Three Sects and Spirit Hall was not particularly bad.

As the empire's crown prince, it was perfectly normal for Xue Qinghe to have ties with Spirit Hall.

"He isn't even wearing a mask to conceal himself. Does someone protect him in secret?" Ning Fengzhi could not find an answer. "Qinghe, shall we go sit over there?"

"Sure." Xue Qinghe nodded. Ning Fengzhi's suggestion suited her perfectly.

A mere Soul Master had been able to contend against a Soul Ancestor above level forty, perhaps without even using his full strength. It was impossible for her not to be curious.

Moreover, even She Long, a Titled Douluo, had been unable to detect any trace of the other party's departure. That was simply absurd.

Ning Fengzhi and the other two unhurriedly made their way toward the black section.

Seeing Ning Fengzhi and the others approaching, Xu Qianqian finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Only after sensing from afar that Xue Qinghe, played by Qian Renxue, was beside Ning Fengzhi did Xu Qianqian remove her mask.

Her current appearance had merely been formed from wind; it was not her original appearance, and her true body was not even here.

Her domain could cover the entire auction house. Was there any need for her real body to take such a risk?

"Little girl, it's best to wear a mask in an auction house. This place can be quite dangerous!"

"Oh?" Xu Qianqian slightly raised her eyelids. Seeing Ning Fengzhi seated not far away beside her, she smiled gently. "Isn't this gentleman also not wearing a mask?"

"Hahaha, I've got some strength myself. Besides, I'm a grown man. No one's going to kidnap me and sell me."

Ning Fengzhi laughed heartily.

"That's true. Wendy was being presumptuous."

Xu Qianqian picked up the mask resting on her lap and covered her face with it.

Who said no one would kidnap him and sell him?

The Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would fetch quite a price!

For example, if he were taken to breed with Pals, wouldn't there soon be a whole new generation of Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect members?

That was what she thought, but Xu Qianqian could not possibly say it aloud.

The moment she did, she probably would not live to see tomorrow's sun.