Auction Prelude

The Ten Thousand Beasts Assembly was a celebrated grand event renowned across the Northwest Region and the entire Douqi Continent itself, with every iteration seeing a surge of favored sons of heaven emerge to forge legendary tales.

Meanwhile, the unprecedented spectacle of Tianlan City would grow exceptionally lively; with more people came more matters.

The two major factions of the Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion and the Gold Alliance Chamber of Commerce joined forces to prepare an auction one and a half months before the start of the Ten Thousand Beasts Assembly. The reason for choosing this timing was, on one hand, that the crowd had basically reached its peak and could create more value, while on the other hand, the items acquired at the auction also required time to be absorbed.

On the road leading from the Heavenly Snake Mansion to the auction house in Tianlan City, a group of five was walking, the two men in front walking with arms around each other's shoulders, making their relationship look extraordinary.

"Junior Uncle, there are quite a few good things at this auction this time. How is it? Are you fully prepared?" Xu Yingwu asked, throwing an arm around Xiao Yan's shoulder.

"More or less, I suppose. I hope to buy some things I need."

"Hehe, rest assured, both the Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion and the Gold Alliance Chamber of Commerce are major factions whose operations span far and wide, and auctions prior to the Ten Thousand Beasts Assembly are a customary tradition. According to the old man in my family, the good things this time have even coaxed many reclusive old monsters out of seclusion."

"Then today is likely to be quite thrilling."

Xiao Yan, Xun Er, Zi Yan, Qing Lin, and Xu Yingwu walked together. Because of Su Zhang's connection, Xu Yingwu had grown increasingly close to Xiao Yan, and Xiao Yan also liked this approachable, wealthy young master. Therefore, for this auction, Xiao Yan and the others had not even departed with the people from the Heavenly Snake Mansion before being dragged off by Xu Yingwu.

"Xiao Yan, if there are good herbs, you must snatch them fiercely!" Zi Yan said with a fierce expression.

Yet despite the fierce look and tone, Zi Yan's petite figure simply could not back up her harsh words, instead provoking light laughter from the others.

By the time the group hurried to the auction house, even Xun Er was slightly stunned by the towering presence of a terrifying building over three hundred zhang in diameter. Entering inside, over thirty thousand seats were arranged, with more than half of them already occupied. In the central area with the best view, there were even ten small rooms. Xiao Yan saw at a glance that they were rooms made of Black Spirit Stone; Black Spirit Stone had two sides—one visible, one invisible—offering exceptionally good privacy.

However, just as the group stepped into the auction house, a boisterous voice rang out.

"Medicine Jar, you're here too?"

Xu Yingwu's brow furrowed slightly as he said in a cold tone, "Truly rotten luck. I forgot to check my fortune before heading out, running into a bastard like you."

The group looked toward the rear to see a short, bald man one meter five in height appear; though only one meter five tall, his entire body was packed with dark, taut muscles.

Upon hearing this, the bald man was not annoyed; instead, he looked at Xiao Yan beside Xu Yingwu and chuckled, "Who is this? You aren't even going to introduce him."

As he spoke, he extended his right hand as if in friendship, yet Xiao Yan sensed the bald man's entire body muscles quietly expanding, a terrifying force clearly contained within the single palm strike.

Xiao Yan let out a cold snort, his right palm instantly turning blood-red as he met palm with palm!

Their palms connected and a formidable burst of energy erupted, yet the two of them still managed with some tacit understanding to suppress the energy explosion, considering this was, after all, an auction house.

Xiao Yan stumbled back three steps in succession, his complexion slightly flushed, his palms already glowing crimson. The physical strength behind the bald man's previous strike was truly formidable; from that single blow alone, Xiao Yan could already judge that this person definitely surpassed Yun Shan.

Although the bald man stood his ground without moving, heat began to vent from his entire body like a steaming cauldron, and when he shook his hands, the skin on his palms actually shattered and flaked off, clearly showing that he too had failed to gain the upper hand in this brief exchange. A portion of the burning evil intent of the Crimson Lotus Karma Flame that Xiao Yan had long suppressed had just been driven into the bald man's body by Xiao Yan, causing a turbulent churning within the bald man; had his strength not been sufficiently formidable, he might have been injured in that clash.

"Shi Meng, if you want to fight, I'll accompany you," Xu Yingwu raged, clearly angered by the bald man Shi Meng's actions.

"Hehe, today's serious business is the auction. There will be plenty of time to fight at the Ten Thousand Beasts Assembly, Medicine Jar." The bald man left with a mocking expression, casting a deep glance at Xiao Yan before departing.

"Junior Uncle, are you all right?" Xu Yingwu asked.

Xiao Yan shook his head and said, "No harm. Who is this person?"

Mid-speech, Xiao Yan quietly turned his hand over to clasp Xun Er's small hand as she reached out to feel and check on his condition, a blush immediately rushing onto Xun Er's face—fortunately, she had kept her veil and cloak on all along, so no one noticed this detail.

Xu Yingwu replied, "He is Shi Meng of Elephant Rhino Mountain, and also one of the formidable rivals for this upcoming Ten Thousand Beasts Assembly. He specializes in physical strength, enough to shatter stone and snap gold. Yet he is exceptionally cunning; once, when I was gathering herbs and had painstakingly slain a magical beast, this fellow reaped the fisherman's profit. He strikes with extreme ruthlessness, and people without a background who spar with him frequently end up severely injured."

Xiao Yan nodded in agreement. Shi Meng had seized the moment when everyone was unawares to launch a thunderous strike to test him; if it had been someone of insufficient strength, they would likely have already been injured by him.

"The Ten Thousand Beasts Assembly will make him pay the price. Let's head to the VIP room first."

Xu Yingwu led Xiao Yan and the others to one of the dozen Black Spirit Stone rooms, outside of which stood four exceptionally voluptuous maids with scant clothing waiting nearby. Xu Yingwu opened the room, and the interior was luxuriously appointed to the extreme.

The room was quite spacious, furnished with ten reclining chairs made from the pelts of high-grade magical beasts. On the central table were various exotic fruits and prime-quality medicinal herbs and fruits fit for direct consumption, while nearby even stood a freezer specially condensed with Douqi by an ice-attribute expert, displaying dozens of bottled wines. There were only two people inside the room, one of whom was precisely Xiao Yan's new senior brother, Su Zhang, while the latter was a middle-aged man conversing with him.

"Father, Teacher," Xu Yingwu said respectfully.

The middle-aged man and Su Zhang both nodded. Xiao Yan closely observed Xu Yingwu's father, Xu Chengzze, discovering that his mouth was somewhat more bulging and distended than an ordinary person's; Xiao Yan had heard Xu Yingwu introduce that the Echo Sect took the utmost pride in its sonic attacks, and Xu Chengzze, a Nine-Star Dou Zong powerhouse, was the very manifestation of having cultivated sonic attacks to perfection.

"You've arrived? This must be Elder Su's junior brother, Master Xiao Yan, no doubt," Xu Chengzze said with a smile.

"You flatter me, Sect Master Xu may simply call me Xiao Yan."

"Since you are Elder Su's junior brother and also Yingwu's good friend, you might as well just call me Uncle Xu."

"Then I, Xiao Yan, shall presume upon your hospitality."

"No harm done at all. Elder Su has praised this junior brother of his to the skies, and seeing you today, his words are indeed no exaggeration. Any items you take a fancy to at today's auction can be put on the Echo Sect's tab."

Amidst the warm and cordial pleasantries between Xiao Yan and the others, people continuously poured into the auction hall, and the VIP rooms symbolizing status were occupied one by one, gradually driving the atmosphere of the auction toward a climax.