Miter Auction House, the Black-Robed Man Who Brushed Past

Jia Ma Empire, Wu Tan City.

Yao Xuan stood at Wu Tan City's gate, watching the stream of people passing through. He could not help but murmur softly,

"So this is Wu Tan City..."

"Though it is a small place, it has a different sort of lively charm..."

After speaking, Yao Xuan officially entered the city. Though he did not yet know Xiao Yan's exact situation, since he had already arrived in Wu Tan City, he might as well first learn more about it...

Yao Xuan's goal was clear. Rather than heading directly to the Xiao Household, he chose the place with the greatest flow of people in Wu Tan City—the Miter Auction House!

After all, places like auction houses had always been centers of information...

Yao Xuan soon arrived at the entrance of the Miter Auction House.

Looking at the auction house, which stood on an entirely different level from the surrounding buildings, Yao Xuan could not help marveling at how wealthy the Miter Lineage truly was!

No wonder it was called the richest family in the Jia Ma Empire. At the same time, he could not help praising angel investor Hai Bodong's judgment!

He had actually gambled the entire Miter Lineage on Xiao Yan's future...

His thoughts drifting slightly, Yao Xuan still slowly entered the Miter Auction House.

Yao Xuan walked calmly, not sparing a second glance at the nobles and merchants coming and going through the hall. Following the quiet inner corridor, he headed straight for the auction house's appraisal room...

Just as Yao Xuan was about to step into the corridor leading to the appraisal room, a thin black-robed figure with a low, hoarse presence brushed past him.

The black-robed man's aura was concealed to the extreme, without the slightest trace of Dou Qi leaking out. His body was slightly hunched, and he deliberately kept his head lowered.

Yet from that fleeting contact as they passed one another, a trace of imperceptible understanding flashed through Yao Xuan's eyes.

With that attire and the faint scent of medicinal herbs emanating from him, this black-robed man should be Xiao Yan.

From the looks of it, Xiao Yan appearing at the Miter Auction House in black robes meant Yao Lao had likely already awakened and successfully accepted Xiao Yan as his disciple. However, Xiao Yan had probably not yet advanced to the Dou Practitioner stage and was still at the Dou Qi Stage.

That meant Yao Lao had not yet passed the Flame Mantra on to Xiao Yan.

Yao Xuan's thoughts stirred, but his expression remained calm and unchanged. He did not pause even slightly, nor did his footsteps slow in the slightest.

He gently pushed open the door to the appraisal room before him and walked inside.

At the same time, Yao Lao, hidden within Xiao Yan's Storage Ring, also noticed Yao Xuan.

Yao Lao's voice softly sounded beside Xiao Yan's ear. "Kid, it seems today's auction will be lively..."

Xiao Yan was somewhat confused. "Hm? Isn't the Miter Auction House always lively whenever it holds an auction..."

Yao Lao said, "Boy, that youth who just passed by you is also an alchemist—and one who possesses a Heavenly Flame. Judging from his soul power, his alchemy rank is at least Fifth-Grade!"

Xiao Yan could hardly believe it. "A Fifth-Grade Alchemist? Teacher, surely you are not joking?"

At this point, Xiao Yan had yet to learn about Heavenly Flames from Yao Lao, so his attention was focused entirely on the Fifth-Grade Alchemist.

After all, to the current Xiao Yan, regardless of rank, as long as someone was an alchemist, they were an existence no one in Wu Tan City could afford to offend.

Besides, that youth who had just brushed past him did not look much older than him, yet he could already be a Fifth-Grade Alchemist?

Yao Lao merely reminded Xiao Yan one last time to be careful and not expose himself, then fell silent...

Inside the appraisal room, an elderly man in green robes with somewhat graying hair was staring incredulously at the jade bottle in his hand.

The old man was Gu Ni, the Second-Grade Alchemist of this Miter Auction House.

The jade bottle in his hand should have contained the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid Xiao Yan had entrusted to them for auction earlier.

At that moment, Gu Ni's attention was entirely focused on the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid. Even when Yao Xuan entered, he failed to notice him.

Only when Yao Xuan spoke softly did Gu Ni come back to his senses.

"A Fourth-Grade Pill, to be auctioned on consignment..."

Gu Ni casually responded at first, "Very well, please wait..."

But Gu Ni suddenly changed his tone. "What? A Fourth... Fourth-Grade Pill?"

Gu Ni, who had been lowering his head to inspect the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid with a calm expression, abruptly stiffened all over. The jade bottle in his hand nearly slipped and fell.

Gu Ni had guarded the Wu Tan City Miter Auction House and appraised treasures for decades. As the only Second-Grade Alchemist in the entire city,

he had seen countless pills and treasures. Yet a Fourth-Grade Pill was a legendary item in this remote border city of the Jia Ma Empire—something people had heard of but never seen.

Gu Ni abruptly raised his head, his cloudy eyes fixed firmly on the composed youth before him, his face filled with disbelief.

"Young friend... did you say a Fourth-Grade Pill?"

Yao Xuan said nothing more. He raised five fingers slightly, and a completely azure pill brimming with spiritual energy floated up from his palm.

The pill was round and flawless, with two clear, profound pill patterns spiraling across its surface.

Its medicinal fragrance was rich and overbearing. The moment it appeared, it instantly filled the entire chamber, its dense medicinal power rushing toward them...

It was unmistakably a Two-Stripe Green Spirit Pill of the highest quality!

"Two stripes! It is actually a Two-Stripe Green Spirit Pill!"

Gu Ni's eyes widened, his throat bobbing violently. He staggered forward, his eyes filled with overwhelming shock.

Gu Ni stretched out his withered hand with trembling fingers, cautiously approaching the pill. He did not dare touch it in the slightest, merely examining it from afar.

In a place like Wu Tan City, a Fourth-Grade Pill was already an invaluable treasure, something said to have a price but no market.

And this Two-Stripe Green Spirit Pill before him was enough to shake all of Wu Tan City.

After all, a Two-Stripe Green Spirit Pill could already be considered a peak Fourth-Grade Pill.

Though it could not compare to the Three-Pattern Azure Spirit Pill,

it could still raise a Great Dou Master's strength by one star.

"Perfect pill form, abundant medicinal power, and flawless pill patterns! It truly is a peak Fourth-Grade Two-Stripe Green Spirit Pill!"

Gu Ni muttered, his voice trembling.

After all, Gu Ni was merely a Second-Grade Alchemist. Seeing a Fourth-Grade Pill before him left him incredibly excited.

After the shock, Gu Ni did not dare show the slightest negligence. He immediately turned and instructed the guards to summon the auction house's chief manager at the fastest speed.

Not long after, a graceful figure slowly approached.

Dressed in a long purple gown, with peerless beauty and a gentle yet alluring temperament, she was Ya Fei, the chief manager of the Wu Tan City Miter Auction House.

Seeing this beautiful woman whose curves swayed even as she walked, Yao Xuan could not help sighing inwardly. This Ya Fei truly lives up to her reputation...

Ya Fei stepped into the appraisal room and had only just caught the rich medicinal fragrance filling the room

when she saw Gu Ni report urgently in a grave voice,

"This young gentleman possesses a peak Fourth-Grade Two-Stripe Green Spirit Pill and wishes to consign it for auction at our establishment!"

A flicker of surprise instantly crossed Ya Fei's beautiful face, and all the composure in her eyes faded away.

After all, Ya Fei also knew full well how significant a Fourth-Grade Pill was in Wu Tan City.

She immediately composed herself and gracefully bowed to Yao Xuan. Following procedure, she began explaining the auction house's rules to him.

"Young master, the Miter Auction House's rules..."

Before Ya Fei could finish, Yao Xuan gave a slight nod. "Proceed according to your rules..."

Having received his approval, Ya Fei immediately took out a special platinum registration jade plaque and carefully recorded the pill's information.

Gu Ni, meanwhile, cautiously sealed the Two-Stripe Green Spirit Pill within a top-grade temperature-preserving jade box for safekeeping.

Once all the procedures had been completed, Ya Fei personally escorted Yao Xuan to the auction house's most prestigious private room before returning.

Back in the appraisal room, Ya Fei could not help asking again, "Master Gu Ni..."

"Are you certain that pill was truly a peak Fourth-Grade Two-Stripe Green Spirit Pill? You did not mistake it?"

Ya Fei still found it hard to believe that such a young man could produce a pill of that level.

Gu Ni's emotions had yet to settle, but he still nodded. "Though this old man is only a Second-Grade Alchemist and lacks the ability to refine Fourth-Grade Pills, I could never mistake it. That was undoubtedly a genuine Two-Stripe Green Spirit Pill!"

"If that pill was truly refined by that young master, then he is likely already a Fifth-Grade Alchemist!"

"Still, today is truly strange. First came an alchemist capable of refining Second-Grade Pills, and then immediately another capable of refining peak Fourth-Grade Pills! Could it be that Wu Tan City is about to undergo a great change?"

Ya Fei did not speak again. Her delicate brows merely knitted tightly, and her heart was filled with confusion.

After all, a Fifth-Grade Alchemist held enormous influence in the Jia Ma Empire. Even Gu He, known as the Pill King, was merely a Sixth-Rank Alchemist...

Was that youth truly a Fifth-Grade Alchemist?