Auction Visit

A deathly silence hung around the arena.

Every spectator stared blankly at Galie Ao, unconscious on the platform, then at the youth still standing there.

The youth's robes were clean and neat, his hair utterly undisturbed, without even a drop of sweat on him.

He stood there as sunlight fell over him, casting a straight shadow across the ground.

Only after more than ten seconds of silence did someone finally find their voice.

"Galie Ao... was crippled?"

The voice was very soft, so soft that it seemed afraid of being overheard.

Yet in the deathly quiet square, every word was perfectly clear.

Then, the crowd erupted.

"Crippled! He really was crippled!"

"Xiao Yan beat Galie Ao into that state with one punch? He didn't even use Dou Qi!"

"He didn't use Dou Qi? Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. From beginning to end, there wasn't even a trace of Dou Qi shining from Xiao Yan!"

"He could beat a One-Star Dou Fighter into that state without using Dou Qi? Just how strong is his body now?"

The discussions rose wave after wave, yet no one dared approach the arena.

The way everyone looked at Xiao Yan had changed. They were no longer looking at some "Xiao Clan trash," but at a true powerhouse.

Awe, wariness, and a faint, indescribable fear.

Xiao Yan paid no attention to those gazes. He turned, leaped down from the arena, and walked toward Xiao Xun'er.

Xiao Xun'er stood where she was and watched him approach. There was no shock or surprise on her delicate face, only a calm certainty and a faint, heartfelt smile.

"Let's go."

Xiao Yan stopped before her, his tone as calm as if he had merely gone out for a stroll.

Xiao Xun'er nodded and naturally reached out to take Xiao Yan's hand.

The two left the square side by side.

Behind them, the crowd automatically parted to make way. No one dared stand in their path.

Those gazes followed their retreating figures, watching as they crossed the square and the streets before finally vanishing into the crowd.

Once they had left the crowd behind, the clamor gradually faded into the distance.

The street returned to normal—the cries of vendors, the chatter of passersby, and the rumble of wheels over bluestone pavement. Those ordinary sounds of daily life gradually diluted the bloodshed and violence from the arena, as though nothing unusual had happened at all.

Xiao Xun'er turned her head to look at Xiao Yan beside her. The youth's profile was sharply defined, sunlight tracing a gentle outline along his cheek.

"Brother Xiao Yan, where are we going next?" she asked, her voice carrying a girl's unique liveliness.

"To the Miter Auction House."

A smile appeared on Xiao Yan's face, warm and bright, utterly different from how he had been on the arena. "I happen to have something to auction."

Xiao Xun'er did not ask further. She merely nodded lightly and tightened her hold on his hand.

After crossing several streets and alleys, the grand building of the Miter Auction House appeared at the end of their view.

The guards at the entrance were still fully armed, their vigilant eyes sweeping over everyone entering and leaving.

This time, Xiao Yan was not wearing a black robe.

Holding Xiao Xun'er's hand, he calmly walked through the main doors. The instant they entered, a cool atmosphere shut out the heat outside.

The resplendent hall remained spacious and brightly lit, with an endless stream of people coming and going.

Xiao Yan led Xiao Xun'er through the hall with practiced ease, heading straight for the room whose door bore the three gilded words: "Appraisal Room."

He pushed the door open and entered.

The room was as it had always been—empty and simple, with a long table, several chairs, and an incense burner in the corner sending wisps of smoke into the air, filling the room with a faint sandalwood scent.

The middle-aged man sat at the table in boredom, flipping through a yellowed ledger.

At the sound of the door opening, he slowly looked up.

His gaze first fell upon Xiao Yan—a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old youth in black robes embroidered with golden patterns, tall and straight, with handsome features.

Then it shifted to Xiao Xun'er at Xiao Yan's side—dressed in pale green, her long hair cascading like a waterfall, her beauty so ethereal that she scarcely seemed human.

The middle-aged man's eyelid twitched.

Either of them alone would have been enough to draw a second glance.

Together, they looked like a painting.

He quickly withdrew his gaze and put on a professional smile, his tone attentive but measured. "Hello. Are you two here for an appraisal?"

"Yes."

Xiao Yan released Xiao Xun'er's hand and stepped forward half a pace, looking calmly at the middle-aged man. "Have Master Gu Ni come out. You can't determine the value of what I intend to auction."

The man's smile stiffened for a moment. His brows furrowed slightly, and a trace of displeasure flashed through his eyes.

He had worked at the Miter Auction House for over thirty years. If he had not handled a thousand treasures, he had handled at least eight hundred—from low-grade Magic Cores to Mystic Tier Dou Skills, from rare medicinal herbs to low-grade pills. What had he not seen?

The youth before him looked no more than fifteen or sixteen, still wet behind the ears, yet he dared speak so arrogantly?

The man opened his mouth, intending to say something, but swallowed the words before they emerged.

Because he saw Xiao Yan's eyes.

Those golden-red eyes were as calm as still water. There was no ostentation or provocation, only a firm, unquestionable confidence.

That confidence was not an act—confidence put on for show was often hollow and exaggerated, eager to prove itself to others.

Xiao Yan's confidence, however, was deeply settled, like a stone resting at the bottom of a pool. One did not need to see it to sense its presence from the stillness of the water.

The middle-aged man could not help thinking of the black-robed man from yesterday.

That mysterious expert had casually produced a low-level Mystic Tier Dou Skill. He had been unable to judge it as well, and had ultimately needed Master Gu Ni to handle it.

Could this youth today... be in a similar situation?

His expression became more serious, and he bowed slightly. "My apologies. Please wait a moment."

With that, he hurried out of the room, his footsteps gradually fading down the corridor.

The Appraisal Room fell quiet.

Xiao Xun'er walked to Xiao Yan's side and tilted her head slightly as she looked at him.

"Brother Xiao Yan, did you come to auction something because you're short of money?"

Her voice was very soft, as though she were afraid outsiders might hear.

Before Xiao Yan could answer, she flicked her slender fingers, and a purple-gold card abruptly appeared between them.

The card was smooth and warm like jade. A faint purple glow flowed across its surface, while five ripples of different colors reflected one another, shimmering with noble and mysterious light.

The Five-Pattern Purple-Gold Card.

On the Dou Qi Continent, this kind of gold card represented identity and status.

One needed at least the strength of a Dou Spirit to qualify for a card that represented such status.

Of course, certain transcendent factions also possessed such qualifications—the young lady of the Ancient Clan naturally belonged to the latter category.

"If it isn't enough, Xun'er still has more—"

Xiao Yan's gaze lingered briefly on the Five-Pattern Purple-Gold Card before shifting to Xiao Xun'er's face.

The girl was looking at him with clear, sincere eyes. There was no showiness or testing in her expression; she simply wanted to help him.

Warmth welled up in his heart.

This girl clearly hid countless secrets and had the entire Ancient Clan behind her, yet she had never treated any of that as a big deal.

Before him, she would always be Xun'er—the girl who quietly sat beside him and listened to him talk about cultivation—not the young lady of the Ancient Clan or the heir to the Dou Emperor Bloodline.

He reached out and rubbed Xiao Xun'er's head.

Her hair was soft and silky, slipping through his fingers with a faint fragrance.

"You really are a rich girl," he said with a smile and a trace of indulgence. "But forget it. If I truly need money, I'll come ask you for it."

Hearing that, Xiao Xun'er did not insist. With a flick of her fingers, the Five-Pattern Purple-Gold Card vanished from between them as though it had never appeared.

She raised her face slightly and gently pushed away Xiao Yan's hand as he rubbed her head. "Brother Xiao Yan messed up my hair again."

Though she said that, a faint smile still curved her lips.