The local gangs were far too polite!

Yun Congxin sipped his tea, and Yao Ye's aggrieved, reproachful gaze surfaced in his mind again, giving his desire for control and his vanity immense satisfaction.

Am I really a pervert with weird XP? Yun Congxin reflected briefly, then quickly dismissed the notion.

In a good mood, he carried his teacup and walked lightly toward Gu He's courtyard. The teapot floated silently into the air and followed behind him.

"Mr. Gu He, are you there?" Yun Congxin knocked on the door.

Gu He, who was studying a Pill Recipe, clearly had not expected Yun Congxin to visit so suddenly. He hurried over to open the door, even forgetting to put the recipe back into his Storage Ring.

"You're truly diligent, Mr. Gu He. No wonder you're the Jia Ma Empire's foremost Alchemist!"

As the courtyard gate swung open, Yun Congxin spotted the Pill Recipe in Gu He's hand and spoke with a smile.

"I've had nothing to do lately. I'm merely passing the time," Gu He said with a wry smile. "Please come in, Sect Master Yun."

Yun Congxin nodded in acknowledgment and entered Gu He's courtyard. "Since you're so absorbed in your research, Mr. Gu He, why not fire up a cauldron and give it a try?"

"Refining pills takes considerable time, and in four days, there's the auction you care about most—the auction you're concerned about, Sect Master Yun. I fear delaying your important business..."

Yun Congxin smiled. "You could simply warm up your hands. Refine some fourth- or fifth-grade pills you're more confident about. As long as it makes enough of a stir, anything will do."

"Sect Master Yun, do you mean to..."

"Build a little momentum, that's all. We're here to stock up this time. If we insist on hiding our identities and playing the pig to eat the tiger, some fool who doesn't know how high the heavens are is bound to interfere," Yun Congxin said with a smile. "A previously unknown Fifth-Rank Alchemist and a Dou Wang expert—that should carry enough weight for the local gangs to spare us their attentions."

"Oh, I see. You truly plan far ahead, Sect Master Yun." After a moment's thought, Gu He took out a Pill Recipe and handed it to Yun Congxin. "In that case, this pill should be the best choice. The fifth-grade pill, [Windwalk Pill], isn't difficult to refine, and none of its ingredients are particularly rare."

"When the pill forms, its rich fragrance can turn into a tangible mist of energy. Experts across at least half the city will notice it."

"What about the time? Can you finish it in four days?"

"Rest assured, Sect Master Yun. Within three days, I will have its fragrance filling the air!" Gu He declared with absolute confidence.

Yun Congxin smiled. "In that case, I'll stand guard for you, Mr. Gu He."

Gu He wasted no time either. He took out his pill cauldron, sat cross-legged, and began refining.

A flame leaped from his fingertip. He flicked it into the cauldron, where it instantly became a roaring blaze.

Meanwhile, Yun Congxin stood to one side with his teacup, watching with interest. This was his first time seeing an Alchemist refine pills since arriving on the Dou Qi Continent, and everything about it intrigued him.

As a sixth-rank Alchemist, Gu He was exceptionally practiced. He expertly timed each ingredient's entry into the cauldron, then used his consummate flame-control techniques to extract every last trace of its essence.

The flames within the cauldron were like an orchestra obeying every command. Under Gu He's seasoned direction, the entire refining process was so harmonious that it bordered on elegance.

Xiao Yan had woken at some point as well, but the tradition forbidding Alchemists from stealing one another's techniques forced him to remain obediently in his own courtyard. Unlike Yun Congxin, he could not watch at close range as Gu He directed the flames like a concert conductor.

Before three days had passed, the pill was nearly ready to leave the cauldron.

As he prepared to retrieve it, Gu He concentrated all his Soul Power on controlling the flames, making them envelop the nearly formed Windwalk Pill like a torch at the center of the cauldron.

The Windwalk Pill spun rapidly within the flames. Its final impurities and excess energy were forced out and burned away.

As the fifth-grade pill neared completion, an extraordinary phenomenon suddenly appeared!

A rich medicinal fragrance seeped out of the cauldron, stirring faint ripples of energy.

"You were being modest, Mr. Gu He. How could this only alert the experts in half the city? At the very least, everyone in Black Seal City will notice!"

Breathing in the intoxicating fragrance, Yun Congxin looked up at the medicinal mist drifting overhead and revealed a mischievous smile, his scheme having succeeded.

He could sense that quite a few people in Black Seal City who had come specifically for the auction had noticed the unusual occurrence. They converged on the courtyard like sharks scenting blood.

Yun Congxin flicked a finger, and a translucent, pale-green Wind Barrier rose around the courtyard, enclosing it completely.

He summoned his Dou Qi Wings and soared into the air with a single beat.

His Dou Qi Wings beat rhythmically as Yun Congxin hovered beneath the azure medicinal mist and swept his gaze over the crowd already gathered outside the inn.

Among them, he saw a handsome young Dou Ling with a face as pale as a vampire's, as well as a figure in gray robes emblazoned with a Skull.

Oh, there was also a seductive woman from the Heavenly Snake Mansion over there.

All the worthies have gathered... Yun Congxin mocked inwardly as he surveyed the crowd.

Those who had come were mere small fry at the Dou Ling and Dou Wang levels. Only the Heavenly Snake Mansion woman in the green dress was a low-star Dou Emperor, leaving Yun Congxin somewhat disappointed.

I remember the Blood Sect poured a fortune into this. How did I only flush out one Dou Ling with unstable Dou Qi? And none of the other factions sent anyone important either. Did only the Blood Sect think of stealing what they couldn't win at auction? Did none of the others have even the slightest intention of doing that? Yun Congxin muttered inwardly. That can't be right. Apart from that stupid woman from the Heavenly Snake Mansion, who really intends to run as soon as she wins her bid, when have the factions of the Black-Corner Region ever failed to launch a heated free-for-all right there after an auction?

Although the result fell short of his expectations and the audience was rather sparse, the performance had come this far. Naturally, he had to see it through.

Yun Congxin shouted coldly, "Anyone who approaches the Wind Barrier dies!"

"Hahaha! Rest assured, my friend. On the Eight Gates' territory, neither you nor your friend will encounter any trouble." A Dou Huang expert sped over from the distance. In a show of sincerity, he stopped some thirty paces from the Wind Barrier and cupped his hands. "I am the Sect Master of the Eight Gates. May I ask who you are...?"

"Jia Xingshan!" Yun Congxin lied without batting an eyelid.

"Rest assured, Brother Jia Xing. The Eight Gates has always welcomed friendships with Alchemists and the continent's experts. As a token of my sincerity, I'm willing to personally stand guard for your Alchemist friend," the Sect Master of the Eight Gates said with a smile. "I also own a decent restaurant here at the auction, and its banquet fare is quite excellent. Once your friend has retrieved his pill, might you honor us with your presence?"

"The two of us still have some preparations to make before the auction. Once it's over, we'll be sure to pay you a visit..."

"Of course. Then I shall respectfully await your arrival at the Eight Gates," the Sect Master of the Eight Gates said with a smile.