"Seven hundred thousand, going once!"
Ya Fei stood in the center of the hall, her voice so seductive it seemed to soften one's bones, stirring the slightly frozen atmosphere back to life.
"Seven hundred and twenty thousand!"
Just as she had expected, the lull did not last long. Soon after Jia Lie Bi's bid, an elderly man in yellow followed suit.
He was Wutan City's First Medicine Merchant, with several medicinal herb shops under his control. Rumor had it that countless threads connected him to a certain third-rank alchemist, and his wealth was immense.
"Seven hundred and thirty thousand!"
A balding middle-aged man called out the price in a wavering voice that lacked conviction.
Xiao Zhan glanced toward the voice. He knew this man.
He was Wutan City's weapons magnate, who had all but monopolized weapons sales in several nearby cities. The Ao Ba Family dealt with him for their weapons business.
"Seven hundred and thirty thousand, going once!"
After a brief look around, Ya Fei made a show of picking up the small gavel.
"A Dou Technique that complements the circulation of your cultivation method, and a cultivation method that draws out the Dou Technique's power to its utmost!"
"Once you pass this village, you won't find another shop like this~"
There was no denying that Ya Fei was a master at working the crowd.
Every frown and smile of hers sent the bids soaring.
A High Xuan Tier cultivation method and a Dou Technique from the same source.
Whoever possessed these two scrolls would hold a passport to the ranks of the powerful. Decades later, Wutan City would surely see a force that stood shoulder to shoulder with the three great families-or even towered above them!
"Eight hundred thousand!"
His expression impassive, Xiao Zhan announced an astronomical price that sent the entire hall into an uproar.
As his gaze swept across the hall, Xiao Zhan felt quite nervous himself.
Since he had revealed his strength recently, the other families had grown wary of him, and the Xiao Clan had quietly swallowed up a considerable share of the profits from the city's development.
Thus, although eight hundred thousand made his heart ache a little, it would not damage his foundations, and it was certainly worth the money.
Once the price was announced, the hall grew so quiet that a falling pin could have been heard.
Seeing Xiao Zhan exude his full presence, clearly determined to win, and faced with such a steep price, almost everyone looked crestfallen and abandoned the contest.
Jia Lie Bi raked Xiao Zhan with an icy glare, his heart seething with anger.
Of the three great families, only his Jia Lie Family still possessed merely a low Xuan Tier cultivation method. But eight hundred thousand gold coins was utterly beyond what he could afford...
"If anyone raises the bid again, there will be nothing more I can do."
Xiao Zhan's words silenced everyone once more, yet a faint glimmer of hope appeared in Jia Lie Bi's eyes.
His eyes were slightly bloodshot. A battle raged between heaven and man within his heart as he hesitated over whether to stake everything on one final gamble!
"Eight hundred thousand, going once!"
Jia Lie Bi's fingers gripped his chair tightly, their tips turning white.
"Eight hundred thousand, going twice!"
Though Ya Fei's voice was sweet and alluring, each call pierced straight into Jia Lie Bi's heart.
"Eight hundred thousand, going three times! Sold!"
Ya Fei's beautiful eyes brimmed with delight. The total sales from today's auction had nearly surpassed those of the previous several auctions combined!
Perhaps before long, she would be able to finish her training in Wutan City ahead of schedule...
The gavel fell, its sound seeming to strike Jia Lie Bi's heart with crushing force, making him appear more than a decade older in an instant.
Behind the auction hall, a white-robed figure slowly rose. After receiving a perfectly rounded Storage Ring, the figure slipped away through the unnoticed shadows.
"Among the legacies left by the Heavenly Palace, this is the cultivation method best suited to the clan leader at present... Hmm, I even made some gold without exposing myself."
"Now, it's truly time to leave."
Seeing that the auction was about to end, Xiao Yan found an excuse to slip out.
He went to a secluded corner and draped a spacious black robe over himself. Only after wrapping his figure until it looked extremely bulky did he slowly return to the auction house's Appraisal Room.
A while later, hurried footsteps sounded outside, and two figures pushed the door open.
"Hehe, old sir, you're certainly early."
A fragrant breeze drifted over, and a soft, sweet laugh suddenly sounded beside Xiao Yan's ear, making the tip of his heart tremble.
Her water-snake waist swaying, Ya Fei stepped lightly into the reception room, radiating seductive charm. Her voluptuous curves stirred a flame in the lower belly of Xiao Yan, who was still a novice in such matters.
Enchantress, Xiao Yan cursed inwardly, burying his face deeper in his hood and shifting his gaze aside.
"You brat, you simply haven't seen enough women. One Heavenly Alluring Constitution is enough to make you lose control?"
Yao Chen's mocking voice rang out in his mind, making Xiao Yan blush.
His fingers beneath the cloak gently stroked the plain black ring, and he hurriedly handed the conversation over to Yao Lao.
Ya Fei raised her delicate hand, revealing a pale blue jade card, and said with a smile:
"Old sir, the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid and Qi Burst Pill sold for a total of seven hundred and eighty thousand gold coins. After deducting the tax, the entire remaining amount is on this card."
"That price exceeded even my expectations. Very good..."
The aged voice brought a hint of delight to Ya Fei's lovely face. Her bright eyes shifted alluringly. Pursing her rosy lips in a soft laugh, she smiled radiantly and said:
"If you ever need to auction pills again, old sir, please feel free to come to the Mittel Auction House. We will certainly secure the best price for you."
"Have you found the medicinal herbs I need?"
Xiao Yan nodded and put away the jade card. After a brief hesitation, Yao Lao voiced the question.
Her long, beautiful eyes curved into lovely crescents. Ya Fei smiled, her soft, sweet voice bringing a flicker of pleasant surprise to Xiao Yan's heart.
"Hehe, naturally, our auction house will spare no effort to fulfill your request, old sir."
Ya Fei lightly clapped her delicate hands. The Second-Rank Alchemist Gu Ni personally hurried forward carrying a jade tray. Bowing slightly, he carefully placed it on the table.
"Sir, all the medicinal herbs you require are here."
After sweeping his soul perception over them, the disguised "Xiao Yan" gave a slight nod.
Following a brief exchange, Yao Chen took out another list of medicinal herbs and handed it to Ya Fei. He also left behind all the gold he had earned, instructing her to do her best to find them.
"In that case, I have other matters to attend to, so I won't stay any longer."
Seeing that everything had been settled, Xiao Yan stood, waved his hand, and headed straight outside.
"Let me see you out." Ya Fei exchanged a glance with Gu Ni, and both hurried forward, eagerly leading the way.
With the Mittel Auction House's two managers respectfully escorting him, one ahead and one behind, Xiao Yan left the reception room. Just as he stepped outside and looked up, his pace slowed.
As he emerged from the reception room, several groups were also dispersing from the auction hall opposite, each harboring their own hidden schemes as they prepared to leave.
They were all the prominent forces of Wutan City that had attended the auction, including the three great families.
"That's enough. No need to see me any farther."
A vigorous, powerful voice rang out from beneath the bulky black robe, making everyone's heart shudder.
Yet what his body did next left even Xiao Yan himself aghast.
Whoosh!
Under the manipulation and shaping of an invisible, tremendous Soul Power, a pair of Crimson Wings suddenly sprouted from the back of Xiao Yan's spacious black robe!
The wings beat, lifting Xiao Yan's feet off the ground. A surging burst of energy sent everyone staggering, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished into the distant sky.
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