The auction house in Black Seal City was far beyond anything the Mittel Auction House in the Jia Ma Imperial Capital could compare with. The densely packed seats stretched farther than the eye could see, while the auction platform, built almost entirely from dazzling crystal, was a dizzying sight.
Here, even Dou Emperor strength was nothing special. Perhaps one day, the city would change masters without anyone even noticing.
The many factions of the Black-Corner Region sat scattered throughout the venue in groups of three or five.
Experts at the Dou Wang level or above, however, had their own exclusive VIP area. Not only did they have private rooms, but maids also stood by to attend to them.
"A Dou Ling Pill, a peak fifth-grade pill!"
After exchanging a few brief pleasantries with the audience, the white-haired old man onstage, a peak Dou Wang, got straight to the point.
"It can directly raise a Dou Wang expert's strength by one star. As you all surely know, pills that directly increase strength can be counted on your fingers. Whenever one appears, it is something you may encounter, but can never hope to seek out!"
"The starting bid is two million gold coins!"
After announcing the price, the white-haired auctioneer surveyed the venue with a beaming smile.
"Two million two hundred thousand!"
"Two million three hundred thousand!"
"Two million five hundred thousand!"
Fan Tian sat quietly in a chair at the back. Listening to the constantly rising bids, he smiled at the Pill Tower's Twin Beauties seated on either side of him. "Look at that price shooting up! Alchemists really do have it made!"
Cao Ying suddenly put on a frightened act. "Young Master Fan, this little lady has refined pills for you. Next time, could you please not come from behind... it really hurts!"
Her voice was affected and impossibly soft, and tears even seemed to glisten in her eyes.
Fan Tian's face twitched, and goosebumps actually rose across his skin.
Beside him, Dan Chen's eyes shifted, thoroughly impressed by Cao Ying's acting.
Holy shit, so that works too.
"Pah! Brother Fan Tian, don't listen to this Demoness! Filthy, shameless, utterly brazen! She was practically dying of pleasure, and now she's putting on this act!"
Dan Chen spoke indignantly. She was a few years younger than Cao Ying, but her talent and strength were hardly inferior. The two women had always been rivals in the Pill Tower.
"I'm different. Not only can I refine pills for you, I can climb on top and move by myself!"
Fan Tian: ?
Cao Ying: ?
"Hu Gan, it looks like there's a good chance the Heavenly Mansion really does have a seventh-grade pill. Someone important has come to the Black-Corner Region. We just don't know what kind of pill it is. If there's a Sect Breaking Pill, I'll secure it for you no matter what!"
Seeing a pill of the Dou Ling Pill's caliber served up as the opening appetizer, Su Qian could not help feeling a little more hopeful.
Although Jia Nan Academy had deep reserves, its strength on paper amounted to only so much. After breaking through to Dou Zun, the headmaster had never returned, only sending an occasional message. As for those two old fossils, the Thousand and Hundred Elders, all they ever did was cultivate in seclusion. Unless someone razed the academy, they would never lift a finger.
Sometimes, Su Qian even suspected that those two old fossils would not leave seclusion even if someone killed him.
"Exactly, Old Su. I've had more than enough of being stuck at peak Dou Emperor. But whenever I remember that Han Feng, the Medicine Emperor, is also stuck in the Dou Huang Realm, I don't feel quite so bad!"
"Hahaha!"
"Hahaha!"
Hu Gan's words drew laughter from the academy elders beside him.
At the table in the neighboring private room, Han Feng's face alternated between green and purple, and the air seemed to freeze.
At Fan Tian's direction, Yuan Yi had placed Jia Nan Academy's party and Han Feng's party in adjacent private rooms.
Naturally, the rooms were not sealed off. They were open spaces that allowed everyone to inspect the auction items and call out bids. The two groups could even exchange looks through the windows.
"There's no need to be angry, Medicine Emperor. Jia Nan Academy may be wealthy, but you, the Black-Corner Region's foremost Alchemist, are hardly short of money either. If a Sect Breaking Pill really appears, just win the bid."
Fan Lao gave a dry cough before speaking.
"Deputy Headmaster, it makes sense for us to come here to bid on pills, but why did Han Feng come? Isn't he the Medicine Emperor?"
"What do you know? The Medicine Emperor is here to inspect things on behalf of the people of the Black-Corner Region. What if someone tries to scam them with fake pills? If someone of the Medicine Emperor's stature has to compete with others to buy pills, he can forget about reaching the seventh grade in this lifetime!"
Watching the members of Jia Nan Academy trade remarks, the Gold and Silver Elders glanced at Han Feng out of the corners of their eyes and said nothing.
They were talking about Han Feng, not them.
Besides, so what if they were talking about them?
Su Qian was sitting right there.
The two of them could challenge a Dou Zong of around two stars, but over a prolonged fight, a Dou Zong was still a Dou Zong, and a Dou Emperor was still a Dou Emperor. An entire major realm separated them.
Han Feng drew a deep breath and closed his eyes, pale blue flames burning continuously over his body.
"Did you sense the heavenly flame inside that man?"
Cao Ying followed Fan Tian's gaze.
"Could it be the Sea Heart Flame, ranked fifteenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking?"
Cao Ying sounded surprised.
"That's right. I'll kill him, and the Sea Heart Flame will be my gift to you!"
Cao Ying stared at Fan Tian in astonishment.
A heavenly flame-even her teacher, Xuan Kongzi, had never possessed one.
Fan Tian pulled Cao Ying into his arms and kneaded her breasts hard with both hands.
"You bastard, you're giving me such an expensive gift? All that effort I put into serving you really wasn't wasted!"
With a bashful murmur, Cao Ying slipped free of Fan Tian, took two kneepads from her Storage Ring, and knelt.
Fan Tian's lips parted slightly as he looked down at the Demoness's breathtakingly beautiful face.
Her cheeks bulged, and she seemed terribly uncomfortable. Occasionally, he even heard her gag.
Fan Tian could not bear the sight. He could only raise his right hand, smooth Cao Ying's somewhat disheveled hair behind her ear, then gently rest his hand on the back of the Demoness's head and apply a little pressure toward himself.
"Bastard!"
"Lecher!"
"Faithless scoundrel!"
"You dog!"
"Adulterer and whore!"
Seeing that Fan Tian intended to kill someone and seize his flame just to please the Demoness, while that vixen repaid the peach with a plum by immediately relieving his lust without any regard for their surroundings, Dan Chen flew into a rage.
Her mid-Spirit Realm soul power erupted, instantly breaking through the energy barrier Fan Tian had set up. Vast soul power then surged outward from the room, howling throughout the auction house.
A Soul Storm seemed to sweep through the entire auction house. Everyone felt dizzy, their legs going weak.
The wrinkles on Su Qian's face deepened.
Han Feng suddenly opened his eyes, disbelief written all over his face.
Cries of astonishment also rose from several inconspicuous corners.
Enduring the unbearable tingling below his waist, Fan Tian circulated his Dou Qi and enclosed the room once more, cutting off everyone's prying senses.
"Silly girl, how could your Brother Tian ever treat you poorly?"
"Jia Nan Academy has a heavenly flame. I'll snatch it for you. If I can't manage that, your man will go to the Jia Ma Empire and get you one."
"You guarantee it's real?"
"I guarantee it, girl!"
Sniffling, Dan Chen looked at Fan Tian with tear-filled eyes, then kicked aside Cao Ying, who was struggling to swallow, and took her place.
"If it isn't real, I'll bite it clean off. Let's see how you corrupt anyone after that!"
Fan Tian raised his eyebrows, leaned back, and began enjoying himself again.
"The heavenly flame the Pill Tower can't give you, I will!"
"The sexual bliss the Pill Tower can't give you, I will!"
Fan Tian was a man who did things properly. He paid his dues!
In the original novel, all the women who followed Xiao Yan had soared to success.
Surely the women who followed Fan Tian could not be left eating chaff!
As for what he would arrange for Yao Ling?
Did that even need asking?
It had to be the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame.
He could hardly let that Blondie, Xiao Yan, reap the benefits!
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