On the morning of the third day after subduing the Mysterious Yellow Flame, Xiao Yan slowly concluded his cultivation in a secluded valley outside Wutan City.
As his final hand seal dissipated, the pale golden flames surrounding him receded like the tide, merging into his meridians.
He opened his eyes. A golden gleam cut through the morning mist before fading from his gaze. Feeling the dense, substantial Dou Qi of a Dou Ling within him, along with the Purification Power ready to answer his every call, Xiao Yan's lips curved into a faint smile. Since breaking through to Dou Ling, his aura had become ever more unfathomable. Even the Dou Qi flowing from his fingertips carried a faint golden shimmer.
Over the past three days, Xiao Yan had worked to stabilize his cultivation while studying the uses of the Mysterious Yellow Flame.
Nourished by the heavenly flame, his meridians had widened severalfold. The lingering demon essence was steadily purified, and even his spiritual perception had grown considerably sharper.
What delighted him even more was that the Mysterious Yellow Flame could not only purify evil corruption, but also produce a unique pill flame.
Using this purest source of fire between heaven and earth, he had successfully refined three Purification Pills-golden all over like amber, their surfaces traced with the Mysterious Yellow Flame's distinctive golden patterns. Their delicate fragrance could clear the mind and soothe the spirit.
"It's time to visit the Treasure Gathering Pavilion."
Muttering to himself, Xiao Yan turned his hand over, took out a loose black robe, and draped it over himself. Black gauze fell from the rim of his bamboo hat, hiding his face completely in shadow. This carefully prepared disguise could both conceal his identity and intimidate petty scoundrels when necessary.
At noon, the Treasure Gathering Pavilion buzzed with voices. Carriages and horses streamed past its cast-bronze gates, and everyone coming and going was either wealthy or influential.
Xiao Yan followed the crowd into the auction hall, his gaze sweeping unobtrusively across the room from beneath his black robe.
Every seat in the first-floor hall was occupied, with richly dressed merchants and fierce-looking cultivators jostling shoulder to shoulder. On the second floor, shadowy figures could be glimpsed behind the lowered pearl curtains of private boxes-the true elite of Wutan City.
He chose an empty seat in a corner and sat down. The shadow of his bamboo hat concealed most of his face, leaving only his chin visible beneath tightly pressed lips.
Whispers drifted around him as people discussed the day's auction items. No one paid attention to the unassuming black-robed figure.
The auctioneer struck a gilded bronze gong, and the entire hall instantly fell silent. Dressed in a purple velvet formal suit, he beamed at the crowd.
"Welcome, everyone, to the Treasure Gathering Pavilion's monthly auction! With so many treasures gathered here today, we guarantee your trip will not have been in vain!"
At his gesture, a maid carried a jade tray onto the stage. The first item, a hundred-year-old Blood-Coagulating Herb, soon sold for five thousand gold coins.
The Rhino Horn Bow, Blue-Patterned Steel Armor, and other items sold one after another, gradually heating up the atmosphere.
Xiao Yan remained seated, quietly watching. His fingertips tapped unconsciously against the armrest as he waited for the best moment.
"Our next item is one of today's main attractions!"
The auctioneer's voice suddenly rose as he personally carried a jade box onto the stage. "Please take a look-" He slowly lifted the lid, revealing three golden pills. Sunlight streamed through the skylight, setting the golden patterns on their surfaces aglow. A crisp, extraordinary fragrance instantly spread throughout the hall, easing even the restless heat in people's hearts.
"Such pure energy!"
A quiet exclamation of praise came from a second-floor box. Its pearl curtain stirred, revealing the outline of a powerful figure.
A flash of pride crossed the auctioneer's eyes.
"These are called Purification Pills, refined with a heavenly flame by a mysterious master. They specialize in removing evil energies and impurities in your Dou Qi! When fighting Otherworldly Demons, you inevitably become tainted by Demonic Qi. Over time, this can stall your cultivation at best, or send you into cultivation deviation at worst. But these Purification Pills-"
He paused, then let his voice ring throughout the hall. "Are your talismans against death!"
The moment he finished, the entire hall erupted.
"They carry the aura of a heavenly flame! This must be the work of a high-ranking alchemist!"
"My second uncle's meridians were corroded by Demonic Qi. I have to get one of these pills!"
"I heard the Mysterious Yellow Flame is incredibly difficult to control. Anyone who can use it to refine pills must be a top-tier alchemist!"
Among the crowd, several leather-armored Demon Hunters looked visibly excited. They spent their years contending with Otherworldly Demons in the Magical Beast Mountain Range and knew the dangers of Demonic Qi all too well. Several formidable auras seeped intermittently from the second-floor boxes, making it clear that their occupants were equally determined to obtain the Purification Pills.
"Purification Pills, starting at thirty thousand gold coins apiece! Each bid must increase by at least five thousand!" The auctioneer raised his wooden gavel.
"Fifty thousand!" Someone immediately called out. It was the Demon Hunters' leader in the front row. He slapped the table and stood, the spiked club at his waist knocking against it with a dull thud.
"Sixty thousand!" A cold shout came from an eastern box on the second floor, raising the bid without hesitation.
"Eighty thousand!" Another box followed immediately, clearly paying the Demon Hunters no heed.
The price soared like a rocket, passing a hundred thousand gold coins in barely ten breaths. Sitting in his corner, Xiao Yan listened to the successive bids, his lips lifting slightly beneath his black robe. He could feel the Mysterious Yellow Flame trembling gently within him, as though it too rejoiced at its own worth. A yield of ten pills a month meant this would become a steady source of income.
"A hundred and ten thousand!" Veins bulged on the Demon Hunters' leader's forehead as he gritted his teeth and raised the bid. His companions pulled out their coin purses, staking everything they owned.
"A hundred and twenty thousand!" The voice from the western box carried a mocking edge, clearly driving up the price on purpose.
The Demon Hunters' leader turned the color of pig's liver, his clenched fists cracking. In the end, he slumped into his seat. Regretful sighs rose around him. Everyone knew that ordinary Demon Hunters had no hope of competing with the powerful figures in those boxes.
Just as the auctioneer was about to bring down his gavel, an aged voice suddenly sounded from the central box on the second floor. "A hundred and thirty thousand!" The bid was not loud, but it carried unquestionable authority, instantly silencing the other boxes.
"A hundred and thirty thousand, going once!" Excitement filled the auctioneer's voice as his gavel paused in midair.
"A hundred and fifty thousand!" A deep, hoarse voice suddenly sounded from a corner. It belonged to a wealthy middle-aged merchant seated in the front row. His expression was urgent; clearly, someone in his household desperately needed a Purification Pill.
The entire hall burst into an uproar! This price already far exceeded the value of an ordinary pill. A corner of the central box's pearl curtain snapped upward, and a sharp gaze swept toward the front row, unmistakably displeased.
"Boy, you dare compete with our City Lord's Residence?" An angry shout rang from the box, brimming with murderous intent.
The middle-aged merchant went pale, but gritted his teeth and refused to back down. "I'll pay a hundred and sixty thousand!"
After a moment of silence, a cold snort came from the central box. "Two hundred thousand!"
Everyone in the hall sucked in a breath. A single pill selling for two hundred thousand had already set a record for the Treasure Gathering Pavilion! The Demon Hunters exchanged glances, scarcely daring even to breathe.
"Two hundred thousand, going once! Two hundred thousand, going twice! Two hundred thousand, going three times! Sold!" The auctioneer brought his gavel down hard, his voice trembling.
Competition for the remaining two Purification Pills grew even fiercer. Amid the bidding war between the major factions, they sold for the astronomical sums of two hundred and ten thousand and two hundred and thirty thousand respectively.
When the final gavel fell, thunderous applause erupted throughout the hall. Everyone was discussing the miraculous Purification Pills and the mysterious alchemist behind them.
In his corner, Xiao Yan quietly calculated his earnings. The three pills had sold for six hundred and forty thousand gold coins. After a ten-percent commission, he would net five hundred and seventy-six thousand. That did not even account for his potential output of ten pills a month. With a long-term supply, wealth would flow in without end.
Not long after the auctioneer left the stage, a steward of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion quietly approached Xiao Yan and respectfully handed him a heavy Storage Bag. "Sir, these are your proceeds. Seeing how precious your pills are, our pavilion master specifically waived the commission. He also said he hopes to establish a long-term partnership."
Xiao Yan accepted the Storage Bag, cool against his hand. Along with the gold coins, it held several high-denomination gold notes. He gave a slight nod.
"Tell your pavilion master that I will supply ten Purification Pills every month."
Wild delight immediately spread across the steward's face, and he nodded repeatedly. "Thank you, sir! I'll inform the pavilion master at once!"
With this enormous sum, Xiao Yan's confidence surged. As the auction continued, he began making his moves.
When an incomplete volume of the high-tier fire-attribute Dou Technique, the Burning Heaven Art, appeared, his gaze sharpened. This technique would complement the Mysterious Yellow Flame perfectly, as though it had been tailored for him.
"An incomplete volume of the Burning Heaven Art, starting at five hundred thousand!"
"Six hundred thousand!"
"Eight hundred thousand!"
The price quickly passed a million, with the occupants of several boxes bidding until their faces flushed red. Xiao Yan waited until the bidding stalled at one million two hundred thousand, then suddenly spoke. "One million five hundred thousand."
The familiar hoarse voice came from the corner, and the entire hall instantly fell silent. After the Purification Pill auction, no one dared underestimate this black-robed figure anymore. The occupants of several boxes hesitated for a long time before finally abandoning the contest.
"Sold for one million five hundred thousand!"
Afterward, Xiao Yan bought a Black Iron Heavy Sword for three hundred thousand. Its blade could carry Purification Flame when scorched by the Mysterious Yellow Flame. He spent another two hundred thousand on the mid-tier Dou Technique, Mysterious Ice Thorn, to complement his fire techniques, and also purchased a considerable quantity of heavenly treasures that enhanced spiritual power.
As the sun sank in the west, Xiao Yan walked out of the Treasure Gathering Pavilion carrying his Storage Bag, now filled with precious Dou Techniques, weapons, and medicinal ingredients. His black robe snapped in the evening breeze, while sunlight filtered through his gauze-covered hat, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
He could sense several prying gazes following him. Some held greed, others curiosity, but most held reverence for a mysterious expert.
A cold smile curved Xiao Yan's lips. The Mysterious Yellow Flame quietly flowed across his palm, becoming a thread of golden light that disappeared into his fingertips. With the income from the Purification Pills and his new equipment, his cultivation path would face no more obstacles.
And the winds and clouds over Wutan City had only just begun to stir.
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