At Shen Yan's words, Qian Daoliu stopped in the midst of leaving.
He turned his head and glanced at the black-robed figure on the auction stage.
But he said nothing more.
Turning around, he gripped the God-bestowed Soul Ring he had just obtained, stepped through the Void Gate before him, and vanished.
Seeing this, the people in the other private rooms also rose.
Void Gates appeared in the private rooms, and everyone stepped through them, leaving one after another.
But not everyone had left.
In Dugu Bo's private room, he sat on the sofa, his fingers tapping incessantly against the armrest.
After a while, he stood up again and paced back and forth across the room.
He clutched the Wishing Treasure Pouch so tightly that it had been squeezed out of shape.
"Why isn't he here yet..."
Dugu Bo muttered under his breath, "He wouldn't have lied to me, would he?"
But all he could do now was wait.
In another private room.
Ning Fengzhi sat on the sofa, holding a teacup and leisurely sipping his tea.
Chen Xin and Gu Rong stood beside him, their faces full of confusion.
After a long while, Chen Xin finally could not hold back. He stepped forward and asked quietly.
"Fengzhi, the auction is over. Why aren't we leaving?"
Gu Rong nodded as well.
"Exactly. The people from Spirit Hall have already left. What are we still doing here?"
Ning Fengzhi set down his teacup and smiled faintly.
"Waiting for someone."
Hearing this, Chen Xin and Gu Rong could not help exchanging a glance.
Waiting for someone?
Who?
But Ning Fengzhi showed no intention of explaining. He simply picked up his teacup again and continued drinking.
Just then, ripples spread through the air in the private room.
A black-robed figure appeared out of thin air in the center of the room.
It was Shen Yan.
He still wore that loose black robe, its hood concealing his face.
Chen Xin's and Gu Rong's pupils abruptly contracted, and they instinctively tried to circulate their soul power.
But with their soul power sealed, there was nothing they could do.
The two could only stare warily at Shen Yan.
Ning Fengzhi, however, showed not the slightest tension.
He immediately rose and strode over, cupping his fist in salute to Shen Yan.
"Thank you for speaking up to help us earlier, Senior."
His tone was sincere, his manner respectful.
Shen Yan waved a hand. Altered by the Nine Dragon Tower, his voice remained deep and resonant.
"It was nothing."
"If you hadn't driven the price so high, I wouldn't have earned so much."
He had already noticed that Ning Fengzhi had been just like a shill he had hired.
If Ning Fengzhi had not kept bidding all the way to a hundred million, Qian Daoliu would never have brought out three Soul Bones.
He certainly lived up to his reputation as a renowned merchant.
Behind him, Chen Xin and Gu Rong exchanged another glance at these words, understanding dawning in their hearts.
So that was it.
From the very beginning, Ning Fengzhi had never intended to actually secure that God-bestowed Soul Ring.
He had only been raising the bids, helping this Tower Master drive up the price.
And this Tower Master had understood it perfectly well.
So that final warning had been directed at Qian Daoliu while also protecting the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Once they understood this, Chen Xin's and Gu Rong's expressions eased considerably.
Ignoring their reactions, Shen Yan looked straight at Ning Fengzhi and got right to the point.
"Let us speak plainly, as people who understand one another."
"I can help your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda become a Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda."
The moment those words fell, the entire room went silent.
Chen Xin and Gu Rong stared wide-eyed, their faces full of disbelief.
The smile on Ning Fengzhi's face froze as well.
Although the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was a top-tier support martial soul, it had an inherent limitation.
Its bearer could never break past rank seventy-nine in their lifetime. This was a shackle passed down through generations of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
If it could evolve into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, that restriction would be shattered completely!
In all his years, Ning Fengzhi had dreamed of breaking past rank seventy-nine.
Silence lingered in the room for a long time.
After quite a while, Ning Fengzhi drew a deep breath and spoke, his voice trembling slightly.
"Senior, is that truly possible?"
Shen Yan nodded lightly.
"Of course. I have no need to deceive you."
"However, I have a few conditions."
Ning Fengzhi immediately said, "Please name them, Senior. So long as it is within my power, I will agree without question!"
Shen Yan raised one finger.
"First, have your daughter leave Shrek Academy and transfer to Skywater Academy."
Ning Fengzhi faltered slightly.
Rongrong?
How did this senior know he had a daughter?
Though puzzled, he asked no further questions and merely nodded.
Shen Yan raised a second finger.
"Second, my disciple will also be going to Skywater Academy for experience in the future."
"When that time comes, I ask that you look after my disciple, Sect Master Ning."
Ning Fengzhi's heart stirred.
This senior's disciple?
Anyone accepted as a disciple by such a figure was certainly no ordinary person.
He hurriedly nodded. "Rest assured, Senior. While your disciple is at Skywater Academy, I will certainly treat them as my own child!"
Shen Yan raised a third finger.
"Third, my disciple will help your daughter's martial soul evolve."
Ning Fengzhi was utterly stunned.
Not only would he help his martial soul evolve, he would help Rongrong's evolve too?!
This... this was an immense blessing!
Without the slightest hesitation, Ning Fengzhi bowed deeply to Shen Yan.
"Senior, I will remember your great kindness until my dying day!"
"I agree to all three conditions!"
He knew full well that this man could bring out a God-bestowed Soul Ring for auction.
Why would he deceive him about something like helping someone's martial soul evolve?
Moreover, the conditions this senior had proposed hardly amounted to any loss for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
He simply could not understand why Rongrong had to transfer to Skywater Academy.
If the aim was merely to keep Rongrong from becoming too entangled with the people at Shrek, Heaven Dou Imperial Academy was clearly better.
But none of that was his concern.
The chance to look after this senior's disciple was an opportunity he could only have wished for.
If there could be one God-bestowed Soul Ring, why couldn't there be a second?
Watching Ning Fengzhi's reaction, Shen Yan nodded in satisfaction.
"Very good."
"There is one more thing. My ultimate purpose in coming to this land is to create a Divine Realm."
"If you are willing to lend me a hand, there will be a place for you in that Divine Realm."
At these words, all three men's faces filled with shock.
"A... a Divine Realm!"
Shen Yan glanced at Chen Xin and Gu Rong beside them and spoke.
"You may give it some careful thought. I trust you will know where you stand."
"I have other matters to attend to, so I will take my leave."
With that, Shen Yan's figure gradually grew insubstantial.
Ning Fengzhi hurriedly cupped his fist. "Farewell, Senior!"
Shen Yan's figure vanished completely from the room.
Only then did Chen Xin and Gu Rong breathe sighs of relief, their backs already soaked in cold sweat.
While Shen Yan had been there, he had placed them under tremendous pressure.
It had felt as though he were looking down upon them!
"Uncle Jian, Uncle Bone, let's return to the sect before discussing this in detail."
With that, he led the way toward the Void Gate, with the other two close behind.
After leaving Ning Fengzhi's private room, Shen Yan appeared directly in Dugu Bo's room.
"Without Ning Rongrong, Tang San probably won't have a chance to come back to life later, will he?" Shen Yan murmured to himself.
When he entered the room, Dugu Bo was sitting on the sofa in a daze. Seeing Shen Yan suddenly appear, he shot to his feet.
He hurriedly cupped his fist, his tone respectful.
"Senior!"
Shen Yan said nothing and walked straight over to sit on the sofa.
He pointed at the sofa opposite him, signaling for Dugu Bo to sit as well.
Dugu Bo hurriedly sat down, leaning slightly forward, his eyes filled with anticipation.
Shen Yan leaned back against the sofa and got straight to the point.
"I want those medicinal herbs of yours."
"In exchange, I will tell you how to deal with the poison in your body."
"What do you say?"
At these words, Dugu Bo abruptly rose to his feet, his face full of shock.
"Senior, how did you know I was poisoned?!"
Before you continue