The imperial road leading from Xiaoshan City to the Star Luo Empire grew wider the farther north it went.
Only after more than ten days did a majestic, sprawling city appear at the edge of their vision.
Star Luo Empire Main City!
Its walls stood a hundred zhang high, battle flags rose in ranks, and crowds streamed before its gates. Merchants, travelers, and Soul Masters from all over lined up in formations like long serpents.
Xiao Zhong drove the carriage slowly toward the city, followed by a long procession from the Xiao Clan carrying medicinal herbs.
Xiao Zhong said, "Young master, we've reached Star Luo Empire Main City."
"Good." Xiao Yan nodded slightly.
The squad leader in charge had been maintaining order when he caught sight of the luxurious carriage drawn by a Scaled Horse Soul Beast. His expression changed slightly.
He immediately raised a hand, signaling the patrol soldiers to clear the way, then hurried forward. Bowing before he spoke, he said, "My lord, please follow me."
Xiao Zhong gave a subdued "Mm," instructed the caravan to wait where it was, and drove toward the special entrance.
Far fewer people used the special entrance than the regular one. Only a handful of wealthy merchants and nobles were registering.
The squad leader personally led the way, clearing the people waiting in line beside them as they went.
"My lords, this way, please!"
The registrar had been filling out the previous noble's paperwork with a stern face, but when he saw Xiao Zhong accompanied by the squad leader, his expression tightened. He hurriedly rose to pay his respects.
"My lord, are you registering goods for entry into the city?"
"Yes," Xiao Zhong answered briefly.
The registrar asked no further questions and respectfully stamped the entry seal.
"All done! Here is your entry pass, my lord."
The registrar presented a Soul Guidance metal token with both hands.
"You and your caravan may use this to enter Star Luo City, my lord."
"Good." Xiao Zhong accepted the pass.
The squad leader reminded him from the side, "My lord, you can take your caravan through the express entrance. It will save you quite a bit of time."
The whole process had taken only two or three minutes. Such was the treatment afforded to the strong.
Under Xiao Zhong's lead, the medicinal herb caravan passed through the express entrance, entered the city after being inspected in batches, and then dispersed to find buyers for their goods.
After entering Star Dou City, even Xiao Yan was quite astonished.
It was completely different from Xiaoshan City. If Xiaoshan City's architecture belonged to the sixties and seventies, then Star Luo City's belonged to the twenty-first century.
It was all thanks to the rapid development of Soul Guidance Technology. As the imperial capital, Star Luo City was no less prosperous than Blue Star from Xiao Yan's previous life.
Soul Guidance shops, medicinal herb stores, and Soul Fighting Arenas stood row upon row throughout the city, which was far more prosperous than Xiaoshan City.
The sight gave Xiao Yan a sense of familiarity, but he could not help remarking,
"Soul Guidance Technology is a double-edged sword. Although it has squeezed ordinary Soul Masters out of their niche, it has also done more to advance Soul Master cultivation..."
"Brother, how did you get so smart?" Xiao Xiao looked Xiao Yan over curiously.
Wasn't her brother supposed to be a primitive man? Shouldn't he be obsessed with cultivation and utterly clueless about everything else?
"Take this!" Xiao Yan rewarded Xiao Xiao with a sharp knock on the back of her head.
"Ah, that hurts!" Xiao Xiao cried out in pain.
"You really take your brother for a primitive man?"
Xiao Yan laughed in exasperation, then sent a wisp of Bone Spirit Cold Flame from his fingertip into Xiao Xiao.
"Cultivate properly. Until you've completely neutralized it, stay in the carriage and cultivate like a good girl."
"Ah! No, Brother!"
Xiao Xiao cried out and hurriedly sat cross-legged to begin cultivating.
She had experienced the power of her brother's flame Soul Power firsthand.
Even a trace of the flame in her body was unbearably cold, but every time she refined and neutralized it, her Soul Power became denser and purer, and her cultivation speed increased as well.
For Xiao Xiao, it was both painful and pleasurable.
Watching Xiao Xiao cultivate obediently, Xiao Yan felt relieved.
This was a clever use he had developed for Bone Spirit Cold Flame. It had accelerated Xiao Xiao's cultivation, bringing her to level twenty-nine.
Once this auction was over, she should be able to reach level thirty, just in time for him to take her Soul Hunting in the Star Dou Great Forest.
During their ten-plus days on the road, Xiao Yan had not been idle either. He cultivated his Soul Power whenever they stopped to rest and studied the Flame Mantra while they traveled.
As a result, his Soul Power had risen from level forty-two to level forty-three.
That cultivation speed was not particularly fast, mainly because he was limited by cultivation resources.
If he could buy a batch of pills that accelerated cultivation, such as Mystic Water Pills or Soul Ascension Pills, they could greatly speed up his cultivation.
And with Heavenly Flames at his disposal, he did not have to worry about the medicinal toxins in pills damaging his talent.
Looks like it's time to spend money and start popping pills to cultivate!
Having made up his mind, Xiao Yan climbed out of the carriage. Uncle Zhong was already waiting nearby. "Uncle Zhong, sorry to trouble you to watch Xiao Xiao. I'm going to look around the city."
"All right." Xiao Zhong nodded.
Since the carriage was parked in the courtyard behind the Star Luo Empire Royal Hotel, Xiao Yan went straight to the front hall and ordered a lavish meal.
By the time Xiao Xiao finished cultivating, she could enjoy the feast and let go of her resentment, so she would not pummel and kick her brother.
Then he prepared to visit the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, the source of many of the Star Luo Empire's rare and precious treasures.
Xiao Yan looked around the Hundred Treasures Pavilion but found no overlooked bargains, not even pills to aid cultivation.
Pills related to cultivation were tightly controlled. Almost only the Imperial Family and top nobles could obtain them. The Xiao Clan was a small household and had no way to acquire them yet.
He did, however, receive a piece of good news: pills that promoted cultivation would appear among the lots at the auction.
In the end, the old feudal empire was still backward.
Xiao Yan could not help sighing. "In that case... I'll have to move up my plans to visit the Heaven Dou Empire and the Sun Moon Empire too."
The three empires, including the Heaven Dou Empire and the Sun Moon Empire, were still on good terms. Many new nobles were rising in those two empires, and many resources had not yet been completely monopolized, making them just the places for Xiao Yan to obtain them.
Besides that, the Ice Extreme Divine Crystal and Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow in the Earth Dragon Sect's secret grounds were both part of his plans.
After looking around, Xiao Yan returned to the Star Luo Grand Hotel, timing his arrival for when Xiao Xiao finished cultivating.
At that moment, Xiao Xiao was looking around for Xiao Yan, her face full of anger.
"Brother!!!"
Fortunately, Xiao Yan had come prepared.
"Come on, I'll take you for a feast!"
"What kind of feast?!"
In any case, one expensive feast successfully dissolved Xiao Xiao's resentment.
"Brother, if you let me eat a feast every day, I'd be willing to cultivate every day too!"
Xiao Xiao held a large chicken leg in her left hand and a large goose leg in her right, her voice muffled.
"What, eating and taking food with you too? Look how pleased you are." Xiao Yan took a bite of a large pig's trotter. It was delicious.
After dinner, the two returned to their respective suites, and Xiao Yan settled down to cultivate as well.
Just like that, half a month passed, and the auction was about to begin.
Xiao Yan and the others arrived before a magnificent nine-story building.
A huge plaque hung in the middle of the building, bearing the words "Star Luo Auction House" in large characters.
"Young master, we've reached the Star Luo Auction House."
Xiao Zhong explained to Xiao Yan.
After reaching their destination, Xiao Yan, Xiao Xiao, and Xiao Zhong each collected a black robe and mask prepared by the auction organizers.
The three put on their masks and cloaks to conceal their identities.
Xiao Xiao, however, found it immensely novel. "This is so fun!"
But her voice came out sounding mechanical, giving no indication of her age or gender.
"It'll be even more fun once the auction starts," Xiao Yan said with a smile. His voice likewise gave no indication of his gender.
As the capital of the Star Luo Empire, Star Luo City's security naturally went without saying. Xiao Zhong alone was enough to guard the two siblings.
I hope everything goes smoothly...
Xiao Yan held that hope in his heart.
He was confident that even if someone bid against him at the auction, the one million he had prepared would be enough to buy it.
Still, it would be better if he could spend less and buy more cultivation resources.