"Hehe, Mr. Xiao Yan, would you be so kind as to show yourself?"
Although everyone present had long since dispersed, Qin Yun persisted in waiting. Now that the pillar of light had dissipated, it not only attracted the attention of many people in the city, but also made Qin Yun breathe a slight sigh of relief. With the auction drawing ever closer, he couldn't possibly still not see Xiao Yan.
Almost simultaneously, in a pavilion not too far away, Han Dong, dressed in a brocade robe, felt a sudden jolt of surprise. The name Qin Yun uttered was none other than Xiao Yan, whom he had met briefly in Shahepu more than three months ago.
The latter's extraordinary talent in Yao Tian and formidable cultivation made Han Dong remember him vividly. Especially now that Xiao Yan has joined the Alchemist Alliance and is considered a member of the alliance, Han Dong's memory of the latter is even clearer.
But to his surprise, the name Qin Yun was calling out was actually Xiao Yan.
But who knows if this Xiao Yan and that Xiao Yan are the same person?
With equally formidable Yao Tian, Xiao Yan, currently within Golden Radiance City, has already reached the level of Fourth-Tier Alchemist in Spiritual Strength. Does this mean these two are truly just people with the same name?
Or rather, in just three short months, Xiao Yan's Spiritual Strength actually jumped from Third-Tier Alchemist to the level of Fourth-Tier Alchemist?!
This is simply too absurd!
With his doubts still lingering, Han Dong quickly headed towards the auction house.
Inside the dormitory, Xiao Yan heard the voices coming from above the roof and couldn't help but frown slightly. He was surprised that this guy had managed to hold on until now.
After a moment's thought, Xiao Yan's body trembled slightly, and he got up from the bed. With a thought, he withdrew the Spiritual Strength from the four walls of the house, opened the door, and leaped into the sky.
Xiao Yan first arrived in front of the Northern King. Looking at the Northern King, whose entire body was covered in purple and gold, Xiao Yan's eyes couldn't help but shine slightly. He condensed a sharp Dou Qi at his fingertips, which sliced across the Northern King's body like a sharp blade. However, no trace was left in its wake.
"Hiss..."
Upon seeing this, Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed, and a surge of joy welled up in his heart. He then put the Northern King into his Storage Ring and turned his gaze to Qin Yun, who was not far away.
"Young Master Qin Yun, thank you for today."
"Haha, Brother Xiao Yan Xiao Yan, what are you saying? It's just a small matter, nothing to mention. But I never expected that you would remember my name after only meeting me once. I feel truly lucky."
Stepping forward, Qin Yun cupped his hands in greeting to Xiao Yan and laughed heartily. His handsome face was full of kind smiles, as if he didn't care at all about what had happened during the day.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan smiled and echoed his words. A burst of cheerful laughter immediately rang out between the two. Almost simultaneously, on a pavilion not far from the two, Han Dong gazed at the two people in the void. Especially when he looked at the young man in black robes, a look of astonishment appeared in his eyes.
"It really is him!"
Han Dong's murky gaze swept over Xiao Yan, and then he looked at Qin Yun. Xiao Yan's presence was indeed surprising, but the appearance of this person was the most fatal.
"How did those two end up together? This is troublesome."
Han Dong frowned, a sense of unease creeping into his heart at Qin Yun's appearance.
"Haha, although I knew you were an alchemist, Brother Xiao Yan, I never imagined you could refine fourth-grade pills. This has truly broadened my horizons!"
Qin Yun looked at Xiao Yan with a sincere expression, and his smile was so comforting that it made people feel at ease. Coupled with what had happened during the day, even Xiao Yan felt a little bit of goodwill towards the latter.
The two chatted and laughed for a while, and their relationship seemed to have improved considerably. During this time, Qin Yun would occasionally ask Xiao Yan about the fourth-grade pills he had refined, but Xiao Yan always avoided the topic, which made Qin Yun feel embarrassed and give a forced smile. Han Dong, who was watching from a distance, felt a little relieved.
After a long while, Qin Yun finally left with Yan He. Xiao Yan watched the two figures disappear into the night, and couldn't help but feel a sense of doubt.
Judging from their previous conversation, the latter didn't seem to have any ill intentions towards him. Moreover, the two were just strangers who met by chance. According to Qin Yun, the reason he helped him was simply because he admired Xiao Yan's talent. But it was precisely because of this that Xiao Yan always felt that something was amiss.
Unfortunately, not long after Qin Yun left, Xiao Yan returned to the pavilion.
Although the Spirit Awakening Pill has been successfully refined, Xiao Yan's Spiritual Strength and Dou Qi have been greatly depleted. After a day of cultivation, Xiao Yan has only recovered his Dou Qi. As for his Spiritual Strength, it is not so easy to recover except through rest.
Therefore, for the next few days, until the auction begins, Xiao Yan will likely have to stay in his dormitory and focus on recovering his strength.
Upon seeing Xiao Yan return to his pavilion, Han Dong was about to make a move when he noticed a figure in black robes suddenly appear in another pavilion near Xiao Yan's, silently monitoring Xiao Yan's pavilion in the darkness.
"That's... Yan He..."
Upon seeing this person, Han Dong's heart sank. He hadn't expected Qin Yun to have such methods. It seemed that he was also worried about whether Xiao Yan would really believe him. In that case, it seemed that getting close to Xiao Yan now was impossible, and he could only wait for another opportunity.
With this in mind, Han Dong, though unwilling, had no choice but to retreat.
Meanwhile, back in his dormitory, Xiao Yan simply lay down on the bed, his Spiritual Strength enveloping the entire room. In just a short while, Xiao Yan fell into a deep sleep.
This sleep lasted for three days.
For the next three days, Xiao Yan remained in a deep sleep. The Spiritual Strength he had been frantically consuming over the past two months was slowly recovering in this deep sleep. Xiao Yan's originally pale face had regained its rosy hue, and his aura had become more solid and dense than it had been two months ago. Indeed, the extreme consumption of Dou Qi was also a unique way of refining one's own strength.
It wasn't until the evening of the third day that Xiao Yan, whose head was still groggy, gradually woke up from his deep sleep, and by then, his energy had fully recovered.