Li Xunyuan gave the auction venue an indifferent glance, then left under Li Nantian's escort and headed to the imperial private room.
From here, they had priority when bidding, and a dedicated screen in the room displayed everything on the auction stage in full view.
This was a supreme privilege exclusive to the Longevity Families.
Although Li Xunyuan had already left, his breathtakingly beautiful face remained etched in the hearts of the women present.
Their pretty faces flushed crimson, and their breathing grew quick, filling the air with a sultry mood...
"The Purple Mansion Holy Land's Holy Son is here!"
Another cry of surprise rang out in the auction venue.
A boy of twelve or thirteen strolled in. Dressed in white, with red lips and white teeth, he was exceptionally handsome, a truly graceful young beauty.
Although the Purple Mansion Holy Son was quite good-looking, Li Xunyuan had already appeared before him. By comparison, he seemed perfectly ordinary.
One was an immortal, the other a mortal; they simply could not be mentioned in the same breath.
Not long after the Purple Mansion Holy Son took his seat in a VIP private room,
a stunning figure in red suddenly stepped into the Heaven-Subduing Pavilion's auction venue without a sound.
Behind the girl in red, a middle-aged man with sword-like brows, starry eyes, and a cold, aloof presence walked in with his hands clasped behind his back.
The prodigies present all noticed her and, as if by agreement, turned to look in her direction.
In an instant, every gaze went dazed.
The girl's features were as exquisite as a painting, her figure delicate and graceful. Her long, jade-like legs moved lightly, like a red sprite dancing.
"That's Yun Yao, the Yun Family's divine maiden. She has the Flying Immortal Physique. Rumor has it that once she cultivates it to perfection, she can shed her mortal form and ascend to immortality!"
"And that's the Yun Family's Supreme Yuan. I didn't expect him to come too!"
Many people whispered among themselves. The male prodigies present only needed one look at the beautiful figure in red before they could no longer tear their eyes away.
"None of you should entertain any improper thoughts. You don't stand a chance!"
"The Yun Family and the Li Lineage have always been close. Ever since the Yun Family's previous divine maiden married the Li Lineage's divine son, they've practically stood on the same front. We ordinary folk should just give up!"
The many powers in the Primordial Dao Domain all knew about the relationship between the Yun Family and the Longevity Li Family.
The two families were trusted partners who could leave their backs entirely in each other's care.
They were grasshoppers tied to the same rope!
"I am Zi Tianque, Holy Son of the Purple Mansion Holy Land. I have heard that Divine Maiden Yun Yao is pure of heart and graceful, a beauty fit to bring a nation to its knees. It is truly an honor to meet you today."
A window in the VIP private room on the left opened, and the Purple Mansion Holy Son appeared before everyone. He gave Yun Yao a gentle smile, his bearing refined and courteous.
"Then you really are quite honored. I don't usually go out. Today isn't usual."
Yun Yao looked back at Zi Tianque and spoke frankly in an icy voice, then turned and walked straight away.
The Purple Mansion Holy Son's face stiffened somewhat, leaving him flustered and alone in the wind.
"The Yun Family's divine maiden certainly has a unique style."
The Purple Mansion Holy Son smiled helplessly, giving himself a way out, then closed the private room's window rather than invite further embarrassment.
Everyone in the venue exchanged glances, unable to suppress their laughter.
Naturally, no one dared say anything to the Purple Mansion Holy Son's face about his rebuff, but there would surely be plenty of whispers behind his back.
The Purple Mansion Holy Land's status was indeed lofty, but it still fell a notch short of a Longevity Family.
It was only natural that a heaven's favored daughter like the Yun Family's divine maiden had no desire to pay him any attention.
Inside the Heaven-Subduing Pavilion's imperial private room.
"Divine Son, would you like some watermelon?"
"I'm not thirsty!"
"Some grapes, Divine Son?"
"I don't like spitting out the skins!"
"..."
"Then... Divine Son, let me rub your shoulders."
Li Nantian rolled up his sleeves and eagerly began kneading Li Xunyuan's shoulders.
Li Cangtian and Li Tianji exchanged a glance and shrugged helplessly.
Who could have imagined that this nimble, white-robed middle-aged man, forever eager to wait on someone, had casually suppressed and killed a Great Saint just days ago?
The stark contrast was a powerful sight!
"All right, all right, stop rubbing! My bones are about to fall apart!"
Li Xunyuan waved a hand, signaling Li Nantian to stop.
The grown man had no sense of how much force to use. He was scrubbing him like a bath attendant-how could that possibly feel good?
"Go on, what favor do you want?" Li Xunyuan asked calmly.
Li Nantian scratched his head awkwardly. After hesitating several times, he whispered, "Nantian would like to venture a question, Divine Son. That Immortal Forbidden Domain, is it... is it the real deal?"
"..."
Hearing this, Li Xunyuan fell silent for a moment. Could that thing even be real or not?
Li Nantian coughed lightly and said in a muffled voice, "Divine Son, I mean, compared with the Emperor Forbidden Domain, is it stronger or weaker?"
He did not press for the specific differences between the two. That was not something he should know, and Li Nantian knew where to draw the line.
"Stronger, not weaker."
Li Xunyuan's answer was ambiguous.
"Divine Son, your splendor is unmatched throughout the world!"
Li Nantian took a deep breath and spoke respectfully. Clearly, he had gotten the answer he wanted.
For the past few days, he had been itching to ask the divine son about the Immortal Forbidden Domain in person.
If he did not ask, it felt like ten thousand ants were crawling all over him, making him miserable from head to toe.
Now that he had heard the divine son admit it himself, he was finally at ease.
Wonderful!
The eyes of Li Cangtian and Li Tianji also shone with fervent admiration, especially Li Cangtian's.
He had opened ten Life Palaces and stepped into the Emperor Forbidden Domain, so he knew just how terrifying that level was.
The Immortal Forbidden Domain could only be stronger than the Emperor Forbidden Domain. Li Cangtian could not imagine how terrifying it was.
Creak!
Just then, the private room's door was suddenly pushed open, and a girl's gentle voice came through.
"Sorry to bother you. Is this Li Xunyuan's room?"
"Hmm... and you are?"
Li Xunyuan looked at the graceful girl in red standing in the doorway, and his brow suddenly rose.
A gentle girl's voice and the sizzling figure of a mature beauty-he had not expected those two traits to be found in the same person. It was truly a striking sight.
"Who am I? I'm your uncle!"
A deep voice came from behind the girl in red. Yun Yuan walked in, deftly closed the door behind him, and locked it.
"Uncle?"
Li Xunyuan raised a brow and looked at the purple-robed man with sword-like brows and starry eyes. Rarely enough, he felt an intimate sense of blood kinship with him.
When Yun Yao saw Xunyuan's immortal-like handsome face, she too was momentarily stunned.
Perhaps because the Flying Immortal Physique gave her keen senses, she felt an indescribable tremor in her heart.
"Hello, my name is Yun Yao!"
Suppressing the flutter in her heart, Yun Yao spoke in a voice like heavenly music, her smile enchanting.
Although she had heard that Li Xunyuan was as handsome as an immortal, actually seeing him still left Yun Yao dazed for a moment.
He truly looked far too much like an immortal, like a young immortal exiled to the mortal world.
The Yun Family?
Realization dawned on Li Xunyuan. They were from his mother's Yun Family. No wonder he felt a blood connection with the man in purple.
So they were family!
At that thought, Li Xunyuan smiled at Yun Yao. "My name is Li Xunyuan."