Chapter 21

The Tumer Auction House, the largest auction venue in Utan City, also belongs to the wealthiest family in the Jia Ma Empire: the Tumer Family.

In the Jia Ma Empire, when it comes to wealth, the Tumer Family is undoubtedly the top.

The Tumer Family has a long history, having developed in the Jia Ma Empire for several hundred years, with intricate and complex relationships. According to some rumors, this extremely wealthy family seems to have some connection with the royal family of the Jia Ma Empire.

In the empire, the Tumer Family, the Nalan Family, and the Yinte Family are collectively known as the three major powers of the Jia Ma Empire. These three families have a presence in various sectors such as the business and military, making their influence considerable.

Therefore, with the strong backing of the Tumer Family, even though the profits from the auction house are highly tempting, no one dares to have any ideas about them.

...

Looking at the massive venue at the end of the street, Xiao Yan turned into a secluded alley and quickly put on the black cloak he had bought earlier.

The large cloak covered him, not only hiding Xiao Yan's appearance but also making his somewhat slender figure appear bulky. Now, even if Xun Er stood in front of him, it would be hard to recognize him at first glance...

After concealing his figure, Xiao Yan let out a sigh of relief. This was not because he was overly cautious; the Foundation Building Spirit Liquid was too attractive to some family forces. After all, if anyone could mass-produce this spirit liquid, the strength of their younger generation would rapidly grow, which would undoubtedly be the best catalyst for a family.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, Xiao Yan had to act stealthily...

Feeling the slightly cool white jade bottle in his pocket, Xiao Yan slowly walked out of the alley and headed towards the auction venue at the end of the street.

Under the wary gazes of several fully armed guards at the entrance, Xiao Yan walked straight in without stopping.

As soon as he entered the venue, the scorching heat seemed to be stripped away from his body, replaced by a cool sensation, creating a strange feeling of being in two different worlds.

His gaze swept across the spacious and opulent hall, and Xiao Yan walked towards a room. On the door, three large golden characters read "Appraisal Room."

Pushing the door open, the room was somewhat empty, with only a middle-aged man sitting idly on a chair by the table. Hearing the door open, the middle-aged man looked up, his eyebrows subtly furrowing as he saw the figure completely wrapped in a black cloak. He quickly put on a professional smile: "Sir, are you here for an appraisal?"

"Yes." A somewhat hoarse and elderly voice floated out from under the black cloak, which turned out to be the voice of Master Yao.

Xiao Yan took two steps forward and casually took out the white jade bottle from his pocket, gently placing it on the table.

"What is this?" The middle-aged man blinked in confusion, carefully picked up the white jade bottle, and sniffed the bottle's mouth. After a moment, his expression changed, and his gaze towards Xiao Yan became more respectful: "Sir, are you an alchemist?"

"Yes." The elderly voice replied again.

"May I ask, what is this bottle...? What is its effect?" Hearing this, the middle-aged man asked respectfully again.

"Foundation Building Spirit Liquid. It can increase the cultivation speed of Combat Qi, but it is only effective for those below the Fighter level."

"Oh? It can increase the cultivation speed of Combat Qi?" The middle-aged man was somewhat moved. Combat Qi can only be cultivated in a regular manner, which is a common knowledge for everyone. Moreover, the meridians of cultivators at this stage are extremely fragile; if the medicinal power is too strong, it could lead to a tragic outcome of broken meridians and death...

"My spirit liquid has no side effects, and its medicinal power is very mild, so it will not cause such results. You can rest assured." It seemed that the elderly voice understood the middle-aged man's thoughts and explained slowly.

The middle-aged man's expression changed again, and he carefully placed the white jade bottle back on the table, bowing respectfully: "Sir, could you please wait a moment? I need to invite Master Guni from our auction house to appraise the spirit liquid!"

"Sure, quickly." Waving his hand, Xiao Yan did not hesitate, sitting down on a chair and closing his eyes to rest.

The middle-aged man nodded hurriedly and then rushed out of the room.

Sitting on the chair, Xiao Yan remained silent and did not speak to Master Yao. This was someone else's territory, and it was better to be cautious. Who could guarantee that there were no hidden surveillance or eavesdropping devices here?

After waiting for a while in the room, the middle-aged man returned, this time accompanied by an old man in a green robe with slightly graying hair.

His gaze swept over the old man and finally stopped at the old man's chest, where there was no golden star but instead a symbol resembling a medicine furnace. On the surface of the medicine furnace, two silver waves shimmered with a noble glow.

"Sir, this is Master Guni from our auction house. He is a Three-Star Great Fighter and also a Second-Rank Alchemist!" The middle-aged man introduced respectfully.

Hearing the old man's identity, Xiao Yan's eyebrows under the cloak subconsciously raised. This was the first time he had encountered an alchemist other than Master Yao, so he couldn't help but carefully observe the other party.

The old man had a ruddy complexion, and although his green robe looked ordinary, it had a faint glow, indicating that it had been enchanted with some magic crystal protection. On his plain old face, there was a hint of unhidden pride, a trait that every alchemist possessed.

While Xiao Yan was observing the other party, Guni was also discreetly scanning him. Alchemists are not fighters; the appearance of one would be eagerly sought after by any force. Therefore, while observing, Guni was also secretly guessing Xiao Yan's identity.

The middle-aged man carefully picked up the jade bottle from the table and handed it to Guni...

Taking the white jade bottle, Guni sniffed the fragrant smell, his old eyes narrowing slightly. He tilted the bottle slightly, and a small drop of green liquid slowly rolled out, then suspended in the palm of his hand.

Staring intently at the green liquid, Guni pinched a silver needle between his fingers. The needle faintly emitted a Combat Qi fluctuation, which quietly entered the green liquid and gently stirred...

As the needle stirred, Guni's expression gradually changed from calm to serious. After a moment, he put the green liquid back into the jade bottle. When he looked at Xiao Yan again, his proud face showed a hint of respect. He turned to the middle-aged man and said solemnly, "The spirit liquid has reached the level of a Second-Rank Dan. What the gentleman said earlier is true!"

Hearing this, the middle-aged man let out a sigh of relief and smiled warmly at Xiao Yan, "Sir, are you planning to auction this spirit liquid?"

"Yes, can you arrange the fastest auction time for me?"

"Hehe, of course, no problem. Sir, take this to Auction Room No. 1. An auction is currently taking place there, and your spirit liquid will be auctioned soon!" The middle-aged man smiled and handed over a black iron plate.

"Sure." Taking the iron plate, Xiao Yan did not linger and walked out of the room under the watchful eyes of the two men.

"Master Guni, is he an alchemist?" After Xiao Yan disappeared, the middle-aged man asked in a low voice.

"Yes, he is indeed an alchemist. That sharp soul perception is unmistakable..." Guni nodded, then frowned, muttering to himself, "But which force's alchemist is he? I haven't heard of any alchemist in Utan City who can refine a Second-Rank Dan."

"Should we investigate his background?" The middle-aged man asked softly.

Guni's old eyes narrowed slightly, pondering for a moment, and then shook his head: "Not for now. Alchemists have peculiar temperaments. If an investigation draws his attention, it might give him a bad impression of the auction house. Offending a mysterious alchemist of unknown rank is not a wise move."

Turning to the middle-aged man, Guni said coolly, "You know how to make him have a good impression of us, right?"

"Hehe, understood."

"Remember, even if you can't befriend him, you must not offend him, otherwise..." Guni said coldly and then drifted away.

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