Chapter 22

Under the guidance of a waitress, Xiao Yan walked into the ongoing auction.

Upon entering, the bright surroundings dimmed, and the noise surged in, making the quiet-loving Xiao Yan frown deeply.

The auction hall was large, easily accommodating thousands of people. At the center of the hall, under the spotlight, a beautiful woman in a red dress was explaining the functions of the items in her hand with a seductive, sweet voice that made people's bones feel weak.

Amidst the woman's clear and seductive voice, the price of the item, which was not particularly rare, was rising rapidly.

Finding a secluded spot, Xiao Yan quietly sat down, his gaze sweeping over the beautiful woman in the center. With his keen eyesight, he could naturally see that most of the people in the hall were there for her.

The chief auctioneer of the Miter Auction House, Yao Fei, was a well-known beauty in U坦 City, whose mature and seductive charm had made many men fall at her feet.

Sitting quietly, Xiao Yan suddenly frowned, slightly turning his head to look at a man hidden in the darkness not far from his seat. At that moment, the man was staring at Yao Fei on the stage with fiery eyes, and his hands were moving beneath him as her red lips parted and closed.

"Damn!" He cursed softly, Xiao Yan rolled his eyes under his cloak, thinking this guy was too outrageous.

Muttering curses in his heart, Xiao Yan quickly moved to a different spot, shaking his head with a bitter smile. His gaze returned to the stage, looking at the alluring curves of the red-dressed woman, and he muttered, "Siren."

His gaze casually swept over the item in Yao Fei's hand, and Xiao Yan lost interest. He didn't have enough money to buy a useless thing, even if it was being auctioned by a beautiful woman. His gaze moved away from the woman and slowly scanned the auction hall.

"Uh... Father?" His gaze suddenly paused, and Xiao Yan saw a middle-aged man sitting in the front row, his face filled with surprise and oddity: "Could Father also be interested in this woman?"

The strange thought was quickly discarded as Xiao Yan noticed that his father's gaze was not on Yao Fei but was calm, as if waiting for something.

"What is Father doing here?" He muttered to himself, his gaze sweeping the hall again. He was somewhat surprised to find that the leaders of the other two major families, the Jia Li and Ao Ba families, were also present.

"There must be something to be auctioned that is attracting them!" His heart stirred, and his eyebrows lifted slightly. Xiao Yan touched his nose curiously, wondering what could attract the leaders of the three major families.

...

It had to be said that this woman named Yao Fei was a master at creating an atmosphere. Her every frown and smile would cause the prices to soar, and whenever this happened, she would send a seductive smile to the person who raised the bid, immediately boosting their spirits.

The atmosphere in the hall remained at a high point, thanks to the seductive woman's light laughter.

"Ha ha, everyone, the auction house has received a new item for auction. I believe everyone will be interested." After auctioning the item in her hand, Yao Fei suddenly said with a smile, waving her hand. A servant hurriedly brought a jade tray with a small white jade bottle on it.

"This is a second-grade medicinal pill." Carefully picking up the jade bottle, Yao Fei's seductive voice made the auction hall momentarily quiet. After a moment, the noise rose again. On the continent of Dou Qi, the most sought-after items were the various medicinal pills created by alchemists.

"This item is called the Foundation Building Spirit Liquid, effective only for those below the Fighter level. Using this spirit liquid to soak and cultivate can accelerate the cultivation speed of those below the Fighter level! Ha ha, if you want your descendants to become young geniuses, don't miss this opportunity." Her alluring red lips parted, and the soft, sweet voice made the people in the hall feel weak in the bones.

"Foundation Building Spirit Liquid? Can it really speed up the cultivation of Dou Qi? Miss Yao Fei, people at that level seem unable to withstand the impact of medicinal pills, right?" Although Yao Fei was indeed beautiful and seductive, there were still some calm people in the hall. After a brief silence, someone asked.

"Ha ha, this spirit liquid has been personally appraised by our auction house's Master Gu Ni, and it is a second-grade item. There will be no problems, so everyone can rest assured." Yao Fei smiled.

Hearing that it was personally appraised by Master Gu Ni, the noise in the hall immediately decreased. Everyone knew that Master Gu Ni was a second-grade alchemist, and even the leaders of the three major families in U坦 City would not dare to be disrespectful to him.

Xiao Yan leaned back in his chair, watching the lively atmosphere in the hall, and felt a sense of relief. It seemed that this Foundation Building Spirit Liquid would bring him a significant gain. His gaze subtly shifted to his father, who seemed to have suddenly become excited.

Slightly stunned, as if remembering something, Xiao Yan felt a bit moved.

"Ha ha, the initial price of the spirit liquid is 8,000 gold coins. Please start bidding!" Yao Fei smiled, her gaze sweeping the hall and finally stopping on the leaders of the three major families sitting at the front. She knew that these three were the main competitors.

"8,500!" As soon as Yao Fei finished speaking, someone called out a price.

"9,000!" Another bid followed closely.

...

The prices in the hall continued to rise, and in just a short time, they reached 13,000.

Although Xiao Yan's father looked excited, he did not immediately bid. He closed his eyes, waiting for the small fry to finish their commotion.

The bidding continued for a while, and the noise finally subsided. At the same time, an old man sitting next to Xiao Zhan spoke calmly: "20,000!"

As soon as the bid was called, the hall fell silent. Some people, seeing the old man's expressionless face, had to sit back in disappointment, as they did not have the strength to compete with the Jia Li family.

"He he, Jia Li Bi, isn't your son already a Fighter? Why are you interested in this Foundation Building Spirit Liquid?" A middle-aged man turned and said with a forced smile.

"Ou Ba Pa, can't I buy it for my future grandson?" Jia Li Bi, clearly not on good terms with the middle-aged man, replied coldly.

"You'll have to wait and see if you have that luck. Maybe your son will be castrated one day..." Cursing in his heart, Ou Ba Pa also bid: "23,000!"

"25,000!"

...

In less than ten minutes, to the astonishment of the people in the hall, the two men bid the price up to 31,000.

"40,000!" Xiao Zhan, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, suddenly spoke.

The hall fell silent, and all eyes turned to Xiao Zhan. Even Ou Ba Pa and Jia Li Bi were stunned by his sudden high bid.

"He he, it seems Clan Leader Xiao is determined to get this Foundation Building Spirit Liquid." Jia Li Bi smiled.

Xiao Zhan glanced at him and said calmly, "If you want it, bid for it. I won't follow."

Jia Li Bi's face twitched, seemingly considering the truth of Xiao Zhan's words. After a moment, he shook his head. His goal was another item, not this Foundation Building Spirit Liquid. Spending money recklessly now would be unwise.

On the other side, Ou Ba Pa, seeing Jia Li Bi back down, shrugged. Although the Foundation Building Spirit Liquid was attractive, it was not his goal, so he withdrew.

"Clan Leader Xiao Zhan has bid 40,000 gold coins. Is there anyone else who wants to bid?" Yao Fei smiled, looking at the calm hall.

"Since no one else is bidding, the Foundation Building Spirit Liquid will be sold to Clan Leader Xiao Zhan!" Seeing no response, Yao Fei concluded, lightly tapping the table with the small hammer to finalize the sale.

In a secluded spot, Xiao Yan was somewhat amused, realizing that he had inadvertently put the pressure on his father.

"Ha ha, next, we have the highlight of this auction!" Putting away the jade bottle, Yao Fei waved her hand, and the lights on the stage dimmed. She bent slightly, taking out a silver tray from the center of the stage. On the silver tray was a scroll with a greenish glow.

The scroll, slightly emitting a green light, looked quite mysterious against the silver tray.

"Advanced Xuan-stage cultivation technique: Wind Gathering Technique!"