As the solemn chime of the bell echoed across the hall, an old man draped in a golden robe slowly stepped onto the stage. His expression was calm and composed, yet his aura radiated authority.
"Mo Tianxing," Ye Xinlan muttered in recognition.
Indeed, the man on stage was none other than Mo Tianxing, the leader of the Black Emperor Sect.
"Haha, I am Mo Tianxing, Sect Master of the Black Emperor Sect. Many of you here know me," he said with a welcoming smile. "Today, our Black Emperor Sect is honored to host this grand auction. Thank you all for your support."
His warm greeting received nods and murmurs from leaders of various factions. The Black Emperor Sect had been rooted in the Black Corner Region for many years. Aside from Mo Tianxing's impressive strength, his formidable social skills were part of why the sect maintained such a powerful presence in this chaotic land.
"Now, I know you're all eager for the main event, so I'll keep it brief. Just a reminder—everyone here knows the rules. If anyone thinks they can act recklessly in my Black Emperor Sect's domain, I promise they'll regret ever being born."
His calm voice dropped a few tones, chilling the atmosphere. Some of the more unruly individuals in the crowd quietly withdrew their greedy expressions.
"Now then—enjoy the auction feast prepared by my Black Emperor Sect."
With a bright smile, Mo Tianxing turned and exited the stage. The auction ground split open with a rumble, revealing several underground passages. From these emerged an elderly man with sharp eyes, followed by beautiful women carrying silver trays draped in red cloth.
From their elevated booth, Ye Feng and the others could see faint glows beneath the cloths—treasures awaiting revelation.
The old auctioneer stepped forward.
"The first item," he announced, "is a finger-based fighting skill scroll—Tianyu Finger. Mid-tier Xuan Rank. Finger techniques are rare and tricky to master. But when used in close combat, they can be unexpectedly effective. Starting bid: 300,000 gold. However, as the opening item, if anyone offers 800,000 upfront, the item will be sold directly. Don't miss out."
He spoke with rhythm and expertise, quickly igniting the atmosphere.
"Eight hundred thousand?" Ya Fei chuckled. "I've never been to Zhongzhou, but even I know that's steep for a mid-Xuan technique. No one's going to bite unless they're desperate."
Sure enough, the Tianyu Finger technique eventually sold for 570,000 gold coins.
"Hehe, next we have a rather unusual item—a ruler-style fighting skill. Though unconventional, its level is not to be underestimated. This technique is Liuhe Phantom Ruler, a mid-tier Earth Rank fighting skill created by the long-deceased Dou Zun powerhouse known as Venerable Liuhe. It was his signature move."
"However," the auctioneer added, "ruler-style skills are notoriously difficult to master. Without years of practice, few can wield them to their full potential."
"Starting bid: 1.8 million gold. Minimum bid increment: 10,000. Let the bidding begin!"
For a brief moment, the auction hall fell silent.
1.8 million was no small amount—many smaller factions would have to go without food for a year just to scrape it together.
"1.83 million."
"Two million."
"Two and a half million."
The bid quickly climbed, and one of the offers came from a figure clad in a black robe.
"Buy it," Ye Feng said calmly, eyes narrowing.
He immediately recognized the robed bidder—Xiao Yan.
"Two million five hundred and ten thousand."
"Two million six hundred thousand."
"Two million six hundred and ten thousand."
"Two million seven hundred thousand."
"Two million seven hundred and ten thousand."
Xiao Yan was speechless.
Each time he raised the bid, trying to assert dominance and impress, Ya Fei would respond with a minimal 10,000 gold increase. It was a psychological war of attrition.
"Three million!" shouted a muscular middle-aged man.
"Three million one hundred thousand."
Ya Fei remained calm. She continued to raise the bid in tiny increments. It was her strategy—to wear down opponents slowly instead of shocking them with large bids.
Ye Feng leaned toward Zi Yan and whispered a few words. Zi Yan nodded and quietly left the booth.
"What did you tell her?" the Little Medical Fairy asked.
"The man in the black robe is a traitor from Jia Nan Academy," Ye Feng replied.
"Xiao Yan?" Ye Xinlan immediately reacted.
Ye Feng nodded. "He stole the Lesser Fallen Heart Flame from the inner courtyard. Ever since, both Jia Nan Academy and Han Feng have been hunting him down."
Ye Xinlan pursed her lips, realizing now why Ye Feng had acted.
Xiao Yan had picked the worst possible target to provoke—the Chaos Saint.
"Three million one hundred thousand."
"Three million one hundred and eleven thousand."
The middle-aged man turned toward Ya Fei and spoke, "Miss, I am a Dou Zong-level alchemist. A sixth-grade alchemist."
Ya Fei smirked. "So what if you're sixth rank? Even if Pill King Gu He were here, I wouldn't care. If you've got money, bid. If not, shut up."
"You—!"
The man seethed, but then his gaze fell on the silver-haired, gray-eyed man beside her.
His expression changed immediately.
"It's him... He's here too... Damn, I nearly provoked that devil incarnate."
The auctioneer's voice rang out again.
"This lady has bid 3.11 million. Any further offers?"
Silence.
And just like that, Ya Fei won the Liuhe Phantom Ruler technique.
Ding! Congratulations! You have successfully guided Ya Fei to win the Earth-rank intermediate fighting skill "Liuhe Phantom Ruler." By preventing Xiao Yan from obtaining it, you've altered the original storyline. Reward: 361 allocatable attribute points.
Ye Feng smiled faintly.
Though the storyline change was small, it still earned him a decent reward.
"System, allocate all available points to defense," Ye Feng commanded.
A warm current surged through his body. His flesh hardened and spirit energy flowed more freely.
Name: Ye Feng
Spirit Realm: Two-Star Emperor Level
Physical Realm: Nine-Star Fearless Silver Body
Dou Qi Level: Dou Zun – Level 2
Martial Spirits: Xuanyuan Sword, Nine-Hearted Mystic Tang, Eye of Hell
Spirit Ring Configuration (Nine-Hearted Mystic Tang): Red ×10
Spirit Ring Configuration (Xuanyuan Sword): Red ×10
Custom Spirit Skill: Unity of Man and Sword (Great Mastery)
External Spirit Bone: Ancient Dragon-Phoenix Wings
Spirit Bone: Berserk Ape Supreme Chaos Divine Armor
Realms: Sword Emperor Realm, Chaos Realm, God of Slaughter Realm, Mystic Tang Realm
Attributes:
Strength: 15,257
Agility: 12,962
Spirit: 17,141
Defense: 15,116
Allocatable Points: 0
His physical body had now broken through to the Nine-Star Fearless Silver Body level. In terms of raw toughness, he could go head-to-head with a late-stage Dou Sheng.
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