Chapter 219: The Terror of the Dou Emperor Clan (Five Thousand)

As soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, a massive crystal cabinet slowly rose from the Auction Stage, revealing a long sword of pure azure before him, its surface glinting with a chilling sheen under the lights; the energy traces swirling along the blade clearly indicated it was a Demon Core Weapon meticulously forged by a master.

"This sword is named Cold Edge, forged from a thousand-year frozen iron, capable of slicing through iron as if it were mud, and perfectly inlaid with a Third-Rank Ice-element Demon Core; when wielded by someone who cultivates Water or Ice attributes, its power surges even higher—a divine weapon, essential for any journey. If you're interested, don't hesitate to open your purses—gold coins are precious, but only if you're alive to enjoy them." The old man gripped the azure blade, shook it lightly, and faint frost rose into the air, forming a hazy white mist; he turned to gaze at the auction hall and smiled warmly: "Starting bid: one hundred thousand gold coins."

"A Demon Core Weapon? Judging by the description, it's probably a Third-Rank item," Xiao Yan's Soul Force subtly scanned it.

Although Alchemists and Artificers both manipulate flame to craft items and share some similarities, Xiao Yan had never studied the art of Artifice.

As Xiao Yan pondered, the Cold Edge sword had already reached its final price.

"One hundred fifty thousand Gold Coins once."

"One hundred fifty thousand Gold Coins twice—is there no other bidder?" The auctioneer knew this was the limit; a Third-Rank Demon Core Weapon was only suitable for a Great Dou Shi, whose wealth rarely exceeded such sums.

Xiao Yan slowly raised his hand and said: "Two hundred thousand Gold Coins."

Xun Er blinked in surprise, glancing at Xiao Yan, who was lounging lazily beside her: "Brother Xiao Yan, do you need a weapon?"

Xiao Yan shook his head: "With Xiao Ning and Xiao Yu's current cultivation and combat power, entering the Inner Court shouldn't be a problem. But the top five still hold uncertainties—this sword is perfect for Xiao Ning."

"I can't help it—I only know Spirit Refining, not Artifice."

Xiao Yan couldn't handle everything himself; after over three months of intensive training, Xiao Yu and Xiao Ning had been practically dragged along by him—he'd even produced Four-Stripe White Spirit Pills just to barely raise their cultivation to Fourth-Star Great Dou Shi.

But this was already his limit—he himself was only a Five-Grade Peak Alchemist, and his ceiling was Five-Grade Pills.

Moreover, in the coming days, Xiao Yu and Xiao Ning must resolve the instability caused by their rapid pill-induced advancement—meaning their cultivation realm had hit its ceiling and could not be raised further.

Thus, Xiao Yan had come to the auction to provide them with external aids.

When Xiao Yan's two hundred thousand Gold Coins landed, no one would dare outbid him—it had already surpassed the sword's true value.

He had no patience for incremental bidding; his time was precious.

"Xiao Ning, the Dou Techniques I gave you contain no sword arts—before the Inner Court Selection Exam, go to Ruolin, your Mentor, and have her arrange basic sword training for you," Xiao Yan said coolly.

"Understood, Young Clan Leader—I will never disappoint you!" Xiao Ning's eyes blazed with Battle Intention; though he didn't know how mighty the Xiao Clan had once been, he could see now—under Xiao Yan's leadership, the Xiao Clan would only grow stronger.

After the smooth first auction, the Auction Stage began displaying dazzling Treasures: armor, Dou Techniques, Cultivation Methods, Medicinal Materials—anything suitable for Great Dou Shi, Xiao Yan bought them all.

One Auction Item even stunned Xiao Yan: it was a young girl, no more than twelve or thirteen, yet her figure had developed astonishingly; her small face, filled with fear, instantly ignited the lustful desires of the battle-hardened men in the hall, who transformed into wolves, driving the final bid to nearly one hundred thirty thousand Gold Coins—making the white-haired auctioneer grin ear to ear.

Xiao Yan sat on a plush chair, gazing coldly at the surrounding depravity, closing his eyes slightly—he couldn't possibly intervene in all this. The early auction had produced no extraordinary items to stir the crowd, and the bidders were merely those seated in the back; the powerful Factions in the front rows, flush with wealth, had yet to make a single bid.

Only when the auction entered its final phase did the auctioneer carefully lift a Scroll crafted from Ancient Jade, prompting Xiao Yan to slowly open his eyes.

"That thing..." Xiao Yan frowned—he had already sensed its nature through Soul Force Perception.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the next item for auction is one few have seen in recent times—it is a Dou Technique, but due to the loss of its crafting method, it is now exceedingly rare."

Upon hearing this, even the leaders of the front-row Factions perked up.

"That's right—it's the Flying Dou Technique: Thunder Bat Heavenly Wings!"

The auctioneer's hand trembled, and the Scroll slid down, unfurling to reveal a pair of miniature, jet-black bat wings, radiating a faint, eerie Ghost Qi.

"So it really is a Flying Dou Technique..." Xiao Yan stared, stunned, at the exquisite wings, exhaling slowly in his mind.

Within the black bat wings, faint violet lightning flickered, arcs shimmering as if solidified, strangely mystical.

As soon as the Thunder Bat Heavenly Wings appeared, the auction hall fell quiet; those unfamiliar with such items looked confused, while those who had heard of Flying Dou Techniques—like the Blood Sect and Black Skull Tomb, seated in the front—stirred slightly.

Clearly, the Thunder Bat Heavenly Wings had stirred their desires; possessing it meant soaring through the skies like a Dou Wang—essential for assassination and escape!

"This is interesting—I like it," murmured the Blood Sect's Young Sect Master, his gaze locked on the eerie bat wings as if they might leap from the Jade Slip.

"Young Sect Master, this Flying Dou Technique will cost no less than a million—spending recklessly now may leave us unable to compete for the final item," whispered the pale-faced elder beside him.

"Why rush?" Fan Ling sneered, glancing sideways at the elder. "Father has already prepared everything—no matter who wins this, it will end up in our hands. That way, we save a fortune."

"Sigh." Seeing his advice was useless, the elder named Luo could only sigh helplessly, shaking his head and falling silent.

Xiao Yan, meanwhile, smiled faintly—he wanted this Flying Dou Technique too.

And the next auction might soon reach the Earth-Rank Dou Techniques—he needed to lay the groundwork.

"Hehe, I'm sure you all know how rare Flying Dou Techniques are. After consultation, we've classified this Thunder Bat Heavenly Wings as Arcane-Rank Low-Level. Its starting bid is one million—auction begins." The white-haired auctioneer smiled warmly.

No sooner had he finished than Fan Ling, the Blood Sect's Young Master, stood and roared: "One million three hundred thousand!"

Fan Ling's gaze swept the hall, as if to say: anyone who dares bid against me is declaring war on the Blood Sect.

The auction hall erupted in uproar; though rules forbade threats, his standing alone spoke volumes.

After a moment of silence, a sultry, bone-deep laugh rang out: "Young Sect Master Fan Ling, you're truly generous—but the 'Heavenly Serpent Mansion' is also quite interested in this Thunder Bat Heavenly Wings. Apologies, but one million four hundred thousand."

At the voice, Fan Ling's pale face twitched; his eyes narrowed toward another corner of the hall, where several voluptuous, slender figures curled in fur-lined chairs, their supple waists like serpents, irresistibly alluring.

"Heh, if it isn't Elder Qing of the Heavenly Serpent Mansion. Didn't expect you to show up at this auction," Fan Ling said with a cold, false smile.

"What can I say? Some things can't be hidden, can they, Young Sect Master?" The woman known as Elder Qing smiled sweetly, her sinuous form igniting lustful fires in many men—how wild would they go if that snake-like body lay beneath them, those plump lips whispering sweet moans?

Upon hearing "Heavenly Serpent Mansion," Xiao Yan's eyes flashed with danger—he hadn't forgotten Qing Lin's incident.

"Not the same Dou Huang from before—this female serpent's power is only Dou Wang."

Elder Qing sensed Xiao Yan's Soul Force Perception, frowned sharply in his direction, and thought: "Such immense Soul Force—who is this man?"

"One million nine hundred thousand!" Fan Ling drew a deep breath, a sickly flush rising on his pale face as he glared coldly at the alluring Elder Qing.

"Young Sect Master Fan Ling is truly generous—one million nine hundred thousand. I hope you still have enough funds left by the end," Elder Qing's expression shifted slightly; their goal wasn't the Flying Dou Technique, and overspending now was unwise—so she shrugged and smirked, abandoning the bid.

"Hmph." Fan Ling sneered, turning to the Auction Stage and barking at the stunned auctioneer: "What are you waiting for?"

"Oh! Hehe, Young Sect Master, please don't be angry!" The auctioneer snapped to attention, bowing apologetically.

Just as the auctioneer raised his hammer, Xiao Yan glanced at Fan Ling and said coolly: "Two million."

!?

The moment Xiao Yan spoke, even the auctioneer froze—someone dared bid against the Blood Sect's Young Master in the Black Horn Region?!

The hall erupted in chaos; Xiao Yan had already bought many items, drawing some attention, but all were for Great Dou Shi.

This time was different—two million Gold Coins was several times his previous total.

Xiao Ning and the others exchanged stunned glances—was the Xiao Clan really this rich?!

Fan Ling stared at Xiao Yan in his black robe, and for no clear reason, he felt a deep aversion toward him.

Hearing these words, his face changed instantly, and he coldly said, "Two million one hundred thousand! Anyone who competes with my Blood Sect meets a bad end."

Hearing this, the auctioneer's expression also flickered slightly, but in the end, he said nothing to stop it. Those so-called rules were merely tools to bully ordinary people; facing a powerful faction like the Blood Sect, he naturally chose to stay silent.

Xiao Yan lazily glanced at Fan Ling and said, "Blood Sect? Who are you, some random nobody? I don't know you. Even if I did, I wouldn't yield. One Five-Grade Elixir."

Sssss!!! Five-Grade Elixir?!?!

Upon hearing Xiao Yan's bid, even the auctioneer's eyes narrowed—he actually bid with an Elixir!!

Everyone knew that a Four-Grade Mid-Level Elixir like the Two-Stripe Green Spirit Pill had a market price of at least forty thousand Gold Coins, while the Three-Stripe Green Spirit Pill doubled that, with a starting bid of eighty thousand.

A Five-Grade Elixir was even more expensive; even the worst Five-Grade Low-Level Elixir cost over two million, and that was the minimum—usually, it sold for twenty to fifty percent more.

Any auctioneer who wasn't stupid would understand exactly what a Five-Grade Elixir was worth.

Fan Ling's face darkened. He thought: "No wonder I felt a hint of unease—this guy is an Alchemist. He must truly possess a powerful Fire Seed within him."

Many people guessed Xiao Yan's identity—only an Alchemist would use Elixirs for transactions.

Fan Ling's eyes turned cold, and he sneered, "I have a Five-Grade Elixir too—five thousand Gold Coins extra!"

The entire hall erupted again—this was a direct clash!

Xiao Yan smiled coldly and said, "You misunderstood. The Five-Grade Elixir I mentioned is the Dou Wang Elixir."

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Dou Wang Elixir?!!" Xiao Yan's words triggered a massive uproar—everyone stared at him.

This was a Five-Grade High-Level Alchemist who could forge the Dou Wang Elixir!!

There weren't even a handful of Five-Grade Alchemists in the entire Black Horn Region—everyone began speculating about Xiao Yan's identity.

Even Xiao Yu, sitting beside Xiao Yan, was stunned—this was a Five-Grade High-Level Dou Wang Elixir!

Even if they hadn't reached Dou Wang, they all knew the value of the Dou Wang Elixir—the most famous and most sought-after Elixir among Five-Grade Elixirs, without exception.

Everyone stared at Xiao Yan, thinking he had gone mad—using a Dou Wang Elixir to buy a single Arcane-Rank Low-Level Dou Technique? What could be more insane than that?

Even Alchemists weren't this wasteful!

"Are you still bidding, Blood Sect?" Xiao Yan looked at Fan Ling slowly, his voice calm and flat, as if he weren't offering a Dou Wang Elixir but a piece of candy.

At this moment, Fan Ling's face was utterly grim. Though his Blood Sect was powerful, he couldn't possibly afford a Dou Wang Elixir—even if his sect possessed one, it would be immediately seized, and the value was simply too high—it wasn't worth it.

"It seems no one is bidding higher. Then it's settled," Xiao Yan said slowly.

Xiao Yan's arrogant attitude was infuriating, but he had the money—no one could stop him.

Only Xun Er, seated beside Xiao Yan, remained perfectly calm—the Dou Wang Elixir wasn't expensive at all.

"Xiao Yu, this Flying Dou Technique is for you."

"For me?" Xiao Yu was startled—millions of Gold Coins! She had assumed Xiao Yan was buying it for himself.

"Being able to fly gives you a huge advantage early on."

"Oh." Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Xiao Yu slowly lowered her head, an unconscious smile tugging at her lips.

After the auction of the Thunder Bat Sky Wings—the biggest climax since the beginning—the auction entered another lull. The items that followed still fetched decent prices, but compared to the earlier astronomical sums, they could no longer stir any sense of astonishment.

Xiao Yan did not bid again.

"Hehe, the next item to be auctioned is somewhat unusual—we ourselves haven't figured out its exact function. But after thorough analysis by our auction house, it resembles some kind of unknown treasure map."

The instant the auctioneer pulled out a tattered, ancient parchment, Xiao Yan and Xun Er both opened their eyes—a wisp of Black Flame and a wisp of Golden Flame flashed briefly in their pupils.

Sensing each other's movements, they turned to look at one another simultaneously.

"Brother Xiao Yan?"

After a moment's thought, Xiao Yan used Soul Resonance to say, "Xun Er, do you know what that is?"

Xun Er's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly; she bit her lower lip and said, "If I'm not mistaken, that parchment is connected to a very powerful Strange Flame."

Xiao Yan sighed softly. The Ancient Dou Di Family truly was formidable—they even knew this.

Xiao Yan no longer concealed anything—he pulled two more fragments of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame map from his storage ring and placed them in Xun Er's hands.

Seeing these two Residual Maps, Xun Er—who had shown no interest in any Auction Item—revealed a look of shock.

"Brother Xiao Yan… you… truly obtained an incredible fortune." As a core member of a Dou Emperor Family, Xun Er knew exactly what the Pure Lotus Demon Flame represented—it was a Strange Flame every Dou Emperor Family fiercely guarded.

It was the only one of its kind in the world, immensely powerful.

Xiao Yan patted Xun Er's hand and said, "If you want it, I'll give it to you. I haven't bought you anything at this auction—this fits perfectly."

Hearing Xiao Yan's words, a warm current surged through Xun Er's heart. As an Alchemist, Xiao Yan knew the value of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame—but he still gave it to her.

Shaking her head, Xun Er returned the Residual Maps to Xiao Yan's hands. "This is your fortune, Brother Xiao Yan—I couldn't possibly take it. But if you ever seek the Pure Lotus Demon Flame, be extremely careful. The Factions watching for it are terrifying. Don't go near it until you reach Sage Emperor."

Hearing this, Xiao Yan's heart sank. He had assumed the location of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame was unknown—that without the maps, no one could reach it. But now he realized: the Dou Emperor Families likely had ways to monitor the entire Dou Qi Continent.

The moment something they wanted appeared, they would instantly detect it and seize it. To these Dou Emperor Families, the entire Dou Qi Continent might be nothing more than a backyard.

Xiao Yan stared at the Residual Maps in his palm—maps he had struggled so hard to obtain—yet they were merely the starting point for others.

"That means the Soul Sovereign is also monitoring the appearance of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame? If we could learn what the Soul Sovereign knows, and combine it with these Residual Maps… maybe…"

(End of Chapter)