The auction stage was surrounded by rows of tables and chairs, and most of the cultivators sitting at the tables were disguised. Some wore masks, some were covered by cloaks, and some used illusions to conceal their true appearance.
There are dozens of private rooms on the second floor, each heavily protected by a set of enchantments. While the guests inside can see out, those outside and guests in other rooms cannot clearly see inside; they can only make out blurry figures. These enchantments are quite ingenious; even a cultivator at the late stage of the Void Refinement realm cannot penetrate them.
However, A Yao's divine sense was at the late stage of the Integration Realm, so the restriction couldn't stop her at all. Her divine sense pierced through, clearly seeing all the cultivators in the private rooms on the first and second floors. When she saw Lou Munan in the private room opposite, her pupils suddenly contracted.
What is he doing here?!
A hundred feet away, Lou Munan smiled at A Yao, a smile that was almost bewitching. The moment A Yao saw him, murderous intent flashed in her eyes. This bastard, he killed Xu Fengzhi, possessed Xu Fengzhi's body, and even impersonated him, impersonated him…
Damn it! Damn it!!
Lou Munan didn't miss the murderous intent in A Yao's eyes, but he didn't know that A Yao already knew that Xu Fengzhi was gone. He only thought that it was because of what happened last time that A Yao wanted to kill him to vent her anger.
The murderous intent flashed by, and A Yao immediately looked away. Although A Yao concealed it well, the two elders of the Nangong family still noticed and looked at her with suspicion. They both looked towards the seating area on the first floor. Was there someone Miss Lu Qi wanted to kill there?
Although Nangong Qi did not sense A Yao's murderous intent for a moment, he did sense the change in A Yao's aura. Her aura suddenly became extremely cold, and her face was as if covered with frost, which made him feel strange.
“Ah Yao, you…” Nangong Qi said.
Ayao said calmly, "It's nothing."
After speaking, he stared blankly at the auction stage outside; the auction had already begun.
Standing on the auction stage was an old man dressed in a gray robe, whose cultivation level was at the mid-stage of the Void Refinement realm. Most of the participants in the top-level auction were Void Refinement cultivators. Being watched by so many Void Refinement experts, having a Nascent Soul or Spirit Transformation cultivator preside over the auction would surely terrify them.
Ayao stared coldly at the auction stage on the first floor, her mind churning with various thoughts.
Why would this demon come here? Did he discover that I wanted to kill him? So he followed me here specifically to strike first?
Thinking about it carefully, the possibility was unlikely. She had considered that he might be paying attention to her in some way, but Ayao felt that it was impossible for him to be watching her main body and also watching the every move of each of her clones.
Her clone was also very cautious in his actions, knowing exactly what she was doing, and he shouldn't assume that she was going to deal with him until the very last moment.
The Grand Gathering of Jia Nan in the Northern Region takes place once every five hundred years. Perhaps the things traded here are what this demon needs. He probably didn't come for himself.
Although thinking this calmed her down, Ayao was still in a very bad mood.
Hatred and anger raged within her.
Lou Munan's smile vanished in the private room across the street.
I feel unhappy.
That little girl seems to hate me to the core. No, she hates Xu Fengzhi. What does it have to do with Lou Munan?
No, who does she hate? What does it have to do with him? He came to kill her.
He came here to kill her. Once the auction is over, he'll twist this little girl's head off.
The auctions at Tianbao Pavilion are conducted in batches, with one batch of magical treasures followed by another batch of elixirs or other items. Currently, a batch of elixirs is being auctioned.
"A bottle of Grade Six Yuanji Pills, thirty-six in total, starting bid of 100,000 spirit stones, with each bid increment no less than 10,000 spirit stones," said the old man on the auction stage. His voice was not loud, but it carried throughout the entire hall. A jade-colored bottle floated in front of him.
"One hundred thousand!"
"110,000!"
"120,000!"
The bidding continued, and the bottle of Yuanji Pill was finally sold for 180,000 high-grade spirit stones.
After auctioning off six more different types of pills, this batch of pills was completely sold out. The old man on the stage smiled and said, "Next up is a batch of rare materials. Fellow Daoists who need to refine weapons or make array plates and flags, don't miss it."
No sooner had he finished speaking than celestial music began to play. The top of the auction stage was open-air, and pink petals were falling as graceful women descended from the sky. Each woman was beautiful and charming, with a light veil draped over her arm and a box in her hand.
Although these boxes are of different sizes, each one is sealed.
The women lined up behind the old man.
The old man beckoned, and a woman in front of him stepped forward. With a thought, the old man peeled off the talisman on the box, and the box slowly opened, revealing a golden, head-sized piece of metal floating in the air.
The metal had wispy red lines that radiated a golden light, like a tiny sun.
Someone immediately recognized what it was.
"Fire Gold!"
"What a huge piece of fire gold!"
A commotion broke out at the scene.
Inside the private room, Nangong Qi looked at the piece of fire gold and said, "Such a large piece of fire gold is indeed rare."
Ayao was intrigued; this was exactly the material she needed.
"This Fire Gold weighs three jin, and the starting bid is 1.3 million high-grade spirit stones, with each bid increasing by no less than 50,000!" the gray-robed elder laughed.
As soon as he finished speaking, a fierce bidding war immediately ensued.
"One million three hundred thousand."
"One million three hundred and fifty thousand."
Nangong Qi was about to make an offer when he heard Ayao next to him say, "One million four hundred thousand!"
Nangong Qi smiled and said, "Ayao, you also want this Fire Gold?"
Ayao nodded.
Of course, Nangong Qi wouldn't try to take it from her.
As soon as Ayao announced the price, someone shouted, "One million four hundred and fifty thousand!"
Ayao continued to raise the price: "One million five hundred thousand."
After she shouted 1.5 million, the scene was quiet for a moment, but then Lou Munan across from her spoke up: 1.6 million.
Ayao's gaze turned coldly to Lou Munan across from her, who smiled, his lips curving slightly upwards. He clearly intended to antagonize Ayao. Nangong Qi could only see the outside of the first floor and couldn't see through the barriers of the other private rooms. He followed Ayao's gaze and could only make out blurry figures.
But he recognized the voice—it was Xu Fengzhi's voice? Had he come too?
"One million six hundred and fifty thousand." This time, it wasn't A Yao who spoke, but a guest from another private room. He was a plump middle-aged man with purple hair, piercing eyes, and a very high nose. He was Murong Ke, the head of the Murong family, one of the six great families of the Northern Region, and his cultivation level was already at the late stage of the Void Refinement Realm.
Among the guests on the top floor, most were cultivators from the Northern Region. The restrictions on the private rooms prevented divine senses from entering, but they did not modify the sound. Murong Ke disdained to use a falsetto to disguise himself. As soon as he opened his mouth, many people knew that he was bidding, knew that this person was ruthless and had a bad temper, and they all fell silent.
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