After leaving the Black Mark Auction House, Xiao Yan made his way straight back to the inn where he was staying. He rested in the small room for a while and only exited his cultivation state, donning a spacious black robe with a revitalized spirit, just as the auction was about to start. Stepping out of the inn, he leisurely headed towards the auction house once more. When Xiao Yan appeared at the entrance of the auction house again, the nearly overwhelming crowd and the cacophony of voices, including arguments and insults, made him slightly dazed. He hadn’t expected that the auction would attract so many people. It truly lived up to being a grand event in the Black-Corner Region.
He tried to squeeze through the crowd but had to retreat with a slight sense of helplessness. In the Black-Corner Region, it was not like in the Jia Ma Empire. Here, cutting in line would result in fists flying from all directions. After all, the people of the Black-Corner Region were not as docile as those outside. A single wrong word could lead to a fight breaking out without any surprise.
Stepping out of the flow of people who were shouting and cursing, Xiao Yan glanced around and noticed another passage outside the auction house. The scene there was completely different: a wide path with a red carpet, flanked by dozens of grim-faced men in black robes. Their sinister auras kept the surrounding crowd at bay, creating a vacuum zone around the passage.
As Xiao Yan’s gaze swept over, he spotted a group of people entering the red-carpeted passage. His eyes finally rested on a young man in the center, whose pale and handsome face stood out. From his appearance, he seemed to be in his mid-twenties, but judging from the energy occasionally leaking from his body, his strength was at least at the Dou Ling level! “This person… has quite the formidable strength. And he’s so young? Looks like the Black-Corner Region is indeed a place full of hidden talents.”
Slightly surprised, Xiao Yan muttered to himself, “Hey, look over there, they seem to be from the Blood Sect?”
“Indeed, those are the freaks. The one in the middle must be Fan Ling, the young sect master of the Blood Sect. Hee hee, I heard he’s connected to the recent disappearance of an elder from the Eight Gates Sect.”
“Completely drained of blood, looking as if it was sucked out—such things only the Blood Sect would be interested in. I didn’t expect him to dare come here, right under the nose of the Eight Gates Sect.”
“What does he have to fear? His father is one of the top five experts. Yuen Yi is still far from matching him. Besides, the Blood Sect is stronger than the Eight Gates Sect. Do you think they’d dare to touch Fan Ling? Wouldn’t they be afraid that his father would raze Black Mark City in a fit of rage?”
Hearing the whispered conversations, Xiao Yan felt a bit enlightened. Glancing at the pale-faced young man again, he etched the name ‘Blood Sect’ into his memory. Seemingly sensing a different gaze, the young man paused just before entering the auction house. He turned his head slightly, casting a cold, emotionless glance at Xiao Yan, who was concealed in a black robe. His brow furrowed slightly, a puzzled expression crossing his face, and then he entered the auction house.
“This Black-Corner Region really doesn’t have many normal people.” The cold, sinister gaze made Xiao Yan feel like he was being targeted by a vampire bat in the dark. He shrugged and smiled bitterly.
After the group from the ‘Blood Sect’ entered the auction house, several other groups followed, each one a powerful force in the Black-Corner Region, broadening Xiao Yan’s horizons. Looking at the empty and quiet carpeted passage, and then at the crowded main entrance, he couldn’t help but feel speechless.
“Damn it, just because they have a crummy VIP card, they act all high and mighty. This freaking Eight Gates Sect, always chasing after money. I sold items worth over half a million and didn’t even get a lousy card.”
As Xiao Yan’s gaze swept over the carpeted passage, a thin, emaciated man next to him, also squeezed out by the crowd, muttered under his breath, his eyes filled with jealousy. Hearing the term ‘VIP card,’ Xiao Yan recalled that those who entered the passage had all shown some kind of card. He reached into his storage ring and pulled out a jade card. He remembered the old man in the appraisal room mentioning that this was a second-level VIP card.
“Damn, what are you looking at? Trying to get killed?” The emaciated man, sensing Xiao Yan’s gaze, immediately snarled. Ignoring the irritable man, Xiao Yan walked directly towards the carpeted passage.
“Tsk, this guy…” The thin man scoffed, seeing Xiao Yan’s actions. He had seen Xiao Yan squeezed out by the crowd earlier, so he assumed that this shabbily dressed figure wouldn’t have a VIP card. After all, besides having significant strength, one needed to sell items worth over two million to get a third-level VIP card.
Two million was a vast sum for most people in the Black-Corner Region. Even a great Dou Shi only earned five thousand gold coins for escorting Doma. This world wasn’t easy to make money; otherwise, certain great Dou Shi, Dou Ling, or even Dou Wang wouldn’t resort to becoming killers.
Of course, alchemists were an exception, but their stringent requirements limited the number of people who could aspire to that profession. Thus, the thin man’s ridicule didn’t last long. His hostile expression froze as Xiao Yan confidently walked onto the soft red carpet.
“Damn… even with a VIP card, he comes to squeeze through the crowd? Is something wrong with him?” The thin man’s eyes, filled with jealousy, turned red. Especially when Xiao Yan looked back with a mocking gaze before entering the auction house, he was left scratching his head in frustration.
Entering the dimly lit corridor, Xiao Yan walked to the end and turned a corner, revealing a colossal auction hall. The sight took his breath away. This auction hall was larger than any he had seen, with rows of seats and a platform built entirely of shimmering crystal.
“Sir, may I ask for your seat number?” A beautiful maid hurried over, bowing respectfully. Xiao Yan handed her the jade card. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she bowed even lower, saying, “You have a second-level VIP card. Please follow me.”
She led Xiao Yan through the massive hall, stopping near the crystal platform. She pointed to a seat, smiled, and retreated. Sitting down in the plush, soft chair, Xiao Yan almost wanted to curl up. Glancing at the ordinary chairs behind him, he sighed again, feeling the privilege of wealth.
As he sat, Xiao Yan’s brows furrowed. He saw the pale-faced young man from the Blood Sect, Fan Ling, staring at him with a strange expression. Ignoring him, Xiao Yan closed his eyes, waiting for the auction to begin.
“Young Sect Master, what’s wrong?” The pale-faced, handsome youth slowly withdrew his gaze. Beside him, an old, pale-faced man asked softly.
“Nothing. I just find that guy a bit strange. For some reason, I feel… wary of him.” Fan Ling shook his head, laughing.
“Perhaps, Young Sect Master, you’re mistaken. Although our Blood Sect’s techniques are extremely yin, making us wary of extreme flames, such flames are rare in the Black-Corner Region.”
“Maybe,” Fan Ling nodded. The few who possessed such flames were peak experts, and this black-robed figure was clearly not one of them. He focused on the crystal platform, muttering, “I wonder if that information is true. If it is, my father said to get it no matter the cost.”
“Don’t worry, Young Sect Master. The Sect Master has already made preparations. Even if it falls into someone else’s hands, it won’t leave Black Mark City,” the old man chuckled.
“That’s good,” Fan Ling replied, closing his eyes, waiting for the auction to start.
Meanwhile, several factions nearby were whispering. If one could hear their conversations, they would find a common thread—each was talking about a mysterious item, likely the final item of the auction.
After closing his eyes for nearly half an hour, a clear bell rang in the auction hall. Hearing the bell, Xiao Yan exited his cultivation state. The cacophonous noise rushed in, making him shake his head to regain his composure. He looked up at the sparkling crystal platform.
On the stage, a smiling, white-haired old man, the auctioneer, stood.
“Finally, it’s starting…” Xiao Yan muttered, his eyes filled with anticipation, as he gazed at the nearly packed auction hall.
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