Vomiting Blood

Xiao Yan took out a white jade bottle from his chest and handed it to Gu Ni. Gu Ni received it, opened the bottle, and began to assess its contents. Moments later, Gu Ni's expression became serious. "It is indeed a second-tier pill. The gentleman speaks the truth!"

Ya Fei also looked at Xiao Yan with respect and asked, "Elder, could you please tell us more about the effects of this pill?"

The voice from under the black robe, still that of Yao Lao, replied, "This is called the Foundation Establishment Elixir. It can accelerate the cultivation speed of anyone below the Dou practitioner level. Its effects are no less potent than your advertised Snow Jade Elixir!"

Ya Fei's expression changed slightly. She was well aware of how valuable the Foundation Establishment Elixir was, especially since she had never encountered a pill that could increase cultivation speed, even though it was only for those below the Dou practitioner level.

"Would you like to auction this bottle of Foundation Establishment Elixir, elder?" Ya Fei inquired.

"Not just this one bottle." Xiao Yan waved his hand, and in an instant, ten identical bottles of Foundation Establishment Elixir appeared before them. Ya Fei smiled and said, "Rest assured, elder. There's an auction happening shortly, and we'll arrange to auction these right away. Please follow me."

Xiao Yan nodded slightly, and a servant, under Ya Fei's direction, led him toward the auction venue.

After Xiao Yan left, Ya Fei turned to Gu Ni and asked, "Uncle Gu Ni, is he really a second-tier alchemist?"

Gu Ni nodded slightly. "No doubt about it. His soul perception is much stronger than mine. Plus, I can't refine the Foundation Establishment Elixir. I just wonder how Wutan City has suddenly seen such an influx of second-tier alchemists recently."

Ya Fei didn't dwell on the matter, as she needed to manage the auction. She turned and headed toward the back.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yu and his group had also arrived at the Mittel Auction House. As soon as they entered, they were greeted by a lively, noisy atmosphere. The auction hall was huge, large enough to accommodate over a thousand people. The leaders of the three major families were seated in the front row, while Xiao Yu pulled Xun'er to sit in the second row.

As soon as they sat down, Xiao Yu immediately noticed Ya Fei, standing in the center, wearing a fiery red cheongsam. Her enchanting presence and commanding aura made it impossible for anyone to ignore her!

Most of the men in the hall looked at Ya Fei with admiration and desire. After all, aside from her role as the chief auctioneer of the Mittel Auction House, this woman was also known as a "rose with thorns."

Xun'er, sitting next to Xiao Yu, pouted slightly, pinching him gently on the waist. Xiao Yu quickly turned to see her slightly resentful expression. "Is she that pretty?"

It was a loaded question, but Xiao Yu smiled faintly and replied, "No matter how pretty she is, she can't compare to you, Xun'er. I was just wondering what else, besides the Snow Jade Elixir, could have drawn all the leaders of the three major families here today?"

Xun'er lazily twirled a lock of her long hair and said, "It seems a high-level Xuan-tier technique is being auctioned."

Xiao Yu nodded in understanding. "I see. A high-level Xuan-tier technique is worth far more than the Snow Jade Elixir." Glancing at the heads of the Jia Lie and Ao Ba clans, Xiao Yu noticed that Ao Ba seemed quite relaxed, while Jia Lie Bi was on edge, glancing at Xiao Zhan with a look of determination.

Suddenly, Xiao Yu recalled that a month ago, he had seen Jia Lie Bi purchasing a large amount of medicinal herbs at the Mittel Auction House. It seemed Jia Lie Bi had caught wind of today's auction early on and had likely made quite a profit by selling off those herbs.

As Xiao Yu was lost in thought, a seductive and captivating voice rang out, silencing the entire auction hall. Xiao Yu knew the auction had begun!

The early items were minor trinkets that the three major families largely ignored. Xiao Yu glanced around the hall, bored, until he spotted a mysterious figure dressed in a black robe sitting in a corner. His heart stirred. "Could it be Xiao Yan?"

"Everyone, we now come to the highlight of today's auction. I believe many of you have heard rumors. Let's reveal its true form!" Ya Fei said with a smile as she lifted a small white jade bottle from a tray held by a servant.

Xiao Yu turned his attention to the bottle. It was the Snow Jade Elixir, and he was curious to see how much his family could make from it.

"The white bottle in my hand contains a second-tier pill called the Snow Jade Elixir!" Ya Fei announced, and the hall grew abuzz with excitement. A second-tier pill was highly appealing to the audience, though most glanced at the three major families sitting in the front row and hesitated, knowing they had little chance of winning the bid.

Ya Fei's voice, soft and enticing, echoed again, "The Snow Jade Elixir can quickly restore a Dou practitioner's Dou Qi, and it works regardless of their level, as long as they are below the Dou Master stage!"

"Miss Ya Fei, is this Snow Jade Elixir really that miraculous? Could it have severe side effects?" someone from the crowd questioned.

Ya Fei chuckled lightly. "No need to worry about that. According to our esteemed appraiser, Master Gu Ni, this elixir restores Dou Qi gently, with negligible side effects. It's far superior to other pills that require months of recovery afterward!"

The crowd, hearing that Master Gu Ni himself had appraised it, felt reassured. They trusted the expertise of a second-tier alchemist.

In the corner, Xiao Yan conversed with Yao Lao. Xiao Yan sighed, "No wonder alchemists are the most popular profession on the continent."

Yao Lao chuckled. "Of course. That's why becoming an alchemist is so difficult!" Xiao Yan nodded in agreement, fully understanding this now. Just then, Yao Lao said, "You should bid for a bottle of the Snow Jade Elixir."

Xiao Yan, quick on the uptake, smiled. "Are you planning to study it, Master?"

Yao Lao, with a tone of pride, said, "No need for research, but I might be able to improve it for your use."

Xiao Yan was briefly taken aback, then felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

"The starting price for the Snow Jade Elixir is 6,000 gold coins. Let the bidding begin!" Ya Fei said with a smile, her gaze sweeping across the three major family heads in the front row.

Just as she was about to look away, Ya Fei's pupils suddenly shrank. She had spotted Xiao Yu, and for a brief moment, she was distracted!

However, the auction's bidding quickly jolted her back to focus.

"7,000!"

"8,000!"

"10,000!"

Some rogue cultivators, noticing that the three major families hadn't yet made their bids, raised the price, hoping to snag the elixir. The price continued to climb rapidly.

Soon, the room grew quieter, and the price had reached 13,000 gold coins!

Jia Lie Bi, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, opened them and said, "15,000!"

Ao Ba, sitting nearby, chuckled and said, "16,000!"

Jia Lie Bi's face darkened. "You're joining in the fun? Do you really need this stuff?"

"If you can buy it, why can't I?" Ao Ba grinned slyly.

"Hmph!" Jia Lie Bi snorted coldly, turning away from him. He shouted, "20,000!"

"21,000!"

"22,000!"

The two of them, like dogs fighting over a bone, drove the price up to an astonishing 30,000!

Xiao Zhan, sitting nearby, remained calm, barely raising an eyebrow. He thought to himself, "Idiots. There's only one bottle. Do they think there won't be more later?"

"35,000!" Jia Lie Bi yelled, his eyes bloodshot with anger.

Ao Ba shrugged and said with a grin, "Well then, I'll leave it to Clan Leader Jia Lie Bi."

Jia Lie Bi, his face dark with rage, turned to Ya Fei and demanded, "Miss Ya Fei, aren't you going to conclude the auction?"

A glint of coldness flashed in Ya Fei's eyes, but she said nothing. She knew Jia Lie Bi had been played for a fool, so she didn't press the issue. With a light tap of her hammer, she announced, "This bottle of Snow Jade Elixir has been sold to Clan Leader Jia Lie Bi for 35,000 gold coins!"

However, Ya Fei was not one to let things slide easily. She immediately instructed her attendants to bring out all ten bottles of the Snow Jade Elixir that had been prepared for the auction.

Seeing this, Jia Lie Bi almost spat out blood in anger but dared not make a scene in the Mittel Auction House. He could only swallow his frustration!