Lotus Auction House

Xenon finally arrived at the auction house, accompanied only by Smoke Man. He had instructed Venom Fang and Gustav to maintain some distance from him. They stayed a few meters behind, moving at their own pace, but their eyes were constantly on him, ready to rush in if anything happened.

With this arrangement, Xenon felt more at ease. Having all three of them walking beside him constantly felt inconvenient. He had decided to keep Venom Fang and Gustav as his trump cards for any unforeseen situations.

When Xenon reached the entrance, Smoke Man unleashed his Spiritual Energy, revealing his strength at Martial Apprentice Stage 7. The people nearby quickly stepped aside, creating a path for Xenon. They immediately recognized that he wasn't an ordinary individual. Most of the people entering the auction house were at least Martial Apprentice Stage 2, with a few at Stage 5, many of whom had notable reputations in the city—owners of blacksmith shops, pharmacies, and leaders of smaller clans.

Xenon glanced at the crowd arrogantly, as if they were beneath him.

"Which clan do you think that young man belongs to?" one person murmured.

"I'm sure he's from a powerful clan in another city to have a Stage 7 elder accompanying him," another whispered.

"We'd better not provoke him. Step aside and let him through."

The crowd murmured among themselves, speculating about Xenon's background. They assumed Smoke Man was an elder from Xenon's clan, but in truth, he was merely a subordinate.

If they were to learn that Smoke Man was only a subordinate, they would undoubtedly be shocked. But if they also discovered that Xenon had two other subordinates at Martial Apprentice Stage 9, they might think he hailed from one of the five noble families or even the imperial family.

Xenon walked forward with his hands clasped behind his back. The attendants of the Stone City Lotus Auction House quickly approached him with respectful greetings.

"Young Master, may I know which clan you are from?" one of the attendants asked.

"I don't have a clan," Xenon replied indifferently.

The attendant chose not to press further and handed Xenon a silver token. Despite having a Stage 7 subordinate, Xenon's presence wasn't impressive enough to warrant higher recognition, and the attendants remained uncertain about his origins or strength. Naturally, the attendant didn't believe Xenon's claim of being unaffiliated with any clan or faction.

The Lotus Auction House distributed three types of tokens: Gold for VIPs, Silver for distinguished guests, and Bronze for minor influential groups. Ordinary people or those below Martial Apprentice Stage 3 weren't given any tokens and were seated in the lower-tier areas of the auction.

Xenon didn't mind receiving only a silver token. This, too, was part of his plan.

Inside, Xenon observed the venue. The attendant escorted him to a seat in one of the higher sections, though not the highest. The private rooms at the top were reserved for VIPs.

As Xenon sat down, he glanced at the crowd below. By his estimation, there were already around 3,000 people present, and the auction house could accommodate up to 5,000.

"Look! That's the patriarch of the Lowden Family! And next to him is the patriarch of the Milton Clan!" someone exclaimed, drawing everyone's attention to the incoming group.

"They're the second and third most powerful clans in all of Stone City!"

Xenon casually glanced at the commotion and saw two men, likely in their fifties, both at Martial Apprentice Stage 8. To his surprise, the two patriarchs sat in the silver token area instead of the VIP section. Even the prominent clan leaders of Stone City weren't considered VIPs at this auction.