As he spoke, Ling Xiao touched his beast ring and released a strange beast, its body shimmering like ice crystals.
“This is a Mysterious Ice Mad Lion! And it’s at the peak of the Three Talents Heaven realm! How on earth did you capture it?”
Seeing the beast crouching obediently by Ling Xiao’s side like a docile puppy, Feng Yanran asked in astonishment.
“You don’t need to worry about that. Just tell me how much it could fetch at auction,” Ling Xiao said.
“I can’t say for sure, but it’s worth at least ten million low-grade spirit stones. If you’re looking to buy slaves, that should be more than enough,” Feng Yanran replied after some thought.
“In that case, I’ll head off. It’s best you don’t follow. You’re from the Ice Phoenix Clan, and if we’re seen too close together, it might harm Crown Prince Feng Yinshan,” Ling Xiao said, returning the Mysterious Ice Mad Lion to the beast ring before leaping toward the Divine Phoenix Auction House.
Feng Yanran wanted to follow but ultimately gave up.
“Uncle Qingyan, can you secretly protect him?” she asked, turning to see Feng Qingyan emerging from the shadows.
“No need. That kid is stronger than you think. I already know his identity. Since he’s the son of our Ice Phoenix Clan’s great benefactor, we should treat him well, but not excessively. Overindulgence won’t nurture talent; it’ll harm him,” Feng Qingyan said, shaking his head.
“Oh, I understand,” Feng Yanran replied, glancing in the direction Ling Xiao had gone, then shaking her head helplessly and choosing not to follow.
“You should hurry to the Tianyuan Tower to train. Otherwise, your cultivation will fall behind that kid,” Feng Qingyan said with a smile. “If you want to stay by his side, your strength can’t lag too far behind, or you’ll just be a burden.”
“I know,” Feng Yanran said, understanding the logic. She soon set off for the Tianyuan Tower.
Even if she couldn’t maintain a cultivation advantage over Ling Xiao, she couldn’t fall too far behind.
…
The Divine Phoenix Auction House was a place steeped in resentment and dark energy.
From outside, you could hear the anguished cries of creatures locked in cages.
They were wails of sorrow, anger, and unwillingness.
The slaves here included former generals who once guarded regions, notorious pirates, rising martial geniuses, and even terrifying prisoners.
Of course, most were ordinary humans.
Humans had the highest intelligence among all races and could learn the most skills.
They could cook, wash clothes, clean, and serve others.
Thus, human slaves were the most popular here and relatively inexpensive.
Ling Xiao felt deeply uncomfortable about this.
As a human himself, seeing his kind caged and pointed at like objects was profoundly unsettling.
But he knew he couldn’t act rashly.
The place was filled with experts, all at the Heaven-Human realm.
There were those at the Two Principles Heaven, Three Talents Heaven, Five Elements Heaven, Six Arts Heaven, and even Seven Stars Heaven realms.
These people concealed their auras, appearing ordinary.
But when they unleashed their true power, they were terrifying.
Though in the imperial city, they restrained themselves from mass slaughter, crushing a few insignificant ants wouldn’t be an issue.
Taking a deep breath, Ling Xiao stepped into the fabled Divine Phoenix Auction House.
Guards stood at the entrance.
Ling Xiao ignored them and walked straight in.
Someone immediately approached him.
“Honoured guest, how may I assist you?”
The attitude was polite, giving Ling Xiao a slightly better impression.
“I want to auction this,” Ling Xiao said, releasing the Mysterious Ice Mad Lion from his beast ring and presenting it to the woman.
“A Mysterious Ice Mad Lion! Please follow me, honoured guest.”
Clearly, the woman was only a greeter. The actual appraisal and transaction would be handled by someone else.
She led Ling Xiao to the appraisal hall.
It was similar to the Tianlong Auction House’s appraisal pavilion, but the items here were slaves and beasts, starkly different from Tianlong’s wares.
“Look, a Mysterious Ice Mad Lion at the peak of Three Talents Heaven! Is he auctioning it?”
“If it’s for auction, we need to seize this chance. Mysterious Ice Mad Lions are rare, especially at this level. They’re stronger than martial artists of the same realm. It’d be a great helper and an excellent mount.”
“Let’s go to the auction hall and wait. It’ll definitely be auctioned soon.”
The crowd buzzed with excitement, many eyes gleaming at the sight of the Mysterious Ice Mad Lion. To them, it was a treasure.
Whether for personal use or as a gift, it was an excellent choice.
“Honoured guest, this is our appraisal hall. Please come inside,” the young woman said, leading Ling Xiao into the hall.
As he’d expected, it was entirely different from the Tianlong Auction House.
He could even hear the sound of crying.
It came from a human girl, only eleven or twelve, delicate and adorable like a carved jade doll, but her tear-streaked face was heartbreaking.
“Beasts!” Ling Xiao cursed under his breath.
Selling such a young child was truly despicable.
He now understood how low humans ranked on the Divine Phoenix Continent. Without strength, they were little better than livestock.
They could be freely bought, sold, or even slaughtered.
“I promised Feng Yanran not to cause trouble,” he reminded himself, taking a deep breath and turning to the elderly man assigned to assist him.
“Honoured guest, this is Elder Bai. I’ll leave you to talk,” the young woman said, departing after escorting Ling Xiao.
“You’re Ling Xiao?” Elder Bai asked with a faint smile.
“Yes,” Ling Xiao replied. He wasn’t wearing a mask, so it was no surprise he was recognised, especially given his one-month wager with Blood Skeleton, which many knew about.
“You’ve got time to stroll around an auction house? Aren’t you afraid of dying to Blood Skeleton in a month?” Elder Bai’s eyes held a hint of mockery.
“That’s none of your concern. Can I auction my Mysterious Ice Mad Lion here?” Ling Xiao said coolly.
He had no interest in arguing with this man. The auction house was affiliated with the Divine Phoenix Academy, which sided with Blood Skeleton, so debate was pointless.
Elder Bai’s brow furrowed, clearly annoyed, but business was business. He didn’t lose his temper and asked calmly, “Do you have any special requirements for the auction?”
“What are your rules?” Ling Xiao countered.
“Commission is twenty percent. All auctions are in spirit stones,” Elder Bai replied.
“Isn’t it ten percent?” Ling Xiao asked, puzzled.
