Utan City, Xiao Family.
Xiao Yan and Xiao Xue sat together, examining an unremarkable black iron piece.
Xiao Yan looked it over carefully from top to bottom, but still couldn't see anything special about it. He secretly asked Yao Lao, "Teacher, what is this thing for?"
He could only sense that there was something unusual about this black iron piece, but as for what exactly was inside, he had no idea.
Yao Lao laughed, "Can't tell? Why don't you ask your younger sister?"
Xiao Yan rolled his eyes eight times at the air, attempting to kill Yao Lao with his "Eight Extremes White Eyes," but Yao Lao ignored him.
"It seems to contain a Dou Technique, but the person who made this iron piece might have also been an Alchemist," Yao Lao said.
"Therefore, this iron piece can only be sensed by someone with extraordinary Soul perception."
Hearing this, Xiao Yan curled his lips helplessly. With his younger sister right beside him, he naturally couldn't expose Yao Lao's existence.
Furthermore, he didn't feel like bickering with this old fellow.
So, Xiao Yan handed the iron piece to Xiao Xue. "Little sister, why don't you take a look?"
Xiao Xue readily took the iron piece. Her Soul Power seeped into it, and after a long while, she opened her eyes. "There's a Dou Technique inside."
Xiao Yan:... Xiao Xue's finger lightly tapped Xiao Yan's forehead, transmitting "Suction Palm" through her Soul Power.
"Xuan-rank Low-Grade?" Xiao Yan's face lit up with joy. He clearly hadn't expected this piece of junk he bought randomly to actually hide a Xuan-Rank Dou Technique.
One must know that in the current Xiao Family, the most profound Dou Technique was only at the Profound Tier Middle Grade, and only the Clan Chief and several Elders were qualified to learn it.
[Suction Palm: When practiced to Major Achievement, it can suck up a thousand-jin boulder. If encountering an enemy, the violent suction force can forcibly pull the blood out of a human body!]
"Pulling blood out of the body?" Xiao Yan's face was filled with shock. He swallowed hard and said with some amazement, "This... is too awesome, isn't it? If the blood leaves the body, who could survive?"
Yao Lao's voice sounded indifferently, "This thing can only deal with opponents of a lower Rank than you or at the same level. If you encounter someone stronger than you, they can directly use that force to close in, and you'll be the one in trouble..."
Xiao Yan:... "With your mere three stages of Dou Zhi Qi, it's impressive enough if you can suck up a tree branch, let alone human blood. This Dou Technique is actually quite suitable for that younger sister of yours."
"You brat, for now, you'd better hurry up and Cultivate until you become a Dou Practitioner!" Shaking his head, Yao Lao curled his lips.
Listening to Yao Lao's words, Xiao Yan nodded slightly with some helplessness, while Xiao Xue directly stood up and took her leave after obtaining "Suction Palm."
She also knew that Yao Lao was about to refine the Foundation Establishment Elixir for Xiao Yan, so she naturally wouldn't stay here.
Xiao Yan kept Yao Lao's existence an absolute secret, not even telling his cheap old man. Xiao Xue naturally wouldn't go looking for trouble.
Within the next few days, two pieces of news swept through the entire Utan City like a storm.
One piece of news was about the Mittel Auction House going to auction a Qi Gathering Powder, and the other was about the Genius who had fallen three years ago in the Xiao Family, Xiao Xue.
Although no outsiders were present when Xiao Xue killed the Eight-star Dou Shi, many people saw her cripple Jia Lie Ao with a single finger and bring the old man's corpse to the Jia Lie Family to cause trouble.
When she went to the Jia Lie Family to cause trouble, Xiao Xue naturally didn't hide her strength, fully revealing her power as a Nine-Star Dou Zhe.
Coupled with the fact that the Xiao Family "had the support of the Cloud Mist Sect" behind them, undercurrents began to surge in Utan City for a time.
A few days later, the other two major families of Utan City, the Jia Lie Family and the Ouba Family, suddenly paid a visit.
The Jia Lie Family gave several of their most profitable Marketplaces in the downtown area to the Xiao Family almost for free as an apology for Jia Lie Ao's offense against Xiao Xue and the others, and the Ouba Family also offered significant benefits.
Benefits delivered to the door should not be refused. The Xiao Family naturally accepted the Jia Lie Family's apology with a smile and stated that the previous matters were now settled.
This move was undoubtedly a massive loss for the Jia Lie Family; not only did they lose an Eight-star Dou Shi and Jia Lie Ao lost a hand, but they also had to pay compensation to the Xiao Family.
However, Gale Bi could only swallow his grievances.
While the Ouba Family's gift was also of significant value, it wasn't to the point of cutting their own flesh; they were simply showing their intention to be on good terms with the Xiao Family.
The Xiao Family naturally did not refuse these things and accepted them all.
Looking at the current situation, the Xiao Family already showed signs of dominating Utan City.
A few days later, the auction was held as scheduled. The grand finale items were naturally the Qi Gathering Powder and a Black Rank High-Grade Cultivation Technique, "Wind Rolling Art."
Although Medicinal Pills are precious, they can only be used for a moment, whereas a Dou Qi Cultivation Technique can be used for a lifetime and can even be passed down to future generations.
Therefore, from a certain perspective, high-grade Dou Qi Cultivation Techniques are even more drivingly sought after than Medicinal Pills!
Although the Xiao Family now had several Marketplaces compensated by the Jia Lie Family, those Marketplaces had only just come under the Xiao Family's ownership, and the profits they carried had not yet been converted into cash.
With the Xiao Family's current economic strength, they could only afford one of either the Qi Gathering Powder or the "Wind Rolling Art."
In the end, Xiao Zhan still bid for the "Wind Rolling Art." After all, the Xiao Family's top-tier technique, "Raging Lion's Wild Gale," was only at the Profound Tier Middle Grade.
Although he really wanted to buy the Qi Gathering Powder for Xiao Yan, as the Clan Chief of the Xiao Family, he had to consider the entire Family.
Moreover, if the Qi Gathering Powder were really bought, whether it would actually end up in Xiao Yan's hands was another matter.
Ultimately, the Qi Gathering Powder was sold for 600,000 gold coins to Ao Ba Pa of the Ouba Family, while the Jia Lie Family returned empty-handed.
Xiao Xue, clad in a white robe nearby, couldn't help but click her tongue. The Materials to refine the Qi Gathering Powder only cost 50,000 gold coins, yet a single Qi Gathering Powder could fetch a sky-high price of hundreds of thousands.
This was even with the Jia Lie Family being short on funds and not persisting in bidding to drive up the price; otherwise, the final price might have been even higher.
Seeing the auction end, Xiao Xue stood up and called out to Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun Er. The three of them returned to the appraisal room and waited quietly with heads bowed under the middle-aged man's reverent gaze.
After a few minutes, the sound of hurried footsteps rang out, followed by Ya Fei pushing the door open and entering.
"Sir, the Qi Gathering Powder was auctioned for 600,000 gold coins. After deducting the two percent tax, the remainder is all here." Ya Fei smiled and handed over a green card.
Xiao Xue took the card and toyed with it casually. This "bank card" of the Fighting Qi Continent was quite interesting. She wondered how they used this small card to keep count.
After all, there were no ATMs on the Fighting Qi Continent.
"Miss Ya Fei, please help me get a better Medicine Cauldron," Xiao Xue said softly.
Regarding this request, Ya Fei, who believed she knew Xiao Xue's "identity," naturally would not refuse. A dark red Medicine Cauldron was soon placed into Xiao Xue's System space.
"Oh, right," Xiao Xue seemed to recall something and handed the card back. "A few days ago, I took a storage ring from Miss Ya Fei's place. Let's settle that as well."
Ya Fei subconsciously took the card, only then reacting and looking at Xiao Xue with some surprise.
However, Xiao Xue was completely covered in the white robe, so Ya Fei naturally couldn't see her expression.
Ya Fei thought that what Xiao Xue said back then was just a polite remark, but she didn't expect her to actually intend to buy that storage ring.
After all, with her identity as at least a Second-Grade Alchemist, even if she took a storage ring, the Mittel Auction House wouldn't mind.
However, Xiao Xue didn't think that way. After all, her goal was to make the Mittel Auction House's surname become Xiao.
And constant taking is not conducive to building a good cooperative relationship. Appropriate gestures of goodwill in the early stages are actually a means of winning people's hearts.
With Hai Bodong as an angel investor, the Mittel Auction House would sooner or later be surnamed Xiao.
However, Xiao Xue's goal was to make it the "Xiao" of "Xiao Xue," not the "Xiao" of "Xiao Yan"!
Soon, Ya Fei came back with the card. "Sir, after deducting the costs for the storage ring and the Medicine Cauldron, there is a total surplus of 400,000 gold coins in the card."
Xiao Xue couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. A Blaze Fire Medicine Cauldron plus a storage ring actually only cost less than 200,000 gold coins; it was likely just at cost price.
This Ya Fei certainly knew how to conduct herself. It's no wonder she would be so successful in the Northwest Continent in the future.
Xiao Xue casually handed the card to Xiao Yan. In the original story, Xiao Yan's auction of the low-quality Foundation Establishment Elixir refined by Yao Lao only brought in 40,000 gold coins, but the profit from auctioning the Qi Gathering Powder now was more than ten times that.
This sum of money should be enough for him to use for a long time.
"If there's nothing else, we shall take our leave," Xiao Xue said, standing up to depart.
"Hehe, if Sir needs to auction any more Medicinal Pills in the future, please do look after the Mittel Auction House," Ya Fei said with a beaming smile as she saw the three of them out.
Walking to a place where no one was around, Xiao Yan couldn't help but ask, "Little sister, what do you want that Medicine Cauldron for?"
Could it be that Yao Lao has been exposed? Xiao Yan thought nervously.
"What for? Refining medicine!" Xiao Xue replied indifferently.
Xiao Yan:???
Yao Lao:???
Xun'er:!!!