Yin Xuan turned to Yu Tianheng with an outstretched hand.
Yu Tianheng blinked, confused. "What are you doing?"
"Hand over 100,000 gold soul coins," Yin Xuan said, cool as ever.
Yu Tianheng stared at him, absolutely dumbfounded. Dugu Yan almost burst out laughing at the look on his face, but she kept it in.
"You've taken my money, so you can't back out," Yu Tianheng warned.
Yin Xuan gave a simple nod.
Yu Tianheng winced inside. One hundred thousand! Turns out proving yourself comes with a hefty price tag.
He handed out his gold card, hands shaking. Dugu Yan snatched it before Yin Xuan could even react, absolutely delighted.
Scoring 100,000 gold soul coins out of the blue—she hoped luck like this would show up more often.
She trusted Yin Xuan completely, not just because he was stronger, but thanks to Dugu Bo's glowing reviews and his sneaky "Shadow Plug" skill that popped up out of nowhere. Offensive, defensive, versatile—it was like each Dark Blue Silver Emperor Vine could turn into a spear at a moment's notice. If Yin Xuan wanted, he could jab Yu Tianheng full of holes before he even noticed.
Dugu Yan grabbing the card definitely caught Yu Tianheng's eye. The situation was clear—he'd just started his charge, only to realize the other team had already taken the position.
As a son of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, he had to keep his composure. Even if he was annoyed, he needed to look dignified—pride of the sect and all that.
Yu Tianheng cleared his throat, trying to play it cool. "This isn't the place. Let's find somewhere quiet to sort things out, so you don't lose face in front of everyone."
Finally, Yin Xuan cracked a smile. "Thoughtful, aren't you? Know any good spots?"
Yu Tianheng thought for a moment, then leaned in and whispered, "Tomorrow night, the woods behind the mountain."
Yin Xuan's smile dropped, shooting Yu Tianheng a look of pure contempt.
"Yanzi, remember my promise to take you to the Tiandou Auction House?"
"Of course!" Dugu Yan replied, eyeing the gold card stuffed with 100,000 soul coins. That could pay a top teacher for two and a half years, easy.
"Don't leave me hanging, Yinxuan!" Yu Tianheng called out, watching them go. His hands still trembled.
From their vibe, he realized he was way too late to try and poach someone. Rumor had it that Dugu Yan was drawn to good looks, and, well, compared to him, Yin Xuan easily won in that department.
Still, Soul Masters cared more about strength than appearance. He really couldn't figure out what Dugu Yan saw in Yin Xuan.
Yin Xuan answered with a grin, "For 100,000 gold soul coins, I'm definitely showing up."
Yu Tianheng coughed and walked away, keeping up his calm front. He honestly couldn't stay there a second longer.
Classic youthful impulsiveness, putting sect pride ahead of everything else.
Yin Xuan shook his head. That's the sore spot for disciples raised in big sects.
"Ah Xuan, what were you two talking about just now?" Dugu Yan asked, genuinely curious.
Yin Xuan explained, "He challenged me to a duel in the woods. We're keeping it hush so people don't crowd around."
Dugu Yan laughed. "He doesn't even know you're at level thirty-two. You're actually stronger in soul power—not to mention your skill!"
Purebred sect disciples like Yu Tianheng put their family's honor and martial spirit above everything. She teased, "He'll probably cry if he loses."
Yin Xuan shrugged, smiling, "I honestly don't think Yu Tianheng's a pushover. He carries himself well—that Blue Lightning clan upbringing shows."
Dugu Yan shot him a look. "Now you're praising him?"
Yin Xuan laughed. "Just telling it how it is."
—
Tiandou Auction House was every bit as lavish as you'd expect from something run by royalty. Even the hostess greeting folks at the door looked like she'd been groomed for the role—easily worth 100,000 soul coins herself.
Yin Xuan and Dugu Yan walked right up. One of the girls smiled and asked, "Can I help you?"
Yin Xuan said, "We want to look around."
The two of them clearly didn't blend in with the crowd—and the hostess could tell—but she kept it professional. "To enter, you need proof of status or funds. Show at least 10,000 gold soul coins for authentication."
Dugu Yan flashed her gold card. "Here's 100,000."
The hostess checked the card, saw it was legit, and immediately warmed up. "Please come in. Sorry for the earlier fuss. Here's your entry pass—you can use this next time."
Dugu Yan waved it off and walked in with Yin Xuan, just as curious as he was. Her first time here, and the interior blew her away.
A massive circular hall, about 500 meters across—no random spectators, just guests. Nobles everywhere, and all sorts of treasures, even soul bones. But prices were sky-high: several hundred-thousand to millions, usually soul bones that were a thousand or so years old. Anything ten-thousand years and up? People kept those for themselves.
Yin Xuan spotted someone familiar. Sure enough, they saw him too. No way to dodge it—had to go say hello.
"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince," Yin Xuan and Dugu Yan bowed.
Xue Qinghe smiled, "Well, look who it is! Yin Xuan—where've you been? The school commissioners told me you took a break just after classes started. You just got back?"
Yin Xuan smiled sheepishly. "Something unexpected came up. Sorry for not telling you sooner."
Xue Qinghe waved it off. "Don't worry about it. Just take care of yourself—I'd hate for something bad to happen. I'm here for the auction. You two wanna join me?"