Battle Through the Heavens: Heavenly comprehension

Under the watchful gaze of several fully armed guards at the entrance, Xiao Yan walked straight inside without pausing.

As soon as he entered the club, the scorching heat seemed to be stripped away from his body.

The cool sensation created a stark contrast, making it feel like stepping into a completely different world.

Sweeping his gaze across the grand and luxuriously decorated hall, Xiao Yan strode toward a room.

On the door, three golden characters gleamed: "Treasure Appraisal Room."

Pushing the door open, he found the room somewhat empty, with only a middle-aged man sitting idly by the table.

Hearing the sound of the door, the middle-aged man looked up, his brows furrowing slightly at the sight of the figure cloaked in black robes. However, his face quickly lit up with a professional smile. "Sir, are you here for an appraisal?"

"Yes," a slightly dry and aged voice floated out from beneath the black robe—it was none other than Yao Lao's voice.

Xiao Yan took two steps forward and gently tapped his finger on the table. Instantly, a translucent blue flower appeared on the tabletop.

As soon as the flower emerged, a chilling aura spread through the room, causing the temperature to plummet.

"This is..." The middle-aged man blinked and carefully picked up the herb. After a moment of examination, he said, "Ice Poppy."

This was an extremely precious medicinal herb, known for its potent ice attribute, making it an invaluable aid to cultivators of ice-based battle qi.

More importantly, the size of this Ice Poppy's petals indicated its impressive age—an uncommon find.

This Ice Poppy was one of the spoils of war from Xiao Yan's encounter with the Wolf Head Mercenary Squad, and it was the most valuable item among them. It could fetch at least three thousand gold coins at auction.

The middle-aged man was visibly moved and carefully placed the Ice Poppy back on the table, saying respectfully, "Sir, may I ask you to wait a moment? I need to invite Master Guni, our auction house's appraiser, to verify the age of the herb."

"Mm, be quick," Xiao Yan waved his hand casually and sat down on a nearby chair, closing his eyes to rest.

The middle-aged man nodded and quickly left the room.

Sitting on the chair, Xiao Yan mused, "Just a seventy-six-year-old Ice Poppy might not be enough to buy what we need."

"The value of this little flower alone isn't enough," Yao Lao chuckled, "but that doesn't mean we can't afford other things. Making money with money is one of an alchemist's greatest abilities."

"Teacher, are you planning to refine pills?" Xiao Yan murmured, curiosity flashing in his eyes about what Yao Lao would refine first.

Yao Lao sighed, "Originally, I wouldn't have used this, but now I have to take out some of my treasured stock. Watch carefully when the time comes—it will benefit you greatly in your future pill refining."

Watch carefully... That implies the tier isn't very high. Xiao Yan speculated, could it be Foundation Elixir?

Moments later, the middle-aged man returned, bringing with him an elderly man dressed in a simple blue robe, his hair speckled with gray.

"Sir, this is Master Guni from our auction house. He is a one-star Great Fighter and also a second-tier alchemist," the middle-aged man introduced respectfully.

The elder had a rosy complexion, and though his blue robe appeared plain, a faint glimmer flowed across it, suggesting it had been enhanced with some magical core protection.

On the ordinary old face, there was an unmistakable trace of pride—something every alchemist inherently possessed.

As soon as Gu Ni arrived, he discreetly scanned Xiao Yan, finding nothing remarkable about him aside from his somewhat peculiar attire. There was nothing special at all.

The middle-aged man carefully picked up the Ice Poppy from the table and handed it to Gu Ni.

After examining the herb closely, Gu Ni finally spoke in a deep voice to the middle-aged man, "This Ice Poppy is crystal clear, and its veins have developed a special ice pattern. It is at least seventy years old—indeed a fine specimen."

Hearing this, the middle-aged man gained valuable appraisal experience and turned to Xiao Yan with an enthusiastic smile, "Sir, are you planning to auction this herb?"

"Arrange the earliest auction time for me."

"Hehe, of course, no problem! Sir, please take this and go to Auction Room No. 1. A session is ongoing, and your herb will be auctioned soon!" The middle-aged man smiled and handed over a pitch-black iron token.

"Mm." Xiao Yan casually accepted the token and, without further delay, walked out of the room under their gazes.

Watching Xiao Yan disappear, the middle-aged man lowered his voice and asked, "Master Gu Ni, I recall that Ice Poppies are usually guarded by a pack of Ice Wolf Beasts. The older the herb, the stronger the guarding beasts."

"A seventy-year-old Ice Poppy would require at least an elite mercenary squad. What level of strength does that man possess?"

"I couldn't detect any strength from him," Gu Ni frowned and shook his head in confusion. "Perhaps he's just a representative sent by a mercenary group—probably an ordinary person at the level of Dou Qi cultivation."

Given that Wutan City was close to the Magical Beast Mountain Range, encounters like these were not uncommon for the two men.

Led by a maid, Xiao Yan entered the ongoing auction.

He had been here many times before and was no stranger to the place.

At this moment, under the bright lights in the center of the auction hall, a woman in a red dress—Ya Fei—was explaining the functionality of an item with a sultry, honeyed voice that could make one's bones go weak.

In the wake of Ya Fei's sweet, captivating voice, the price of the not-so-rare item was soaring rapidly.

Ya Fei, standing at about 1.7 meters tall, had a slender figure, skin like white jade, and features as delicate as a peony. Her bright black eyes sparkled with charm, drawing in souls, while her luscious cherry-red lips seemed ready to drip with sweetness.

Her neat white teeth were like shattered jade, resembling pomegranate seeds. Her chest was full and prominent, her curves enticing, and her slender waist seemed as if it could be held with a single hand. Her hips were perky, and her long legs were beautifully slender.

Beneath her seductive charm, there was still a trace of youthful innocence. At just over twenty years old, Ya Fei was truly the epitome of an elegant and alluring woman. Every move she made tugged at one's heartstrings.

It was hard to imagine how much more enchanting she would become in another three years under the passage of time.

Without the halo of being the young master of the Xiao Clan, Xiao Yan chose to sit in a relatively secluded spot.

As he sat quietly, Xiao Yan suddenly frowned and turned his head slightly, gazing at a man hidden in the shadows not far from him.

At that moment, the man was staring heatedly at Ya Fei on stage, his hands trembling slightly as he tried to comfort himself while watching her red lips move gently.

"Damn!" Xiao Yan cursed under his breath, rolling his eyes under the hood.

This guy was way too bold. He had already been at it three years ago—was he not afraid of dying in the auction house?

(End of Chapter)

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