In the southern region of Zhongzhou, within the vast expanse of a dark and bustling city,
Shen Yi materialized from the void, his figure flickering before he landed silently outside a large, ornate auction building.
Xiao Yixian was by his side. They observed the crowd gathering around... a mix of minor figures from lesser clans and established organizations, all drawn by the lure of rare treasures.
"Is the news accurate?" Shen Yi asked, turning to her with a thoughtful, measured gaze. "I trust you, I hope you haven't wasted my time."
Xiao Yixian shook her head quickly, biting her lip in earnestness. "You have already avenged Xiao Yan by destroying the Hun Clan. I feel deeply indebted to you. Why would I ever mislead you?"
Shen Yi offered a calm nod in acknowledgment. Without another word, he walked toward the auction house entrance, commanding, "Follow me."
Xiao Yixian glanced at his broad back, then nodded and walked silently after him, her heart still slightly unsettled by his immense power.
Inside the auction house, they bypassed the private rooms and settled discreetly on the normal seating rows. Both wore dark, nondescript robes crafted to prevent any recognition, blending seamlessly into the shadows of the large hall.
The auction soon began. The auctioneer, a portly man with an eager smile, started showcasing special products one by one.
Shen Yi remained utterly impassive, showing no interest in the items, which were ultimately useless for his current supreme realm and strength.
Finally, a single, extraordinary lot was brought to the stage. Both Shen Yi and Xiao Yixian immediately sat up straighter in their seats, their attention fully captured.
The auctioneer rubbed his well-groomed mustache with a visible measure of greed and then gestured dramatically toward a large cage covered by a thick, patterned veil. He began his introduction with palpable excitement as the staff started unveiling the lot. "Ladies and gentlemen, we now present the second-to-last item of the evening! Behold, the incredibly rare bloodline beast: the Seven-Color Heaven Swallowing Python!"
An immediate, profound silence fell across the entire auction house. Following the silence, a wave of intense agitation swept through the audience, including the highly reserved members of the ancient clans. Everyone began commenting and whispering, their eyes fixed on the small, palm-sized purple and colorful snake coiling innocently inside the cage, its tiny body flickering with complex sealing runes.
"Such a rare bloodline... it's definitely a Tier-Eight or even Tier-Nine spirit beast," a Yao clan member muttered, his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Extremely useful for high-level alchemy."
Other ancient clan members immediately began to plan their bids, as no one wished to lose such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire a legendary bloodline beast.
'This cage is clearly a rare treasure, capable of suppressing a Dou Ancestor's strength. Or perhaps Medusa simply lost the battle to the spirit of the new bloodline within her,'
A cold thought flashed through Shen Yi's mind. He observed the formidable cage and the suppressed nine-star Dou Ancestor realm energy radiating from the creature, which was Medusa, sealed inside.
Shen Yi's eyes narrowed further on the cage. His usually unshakeable and calm demeanor was replaced by a visible flash of supreme, cold irritation. He had come here with a singular, high-level purpose, and this spectacle... this blatant suppression and commodification of a former ally and a powerful sovereign... was a direct, egregious insult to his current, insurmountable power.
"The price," the auctioneer declared, his voice cutting through the tense air, his hands rubbing together with an unrestrained, greedy smile. "The starting bid for the Seven-Color Heaven Swallowing Python is ten thousand high-grade Dou Qi crystals! Each increase must be no less than five thousand!"
The air instantly filled with excited, competitive shouts. Ancient clan members and powerful figures threw out astronomical figures, their blinding greed for the rare bloodline overriding all caution and sensibility. The price began to climb at a terrifying speed.
Before the bids could escalate into a truly chaotic frenzy, a single figure in a dark robe rose silently from the normal seating section. It was Shen Yi.
A terrifying, suffocating pressure, cold and utterly absolute, instantly descended upon the entire auction house. It was not the pressure of mere Dou Qi; it was the chilling, suffocating weight of a higher, insurmountable realm that crushed all things beneath it.
The frantic shouting stopped abruptly, the sounds strangled in the throats of the powerful bidders. The intense light of the hall seemed to dim and concentrate, focusing solely on the solitary standing figure.
Shen Yi did not speak a single word. He did not need to. His presence was the decree.
He simply raised his right hand, making a casual, utterly dismissive gesture toward the elaborate stage. The members of the ancient clans, the mighty Dou Sheng experts, and even the arrogantly confident auctioneer suddenly felt their knees buckle violently under a crushing, cosmic force they could not resist.
Crack!
The massive, heavily reinforced stage... a structure explicitly designed to withstand high-level Dou Sheng attacks... did not crumble piece by piece; it was instantly and utterly reduced to fine dust. The expensive, rare treasures that were waiting for auction vanished as if they had never even existed.
The cage, touted as a potent treasure capable of suppressing a Dou Ancestor, fared no better. With a soundless pop, the shimmering runes that sealed its occupant flickered violently one last time, and the entire cage instantly dissolved, liberating the palm-sized purple snake.
The immense, crushing pressure lifted just enough for the hundreds of onlookers to realize the entire Auction House was collapsing around them. The ceiling cracked and groaned, the colossal walls screamed, and the very foundations vibrated and shattered under the invisible, overwhelming force.
...
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