Su Wan'er stood still, fists clenched at her side, watching the back of the girl she couldn't quite surpass, no matter how hard she tried. Her lips moved in a quiet murmur, a whisper more bitter than venom. "One of these days, I'll definitely surpass you."
After weaving through the labyrinthine corridors of the auction house, where noise faded and the air grew cooler, Thea and Xi Zhi finally arrived before a sealed bronze door.
A pair of elite guards stood on either side, motionless, like statues.
Without needing a word, Xi Zhi produced a token and pressed it to a glowing sigil on the door.
A deep hum echoed through the walls before the barrier dissolved smoothly.
Inside, the room felt more like a sanctum than a vault.
Lit by soft, floating orbs, the walls were lined with rows of artifact cases enclosed in formation barriers.
Each one was labeled in fine calligraphy and surrounded by threads of protective light.
