That strange, high-level probing wave swept silently through the entire private room, brushing past Xie Zhaolin's body and Primordial Soul without leaving a trace.
She kept her body completely relaxed, her mind drawn inward, letting the strange energy scan her freely. Even her facial muscles stayed natural, her gaze fixed calmly on the jade slip in her hands, as if she really hadn't noticed anything at all.
The probing wave lingered on her for only a moment.
She could feel it clearly, that cold, unseen gaze cutting straight through her cloak and disguise. But luckily, the wave came fast and left even faster, retreating like the tide and vanishing completely within a heartbeat.
Inside the Earth-ranked room...
[Ding! Scan complete.]
[Target area fully scanned.]
[Target located: Heavenly Room Three.]
[Main subject: Human cultivator, female, bone age nineteen, Golden Core mid stage. No traces of baleful qi, beast qi, or demonic qi detected.]
[No signs of possession or abnormality. Primordial Soul fluctuation similarity to database: below 5%.]
[Identity: Unknown.]
[Threat level: Moderate.]
Yu Xiaotang frowned as she stared at the system's feedback.
Bone age nineteen? Golden Core mid stage? Unknown soul signature?
That was nothing like what she'd expected!
Those eyes… that cold, familiar feeling they gave her…
And yet the system claimed the Primordial Soul fluctuation barely matched anyone in the database. If it really was someone she'd met before, there was no way the system would show zero data.
She'd even started suspecting it might be her Senior Sister Yun Qingyue, but the results crushed that idea immediately.
The system clearly showed that the woman's spiritual power was pure and balanced, with no trace of demonic qi. But the black-robed cultivator she fought in the Fusang Secret Realm had used demonic qi. There was no way she could now have such clean, pure energy.
And what really shocked her—was the woman's age.
Nineteen years old... and already at mid Golden Core?
That was absurd!
Even Yu Xiaotang herself, as the Young Sect Master of the Hehuan Sect, with endless resources and a system backing her, was still only at late Foundation Establishment.
She hadn't even reached Golden Core yet!
If that woman wasn't a true monster of talent, then she had to have terrifying backing behind her—some powerful force throwing mountains of resources to push her cultivation upward.
Either way, it meant one thing.
That woman was definitely not ordinary.
But then... how the hell did she get that Green Star Card?
A Green Star Card from the Tianxing Auction House required total transactions exceeding one million high-grade spirit stones!
How could a nineteen-year-old Golden Core cultivator possibly have that kind of wealth?
Her thoughts tangled together, questions spinning in her mind. She had no idea that the card's upgrade hadn't come from any transaction record, but from the deliberate order of the auction house's young master herself.
And for someone like her, raising a single card's rank was nothing more than a casual gesture.
Inside Heavenly Room Three—
Once she confirmed the probing wave had completely faded, Xie Zhaolin finally allowed herself a tiny breath of relief. Her back was damp with cold sweat.
That was way too close.
She'd taken a huge risk letting that scan pass. Everything had hinged on how precise the system's detection was, and on whether her dual dantians and soul disguise could hold up.
For now... it seemed she'd managed to fool it.
But she wasn't about to relax yet.
Once the auction started, she'd need to watch Yu Xiaotang closely to see how she reacted. Only then would she know if she'd really gotten away with it. Even though her strength had risen greatly since reaching mid Golden Core, against a behemoth like the Hehuan Sect, she still didn't stand a chance.
If she could avoid exposure, she would. There was no reason to reveal her cards too soon.
Just then, a soft glow shimmered, and You You floated out of the You Ming Bracelet again. Her small, half-transparent face was tight with fear and tension.
"Master… what was that energy just now? It felt so weird! I've never encountered anything like that before! When it swept over me, I thought I was gonna be completely exposed!"
Xie Zhaolin narrowed her eyes slightly, thinking for a moment before asking in a low voice,
"You You, have you ever heard of something called Xi Tong?"
"Xi Tong?" You You tilted her head, frowning in confusion. She thought hard, then shook her head. "No... never heard of it. Is it some kind of artifact? Or maybe a secret art?"
Seeing her blank expression, Xie Zhaolin sighed softly. As expected—even someone like You You had no idea what Xi Tong really was.
"Nothing. Maybe I'm just overthinking," she murmured.
If she wanted to uncover the truth about whatever Yu Xiaotang was carrying, she'd have to wait until she had a chance to visit the demon clans' territory.
She changed the subject. "Then what about that power just now? How clear was your perception? Can you tell what level it came from?"
You You shook her head again, her tiny face still pale with confusion and lingering fear.
"Not clear... really vague," she said carefully. "It was like looking through a thick wall of fog. I could sense something was there, roughly where it came from, but not what it was.
And..." she paused, a hint of uncertainty in her tone, "I think... if my Primordial Soul wasn't already close to the Divine Transformation stage, I probably wouldn't have sensed anything at all. Even an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator might not have noticed a thing!"
Xie Zhaolin's heart skipped.
Even a soul that powerful could only sense it faintly?
Then that Xi Tong must be far more terrifying than she'd imagined. The realization sent a quiet warning through her mind, deepening her caution toward Yu Xiaotang. Still, her face stayed perfectly calm, showing nothing of what she was thinking.
"I see," she said softly. "Forget it. Focus on the auction."
Her gaze shifted to the auction platform below as the event officially began.
Down on stage, an elderly man in a splendid robe was already standing tall, his voice ringing with energy.
"Welcome, fellow Daoyou, to the Tianxing Auction! I, Ge Yong, will be your host today."
As soon as he finished speaking, murmurs rippled through the crowd below.
"Lao Ge himself?"
"So this really is a major event!"
"When he's hosting, there's bound to be something incredible up for sale!"
It was clear Ge Yong had quite the reputation among regulars.
Inside Heavenly Room Three, Xie Zhaolin raised her eyebrows slightly.
Ge Yong?
Wasn't that the same appraiser she'd dealt with before?
She hadn't expected him to personally host the auction. Then again, this was the grand event that happened only once every decade. It made sense for a senior like him to take charge.
Without wasting any more words, Ge Yong raised his sleeve, his voice rich and clear.
"Well then, let's begin! I'm sure everyone's eager to start."
A flash of light filled the stage, revealing a long sword that shimmered with brilliant radiance and an icy chill.
"The first item, the Liuguang Sword, a Heaven-rank low-grade artifact!
This sword was forged from Deep Sea Cold Iron mixed with Flowing Gold Sand. Its edge is sharp beyond compare, and it carries a trace of frost sword intent that can disrupt an opponent's mind in battle!
Starting price: two thousand high-grade spirit stones!
Each bid increase must be no less than fifty!"