The clouds drifted leisurely over the deep pool, and the shadows of the trees shifted with the passage of time, marking the changing seasons.
Unconsciously, half a year had passed since Chen Xiao and Zi Yan entered seclusion.
Half a year's time, for those immersed in cultivation with a blurred concept of time, seemed to pass in the blink of an eye.
But for the complex situation in the Black-Corner Region, it was enough for far too many things to happen.
A month after Chen Xiao and Zi Yan went into seclusion, the people from the Mitre Family, having received a message from Hai Bo Dong, rushed to the Black-Corner Region.
It was from that moment on that Hai Bo Dong began to operate, holding a grand auction in the newly built Purple Firmament Pavilion.
To make a name for themselves, Hai Bo Dong specifically took out a Low-Level Earth Tier Cultivation Method and a Low-Level Earth Tier Dou Skill from the treasury as the finale items. He even personally acted as the auctioneer, causing the reputation of the Purple Firmament Pavilion to spread throughout the Black-Corner Region overnight.
The success of the auction was naturally a good thing for Chen Xiao's side. It allowed them to quickly convert the unused spoils of war in the treasury into resources, forming a virtuous cycle.
However, for some of the old forces in the Black-Corner Region, this was a nightmare.
In the Black-Corner Region, every old force had its own source of income.
For example, the former Maple City could stand firm relying on Han Feng's alchemy skills, earning flattery from countless people.
Another example is the Beast Taming Gate. The flying Magical Beasts they sold were not only of high quality but also extremely docile and obedient, receiving widespread praise from various forces.
As for the Eight Gates Sect and the Black Emperor Sect, these two old forces were most impressive for holding several auctions every month and irregular large-scale auctions.
This was also an extremely important means for the Eight Gates Sect and the Black Emperor Sect to gather resources.
When Maple City changed hands, and the Beast Taming Gate and Kui Wolf Gang were successively annihilated, including the Gold Silver Two Elders being exposed outside the city to establish dominance, the impact on these old forces was present but not significant.
After all, the change of power among forces in the Black-Corner Region had always been frequent.
However, when Maple City was renamed and held a successful auction under Hai Bo Dong's direction, and announced that the Purple Firmament Pavilion would hold two auctions every month and a large-scale auction every six months in the future, the Eight Gates Sect and the Black Emperor Sect could no longer sit still.
Because this action directly harmed their interests!
Neither the Eight Gates Sect nor the Black Emperor Sect wanted another competitor.
The two major forces wanted to stop the Purple Firmament Pavilion, but the strength the Purple Firmament Pavilion had shown recently made them quite apprehensive.
Especially the Gold Silver Two Elders; being able to kill these two must have been the work of a Dou Zong expert.
Based on this consideration, the Eight Gates Sect and the Black Emperor Sect wanted to stop them but were powerless to turn the tide.
However, doing nothing was also impossible.
After all, the Purple Firmament Pavilion had a Dou Zong expert, and the Black Emperor Sect also had one.
Thus, the two major forces gathered together and, after some discussion, decided to invite the person in charge of the Purple Firmament Pavilion to discuss the future rules.
At the very least, the three forces could not hold auctions at the same time. This was not good for anyone. Only by staggering the times could they maximize the harvesting of the Black-Corner Region's resources and gain greater benefits.
However, the Eight Gates Sect and the Black Emperor Sect sent people to notify them repeatedly, but the Purple Firmament Pavilion showed no respect at all, not even bothering to reply, and continued to act as they pleased.
This infuriated the two major forces, and their dissatisfaction with the Purple Firmament Pavilion grew daily, and their hostility gradually intensified.
"Ice Emperor, the people from the Eight Gates Sect and the Black Emperor Sect are here again. They claim this is their last bit of patience, otherwise, if things truly escalate, it won't be good for anyone."
In a magnificent main hall within the Purple Firmament Pavilion, a guard bowed and reported.
Hearing this, Hai Bo Dong couldn't help but sneer.
"What's the strength of the people who came?"
"Two Dou Lings."
"Just kick them out. I've heard threats like this more than ten times. Every time they send two Dou Lings to notify me, they really think they're high and mighty. I've even robbed things from Dou Zong powerhouses, why would I be afraid of these insignificant people!"
"Yes!"
A hint of admiration flashed in the guard's eyes, without the slightest doubt about Hai Bo Dong's decision.
He was someone who came from the Jia Ma Empire and knew the glorious achievements of their Grand Elder.
Ignoring the departing guard, Hai Bo Dong turned to look at the Little Fairy Doctor opposite him, took off a Storage Ring, and handed it over.
"Miss Little Fairy Doctor, the Storage Ring contains the Poisonous Medicine and Poisonous Materials collected over the past two months. Please keep them safe. Also, the auction at the beginning of next month is a large-scale auction held every six months. I plan to take out two Low-Level Earth Tier Dou Skills and one Low-Level Earth Tier Cultivation Method for auction. What do you think, Miss Little Fairy Doctor?"
As early as three months ago, the Little Fairy Doctor had already come out of seclusion ahead of schedule.
Her strength had already advanced to Dou Huang.
Now, she had even reached the realm of a Three-Star Dou Huang!
Among them, there was the effect of a Royal Extreme Pill.
Even so, the Little Fairy Doctor's speed of improvement still left Hai Bo Dong dumbfounded. He finally understood why Chen Xiao was so eager to go into seclusion.
With such a monstrous talent who improved his realm as easily as eating and drinking staying by his side, the pressure was truly immense!
The Little Fairy Doctor took the Storage Ring and smiled, shaking her head at Hai Bo Dong's question.
"Ice Emperor can make the decision. He entrusted Purple Cloud City to you to manage, so he naturally has absolute trust. I also believe in his judgment."
The Little Fairy Doctor had little interest in managing Purple Cloud City.
She only wanted to improve her strength now, so that she could help Chen Xiao more in the future.
This was both a repayment and her promise.
Hai Bo Dong nodded helplessly, "Then I'll continue as before, making a record of the income and expenses of the auction. This kid Chen Xiao really isn't afraid of me ruining this Purple Cloud City."
The Little Fairy Doctor smiled sweetly. Just as she was about to say something, she suddenly sensed that the speed at which the heaven and earth energy surged had suddenly accelerated. Its scale was several times larger than when she broke through to Dou Huang.
Exchanging glances with Hai Bo Dong, both of them realized something. They immediately stopped hesitating, got up, and quickly headed towards the bamboo forest in the center of the city.
Arriving below the Bamboo Building, both of them could see the massive energy vortex rapidly rotating in the sky through the Barrier set up by the Medusa Queen.
This visible energy vortex was about thirty feet in size, like a giant transparent funnel, rotating rapidly in the sky.
Until a certain moment, it suddenly stopped rotating. Then, the vast energy poured down like a heavenly waterfall, evenly splitting into two, surging into the Bamboo Building.
One stream of energy rushed directly into Chen Xiao's room on the third floor, while the other went straight into Zi Yan's room, which was not far away and emitted a faint purple glow, pouring into the light cocoon.
These two streams of energy cut through the air, causing even the air to emit a sharp tearing sound. From this, one could see how vast the energy they contained was.
"Chen Xiao and Zi Yan are quite in sync, they actually broke through at the same time."
Hai Bo Dong looked surprised and also understood why such a big commotion was caused.
Meanwhile, the Little Fairy Doctor, standing to the side, felt the familiar ripple of power wash over her like morning mist. Her usually cool expression instantly brightened with a gentle smile, her eyes curving into crescents.
Inside the room on the third floor.
Chen Xiao, who had been in quiet meditation for half a year, felt the increasingly vast power within him. The corners of his lips also lifted slightly, but he didn't fully awaken just yet.
As he withdrew from his deep cultivation state, the effects of the Starfall Soul-Suppressing Pill fully manifested. The intangible soul power, which was previously undetectable, could now be clearly felt growing. The immense soul power, uncontrollably, spread out like a tide. In almost an instant, the entire Purple Cloud City was within his perception.
Moreover, he could feel that this seemed to be less than one percent of his limit!
He clearly saw the Little Fairy Doctor and Hai Bo Dong standing below the bamboo building, looking up expectantly. He also saw Zi Yan in a nearby room, waking up from her slumber with delight.
The girl didn't seem to have noticed the changes in her body yet. She leaned back lazily and stretched, only pausing when her vision was half-blocked. Surprise followed immediately.
After quickly examining the changes in her body, the joy on her face became even more unconcealed. She took out an ill-fitting dress from her storage ring and put it on, then impatiently opened the door and ran towards Chen Xiao's room, intending to share the good news.
But just as she reached the doorway, a burst of purple light erupted. Under her stunned gaze, her exquisite body slowly shrank, transforming back into the appearance of a little girl.
Seeing this, Zi Yan pouted, putting on the dress with a look of resentment. All the joy on her face turned into melancholy. She just sat by Chen Xiao's door, feeling down, completely losing the happiness of her advancement.
Chen Xiao chuckled inwardly. Did the little girl forget what Cao Xi said before he left?
Amused, Chen Xiao temporarily stopped paying attention to the Little Dragon Person and focused his consciousness on the soul power that was continuously spreading towards the Black-Corner Region.
As this soul power diffused, countless scenes entered Chen Xiao's mind.
In the mountain ranges, powerful Magical Beasts occasionally detected this silent soul scan. Immediately, earth-shattering roars echoed throughout the vast mountains. Amidst these roars, countless low-level Magical Beasts in the mountains trembled.
In the cities where humans were active, many strong individuals also sensed something.
For example, a mysterious Black Robe who was temporarily hiding within a small force.
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