Archfiend

At the side, Laurent was wet with cold sweat. Yes, this time… Donaldo hadn’t come alone… Three other master spirit-technicians had all arrived at once! When Donaldo said he wanted to meet Master X, he basically couldn’t refuse.

Still, he couldn’t figure it out. Why didn’t Xu Yangyi reveal his status?

China’s hand couldn’t extend here. But not only did Xu Yangyi not reveal his status, he didn’t even allow anyone to reveal his product. As a descendant of the Tullius Family, distinguishing a master spirit-technician’s identity was the most important lesson. Product effect, application range, capability magnitude… these were all subjects they studied since childhood. Although Xu Yangyi had only acted twice, Laurent and Warren were very certain beyond a doubt that he was a true master! Furthermore, he would likely shock an entire ancient industry—spirit-potions and holy water!

While Laurent had earlier confirmed that Xu Yangyi was a real master… only he knew that a master spirit-technician would be questioned by all other master spirit-technicians. As this unfolded before his eyes, he didn’t dare to speak.

Xu Yangyi finally raised his head, looked at Donaldo, and laughed, “You’re pretty polite to me.”

“So I don’t mind your doubts. Any doubts, in front of hard facts, will melt like ice,” he finished speaking and made his way forward without pause.

What a joke!

When the Dao of Pills was in China, even Dao Masters participated themselves! What’s there to say about master spirit-technicians like you?

Laurent quickly followed.

In the courtyard, Donaldo narrowed his eyes and watched Xu Yangyi for a very, very long time. After a full ten minutes, he took out his watch and murmured, “Everyone, you all heard it.”

“Hehe, I admire his self-confidence, but the West only has the thirteen of us. We cannot allow anyone to blacken our reputation.”

“Discovering pretenders, picking them out, and killing them is the established objective of our ‘Holy White Cross Association’.”

“If he’s really advanced to be a master spirit-technician already then we’ll really be welcoming. There are never enough schools and qualified teachers for the association. We teach the future successors of the West.”

Three voices rang out from the pocket watch. Donaldo nodded and said lowly, “Relax. This time, we’ll pull out all the stops to evaluate him. If he’s not a master, then that’s too bad. Even if he’s only a step away from being a master spirit-technician, he’s still not getting off! I’ll immediately request the several Throneless Grand Dukes from the Dracul or the Corvinus to act. We are all aware about the disparity above and below a single step. Some reach a step away from the master level while they’re still young, but by the time they’re dead and buried they still weren’t able to make it.”

“But if he is, I will personally apologize to him, and I will invite him to join the Holy White Cross Associate to become the fourteenth doyen.” 

A voice echoed from the pocket watch, “Mister Donaldo, then you think…”

Donaldo was silent for a few seconds and he shook his head. “The possibility is very low. All of you also know that I’m a master spirit-technician of spirit-potions and holy water. I have my own exclusive magicks regarding anything’s age. But as for this person…” he said heavily, “he shouldn’t have cultivated for over fifty years.”

“What?!”

“He’s clearly a liar!!!”

“Less than a hundred years; even a more genius master would still be at least eighty! He couldn’t possibly have accumulated the relevant knowledge!”

“Donaldo, I think you should execute him right now in front of everyone!” An ill-tempered master spirit-technician raged, “In a hundred years, there’s a minimum of twenty to thirty vile cases of master spirit-technician fraud! All of them were pseudo-master spirit-technicians! They bring extreme destruction to the entire western cultivation system! Someone like that must not be let off!”

“Good, very good…” a woman’s cold laughter was heard. “In the past, pseudo-masters who knew they had no hope of advancing risked to gamble. These days, anyone dares to come. Less than fifty years of cultivation time, hehe… Is this the level of a spirit-technician? Damn Chinese!”

Donaldo nodded. “First I’ll take a look. In fact, I’ve doubted him since he didn’t announce his product. A master needs mystery, but you can’t put mystery on your own product. Alright, my friends, the auction is going to start soon. Although I don’t have any hopes for him, at least I’ll give him a little respect before death comes.”

“Hmph! You got a lot of business. If I was there, I would’ve straight up killed him! Even if this is a second-rate auction hall, it’s still a disgrace!”

Xu Yangyi and Laurent had already reached the lounge. At once, several incredibly respectful servants of the Tullius Family freshened Xu Yangyi up and changed his clothes. These servants were all sixteen-year-old virgins. They were all carefully selected by the Dracul, and raised to adulthood from childhood. Their drinking water, beds, and handmade bathing soaps were all mixed with precious natural perfumes. Based on appearance, they were picked from among ten thousand. Behind the weight of their shoulders, they applied a vigorous and moderate massage. The delicate scent of virgin thighs drilled into Xu Yangyi’s nose.

“Your Highness. If you like, you only need to say the word. They’re all blood slaves cultivated from childhood by the Dracul.” The once-insufferably-arrogant Warren said softly. At Xu Yangyi’s side, he stood deferentially.

Silence. After ages, Xu Yangyi said in a plain voice, “Cultivated?” Not waiting for Warren to answer, he uttered, “I like people, not pig-dogs.”

Warren nodded praisingly.

Xu Yangyi waved his hand and made all the girls leave. Laurent also nodded and hinted for Warren to leave. Xu Yangyi then said, “Laurent, it seems there was a sudden outburst that I wasn’t aware of.”

“Yes…” Laurent planted a knee on the ground and said lowly, “Four master spirit-technicians have unexpectedly arrived… Your Highness, I wasn’t able to obstruct them… no, in the entire West, no one dares to.”

“Why obstruct them? Xu Yangyi opened his eyes. “Laurent, are you doubting me?”

“How could that be!” Laurent promptly shook his head and said self-confidently, “Your Highness, you are a tremendous master spirit-technician. This needs no doubt!”

“But… you didn’t reveal any details, so inevitably other people will…” he trailed off. Xu Yangyi smiled wryly.

How could he dare to make a reveal?

That year, he had staked Nanzhou’s domain as its king, and China had the heart to kill him. However, Nanzhou was a provincial capital! A city where millions gathered! There was nothing to say.

These people were none the wiser about China’s anger towards him. Not to speak of America, even in the Arctic Ocean the Dao Masters might separate space to attack.

Xu Yangyi rested for half an hour. In the air, a ripple suddenly bloomed. In the next moment, profound runes appeared out of thin air and constructed a round screen of light that was 200 meters all around.

The auction… had officially begun!

“It’s started…” Laurent breathed in deeply, his gaze also starting to turn fiery.

He had completely pressed the Tullius Family’s future on Xu Yangyi. An unfamiliar master spirit-technician who hadn’t even made his name. This was a god-sent opportunity. 

“Your Highness, follow into the Transference Field. You can directly enter your seat. Be at ease, your seat privacy is the best in the entire venue, and it is also the most conspicuous. This auction is jointly presided by two auction officials from the Dracul and the Corvinus.”

Xu Yangyi nodded and stepped into the screen of light. In the next second, his vision blurred, and he arrived in a room.

In the room, he was by himself. The decorations were all western. Snow-white rugs, cozy sofas, and slightly warm coffee… The forty-odd-square-meter-sized room didn’t appear to be spacious and it moreover wasn’t crowded. Half of the room was constructed with an A-rank heavenly treasure that was known in China as Cloudsnow Flower.

Its uses were many, but what people commended it for the most was that it could isolate all qi probing below Core Formation. After repeated high-tech polishing on it, one could see out from the inside, but no one could spy in from outside.

Xu Yangyi sat down and undid his cloak. Like an eagle, his gaze swept the entire auction hall.

In this place, an unknown powerhouse had ripped open a spatial crack. A majority of so-called spatial cracks were wild and brutal, the inside home to deathly winds. However, some spatial cracks were as steady as Mount Tai, such as the one he was in.

Nothing different could be seen between the Magick Hall and an ordinary auction hall. The interior was just like an opera house. It was just that the second floor consisted entirely of secret rooms hanging in the sky, just like his. And his secret room was located at the very center of the ‘opera house’.

“If I wasn’t an actual master, there’s no way I would be able to leave this place.” He looked at the surrounding arrangements and then looked at the exceptional seat prepared for him. Without the slightest care, he snapped his fingers.

Swoosh… Outside his secret room, a lantern of spiritual light suddenly brightened. Everyone’s gazes flashed. Visible to the naked eye, the people below softly whispered into each other’s ears one by one.

“He’s come.” From the House of Corvinus, three men in well-ironed suits were seated at the very front row. Savidean VII was sitting in the middle. One of the men with him was an old man with white hair, and the other was a seemingly young man who was somewhat handsome. And although the young man was youthful, the great changes of time in his gaze betrayed him.

“Then let him come.” The young man rubbed his hands together and said insipidly, “Hopefully he doesn’t disappoint us. The worth of a true master spirit-technician has no market. If he’s a fake… I think he won’t be able to afford the price of having us come in vain.”

Three quasi Grand Dukes from the Corvinus!

The people behind them were dressed in monotone western-style suits, their faces heavy. Quite a few of them were holding computers with their hands, eager to leap up and perform tests. But as they looked at the row where the three people ahead were sitting, each person’s gaze contained extreme worship and fanaticism.

The other side of the hall, however, was fully occupied by bodies hidden in black cloaks. Ahead of them, there were likewise three people seated. Three pale-faced middle-aged men, as thin and wizened as bamboo, were shrouded from head to toe in their cloaks.

Behind them, silent like a funeral procession, sat the vampires of the Dracul. Some had black hair, some had white hair, but there were more with golden hair. In kind, these vampires felt fanaticism and reverence towards the three in front of them.

“Six quasi Grand Dukes…” Xu Yangyi sucked in deeply. None of these figures looked up, but his spiritual sense felt somewhat painful as he faintly brushed past them.

Each one of them… were stronger than him, who was at middle Foundation Establishment! It was to the extent that he could feel that the sturdy, old man among the lycans and the cloaked man among the vampires, who was as beautiful as a woman… would perhaps take no more than an hour to kill him.

“So strong… This is America’s peak battle strength?” He licked his lips. “They’re really no weaker than China… These two legendary clans sure do come out with a lot of powerful people. If this was the Holy War… then how many would I be able to see?”