Chapter 65: Julian Vance

"Since that’s the case... there are probably three methods that might help you find what you urgently need. You can consider them."

Elena furrowed her brows slightly as she organized her thoughts before speaking seriously:

"First, you can go to the Ashfall City Free Market and search through the stalls individually."

"Second, the next monthly auction at the Winters Boutique Auction House will be held in about three weeks. There may be many high-value items available at that time."

"Third, a large Wild Auction will be held somewhere in the Ashfall Forest in a week. Bloodline Fighters from various cities in the surrounding area will gather there. Although the quality of the treasures will vary, there will definitely be many rare and exotic items. You can try your luck there."

"There are actually three methods..."

After listening, Ryan pondered for a moment before asking:

"If I want to participate in that Wild Auction in a week, what are the requirements?"

The three methods Elena had provided theoretically all had a chance of helping him find the Limb Restoration Pill.

However, Ryan had already decided that the Ashfall City Free Market was temporarily unsuitable for him to visit again, so he had to rule out the first option.

As for the second, the Winters Auction House was still three weeks away.

He wanted to heal Ethan’s legs as quickly as possible.

Waiting three weeks was simply too long. He could only treat the second option as a backup for now.

That left the third option.

Given his current situation, the Wild Auction was the most suitable choice.

There was still a full week before it began, giving him enough time to prepare and acquire more Origin Stones or valuable treasures to use for bidding.

As long as the Wild Auction wasn’t held at night, his current strength and cautious nature should allow him to venture relatively deep into the Ashfall Forest during the day without too much trouble.

"The third method, you say..."

Elena thought for a moment before explaining:

"You’ll need an important token or recommendation card from one of the major families or sects in a nearby city to participate. A Winters Token will also work."

Unexpectedly, Ryan had skipped the first two options entirely.

A hint of worry appeared in Elena’s eyes.

"However, are you sure you want to participate in this Wild Auction? The Ashfall Forest is an ungoverned wilderness. Although participating in such auctions can indeed give you access to many rare and exotic treasures, the danger is also extremely high."

Elena knew this very well.

Wild Auctions were usually organized by hidden underground forces from nearby cities.

Their biggest characteristic was that they didn’t limit the number of items being auctioned. Although the quality and abilities of the treasures varied greatly, there were usually a large number of them.

That alone attracted countless Bloodline Fighters.

If someone was lucky, they might even stumble upon an incredible bargain.

Compared to city auctions, which followed a boutique route and only selected a limited number of high-value items for bidding, Wild Auctions had a clear advantage in terms of sheer quantity.

However, these auctions were held in the wilderness.

Without the restrictions imposed by city laws, the darker sides of human nature could easily surface. Killing someone over a disagreement or seizing another person’s treasure was a common occurrence.

The danger was therefore far greater than that of an auction house within the city.

If Ryan hadn’t been so clearly pressed for time, Elena wouldn’t have wanted him anywhere near such a chaotic Wild Auction.

That was why she had hesitated slightly just now.

"Yes. I must participate."

Ryan nodded, his eyes filled with determination.

"Don’t worry. I know the dangers of the wilderness. I’ll be careful."

He truly had no other choice.

The Boundless Creation Furnace had yet to create the Limb Restoration Pill, so if he wanted to obtain one quickly, he had no choice but to take some risks.

Now that he possessed such an ability, he couldn’t allow his younger brother, Ethan, to wait too long.

"Alright."

Seeing that Ryan had already made up his mind, Elena didn’t try to persuade him further.

She lowered her head and rummaged through her spatial ring before taking out a square Skill Stone and handing it to Ryan.

"This Skill Stone contains the exact time and detailed location of the Wild Auction. When the time comes, remember to be extremely careful."

"Okay. Thank you."

Ryan accepted the Skill Stone and placed it inside his spatial ring.

A warm feeling spread through his heart.

He hadn’t expected Elena to be so meticulous whenever she helped him.

Not only had she sincerely answered his questions, but she had even prepared the specific time and location of the auction for him.

Compared with the profit-driven members of the major families he had encountered, Elena truly felt different.

"No need to be so polite." Elena smiled faintly, her shallow dimples appearing on her cheeks.

"If you need any more help, feel free to come find me."

"Okay. Then I’ll be going now." Ryan smiled and nodded before standing up.

"I’m not very busy today. I’ll see you out."

Elena stood as well, walked ahead, opened the VIP room door, and gestured for Ryan to follow.

"Okay." Ryan smiled and nodded.

After taking a few steps, he suddenly thought of something and said:

"I was actually planning to go to the first floor to see if there are any Skill Stones suitable for me. Why don’t you help me pick one?"

With a massive sum of 6,014 Low-Grade Origin Stones in his possession, Ryan felt quite confident.

It was the perfect opportunity to purchase a few treasures from the first floor and prepare for his upcoming appointment with the Sterling Family between five and seven in the evening.

With Elena’s guidance, he might even be able to find a Bloodline Skill particularly suited to him.

He had already thought things through.

At present, there were only two relatively fast ways for him to increase his strength.

The first was to purchase Skill Stones.

The second was to increase the multiplier level of the Devouring World Art.

As for the second Boundless Creation Slot, he would first need to spend a considerable amount of time searching for suitable Bloodline Essence. After that, he would need even more time to seal and control it.

He still clearly remembered how it had taken him an entire night to successfully seal and control the Overlord Body Bloodline Essence.

Both the Spider Bloodline and Overlord Body Bloodline required a significant amount of time to absorb and refine suitable Bloodline Essence of the same level and attribute before they could evolve.

Furthermore, he still hadn’t completely determined the optimal evolution and cultivation paths for either Bloodline.

He naturally wouldn’t recklessly absorb Bloodline Essence.

If the Bloodline Essences he absorbed became too mixed, he could end up evolving into an unsuitable Bloodline, severely affecting his future development and potentially causing him to suffer more losses than gains.

Clearly, Bloodline-related improvements were extremely time-consuming.

And what Ryan lacked most right now was time.

Therefore, he could only focus on the fastest methods available to him: improving his Skills and increasing the level of his Devouring World Art.

"Oh, I’d be happy to."

Hearing this, Elena smiled gently and quickly caught up with Ryan.

The two walked side by side, chatting as they headed toward the staircase at the front left.

...

"Elena, I finally found you today!"

Just as Ryan and Elena were about to reach the stairs, a sudden voice came from their right, completely interrupting their progress.

A young man dressed in luxurious brocade robes suddenly emerged from the side and blocked their path.

He had sharp features and a robust physique.

His eyes remained fixed on Elena, and a subtle hint of covetousness flashed deep within his pupils as he smiled.

"Elena, are you free today? Let’s go boating on Serene Lake in the west of the city later!"

A cold-faced attendant followed closely behind him.

The attendant was dressed in plain clothes and had a sword strapped across his back. His appearance was ordinary and unremarkable, making him easy to overlook.

"Julian Vance?"

Seeing the newcomer, Elena was initially stunned.

Her expression quickly turned cold.

"Please leave."

She frowned.

"How many times do I have to tell you? Anyone without a Winters Token is not allowed onto the second floor without permission. Don’t keep relying on the Vance Family’s name to ignore our Winters Family’s rules!"

She had no liking for this man.

Compared with the other suitors who occasionally approached her, Julian was more like a persistent fly, constantly clinging to her and appearing wherever she went.

He frequently used the Vance Family’s influence to entangle her, disrupting her work and affecting the progress of her various affairs.

Even the capable servants of Winters Tower were reluctant to deal with him because of his family’s influence.

Furthermore, the heads of the Winters and Vance Families had always maintained a good relationship, causing them to turn a blind eye to the younger generation’s affairs.

All of this made Julian an especially troublesome person for Elena.

He was like chewing gum stuck to the bottom of her shoe.

No matter how many times she tried to shake him off, he simply wouldn’t go away.

"Vance Family... Julian Vance?"

Seeing the newcomer, Ryan was secretly surprised.

He hadn’t expected that recently, wherever he went, he seemed to encounter people from one major force after another.

Julian was a direct descendant of the Vance Family, one of the Five Great Houses of Ashfall City.

Ryan had previously obtained detailed information about the major families of Ashfall City, and the Vance Family was naturally included.

The Vance Family operated numerous slave markets, gambling dens, brothels, wineries, and other businesses, most of which belonged to the city’s addictive or gray industries.

They could be said to be earning massive amounts of money every day.

As a result, they possessed enormous wealth and considerable influence.

The Vance Family was also filled with experts.

Because they had operated gray industries for generations and constantly walked along the edge of desire and law, many members of the family were arrogant, unruly, and unconventional.

Julian was around twenty years old, yet he had already reached the late stage of the Origin Spirit Realm.

His Bloodline level was also on the verge of reaching C-Grade Top Tier.

His talent was undoubtedly extraordinary.

His status within the Vance Family was equally impressive, and he was considered one of the strongest contenders for the position of the next Vance Family Head.

"Elena..."

Julian gave an awkward laugh.

"Why do you always keep me at arm’s length?"

At first, his attention had been completely focused on the woman he had long desired, and he hadn’t paid much attention to anything else around him.

He had initially assumed that the blurry male figure beside Elena was merely a guest.

However, when his Mental Awareness casually swept over Ryan, Julian discovered something strange.

He couldn’t clearly discern the man’s appearance or cultivation.

This surprised him slightly.

But he didn’t pay much attention to it.

After all, Winters Tower was open for business. It was perfectly normal for Elena to occasionally receive powerful guests.

However, after a moment, Julian realized that the unfamiliar man was still standing beside Elena.

Not only did he show no intention of leaving, but he was also standing unusually close to her.

Julian’s expression immediately darkened.

He repeatedly scrutinized Ryan before frowning and angrily shouting:

"Who are you?"

"How dare you stand so close to my Elena?"

"Why aren’t you getting the hell out of here?!"

As soon as his voice fell, Julian attacked without the slightest hesitation.

He thrust his right palm forward.

BOOM!

A fierce and terrifying force erupted from his palm as it shot toward the center of Ryan’s chest.

Yellow light surged across his palm.

At the same time, two metallic rings suddenly appeared around Julian’s wrist, radiating a strange and brilliant light that glittered like stars.

He had actually gone all out from the very beginning.

The terrifying momentum of the attack caused the surrounding air to tremble.

If this palm landed directly, even a Bloodline Fighter of the same realm would likely suffer severe internal injuries.

A weaker cultivator could even die on the spot.

Seeing this sudden attack, Ryan’s expression immediately darkened.

He hadn’t expected Julian to attack without warning.

More importantly... This bastard had actually attacked him inside Winters Tower.

Ryan’s eyes narrowed.

The next instant, his body moved.