As the mysterious man approached the Tang family's private box, Tang Xi watched every detail with i. She had already deduced that he was an ally of her father, but her curiosity still g her.

  'Could he be one of my father's trusted guards? Or perhaps an old friend?'— she wondered, expl different possibilities, until her train of thought was interrupted by Tang Wei himself, who stood up to open the door.

  — "Hello, my friend! It's been a long time!" — excimed Tang Wei, with a rare warm smile as the man removed his cloak, revealing his appearance. He was tall and robust, with tanned skin, heroic features, and the unmistakable traits of someone who had faced tless battles.

  — "Hello, Tang Wei. Let's go inside and talk more calmly."

  The maered the box, and the door closed. Down below, in the main hall, the murmurs of the crowd began to subside as the au proceeded, but the attention of those present remained fixed oang family's box.

  In the Shang family's box: — "So, they know each other..." — murmured Shang Zhi, the elder apanying Shang Hua-Yen. "From the aura of this cultivator, he's no weaker than I am. I think Hua-Yen kiss her precious resoodbye."

  Shang Zhi's mog tone made Hua-Yen's face darken even more. Feeling the blood boil with anger, she narrowed her eyes, silently vowing revenge.

  — "They'll soon have bigger problems to worry about..." — Hua-Yen murmured, not hiding the dark i in her words.

  The elder, however, shifted his focus elsewhere. He thought of Hua-Yen's sister, Shang Hua-Ren, whose immi return could ge the power bahin the family. For now, I o leave Hua-Ren alone, but iure... he thought, skillfully hiding these refles.

  — "Focus on the Fming Vine's Bzing Whip," — Shang Zhi warned, with a more serious tone. —"The patriarch will be extremely displeased if you fail."

  The mention of the patriarch made Hua-Yen shudder. She knew all too well the kind of punishment that awaited those who disappointed her father. Determio obtain the whip, she forced herself to momentarily push aside thoughts of vengeance.

  Iang family's box: With the door closed, Tang Xi looked at the newer with curious eyes. It was the first time she had seen one of her father's friends, and this stirred a mix of surprise and i iang Wei noticed his daughter's gaze and smiled slightly.

  — " Xi, let me introduce you. This is Liao Wei, my friend through thid thin. You call him Uncle ."

  Tang Xi bowed politely.

  — "Hello, Uncle ."

  Liao Wei smiled at the young woman and stepped forward, handing her a fsk of Amber Natal Milk, along with a small book ed in silk.

  — "Hello, little . Here's what you wanted, and a small gift from me. Take your time looking at it ter. Your father asked me to buy the item i, so now it's safe with you."

  Tang Xi held the items carefully, feeling relieved to finally have the rare resour her hands. Though curious about the book, she decided to read it ter. Her foow was on the au.

  Meanwhile, she overheard ss of the versatioween her father and Uncle , learning fasatiails about their past. They had been meraries in the past, fag tless battles side by side. This made Xi realize that her father's past was far more plex than she had imagined.

  The Fming Vine's Bzing Whip: Finally, the most anticipated moment of the night arrived. The hall fell into absolute silence, and the aueer Rin Bao's voice echoed with enthusiasm:

  — "Ladies alemen, it is with great pleasure that I present the most awaited item of this au: The Fming Vine's Bzing Whip!"

  The curtains opened, revealing a tray adorned with sparkling spiritual runes. On it rested the whip, seemingly alive. Made from the rare Fire Vis surface was iwined with patterns resembling veins of fire, and small fmes danced along its length, as if testing its destructive power.

  — "This whip is a level 2 spiritual on, bining the attributes of fire and wood. It was fed from aremely rare material and enhanced in a high-level spiritual fe, using cores from spiritual beasts of these two elements. In addition to its raw power, it possesses the special ability 'Fme Surge Strike,' which amplifies the power of the fmes with each successive strike."

  The audience was ecstatic, murmurs filling the hall, and the tension in the air alpable.

  — "The starting bid is 10,000 spiritual stones, with minimum is of 100 stones!"

  The first bid came from someone in the lower rows, but it was quickly surpassed by partits in the private boxes. The bids escated quickly, until the petition narrowed to two tenders: Li Feng-Yu, the direct heir of the Li family, and Shang Hua-Yen, the arrogant young woman from the Shang family.

  Li Feng-Yu's rese: Li Feng-Yu narrowed his eyes as he looked at Hua-Yen in her box. He still felt the humiliation she had inflicted on him the day before. He had fessed his admiration for her older sister, Shang Hua-Ren, but instead of being respected, his fession had been ridiculed. Hua-Yen had mocked him publicly, exposing him as a foolish lover, someone who would never be worthy of her sister.

  I have always been polite to this woman out of respect for Hua-Rehought, g his fists. But now, I will prove my worth, and I will humiliate her just as she did to me.

  The Fming Vine's Bzing Whip erfect for his revenge. He po deceive her and make her pay a much higher price.

  Hua-Yen's determination: Iher box, Hua-Yen remained focused. She khe whip was essential to please her family's patriarch. Even so, each bid from Li Feng-Yu made her grit her teeth. She saw him as a mere insignifit i daring to pete with her.

  'This whip belongs to the Shang family, she thought, determined. And I will not lose to an idiot who spends his life chasing after my sister's shadow.'

  The fierpetition: — "15,000 spiritual stones!" — Hua-Yen called out, her voice clear and full of authority.

  — "16,000!" — Li Feng-Yu replied without hesitation, a challenging smile on his face.

  The bids kept climbing, the tension in the hall growing, and the murmurs of the audience rising.

  — "18,000 spiritual stones!" — Hua-Yen shot back without fling.

  — "19,000!" — Li Feng-Yu immediately responded, his determination unshaken.

  — "20,000!"

  Now, all eyes in the hall were fixed on the test. No one else dared to join in. It ersonal duel, charged with rivalry ament.

  — "22,000 spiritual stones!" — Hua-Yen raised the bid, her gaze cold as ice.

  Li Feng-Yu preteo hesitate briefly— "23,000 spiritual stones!" — he responded, his voice den with provocation.

  The two exged defiant gnces, and the atmosphere seemed ready to explode.

  Hua-Yen's victory: The petition intensified, the bids skyrocketing until they reached 30,000 spiritual stones. Finally, with an authoritative tone, Hua-Yen shouted:

  — "30,000 spiritual stones!"

  Li Feng-Yu smiled. He looked at the Shang family's box, where Hua-Yen wore a triumphant smile, and said, "Miss Hua-Yen really treats money like trash; I admit defeat."

  — "gratutions, Miss Shang Hua-Yen!" — announced Rin Bao, as the audience appuded the dramaticlusion of the au. —"The Fming Vine's Bzing Whip now belongs to you!"

  In the Shang family's box, Shang Hua-Yen fumed when she realized she had been tricked, but it was too te, and she had to take the whip. Her father would not be pleased with how much she had spent.

  Hua-Yen ched her fists, swearing that this defeat would not go unpunished. Meanwhile, iang family's box, Xi simply watched the se with a slight smile on her lips, sav the spectacle while holding her precious Amber Natal Milk. And so, the au came to an end.

  The aueer Rin Bao's voice echoed, joy ione:

  — "Ladies alemen, it is with great pleasure that I decre today's au cluded, and thank you all for your presend tribution."