"Yuan Hong! What is the meaning of this?"

Being pushed away by the newcomer, the man in white's face paled slightly, and then with a fierce glare, he shouted.

"No fighting is allowed in my auction house. Young Master Bai, don't you understand this rule?"

The person who suddenly appeared was none other than Yuan Hong. At that moment, he was standing between Du Fei and Young Master Bai, with a light smile on his face.

The muscles on Young Master Bai's face twitched slightly, and after a moment, he revealed a sinister smile, coldly saying, "Yuan Hong! Since you're in charge of the auction house, and I respect you to a degree... I won't strike now, but once we leave the auction house and something happens, you won't be able to interfere, right?"

"Hehe, Young Master Bai Yi... Considering the relationship I have with your family, I'll give you a warning... Those who can sit in the VIP seats of my auction house are not people you can afford to offend... If you continue to act recklessly, and the Bai Family is destroyed because of you in the end, don't blame me for not warning you!"

After saying that, Yuan Hong just chuckled lightly, and then with a somewhat respectful smile, he turned to Du Fei and bowed slightly, saying, "Esteemed alchemist, I apologize for the oversight that caused you disturbance. As compensation, no matter how much the pills are auctioned for later, our auction house will not take a commission. Sir, if there's anything you fancy, please let us know, and we'll certainly offer it at the lowest possible price. How does that sound?"

As soon as his words fell, the expressions of everyone in the VIP seats, including the woman in purple, became a bit stiff, and then utterly perplexed.

Several amused glances immediately landed on Bai Yi.

"Al... Alchemist..." Bai Yi's face twitched a bit, and then it turned extremely pale.

It was well known that alchemists not only held a prestigious status on the Xuanwu Continent, but they were also rare and precious. Regardless of an alchemist's rank, there would be numerous powerful figures willing to treat him as an honored guest if he so desired.

And to offend an alchemist meant that even if he remained silent, many would stand up for him. Everyone understood that doing a favor for an alchemist might bring countless benefits at some unforeseen time.

Today, Bai Yi had offended an alchemist over a trivial matter. If the patriarch of the Bai Family knew about this, he would probably spew blood in anger.

Seeing Bai Yi's face turn extremely pale, the woman in the purple robe seemed to hesitate for a moment before taking a few steps forward. She smiled at Du Fei, who had been silent, and said, "My name is Yun Yuqing. Pleased to meet you, sir."

"Yun Yuqing?" Du Fei hesitated for a moment, but a jolt struck his heart. After a brief pause, he said in a mild tone, "From the Yun Family of Yunshui's Five Families?"

In the Da'an Dynasty, Yunshui's Five Families referred to five noble families that had been continued for a millennium. Among them, the Yun Family stood as the leader. If Yun Yuqing was indeed from the Yun Family, it was no wonder that the nobles of Buyue City showed her so much respect. After all, for the Yun Family, annihilating these powerful figures was as easy as a snap of the finger.

"Hehe, it seems that you are indeed knowledgeable..." Yun Yuqing chuckled with a pleasant smile, slightly bowing with her delicate hand, and said, "Bai Yi is somewhat related to me, reluctantly speaking, he's my cousin... My cousin tends to act impulsively. If he has offended you in any way, I apologize on his behalf. Sir, for the sake of the Yun Family, could you please forgive him?"

"The Yun Family, huh..." Du Fei smirked coldly, then replied indifferently, "With your family's vast influence, what can I, a mere alchemist, do to you?"

Having said that, Du Fei turned away slightly and sat down once more, his gaze slowly returning to the auction stage.

Hearing this, Yun Yuqing's expression stiffened slightly.

If the man before her had shown even a hint of enthusiasm or respect upon hearing about the Yun Family, it would've been a small matter... However, he clearly showed disdain. The only reason for this must be that if this man's true abilities were revealed, even the entire Yun Family might not be able to offend him...

Could this man be a Sixth-grade Alchemist?

Upon this thought, even Yun Yuqing couldn't help but shudder. A Sixth-grade Alchemist could attain a distinguished position even within the royal palace or the Junwu Sect if he wanted to. If Bai Yi had offended such a person, then perhaps the Bai Family was truly doomed!

Seemingly startled by this thought, Yun Yuqing didn't dare to say much more. After giving a slight nod, she slowly walked to her seat and sat down. However, her beautiful eyes continued to glance in Du Fei's direction.

On the other side, Yuan Hong smiled faintly at Bai Yi, whose face looked rather pale, before he slowly retreated.

At this moment, he was almost certain that this mysterious man's background was not simple, as he even disregarded the Yun Family...

It seemed that he had to make sure the elixir was auctioned off at a good price later on! Even if he couldn't win this person over, he at least shouldn't offend him!

Sitting in his chair, Du Fei placed his crossed hands on his chin, his indifferent gaze landing on the auction stage, revealing nothing about his thoughts.

The way things had developed brought a wry smile to Du Fei's heart. However, he wasn't particularly worried. After all, everything that had happened up to this point was within his expectations...

After this, as long as he got what he wanted, what did it matter what these people thought?

"Hehe, the next item for auction is an elixir that most of you have never heard of. However, I believe that after hearing its effects, many of you will be extremely interested!" As Du Fei was lost in thought, the auctioneer on the stage slowly brought out a jade plate from the backstage. On the plate were five small crystal bottles.

"As you all know, pills are extremely precious! However, they have a slight flaw. Unless you have cultivated true breath, no matter how good the pill is, you won't be able to use its medicinal power after consumption!"

"At the same time, the path of martial cultivation is also well-known to all. Countless geniuses have been stuck at the sixth level of body forging due to their physique, and they never made any progress in their lifetime!"

"The elixir we are auctioning today has two effects. First, anyone below the seventh level of body forging can consume it. Second, this liquid allows those stuck at the sixth level of body forging to have a chance to break through to the seventh level! Its efficacy is guaranteed by the reputation of our auction house!"

As soon as the words were spoken, there was a brief silence in the auction house, followed immediately by an uproar of excitement!

Everyone knew that no matter the size of the family or clan, there were always many individuals who were forever stuck at the sixth level of body forging! This situation was something that one could only overcome through their own cultivation. But now, an elixir that could change this predicament had appeared!

For a moment, countless individuals felt their hearts race with excitement. If they could obtain this item, wouldn't it mean that they could nurture several more talents within their families?

Upon hearing this introduction, the gazes of many distinguished guests swiftly turned towards Du Fei.

If anyone had doubts regarding Du Fei's identity as an alchemist, by now, all of those doubts were erased! Furthermore, many firmly believed that Du Fei must be a remarkable and renowned alchemist!

After all, such body forging elixir was unheard of. Setting aside other considerations, the mere efficacy of this elixir alone was enough for countless people to devote their lives for such an alchemist!

Bai Yi, who initially harbored a glimmer of hope, now had a face as pale as a sheet. If not for his pride, he would have practically knelt down and begged for mercy!

Yun Yuqing's gaze on Du Fei also became heated in an instant. If someone like him could be recruited to the Yun Family...

"Hehe," After the atmosphere in the room had slightly settled, the auctioneer gently clapped his hands and said, "The marvelous effects of this item are evident to all of you. I'm sure you all understand that such a rare treasure is very hard to come by! So, although we have five bottles of this liquid, our auction house has decided to sell them as one lot. If someone manages to win the bid, they need not worry about others possessing the same item... Hehe, thus, the starting price is... one hundred thousand gold coins!"

This exorbitantly high starting price caused a slight pause in the room's atmosphere. However, everyone understood that in some ways, the price of this elixir was even more precious than a ninth-grade Marrow-cleaning Pill. This price wasn't surprising at all.

"Is this thing really worth that much?" Even Du Fei himself quietly muttered in surprise. However, he didn't voice any further comments. After all, the more valuable this item was, the better it was for him.

"One hundred and ten thousand!"

In no time, someone from the floor below stood up and loudly placed their bid.

"Hehe, someone has already bid one hundred and ten thousand. Is there anyone willing to offer a higher price?"

"One hundred and fifteen thousand!"

"One hundred and twenty thousand!"

"..........."

In no time, the price of the elixir had already skyrocketed to a staggering one hundred and fifty thousand. However, at this point, if the price went any higher, those below might not be able to afford it.

"One hundred and fifty thousand... is there anyone else willing to raise the bid?" The auctioneer said with a smirk, slowly raising the gavel, preparing to strike it down.

"One hundred and eighty thousand!" Just as the hammer was about to fall, a representative from the Lian Family in the VIP seats suddenly took a deep breath and calmly stated their bid.

After calling out the bid, this person quickly glanced in Du Fei's direction, subtly signaling him.

Seeing this move, others internally cursed him, labeling him as an old fox. It was one thing to bid for an item, but was he also trying to curry favor in the process?

Nevertheless, these individuals from major families had to admit that this elixir was truly priceless. If one could gain the favor of the alchemist who concocted this liquid, then any price was indeed worth it!

For a moment, the gazes of those in the VIP seats met, and soon after, they began furiously bidding against each other.