C23 The Invitation of the Auction House

On the western side of the City Lord's Mansion, a young man was gasping for breath, staring incredulously at Wang Pingfan.

He had unleashed over a hundred moves, exhausting his martial skills and nearly depleting his spiritual energy. Yet Wang Pingfan remained still, eyes slightly closed. Could he possibly be wearing high-level armor?

The young man challenged him, "The entrance exam for the Aetherwind Dynasty's academy prohibits the use of weapons and armor above second rank. If you can beat me now, make sure you don't disgrace yourself later." Wang Pingfan was taken aback; he hadn't expected the young man to assume he was wearing high-level armor. His beast armor, which he hadn't put on since bathing, had become of little use to him and was better off saved for later.

With a slight smile, Wang Pingfan chose not to correct him, asking instead, "So, do you concede defeat?" The young man, his face flushed with the realization that his spiritual energy was nearly spent and defeat was imminent, had no choice but to surrender.

As the young man was about to exit the arena, he couldn't resist a parting shot at Wang Pingfan, "Hmph, don't think you can just wear high-level armor because the Wang family is wealthy. Don't take advantage of the less fortunate."

Wang Pingfan was internally exasperated. What was this guy thinking, accusing him of bullying the poor as if he were some protagonist in a story? The other young man looked equally displeased by the unexpected outcome.

The guard serving as referee was momentarily taken aback, but he promptly declared Wang Pingfan the victor, awarding him a spot in the preliminary competition.

Leaving the City Lord's Mansion, Wang Pingfan was ready to head back to the Wang family estate to prepare for the auction.

On his way, he encountered his father, Wang Tianlong, who remarked, "You rascal, you've secured your spot so quickly."

Wang Pingfan replied with confidence, "Of course, I stood still and my opponent surrendered."

Wang Tianlong gave him a skeptical look and said, "Enough with the tall tales. Now that you've got your spot, come with me to the auction house to express our gratitude and to meet the new supervisor." Wang Pingfan's expression suggested he was telling the truth, but it seemed no one was buying it.

Shortly thereafter, Wang Tianlong arrived at the auction house with Wang Pingfan in tow, where they encountered Sun Wei and his daughter. Greeting them with a smile, Wang Tianlong said, "Sun Wei, Manager Dongfang, and Elder Ling, it's a pleasure to see you all. I've come specifically to express my gratitude."

The group returned his greeting with smiles, though their attention was clearly focused on Wang Pingfan. Manager Dongfang, in particular, stepped forward and warmly thanked Wang Pingfan, "Young man, I owe you a great deal of thanks for your help."

Wang Tianlong, puzzled, inquired, "Manager Dongfang, what exactly has my son done to assist you?"

Both Wang Tianlong and Sun Wei were intrigued by the auction house's special treatment of Wang Pingfan. Manager Dongfang chuckled and revealed, "Without this young man's help, I doubt I would have secured a transfer to the main branch."

The revelation took both Sun Wei and Wang Tianlong by surprise; they hadn't realized the extent of Wang Pingfan's assistance. Curious, Wang Tianlong pressed, "Oh, I had no idea my son had been of such help to you, Manager Dongfang. What exactly did he do?" Dongfang Ping offered only a secretive smile in response.

Despite his curiosity, Wang Tianlong knew better than to pry further. It was clear his son had undergone a significant transformation. Sun Wei then addressed Wang Pingfan, "Have you visited my City Lord Palace to challenge the tenth candidate for the spot? We've been waiting three days and will be departing early tomorrow morning."

Wang Pingfan assured him, "I've already been to the City Lord Palace before arriving here and have defeated the candidate to secure the spot. You can rest easy, City Lord."

At that moment, Manager Dongfang gestured to a middle-aged man nearby and introduced, "This is Supervisor Zhong, whom I'm sure you've both heard of. He's here to succeed me. I trust you'll extend him the same support you've shown me." Sun Wei and Wang Tianlong nodded to Supervisor Zhong, signaling their commitment to future collaboration.

The following morning, Wang Pingfan joined the others at the city gates, ready to set out.

Wang Pingfan had gathered information on the ten contenders in the preliminary competition. The lineup included two members from the Zhao family, two from the Qian family, two representing the City Lord's Palace, three from the Wang family including himself, and one independent cultivator. Upon his arrival at the city gate, he found that everyone was already there. To his astonishment, Wang Yan had secured first place in the preliminaries.

Unexpectedly, Wang Yan had managed a breakthrough after losing an arm and had defeated two other seven-star Martial Cultivators, Zhao Donglai and Qian Fugui. The heads of the Zhao and Qian families were visibly taken aback by Wang Pingfan's appearance, though they managed to conceal their reactions. The Zhao family had lost contact with two dispatched elders, and it was unwise to send more people to investigate. Wang Pingfan had anticipated the possibility of the mission's failure. Now, seeing him standing there unharmed, it seemed likely that the elders had met with misfortune.

With everyone prepared, they boarded the carriages to make haste for the capital. Wang Pingfan settled into his carriage to rest, but before long, a servant drew back the curtain and addressed him, "Young Master, Mr. Dongfang would like to see you. He wishes to discuss a matter with you."

After some consideration, Wang Pingfan agreed to the request. Dongfang Ping, the auction house manager, and Elder Ling had both been reassigned to the headquarters and were departing with the group of candidates for the academy's assessment. Shortly after, Wang Pingfan joined Dongfang Ping in the auction house's carriage, where Dongfang Ping greeted him with great enthusiasm.

"What's the reason for summoning me, Director Dongfang?" Wang Pingfan inquired.

"It's actually quite fortunate," Dongfang Ping replied. "You're aware that the auction house is backed by the royal family, right?"

"Of course," Wang Pingfan responded. "The entire Aetherwind Dynasty knows the auction house is operated by the royal family, and you, Director Dongfang, are a disciple of theirs."

Dongfang Ping chuckled and continued, "I'm merely from a collateral line. But after submitting your pill formula, the royal family lavished praise upon me. That's why I've been transferred to the headquarters. Moreover, I've reported your status as a one-star alchemist. The headquarters has extended an invitation for you to become a guest alchemist at our auction house. There are no obligations; you'd simply be affiliated with us and enjoy all the benefits we offer. You would only need to assist with pill refining when it's convenient for you."

Wang Pingfan pondered for a moment and replied, "Certainly, but I would prefer my identity to remain confidential. There's no need for it to be common knowledge."

Dongfang Ping assured him, "We always keep our guests' identities confidential. As long as you don't disclose it, we won't either. It's settled then. Once we reach the capital, I'll find you to complete the formalities." After conversing a bit longer, Wang Pingfan returned to his carriage.

Meanwhile, in the City Lord's Mansion carriage, Sun Xiaoxiao inquired, "Father, do you have any idea what Wang Pingfan's current strength is? I used to be able to discern it, but now I can't even sense it."

Upon hearing Wang Pingfan's name, Sun Wei's face took on a contemplative look as he remarked, "This young man's power likely surpasses what anyone could have imagined. From what I've sensed, he's at least reached the level of an eight-star Martial Cultivator."

Sun Xiaoxiao exclaimed, "What? Father, could your senses be mistaken? An eight-star Martial Cultivator, and he's only eighteen! Does this mean he'll secure a top spot in the upcoming Aetherwind Academy selection trials?"

Sun Wei responded, "Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he should make it into the top twenty and benefit from Aetherwind Academy's finest training. The rewards this time are extraordinarily lavish. I've heard that the royal family's prodigy, deemed a once-in-a-century talent, is set to participate. He has attained the Martial Master Realm and is barely twenty years old.

Members of the royal family typically bypass such assessments and are directly admitted to the academy. However, this prodigy chose to compete, aiming to be fair to all. This year's selection trials promise to be quite the spectacle."