Standing at the end of the bustling street, Xiao Yan looked up at the colossal auction hall before him, his mouth filled with awe. When he first saw the Miter Family's Auction Hall in the capital of the Jia Ma Empire, he had been impressed by its scale. Yet now, in this Black Seal City, he realized that even the Miter Auction Hall paled in comparison to this grand hall known as "Black Seal." At the entrance of the Black Seal Auction Hall, several dozen black-clad men with composed expressions carried sharp weapons, their keen, eagle-like eyes constantly scanning the flowing crowd. From the subtle aura emanating from their bodies, it appeared that five of them were at the level of Battle Seers, while the others stood at the peak of the Battle Fighter tier. Any randomly assigned guard with a Battle Master-level strength would be considered impressive—clearly, the "Eight Gates" faction possesses truly formidable strength. At the very least, the Miter family is unwilling to deploy such Battle Master-level warriors as mere guards. Tightening the broad black robe wrapped around him, Xiao Yan slightly lowered his head, the cloak's shadow completely concealing his face. In this chaotic Black Angle domain, he did not consider it a wise move to casually expose his form. Following the flow of the crowd, Xiao Yan moved steadily through the auction hall, the vast space momentarily overwhelming him before he regained his composure and proceeded toward the central hall. Within this auction hall, large screens hang on the walls, displaying a continuous stream of items up for bidding. Xiang Yan glanced over them briefly and found nothing particularly extraordinary—likely, the rare treasures had been reserved for the sake of maintaining their mystique, only revealed when necessary. Of course, some powerful factions could certainly obtain information about these hidden treasures through alternative channels. His gaze swept across the room and finally settled on the archway of a appraisal chamber. After a moment's hesitation, Xiang Yan stepped inside. Xiao Yan had just stepped into the appraisal room when a young attendant, dressed in vibrant attire, approached him with a delicate, alluring voice: "Sir, are you here to appraise the artifacts, or are you coming for a price evaluation to facilitate an auction?" "The latter," Xiao Yan said, deliberately letting his voice sound slightly hoarse. "Please follow me," the attendant smiled gracefully, then turned and swayed her lithe figure with a particularly enticing arc. With her graceful movements, she seemed to ignite a subtle warmth in the lower abdomen of onlookers. It appeared that the attendants here had all undergone special training to maximize their charm in the eyes of men. Keeping his gaze lowered within the shadow of his cloak, Xiao Yan paid no attention to the attendant's graceful movements. In such a chaotic place as Black Angular Domain, even a woman with no strength to lift a chicken could easily knock someone off their feet. Thus, Xiao Yan neither wished nor dared to establish any connection with the women here. After walking nearly several dozen meters behind the attendant, the latter stopped in front of a small inner chamber, bowed respectfully to Xiao Yan, and smiled, saying, "Master, as long as you hand over the items you wish to auction to the master inside for evaluation and approval, you will be granted seating positions at the auction event according to the rarity and value of the items." Nodding slightly, Xiao Yan gently pushed open the black wooden door, stepped inside, and closed it behind him. Xiao Yan remained silent, saying nothing, and with a gentle motion of his hand, three small jade vials appeared on the table. "Herbal pills?" Hearing the soft sound of the vials touching the table, the old man blinked slightly, raised his head, and his gaze settled on the three vials. A flicker of surprise passed through his eyes. He donned his thin, transparent gloves, carefully took one of the vials, and gently transferred a round pill of pale green color to his palm. He placed it beneath his nose and inhaled deeply, then studied the distinct green and purple patterns etched on the pill's surface. After a moment of thoughtful contemplation, his expression subtly shifted, and he exclaimed in astonishment, "This is... the Two-Stripe Qing Ling Pill?" "Indeed," Xiao Yan nodded slightly, his voice still hoarse. "Since you've heard of the Two-Stripe Qing Ling Pill, you must know its effects. Could you please estimate its auction floor price?" "I'll need to examine it first. The elder shook his head, then proceeded to pull out those strange and peculiar tools, manipulating them over the medicine with careful attention. After such a while, he finally stopped, lifting his gaze to Xiao Yan with a look that carried both curiosity and depth. "Indeed, it is a Two-Trace Qingling Pill—of high quality. Even an ordinary Four-Rank Alchemist would find it difficult to produce something of this caliber." "According to the Black-angled Domain's valuation method, this Two-Trace Qingling Pill should have a base price of around thirty thousand. With a strong bidding competition from well-funded factions, it could easily fetch fifty thousand or more." "Now, let's take a look at this one..." Xiao Yan nodded slightly—this price was now above his budget—and gently pushed forward the bottle containing the Three-Trace Qingling Pill resting before him. "Ah?" "Slightly taken aback, the old man took the bottle and rolled out the round pill, which resembled a jade orb. However, upon observing the three concentric patterns on the pill's surface, the calm expression on his face grew serious—the difference between a two-pattern Qing Ling Pill and a three-pattern Qing Ling Pill, though only one line of incision, represented a value as distinct as heaven from earth." The Erwang Qingling Pill, while beneficial in helping Battle Masters overcome barriers and advance in rank, only enhances strength by one or two stars, and it carries a relatively high risk of adverse effects. In contrast, the Sanwang Qingling Pill, upon successful consumption, not only directly shatters the barrier but also causes a sudden leap of three stars in strength—provided the user deliberately suppresses their power growth to maintain control. When Xiao Yan first took the Sanwang Qingling Pill, he was concerned that his strength would rise too rapidly, potentially compromising his precise control over his body. As a result, he accumulated the pill’s effects within himself. When the potency eventually activated, it triggered a further significant surge in his strength, enabling him to clearly demonstrate the distinct advantage of the Sanwang over the Erwang pills. The elder, who has recognized countless rare treasures, naturally understood this difference and thus his expression now carried a touch of astonishment and seriousness. "Sanwang Qingling Pill?" The elder glanced at the jade pill thoughtfully, murmuring in surprise. "Hmm." Xiao Yan nodded slightly. "A good thing..." The old man pursed his lips, and even with countless treasures to his credit, he had only offered this remark. After a moment's pause, he added, "The starting bid for this three-pattern Qingling Pill could be set around seventy thousand gold coins, and with bidding competition, I believe it should reach around ninety thousand." Xiao Yan nodded silently, yet couldn't help taking a deep breath—collectively, the value of these three pills approached two hundred thousand gold coins. That sum... indeed came as a shock. It was no wonder that alchemists were always financially secure; such a return on investment was simply eye-catching to other professions. Of course, Xiao Yan also understood that such a highly profitable outcome depended on a sufficiently high success rate. After all, some alchemists might only achieve one successful batch out of ten attempts when crafting pills. The raw materials for the Three-Trace Qingling Pills alone amounted to nearly sixty to seventy thousand gold coins. Even if they succeeded once out of ten attempts, the profit would barely cover the costs—since not every alchemist in the world had an experienced herbalist collaborator and the significant advantage of unique, powerful flames. Nodding, Xiao Yan took the jade card and said, "Now may I leave?" "Please go ahead," the old man replied warmly, carefully setting aside the three Qingling Pills. Perhaps due to these pills, his attitude toward Xiao Yan had grown a bit more favorable. Hearing this, Xiao Yan said no more, rose, and walked slowly toward the door, then opened it and stepped out. Watching the door close gently behind him and listening to the gradually fading footsteps, the old man lightly tapped his fingers on the desk. After a while, he lowered his gaze to the three Qingling Pills neatly arranged, and a peculiar expression passed through the misty eyes of the old man. "This person, someone I've never seen before, yet who could produce three Qingling Dan at once—surely he must also be a pharmacist, and perhaps of a rather high rank...". As his palm pressed against the tabletop at a certain spot, the wall of the chamber slowly unfolded to reveal a dark opening. The old man picked up the three Qingling Dan, turned around, and stepped into the opening, his soft murmurs lingering quietly within the chamber.