Within the jet-black bat wings, faint streaks of pale purple lightning shimmered, forming gentle arcs that appeared almost tangible—like solid streams of electricity—giving the scene a most unusual and mystical quality. As the famed "Thunder Bat Wings" made their entrance, the auction hall fell into quiet. Some less experienced observers looked slightly bewildered, while those familiar with the art of aerial combat—such as the Blood Sect and Black Skull Tomb—began to stir with growing interest. Clearly, the Thunder Bat Wings had captured their attention, for possessing them would allow one to soar through the skies like a Supreme Combatant, a truly essential asset for both victory and survival. "This is interesting. I like it," murmured the junior chief of the Blood Sect, his eyes fixed intently on the bat wings, which seemed to be about to detach from the jade scroll. "Young Master, the cost for this flying combat technique is likely to exceed a million. If we continue to spend it this way, I fear we may truly fall behind in the end." Hearing Fan Ling's words, the elder beside him, already pale, murmured his growing concern. "Hurry up?" Fan Ling glanced at the elder coldly and laughed. "Since Father has already made preparations, no matter who secures the item through auction, it will ultimately come into our hands. In that case, we'll save ourselves a substantial sum." "But that wouldn't be very secure, and if the news leaks out, it could become quite troublesome," the elder hesitated. "I have my own plans, Elder Luo. You needn't worry." Fan Ling cast a cold gaze toward the gathering of black-skulled elders in the distance, speaking calmly. "Ah..." Seeing that his appeals fell on deaf ears, Elder Luo sighed wearily, shook his head, and fell silent. On the crystal platform, the white-haired auctioneer delivered a vivid explanation of the flight technique's benefits, and those who had initially seemed somewhat puzzled now grew enthusiastic upon hearing that even without reaching the rank of Supreme King-level combatant, one could achieve flight. "Heh, indeed a bit pricey, but flight technique is worth it—this is precisely why, when you first obtained the Purple Cloud Wings in the cave, even I remarked that you were fortunate. After all, in the Gamma Empire, you might very well be the only one with a flight technique." The elder's laughter suddenly echoed in Xiao Yan's mind. Lelang nodded. Xiao Yan turned his gaze back. Now that he already possessed the Purple Cloud Wings, the Lightning Bat Wings, though excellent, still hadn't quite captured his deep enthusiasm. Yet, while he wasn't overly excited, others were quite different. Immediately after the white-haired auctioneer finished speaking, Fan Ling, the junior chief of the Blood Sect, slowly rose to his feet, his cold gaze sweeping across the room. Anyone whose eyes met his instinctively shifted them away—only those with equally strong backing remained undisturbed. "One and thirty million!" With a cold voice, Fan Ling announced a price that sent a ripple of astonishment through the hall, raising it by thirty million instantly. Clearly, he intended to make it clear to everyone: this flying technique is mine! At this price, the auction hall fell momentarily quiet, and then a delicate, charming laugh rang out: "Master Fan has indeed spent generously. However, the Lei Bat's Wings are also quite appealing to our 'Heaven Serpent Mansion,' so we must regret to say we're unable to secure them—140,000 it is." Hearing this graceful voice, Master Fan's pale complexion subtly shifted, and his gaze grew steady as he turned toward another section of the hall, where several tall, vibrant figures were curled comfortably in plush chairs, their supple waists as alluring as water serpents. "Ah, it's Senior Qing from the Heaven Serpent Mansion, I didn't expect you'd be here as well," Fan said, smiling politely but with restrained warmth. "It's no easy task, you know—some things simply can't be hidden. Don't you agree, Master Fan?" "The graceful woman known as the Azure Elder smiled gently, her alluring figure sending waves of desire rippling through the hearts of many men in the auction hall. With her sinuous, serpentine body pressed beneath her, the soft, melodic moans that would escape her rosy lips—how utterly intoxicating would that be?" "Tiān Shé Fǔ?" Hearing this name, Xiao Yan was momentarily taken aback. "Hey, youngster, you've already faced off against members of the Tiān Shé Fǔ before, haven't you? Surely you haven't forgotten?" the herbal elder chuckled. "Facing them?" Xiao Yan paused, then seemed to recall something, his expression turning pale beneath his black robe. "Was it that mysterious woman and the Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor?" "Yes, they are indeed representatives of the Tiān Shé Fǔ." "The Azure Scale... was she captured by them?" Xiao Yan's face grew slightly somber. "Hehe, don't worry too much about that little girl. In fact, her life at Tian She Mansion is better than anywhere else. Her unusual eye will surely prompt the mansion to invest heavily in her development. Perhaps when you see her again, you'll be amazed by her strength." The Yeold reassured. "Hopefully so. But if I ever get the chance, I'll look for her. If indeed what the master said is true, then that will be fine. However, if Tian She Mansion treats her as unusually demanding as the Mo Family does—taking eyes and such—then she absolutely must not be left there." Xiao Yan murmured to himself. He truly cared for the little girl, whose tragic background he had personally witnessed, and who had been taken from him, so he also felt a sense of regret. "Hmm..." The Yeold nodded, then settled back into quiet. Meanwhile, as the conversation between the senior physician and Xiao Yan unfolded, the bidding competition within the auction hall had already begun to send shockwaves through the crowd. Occasionally, other factions stepped in to stir the competition, especially during the bidding between Fan Ling and the young senior elder. As a result, within just a short while, the initial bid of one million for the Thunder Bat's wing had surged to over one point seven million, and the current bidding appeared to remain fiercely contested. "With a cold laugh, Fan Ling turned his gaze toward the crystal platform, sharply commanding the slightly dazed auctioneer, 'What are you still waiting for?' 'Oh...呵呵, Master Young Lord, please don't be angry,' the white-haired auctioneer quickly replied, recovering from his surprise. After politely inquiring three times as per protocol, he finally brought down his auction hammer with a solid thud. With the hammer's impact, the scroll of flight combat technique settled firmly into Fan Ling's hands. 'Hm, no wonder this is a major power,' said Xiao Yan, watching Fan Ling slowly sit down, murmuring in admiration. 'Such a decisive bid—ninety thousand, that's a sum equivalent to our Xiao family's profits over several years!' After the grand climax auction of the Lei Fu Tian Yi, which had been the most significant highlight so far, the subsequent auctions entered a period of relative lull. While the items still fetched prices that ensured no loss, they no longer commanded the same level of astonishment when compared to the earlier, more impressive results. "Hush…" After a moment of quiet, as everyone gazed at the tattered fragment, a wave of murmurs and disapproving whispers filled the hall. Hearing the condescending murmurs, the elderly auctioneer's smile faltered slightly. After careful examination, they had concluded that this ancient fragment was likely a map—evident from the route markers on it. Beyond that, however, they had found little else. Except… Glancing at the ancient cloth once more, the auctioneer gently lifted it between his two fingers, held it prominently before all, and pointed to a pattern that was only half-visible at the edge, smiling, "If my judgment is correct, this map must be quite old. Though we may not yet know what it conceals, after all, isn't something from antiquity always something special?" People always have to take a gamble. If someone ends up with a complete map, and if luck is on their side, the hidden treasures within might even shake the entire continent. "Hmph." Most people dismissed his words with a scoff. Of course, not everyone did. At least, at this moment, Xiao Yan's eyes had suddenly widened in astonishment. With a trembling gaze fixed on the half-pattern at the edge of the fragmented map, he took a deep, cool breath, striving to calm the surging thoughts swirling within him. He already possessed two such fragmented maps in his Na Ji. And the half-pattern in question wasn't just any design—it was the "Jinglian Demon Flame," ranked third on the List of Strange Fires! The pure lotus demon flame—a terrifying, unprecedented type of divine flame never seen even by the old medic—supposedly leaves even the strongest cultivators, from the Du-Zong to the Du-Zhun level, trembling in fear. If he secures it, Xiao Yan is even contemplating whether the Burned Technique could directly evolve into a legendary, celestial-tier cultivation method. Of course, Xiao Yan doesn't yet know the answer. Right now, all he knows is that he must obtain that tattered image, at any cost!