The elderly man with white hair carefully lifted the crimson scroll from the silver tray, then held it slightly above his head toward the auction hall with a warm smile. "This technique, known as the 'Six Harmonies Flowing Body Scroll,' is a mid-tier earth-level combat skill, originally created by the Six Harmonies Master, who once dominated the continent several centuries ago. This scroll was indeed his signature technique, possessing powerful effects. Its only drawback, however, is that it is somewhat specialized—unless one has dedicated several years to mastering it, it would be quite difficult to command effectively." Hearing the name of the Six Harmonies Master, a wave of murmurs of astonishment rose throughout the hall. A Combat Sovereign is a level so distant from everyone present that anything associated with that rank invariably commands a significant increase in value. Though the scroll as a weapon is somewhat niche, many attendees were clearly intrigued. "Are you now convinced?" "Looking at Xiao Yan suddenly straightening up, the young physician beside him couldn't help but smile. Naturally, she knew that Xiao Yan's most trusted weapon was his massive black staff—the Hexagon-Flowing-Body Staff, which was not only of high rank but also of distinguished origin. It was entirely ordinary that it would stir his interest. Xiao Yan fixed his gaze on the crimson scroll, nodded gently in approval. He had used the Xuan Zhong Staff for many years and had grown quite comfortable with it, so he had no intention of switching to another weapon. However, beyond the Flame-Splitting-Wave Staff—a purely offensive technique—he had few other usable techniques at his disposal. Though he had developed, through his own insights, a continuous, wave-like staff technique reminiscent of the endless tide, it was still quite immature and required extensive refinement to mature. Thus, for Xiao Yan at this moment, this technique held only a moderate significance." Thus, the "Liushici Soaring Body Technique" currently on display proves exceptionally appealing to Xiao Yan—though it remains to be seen what power it will wield upon successful cultivation. "Ah, this technique is priced at 1.8 million," smiled the white-haired elder, his gaze sweeping over the murmuring auction hall. "Each initial bid increment must be at least 10,000. Then—everyone, please place your bids." As his words settled, a brief silence followed. For some smaller factions, 1.8 million was a substantial sum, while larger ones often preferred to wait until the final moments to secure the deal, which explained the current stillness. Unperturbed by this lack of immediate response, the white-haired elder maintained his warm expression, his eyes slowly gliding across the audience. "1.83 million," a voice from the back finally broke the silence after a pause of nearly a minute. As soon as the bidding call was finished, a chain reaction ensued—bidding calls poured in one after another. Within less than five minutes, the price had surged directly to 1.98 million, marking the first time in the auction's history that such a high figure had been reached. "Two million five hundred thousand!" The sudden surge immediately caused a wave of astonishment across the entire auction hall. People turned their attention toward the source of the voice, eventually settling on a figure draped entirely in black robes seated at the front贵宾 section. The bidder, of course, was Xiao Yan. He had a strong interest in the "Liuhé Youshen Chi," though his available gold coins were not abundant—amounting to only around three million. Yet he understood well that simply maintaining the current pace would be unproductive. To truly compete, he needed to set a price so high that no other bidder would dare to follow. Currently, Xiao Yan has drawn considerable attention at the贵宾席 due to the incipient herb-elixir incident that occurred on that day and the presence of his young physician companion. Thus, when he speaks now, the numerous eyes on the贵宾席 are cast upon him with a touch of surprise. Undisturbed by the varied emotions reflected in those gazes, Xiao Yan simply focuses on the auction platform, patiently awaiting bids. He knows that, given the appeal of the Liuhe Youshen Chi, many of the guests at the贵宾席 will be inclined to take notice—while two and a half million might be a significant figure for ordinary people, it is hardly a barrier for these financially robust powerhouses. "Two million, five hundred and fifty thousand." "As Xiao Yan had anticipated, shortly after he finished his bid, another voice immediately rose. Xiao Yan turned his gaze toward the source—there stood a sturdy middle-aged man, his eyes burning with enthusiasm as he stared at the auction platform, clearly eager for the Liuhe Youshen Chi. "Three million," Xiao Yan said calmly, placing all his current assets on the table. He had only these gold coins left, yet he felt no hesitation. The high-tier pills stored in his jade seal were worth nearly as much as the mid-tier scroll, but he intended to save them for the final competition for the Bodhi Body-Transforming Saliva, not to waste them midway. Unless absolutely necessary, he preferred to keep the pills untouched. Xiao Yan's firm price increase caused the middle-aged man's face to subtly change. Just as he was about to decisively match it, several of his companions gently pulled at his arms—detrimentally affecting a single scroll of technique for a sixth-rank alchemist and a Douzong-level master might not be worth it. Gently pulled by his companions, the middle-aged man regained some composure from the fervor he had felt upon witnessing the Hexi Youshen Chi technique. His gaze settled on Xiao Yan, just catching the calm, detached look of Xiao Yixian. At that moment, he felt a shiver run through his body, swallowed a lump in his throat, and reluctantly sat back down. "Three hundred thousand—any higher?" the white-haired elder smiled warmly, asking this price, which did not exceed the intrinsic value of the Hexi Youshen Chi scroll. He knew what Xiao Yan and his companion Xiao Yixian represented—ordinary people, even if they wanted to, would never dare to fiercely compete with them. Thus, it seemed the Hexi Youshen Chi scroll might end up being sold at a loss. The words of the white-haired elder echoed throughout the auction hall, and for a moment, no one responded. From the two bids made by Xiao Yan, it was clear that he was determined to secure the Liuhe Youshen Chi—ordinary bidders could not catch up. As for the guests seated in the贵宾 section, they were unwilling to offend Xiao Yan, given his status as a Sixth-Rank Alchemist and the strength of Xiao Yixian, and thus they had no intention of creating discord with either of them. To incur the displeasure of a Sixth-Rank Alchemist and a Battle Sect Master here would not be a wise move. The silence lasted for approximately half a minute, and finally, the white-haired elder shook his head in resignation, just about to strike the small silver hammer when a sudden voice rang out. "Three hundred and ten thousand." The abrupt bid caused many to pause, turning their gaze toward the source of the voice. Their eyes widened in surprise—how could this person be competing directly with the mysterious alchemist? When the bidding sound appeared, Xiao Yan's brows furrowed. As his gaze followed it, he was instantly taken aback, his face displaying a strange expression—because the bidder was none other than his second brother, Xiao Li. Xiao Yi Xian and Zi Yan were also momentarily stunned by the turn of events, then both of them smiled faintly, never expecting these two brothers to end up competing against each other. Amidst the waves of astonished glances, Xiao Li, who had risen to his feet, saw both resignation and a wry smile etched upon his stern face. He knew that his current bid was clearly a challenge to the mysterious alchemy master, yet the scroll-based combat technique was clearly formidable. Though he himself wasn't particularly skilled in scroll techniques, he had made the decision to support his third brother—his brother's weapon being a large measuring ruler. He was confident that if this technique fell into his brother's hands, it would significantly boost his strength. After careful consideration, he finally couldn't hold back and called out his price. Under the watchful eyes of so many, Xiao Yan shook his head, both amused and helpless. After a moment's reflection, he naturally understood why Xiao Li had chosen to auction off this scale-based technique, and a deep sense of appreciation welled up within him. Since Xiao Li was vying for it, Xiao Yan had no intention of challenging him—after all, regardless of who won, the item would ultimately end up in his hands. With a slight nod, he slowly retreated back into his chair, all the while drawing a quiet wave of astonishment from the onlookers. Upon seeing Xiao Yan seemingly abandon the competition, many guests on the VIP section were stunned. A few moments later, those factions with lingering grievances against the Xiao family immediately cast envious glances toward Xiao Li. In their view, Xiao Li's move would surely offend the enigmatic alchemy master, thereby instantly dissolving the slight reservations they had harbored due to the small healer's politeness toward them. Now, they no longer needed to worry about whether the Xiao family would collaborate with that mysterious alchemy master. When the enigmatic alchemy master himself unexpectedly stepped aside, even Xiao Li was momentarily taken aback, his heart gradually sinking—worst-case scenarios had indeed materialized. He exchanged a glance with Su Qian beside him. Both sighed softly, their expressions slightly bitter. To offend not only a sixth-rank alchemy master but also a Douzong-level powerhouse was no small feat, and even Su Qian, despite her strength, could only quietly lament within. Naturally, no one on the VIP section would raise their bid in response to Xiao Li's offer, as many were eager to see Xiao's mysterious alchemist completely sidelined. In their view, the Scroll Technique had already become a hot potato—whichever party ended up with it would inevitably face the alchemist's opposition.