"Apologies for keeping you waiting. There was a small incident at the auction house, which caused some delay."
After quite some time, Zhao Youqian finally arrived, immediately offering his apology to Zhou Haoyu.
Of course, Zhou Haoyu knew exactly what the so-called incident was—nothing other than the theft of the Guilty Stone.
Only, Zhao Youqian would never imagine that the thief was sitting right in front of him.
"No problem. We've already chosen a soul seed. When will the auction begin?"
Zhou Haoyu handed the auction list back to Zhao Youqian.
"If you've decided on a soul seed, I can sell it directly to you at market price."
Glancing at the list first, Zhao Youqian then smiled as he spoke.
Generally, soul seeds sold at auction tended to go for a bit higher than market price, but never by too much.
And Zhao Youqian, being one of the higher-level managers of the auction house, had the authority to make such decisions. As for the shareholders, this sort of minor matter wasn't even worth their attention.
"The Flowing Mist Weaving Soul."
"That one, huh? Let me see… If you really want it, you can have it for 1.2 billion straight."
Zhao Youqian thought briefly before giving a very fair price.
"1.2 billion…"
Zhou Haoyu was a little surprised. By his estimation, it should have cost at least 1.3 billion.
But he knew perfectly well why Zhao Youqian was doing this—it was nothing more than an attempt to win his favor.
At the very least, once the two Zhao brothers eventually turned against each other, Zhou Haoyu would hopefully not side with Zhao Manyan.
Just as Zhou Haoyu was about to agree, he suddenly remembered something important.
"By the way, I can help you legitimately inherit the Zhao family enterprise."
"What?"
Zhao Youqian was instantly stunned. Wasn't this topic jumping a bit too far?
And besides, how could someone from another family clan possibly claim he had the ability to help him inherit his family's industry?
"I have one condition. You must promise never to harm Zhao Manyan."
Zhou Haoyu said seriously. The real reason he was doing this was because of Zhao Youqian's treasure chest.
And based on his understanding of Zhao Manyan, the man had no real interest in inheriting the Zhao family enterprise anyway.
Zhao Youqian looked deeply at Zhou Haoyu a few times. Could this guy really have a way?
If he could inherit legitimately, then naturally it would be ideal.
"Heh, he's my own blood brother. How could I possibly lay a hand on him?"
Zhao Youqian forced out a smile. Truthfully, he did harbor some jealousy and resentment toward Zhao Manyan, but it hadn't reached the point of taking his life.
Zhou Haoyu simply smiled, then extended a hand and pressed it against the center of Zhao Youqian's brow.
Zhao Youqian felt a surge of energy pour into him through his brow, finally gathering within his spiritual world.
Unlike before, when it was barren, now within his spiritual cosmos there appeared a new stardust—the Shadow Element!
The Shadow Element originated from the Dark Plane, and since Zhou Haoyu possessed fragments of the Dark Law, he naturally had the power to help others awaken the Shadow Element!
"I… I awakened?"
Zhao Youqian's face was full of shock, his entire being dazed.
For so many years, he had already resigned himself to fate, never imagining that today he would actually awaken a magic element.
"Although it may be difficult for you to catch up to Zhao Manyan, reaching the Advanced level won't be a problem."
Zhou Haoyu said calmly.
With the blessing of the Dark Law's origin, Zhao Youqian's Shadow Element talent would far exceed the average. With two or three years of cultivation, reaching the Advanced tier would not be difficult.
But this wasn't permanent—Zhou Haoyu could strip away his stardust at any time.
"How did you do that?"
Zhao Youqian looked at Zhou Haoyu in disbelief. Such a method was unheard of, almost godlike!
"That's not important. Just remember the condition I gave you. Otherwise, I can take it back whenever I want."
Zhou Haoyu spoke with complete calm.
Hearing this, Zhao Youqian instantly felt a chill in his heart. Having finally become a mage, he had no desire to fall back into being an ordinary man.
"Brother Zhou, consider this Soul Seed my gift to you. No need to pay."
Zhao Youqian said almost obsequiously.
Now that he had the status of a mage, he could legitimately inherit the family enterprise.
As for the explanation of how he awakened, he could easily come up with some excuse.
"Then I'll accept it."
Zhou Haoyu did not refuse Zhao Youqian's attempt to curry favor. He would still need Zhao Youqian's cooperation in the future.
Since he planned to establish a power in the Magic City, having the Zhao family's assistance would certainly make things far easier.
Most importantly, he held Zhao Youqian's life in his hands, so there was no need to worry about betrayal.
After leaving the auction house, Mu Ningxue looked at Zhou Haoyu with a complicated expression.
She had thought she understood him well enough, but upon peeling back one layer, there was yet another.
Still, Zhou Haoyu had never hidden things from her—in fact, he had even confessed his Ancient King identity to her.
The three of them soon found a nearby inn. Since Venice wasn't crowded with tourists at the moment, vacancies were easy to come by.
"Xue'er, go ahead and absorb the Soul Seed first."
Zhou Haoyu handed the Soul Seed over to Mu Ningxue as he spoke.
Mu Ningxue's strength was already comparable to Ai Jiangtu. If she absorbed another Soul Seed, her power would undoubtedly increase by several tiers.
Looking at the Soul Seed in her hand, Mu Ningxue nodded solemnly.
Next, she began to absorb the Soul Seed, while Zhou Haoyu sat at her side, watching.
The process didn't take long. Since Mu Ningxue already possessed a Soul Seed, within just a few minutes the absorption was complete.
Mu Ningxue slowly opened her eyes, and on her usually frosty face appeared a rare, faint smile.
"Husband."
"Just one word, husband?"
A trace of embarrassment flickered through Mu Ningxue's eyes, but soon she steeled her resolve and pounced on Zhou Haoyu, pinning him to the bed.
Then she began unfastening her clothes. Since it was her first time taking the initiative, her movements were clumsy and hurried.
Seeing her struggling to undo them for quite some time, Zhou Haoyu couldn't help but feel exasperated. Leaning close to her ear, he whispered a few words.
In an instant, Mu Ningxue's face flushed pink, even the swan-like curve of her neck blooming with a delicate rosy hue.
Yet she did not refuse. Instead, with a soft "mm," she obediently moved toward the door, leaning forward into a posture.
Zhou Haoyu gazed at the scene before him, blood surging, and without another word, charged forward.
By a deserted riverside, Pan Xi turned to Mu Tingying with a question.
Aside from the two of them, Mu Tingying's father and a few Mu clan mages were also present.
"Mu Tingying, where is Mu Ningxue now?"
"She's definitely with the Captain. If you want to make a move against her, you'd best wait until he's not around."
When Mu Tingying said this, a flicker of jealousy glimmered in her eyes.
If not for Mu Ningxue, the one at Zhou Haoyu's side should have been her.
Pan Xi revealed a look of surprise. Hadn't Mu Tingying always hated Mu Ningxue to the bone?
Now, although she still disliked her, she looked far more like a jealous woman coveting another's husband.
"Nan Rongni refused to become the next wielder of the Ice Crystal Bow. Do you know why?" Pan Xi asked.
"You'll have to ask the Captain that—assuming you can even defeat him."
...
For Advance Chapters
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