Chapter 58: Unsealed
The scorching sunlight poured from the sky, burning the earth.
However, this heat didn't affect the interior of the auction house. As the largest auction venue in Yan City, the building had been constructed with the environment in mind. To provide the best experience for their esteemed guests, the Mittel Family had spared no expense—embedding dozens of ice-type magic beast cores into the structure to inscribe frost enchantments that isolated the intense heat.
Inside the cool room—
As Yao Yan continued his secluded alchemy practice—
Cai Die gradually became listless, resting her chin on her hands while daydreaming by the window. Her beautiful dark-blue snake tail gently swayed beneath her, her lips occasionally muttering something, and her eyes would glance hopefully toward the tightly closed alchemy room, wishing Yao Yan would walk out.
Without Yao Yan by her side, she didn't know what to do.
She wanted to go out, but didn't dare. That day when she stepped out of the water cart, the way the humans stared at her as if she were a commodity had left a shadow in her heart. She didn't understand why humans were like that, as though they all wanted to take her as a slave.
Young Master wouldn't do that, but… he doesn't seem to like my tail either… At the thought, a faint discomfort swelled in her chest as she looked down at her elegant, alluring snake tail and began comparing it to human legs.
Moments later—
Unwilling to admit defeat, she mumbled under her breath, "Hmph! My tail is definitely not worse than human legs. Whatever they can do, I can do too—better even!"
Ling'er lay lazily beside her, tail flicking from time to time in a show of relaxation. For someone with nearly limitless life, waiting like this was hardly boring.
There were times she'd slept for centuries…
Click click—
Suddenly, the alchemy room's door slowly opened.
Hearing the sound, Cai Die immediately perked up. Her once-vacant eyes brightened. With her hands held in front of her, she wriggled her slim waist and slid forward on her tail toward the door. As the heavy stone door slowly opened, a familiar figure came into view.
Compared to the sharp spirit he had half a month ago, Yao Yan now wore clear signs of fatigue on his face. Days of nonstop refining, and of peak Tier 5 pills at that, had taken a heavy toll—especially mentally.
"Young Master, are you alright?"
Cai Die hurried over, a trace of worry flashing in her eyes as she asked nervously.
Ying-ying~
Ling'er pounced up and landed on Yao Yan's shoulder. Her bright green eyes blinked playfully as she nuzzled his cheek and let out a soft chirp. This little scoundrel didn't care about Yao Yan's condition—she only cared about food.
She'd been cut off from her "rations" during his closed-door cultivation.
Looking at the little one perched on his shoulder, Yao Yan ruffled her furry head with a helpless smile and handed her a bottle of plant essence. Then he turned to Cai Die and smiled lightly, "I'm fine, just a bit tired. A little rest will fix it."
As he spoke, he pulled out another pill bottle from his storage ring and handed it over.
"Take this."
It was a Water Purifying Pill, a peak Tier 5 pill meant to dispel residual anomalies in the body. Its gentle, water-based properties matched Cai Die's attributes well and wouldn't put a heavy load on her body.
Cai Die, clearly trusting him completely, accepted the pill without hesitation. After curiously inspecting it, she popped it into her mouth. It melted instantly, and a warm, comfortable sensation swept through her body, making her close her eyes as her long lashes trembled. A sweet, involuntary moan slipped past her lips.
…Trouble.
Yao Yan took a deep breath and quickly steadied his mind. He had to admit—the natural allure of the Medusa bloodline was simply terrifying. Even a casual expression could ignite a man's blood.
Suppressing his restlessness, Yao Yan covered Cai Die's body with his soul power to monitor her internal changes, using the distraction to shift his focus.
As the Water Purifying Pill's gentle medicinal power spread, Cai Die's sealed strength gradually began to awaken. At the same time, the dormant Purple Nether Serpent within her stirred, opening its cold serpent eyes. Suddenly, an immense wave of soul force burst forth, breaking through Yao Yan's spiritual cover.
Boom!
A fearsome aura belonging to a Seven-Star Dou Huang exploded from Cai Die's body. Her entire form was bathed in pale violet Dou Qi, and a pillar of light shot into the sky.
Whoosh—
Purple Dou Qi wings formed behind her. Her eyes slowly opened—no longer soft and gentle, but cold and regal, watching Yao Yan with the gaze of a queen.
For a moment, Yao Yan thought he was looking at Queen Medusa herself—their figures overlapping in his mind.
Did she lose control?
He frowned slightly. Based on his assessment, this shouldn't have happened. But soon, he noticed something off. Cai Die's lips were curved slightly—clearly, she hadn't lost control. This was just her being playful after regaining her memories.
With an annoyed tone, Yao Yan said, "If you're awake, control your power already! You're stirring up a storm that'll alarm all the strong in Yan City!"
"Young Master, how did you know? I thought I acted pretty well…"
Cai Die blinked, the coldness in her eyes vanishing. Her usual warmth returned as she stuck out her tongue playfully and smiled sweetly. Her aura quickly retracted, and everything returned to normal.
She tilted her head, her twin ponytails swaying as she looked up at him. Her performance had been based entirely on her sister's mannerisms—back in the serpent-men's palace, no one had ever been able to tell them apart when she imitated her sister.
"Your smile gave you away. You couldn't even keep a straight face."
Yao Yan flicked her forehead and continued, "Hurry up and finish refining the medicine. Use this chance to cleanse the remaining spatial energy in your body—it might benefit you."
"Oh~"
Fully restored, Cai Die was as obedient as ever, now even more radiant and enchanting. She nodded with a smile and immediately sat down to refine the medicinal energy.
Yao Yan watched her for a moment. After confirming everything was fine, he turned and left the room—to go clean up the mess she'd made.
At that moment, the auction house was in an uproar.
…
Cai Die's unsealing had caused her powerful Dou Huang aura to ripple across all of Yan City. Every expert above Da Dou Shi turned toward the auction house, curious about this unfamiliar but fearsome energy. The city lord himself even flew above the building, stunned by what he sensed and unsure what to do.
As the lord of Yan City, it was his responsibility to ensure its safety. But the pressure from this aura was truly frightening—he didn't know how to respond.
"City Lord Shi, there's no need for concern. This was just a friend of the Ice Emperor's unintentionally releasing their aura—not deliberate."
The auction house steward stepped out and explained to the city lord in the sky.
City Lord Shi's eyes flickered. He eyed the Mittel Family's steward and probed, "The Ice Emperor? He's here too? Might I request an audience?"
"No time."
A cold voice rang from within the auction house, clear and direct. City Lord Shi's expression froze before he cupped his hands respectfully and left.
He didn't dare get offended—not against Hai Bodong, one of the ten great powerhouses of the Jia Ma Empire. Even his royal connections wouldn't help, especially after Hai Bodong's recent showing in the Jia Ma–Chu Yun joint tournament where he fought a Dou Huang and a Dou Wang alone to a draw—shocking the entire arena.
Besides, with Hai Bodong present, the mysterious Dou Huang could be left to the imperial court to worry about.
At that moment—
Inside the auction house—
Hai Bodong looked at Yao Yan and smiled. "Looks like everything went smoothly."
"Not bad. Here's the reward I promised."
Yao Yan nodded and handed over a freshly refined peak Tier 5 Qi Nurturing Pill.
Hai Bodong stared at the pill with visible excitement. No one could stay calm when on the verge of a breakthrough—especially someone who had been stuck at Five-Star Dou Huang for over a decade. Clutching the bottle, he looked at Yao Yan and said solemnly, "Thank you. I owe you one. If you ever need anything, come find me at the Mittel Family in the capital!"
He understood full well the value of such a pill—especially one that could help a Dou Huang break through. And what he had done for Yao Yan in recent days certainly didn't match its worth. Yao Yan had practically given it for free.
"There's no need to talk favors between friends. Besides, you've helped me a lot. Without your assistance, I might not have made it out of the Tagore Desert so smoothly."
Yao Yan shook his head and looked Hai Bodong in the eyes, speaking sincerely.
Hai Bodong was stunned. It had been years since he'd heard the word "friend." He had very few in his lifetime, and among the living, only Teng Shan of the Mittel Family remained. After a moment of thought, he said, "Friend… If you don't mind, Young Master, I—Hai Bodong—would be honored to call you one."
"No need to be so serious. I'll probably be staying in the Jia Ma Empire for a few more years. If you need pills refined, better catch me while you can."
Yao Yan chuckled. He was happy to be friends with Hai Bodong. As for the man's strength—not that important. To an alchemist, what mattered most wasn't power.
Character was more important. It meant you could trust someone with your back.
"Alright."
Hai Bodong didn't act modest. He nodded without hesitation.
To befriend an alchemist under seventeen like Yao Yan—he was more than willing.
(END CHAPTER)
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