Hong Yu turned and walked over to Yun Mengyao's side.
Yun Mengyao's eyes were slightly red, but her gaze on Hong Yu shimmered with a bright luster.
"You're not hurt, are you, little one?" Hong Yu asked, ruffling her hair.
Yun Mengyao shook her head, a sweet, faint smile gracing her lips. "I'm fine!"
"That's good!"
The two of them, brother and sister, returned to the house.
Looking around the empty, messy room, Hong Yu gently pulled Yun Mengyao into his arms. "Yaoyao, I promise I'll get stronger. I'll never let you suffer like this again..."
Yun Mengyao didn't say anything, just nodded forcefully.
The little girl's shoulders shook as she began to sob.
Society was too cruel, the world too brutal. Every family had its own struggles.
"You're such a big girl now, still crying your eyes out. You'll never get married at this rate!" Hong Yu teased with a smile.
Yun Mengyao lifted her small head, crinkling her delicate nose. "Wouldn't it be better if I don't get married? Then I can stay with you forever, big brother!"
"You little rascal..."
Hong Yu dotingly ruffled her hair again.
If anyone from the Underground Alliance knew that the great Silver Hunter Luoo also had such a gentle side, they would probably be shocked speechless.
However, none of that mattered to Hong Yu.
In his past life, Hong Yu had been all alone, desperate for the warmth of a family. After transmigrating, Yun Mengyao was his only kin. Her unwavering loyalty had deeply moved him. And so, Yun Mengyao was everything to him—his reversed scale.
"Big brother, you should rest first. I'll clean up the house!" Yun Mengyao said, her eyes half-closed as she enjoyed Hong Yu's gentle touch like a kitten. After a moment, she finally left his embrace.
'Ever since I came to this family, Yun Mengyao hasn't had a single good day!' Watching her slender figure begin to tidy the room, Hong Yu felt a sting in his nose.
Hong Yu sighed. "Little one, you've had a scare today. Go get some rest. I can take care of the cleaning!"
The little girl stuck out her tongue and giggled. "No need. I'll rest after I finish tidying up. You, on the other hand, must be exhausted, big brother. Go get some sleep! I'll wake you up for dinner."
Looking at the stubborn little girl, Hong Yu felt a strange flutter in his heart.
Seeing Hong Yu hesitate, Yun Mengyao pouted her pink lips and gently pushed him into the bedroom with her fair, slender arms before returning to the main hall to continue her work.
'Little one, I will definitely give you a good life!' Hong Yu thought as he sat cross-legged on the bed. He clenched his fists and summoned the Profound Celestial Tower, which he could now store inside his body.
'Hong Lin's Rising Dragon Fist is incredibly powerful. If I can master it, with my current cultivation at the Late Eighth Layer of the Essence Realm, my combat strength won't be any weaker than a typical expert at the Early Ninth Layer of the Essence Realm!'
Martial Skills were an excellent way to increase one's strength!
This Rising Dragon Fist was a fragment of a profound Martial Skill. Although it was only considered High Level, its value was no less than that of a Top-Level Martial Skill, and its power could not be underestimated.
Even though Hong Lin had been defeated by Hong Yu while using the Rising Dragon Fist, it was only because Hong Lin himself had just begun to learn it.
If Hong Lin had cultivated the Rising Dragon Fist to the Perfection Realm, the outcome of today's battle would have been much harder to predict!
The Shadow Martial Arts Function activated again. Hong Yu focused his mind, watching the dark figure in his Consciousness Space endlessly demonstrate the Rising Dragon Fist...
「Three days passed in the blink of an eye.」
Over these three days, Hong Yu not only used the Shadow Martial Arts Function to cultivate his Rising Dragon Fist to the Mastery Realm, but he also took the time to study the tools he had bought, memorizing the use and effects of each item.
「On this day.」
The sun was setting in the west; it was already dusk.
Hong Yu sat cross-legged on his bed, his hands placed before his lower abdomen in the "Five Hearts to Heaven" posture. As he circulated his Profound Skill, surging waves of Elemental Power condensed from the void and gradually flowed into his body.
The aura surrounding Hong Yu reached a critical point.
This intense fluctuation of energy continued. He was on the verge of breaking through to the Peak of the Eighth Layer of the Essence Realm, yet it felt like he was held back by the smallest of hindrances.
If he successfully broke through this step, he would advance to the Peak of the Eighth Layer of the Essence Realm. At that point, he would even be able to fight an expert at the Mid-Ninth Layer of the Essence Realm!
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
The fluctuations of Elemental Power in the surrounding space grew more and more violent.
At a certain moment, Hong Yu's eyes flew open, a razor-sharp glint flashing within them. A low roar rumbled in his throat as the stagnant aura around his body finally surged and soared once more.
He had finally shattered that barrier, successfully stepping into the Peak of the Eighth Layer of the Essence Realm!
Hong Yu's advancement slowly came to a halt.
'A life-and-death battle really is the best way to improve one's cultivation. With my current strength, I can even hold my own against an expert at the Mid-Ninth Layer of the Essence Realm. Now I just have to wait for the auction to end, buy the remaining tools, and then I can head to the Dead Soul Mountain Range!'
The corners of Hong Yu's lips curled up slightly, forming a faint arc.
Now that he had successfully broken through to the Peak of the Eighth Layer of the Essence Realm, he just needed a few special tools, and he would definitely be able to complete the Restoring Yin Grass mission!
This was crucial to whether he could hire Master Xue Butong to treat Yaoyao, so there was absolutely no room for carelessness.
He sat quietly on the bed, experiencing the changes brought by his breakthrough. It wasn't until about an hour later that he finally stood up. After washing up and changing into a clean set of clothes, he headed for the door.
The auction for the Yunyuan Pill was tonight.
...
The Underground Alliance held a grand auction once every month.
At these auctions, every item up for bid was a rare treasure seldom seen on the market.
With the Underground Alliance's vast Divine Techniques, sometimes even Desolate Beast cubs and strange, non-human lifeforms were auctioned off as goods. Of course, since it was an auction, Profound Skills, Martial Skills, and essential Pills for cultivation were also indispensable!
Luxurious chariots rolled in one after another. The Underground Alliance was divided into an outer court and an inner court.
The area where Hunters operated was called the inner court, so events like this auction were naturally held in the outer court.
Hong Yu arrived at the Underground Alliance on foot. Surveying the bustling scene, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart. 'As expected of the Underground Alliance. Its influence is terrifying!'
Muttering to himself, Hong Yu turned and walked toward the auction house.
Just as he turned, the Profound Celestial Tower suddenly issued a dangerous warning. A strong gust of wind rushed at him from behind. Hong Yu's heart tightened. He hurriedly dodged to the side, sliding a good seven or eight meters before stopping. His cold gaze shot back toward where he had just been standing.
At that moment, where Hong Yu had been standing, a luxurious chariot screeched to a halt, leaving long skid marks behind it.
A familiar voice, tinged with a hint of regret, called out, "Oh my, I'm so sorry! The chariot was going too fast to stop in time!"
As the voice faded, Hongyan's figure leaped down from the chariot, a smirk playing on his face as he looked at Hong Yu.
Hong Yu's face was incredibly grim. "Hongyan, what is the meaning of this?"
"Ah ha, isn't this Hong Yu? So sorry, I didn't see anyone in front of me just now and couldn't control the chariot in time!" Hongyan laughed, showing not the slightest hint of an apology.
'Didn't see me? This street is ten meters wide and several hundred meters long. Unless you're blind, how could you not see someone in front of you? Who the hell are you trying to fool?'
Hong Yu was furious.
He was two hundred percent certain that Hongyan had done it on purpose. If the Profound Celestial Tower hadn't warned him in time, he would have been sent flying by the speeding chariot.
'Even if I were at the Ninth Layer of the Essence Realm, I couldn't have withstood the fierce impact of a speeding chariot!'
Just then, Hong Lin slowly descended from the chariot.
Compared to three days ago, Hong Lin had lost some of his arrogance and impulsiveness, replaced by a cold and steady demeanor. He gave Hong Yu nothing more than a faint glance before looking away, as if Hong Yu were a mere ant unworthy of his attention.
Following him, a young man in brocade robes stepped forward.
When Hong Yu saw this young man, his eyes narrowed.
Hong Luàn. Hong Lin's older brother, a Peak Powerhouse at the Peak of the Ninth Layer of the Essence Realm!
This man was not only a genius of the Hong Family but also a Silver Hunter with a considerable reputation in the Underground Alliance. In the past, Hong Yu had fought him under the identity of Luoo. However, back then, Hong Yu had been narrowly defeated in three moves, forced to watch as Hong Luàn snatched away the Profound Beast he had hunted.
Sensing the chill in Hong Yu's eyes, Hong Luàn narrowed his own. His indifferent gaze swept over Hong Yu, a smirk playing on his lips. "So you're Hong Yu, the one who defeated my little brother? For a mere member of a side branch to have such talent, and to have hidden your true strength for so long... it seems your ambitions are quite grand! Hehe, interesting. Truly interesting!"
Hong Luàn chuckled sinisterly as he, along with Hongyan and Hong Lin, headed towards the auction house.
"Hong Luàn..."
Hong Yu let out a long breath. 'Just you wait. One day, I'll settle all our scores, new and old!'
Even though Hong Luàn was already at the Peak of the Ninth Layer of the Essence Realm, Hong Yu was completely confident that, given a little more time, surpassing him would be an easy task.
Composing himself, Hong Yu walked toward the auction house.
When Hong Yu reached the entrance, he once again ran into Hong Luàn's group of three, who had just had their entry tickets checked. A flash of surprise crossed Hongyan's eyes when he saw Hong Yu approaching.
He was only able to attend the auction because of his connection to Hong Lin.
'But this Hong Yu...'
Hongyan narrowed his eyes and sneered, "Tsk tsk, wonders never cease, but there are more than usual this year. Some people just don't know their own limits. They don't even consider their own status, yet they dream of entering a high-class place like the auction house?"
Hongyan deliberately raised his voice, drawing the attention of the surrounding crowd.
One by one, smirking gazes drifted toward Hong Yu...
"Look at the kid's clothes. He's probably some unfavored disciple from a side branch. For someone of his status to think he can enter such a high-class auction... he must be dreaming!"
"The world is never short of people trying to fish in troubled waters!"
"Maybe he can actually get in?!"
Hearing the crowd's murmurs about Hong Yu, even the aloof Hong Lin couldn't help but reveal a faint smile. Hongyan placed his hands on his hips and sneered, "Hong Yu, if I were you, I would've tucked my tail and run long ago. Are you going to stay here and embarrass yourself?"
"..."
Hong Yu glanced at Hongyan.
He couldn't be bothered to argue and walked directly toward the auction house entrance.
"Has this guy lost his mind? Who does he think he is? A young master from the Hong Family's Direct Lineage? Daring to brazenly barge into the auction house like this... he's simply asking for death!" Hongyan sneered mockingly.
The surrounding crowd shared the same thought.
However, when they saw Hong Yu walk into the auction house unimpeded, and even saw the Underground Alliance expert responsible for verifying identities give him a gentle smile, the very people who had been mocking him just moments before were all stunned speechless.
Their faces burned, and remembering their earlier taunts felt like a series of merciless slaps across their cheeks...