"Let's go."
Xu Tianyang smiled slightly at Snow Empress and led the way into the auction center.
The auction center was arranged somewhat similarly to the Great Spirit Arena, with a circular stage in the center, surrounded by concentric circles of seats arranged radially according to the color of spirit rings.
The innermost red seats required access through a special passage and were protected by dedicated security personnel. Only individuals of status and position could obtain red VIP qualifications.
Xu Tianyang and Snow Empress were escorted to the central red seats.
The most exquisite auction items in the large auction house typically wouldn't be presented until the evening. It was still a bit early, so there weren't many people in the venue, and most of the items being auctioned were common, with no rare treasures that would catch the eye.
After a few glances, Xu Tianyang lost interest. He propped his chin with one hand, quietly watching the otherworldly Snow Empress beside him, and softly said, "If Snow Empress sees anything of interest, just bid for it directly. Don't worry about saving me money."
Snow Empress's calm eyes wavered slightly, and she said indifferently, "This Empress has money."
Xu Tianyang was somewhat speechless. He glanced at the storage spirit tool bracelet on her fair wrist. From his discerning eye, it was undoubtedly a top-tier item, and extremely ancient, not a product of recent times.
He had forgotten that Snow Empress had ruled the Far North for hundreds of thousands of years. Even though the Far North was a forbidden zone for humans, with few venturing there, the accumulation over such a long period had gradually formed an astonishing fortune.
With the wealth he currently possessed, he probably couldn't compare to Snow Empress. After all, he hadn't carried much money with him since childhood.
After being shown up by the rich woman, Xu Tianyang gloomily directed his gaze to the distant auction stage, not noticing the slight curl of Snow Empress's lips.
As time passed, the number of people in the auction house gradually increased. A young man, surrounded by several other young people, walked in. The youth strode with an arrogant gait, practically screaming 'I am a profligate' on his face.
His gaze swept over everyone uninhibitedly, and when it finally landed on Snow Empress, his eyes immediately lit up, and an expression of infatuation appeared on his face. His steps unconsciously moved towards the two.
"A femme fatale is truly well-named. I have a sense of deja vu, like a novel's protagonist..." Xu Tianyang sensed Xue Beng approaching, and his expression immediately turned helpless. He looked at Snow Empress and complained.
Snow Empress didn't even glance at Xue Beng and his group. She just quietly stared at Xu Tianyang, with a look that said, 'You handle it.'
"This one..."
"Take one more step... and die!!!"
When Xue Beng was about five meters from Snow Empress, Xu Tianyang turned to look at him. Silver mental force suddenly enveloped the other party, and a voice filled with kingly majesty sounded in his ear.
Xue Beng instantly felt as if his throat had been squeezed. His eyes immediately became incredibly clear, and his gaze at Xu Tianyang was filled with terror.
"Don't... don't kill me!!!" Xue Beng shrieked in terror, ignoring the shouts of his companions behind him, and ran directly out of the Heaven Dou Auction House.
"Fourth Imperial Prince!"
"..."
"See? That solves it. We shouldn't let a few ants spoil our mood." Xu Tianyang turned to Snow Empress, seemingly joking as if seeking praise.
"Next time someone gets close, this Empress will directly freeze him into an ice sculpture."
Xu Tianyang smiled bitterly and nodded, vigilantly watching for anyone who might approach. He didn't want these flies to ruin his and Snow Empress's mood.
"Oh!" Just then, Xu Tianyang and Snow Empress suddenly let out a sound of surprise. They exchanged a glance and, with a tacit understanding, turned to look, just in time to see two figures furtively walking to the white area in the back and sitting down.
The male figure was unremarkable and not outstanding, but the female had long scorpion braid hair and a cute face, coupled with a graceful figure, which made her much more eye-catching than the man beside her.
"Tang San, Xiao Wu." Xu Tianyang recognized the two at a glance. At this time, Tang San and Xiao Wu's cultivation was probably around level thirty-five and thirty-six, far less than in the original work.
After all, without the opportunity of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the Shrek Seven Devils could actually be considered crippled.
Apart from Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Oscar, none of the others had a chance to advance to Titled Douluo.
"A hundred-thousand-year Soft Bones Rabbit!" Snow Empress's cold voice sounded in Xu Tianyang's ear. With their vision, they naturally easily saw through Xiao Wu's true form.
Even if she now had a Spirit Bone in her body that could hide her aura, which was not present in the original work, it couldn't withstand their combined detection.
As for where the Spirit Bone came from, Xu Tianyang didn't care. Perhaps it was Da Ming, Er Ming, or perhaps Tang Hao... "Do you want to meet her?" Xu Tianyang withdrew his gaze, looking at Snow Empress and gently said, "After all, she's considered of the same race?"
"No need. Since she chose this path, it means she has abandoned her identity as a Spirit Beast. Moreover, she is not from the Far North." Snow Empress said indifferently. She maintained an attitude of disregard towards Xiao Wu; as long as she didn't block their way, it was fine.
"As you wish!" Seeing this, Xu Tianyang also withdrew his gaze and looked at the auction stage.
And just as the two withdrew their gazes, Xiao Wu in the back let out a long sigh of relief, and her tense body relaxed.
When she first entered, she instinctively felt probing gazes. Those gazes made her feel as if she had nowhere to hide in their eyes, giving her a sense of trepidation.
Fortunately, these two gazes quickly disappeared, even making her feel like she had sensed them incorrectly.
"Xiao Wu, what's wrong?" Tang San noticed Xiao Wu's abnormality, took her hand, and asked softly.
"Brother, I'm fine. Maybe I didn't rest well yesterday, and my mental force is not in good condition." Xiao Wu felt Tang San's concern and immediately smiled, saying softly.
"Then let's go to the pharmacy later to buy some medicine. The recent training intensity has indeed been a bit high. After we go back, I'll discuss it with the teacher and postpone it for a while." Tang San heard this and immediately looked at Xiao Wu with a pained expression, rubbing her head.
"Okay, Brother, look, our auction item is coming up soon." Xiao Wu thoroughly enjoyed Tang San's concern, regaining her excitement as she looked at the auction stage and said.
Tang San's attention was also involuntarily diverted, and he turned to look at the auction stage. What he didn't notice was that Xiao Wu's body leaned closer to him, as if only this could bring her enough sense of security.
On the stage, the host was making an introduction, "The next auction item, hailed by the auctioneer as the most exquisite weapon of this event, ladies and gentlemen, do not be fooled by its small size, for its power is truly astonishing.