Compared to these two, Wang Jie and Gu Yun, with their frantic antics and arrogant behavior after getting a silver token, looked like complete clowns.

Subtly, the Martial Artists and families from all over the empire took note of the Luo family.

In their eyes, the Luo family had character and was low-key—undoubtedly a remarkable clan.

While the crowd was abuzz with discussion, Ye Xuan and Luo Cheng were led into a private hall.

Quite a few people were already gathered in the hall, chatting with one another in small groups of two and three.

"Gentlemen, the auction hasn’t started yet. Please rest here for a while. You’ll be able to enter your private boxes just before it begins."

The middle-aged steward said humbly.

"Understood. You may go," Ye Xuan said with a wave of his hand.

The rules for auctions varied from place to place, which Ye Xuan understood. Besides, it wasn’t as if they were expected to just sit around doing nothing in this hall.

The service was meticulous. All sorts of refreshments, drinks, and wines were in ample supply, readily available for the taking, and there were seats for resting scattered everywhere.

The seating arrangements were also quite clever, distributed in pairs and small groups. This allowed acquaintances to converse intimately without being disturbed by outsiders.

By now, many people had gathered in the hall. As Ye Xuan scanned the room, he was surprised to see quite a few familiar faces.

Murong Yunxiao, Murong Yunyi, Qin Yu, Zhou Qingwei, and the others were all here.

Even Ye Xuan recognized a few of them, to say nothing of Luo Cheng.

People like Liu Xing, Zhou Chengping, and Xuu Guang, who were affiliated with the Murong family, had once been close with Luo Cheng. They knew each other well and often hung out together.

But now, upon seeing Luo Cheng, their gazes flickered, and they didn’t even dare to come over and say hello.

The Luo family currently occupied a very peculiar position in the Imperial Capital. Basically, no one dared to associate with them.

If it weren’t for the rumored connection to the Artifact Refining Workshop, many families would have probably tried to take a bite out of them and claim a piece of the pie.

"Young Master Ye, let’s find a spot and wait. The auction will probably start in about an hour." Luo Cheng was a regular at these auctions and was familiar with the proceedings. He scanned the area, found a relatively empty spot, and was about to beckon Ye Xuan to sit.

Seeing Ye Xuan and Luo Cheng walking toward the empty seats in the corner, a disdainful look instantly appeared on Qin Yu’s face from afar. He sneered, "What a surprise. The Luo family actually has the spare time to attend an auction? This is the Heaven-Reaching Pavilion’s annual auction. Do you still have the financial resources to buy anything? I have my doubts."

The moment Qin Yu said this, the entire hall fell silent. Everyone’s eyes turned to look.

Murong Yunyi’s expression was one of indifference, Murong Yunxiao’s brow furrowed slightly, and a flicker of contempt crossed Zhou Qingwei’s eyes.

"Is everyone in your Qin family a rabid dog? Why is it that whether it’s the master or the subordinates, you all just run up and take a bite out of anyone you see?"

Ye Xuan shot Qin Yu a glance and sneered.

"What did you say?" Qin Yu’s gaze sharpened.

"This is the Heaven-Reaching Pavilion. I can’t be bothered to trade barbs with you, and you can’t do anything to me here. Stop trying to get attention in front of me. Don’t you know how nauseating your behavior is?"

When it came to verbal sparring, how could Qin Yu possibly compare to Ye Xuan? After that tirade, Qin Yu was left speechless, trembling with rage.

Just as Ye Xuan had said, an ordinary family in the empire might not know about the Heaven-Reaching Pavilion’s background, but the Qin family certainly did. It was an absolute behemoth that no one dared to provoke lightly.

Ye Xuan’s words also left the other distinguished guests present dumbfounded.

It was said that the Luo and Qin families were at odds, a fact that many major families from outside the Imperial Capital found hard to believe. But now, seeing Ye Xuan’s defiant behavior, they were all stunned. The rumors were actually true.

’To dare talk back to Qin Yu like that... this kid has some serious nerve.’

"Brat, don’t think you’re so great just because you’ve latched onto the Artifact Refining Workshop. If my Qin family wanted to destroy you, it would be over in a matter of minutes," Qin Yu roared.

Ye Xuan let out a disdainful laugh. "I don’t think so. It’s not like you haven’t sent assassins after me, Qin Yu, yet here I am, alive and kicking. If you’re a man, stop spouting useless threats. If you have any real skills, bring them on after we leave the Heaven-Reaching Pavilion. As for right now? Stop farting around."

With that said, Ye Xuan couldn’t be bothered with Qin Yu any longer. He gestured for Luo Cheng to sit down, poured himself a cup of tea, and began to sip it slowly.

Qin Yu’s face turned livid with anger.

Seeing Qin Yu being put in his place, the crowd was secretly astonished. It was rare to see someone in the Imperial Capital who could make the Qin family lose face.

The arrival of Ye Xuan and Luo Cheng was merely a small interlude and didn’t cause any major waves.

The crowd soon resumed their conversations.

However, a vacuum had formed around Ye Xuan and Luo Cheng. No one was willing to approach them.

Ye Xuan and Luo Cheng paid it no mind, closing their eyes to rest and chatting with each other.

Not far away, Qin Yu watched this scene with a cold, sinister gaze, his mind already churning with some wicked scheme.

The hall was clearly divided into different factions. Many of the young talents were gathered around Zhou Qingwei and Murong Yunxiao.

Murong Yunxiao, elegant and simple, treated everyone’s enthusiasm with a calm detachment, appearing somewhat quiet.

Zhou Qingwei, on the other hand, moved through the crowd, seemingly enjoying the feeling of being the center of attention.

Besides these beautiful women, there were also a few young men who drew a great deal of attention.

Among them, beside Zhou Qingwei, was a young man with an extraordinary bearing. He wore a plain cyan robe with a longsword at his waist. A cyan headband held back his long hair in a loose ponytail, and the slight upturn of his lips gave him a roguish, untamed air that attracted a lot of attention.

Even Murong Yunyi and Qin Yu seemed to pale in comparison to him.

His eyes were calm, and he appeared gentle, but he exuded an air of superiority—an arrogance that placed him above everything and everyone.

Throughout the entire waiting period, he sat there quietly. It was only after Murong Yunxiao had settled into a corner that he picked up a cup of wine and approached her table.

"Brother Zhou Qingyu."

Upon his arrival, both Murong Yunyi and Qin Yu, who had been talking, actually stood up. They spoke with expressions of considerable apprehension.

Zhou Qingyu smiled faintly and nodded at them in greeting. Then, he looked at Murong Yunxiao and said with a smile, "Sister Yunxiao, it’s been a year. You’ve grown even more beautiful. Do you mind if I sit here?"

"Brother Zhou Qingyu, where you wish to sit is your own choice." Murong Yunxiao’s face showed no emotion.

"Haha, Sister Yunxiao, you’re still as spunky as ever. Your brother Yunyu often talks about you at the academy."

"Brother Yunyu?" Murong Yunxiao looked up, a flash of excitement in her eyes. "How is he doing at Gale Light Academy?"

Zhou Qingyu smiled faintly. "Your brother Yunyu is quite the celebrity at Gale Light Academy. Everyone knows his name."

A hint of a pleased smile touched Murong Yunxiao’s lips as she murmured, "Of course. Brother Yunyu is the most outstanding, no matter where he is."

Zhou Qingyu chuckled. "Not the most outstanding, but he’s certainly among the top tier."

Murong Yunxiao asked, surprised. "Is Gale Light Academy really that formidable?"

"What do you think?" A trace of fear flickered deep in Zhou Qingyu’s eyes as he spoke with a wry smile. "Gale Light Academy is fiercely competitive, a gathering of geniuses. It has nearly all the most talented individuals from the Dream Realm Plain. Even I feel immense pressure there. It’s something outsiders can’t even begin to imagine."

At this point, Zhou Qingyu glanced at Murong Yunyi and Qin Yu with disdain. "I hear you two have become quite famous in the Imperial Capital recently. To be honest, what you’re playing at is just child’s play. If you were at Gale Light Academy, you wouldn’t even qualify for the bottom rung."

"Especially you, Qin Yu. Take that kid from just now. If he dared to be that arrogant at Gale Light Academy, he’d be beyond dead by now. The only reason he can act so insolently is because he’s in front of you. And that’s because you are, in fact, completely useless."

Zhou Qingyu’s words were extremely harsh, showing no regard for Qin Yu’s feelings.

Qin Yu’s face instantly turned beet red. He stared daggers at Zhou Qingyu, his fists clenched tight, the rage inside him threatening to erupt like a volcano. In the end, however, he forced himself to suppress it.

"Don’t be resentful. Gale Light Academy is competitive. There was a reason you weren’t chosen back then," Zhou Qingyu said with a detached smile, completely ignoring Qin Yu’s anger.

"Sister Yunxiao, I heard you and Sister Wei are planning to take Gale Light Academy’s entrance exam this year? The exam is in just over a month. You’re only at the Tier Four Peak right now, which is a bit risky. If you can break through to the Tier Five Martial Sect in time, you should be safe."

Zhou Qingyu spoke with the condescending tone of an expert, offering his guidance from on high.

While Zhou Qingyu was criticizing Qin Yu and the others, Ye Xuan was surveying the hall, feeling rather puzzled.

"Luo Cheng, why aren’t there any high-ranking figures from the major families in this hall? People like the Zhou family Patriarch or the Qin family Patriarch—don’t they attend the Heaven-Reaching Pavilion’s auction?"

Ye Xuan asked doubtfully.

In his opinion, an annual auction like this should have been enough to attract many top-tier experts, but he couldn’t see a single Tier Seven Martial King Level master in the hall. It didn’t make sense.

Luo Cheng chuckled. "Young Master Ye, how could they not attend the Heaven-Reaching Pavilion’s annual auction? But the Clan Leaders of the major families have extraordinary status. They don’t arrive early. Most of them will only show up quietly after the auction starts. Some will only make an appearance when the final, headline item is presented."

Ye Xuan nodded in understanding.

At the same time, he also felt a sense of relief.

His Pill of Eternal Youth would be effective on any woman, but only those of high status could afford a sufficiently high price. If no high-ranking figures attended this auction, it would be difficult to cause much of a stir in the end.