"Of course," Ye Xuan said with a slight smile, unaware of Xia Wanjin's inner shock.
It was precisely this nonchalant tone that made Xia Wanjin value him even more. Ye Xuan was already a mysterious figure, and now, auctioning the "Po Yang Dan" so casually only deepened his curiosity about Ye Xuan's identity.
Damn it, could this guy's backing be even stronger than the Four Great Hegemonic Forces of the Endless Domain!? As an absolute core member of the Four Seas Merchant Association, Xia Wanjin naturally knew far more than outsiders. While their association outwardly had cultivators of the Blazing Sun realm guarding them, few knew that their strongest ancestor had already reached the sixth heaven of the Blazing Sun realm. It wasn't just their association; the other three hegemonic forces were the same. Otherwise, how could they have stood firm in the Endless Domain for hundreds of thousands of years! As for the hidden powers beneath them, many of their strongest ancestors also existed at the third or fourth heaven of the Blazing Sun realm. Thus, while only four hegemonic forces appeared on the surface in the Endless Domain, there were actually at least ten times that number qualified to be called hegemonic forces, with at least a handful comparable to their strength.
"Sect Master Ye, please go slowly!" Xia Wanjin personally saw Ye Xuan off towards the auction area. This treatment truly terrified the staff leading Ye Xuan, their legs turning to jelly. "My heavens, am I dreaming? Second Master is actually... personally seeing this adult off."
"Good heavens! Who exactly is this adult? This is too terrifying! You know, even the strongest ancestor of the Grandmist Holy Kingdom doesn't receive such treatment." After all, while the strongest ancestor of the Grandmist Holy Kingdom was a cultivator of the Blazing Sun realm, their Four Seas Merchant Association didn't fear him, as he was merely at the bottom of the Blazing Sun realm. Under these circumstances, even if the Grandmist Holy Kingdom wanted to rise to hegemonic status, it would be impossible unless they sought their own demise! Hegemonic forces weren't just about having cultivators of the Blazing Sun realm; the waters ran deep.
A few minutes later.
Inside the auction hall, after Ye Xuan and his group arrived, even Luo Tianyi was stunned by the magnificent spectacle. She had attended auctions before, and not just once, but she had never seen such a grand venue with such an excellent vantage point. The auction was divided into private rooms and main hall seating. There were no less than ten thousand private rooms, and the main hall seating exceeded one hundred thousand, undoubtedly making this the grandest auction. Forces of all kinds were gathered, countless!
What a joke! With over a hundred thousand people participating in the auction, the number of gathered forces was imaginable. Furthermore, ordinary holy kingdoms and powers were not qualified to receive an invitation. To participate in the Myriad Nations Trade Convention, one needed to be at least a third-class holy kingdom or power. This condition alone was enough to eliminate over ninety percent of holy kingdoms and powers!
With over a hundred thousand people participating in the bidding, and each item meticulously prepared by their respective holy kingdoms and powers, it had to be said that with the Grandmist Holy Kingdom leading and the Four Seas Merchant Association assisting, this trade convention presented an unprecedented grand occasion.
"Ahem... Welcome everyone to this Myriad Nations Trade Convention. To introduce myself, my name is Xia Wanjin, the new president of the Grandmist Holy City branch of the Four Seas Merchant Association."
"It is a great honor for me personally to be able to co-host the Myriad Nations Exchange Convention with the Grandmist Holy Kingdom right after taking office as branch president..."
After a round of warm-up remarks, the over a hundred thousand people in the hall were all visibly moved. Instantly, countless gazes fell upon the auction stage, and a wave of murmurs erupted.
"What!"
"Xia Wanjin of the Four Seas Merchant Association!"
"One of the Twin Elites of the Four Seas Merchant Association!!"
A person's reputation precedes them. Xia Wanjin, a powerful dark horse in his youth, was capable enough to hold the position of President of the Four Seas Merchant Association. If it weren't for him not being the eldest, he would have been the prime candidate for the presidency. After all, as a martial arts enthusiast, his strength was beyond doubt. Even the President of the Four Seas Merchant Association wasn't as strong as him by a hairline, a fact known to all. When Xia Wanjin was mentioned, he was a role model and prodigy pursued by countless people tens of thousands of years ago! Unfortunately, the current Xia Wanjin had retreated behind the scenes, and his exact strength was unknown.
Hearing the heated discussions in the hall, Ye Xuan frowned slightly and then looked at Xia Wanjin on the auction stage. "I didn't expect Xia Potian's uncle to be so extraordinary."
"The Twin Elites of the Four Seas Merchant Association, tsk tsk~~" Xia Wanjin naturally took in everyone's reactions. With tens of thousands of years of accumulation, he had lost a bit of his arrogance and gained more composure. It was precisely for this reason that the President of the Four Seas Merchant Association felt at ease letting him take charge independently!
"Alright, enough talk." After a brief warm-up, Xia Wanjin subtly glanced at the private box where Ye Xuan was seated. This person was currently the most important individual in the hall to their Four Seas Merchant Association, without exception.
"The auction begins now!" Xia Wanjin curved his lips and then directly dropped a bombshell. With a flip of his right hand, a brocade box appeared. He then opened a slight gap in the brocade box.
*Buzz~*
Instantly, an extremely potent pill fragrance swept through the entire venue. Luo Tianyi, in Ye Xuan's private box, smelled the familiar pill fragrance and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "This is... Po Yang Dan!?"
"Yes!" Clearly, Ye Xuan was also taken aback by Xia Wanjin's move. "Good heavens, starting with such a bombshell. Does the Four Seas Merchant Association always play by the rules?" However, this was the best way to maximize the value of the "Po Yang Dan."
"This is... what kind of pill!"
"It's unbelievable!"
"Just smelling this pill fragrance makes me feel my cultivation realm is loosening. If I were to consume it, I can't even imagine."
At that moment, the auction hall erupted into a frenzy. As expected, the Four Seas Merchant Association's opening move had truly captured everyone's attention! What a joke! They couldn't help but pay attention; this first auction item was too incredible. Even though they didn't yet know the specific effects of this pill.
Xia Wanjin took in everyone's reactions. Having followed his cunning elder brother for tens of thousands of years, he had been thoroughly "blackened" and was now an expert in the art of auctions. Knowing that everyone's interest had been piqued, he said at the opportune moment, "Distinguished guests, this pill has been placed first to liven up the atmosphere."
"Of course!"
"I can responsibly tell you all that among the over a thousand auction items today, this pill is undoubtedly among the top three!"
"This pill is named the 'Po Yang Dan.' Its effect is to allow peak-level experts below the ninth heaven of the Blazing Sun realm to increase their cultivation by one level without any side effects..."
As Xia Wanjin spoke eloquently, the experts from the Blazing Sun realm powers all perked up. "What!? It can allow peak-level cultivators in the Blazing Sun realm to break through one level? This... Damn it, this pill must be acquired, no matter the cost!"