Chapter Sixty-One: The Unruly Younglings of the Beast Tribe

"Could it be that even Father cannot penetrate that protective formation?" Qing Mo frowned as he asked.

Qing Yide glanced at Qing Mo and let out a sigh. "I was repelled by intimidation before I even got close."

"Intimidation? You? With spiritual sense?"

"With spiritual pressure!" Except before his own ancestral forebear, Qing Yide had never suffered such humiliation.

"Spiritual pressure? That person's cultivation is above yours? Could they be from the Sacred Realm as well? Perhaps someone we know?" Qing Mo was inwardly shaken, though outwardly he maintained the calm composure of a refined gentleman.

Qing Yide shook his head in denial. "If it were someone we knew, they would hardly act in such a manner."

Unable to restrain himself, Qing Mo glanced toward the room where You Xiyue and her companions resided—truth be told, his curiosity was now even greater.

"What if that expert also tries to compete with us for the treasure?" Qing Zhi cocked her little head, blinking her bright, adorable eyes.

"In an auction, the highest price wins." Qing Yide stroked Qing Zhi’s head, some color returning to his face. The Azure Dragon Clan had existed for nearly a century, their wealth unmatched by any other, with only the Candle Dragon Clan able to withstand their resources for long.

Compared to the cautious Azure Dragon Clan, the Candle Dragon Clan paid little heed to such concerns. The moment they entered their room, they began to feast, their lively revelry outshining even the excitement outside.

Jun Yang was not surprised by the Candle Dragon Clan’s behavior; with such fiery tempers, it would have been odd if they weren’t boisterous.

As the three awaited the opening of the auction, a peerless beauty arrived atop the Heavenly Fire Mountain.

In the arms of this newcomer was a white cat—upon closer inspection, one would recognize it as Xueyu, the very cat You Xiyue had been searching for.

Xueyu, held in the stranger’s hands, was restless, clearly eager to escape and seek out You Xiyue, even baring its teeth at the person.

The stranger, however, was exceedingly patient, indulging Xueyu’s tantrums without the slightest reproach.

Eventually, Xueyu tired herself out and settled down.

The newcomer spread their spiritual sense across the entire Heavenly Fire Mountain, a satisfied smile curling their lips. With a wave of their voluminous sleeve toward the sky, the robe fluttered in the air, and dark clouds began to gather overhead. Before long, in the sweltering August heat, snowflakes began to fall.

The crystal snowflakes drifted softly onto the blazing earth, yet were not melted by the occasional tongues of flame that leapt upward. On the contrary, the flames were gradually smothered and buried by the falling snow.

Along with the flames, the black demonic aura pervading the air was also shrouded.

Snowflakes wrapped around the demonic aura then changed course, drifting toward the one holding Xueyu. Bit by bit, a petite snowman began to take shape before the stranger.

The snowman, however, was hardly docile—it squirmed awkwardly, emitting a series of crunching sounds.

The stranger looked down at the snowman, freed their right hand, pressed two fingers together, and made a simple gesture in the air. A pale blue fox fire flared at their fingertips.

At the sight of the blue fox fire, the snowman struggled more fiercely, as if terrified.

Yet the stranger showed no mercy, directing a finger at the snowman. Instantly, the blue fox fire engulfed it.

In a flash, the snowman’s crystalline body was melted and shattered, bursting into countless sparkling fragments which drifted into the stranger’s body.

All that remained was a fading consciousness: "You dare absorb me entirely? Are you not afraid of being utterly demonized, losing control, and losing yourself?"

The stranger merely smiled, rubbing Xueyu in their arms.

"You’ve got something delicious again."

"Meow?" Xueyu looked up in confusion.

The stranger raised an index finger and placed it in Xueyu’s mouth.

The demonic energy of the Myriad Demon Fire Evil Spirit, now purified by the stranger, began to flow into Xueyu’s belly.

What Lutan had tried so hard to conceal was that his master’s fox fire could purify the Myriad Demon Fire Evil Spirit.

And his master—Xun Yu—actually had no desire to encounter You Xiyue and Jun Yang. They hadn’t expected the two to find this place so suddenly.

Thus, Xun Yu had ordered Lutan to whisk them away as quickly as possible.

Xun Yu gazed up at the sky where snowflakes still drifted downward.

"If I could truly become a demon without losing my mind… perhaps that wouldn’t be so bad…"

Whether these words were meant for Xueyu or merely self-reflection, it was hard to tell.

Xueyu was too busy greedily devouring the demonic energy to care what Xun Yu was saying.

"Getting greedier and greedier, yet your cultivation never increases—where could it all be going?" Xun Yu murmured softly, rubbing Xueyu’s head.

...

The auction at Immortal Treasure Pavilion finally commenced amidst a chorus of excitement.

The Candle Dragon Clan members had by now eaten their fill.

Fan Lihua patted her round belly and declared boldly, "Father, do you think we can outbid the Azure Dragon Clan today?"

Fan Zhujiu eyed his daughter’s lack of decorum and gave her a firm pat on the shoulder. "My dear girl, you ought to behave more like a proper lady."

"What good is that?"

"What good?" The question stumped Fan Zhujiu. He tilted his head, pondering, but no answer came to mind. So he smacked his sixth brother, Fan Zhuliu, who was seated on his other side. "What use is being a proper lady?"

Fan Zhuliu let out a hearty laugh. "Ha ha—none at all."

"…"

Fan Zhujiu shot him a look, wondering why he’d brought him along in the first place.

Fan Lihua raised an eyebrow at Fan Zhujiu. "See, even Sixth Uncle says so."

"He knows nothing!" Fan Zhujiu retorted, giving up on the subject.

"Father, you still haven’t told me—can we outbid the Azure Dragon Clan or not? They’re famously wealthy, after all," Fan Lihua pressed.

Fan Zhujiu snorted. "If we can’t win with spirit stones, then we’ll use force."

"Openly snatch it? That’s not very proper…"

"And why not?" Fan Zhujiu scoffed. "Back in the day, the old ancestor of the Teng Snake Clan would rob anyone he fancied, and no one dared say a word about it."

"You mean the Teng Snake Clan who was banished to the Divine Realm?" Fan Lihua asked eagerly.

"Yes, that old rascal—always shameless…" Fan Zhujiu paused mid-sentence, feeling a chill at his back. He glanced around but saw nothing, so he finished, "…face."

In the neighboring room, Jun Yang heard everything clearly, and slapped the table with a start. "What kind of education are the younger generation of the Candle Dragon Clan receiving?"

You Xiyue couldn’t help but stifle a laugh, then pursed her lips, feigning seriousness. "But is what they said untrue?"

Caught off guard by her question, Jun Yang hesitated, then stammered, "Well… that was all when I was…"

"Young and reckless?" You Xiyue cut in, unable to help herself and bursting into laughter.

"My little ancestor!" Jun Yang said helplessly. Who hadn’t been young once?

You Xiyue wanted to say that everyone has a wild youth, but few managed to make so many enemies…

"I must find a chance to teach those juniors a lesson—they’re far too unruly," Jun Yang vowed fiercely.

"And what if they use their bloodline power?" You Xiyue asked.