The next morning, at dawn.
The first ray of sunlight crested from behind the mountain range. As it passed through the peaks, it seemed infinitely magnified—just a single beam, yet it shone as if gilded in gold.
Bathed in the morning glow, the mountains looked stunning, momentarily bathed in golden splendor, inspiring a sense of awe.
Countless warriors raised their heads to gaze at the mountain peak, their expressions solemn.
A commanding aura radiated from the massive mountain, making the undulating range look like a divine dragon coiled upon the earth.
On the second floor of the pavilion, Yang Kai opened his eyes from meditation and released a thread of Divine Sense to probe his surroundings. He found that Xueyue was already gone, but a strange, unfamiliar life aura waited outside.
Yang Kai turned his head to look. He saw a warrior dressed in a guard's uniform whose fluctuating cultivation was noticeably stronger than his own—likely a Third-Order Saints.
The man stood there with nothing to do, looking somewhat impatient and rather displeased, as if someone had assigned him a task he did not enjoy.
After a moment's thought, Yang Kai lightly leaped down from the second floor and landed before the man, asking casually, "Can I help you, friend?"
The man heard the movement and turned around, offering a half-hearted cupped-fist salute. "You're that guard of Lady Xue's, aren't you?"
"That's right." Yang Kai gave a slight nod.
"Lady Xue said she'll be handling some matters with Lord Halika today, and it might take a few days. Since you're unfamiliar with the area, she asked me to look after you!"
"Look after me?" Yang Kai raised an eyebrow.
"Our Rainwater Falls Star has plenty of places for entertainment—I guarantee you won't be disappointed!" As he spoke, he looked Yang Kai up and down, genuinely unable to understand why this young man, being Lady Xue's guard, wasn't staying at her side to protect her, and instead had the gorgeous Lady Xue fussing over his feelings!
What kind of treatment was that? If guards got this sort of consideration, it would be far too enviable. He was a guard himself and had never once encountered such good fortune.
He seethed with silent indignation, wishing he could follow at that Lady Xue's side and serve her faithfully.
Hearing this, Yang Kai immediately understood—Xueyue was worried he'd be bored and wanted to keep him occupied. He considered for a moment, then shook his head with a smile. "I appreciate the kind offer, friend, but I'm not much for lively places. I'd rather not go out for entertainment."
The man stared at Yang Kai with a peculiar look, clearly not expecting him to be so level-headed. He nodded slightly. "There are quiet places too. Oh, right—the branch has been running a grand auction recently. All sorts of rare treasures and exotic treasures will appear. If you're interested, you could go take a look."
"An auction?" Yang Kai's eyes lit up.
"Yes. Roughly half the items are provided by the Commerce Association, but many outside warriors also bring in rare finds from their adventures and have the association auction them off on their behalf. This kind of grand event is held once every few years, and occasionally some truly rare treasures turn up."
"That does sound interesting." Yang Kai's face lit up with delight. He had never attended such an event before. Back on the Profound Sky Continent, he had heard about them many times and knew they were an important way for warriors to acquire rare and precious treasures.
"The auctions on Rainwater Falls Star last for multiple days. During the auction, only Sacred Crystals are accepted as payment. But after the auction ends, there's a private trading gathering held separately. That one's up to personal preference—you can use Sacred Crystals or trade item for item!" Seeing that Yang Kai seemed interested, the man volunteered a few more details, then asked, "Would you like to go check it out?"
He had gathered that Yang Kai didn't seem to have seen much of the world, but since Lady Xue had taken a liking to him, he ought to be courteous.
"How many Sacred Crystals would I need to participate?" Yang Kai asked.
The man smiled and said offhandedly, "About five hundred thousand. Otherwise, you might not even qualify to get in."
"Five hundred thousand..." The corner of Yang Kai's mouth twitched subtly.
He had indeed confiscated a fair number of Sacred Crystals from the Purple Star and Sword Alliance people on the Floating Continent, but the amount wasn't that large. After purchasing the Star Shuttle and the ore, he was left with only a few hundred Sacred Crystals as emergency reserves.
Five hundred thousand was absolutely out of the question—for him now, that was a staggering sum.
He did possess many Spirit Herbs and Spirit Medicines of the Void King Grade and even higher. If sold, each one would certainly fetch an excellent price. But Yang Kai was an Alchemist himself, and those medicinal ingredients could be of tremendous help in his Alchemical Path. He had no intention of selling them.
"What do you think, friend?" the man prompted impatiently. He had been ordered to take Yang Kai out for a good time, but the fellow kept deliberating, which put him in a foul mood.
"Forget it—I'll pass." Yang Kai waved his hand. Simply going to the auction to watch the excitement would be boring enough, and there was nothing he urgently needed to buy right now.
"Then suit yourself." The man wasted no more words on Yang Kai, gave a slight cupped-fist salute, and left directly.
Bathed in the gentle sunlight, everything felt pleasantly warm—especially for someone like Yang Kai, who had cultivated Yang-attribute techniques or martial skills. Sunlight would always carry a sense of warmth and kinship.