"Heh, fair bidding, right? My Sky Thunder Valley may not necessarily lose to others!"

As Kong Qianshan shifted his gaze to Yun Xiao, although his tone seemed to carry a hint of amusement, his expression remained icy cold. It seemed that although he had apologized to Mei Qian, he was unwilling to let go of his grudge against this young interloper.

"Six million five hundred thousand!"

As soon as the words fell, everything returned to the bidding rhythm. The price, which had almost sealed the deal because of Xiao Qiming, soared another five hundred thousand, showcasing the wealth and extravagance of the Sky Thunder Valley prodigies.

"Six million six hundred thousand!"

Naturally, Yun Xiao wouldn't care about any prodigies of Sky Thunder Valley. He only knew he was determined to get that Soul Devouring Beast, especially since even the Golden Snake Worm Xiao Wu had taken a liking to it; he couldn't let it slip away so easily.

As for the gold coins, after continuously taking down Yang Family Master of Ancient Moon City, Xu Huang, the branch chairman of Spirit Fighting Commerce in Yuyang City, Xia Yong, the Special Envoy of Spirit Fighting Commerce Headquarters, and Liu Family Master Liu Qiguang of Lushan City, his wealth was unmatched. Although it might not surpass the true power holders of Sky Thunder Valley, compared to the likes of the Kong brothers, he was exceedingly wealthy.

In Yun Xiao's Waist Storage, gold coins alone do not fall short of one billion, let alone the numerous treasures and Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures looted from those great figures. This was vastly different from his once empty pockets during his time at the Meridian Refining Master Guild in Lingyun City, Hidden Dragon Continent.

Money is just an external possession; if lost, it can be earned again. This was Yun Xiao's thought. What mattered most now was enhancing his strength. A Soul Devouring Beast, favored by the Golden Snake Worm Xiao Wu, could perhaps significantly boost his power.

"Seven million!"

Yun Xiao's calm voice made the Kong brothers increasingly furious. This forty thousand gold coin increment each time seemed more heroic than that of a coarse-clothed youth, but, strangely, to many, it felt somewhat lacking in momentum.

At this moment, Yun Xiao was like a small boat standing firm amid raging waves. No matter how fierce the storm, he navigated steadily.

"Seven million one hundred thousand!"

Still with a ten thousand increment, this was not lower than ordinary auction bid increases. Yet, under the Kong brothers' wealth, it seemed somewhat inadequate.

A mere Eighth Rank Low Level Soul Devouring Beast, with a starting price of only one million gold coins, was now auctioning at over seven million, which indeed opened the eyes of many.

Some began to wonder if the Eighth Rank Low Level Soul Devouring Beast possessed some unknown special qualities?

However, even with such discoveries, no one dared to provoke the Kong brothers. They knew that if anyone dared to join the bidding now, they would likely incur the Kong brothers' wrath, and staying within the Southern Domain of Tenglong Continent would be difficult.

Some thought, seeing that "unknown newcomer" remaining so calm, perhaps he wouldn't give up on the Soul Devouring Beast no matter what. If so, even if he managed to win the Soul Devouring Beast, could he safely leave Thunder City with it?

"Eight million!"

As people's minds were varied, Kong Qianshan's voice came again, and this time the increase took everyone's breath away. Once again, it made people marvel at the wealth and extravagance of Sky Thunder Valley.

It seemed Kong Qianshan did not want to haggle with Yun Xiao any longer, aiming to use Sky Thunder Valley's financial power to crush the opponent, an audacity of directly raising by nineteen hundred thousand. Few in the venue could do such a thing.

Previously a bit disgruntled, Mei Qian was now smiling with narrowed eyes. She had no particular fondness for the Kong brothers, but the seemingly coarse-clothed youth suddenly appeared more and more favorable to her.

Because of Yun Xiao's sudden intervention, the Eighth Rank Low Level Soul Devouring Beast, originally expected to close at six million gold coins, had now been raised by two million, reaching a staggering eight million. And this momentum seemed set to climb even higher.

"Eight million one hundred thousand!"

Yun Xiao still appeared somewhat unenthusiastic, yet his bid was clear and unwavering, allowing everyone to hear it distinctly. It seemed this "little boat" was indeed navigating increasingly steadily.

"Young man, are you planning to tread a path to ruination?"

The opponent's unyielding attitude made the usually composed Kong Qianshan seethe with anger. Although his words weren't as overtly threatening as Kong Sihai's earlier, many could read between the lines.

"Could it be that you're out of money?"

Unexpectedly, Yun Xiao seemed to have missed the implication in Kong Qianshan's words entirely, instead posing such a question. While this drew amused chuckles from many, they couldn't help but admire the young man's audacity.

This was surely inviting more trouble with the Kong brothers. Yet, even in such a tense moment, his provocation was bold. Clearly, after this event, this unfamiliar-faced coarse-clothed youth would likely find himself added to the Kong brothers' blacklist.

"Big brother, we can't lose to that kid!"

Kong Sihai, filled with rage, was most concerned about his pride. If he really lost to the opposition in this auction, wouldn't that prove he was "out of money"?

"Judging by that kid's demeanor, it seems like he won't give up!"

Kong Qianshan, however, wasn't as easily provoked as his brother; his eyes coldly swept over Yun Xiao repeatedly but ultimately chose not to bid again, instead pondering a certain scheme.

"Second brother, sometimes even if you get something good in an auction, it's not necessarily yours, wouldn't you say?"

Soon after, Kong Qianshan suddenly turned his head, a smile emerging on his face as he spoke these words, causing Kong Sihai to pause and finally understand his brother's meaning.

"True, true, let that kid enjoy himself for a while first, and once we leave this Spirit Fighting Commerce, watch how I deal with him!"

Though he was hot-tempered, Kong Sihai was not a complete fool; upon realizing, he simmered down and even felt a bit excited.

"Huh? Did the Kong brothers give up?"

While the Kong brothers debated among themselves, no one overheard them. But after not hearing a bid for so long, the crowd began to notice something. If those two intended to continue bidding, they likely would have done so by now.

"Eight million one hundred thousand, first time; eight million one hundred thousand, second time; eight million one hundred thousand, third time, sold!"

When Mei Qian's gavel fell, she turned her beaming smile toward Yun Xiao's direction and announced loudly, "Congratulations to this young brother for winning the bid on this Eighth Rank Low Level Soul Devouring Beast!"

Once Mei Qian's words concluded, the crowd realized the Kong brothers had abandoned the bid. However, some with sharp minds didn't believe that the Eighth Rank Low Level Soul Devouring Beast truly belonged to that poorly dressed youngster, as Mei Qian stated.

For example, Xiao Qiming's eyes betrayed a peculiar gleam. Given his understanding of the Kong brothers' character, he suspected they wouldn't relent so easily; perhaps soon, there'd be a good show to watch.

"Foolish!"

Meanwhile, Chu Nian from the Chu Family glanced at Yun Xiao and scoffed softly, clearly disapproving of Yun Xiao's bidding war with the Kong brothers moments earlier.

Though he was pleased the Kong brothers gained nothing in the end, from Yun Xiao's perspective, this move was undoubtedly unwise.

At least within Sky Thunder Valley territory, even Chu Nian wasn't willing to antagonize the Kong brothers lightly, which was why he compromised earlier. Despite his impressive background making him fearless of Sky Thunder Valley, it was wise not to stir the waters in unfamiliar territory.

A seemingly background-less youth openly offended the Kong brothers during the auction. It's easy to imagine what kind of backlash awaits him, hence in Chu Nian's mind, Yun Xiao was already labeled as a "fool."

Of course, the crowd was unaware of what might transpire post-auction; what truly intrigued them was the upcoming items for bidding, as this was their primary purpose for attending.

"Next up, the third auction item, please!"

Experienced veteran Mei Qian paid no mind to the murmurs of the Kong brothers and, after noting Yun Xiao's plaque number, introduced the third auction item.

"Huh? This aura..."

When Yun Xiao sensed the fiery aura emanating from the auction stage, his eyes shone brightly, exclaiming inwardly that the trip to the Thunder City Douling Commerce auction was indeed worthwhile.

The main reason Yun Xiao attended the widely influential auction was to gather essential ingredients for a certain fire attribute elixir; the acquisition of the Soul Devouring Beast was merely a pleasant surprise.

Now, this blazing aura felt very familiar to Yun Xiao, appearing to be one of the primary ingredients he sought, naturally stirring his excitement and eagerness.

Sharing Yun Xiao's enthusiastic gaze was Kong Sihai, the second brother of the Kong family. Despite the "sea" in his name and originating from Sky Thunder Valley, his body contained a unique fire attribute.

Kong Sihai's prominence among the younger generation of Sky Thunder Valley was not solely due to his talent; his abnormal Fire Thunder Physique was the principal factor.

His Fire Thunder Physique combined the domineering nature of the Thunder Attribute with the power of the Fire Attribute, both being formidable in attack power, which led to Kong Sihai's increased aggression and strength.

Thus, while Kong Sihai was intrigued by Thunder Attribute Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, he also delighted in certain fire attribute items, such as the object presently concealed under the red cloth—though unseen, its fiery presence was clearly sensed by him.