Seeing the look on Li Yun's face, Li Hua smiled faintly and decided not to mention Li Yao again.
"By the way, Li Yun," she said, changing the subject, "I heard you'll be facing Li Xian in the family competition two months from now?"
"Yes," Li Yun nodded calmly.
Li Hua's brows furrowed slightly, a trace of worry flickering in her eyes. "Li Yun, that won't be easy. I heard you defeated Li Xian's younger brother, Li Nian, with a single move during the coming-of-age ceremony, but Li Xian is a different matter entirely. He's strong enough to have entered the Sword Hall, his strength is ranked among the top ten young practitioners in all of Azure Wind City. Are you really confident you can win in just three months?"
Li Yun smiled faintly, his voice light but resolute. "Then I'll just have to work harder." Though his words were simple, there was no hesitation in his tone.
Li Hua studied him for a moment, then nodded. "In that case, we can't afford to waste any time. Oh, right, there's a small auction at the Treasure Pavilion the day after tomorrow. You should attend. I heard one of the items up for bid is Purple Flower Fruit."
Li Yun's eyes widened slightly. "Purple Flower Fruit?"
He knew well what that was, an extremely rare spiritual fruit that could be consumed directly to boost cultivation. For any practitioner below the Xiantian Realm, it was a treasure that could significantly accelerate their progress. Every time it appeared, it triggered a fierce bidding war, and it was never cheap.
However, the most important use of purple flower fruit wasn't them at all. It was one of the ingredients required to refine the Body Tempering Pills.
"Yes," Li Hua said, smiling. "That's one of the reasons I came back this time. I'm planning to attend the auction as well, so I'll take you along. If we can get that fruit, it will help you greatly in your training."
"Alright," Li Yun said, his eyes flashing with determination. "If there's Purple Flower Fruit up for auction, I have to at least try." Since, purple fruit was crucial for concocting Body Tempering Pills, then he must get them all for himself.
With that, the two talked a little longer before going their separate ways.
With more than a day left before the small auction, Li Yun focused on one thing, refining more potions. He had been working tirelessly over the past month, experimenting and correcting his mistakes, and now he was on the verge of successfully producing a perfect-grade Marrow Cleansing Potion.
His martial skills had also seen great progress. The Crimson Sun Flame Sword Art had already reached the Perfection Stage of Mastery and was steadily approaching the elusive True Meaning Stage.
In comparison, the Boulder Crushing Fist, which he had started practicing later, had already stepped into the True Meaning Stage.
It was understandable, after all, the Boulder Crushing Fist was only a low-grade mortal rank martial art, while the Crimson Sun Flame Sword Art was a middle-grade mortal rank technique, and higher-level martial arts were naturally harder to master.
Still, Li Yun wasn't satisfied. The upcoming auction would feature the Purple Flower Fruit, and bidding for it would likely require an enormous amount of gold. Although the Purple Flower Fruit wasn't particularly useful for him directly unless he refined them into Body Tempering Pills, he still wanted to buy it for someone else.
That alone was reason enough to keep refining and selling potions.
So, once again, Li Yun locked himself inside his courtyard, immersing himself in refining excellent-grade Marrow Cleansing Potions to sell at the Treasure Pavilion.
For over a day, he didn't leave the house. Many young members of the Li family came hoping to meet him, but none could get past the two personal guards stationed outside his shabby courtyard, guards personally assigned by Li Jinyun, the family patriarch. With such protection, no one dared to disturb Li Yun's work.
Finally, the morning of the auction arrived. Li Hua personally came to escort him and together they made their way to the Treasure Pavilion.
The auction was being held on the third floor, an area normally restricted to those with special status. Li Yun possessed a VIP pass granted to him by Lan Yueli, the Pavilion's supervisor, but this time he didn't even need to use it, Li Hua's presence was enough to grant them direct access.
When they entered the auction hall, the event hadn't yet officially started, but several people were already seated. Though this was a small-scale auction, the items being offered still drew considerable interest. Dozens of people were already present, and by the time the auction began, there would likely be over a hundred participants.
"Li Yun, let's find a place to sit," Li Hua said after scanning the room.
"Alright," Li Yun nodded.
There weren't too many seats, and aside from the front row, which was reserved, the rest were open to whoever claimed them first. Li Yun and Li Hua quickly found a spot and sat down, waiting for the auction to begin.
"Huh?"
"Isn't that… Li Hua?"
Just as Li Hua and Li Yun were about to take their seats, a sharp, almost grating voice rang out from behind them. It was the kind of voice that stuck in one's memory after hearing it once.
Li Hua's brows furrowed slightly before she even turned around, clearly recognizing the voice's owner.
Li Yun turned his head and immediately saw a young man in a golden robe striding toward them. He knew this person as well, Zhao Xiaotian, a member of the Zhao family. But Zhao Xiaotian wasn't just any member; he was the son of the Zhao family's current patriarch.
Compared to Zhao Xiaotian, Zhao Li, the one who had previously tried to make trouble for Li Yun, was nothing more than a barking dog. In Azure Wind City, few dared to cross Zhao Xiaotian, not only because of his identity but because of his notorious reputation.
Zhao Xiaotian was infamous, a spoiled scion with a decadent lifestyle and a taste for cruelty. His name had been tied to countless scandals over the last decade, particularly involving women.
Rumors said he had snatched away countless young women, with nearly seventy percent of them already married. Ordinary families could only bow their heads when he set his eyes on someone.
And he had a particular obsession, Li Hua.
"Hahaha, so it really is you, Li Hua." Zhao Xiaotian's lips curled into an arrogant smile as his gaze swept over her. "It's been years, hasn't it? Tsk, tsk… I heard you ran off to Stone Wood Town to avoid me. Do you have any idea how much I've missed you all these years?"
His words dripped with false nostalgia and brazen entitlement, as though the people in the auction hall didn't even exist.
Behind him stood two stern middle-aged men, most likely Zhao family guards, their expressions cold and vigilant.
Li Yun, hearing this, immediately recalled the stories he'd heard, how Zhao Xiaotian had once shamelessly pursued Li Hua, only to be firmly rejected. If she had been an ordinary woman, Zhao Xiaotian would have easily gotten his way, but Li Hua was from the Li family, and that alone had restrained him from using force.
Li Hua's expression didn't shift. She didn't even spare Zhao Xiaotian a glance. Instead, she gently pulled on Li Yun's sleeve and said softly, "Li Yun, let's sit over there."
Her voice was calm, but the stiffness in her movements betrayed her desire to stay as far away from Zhao Xiaotian as possible.
"Hua, why so cold to me?" Zhao Xiaotian grinned, ignoring the frost in her eyes.
"Haha, we're at an auction, aren't we? Of course, the best seats are at the front. How about this, let me take you to sit in the first row. Don't worry, the Treasure Pavilion always gives me face. Those seats aren't open to just anyone, but me, Zhao Xiaotian? I can take one or two people there, no problem." He thumped his chest with smug confidence, his tone dripping with self-importance.
"Get out of the way!" Li Hua finally snapped, her voice sharp and cold.
Zhao Xiaotian's eyes lit up in amusement rather than anger. "Tsk, tsk… that temper of yours. I love it. I really love it. Fine, let's talk after the auction, hmm?" He chuckled as he strode forward.
But suddenly, he stopped and turned back, his eyes narrowing as they landed on Li Yun.
"And who's this? Li Yun, isn't it? Hah, I thought you looked familiar. You're that famous loser from the Li family, aren't you?" His voice was laced with disdain and mockery.
It was clear Zhao Xiaotian hadn't heard about the events of the Li family's Adult Conference two days ago and still think it was the same trash Li Yun who couldn't cultivate.
Li Yun rolled his eyes and muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear, "Where'd this mad dog come from? It was peaceful here until now. I can't believe the Treasure Pavilion lets dogs wander into an auction."
Earlier, when Zhao Xiaotian had been harassing Li Hua, Li Yun had held his tongue only because she had tugged him away, unwilling to cause trouble. But now Zhao Xiaotian had turned around and insulted him directly. Should he still hold back?
Zhao Xiaotian froze, his face darkening instantly. He hadn't expected Li Yun to bite back, much less call him a mad dog in front of everyone. They barely even knew each other; their paths had never crossed before. Zhao Xiaotian had only mocked him because of Li Hua, expecting the "former loser" to just endure it.
But instead, Li Yun had humiliated him in one simple sentence.
"Little bastard, you're courting death!" Zhao Xiaotian's chest heaved as he sucked in a sharp breath, holding it for a long moment before exhaling through clenched teeth.
"Mad dog, get out of here right now before I break your legs," Li Yun shot back without a trace of hesitation, his tone sharp enough to cut glass.
"You… you… you little brat! Just you wait! If I don't kill you, I'm not Zhao Xiaotian!" Zhao Xiaotian's face flushed a deep green with fury. With a violent flick of his sleeve, he spun around and stormed ahead. Even he didn't dare cause trouble inside the Treasure Pavilion.
"Li Yun, you're really bold." Li Hua's eyes sparkled as she looked at him. She had never dared call Zhao Xiaotian a mad dog to his face, but Li Yun had done it without blinking. And hearing Zhao Xiaotian being insulted so openly… it was surprisingly satisfying. Seeing his twisted, darkened face, she almost burst out laughing.
"Sister Hua, you can't be polite to people like him. The politer you are, the more arrogant he gets. Look at him now, didn't the mad dog just run away with his tail between his legs?" Li Yun smirked.
"That's true." Li Hua couldn't help but nod.
---
First Row Seating
Zhao Xiaotian stomped his way to the front row and dropped into a seat with a scowl still carved on his face.
"Huh? Young Master Zhao, what happened? Why do you look so upset?" one of the young men already seated in the front row called out with a teasing smile.
The front row wasn't for ordinary guests; only those with both status and strength could sit there. In this world, strength was the true measure of respect.
"Xiaotian, I just saw you with Li Hua from the Li family," another young man said, smirking knowingly.
"Don't tell me Li Hua managed to get under your skin? That woman's got guts if she doesn't even give you face, Xiaotian," a young man in white added with exaggerated surprise.
"Brother Zhao, why bother with a woman like her?" scoffed a man in red. "If her martial foundation hadn't been crippled, maybe we'd have to be cautious around her. But now? She's washed up. Haha, if she were still at her peak, the Treasure Pavilion itself would've arranged a front-row seat for her."
These were all well-known young masters of Azure Wind City. They were familiar with Zhao Xiaotian but far from loyal friends. Their words, though wrapped in smiles, carried a subtle edge of mockery, as if they found amusement in his sour expression.
"Shut up, all of you!"
Zhao Xiaotian's face flushed an ugly shade of green as his chest rose and fell with heavy, ragged breaths. His eyes swept across the row of young masters, each glance carrying a venomous chill.
At that moment, his anger felt like wildfire, hot enough to burn down the entire Treasure Pavilion. If it had only been Li Hua who humiliated him, he could have swallowed the insult. But Li Yun? A man long known as the disgrace of the Li family throughout Azure Wind City? For him to call him a mad dog in public? That humiliation was unbearable.
Were it not for the strict rules of the Treasure Pavilion, Zhao Xiaotian would have already leaped across the room to shatter Li Yun's limbs without hesitation.