For some reason, Lin Fan's earnest demeanor was irresistibly comical.
That tender, boyish face, calling others "little girl" with the airs of a grizzled elder, carried a childish charm—unaware that he himself was the true kid.
"Pfft!"
Yue Chan couldn't hold back, bursting into laughter. Her radiant smile bloomed, her cherry lips parting to reveal sparkling teeth, captivating and heart-stirring.
"Hmph, what's so funny?" Lin Fan snapped, shooting her a glare before shouting, "I bid one Heavenly Astral Stone! If you have the ability, keep up!"
Another egg-sized divine stone appeared, glowing brilliantly like a star, mysterious and imbued with an ineffable charm of the Dao.
"Ah…"
Gasps echoed through the hall. The two serving maidens in the booth trembled—such a divine stone, offered so casually, was extravagance beyond measure.
A beast hide, initially dismissed by the crowd, had been driven to a sky-high price by two children's rivalry, leaving everyone stunned.
Some began to doubt themselves. Did we miss its true value? Are we less discerning than these kids?
In the opposite VIP booth, the provoked Ninth Princess of Stone Country bristled, ready to raise her bid. "I bid—"
"Princess, stop! That hide isn't worth it. Don't fall for his trap!" a bronze-skinned middle-aged man interrupted, his expression stern, two runes flashing in his eyes, his aura terrifying.
With a long huff, the princess sat down, fuming but relenting, abandoning the hide.
"Tch, little brat, out of steam already?" Lin Fan sneered, dripping with disdain.
"You… just wait!" The princess pointed a slender finger, tossing her head with a fierce glare.
Clad in resplendent red, she was a dazzling pearl, yet her fiery personality clashed with her beauty, keeping others at a distance.
In Stone Country's capital, few among the younger generation didn't quail before her. She was practically a child-king.
Lin Fan, however, brushed off her threat, unbothered.
After securing the beast hide, he purchased the most detailed map of the Great Wilderness and gathered local intelligence, then left the auction house.
"Young Sir, Saintess, we're being followed," a voice whispered into their ears. Yue Chan instantly grew alert.
"No need to worry. If they dare make a move, we'll slaughter them all," Lin Fan said casually, strolling into a tavern's kitchen. He emerged laden with pots, pans, and ingredients, as if preparing to relocate.
Yue Chan and the hidden protectors twitched. What's he up to now? Raiding a kitchen?
His thought process was utterly baffling.
Yue Chan's expression shifted, unable to resist asking, "Why are you hauling all these pots and spices?"
"These are wilderness survival essentials. Got it?" Lin Fan patted his storage pouch, exuding the confidence of a seasoned adventurer.
Yue Chan flushed crimson. This is… beyond embarrassing.
A successor of the Heaven Mending Sect, treating kitchen scraps like treasures and asking if she understood? I understand nothing, you ridiculous boy!
"Stay away from me," she muttered, stepping back, clutching her fair forehead. To have such a fiancé—how mortifying!
Lin Fan shrugged. To a saintess with zero survival skills, there was no point explaining. She'll see its value soon enough.
In the shadows, voices murmured.
"Those kids seem extraordinary—not ones we can cross. Should we really act?"
"Fortune favors the bold. They're unprotected now. If we capture them, their treasures could sustain us for life. We'd just need to hide for a few decades—worth it."
"Right. Wait till the crowd thins, then we strike," a burly man growled, his greed and menace unmistakable.
Elsewhere, in a lofty pavilion, the bronze-skinned man cautioned, "Princess, we'd best not act. Those two strut so boldly—they must have backing."
"Let's observe. If they're truly guarded, we might even befriend them," the Ninth Princess replied, sipping tea, her voice melodic.
Far from angry or rattled by the auction, she was calm, her earlier antics a deliberate facade.
As a royal princess, she wasn't one to lose composure over a child. The Stone Country's throne was a bloody contest, open to any descendant, not just the current emperor's heirs. Though young, her ambition was vast, her talent surpassing many princes, and her cunning well-hidden.
"Even Shi Zi Teng is tailing them," the bronze-skinned man noted, surprised, his eyes fixed on the refined young man trailing at a distance.
"He's not just the father of a prodigy—he's shrewd, biding his time. Without certainty, he won't act," the princess said coolly, her crystal-clear eyes locked on the two small figures below.
Soon, Lin Fan and Yue Chan entered a quiet alley.
Unlike the bustling streets before, shops here were scarce, with only a dozen or so passersby, the atmosphere serene and cold.
"Aren't you going to make your move? I'm about to leave," Lin Fan said, pausing mid-step, yawning lazily as he glanced back.
"Attack!"
A command rang out. Instantly, seven or eight figures leapt from the alley's walls, radiant light surging, divine power flooding the area.
"Kids, hand over your treasures and techniques, and I might spare you!" a bearded middle-aged man sneered, his eyes glinting with malice as he approached.
"Not worth my words. You don't deserve to hear them," Lin Fan retorted, unfazed.
In that moment, his gaze sharpened, exuding an aura of supreme dominance. Killing intent soared, cracking the earth beneath him.
With a single step, the heavens resonated with a booming chant, his presence terrifyingly overwhelming!
Pfft!
Several weaker assailants spat blood, their faces ashen, stumbling back under the crushing weight of his aura.
"What technique is this? Defeating foes with a step?" one cried, trembling in fear.
"No, it's a presence—unrivaled, invincible. Only legendary young Supremes cultivate such a thing!" another gasped, recognizing its nature.
Yet, they could scarcely believe it. A nine-year-old child, wielding the aura of a world-ruling sovereign? Unthinkable!
Not just the attackers—those watching from the shadows were stunned, jaws dropping as if they'd seen a ghost.
Even Yue Chan stared, entranced. That cheeky, frivolous kid… now a young demon king? Is this the same person?
"This kid's strange. Attack together, or we're all dead!" the bearded man barked, his expression grave. As the strongest among them, at the peak of the Spirit Transformation Realm, he led the charge.
They'd assumed the children were at most Heavenly Passage Realm. To discover Lin Fan's Spirit Transformation Realm strength shattered their expectations!
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