Chapter 103: This Young Master's Auction Got Worse

Chapter 103: This Young Master's Auction Got Worse

Move

Chen Haoran willed his qi to cycle. After one revolution, he felt his head clear. After another revolution, he could move his fingers. After the third revolution, a dragons roar sounded out from his chest, and he picked himself up

Only to fall to his knees when two terrifying presences took notice of him. Chen Haoran paled, and his breath came up short. The talisman. He had dropped the talisman. They could see him.

The rubble of the stage exploded, and Chen Haoran was spared from the attention of the Empires Crystal Transformation Realms. The Auctioneer rose out of the wreckage. The sneak attack he suffered had blown his cloak to pieces to reveal a surprisingly normal-looking old man. He was small, with a bald head and a bushy white beard. To Chen Haorans horror, his arm was missing up to the elbow, but instead of blood, the stump leaked yellow light. The Auctioneer noticed his lack of arm when he tried to brush the sawdust out of his beard and came up several inches short. He snorted, and in the next moment, hundreds of yellow crystals flew from around the auction hall as if drawn by magnets and reassembled into a crystal arm. He flexed his new arm as easily as a real arm, and as he did, the yellow crystal faded away into normal skin. In the span of a few moments, it looked as if he had never lost an arm at all.

Commander Han, the Auctioneer greeted the new Crystal Transformation Realm. The Garrison Authority must really not want to give my Golden Lily Association a way out if they deployed the both of you.

Commander Han chuckled and balanced his sword on his shoulder. How do you say it? This is just the cost of doing business.

The Auctioneer sighed. So it seems. Youre really making me work for my profit today.

The Auctioneer waved his hand, and Commander Lu was suddenly surrounded by golden lightning. With a startled shout, the Garrison Commander flew to the ceiling and was nailed to the golden barrier stretched across it. In the same motion, the Auctioneer pulled out a silver sack and opened it. Countless gold taels spilled from its depths and assembled themselves into a sword that shot toward Commander Han. The old soldier easily shattered the tael sword, only for the pieces to reform and strike him again.

Chen Haoran rushed qi to his legs and stood up with the encouragement of a dragons roar. Phelps! he shouted. Phelps!

His words were drowned out by an angelic chorus. Commander Han whirled his sword, each swing a different direction for some unseen orchestra, and the tael sword broke into fine gold dust. The Auctioneer upended his silver sack and flung out another larger tael sword.

Chen Haoran desperately cast his eyes across the ruined stage, looking for Phelps. They were running out of time. Despite the Auctioneers prior good showing, it wasnt a guarantee he could really defeat the two military officials. If, at any moment, the Auctioneer decided to cut his losses and leave, then Chen Haoran would be left at the mercy of the Crystal Transformation Realms.

Phelps!

There was an answering squeal. The rubble moved, and Phelps floated out unharmed. Chen Haorans flooded his legs with qi and was at Phelpss side in a moment and bundled the sloth into his arms.

Jiang Lei pulled Chen Haoran back and held out his hand. He had somehow found the talisman after Chen Haoran lost it in the commotion. The blue light washed over them and hid them from view.

We have to leave, Jiang Lei urged.

There was a roar from above. Commander Lu erupted with scarlet light and shattered a hole in the golden barrier covering the ceiling. The scarlet cloud rushed through the newly made opening, and Commander Lu dragged it down with him as he hurtled like a meteor atop the Auctioneers head. Commander Han struck simultaneously, whipping his sword and stirring up a killing elegy.

The Auctioneer laughed and faced them head-on. He pointed a single finger to the ground, and a large golden toad statue rose beneath his feet. Standing on the head of the toad, he slammed his foot down, and the statue opened its mouth to reveal a gullet crackling with endless golden lightning. The two commanders expressions shifted, and they flung themselves back. The toad breathed in, and a storm was born. The scarlet cloud, the killing music, the debris, the building, anything, and everything was drawn into the golden toads mouth and disappeared into its stomach. Even the ambient qi visibly rippled and was sucked in. Commander Han and Commander Lu flew back to the edges of the auction hall and resisted with their qi but still couldnt completely avoid the pull of the vortex.

Even though they were behind the storm and protected by the Auctioneers barrier, Chen Haoran felt himself slip toward the toad. He cycled his qi and firmly planted his feet. Even so, he could feel slips of his qi being dragged out of his body and absorbed by the toad. Spikes of ice-cold fear ran down his spine. This was the technique of a Crystal Transformation Realm?

Jiang Lei pushed Chen Haoran and Wang Xiao and dragged them away from the statue, into the back of the stage, and out of sight of the battle. They didnt stop for even a moment, rushing through the halls until the talisman flashed blue.

This way, Jiang Lei said, and under the direction of the talisman, a bright blue rectangle was opened up in an otherwise blank wall. They dove in without hesitation and entered a square tunnel lit with gold light and green light.

Chen Haoran sighed in relief. Safe.

Chen Haoran, Jiang Lei gravely said.

I know, I know, not safe till were out of the city, he replied. He shifted Dreamwater into a more comfortable position on his back. But its safer here than the auction hall, thats for sure.

No, Jiang Lei said. He pointed at his chest. Chen Haoran, what is that?

What? Chen Haoran looked down, and his heart stopped.

The tunnel wasnt lit with gold light. He was. There on his chest, stuck to it with golden lightning, was a book. Even looking down from above, he could see the title printed with colorful ink.

Seven-Colored Steps of the Rainbow Stairs.