I am destroying the protagonist in the fantasy world!

Chapter 156 Entering the Auction House, Dark Waves Are Hidden

Passing through two heavy stone doors carved with intricate runes, Lei Yi and Dongfang Liuli entered a spacious, brightly lit hall. The hall was already bustling with activity. Monks of all stripes gathered in groups of three or five, whispering quietly. Some wore lavish attire, others ragged. But without exception, greed and desire were written across their faces.

Lei Yi calmly glanced around, taking in everyone's expressions. He noticed a raised platform in the center of the hall, upon which sat a table covered with red silk. This was clearly where the auctioneer would preside over the auction. Dozens of tables and chairs surrounded the platform, clearly intended for distinguished guests.

"It seems that this auction has attracted quite a lot of people." Dongfang Liuli said softly, with a hint of solemnity flashing in her beautiful eyes.

Lei Yi nodded slightly and said in a low voice, "It's better to be safe than sorry. We should keep a low profile."

As they spoke, two maids in red palace dresses approached, carrying trays filled with delicate snacks and fragrant tea. Lei Yi and Dongfang Liuli each took a cup of tea and slowly savored it, while secretly observing their surroundings.

Lei Yi noticed that among those seemingly nonchalant monks, a few had gazes that lingered on him, full of scrutiny and inquiry. These were clearly not ordinary monks; they were lurking among the crowd, like venomous snakes, waiting for their chance to strike.

"It seems that we have been targeted." Dongfang Liuli said calmly, with a hint of coldness in his tone.

Lei Yi sneered and said in a voice transmission: "When the enemy comes, we will fight them; when the water comes, we will block it with earth. Are we afraid of them?"

The auction hadn't even begun, but the air was already thick with tension. Lei Yi and Dongfang Liuli exchanged glances, each seeing the determination and resolve in the other's eyes.

In order to avoid attracting attention, Lei Yi and Dongfang Liuli decided to go to the preview area first. They made their way through the noisy crowd and arrived at a display of rows of rare treasures.

Lei Yi's eyes swept over the treasures one by one, searching for something that interested him. Suddenly, his gaze stopped on a crystal-clear jade pendant. This jade pendant exuded a faint spiritual energy, and it was obvious at first glance that it was no ordinary item.

Just as he was about to step forward to take a closer look, a figure suddenly blocked his way. Lei Yi looked up and saw that the person standing in front of him was a burly man with a face full of flesh. The man glanced at Lei Yi and a sneer of contempt appeared on the corner of his mouth: "Boy, you are blocking my way."

Lei Yi frowned slightly; he could tell the other party was deliberately picking a fight. Before he could speak, Dongfang Liuli, standing beside him, couldn't help herself. She stepped forward and said coldly, "Fellow Daoist, you bumped into someone. Shouldn't you apologize?"

The burly man glanced at Dongfang Liuli, a flash of surprise in his eyes, but he immediately concealed it. He snorted coldly and said disdainfully, "Apologize? Does he deserve it?"

"You!" Dongfang Liuli was immediately furious. She was about to explode when Lei Yi stopped her. Lei Yi shook his head slightly at her, signaling her not to be impulsive.

Lei Yi knew this wasn't the place to start a fight, especially in a place like an auction where all sorts of people gathered. Who knew who the other party was, or how much power they held behind them? Less trouble is worse than more, and there was no need for him to expose his strength over such a small matter.

He calmly looked the man over, taking in his features. He was tall, muscular, and had a black scorpion tattooed on his left arm. Its eyes shone with a faint red light, making it clear he was no ordinary creature.

"What's wrong, kid? Are you scared?" Seeing that Lei Yi didn't say anything, the strong man thought that Lei Yi was afraid of him, so he became even more arrogant. He stretched out his hand to push Lei Yi and said arrogantly, "If you know what's good for you, get out of here quickly and don't get in the way here!"

Lei Yi remained motionless, allowing the other party to push him, maintaining a faint smile on his face. The more he did this, the more annoyed the strong man became. He was about to continue his outburst when an old voice suddenly sounded behind him.

"Fellow Daoist, please stop."

The strong man looked back and saw an old man in a white robe, with white hair and beard standing behind him. Although the old man was old, he was in good spirits, with bright eyes. An invisible pressure emanated from him, and no one dared to underestimate him.

"Who are you?" The burly man frowned slightly, and there was a hint of fear in his tone.

"I am Bai Yunzi, the appraiser for this auction," the old man said calmly. Although his tone was calm, it carried an unquestionable majesty. "The auction is about to begin. Fellow Taoists, please observe order and refrain from making any noise."

Although the burly man was arrogant and domineering, he did not dare to offend a senior master like Bai Yunzi. He snorted coldly, glared at Lei Yi fiercely, and turned away.

"Thank you for your help, senior." Lei Yi bowed to Bai Yunzi to express his gratitude.

Bai Yunzi nodded slightly, his gaze lingered on Lei Yi for a moment, a barely perceptible gleam flashed in his eyes, and then he turned and left.

Lei Yi watched Bai Yunzi leave, but he was secretly on guard. He knew that this auction was far from being as simple as it seemed, and there were many unknown secrets hidden in it.

At this time, the auctioneer walked onto the stage and gave a speech, his words hinting that there would be special arrangements for this auction...

At this moment, the auctioneer stepped onto the stage. He was dressed in a magnificent robe, his face beaming with smiles, yet a hint of shrewdness and cunning shone through his brow. He politely thanked the guests who had come to the auction, then shifted the subject, his tone becoming mysterious: "Everyone, I'm sure you've all heard that, in addition to the usual treasures, this auction will also feature a truly exceptional and rare treasure. This treasure is closely connected to the legendary ancient secret realm..."

As soon as he finished speaking, a murmur broke out from the audience, everyone whispering to each other, guessing what the final treasure was. Lei Yi's heart moved, could it be...

He observed the reactions of the people around him calmly, and indeed found that a trace of greed and passion flashed in the eyes of many people. He had seen some of them before near the ruins of the ancient city, and they were obviously coming for the treasure.

At this time, Lei Yi noticed a graceful woman in a red dress walking around the venue. She was holding a tray with a variety of fine wines and delicacies on it, but she was not simply providing services to the guests. Instead, she was intentionally or unintentionally moving between different groups of people. Occasionally, she would bend down and hand the wine on the tray to a guest, whispering something, and then quickly leave.

Lei Yi's eyes flashed. He keenly noticed that the woman in the red dress stayed for a very short time each time, and the person she whispered to was different each time, but these people had one thing in common - they were all people with high cultivation, and there was a barely perceptible hint of viciousness in their eyes.

"Could it be..." Lei Yi suddenly had a bold guess in his mind. He turned to look at Dongfang Liuli and whispered, "Liuli, have you noticed the woman in the red dress?"

Dongfang Liuli followed his gaze, frowned slightly, and said, "Are you talking about that maid? I noticed her. She seemed to be passing messages to different people."

"That's right, and I suspect that the message she conveyed is very likely related to the conspiracy against me." A cold light flashed in Lei Yi's eyes. Although he didn't know who the mastermind was, since the other party dared to attack him at the auction, it meant that the other party had made all preparations.

"Then what should we do now?" Dongfang Liuli asked with some concern.

"Wait and see, and counter each move accordingly." A hint of determination flashed in Lei Yi's eyes. He wanted to see what tricks the other party was trying to play.

The auctioneer's voice rang out again, interrupting Lei Yi's thoughts: "Alright, everyone, enough small talk, let's officially start tonight's auction!"

As he finished speaking, a waiter slowly carried an ancient longsword onto the auction table, and the auction officially began. However, Lei Yi's heart grew heavier. He had a premonition that a greater storm was about to come...