C1088 In the Future It will be Yours!!

Ann Ziqing moved forward with a brisk pace, yet her eyes betrayed a piercing coldness. Her atypical behavior quickly drew the gaze of all the guests on the floor. Zhongli Dapan, Xi Quan, and the Ghost King Taruer were instinctively drawn closer. Yu Yuan paused, momentarily taken aback.

"Ann, you're not about to cause a scene, are you?" Luo Yue's brow furrowed as she tugged at the corner of Yu Yuan's clothes. "You'd better intervene. The consortium surely doesn't want any unpleasant incidents on its opening day."

She was well aware that the Priestess of the Colddeath had been notoriously high-handed in her dealings within the Everlands. Luo Yue was concerned that Ann Ziqing might not keep her temper in check, potentially stirring up trouble for both herself and Yu Yuan.

"She's not that impulsive," Yu Yuan reassured, shaking his head to ease Luo Yue's worries.

Clad in a purple gown, Ann Ziqing's radiant eyes and pearly teeth stood out, her robust vitality drawing the attention of many Otherkin powerhouses who quietly inquired about her origins.

"The Colddeath?" The realization that Ann Ziqing was indeed the Priestess of the Colddeath caused the Otherkin to inhale sharply. The Colddeath's infamy was widespread across the Extraterrestrial Star River.

Xi Quan, Bai He, Zhongli Dapan, and other dark disciples from the Everlands watched with intrigued expressions, their eyes alight with amusement.

"This item..." Ann Ziqing bypassed Kennard and Selter of the Shadowkin and positioned herself directly in front of the Shadowkin girl at the counter. She gently placed her hands, as white as jade, on the surface and met the girl's gaze. "If I'm not mistaken, I was here yesterday and asked you to hold this item for me, didn't I?"

Her statement sent a ripple of shock through the crowd. To add excitement to the event, the Skyreach Consortium had previously distributed catalogs, like the one in Tong Laoqian's possession.

At the start of the event, the location of various artifacts, pills, and magic items was clearly marked for each hall, floor, and section. Consequently, after perusing the catalog, Tong Laoqian was able to pinpoint the location of the Firecloud Armor.

The consortium's policy dictated that purchases of displayed items could only be made on the day of the event. Hence, Ann Ziqing had made a point to notify Yu Yuan well in advance.

However, she had actually visited the day before and encountered a young woman from the Shadowkin. She revealed her identity and that of Yu Yuan's, hoping to secure the Firecloud Armor with a soulstone as a reservation.

Upon hearing the name "Yu Yuan," the Shadowkin girl assured her there was no need for a reservation and promised to hold it for them.

Who could have anticipated what would happen next...

"Yesterday, you didn't pay the soulstone for the reservation," the Shadowkin girl murmured, avoiding eye contact with Ann Ziqing and speaking in a barely audible voice. "They arrived first, purchased it at the listed price, and everything was done by the book."

After speaking, she looked up briefly at Kennard, one of the Children of the Forest.

Kennard returned the glance with a smile, gracefully setting down the Firecloud Armor before turning to Ann Ziqing. "Oh? Were you interested in this armor?"

Just as Ann Ziqing was about to respond, another female elder from the Shadowkin approached Kennard, silently offering him a dark red emblem.

Ann Ziqing's gaze grew icier.

"So, this item is from your Colddeath?" Kennard said with a smirk that was asking for trouble. "Funny how we managed to acquire it before you did."

The astuteness of those gathered allowed them to quickly grasp the situation. The Shadowkin girl, despite being part of the Skyreach Consortium, had aligned herself with Kennard.

After learning that Ann Ziqing had used her and Yu Yuan's names to reserve the Firecloud Armor and the emblem from Colddeath, she must have discreetly informed Kennard.

Consequently, Kennard had stepped in and purchased both items before Ann Ziqing and Yu Yuan could.

"You clearly stated yesterday that Yu Yuan's word was enough to hold the reservation without a soulstone!" Ann Ziqing exclaimed.

The Shadowkin girl nervously looked down and stammered, "I... I never said that!"

Ann Ziqing nodded, her laugh hollow. "Fine! That's just great!"

Before her fury could escalate into action, Zhou Wen suddenly appeared.

"Effective immediately, you're no longer part of the Consortium," Zhou Wen declared, promptly banishing the Shadowkin girl from the Skyreach Consortium. "Gather your belongings and leave at once."

"I apologize," the girl said, bowing to Zhou Wen and promptly departing.

She had already secured a promise from Selter: even if she were to be expelled from the Skyreach Consortium, she could return to her Shadowkin roots, to her homeland. Selter had also assured her that the Sean family would take good care of her relatives.

"Mr. Zhou, surely you can't hold us responsible for the internal issues of your consortium?"

Selter of the Shadowkin remained composed when he appeared, "We abided by the rules and purchased the items first. You can't expect us to return them, can you?"

Ann Ziqing had come to understand the issue at hand. Upon seeing Zhou You, she forcefully contained her fury.

She was used to being unchallenged in the Everlands, never having been manipulated like this before.

"As for those two items, that's the way things will have to stand for now."

When Zhou You spoke, he didn't look at Selter or Kennard but instead gazed at Yu Yuan, who remained silent and uncommitted in the distance.

Clearly, it was Yu Yuan's reaction that mattered most to him.

"Those two items shouldn't have been put on display. They should have been handed directly to me," Yu Yuan huffed.

"The consortium put on this event and needed to showcase items of value. Besides you, I couldn't imagine anyone else interested in purchasing those two magic items, so I didn't give it much thought," Zhou You admitted, nodding and bowing awkwardly to Yu Yuan. Seeing that Yu Yuan wasn't upset, he relaxed. "Let's leave it at that."

His last remark, delivered with a frosty demeanor, was directed at Selter.

"How about we trade this Demon Armor and the Colddeath Emblem for the necklace around her neck?" Kennard, one of the Children of the Forest, suggested as he held up an item, glancing first at Yu Yuan, then at Wen Lu, and back to Yu Yuan again, "We have no personal vendettas. If we conclude this deal, I look forward to a pleasant partnership."

By now, everyone understood Kennard's intentions.

Without resorting to force, he had leveraged his influence to have a young woman from the consortium purchase in advance the items Yu Yuan and Ann Ziqing needed, all to acquire the Shadowkin's Holy Weapon that Wen Lu wore around her neck.

He believed he was acting within the rules to fulfill his objective.

"In the past, there were indeed no personal grudges," Yu Yuan said with a smile, "but now, it seems, there will be."

After uttering those words, he didn't spare another glance at Kennard or Selter. Taking Luo Yue and Wen Lu with him, he ascended to the next level, his departure a clear statement of refusal.

"Elder Mia, we will not assist anyone from the Shadowkin in pill refinement, except for you. Furthermore, regardless of what level Wen Lu achieves in her alchemy, or the status of her Shadowkin lineage, she will not return to the Shadowkin as long as Kennard remains with the Sean family," Yu Yuan declared as they climbed.

Mia inwardly lamented the situation.

"Mr. Zhou, you have a choice: either the Children of the Forest leaves Ionodios, or I will. Decide," Yu Yuan announced before stepping onto the sixth floor.

"My apologies," Zhou You sighed, his expression one of resignation as he addressed Kennard, "You may take the Demon Armor and the jade pendant with you. However, this event no longer concerns you."

"Is this the way your consortium conducts business?" Selter demanded furiously.

Kennard's expression darkened. "Mr. Zhou, we were invited here. Are you aware of the vast distance we traveled from our Astral Domain to Ionodios, and how long it took us?"

"That's precisely why I apologized," Zhou You replied, nodding. "The girl you've misled is a key individual being nurtured by our consortium. By influencing her to err, you've violated our rules first."

Zhou You's gaze sharpened. "With or without Yu Yuan, you are no longer welcome at the consortium."

He then addressed the assembled Otherkin representatives, "Many of your kin were sent to us for service by your own volition. Remember, the moment they joined the Skyreach Consortium, they became our people, with no further ties to you!"

"The Shadowkin and the Sean family's young man have disrupted our regulations, and as such, are no longer permitted to remain in Ionodios!"

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