“Sword boy, you’re free to explore by yourself. I need to speak to my junior alone,” Lan Yang said immediately.

“I will be spending the time in the Qi Refining room, Senior,” Xu Feng bowed.

“That’s fine, but give my junior a Spirit Stone before you do. I don’t want him to be stuck with the cost if you can’t pay.”

Xu Feng didn’t argue and silently took out a Spirit Stone and handed it to William, who stored it in his ring while muttering thanks. Lan Yang had a point in requiring payment upfront, especially since he would be stuck with the cost. Still, it felt strange when he seemed to almost be hostile toward the kid for no reason.

Lan Yang waited until Xu Feng closed the door behind him to speak. “What do you think?”

“About?”

“All of this,” Lan Yang motioned at the room, “The auction house, the room, everything.”

“I feel out of place,” William admitted, “I’ll enjoy the auction, but it feels almost like torture to only be able to look from afar. I don’t have the funds to bid on anything.”

“The bidding is for me,” Lan Yang grinned before glancing at the room Xu Feng entered, “Let’s talk outside.”

He followed Lan Yang with a frown, thinking of what to do while he was stuck here. It wasn’t a lie when he said he would enjoy the auction, but that wouldn’t last for how many ever days it would last.

What he should do was obvious, but the Qi Refining room was too costly to use for extended periods.

Lan Yang opened the door to reveal the empty seating area. Unlike the many rows he had seen before the stage, the seats were arranged in groups of three, each with a small table and a crystal lamp.

To the side, there was a bar stocked full of drinks. That got his interest.

“What do they serve here, Senior Yang?” He asked, ignoring everything else. Even that they were now on the second floor, and there was a direct view down to the stage.

If a walk through a door could take him from the Inner Court to the Outer Court, it was no surprise that it took him to a different floor. Even his dwelling in the Outer Court had the same feature.

“We’ll get to that,” Lan Yang waved him off, “Elder Yu is going to cover all your costs.”

“… What?” William asked blankly, “Elder Yu didn’t mention this yesterday.”

“She informed me of your increased access recently, the reason I was late actually,” Lan Yang paused, “Again, I’m sorry about that. But it was worth it, no?”

He nodded slowly, remembering how Lan Yang was surprised that he knew the Grand Elder and assumed that was where the help came from. It implied that Elder Yu didn't have the authority to do this directly. However, the Grand Elder had already announced that William would have to work to get benefits just like any other disciple, so he doubted there was any help from him.

William found it far more likely that Elder Yu convinced someone who could give him this access. He noted to ask her the next time they met.

“Keep in mind that this only applies to you. The sword boy will need to pay for his access like normal.”

He supposed that Lan Yang brought him out here mainly to avoid the chance of Xu Feng overhearing. It also let him ask something that he couldn’t ignore.

“Senior Yang, do you have something against Xu Feng?” William saw the slightest change in expression when he said the kid’s name. “He hasn’t really caused any trouble. He’s actually too agreeable, really.”

“So is everyone else from that sect,” Lan Yang muttered and sighed before shaking his head, “It’s a personal issue I have with the Heavenly Sword Sect. Ignore me when I act like that, Junior Wei.”

He wanted to push, but unlike the laidback demeanor Lan Yang usually possessed, the look he was getting warned him not to. So he just nodded slightly.

“Glad we have that settled,” Lan Yang said when there was no more talk about Xu Feng, “You have advanced in your cultivation with a speed that is honestly concerning. Elder Yu told me that your pathways are perfect, but your Qi fundamentals are still a little lacking compared to what it could be.”

“Lacking?” William repeated.

“You survived a secret realm,” Lan Yang said thoughtfully, “Which means you have advanced in a stressful situation. The best thing you can do right now is get used to the Qi in your body before advancing any further.”

He already planned on doing that, but he didn’t think they thought of the same issue. Yes, he had some problems with his Qi, but it had nothing to do with his body being unfamiliar with it. The system took care of that. He needed to familiarize himself with the more practical side of it.

Which meant working on activating his martial skills with a shorter time delay.

Still, Lan Yang wasn’t technically wrong.

“I was wondering how to ration my time in the Qi Refining room,” William smiled, “I’ll give my thanks to Elder Yu the next time I see her.”

“And what about me?” Lan Yang asked, narrowing his eyes, “I was the one that thought to bring you here, Junior Wei.”

“… Thanks?” He said, not sure if he was being serious. “In my defense, you only thought of this when Elder Yu said she would cover the expenses of the Qi Refining room.”

“Elder Yu only said she would cover anything to help stabilize your cultivation,” Lan Yang corrected. “I thought of making use of the auction house myself.”

William stared at him silently… again. This confirmed that Lan Yang was far less mature than his sister. The older cultivator sought praise from someone far younger and weaker than him.

Still, he gave him credit, though sarcastically. “You’re right, Senior Yang,” he nodded solemnly, “Thank you for all this.”

“I told you I would be a good mentor,” Lan Yang preened, “Use the Qi Refining room well. You will be hard-pressed to find any better in the sect unless you are admitted to the Sentinel Peak.”

His ears perked up. There was a peak reserved just for sentinels? He wanted to know more.

Lan Yang’s smile froze and was replaced with a frown before he quickly moved closer to the silver railing. “It already started?”

William joined him and saw people approaching the stage, most in robes not colored green. They were likely from other sects.

“I’m going to head down,” Lan Yang announced, “Do you want to come with me or stay back?”

Even if he didn’t want to know more about the Sentinel Peak, he was still interested in the items displayed on the stage. Just because he couldn’t afford them didn’t mean he didn’t want to know more about what drew so many people to the auction house.

Besides, this would help him with the treasures he received in the Shard. He doubted the ones on the stage were of the same quality since his treasures were meant for Spirit Severing Realm cultivators. Still, it would give him some idea of how good it could be.

“I’ll accompany you, Senior Yang.”

“Very well,” Lan Yang said briskly, “Let’s go!” He disappeared, slamming the door into their reserved room open, making him blink in surprise.

William didn’t think it was this urgent.