572: The surprise of several people

The moment his consciousness returned to his body, Li Yang felt a slight wave of dizziness spread from the depths of his mind. In the next instant, all the images, sounds, and tactile sensations flooded back like a tide, and he slowly opened his eyes.

The world before him shifted from a blur to clarity; everything seemed so real.

He subconsciously moved his fingers, confirming that every inch of his nerves was providing normal feedback, before slowly stepping out of the consciousness transmission device.

The device's hatch slid down silently behind him with a faint "click."

Li Yang raised a hand to press his temples, trying to dispel the last lingering trace of trance.

"How was it? What's the situation with them?"

Martin's voice broke the brief silence.

He, Qi Yu, and Qi Fang had been waiting nearby for quite some time. Seeing Li Yang regain consciousness, they immediately stepped forward, their tones carrying an irrepressible mix of concern and urgency.

"It was nothing; we just got to know each other."

Li Yang's reply was as calm as ever, as if he had just attended an ordinary meeting.

His expression was indifferent, showing little emotional fluctuation, though an occasional flash of contemplation deep in his eyes revealed that his inner state was not as relaxed as his outward appearance suggested.

Qi Yu and Qi Fang exchanged a glance, both seeing the confusion in the other's eyes, yet they were sensible enough not to pry further.

They knew that Li Yang would tell them certain things when the time was right.

Just as the two were conversing in low voices, a set of slightly hurried footsteps approached from the distance.

Accompanied by synchronized strides, a group appeared at the end of their line of sight. Leading them was none other than Colin, the Branch President of the Longlan Star Cluster Hope Merchant Guild.

Behind him followed several staff members, each holding a sealed box with a serious and respectful expression.

"Councilor Li, these are the items you won at the Auction..."

Colin's voice was steady and polite. As he spoke, he gave an elegant wave of his hand.

The staff members behind him immediately stepped forward, presenting the boxes in sequence.

The various Auction items were opened one by one, each emitting an aura that stirred the heart; these were the items Martin and Li Yang had bid on and won during the Auction.

Qi Yu and Qi Fang's gazes lingered on these treasures, their eyes flashing with wonder.

However, all of this was merely a prelude.

Finally, Colin personally took an exceptionally exquisite small box from one of the staff members.

The box was dark gold throughout, its surface etched with fine energy patterns. His movements were extremely careful, even carrying a hint of awe, as he held the box in both hands and solemnly presented it to Li Yang.

"Councilor Li, this is for you from those two distinguished guests."

"Distinguished guests?"

Martin's brow furrowed instantly, his face filled with bewilderment and lack of understanding.

He subconsciously raised his voice, his gaze scanning back and forth between Li Yang and Colin.

"What distinguished guests?"

His voice carried a hint of uncontrollable curiosity.

Martin looked at Li Yang inquisitively, only to find that the latter did not respond to him immediately.

Li Yang's attention was completely captivated by that small dark gold box.

After a moment, he took a deep breath and reached out to take the box.

The box felt slightly heavy in his hand yet possessed a strange sense of lightness. He did not hesitate further and unlatched the lid.

With a soft "click," the lid slowly opened, and a soft yet extremely oppressive light spilled out from within.

Martin subconsciously leaned in, wanting to see what exactly was inside that could make Colin and Li Yang act so solemnly.

The next second, he froze in place.

It was a potion lying quietly in the box.

The bottle had no complex decorations, only a single line of concise text—

"Flawless Enhancement Potion."

Those few short words were like a thunderclap, booming loudly in Martin's mind.

"Flaw... Flawless... Enhancement Potion!"

His voice rose involuntarily, filled with irrepressible shock and disbelief.

Hearing Martin's words, Qi Yu and Qi Fang exchanged a glance and quickly leaned in almost simultaneously.

"Flawless Enhancement Potion? For real?"

Qi Yu subconsciously lowered her voice, though she could not hide her shock.

When their gazes actually fell upon the potion lying quietly in the box, their pupils constricted in unison, and the expressions on their faces instantly froze.

Although they didn't know the true value of this potion like Martin and Li Yang did, they were at least clear on one thing: this item was what those two nobles at the Auction had just snatched by throwing down a staggering three billion star coins.

Three billion star coins.

This number exploded in their minds, leaving them momentarily dazed.

Wait.

Qi Fang was the first to react, his brow furrowing tightly.

"That's not right. Wasn't this bought by those two nobles? How did it end up in Brother Yang's hands?"

This question was like a bucket of cold water, instantly dousing the shock in their hearts and replacing it with deeper confusion.

The group's gazes turned toward Li Yang in unison, their eyes filled with the demand for an explanation.

"Why is everyone looking at me?"

Li Yang felt a bit helpless being stared at like that. He raised a hand to rub his brow, though his tone remained calm.

"Didn't I say? We got to know each other, and this thing is just a meeting gift they gave me."

"..."

The air went silent for a brief moment.

"A meeting gift?!"

Martin almost jumped. His voice rose sharply before he forced it back down.

"An item starting at three billion star coins, and you call that a meeting gift?!"

Never mind Martin and the others; even Colin, standing to the side—the Branch President of the Hope Merchant Guild for the Longlan Star Cluster who was used to seeing great storms—couldn't help but be momentarily stunned, a look of clear surprise appearing on his face.

As the Branch President, he knew the true value of the Flawless Enhancement Potion better than anyone present.

Three billion star coins was merely the transaction price under specific conditions at the Auction.

If the news were spread throughout the entire Empire, or even a larger scope, countless powers would be willing to spend a fortune for it.

Never mind three billion; as long as it was handled properly, six billion or even higher prices were not impossible.

Yet, such a treasure—capable of making countless factions fight to the death—was now being casually referred to as... a meeting gift.

Colin's heart shook slightly, and his gaze toward Li Yang quietly changed.

He suddenly realized that the powers connected to this young Councilor might be far deeper than he had imagined.

Martin opened his mouth, and in the end, all his amazement, shock, and speechlessness merged into two words.

"You... are amazing!"

He gave a thumbs up, his expression complex to the extreme—containing both heartfelt admiration and a slight sense of absurdity, as if wondering if the world had become a bit too unreal.

Qi Yu and Qi Fang also nodded repeatedly from the side, deeply agreeing.