"What do you think?"

Although Xinglan Bei Yi had many peculiarities,

He was most likely not a bad person.

The Ausonryph, also known as the Covenant Gryphon, is a special Covenant Transcendent creature.

Simply put, only Beast Tamers with righteous and kind character can contract with this Transcendent creature; otherwise, even forced contracts would be impossible to succeed.

Moreover, if a Beast Tamers committed bad ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) deeds that violated public order, good customs, laws, and regulations, the Ausonryph would forcibly terminate the contract.

Therefore, in human cognition, a Beast Tamers who contracted with an Ausonryph might not be a strong person, but he was definitely a good person.

Xinglan was clearly stunned for a moment, then smiled, "So Miss Ming has also learned about me. I'm very happy."

Mingxi was his idol, that was no lie.

So, knowing that his idol had also paid attention to him, which fan wouldn't be happy?

It was human nature.

"Know yourself and your enemy, after all, you are very strong."

Xinglan was startled.

A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

Was there something wrong with Mingxi's words?

Yes.

Because she said 'you are very strong', not 'you are also very strong'.

Was there a difference between the two?

Yes!

The former was acknowledgment, admiration, an equal gaze.

While the latter was also acknowledgment, if she followed up with 'you are also very strong' after he had first said 'you are very strong',

There was nothing wrong with it. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Not a single thing wrong.

But in terms of context and tone, it was more of an echo, a handout, a polite consideration after receiving recognition, a condescending look from above.

One might think he was overthinking.

But sometimes, the reality was indeed like that.

Yet Mingxi had solemnly given him genuine acknowledgment, after he insisted he was her fan, after he appeared before her in such a disheveled state.

He couldn't help but wonder, was this girl really only sixteen or seventeen years old?

Mingxi didn't know Xinglan Bei Yi's thoughts at this moment; if she did, she might reply to him, "It's good to know oneself, just like me."

Mingxi's self-perception was very clear; her strength and popularity largely stemmed from Golden Yuanbao and its companions.

Because they were all unique new evolutions in the Alliance, possessing the world's most outstanding talents.

But as for herself...

Her talent was naturally not bad, but to say she could truly overpower all the geniuses and step on all the big shots, there was still a bit of exaggeration.

Others' admiration and high regard for her were more based on the excellence of Golden Ingot Eight and the bonus that came with her age.

This was like the protagonists in novels; they often stood out in a crowd at first glance. Was it because they were head and shoulders above the rest?

No.

It was because they had a protagonist's halo.

And Mingxi's age was like that protagonist's halo; among a group of contestants generally over a hundred years old, she was not just prominent, she was like a camel running out of a flock of sheep—it was hard not to attract attention.

A jade from Jing Mountain.

A piece of jade from Kun Mountain.

But to be precise, she was just an SS-Class Beast Master. This rank could at most be considered mid-tier among all contestants; the big shots ahead of her, if not ubiquitous, could certainly form a soccer team.

After all, the time she had been a Beast Tamers was a factor; in terms of experience, knowledge, and the development and utilization of Transcendent skills, she was at most a toddler just learning to walk.

Of course, this didn't mean she didn't deserve the love and admiration of others; it just meant she didn't feel she had the right to look down on other contestants.

For example, Xinglan Bei Yi, despite his seemingly delicate and frail appearance, was a solid contender who could enter the top sixteen in the doubles competition.

Therefore, Mingxi never felt that just because others called her 'Ming Shen,' regarded her as an 'idol,' liked her, and supported her, she could look down on others from a high perch.

Respect was always mutual.

The same applied between idols and fans.

"The auction is about to begin, and it's almost time for me to find my friends; they must be getting anxious."

An urgent notification sounded from her personal terminal—it was Shao Dingding's frantic call.

"Oh, right, I wish you good luck in bidding for a suitable pet egg in advance."

"Thank you."

Mingxi smiled, answered the phone, and turned to leave.

Xinglan watched the girl's retreating back, the shyness and weakness on his face slowly fading, replaced by a complex, hard-to-discern expression.

He whispered to himself, his voice so low that only he could hear it: "As the rumors say, pure, beautiful, and captivating.

Mingxi, I look forward to our next meeting."

...

The auction was an unprecedented success.

Almost all two hundred pet eggs Mingxi put up for auction were sold at high prices, especially the three legendary pet eggs, which fetched astronomical figures.

The final amount Mingxi received even exceeded the initial estimate by four times; not only did Mingxi make a fortune, but Xiao Li Country, which hosted the auction, also made a fortune.

When the hammer fell on the last item.

The chief person in charge of this auction personally came to Mingxi's private box, his face beaming with smiles, and said a lot of words of thanks, admiration, and praise.

He looked as if he wished he could enshrine Mingxi as an ancestor.

Mingxi was so embarrassed that she had already dug out several Magical Fairy Castles with her toes, only wanting to leave and return to Blue Star as soon as possible.

"That..." The person in charge rubbed his hands, and after five minutes of awkward small talk, finally got to the point, "...I heard you still have a batch of pet eggs of the same quality?"

Mingxi raised an eyebrow: "Mr. Louis's information is very well-informed."

In fact, it was more than just one batch; two hundred eggs were just a fraction of her total harvest.

Louis Lucian, the person in charge, chuckled twice: "Many things in the Silent Mystery Realm are not really secrets, after all, quite a few Beast Tamers entered the Mystery Realm this time, and even more returned safely.

Getting back to the main topic, I wonder if Miss Ming has considered entrusting that batch of pet eggs to us as well? The price is negotiable."

To his disappointment, Mingxi shook her head very decisively.

"I'm very sorry, Mr. Louis, the remaining pet eggs are no longer in my possession."

Upon hearing this unexpected answer, Louis Lucian's eyes widened, and he exclaimed, "What?! You've already sold them all?! How is that possible?!"

Perhaps realizing that his words contained a lot of information, he quickly composed himself, "My apologies, because the quality of the pet eggs you provided is too high, I was a bit emotional when I heard this bad news."

Mingxi didn't take his loss of control to heart, at least on the surface.

She knew everything she needed to know, including the fact that someone had been tailing her after she submitted those two hundred pet eggs for auction.

"I indeed no longer have any pet eggs. They were already transported back to Dragonflower Country yesterday through Director Ding's channels."

She didn't hide anything.

Not putting on a show in front of foreigners would be like wearing fine clothes at night—what's the point of life then?

"I am a citizen of Dragonflower Country and a teacher at Wanling Beast University, so I had already decided to use the remaining pet eggs for the national talent cultivation program. At that time, those pets will be preferentially allocated to talented young Beast Tamers in our country who have limited resources."