Because this entire bloody purge was carried out secretly within the Dark Church, coupled with the Church's historically clandestine operations—rarely interacting with the outside world except amongst their own—news of the massive upheaval within the Dark Church did not leak. Aside from those inside the Church and the mysterious forces aiding Jella, absolutely no one knew of these changes.

Consequently, Mo Han remained completely unaware of the events unfolding within the Dark Church. Had he not coincidentally encountered those black-clad assassins connected to the Dark Church in Mig City, it might have been half a year before Mo Han learned of the situation. Thus, Mo Han discovering this matter was entirely a stroke of sheer serendipity.

Yet, Mo Han couldn't understand why Liu Yanran wouldn't send word through an intermediary rather than facing these circumstances alone. Even if Liu Yanran didn't know his exact location, he now had established contacts within the Heavenly Dragon Empire; she could have easily reached out to him through the Prince’s Mansion in Heavenly Dragon City.

Her failure to do so only deepened Mo Han’s unease, compelling him to immediately set off for Fira City to gather intelligence on Liu Yanran and then devise a way to root out the mysterious power backing Jella.

To eradicate them and Jella completely.

Originally, Mo Han had intended to bring Bai Ling along, as her strength arguably surpassed his own, but he also didn't want too many people knowing about Liu Yanran’s affairs.

Furthermore, Mo Han wasn't sure Bai Ling would agree to help. Given Bai Ling’s mercurial temperament, Mo Han genuinely doubted he could persuade her. After all, ever since meeting him, Bai Ling had been continually burdened by him: first negotiating with the Demon Dragon Patriarch on Demon Dragon Island, and then battling Andu, who was possessed by Hades the King of the Underworld, to rescue him.

To save him, Bai Ling had been forced to unleash a divine curse magic far beyond her natural limits, severely damaging her vital energy and impeding her future progress. Because of this, Mo Han felt intensely guilty toward her and couldn't bear dragging her into this new affair. This was why Mo Han decided against notifying Bai Ling and set off alone.

Fira City held a modest reputation across the continent.

It housed the largest slave market in the world, where hundreds, if not thousands, of slaves were sold daily. Vast sums of capital flowed into Fira City, fueling its economic development. Moreover, since the slave trade operated regardless of season, Fira City was bustling with foot traffic year-round, remaining incredibly lively.

After several days of hurried travel, Mo Han finally arrived at this city notorious across the continent for trafficking slaves. According to the intelligence Mo Han had acquired, the Dark Saintess, Liu Yanran, had last been seen in Fira City. Therefore, finding any clue to Liu Yanran’s whereabouts meant searching within Fira City itself.

But Fira City was enormous; finding a single person was incredibly difficult, especially since the Dark Church operated with such secrecy. While the continent knew of the Dark Church’s existence, very few outside its inner circle knew the precise locations of its headquarters or branches.

And Mo Han dared not search too openly. If he did, he would certainly alert the bloodthirsty Jella and the mysterious force behind him. He feared that instead of finding Liu Yanran, he might inadvertently bring danger upon her. He could only search covertly, making the task of locating Liu Yanran akin to finding a needle in a haystack under these conditions.

Upon arrival, Mo Han was utterly dumbfounded. He had been so focused on rushing to Fira City to search for news of Liu Yanran that he hadn't planned how to search. Now, standing in the city, he realized he had no starting point. Despite possessing formidable power, he was completely useless here, no better than an ordinary person.

Relying only on himself to find someone in Fira City, he estimated it would take several days just to comb through the city. Mo Han briefly considered leveraging the power of the Church of Light; their influence across the continent was surely superior to him wandering around aimlessly.

However, ever since he was inexplicably expelled from the Holy Capital by the Pope of Light last time, he hadn't contacted anyone from the Church of Light, including Priest Mora, who had always been on good terms with Mo Han and stationed at the Grand Cathedral in Heavenly Dragon City. Mo La hadn't reached out to Mo Han either, leaving him utterly baffled as to what had transpired, so he dared not rashly seek help from the Church of Light.

Mo Han also worried about causing unnecessary trouble for Shui Ling’er. Furthermore, given the long-standing covert conflict between the Church of Light and the Dark Church, Mo Han couldn't be certain the Church of Light would assist him in finding Liu Yanran. Considering this, Mo Han had to abandon the idea and resolve to complete this mission independently.

After entering Fira City, Mo Han found a random inn to stay in. Lacking a clear objective, he wandered the streets aimlessly by himself. After meandering for half the day, with dusk already approaching, Mo Han had discovered nothing out of the ordinary.

Mo Han casually tried to probe a few people in secret about the Dark Church. Everyone had heard of its reputation, but not a single person knew the location of its headquarters, let alone a branch in Fira City. Fearing he might alert the Dark Church, he dared not press further, resolving only to watch for any particularly unusual occurrences or hope to spot one or two members of the Dark Church, which would drastically increase his chances of success.

But Mo Han was completely disappointed. After an entire afternoon of searching, he found nothing. Dejected, Mo Han returned to the inn where he was staying. As soon as he stepped inside, the innkeeper greeted him warmly. The owner was an elderly man over fifty, dressed in simple grayish-white robes, possessing a straightforward and enthusiastic demeanor that left a good impression on Mo Han; compared to the swindlers, the innkeeper was a rarity.

The innkeeper smiled and spoke, "Young master, why aren't you going to the Qiyun Pavilion to see the excitement? Everyone is flocking to the Qiyun Pavilion!"

Hearing this, Mo Han looked slightly puzzled and asked, "Qiyun Pavilion? What is that place? Is there something exciting happening there today?"

The owner replied, "It seems you are visiting Fira City for the first time, young master. Otherwise, how could you not know the name Qiyun Pavilion?" Mo Han readily nodded in agreement. Seeing this, the owner patiently explained, "That makes sense. The Qiyun Pavilion is the most famous slave market in our Fira City. Nearly half of our city's trade passes through the Qiyun Pavilion. So, when you mention the Qiyun Pavilion, truly, everyone knows of it."

The owner spoke animatedly about the pavilion, but Mo Han felt no interest. Indeed, these matters held no relevance for him currently. In ordinary times, Mo Han might have found it interesting to listen, but given the current circumstances, he naturally had no inclination.

The owner seemed to sense Mo Han's impatience and quickly added with slight awkwardness, "Today is the Qiyun Pavilion's bi-annual auction. High-quality slaves and those more unique individuals are usually saved for this time to fetch a better price. This includes many young and beautiful female slaves."

The innkeeper, seeing that Mo Han was young and well-dressed, assumed he was a noble son out for leisure from one of the aristocratic families, so he immediately steered the conversation in that direction. Mo Han, however, remained completely uninterested. Yet, sensing the man's enthusiasm, he couldn't ignore him entirely, merely offering a faint "Mn," without showing much excitement—a reaction vastly different from what the innkeeper had anticipated.

The innkeeper had expected Mo Han to show delight upon hearing about beautiful female slaves, as the noble young masters who frequented his establishment before always reacted with great interest to such news. Compared to Mo Han’s current expression, the difference was stark.

But the owner was persistent. He continued, "So, every time this occurs, many noble young masters and wealthy merchants choose this moment to visit the Qiyun Pavilion to select slaves that please them to take home. Even common folk rush over just to watch the fun, though they can only peer from the entrance. Consequently, the Qiyun Pavilion is always packed shoulder-to-shoulder, incredibly lively! Won't you go and join the excitement, young master?"

Mo Han shook his head with disinterest. "Thank you for the offer, boss, but I have no interest in such things. I appreciate your goodwill."

Just as Mo Han was about to turn and leave, he suddenly paused and asked, "Boss, since the Qiyun Pavilion is so lively, I assume all sorts of professions will be represented there, correct?" The owner, who was about to leave, quickly smiled and nodded upon hearing Mo Han’s question. "Absolutely. Since this is a grand event for Fira City, naturally people from all walks of life will attend to join the merriment."

The owner didn't understand why Mo Han was suddenly asking about this but continued to answer enthusiastically. Hearing this, a flicker of gladness appeared in Mo Han’s eyes. He immediately asked the owner for the exact location of the Qiyun Pavilion. The owner promptly led Mo Han to the entrance and explained the venue's location. Mo Han thanked him profusely and hurriedly hailed a carriage at the inn's entrance, directing it towards the Qiyun Pavilion.

The owner watched him go, shaking his head and muttering to himself, "That young master, judging by his hurried manner, he clearly wanted to go, yet he claimed no interest before. What an odd fellow."

With that, the innkeeper shook his head again and returned inside.

Mo Han changed his mind because he suddenly realized that since the Qiyun Pavilion auction would gather so many people—individuals from all walks of life—he might be able to glean some clues there. This realization prompted Mo Han to decide to try his luck at the Qiyun Pavilion auction, hoping for an unexpected breakthrough.

Guided by the carriage, Mo Han soon arrived at the location of the Qiyun Pavilion. Upon seeing the scene, Mo Han realized the owner hadn't exaggerated in the slightest. The auction hadn't even started yet, but the area outside the Qiyun Pavilion was already a massive crowd, utterly jammed.

The carriage moved slowly and was too large to squeeze through. Seeing this, Mo Han couldn't fathom why the common folk were so engrossed in such an event, but he dismounted and headed toward the Qiyun Pavilion entrance on foot. After considerable effort, Mo Han reached the main gate and noticed quite a few soldiers standing guard—a detail that sparked Mo Han’s curiosity. He found it surprising that a mere slave auction would warrant protection from the city guards, suggesting the Qiyun Pavilion’s proprietor was more influential than he seemed.

In reality, Mo Han didn't understand that in the Huoyun Empire, large-scale slave auctions like this required paying a substantial tax to the state. Transactions often involved tens of millions, meaning the national tax contribution was considerable. When this tax money passed through the hands of local officials, a portion was inevitably siphoned off for personal enrichment. Consequently, these local officials would be delighted if such auctions happened daily, as it would naturally inflate their own illicit income. Therefore, not only would they dispatch soldiers for protection, but they would likely agree without hesitation to call in an entire legion if asked.

As Mo Han neared the entrance, he was politely stopped by a Qiyun Pavilion attendant. Noticing Mo Han’s fine attire, the attendant dared not be disrespectful and immediately asked, "Esteemed young master, may I see your invitation slip?"

Mo Han inwardly paused at the request. "Invitation slip? What invitation slip?"

Hearing Mo Han's response, the attendant was momentarily stunned. Seeing that Mo Han expected entry without even knowing about an invitation, he found it somewhat amusing. If not for Mo Han’s expensive clothing, the attendant would have assumed he was there to cause trouble. Nevertheless, the attendant maintained his politeness and explained, "The invitation slip is proof we issue to distinguished guests who possess the capability to purchase slaves. The Qiyun Pavilion begins distributing them a month before the auction. Everyone entering the auction must present an invitation slip for entry."

Only then did Mo Han understand the purpose of the invitation. He conceded that their reasoning was sound, similar to the auction houses in his own era, which required a deposit to qualify for bidding. Here, they didn't demand a deposit, but they did require proof of purchasing power; otherwise, the venue would surely be overwhelmed if anyone could simply walk in. He cursed the innkeeper for failing to mention such a critical detail, but since he was here, he couldn't leave empty-handed. With that thought, Mo Han smiled at the attendant and said, "Brother, I just arrived in Fira City today, so I didn't have time to process any invitation slips. Your slips are just to verify purchasing ability, is that correct?"

The attendant, though unsure why Mo Han mentioned this, nodded in affirmation of his statement. Seeing this, Mo Han took a purple card from his pocket and presented it with a smile. "If this item is sufficient, I wonder if I can enter the auction hall?"

The attendant’s eyes widened upon seeing the card in Mo Han’s hand. "A Purple Gold Card! Since Your Excellency possesses a Purple Gold Card, you are certainly qualified to enter the auction hall." After saying this, he bowed respectfully to Mo Han and motioned for him to enter. Mo Han accepted without ceremony, thanked the attendant with a smile, and stepped into the auction house.

(Note: On the Dragon Ascent Continent, the Purple Gold Card is essentially an upgraded version of the Gold Cards previously used by Mo Han’s group. There were three tiers of the commonly circulating Gold Cards: the most basic Gold Card, the slightly higher Platinum Card, and finally, the supreme Purple Gold Card. Essentially, it functioned like a bank's VIP card. Platinum Cards usually required assets reaching one million gold coins, but Purple Gold Cards demanded assets of ten million or more. They were typically held only by royalty, nobles, or extremely wealthy merchants—a symbol of status. Previously, Daili and the others couldn't afford to obtain Purple Gold Cards. After meeting Mo Han, the Flying Cloud Mercenary Group’s finances surged, and Daili subsequently acquired several Purple Gold Cards. The one Mo Han carried was given to him by Daili before he left, for emergencies. Unexpectedly, it was now proving useful.)

Upon entering the venue, Mo Han discovered the main hall was already full, its noise level matching the chaos outside. Fortunately, there were still plenty of attendants inside. As soon as Mo Han entered, an attendant rushed over and politely guided him to an empty seat at one of the tables.

There were private VIP rooms upstairs reserved for particularly wealthy or influential guests, offering an environment vastly superior to the main hall. Given Mo Han’s current financial standing, merely presenting his Purple Gold Card would have entitled him to a seat in the upstairs VIP section, sparing him the crowded noise downstairs. However, Mo Han was unconcerned with such niceties now; simply gaining entry to the auction satisfied him, and he cared little about where he sat.

His tablemates turned out to be five individuals dressed as mercenaries, two of whom Mo Han immediately recognized as women disguised as men. This struck Mo Han as odd. Mercenary groups typically did not attend such auctions. Mercenaries were employed by others and constantly roamed the continent, lacking fixed residences and having little need for slaves. Furthermore, the slaves sold at these auctions commanded high prices. Mercenary groups earned their money painstakingly and wouldn't waste it on useless captives. Thus, mercenary bands rarely participated in these events.

While there were other mercenary groups present, they were usually hired by employers to guard the safety of their wealthy clients. These mercenaries typically sat with their employers. The mercenaries across from Mo Han, however, were clearly not hired guards, as the table held only Mo Han and these five individuals, implying they were attending the auction for themselves.

Knowing the opposing mercenaries were there to participate in a slave auction made Mo Han even more curious. He smiled faintly and began observing the strange group across from him.

Of the five members in this mercenary group, there were only two Warriors. The remaining three were all Mages. This unusual composition greatly puzzled Mo Han. In a typical mercenary group, Warriors should form the backbone, as their primary role is to hold the line and protect vulnerable members like Mages or Archers, giving them the opportunity to strike their targets unimpeded. Therefore, Warriors should be the majority, while Mages or Archers served as support roles, forming a balanced unit capable of facing unpredictable dangers.

However, the mercenary group opposite Mo Han inverted this common continental arrangement, with Mages clearly dominating the group composition. Furthermore, they lacked Archers, an essential component of any mercenary band. Mo Han truly wondered how, if they were besieged or faced danger, just two Warriors could possibly hold off enemies while protecting three Mages.

While the strength of the mercenaries across from him wasn't negligible, they were decidedly ordinary among the mercenary bands scattered across the continent. The two younger warriors possessed the strength of intermediate Sword Masters, and among the three mages, the most powerful was a single middle-aged mage whose abilities capped out at the level of an intermediate Magus.

The other two mages, both women disguised as men, were only at the level of high-ranking Mages. On this continent, such skill placed them firmly in the category of common mercenary groups. Therefore, given their level, it was impossible for them to secure the highly lucrative, high-level missions; consequently, they shouldn't have the excess funds to purchase slaves for their own enjoyment. So, what was their actual reason for attending this auction? Although Mo Han found the situation peculiar, he didn't dwell on it, as it wasn't what preoccupied him. Mo Han was solely focused on locating any trace or clue pertaining to Liu Yanran; as for why those mercenaries were at the auction, it was none of his concern.

When the mercenaries noticed Mo Han observing them, they assumed, based on his attire, that he must be the scion of some noble house. Consequently, they offered him polite, small smiles. Only one, the blue-robed female mage disguised as a man, reacted differently. When she saw Mo Han looking her way, she couldn't help but let out a cold snort, casting a look of utter disdain in his direction before turning away to resume her conversation with her companion.

Seeing this, Mo Han decided it wasn't worth stooping to their level. He returned to his own task, scanning the hall to see if he could spot any members of the Dark Church or any other leads.

The white-robed mage accompanying the blue-robed woman—also a woman disguised as a man—noticed her companion's rudeness and offered Mo Han an apologetic smile. Mo Han acknowledged her gesture with a slight nod and a smile before returning his attention to his search. The white-robed mage then turned back to converse with her fellow companion.

Just then, the blue-robed mage spoke, addressing one of the two warriors: "Brother Lick, do you really think Little Anli will be here?"

Apology: Yesterday, a fire broke out in the residential community next to the author's (Qiezi's) residence, causing power outages across all surrounding communities, which only returned to normal this afternoon. Since the inventory was stored on the computer, I couldn't upload chapters. Furthermore, today I was busy handling matters concerning my own house during the day, so I only returned to write late tonight, along with making up for yesterday's missed chapter. I apologize to everyone here.

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