I AM A MAGE BUT WITH MILF SYSTEM-Chapter 426: Like he owns the place.

And with that—

The auction finally concluded.

Fi Feng, his voice steadier now, took one final step forward.

"Thank you to everyone who graced this hall today."

He paused, casting a quick glance around the hall.

"To those who successfully won their treasures—please proceed to the redemption chambers outside this hall. The attendants will guide you."

With one last respectful bow toward the center stage where Heavenly Moon still stood, Fi Feng turned toward the side curtain. He walked slowly… then disappeared into the shadows.

A brief silence lingered over the hall. But slowly, one by one, the cultivators began to rise.

They all turned toward Heavenly Moon and bowed in unison.

She accepted it in silence. But her gaze was not on them.

It drifted—unwillingly upward, to the Sapphire Lobby where that impossible man had sat.

But now it was empty.

Quiet.

Who really is he…? she asked herself again.

There had been many saints in the world. But none like him.

She let out a soft breath, shaking her head.

There was no use lingering on mysteries that didn't want to be solved.

She turned and began walking toward the redemption hall. There, her items waited. But one in particular… glowed faintly in its jar.

Watching her.

Just as he had.

After collecting her items, Heavenly Moon stepped out of the redemption chamber without a word. With a soft push of Qi beneath her feet, she rose into the sky, her golden robes fluttering behind her smoothly.

The cheers and gossip of the auction faded as she ascended higher and higher, leaving behind the sect buildings, the disciples, and the burdensome expectations of her title.

The day had been heavier than most. In that single hall, she had encountered a man whose power, wealth, and presence dwarfed her own.

She, who had thought herself to be the peak of the mortal world, now felt small.

So this… is what it feels like, she thought, as she pierced through the dense cloud layer toward the mountain's summit.

The air grew quieter and colder the higher she flew. There, near the peak of her sect's sacred mountain, stood a lonely pavilion, surrounded by plum blossoms that never withered.

She descended slowly, her feet landing silently upon the stone platform. For a while, she said nothing. She simply looked out over the clouds, letting the sky swallow her thoughts. Only when her heart had steadied and her mind had cleared did she allow herself to truly breathe.

And then, her eyes drifted back to the jar in her hand. The True Source.

"Maybe… after using this True Source… I can ascend beyond the Saint realm," she whispered to herself. Her golden eyes gleamed with a mixture of desperation and ambition. "And finally… finally reclaim my lost pride."

Clutching the jar more tightly, she turned and stepped toward the pavilion.

This wasn't just some pavilion. It was her home.

The place where she had broken through to Saint. Where she had meditated in solitude for centuries.

But today… even this sacred place felt different.

The moment she stepped inside, her aura stirred slightly—her instincts telling her something was off.

She paused, her heart beginning to pound in her chest.

"Who is it?" she called out sharply, her fingers twitching, ready to fight.

No response.

Only silence.

She advanced, slow and cautious. Her steps echoed faintly, each one more hesitant than the last.

And then—

Her breath caught.

There, seated casually on the floor like this was his own domain, was the monk.

Julian.

His posture was calm. His legs were crossed. His palms rested lightly on his knees.

And his eyes were closed, as if the world outside him did not exist.

He was lost in meditation.

How… she thought, frozen in place. How did he get here? I had cloaked this entire summit with formation seals… Even a saint couldn't fly within a mile unnoticed…

And yet here he was. In her house.

Sitting like he belonged.

And as she stared, one thought rose above all the others—

This man… is beyond what I can grasp.

Julian's eyes opened slowly, a faint, unreadable smile tugging at his lips.

"Oh, welcome, Heavenly Moon," he said softly, his voice as relaxed as if he were greeting a guest in his own courtyard.

The sound of his voice sent creeps through her.

She took an involuntary step back, the jar still clutched tightly in her hand.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, her voice sharper than she intended.

Julian chuckled lightly. "Nothing much," he said, brushing his sleeve. "I was just wandering here and there… admiring the mountain breeze."

He looked up at her, his smile deepening ever so slightly.

"And besides… we have something to talk about, don't you think?"

The deal.

She had accepted it at the height of pressure, and now… here he was, calmly waiting to collect.

Her pride whispered to resist. But she knew better.

He had fulfilled his end.

He gave her face, restored her respect, and in the presence of every sect and elder, let her walk away victorious.

Now it was her turn.

"...Yeah," she said after a long pause, "I haven't forgotten."

Julian's eyes glinted faintly, pleased.

"Good. Good." He gestured lightly to the open space in front of him.

"Come. Sit. We have a lot of things to talk about."

Her shoulders slumped just slightly as she let out a long breath.

And silently...sat before him, the cool stone beneath her legs doing little to steady the heat rising in her chest.

The silence hung thick between them, her fingers tightening around her gown in nervousness.

Then, her voice broke the silence:

"So… tell me." She swallowed. "Who do you want?"

Her eyes did not meet his directly. She couldn't afford to. Not yet.

Julian's expression softened with amusement. He leaned back slightly, resting one arm on the low table beside him as his other hand played with his own robe.

The faintest breeze blew through the open pavilion, carrying with it the scent of plum blossoms and cloud mist.

He smiled.