As the soft laughter echoed through the auction hall, a silhouette gradually emerged on the auction stage. At the very moment the familiar laughter rang out, the two elders, Jin and Yin, exchanged a slight frown; but as their eyes shifted to the figure on the stage, their expressions immediately grew stern. "Xiao Yan? You killed Master Han, and yet you dare to appear in Black Thorns Domain?" The sharp tone from the elders' voices instantly caused a ripple of astonishment throughout the hall. A wave of amazed gazes settled upon the young man in black robes—could this be Xiao Yan, the one who had slain the renowned herbal master Han Feng? Although Xiao Yan's reputation had now spread throughout Black Thorns Domain, many people still found his appearance rather unfamiliar. It was therefore hard to believe that the very figure hailed as capable of defeating Han Feng was so youthful. His gaze swept over the two elders, whose faces were pale with displeasure, and Xiao Yan smiled lightly. "How truly amusing your remarks are. In the Black Angular Domain, countless lives are lost every day. Does that mean, once someone is killed, they must be expelled? Is it any surprise that casualties occur when two parties compete against each other?" Xiao Yan slightly lifted his gaze, his gradually colder words leaving no room for dignity for the two elders, Jin and Yin, and the subtle challenge embedded in his tone remained largely unmasked. As soon as Xiao Yan's nearly arrogant remarks settled, another wave of commotion swept across the hall—few in the Black Thorns Domain dared to speak to Jin and Yin with such confidence. The two elders, equally stirred by Xiao Yan's tone, turned ashen-faced. After a brief pause, their sharp voices resonated throughout the hall: "What a presumptuous youngster! Do you truly believe that merely defeating Han Feng is enough to make you a dominant force in the Black Thorns Domain? Had it not been for the unyielding Su Qian and the inner courtyard's powerful protectors, I would have slain you right here on the spot!" "Upon seeing Master Jin and Master Yin grow angry, the murmurs throughout the auction hall gradually subsided. A number of eyes watched Xiao Yan on the stage with a mixture of envy and relief—everyone from Black Angular Domain was well aware of these two elders' tendencies. They particularly disliked it when others publicly undermined their dignity. Now, with Xiao Yan doing just that in front of so many people, it seemed the smooth running of today's auction would indeed face considerable challenges. 'If you two simply split up and follow after Han Feng, that wouldn't be difficult at all,' said Xiao Yan calmly. Though these two elders could jointly hold their own against a Douzong-level powerhouse, when separated, they would only amount to peak Douhuang strength. With Xiao Yan's current prowess, defeating one such peak Douhuang-level warrior was by no means impossible. 'Childish talk.'" "Regarding Xiao Yan's words, the two elders, Jin and Yin, scoffed coldly, saying, "In Black Angle, there is no fairness—only victory and defeat. For years now, regardless of whether our opponents are strong or weak, we have always fought together. To disperse? That's what a fool would do. Yet, this young upstart has managed to bring up such a point. Then, today, we shall conveniently settle our grievances with Han Feng—so that he may never find peace even after his passing." As the words fell, two mighty streams of power surged forth from the bodies of the two elders, converging and enveloping the entire auction hall. "Excellent! Jin Elder and Yin Elder, kill this youngster, and then we will unite to completely eliminate the 'Xiao Clan'! We mustn't let the Feng City fall into the hands of these people!" Behind the two elders, several former members of the Black Alliance, witnessing their actions, immediately erupted into excited cheers. They, too, were deeply eager for Feng City and naturally did not wish for this large prize to end up in Xiao Yan's hands. Hearing the support from the crowd, the two elders—Jin and Yin—gave a somber smile, their inner aura gradually growing stronger. Under the overwhelming pressure of their formidable presence, most attendees in the auction hall turned red in the face, while only a few exceptional强者 could remain calm and composed. At one corner of the auction hall, the heads of the three major factions—Tian Yin Sect, Luo Sha Gate, and Kuang Li Clan—gazed at the two elder masters radiating strong pressure, exchanged glances, and all chuckled with a mixture of pity and disdain. While others might not be aware, they were well informed: within Feng City, there was indeed a genuine Dou-Zong cultivator, one who clearly held deep ties to Xiao Yan. These two elders, attempting to assert dominance through sheer numbers, were now setting themselves up for a hard fight. "Hehe, quite an arrogant tone! Today, Su Qian and the other inner courtyard strong ones aren't here—do you think you're qualified to speak to us like this?" Hearing Xiao Yan's utterly boastful words, the two elders, Jin and Yin, were instantly furious, yet could only laugh in response. Xiao Yan glanced at the two elders, said nothing, and slowly raised his hand, then gently waved it. A soft voice came forth: "Sorry, could you two please be a bit quieter?" As soon as Xiao Yan finished speaking, a subtle distortion rippled through the space beside him. Then, gradually, a stunningly alluring, ethereal figure—like a ghost—materialized into the center of everyone's attention. The sudden appearance of this radiant beauty caused many eyes to widen in astonishment. Some with less steady composure even flushed, their throats bobbing as they gazed at the captivating figure, their faces turning a deep crimson, utterly embarrassed. At the very moment Medusa appeared, the two elders—once radiating a cold, scornful expression—slowly stiffened. They held a deep impression of this woman, whose beauty was almost otherworldly. Back then, Han Feng had been directly kicked to death by this cold-hearted woman. What weighed most heavily on their hearts was that this woman was no mere illusion—she was a genuine Douzong-level powerhouse. "By the gods, she's supposed to be hunting Xiao Yan! How is she here, helping him?" The two elders' stern faces grew pale. Under Medusa's calm gaze, the powerful, dominant aura that had previously enveloped the entire arena gradually weakened, and after a moment, it finally retreated, as if a cat that had seen a mouse had shrunk back into itself. Though the two elders of Jin and Yin claimed to be able to stand against fully-fledged Domain Rank强者 together, they could only hold their own against some early-stage Domain Rank强者. When faced with Su Qian, however, even a slight delay from the latter would quickly put them at a disadvantage. While the two elders might not yet feel particularly intimidated by Su Qian himself, they harbored a deep, instinctive fear toward this stunningly beautiful woman—fear that had no clear origin, yet subtly conveyed that should they engage her in battle, they would have a nine-out-of-ten chance of falling to her. Gazing at the somewhat stiff faces of the two elders, Xiao Yan spoke with a mixture of amusement and challenge, "Ladies and gentlemen, does the city of Fengcheng seem to me worthy of being claimed by our Xiao family?" "Master Jin and Master Yin, Fengcheng was once the headquarters of the Black Alliance. It cannot fall into the hands of this man. As soon as either of you gives the word, our forces within the city will immediately act—guaranteeing that all Xiao family interests will be secured within half a day." A man who had not yet recognized Medusa, standing behind the two elders, heard Xiao Yan's clearly confrontational tone and immediately stepped forward to speak. According to his expectation, given the strong personalities of Master Jin and Master Yin, they would surely not remain indifferent to Xiao Yan's bold challenge. With their combined efforts, the various factions would soon ignite further resistance, and today would surely see the complete elimination of the Xiao family. Yet, as he spoke, he failed to notice the sympathetic glances cast upon him by several faction leaders, and even shifted his position subtly. At this moment, hearing such words, the faces of the two elders, once dry and pale, trembled noticeably—seeming to feel the growing coldness of the two steady, detached glances shining down from the stage. Under the weight of those unyielding, emotionless eyes, the two elders suddenly spun around sharply, and in the midst of countless stunned gazes, they forcefully swept their sleeves across the face of the previously obstinate man, sending him flying with such strength that he landed heavily several meters away on the corridor, emitting a sharp, piercing cry of pain. "You blind fool! Han Feng died at the hands of Xiao Master—by right, he has the claim to this city. What right do *you* have to complain here?"