The venue for the Black Emperor Sect's auction was set in a spacious square at the heart of the city. Yet even with such ample space, the Black Emperor Sect seemed to have underestimated the appeal of the event. When Xiao Yan and his two companions arrived at the auction hall, they were struck by the nearly endless crowd pressing forward—these people were truly more enthusiastic than one could possibly imagine. Fortunately, the Black Emperor Sect had anticipated this scenario and had specially designated access corridors for the powerful members of the Black Angular Region. After a few inquiries and several turns, Xiao Yan and his companions successfully reached the entrance to these dedicated pathways. Around the passage, numerous guards from the Black Emperor Sect stood vigilant, their sharp weapons glowing with a cold radiance that intimidated the surging crowd isolated to the side, preventing them from approaching even slightly. At the passage itself, several senior monks of the Black Emperor Sect stood casually, their robust aura of martial energy creating a sense of pressure that weighed heavily on those nearby. Under the gathering gaze of so many, Xiao Yan and his two companions slowly stepped onto the staircase and made their way toward the heavily guarded entrance corridor. The countless eyes observed these three unfamiliar figures—two of whom were completely enveloped in large black robes, their outlines barely visible beneath the shadows. Among the three, the most striking was undoubtedly the young physician in white robes with snow-white hair, whose ethereal, refined presence immediately caught the attention of many. "Who are these three? Have we never heard of them before?" "I'm not sure... Could it be that they came from outside the Black Angular Domain?" The young physician's appearance was quite unfamiliar to those from the Black Angular Domain, prompting a wave of murmured questions and expressions of curiosity. Amidst the surrounding murmurs, the three Black Emperor Sect elders stationed at the entrance also spotted the three visitors. When their eyes fell upon the young physician with a clear, composed face and dressed in white robes, all three exchanged glances and immediately brightened, approaching with warm, eager smiles. Clearly, they had recognized the young physician's strength—likely having been present during the previous herb-elixir incident. As for Xiao Yan's seemingly slightly arrogant demeanor, the elder could not have been the slightest bit displeased. A pharmacist capable of crafting upper-tier sixth-rank pills was far beyond the reach of a single elder from Heihuang Sect. Moreover, standing beside him was a Douzong-level powerhouse whose eyes were as cold as ice. "Ah, please, the three of you," said the elder, chatting a few more words with Xiao Yan. Seeing that the latter showed no great enthusiasm, he gracefully stepped aside, offering a warm smile. "Thank you," Xiao Yan bowed slightly to the elder, and without hesitation, led the two of them directly through the designated corridor, vanishing from the crowd's sight. "Phew—that woman's presence is truly cold. Just standing near her, my inner ki feels as though it's about to stop flowing altogether. No wonder she's a Douzong-level master." As Xiao Yan and his companions disappeared down the corridor, the young elder in the green robe wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead, breathlessly remarking. "The Rock Hawk—wasn't he the one who prepared the elixirs that day? I never expected someone so young to achieve such accomplishments; even the junior master falls short in comparison." One elder sighed lightly. "I truly have no idea where they came from. There's never been any mention of these three in the Black Horn Domain." Another elder furrowed his brows, murmuring softly. "Well, these matters aren't something we need to worry about." The green-robed elder shook his head, his gaze following the entrance of the corridor, where yet another group of people had just appeared, their faces now brightening with warm smiles. … Xiao Yan and his two companions passed through the softly lit corridor. After a few minutes, the view ahead suddenly broadened, and before them emerged a magnificent auction hall, towering like a giant. Staring at the packed hall, filled with countless seats, Xiang Yan couldn't help but marvel and whisper in admiration. Such a scale of auction event—he had never seen one before. Compared to this, the auctions hosted by the Mitel family of the Jima Empire seemed insignificant, truly a mere child's play. At this moment, the vast hall was already full, and the combined sounds of voices created a somewhat noisy atmosphere. As soon as the three of them stepped out of the corridor, a young attendant approached them swiftly, looking quite attractive and dressed unusually revealingly, and politely asked, "May I have your guest seat badges, esteemed lords?" Xiang Yan glanced at the attendant, whose attire and sheer transparency revealed ample charm, and noticed several moments where her modesty was hard to maintain. He was momentarily taken aback—did the Hei Huang Sect really still go this far? As Xiao Yan was startled, a low hum suddenly rose from behind. Startled, he offered a somewhat awkward smile, not daring to determine whether it came from the tall or the petite beauty standing behind him, and quickly reached into his storage ring to retrieve the jade plaque that Mo Ya had automatically presented earlier, then handed it over. Upon receiving the plaque, the attendant's expression grew even more respectful and humble. She bowed gracefully to the three of them and said, "Please follow me." Turning around immediately, she moved with a fluid, slender grace, her waist like a serpent's, leading the way. Xiao Yan, in turn, kept his gaze steady and followed closely without looking aside. The three of them walked through several corridors of the auction hall, and after a while, finally stopped near the front section. Then, they bowed and stepped back. The seats at the front of the auction hall resembled a series of elegant, compact rooms, exuding a particularly luxurious ambiance. Sitting within them, the clamor from the back seemed entirely muffled, and looking down, one had an unobstructed view of every corner of the auction hall's center. "At a premium seating area, Fangyan watched closely as Xiao Yan, completely enveloped in black robes, his brow furrowed, speaking in a steady tone. The several elders from Mo Yan Valley beside him also shook their heads slightly, expressing their own doubts. 'I hope they won't become an obstacle for us...' the gray-robed figure breathed out, his voice strained. The solemn gaze beneath the gray robe remained fixed on Xiao Yan's direction, growing increasingly familiar—something about it felt unmistakably familiar. When Fangyan and the others' eyes converged upon the three figures, Xiao Yan himself seemed to sense the less-than-pleasant glances. His brow furrowed slightly beneath the black robes, then his gaze shifted to Fangyan, the red-haired man, before pausing on the gray-robed figure—something about him always carried a sense of both threatening and strange. Shaking his head to steady his emotions, Xiao Yan closed his eyes, settled into meditation, and waited quietly for the auction to begin." Soon after Xiao Yan closed his eyes, a steady stream of guests began to pour into the auction hall, and the number of figures on the front贵宾 seats gradually increased. By the half-hour mark, nearly every seat was occupied. As the seating filled up, Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes beneath his black robe and softly remarked, "It seems that indeed many strong contenders have been drawn by the allure of the Bodhi Body Transformation essence." Having carefully sensed the atmosphere during his closed-eyed meditation, he noticed that, aside from Su Qian, the Senior Monastic, and that enigmatic gray-robed figure, at least two subtle presences were concealed among the guests on the front row. Those capable of masking their strength from his sharp spiritual perception were not mere cultivation elites—some had employed secret concealment techniques. Such individuals, he knew, were far from being passive or economical in their presence. The young physician nodded slightly, her gray-purple eyes flashing a touch of seriousness—the difficulty in securing the Bodhi Body-Saliva surpassed her expectations. As Xu Yin pondered, a clear chime suddenly rang out from the center of the auction hall, then swelled gently, echoing throughout the entire space and momentarily silencing the surrounding clamor. As the chime settled, a radiant energy ring slowly rose from the auction platform, eventually forming like a prison that sealed the platform within. This was a protective measure—Black Corner's inhabitants were often unruly, and thefts of auctioned goods were not uncommon. Though the Black Emperor Sect was no ordinary force, caution remained essential. After all, the items up for auction were exceptionally valuable; any mishap would truly tarnish the Sect's reputation.