Subduing Yuan Yi!

Inside Ye Yan's room.

Though more than half the auction seats below were already occupied, not the slightest bit of noise entered this place.

"Other Dou Emperor experts have arrived."

Ye Lin sensed several Dou Emperor experts entering the other rooms and reminded Ye Yan.

"Oh, it seems they're even heading toward our room."

Ye Lin's gaze passed through the door, watching the people conversing outside.

"One woman and three men. The woman should be Su Mei of the Rakshasa Sect. The others are from the Heavenly Yin Sect and the Mad Lion Gang."

"Then Yuan Yi should be arriving soon as well."

Ye Yan took a sip of tea and spoke calmly.

Not long after Ye Yan finished speaking,

Yuan Yi approached from behind the group of one woman and three men, his face covered in smiles.

"Sect Master Su, Sect Master Yin, Gang Leader Tie, Tomb Master, you've all arrived!"

"Please forgive me. I had something to deal with just now and was unable to receive you!"

"Sect Master Yuan, you went and did something so major without making a sound. You certainly didn't inform us."

A seductive gleam flashed in Su Mei's eyes as she teased Sect Master Yuan.

"I truly do not know what Sect Master Su means. I did not come out from that room; I genuinely had business to attend to just now."

"Enough. I don't care whether you had business or not. Is that expert inside?"

Tie Wu frowned and pointed toward the highest room as he asked.

Yuan Yi nodded.

"Then why not take us in to meet him?" the Tomb Master said.

"This..."

Yuan Yi's heart instantly tightened, and he hesitated.

He feared that once these people entered, they would bring up the auction item. If that young master revealed it, things would become troublesome.

"What, Yuan Yi? Are you hiding something from us?"

"Or did you exchange something with that expert and do not want us to know?"

Old Man Yin Gu and the others all looked at Yuan Yi, the meaning in their eyes impossible to miss.

Yuan Yi's expression remained ordinary as he explained unhurriedly.

Though that was indeed what he thought, he absolutely could not say it now.

Moreover, seeing how these people treated him only strengthened Yuan Yi's resolve to submit to Ye Yan.

Those two possessed such powerful cultivation and backgrounds, yet they were nowhere near as aggressive as these people.

"Then, shall you wait while I go ask? I can bring you in afterward."

Yuan Yi spoke cautiously.

"Why make it so troublesome? Just ask from outside the door."

Tie Wu had already run out of patience and urged him on.

"Brother Tie!"

Su Mei rebuked Tie Wu, then told Yuan Yi to go ask first.

When the group arrived at the door,

"Everyone, come in."

Before Yuan Yi could speak, Ye Lin's voice came from inside the room.

Yuan Yi's hand rested on the door, and his heart skipped a beat as he wondered whether his earlier reply had completely angered the two of them.

He had now lost his chance to board their ship.

What he did not know was that Ye Yan merely wanted to give him a sense of crisis, so that Yuan Yi would not think Ye Yan had no choice but to keep him.

Many things in the world worked this way. If you strongly urged someone to enter a group of shared interests,

even if that group could offer him tremendous benefits,

as long as the process carried even a hint of coercion, then once he failed to receive sufficient benefits,

there was a great chance that he would think he had been forced into that group and thus develop resentment toward it.

Of course, that was only a minority of people.

Ye Yan did not expect Yuan Yi to be different. As long as he obeyed, he would not lack benefits.

Furthermore, Ye Yan had enough confidence that he would be able to crush Yuan Yi in both strength and influence in the future.

The door slowly opened.

With unease in his heart, Yuan Yi walked in. Su Mei and the others followed behind him.

After everyone entered,

Old Man Yin Gu and the others felt the vast aura Ye Lin released, and all their dissatisfaction from outside the door vanished without a trace.

This was an expert at the peak of the Dou Emperor realm.

Even if all of them joined forces, it was hard to say whether they could defeat him.

As the strongest among them, Ye Lin naturally spoke first.

"What brings you all here?"

"Nothing much. We merely came to visit the expert who killed Fan Lao."

Su Mei smiled as she spoke. Her gaze first swept over Ye Lin, then shifted to the black-robed figure beside him.

Though she could not see the black-robed figure's face, she somehow felt that this person gave her a strange feeling.

Her gaze kept drifting back to Ye Yan.

Ye Yan's face darkened beneath the black robe. Even dressed like this, it still happened.

Only after coming here did Ye Yan realize that this [Husband Aura] continued to grow stronger as he aged.

It was only because Xuan Yi and the few other women in Sacred Pill City had long grown accustomed to the effects of Ye Yan's [Husband Aura].

That was why he had thought he was already used to the effect of that trait.

Good thing I wore a black robe, Ye Yan thought.

"Cough, cough!"

Yuan Yi coughed, drawing Su Mei's attention away.

"You two, these are Old Man Yin Gu of the Heavenly Yin Sect, Sect Master Su Mei of the Rakshasa Sect..."

Yuan Yi introduced the group to Ye Yan and Ye Lin.

The arrogance in Tie Wu's eyes faded. He cupped his fists and said,

"May I ask how this Dou Emperor is addressed?"

"I am Lin Ye," Ye Lin replied calmly.

Tie Wu opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Su Mei's voice sounded again.

"Lord Lin, then how should this one be addressed?"

Ye Lin's expression did not change as he looked at Su Mei with scrutiny.

She had not even seen Ye Yan's face, yet she already had a favorable impression of him?

It was Ye Lin's first time experiencing Ye Yan's charm so directly. It was truly outrageous!

The corners of Ye Yan's mouth twitched slightly beneath his black robe. He wanted to simply remain silent.

But thinking of his goal, he still needed to win over more people.

"Greetings, Sect Master Su. I am Lin Yan," Ye Yan said.

Ye Yan's utterly ordinary voice sounded magnetic in Su Mei's ears, making her mind drift.

She even wanted to step forward and take a closer look at what kind of appearance lay beneath that black robe.

That feeling grew even stronger, as though it were constantly scratching at her heart.

The Tomb Master and the others were full of helplessness. Why was Su Mei acting as though spring had arrived at a time like this? They had not even discussed business yet!

"Lord Lin Ye, may I ask whether you are alchemists?"

Ye Lin's gaze flicked toward Yuan Yi, whose heart instantly leaped into his throat. Panic filled Yuan Yi's eyes as he secretly looked toward Ye Lin.

Yet Ye Lin's face remained expressionless.

"I am indeed an alchemist."

The Tomb Master and the others' eyes lit up, and they were just about to ask further.

The auctioneer's voice from the auction house entered the room through a special device, interrupting them.

"Everyone, the Black Seal City auction has officially begun!"

Seeing this, Yuan Yi let out a sigh of relief and immediately spoke.

"Why don't you all return to your rooms first? After the auction ends, we can discuss matters in detail!"

"This..."

Su Mei was somewhat unwilling, but the Tomb Master and the others did not object. They merely looked at Yuan Yi with strange meanings flashing in their eyes.

"Everyone, return for now! We can chat again once the auction ends!"

Seeing Su Mei's gaze, Ye Yan could no longer hold back and spoke to send them away.

Though somewhat reluctant, the group ultimately departed.

Only Ye Yan remained behind, while Yuan Yi first escorted Su Mei and the others back to their rooms.

He then immediately returned to Ye Yan's room.

"Sect Master Yuan, why have you come back?"

Ye Yan looked at Yuan Yi, then at the auction house below, and suddenly asked curiously.

"And why didn't you reveal the information about the Imperial Extreme Pill?"

"I, Yuan Yi of the Eight Fan Gate, am willing to lead the Eight Fan Gate and the Black Seal Auction House in submitting to Young Master Lin Yan!"