Gulan City, a small city located in the southwest of the Central Region, is not controlled by any force. However, due to the existence of a teleportation array, Gulan City has become the most popular city in the area. The daily flow of visitors is comparable to some large cities in the Central Region, and its prosperity is self-evident.
At this very moment, in the heart of Gulan City, on a vast plaza, Xiao Yan and his companions were curiously observing their surroundings. After a while, amidst numerous disdainful glances, they headed towards a street. The pedestrians on both sides looked at these curious young men with mocking expressions, regarding them as if they were a group of country bumpkins. Although they had seen many newcomers like this before, there were always those who would constantly ridicule and sneer at them.
Even worse, there will be no shortage of people looking for trouble...
"Hey you guys, is this your first time in the Central Region?"
As Xiao Yan and his companions were walking slowly towards the street, several tall, burly middle-aged men approached from the side. These men had noticed Xiao Yan and his group as soon as they appeared, and based on their years of experience, they naturally realized that these young men were visiting the Central Region for the first time.
As the burly man's booming shout faded, those around who were familiar with the group immediately turned their gazes to Xiao Yan Xiao Yan his companions. Their eyes swept between the two groups, and looking at their slender figures, they couldn't help but shake their heads with pity. These burly men, while not exactly big shots, were considered formidable figures in Gulan City. They specialized in targeting newcomers, extracting benefits from them, especially young people like Xiao Yan and his group. Once targeted, they wouldn't leave Gulan City unscathed without paying a price.
The burly men looked at Xiao Yan and his group, who had stopped in their tracks, and a mocking look flashed in their eyes. A smug smile appeared on their lips, and they took a more arrogant step forward.
"What brings you here?"
Noticing the malicious gazes of the burly men, Xiao Yan and the others remained calm. As they turned around, Xiao Yan uttered a light, indifferent voice.
Seeing Xiao Yan and the others like this, the expressions on the faces of the burly men were slightly taken aback, then turned into sneers. They had seen arrogant newcomers like this before, but unfortunately, this type of person was even more difficult to deal with in their hands.
"Hey kid, this is the Central Region, not your backyard. When you come to my Gulan City, you have to abide by the rules. Since you're new here, consider it a toll of five hundred Spirit Stone each."
One of the burly men, the leader, strode up to Xiao Yan and the others, looking coldly at the slender Xiao Yan before him, and spoke in a rather arrogant tone.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan lowered his eyelids slightly, his expression gradually becoming indifferent. He glanced at the surrounding crowd, many of whom had come with them. These people generally possessed cultivation levels above the Origin King, and each had a fierce, stern look, clearly the kind of ruthless characters. Then, Xiao Yan's gaze returned to the burly man before him, and he slowly said:
"Okay, then please collect their toll fees first."
As he spoke, Xiao Yan's gaze swept across the area again, causing the burly man before him to pause in surprise. He then scanned the surroundings, gave a cold snort, and said:
"Kid, among these people, you're the only newcomers. You should hand in your..."
"Is it because you're genuinely familiar with their faces, or because of their strength?"
Before the burly man could finish speaking, Xiao Yan interrupted him with a single sentence. As his icy gaze fell upon the man, a terrifying aura that caused the expressions of most people present to change drastically emanated from Xiao Yan's body. The powerful pressure instantly suppressed the burly men in front of him, forcing them to kneel on the ground. The burly men, who were originally much taller than Xiao Yan, now had no choice but to submit uncontrollably.
"A Source Origin Emperor expert?!"
Immediately following, a series of incredulous exclamations rang out across the plaza, and countless horrified gazes fell upon Xiao Yan. They were not unfamiliar with Origin Emperor experts, but such a young Origin Emperor was an extremely rare find, even in the Central Region. As far as they knew, only the top forces in the Central Region could cultivate such a young Origin Emperor. Could this young man be a scion of one of those forces?
Thinking of this, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief. If that was the case, it would make sense. If the group in front of them really came from the border of the continent, then this young man's talent for cultivation was simply too terrifying.
"Now, do you still want Spirit Stone?"
Ignoring the horrified gazes around him, Xiao Yan looked indifferently at the middle-aged man kneeling before him and slowly spoke.
Upon hearing this, the latter felt a bitter taste in his mouth and immediately apologized respectfully. "He who walks by the river will eventually get his shoes wet," he thought. Today, they had finally met their match. Their methods, which had always worked, had unfortunately come at them against Xiao Yan's group. This served as a warning to them. If they had truly been scions of powerful forces, these guys might not be kneeling here alive right now.
Having resolved the immediate trouble, Xiao Yan and his group paid no further attention and slowly walked towards the direction they had previously chosen. Afterward, the crowd of onlookers gradually dispersed. At the same time, on a high-rise building in the city, an old man and a young man were also looking in the direction where Xiao Yan and his group had left. Especially when their gaze fell on Lian'er, a greedy look couldn't help but appear deep in their eyes.
"It's been so many years, that child has grown up so much."
The old man gazed at the pretty Lian'er and couldn't help but lick his lips. Now he was absolutely certain that Lian'er was the child they had lost all those years ago.
"Hehe, Third Elder, now you should believe what I'm saying, right? As long as we join forces to bring the Holy Maiden back to the sect, you will surely have accomplished a great feat, and I..."
"Hehe, don't worry. As long as you bring back the Holy Maiden, I will definitely stand by your side. Your marriage to Qianqian will naturally be no problem."
As the young man spoke, the old man chuckled softly. Upon hearing this, the young man's face lit up with a joyful smile, and he quickly bowed respectfully to the old man before him. As the old man chuckled and waved his hand, he failed to notice that in the instant the young man lowered his head, a very subtle and sinister glint flashed in the depths of his eyes.