As those words were spoken, a figure slowly emerged from a dark corner on one side of the hall and stood near the platform below.
As everyone watched, the person who stepped out was a gaunt man with dark skin. His face was obscured by a cloak, but his sharp eyes, faintly visible beneath the cloak, were fixed on Xiao Yan's location. His voice was hoarse as he spoke:
"Indeed, I do possess the carcass of a Giant Rock Horned Rhino Beast, however, its horn has already been removed."
Upon hearing this, those present who had initially shown great interest in this suddenly appearing person immediately erupted in ridicule. What use was a useless body?
Xiao Yan, however, met the man's gaze from afar with his dark eyes. Since the other party had said those words, he didn't believe there would be no follow-up.
The gaunt man seemed to have seen through Xiao Yan's thoughts. He let out a cold laugh, glanced around the entire venue, and then waved his hand. A flash of light appeared on the Storage Ring between his fingers, and a huge magical beast appeared in the venue like a small mountain. Everyone stared and saw that it was a giant rhinoceros covered in rock armor.
However, the giant beast had already lost all its breath, and even its most precious horn only had a clean cut left on it.
This sight, however, drew mocking remarks from many of the powerful figures present.
"Heh heh, just a useless body. The magical beasts I casually slay are probably worth several times more than this. It's unbelievable that someone would collect such things."
"The horn of the Giant Rock Horned Rhino Beast is indeed a priceless treasure, renowned throughout the world. But apart from that, it possesses nothing else of value. If it were merely a body, it would indeed be worthless. However, as the saying goes, the Giant Rock Horned Rhino Beast hides among the rocks, and its concealment technique is so powerful that even Yuan Zun experts find it difficult to track. Whoever obtains this body will likely not leave empty-handed."
While the giant beast's body was insignificant, all eyes immediately fell upon the gaunt man. If he could find the Giant Rock Horned Rhino Beast, then there was a high chance that the Rock Rhino Horn Marrow would also be in his hands.
Thinking of this, a sinister and greedy look crept into everyone's gaze as they looked at the gaunt man.
Xiao Yan shared the same thought, and the gaunt man who had become the focus of attention seemed to have anticipated this as well. He didn't refute anything, but simply looked in Xiao Yan's direction and slowly said:
"From my investigation, this beast has only recently perished. Within its body lies an undeveloped embryonic young. Although the mother is dead, the remaining energy within her body allows the young to retain a sliver of life."
"Whoosh!"
The gaunt man's words immediately caused an uproar in the huge hall. Almost instantly, all the alchemists present focused their attention on the huge body, their eyes alternating between surprise and doubt.
Therefore, if the young beast has fully developed, even if it turns out to be a dead beast, as long as it has grown sharp horns, it would be an absolutely priceless treasure, an extremely precious item!
No matter the cost, we can absolutely afford it!
Conversely, if the young animal is underdeveloped, once its abdomen is opened, it's too late to undo the damage, and everything will be for naught.
Xiao Yan was skeptical of this person's words, but dared not refuse outright. After all, he had little time left to find the Rock Rhino Horn Marrow, and he could not afford to miss the opportunity.
Fortunately, as long as the gaunt man didn't back down at this exchange meeting, Xiao Yan still had a chance to hesitate.
"May I investigate first, sir?"
After a moment's hesitation, Xiao Yan tentatively asked the gaunt man.
"Oh..."
Upon hearing this, the latter merely chuckled noncommittally without replying, which made Xiao Yan somewhat suspicious.
"My friend, would you mind exchanging this body with me?"
Just then, in one corner of the hall, a middle-aged man suddenly stood up, politely clasped his hands in greeting to the gaunt man, and several streams of light shot out from under his sleeves. After circling once in the center of the hall, they transformed into a jade bottle, a wooden box, and a cedar tree that emitted a rich fragrance.
"Hiss... It's Incense-Nurturing Fir Tree! This is incredibly valuable. It's said that if this tree is used in the refining of pills, the process of the pill's fragrance condensing will be accelerated, reducing the alchemist's energy consumption. Since this person can produce this, the other two items must also be extraordinary. Hmph, they're really willing to go to great lengths for this still unknown Rock Rhino Horn Marrow!"
The sudden change in the situation caused Xiao Yan's expression to change as well. Hearing the whispers around him, his face became even more gloomy.
The rules of the exchange event do indeed prohibit forcibly negotiating with those on stage, but they do not prevent exchanging with the person who makes the offer. At this moment, the middle-aged man's sudden move caught Xiao Yan off guard. If he did not make an offer to exchange, the body of the Giant Rock Horned Rhino Beast might be given to someone else.
"That body is protected by a restriction set up by this person, and even I cannot pass through it silently. If I were to investigate, it would inevitably alert this person."
Just then, Xiao Yan, who was sitting quietly with his eyes closed beside Xiao Ming, suddenly spoke slowly.
Upon hearing this, the former was slightly taken aback, then nodded in thanks. After a moment's thought, knowing he had no other choice, he grinned and looked up at the gaunt man, saying loudly:
"Very well, in that case, I'll accept this body!"
The moment the words left his mouth, the gaunt man's gaze, which had been scrutinizing the Incense-Nurturing Fir Tree, vanished instantly, along with the pride that had been on the owner of the treasure.
Without another word, the gaunt man flicked his finger, and a Storage Ring he had prepared beforehand flew out. After circling once above the platform, it collected all the Fire Banyan Branch piled up like a small mountain into the ring. Then, he let out a satisfied sneer, and with a slight tremor of his legs, the chair next to him exploded, and the gaunt man's figure mysteriously disappeared from the venue.
At this moment, Xiao Yan had already summoned the giant beast's corpse to his side. His Spiritual Strength easily broke through the restrictions on it, and after a quick examination, sure enough, there was a wisp of life in the abdomen of the corpse.
This brought a slight sense of relief to Xiao Yan, but it also stirred up a feeling of tension. He wondered if the embryo in his womb would live up to his expectations.
Having obtained the giant beast's corpse, Xiao Yan naturally lost interest in the rest of the exchange meeting. He bid farewell to the enthusiastic Xiao Siyu, leaving Xiao Ming Xiao Yan his side as a protector, and left the exchange meeting venue amidst some envious and mocking glances from the audience.