Outside the auction hall, everyone's face was filled with disbelief, their mouths agape in astonishment.
No one in the room expected what was happening before them; their suspicions were completely overturned by the black-robed youth before them.
"Cough cough..."
After coughing violently for a few moments, the burly man finally managed to get up from the ground with the help of several people behind him. Immediately, his big, round eyes fixed on Xiao Yan.
At this moment, the disdain that had been in the big man's eyes had vanished, replaced by a deep sense of awe and reverence.
He never imagined that the seemingly frail young man in black robes possessed such terrifying physical strength.
No wonder Fang Qian treated him that way!
"Young man, your strength is extraordinary, I admire you. As for what happened earlier, I apologize to you now, I hope you won't take it to heart."
Standing up, the burly man bowed respectfully to Xiao Yan, a gesture of respect for a powerful figure and a display of his awe of Xiao Yan.
Although the exchange was hasty and brief, the burly man could still tell that Xiao Yan's strength was far superior to his own. Even though the latter's cultivation level appeared to be only Six-Star Half-Emperor, this was not enough to fully represent the power he possessed.
This point was clearly demonstrated in their clash just now.
Moreover, judging from the power unleashed by Xiao Yan's palm strike just now, Xiao Yan was clearly holding back when he attacked; otherwise, the burly man wouldn't have been simply blasted away.
Seeing the burly man's respectful attitude towards Xiao Yan, the four men behind him exchanged glances, and then bowed and clasped their hands in greeting to Xiao Yan without hesitation.
This also shows that the relationship between these five people is extremely close; otherwise, the actions of this one man would not have caused the other four to react in unison.
Seeing the five people in front of him showing respect, Xiao Yan couldn't help but show a look of surprise, especially the four people behind the big man. In this chaotic continent, to have such brothers who share joys and sorrows is truly something worthy of respect.
"Hehe, you gentlemen, there's no need to be so polite. I just haven't stretched my muscles in a long time, so I thought I'd give it a try with this friend. Please forgive me if I get hurt anywhere."
The five people's posture made Xiao Yan feel a sense of goodwill towards them. As he spoke, he flicked his sleeve, and an invisible, powerful Spiritual Strength quickly swept out, gently helping the five bowing people to their feet.
"This is... Spiritual Strength!"
Xiao Yan's action caused the five people to pause slightly. They looked down at each other and saw surprise in each other's eyes.
What surprised them was not that Xiao Yan was using Spiritual Strength, but the sheer strength of this Spiritual Strength. Even they felt an invisible pressure emanating from it.
"Could it be that you are a formation master or an alchemist?"
The five men straightened up, and the burly man at the head looked at Xiao Yan with astonishment in his eyes, asking in a solemn tone.
Xiao Yan's physical strength was already enough to amaze them, but if he were also a powerful alchemist or array master, then he would truly be worthy of being called heaven-defying!
"Hehe, this gentleman is an alchemist, and a Third-Tier Alchemist at that. The reason he can skip the queue is because he was invited by several Dou Di powerhouses already in the auction house. But... hehe..."
At this moment, Fang Qian, who had just recovered from his astonishment, took a step forward and looked at the burly man in the lead with a smile. A smile appeared in his cloudy old eyes as he spoke.
Upon Fang Qian Qian's words, the five burly men suddenly shuddered, a sense of fear rising within them, especially the leader, who was filled with remorse.
He actually stopped the people invited by the Dou Di experts and even fought with them. By now, those Dou Di experts must have realized what was going on. If they become dissatisfied with him, wouldn't he and his brothers be in danger...?
The thought that his impulsive act had put his brothers in danger filled the big man with sorrow, as if death was imminent and their end was not far off.
"Hehe, don't worry, they won't do anything to you. It's just a little sparring, nothing serious. Besides, I bet they're not only not unhappy with you, they're actually quite satisfied."
As if guessing the big man's thoughts, Xiao Yan smiled faintly. At the end of his sentence, Xiao Yan turned around again, his dark eyes looking at the auction house in front of him, a light flashing deep in his pupils, as if he had seen something.
Meanwhile, in the auction house, in several separate private boxes, several elderly men with imposing presence couldn't help but frown slightly.
"This kid doesn't seem to be anyone to be trifled with either. He's managed to cultivate physical strength, Dou Qi, and alchemy to such a high level simultaneously. Just who is this kid?"
Inside a dimly lit and quiet private room, an old man shrouded in a black robe revealed a pair of sharp, razor-sharp eyes. A piercing glint flashed in the depths of his gloomy eyes as he squinted and muttered to himself.
Meanwhile, in another private room, a middle-aged man in a brocade robe with a stern face was squinting, seemingly deep in thought.
"A young man in black robes, a beautiful young woman—it seems these are the two who injured my son... The man is Xiao Yan, and the woman is unimportant..."
He murmured something under his breath, then casually raised one hand and beckoned with his finger. The next moment, the void beside him distorted, and a black-robed figure, whose face was obscured, knelt down beside him.
"Chief!"
"Hmm, go investigate. Find out when these two arrived in Yan City and from which direction they entered. Investigate thoroughly. If it is... Hmph!"
As he finished speaking, an uncontrollable killing intent suddenly surged in the middle-aged man's silver eyes. Then, the black-robed man beside him respectfully said "Yes" and disappeared from the private room.
Outside, Xiao Yan slowly withdrew his gaze, casually glancing at Murong Qianqian, whose pretty face was still in a daze. He pursed his lips and said:
"What are you standing there for? Aren't you in a hurry to go in? Let's go."
After she finished speaking, the girl snapped out of her daze, while Xiao Yan's gaze turned to Fang Qian again. He smiled and said:
"We'll need Steward Fang to show us the way."
"Hehe, please come in, sir!"
Upon hearing this, Fang Qian didn't stand on ceremony and gestured for Xiao Yan to follow. Xiao Yan nodded and smiled, and the three of them slowly disappeared into the dimly lit auction house amidst the awe-inspiring and envious gazes of the crowd behind them.