"Haha, so it's Third Elder Huo!"
Above the void, just as the expressions of the Bai Clan father and son changed, Lin Zehong's face once again showed a smile. He bowed respectfully to the old man with a fawning expression, his face even more obsequious than when he had just seen Bai Ying and his son.
"What a fickle person!"
Upon seeing this, Bai Ying couldn't help but curse inwardly, feeling a surge of contempt.
The Third Elder Huo that Lin Zehong mentioned was Huo Ting. Huo Ting was the Third Elder of the Huo Clan, one of the few people in the entire Huo Clan who held real power. He was a person of great power and influence, and no one in the entire Huo Clan would dare to underestimate him.
What surprised Lin Zehong was that the Huo Clan had actually sent out this powerful figure for this auction. His appearance represented the entire Huo Clan's intentions, indicating that not only the Bai Clan but also the Huo Clan was taking this auction very seriously.
It remains to be seen what priceless treasures will appear at this auction that could move these two families so deeply.
"Patriarch Lin Clan, I remember the last time we met was two years ago, wasn't it?"
Hearing Lin Zehong's words, Huo Ting's aged face remained unmoved. The Lin Clan was nothing to the Huo Clan. No matter how much the Lin Clan had contributed to the Huo Clan, they were ultimately not members of the Huo Clan. In his eyes, they were always just outsiders. Despite the differences, it was just a matter of whether or not they were used.
If the Lin Clan has lost its value, the Huo Clan will not hesitate to abandon it to the wilderness and let it fend for itself.
"Hehe, Third Elder, you're still as vigorous as ever! It's been two years, and your strength is even greater than before. You're probably close to breaking through to the fourth-star Dou Ti level!"
Lin Zehong's flattering words were exactly the same as what he had said to Bai Ying earlier. Just based on this, even someone who didn't know him very well could tell that he was an extremely hypocritical person.
" Huo Yuning, what did you mean by what you just said!"
Withdrawing his gaze, Bai Ying's expression suddenly turned cold, his indifferent eyes instantly becoming icy, and even his aura trembled slightly.
Upon seeing this, Bai Zhan quickly grabbed the latter's wrist, slowly shook his head, and looked solemn.
Seeing this, Bai Ying withdrew his gaze with a gloomy expression.
Upon seeing the icy gaze shooting from Bai Ying's eyes, even with Huo Yuning's strength, he couldn't help but feel a tremor in his heart, and a chill ran down his spine. After all, the other party was Three-Star Dou Di, far superior to him in strength. The mere invisible aura of majesty was enough to intimidate him.
"Hehe, Bai Clan, my young master is young and impetuous, and speaks without thinking. Bai Clan, you need not take his words to heart. I apologize on his behalf."
Huo Ting cupped his hands in apology to Bai Ying, chuckling as he spoke. Though his expression was one of apology, the smile on his lips betrayed his disdain.
Although these two families appeared friendly, their relationship was actually quite tense, which further highlighted the complex relationship between the Four Great Clans.
The two families were talking back and forth, while Lin Zehong and Xu Songming, who were standing to the side, were completely ignored. The expressions on their faces were quite different.
Meanwhile, inside the inn, Xiao Yan observed everything happening in the city. Sensing the tense atmosphere between the two families, Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel a slight sense of relief. If the two families kept each other in check, it would undoubtedly save Xiao Yan a lot of trouble.
Just as several forces were confronting each other in the sky, invisible spatial ripples suddenly surged in a certain void within Xuan City.
In an instant, within Xuan City, more than a dozen gazes turned toward the place where the spatial ripples were spreading. These people were all Dou Di experts, including the two from the Bai Clan and the Huo Clan, as well as Lin Zehong, who was standing beside them, and Xu Songming, Third-Tier Alchemist.
Of course, Xiao Yan, who was currently inside the inn, was no exception.
In the vast Xuan City, a dozen gazes, like spotlights, converged on a certain spot in the void, where the spatial fluctuations were becoming increasingly obvious.
At a certain moment, the invisible void seemed to be torn apart, forming a spatial passage. Then, several figures flashed out from it.
Xiao Yan and the others also turned their gazes to these figures.
Finally, after the spatial fluctuations gradually subsided, a dozen or so figures stood in the void. These figures were completely covered by wide black robes, making it impossible to discern their figures or appearances. Furthermore, the strength of these figures could not be determined by the black robes. However, judging from the fact that they had torn through the void, the strength of this group was definitely not weak; they were probably at least Dou Di experts.
With over a dozen Dou Di experts, such a lineup would be enough to make anyone swagger around in the Western Region. Even the Four Great Sects would have to treat such a formidable force with caution.
"Has it finally arrived?"
Above the void, Bai Ying narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the dozen or so figures one by one. Even with his temperament, a deep sense of solemnity couldn't help but appear deep in his eyes.
As this group appeared, the people in the city below quickly noticed their presence. Immediately afterward, fiery gazes shot towards them, their greed undisguised.
Inside the inn, Xiao Yan, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed, got up. Although the group's attire was strange, judging from their appearance and the attention they received from the entire city, it was not hard to imagine that this group was the organizer of the auction.
Using his Spiritual Strength, Xiao Yan quickly scanned the dozen or so figures. But when he looked back, he couldn't Xiao Yan but frown slightly. The dozen or so figures were all covered in black robes, and they were a dark mass, so there was nothing unusual about them.
The only difference between them was that their robes were adorned with a ring of strange golden runes. Judging from the runes, it should be some kind of formation, and they had used the power of this formation to conceal their aura.
Just as Xiao Yan shifted his gaze from the group, one of the black-robed leaders suddenly waved his sleeve, and a golden light of glazed glass instantly condensed in front of him. In the blink of an eye, it condensed into a palm-sized, porcelain-white jade plate, on which some intricate and complex runes were crookedly engraved.
When Xiao Yan saw the jade plate again, he was immediately surprised, because what this person had taken out was an Formation Plate.