The old man in the red robe smiled and said, "The seller is willing to make the exchange. Congratulations to the guest in the blue room for acquiring the final auction item. With that, the auction comes to an end. Thank you all for your support. The date for the next auction by the Wan Clan will be announced later. After the auction, our Wan Clan has prepared a small gathering here in the Ancient Tower. Guests who wish to stay behind are welcome to do so. Everyone can get to know each other."
Hearing this, almost none of the guests on the second floor left. Most people on the first floor stayed, though a few chose not to get involved.
Xu Zimo stared at the blue room. When the people inside came out, he was slightly surprised.
Two people emerged: the refined middle-aged man and the woman in the purple dress he had encountered when killing the green flood dragon.
"They're from the main sect?" Xu Zimo asked Ye Kai, pointing at the two.
"Yeah, the man's name is Mu Changge. A few years ago, during our Nine Heavens Grand Gathering, he was the one who selected the candidates to go to the main sect. As for the woman, I haven't seen her before," Ye Kai explained.
Everyone came down from their rooms on the second floor. Some people around them were already stepping forward to greet each other.
The Wan Clan brought out food made from various beast meats and soups brewed from mystical herbs in the Ancient Tower.
Beautiful songstresses played music and danced in the center of the first floor, and the atmosphere quickly shifted from the tense auction to a social gathering.
The people from the World Sovereign Empyrean Sect included Red King Huangfu Xuan, while the Nine Heavens Empyrean Sect was represented by Mu Changge and the woman in the purple dress, whom Xu Zimo had previously met.
Yan Song from Jade Heaven Mountain also came over. Since the Mountain River Imperial Sect had successfully bid for the Thunderflame Heart, their popularity had soared.
The person who had won the Heaven-Unity Stone was an elderly man dressed in a Daoist robe. His eyebrows and beard were already white.
His gray-white long hair was neatly tied up in a bun, giving him a somewhat otherworldly appearance.
"Lin Yuetian," Red King Huangfu Xuan recognized the old man at a glance.
"Red King, long time no see," the old man Lin Yuetian said with a gentle smile.
"I figured it must be you who wanted that Heaven-Unity Stone. No wonder," Huangfu Xuan chuckled. "Your ancestor's item has returned to its rightful owner."
Hearing that title, others around began whispering, "Lin Yuetian? Isn’t he the old heavenly master of Celestial Gate, a descendant of the Heaven-Unity Grand Empyrean?"
"That should be right," someone nearby nodded and said, "In recent years, Celestial Gate has been searching for the Heaven-Unity Stone, trying to recover their ancestral legacy."
Here, Lin Feng led the people from Grand Heaven Mountain, and Yan Song brought those from Jade Heaven Mountain. They both came forward to greet Mu Changge.
"Greetings, Elder Mu," the two said respectfully.
"No need for formalities. You all need to put in more effort at this Nine Heavens Grand Gathering," Mu Changge replied with a smile.
Then he glanced at the woman in the purple dress beside him and said, "Zi’er, you're all around the same age. You can get to know each other."
"Got it, Uncle Mu," the woman nodded slightly.
Before leaving, Mu Changge looked at Xu Zimo in the back with some interest.
The gathering soon became a bunch of smaller conversations. The younger generation mingled with each other, while the big names like Huangfu Xuan and Mu Changge also socialized.
Xu Zimo wasn’t interested in such gatherings. He simply found a seat on the side, quietly lying there, watching the others greet each other like actors in a play.
"I’m Lin Feng, heir of Grand Heaven Mountain. May I ask your name, young lady?" Lin Feng and Yan Song were surrounding the woman in the purple dress, trying to get to know her.
But she didn’t seem very interested, responding briefly before walking away.
The monk Kuwu walked over from afar and said to Xu Zimo, "Remember what you promised me."
"As long as you dare to ask, I dare to give," Xu Zimo replied calmly.
"I'll be waiting for you after the gathering," Kuwu said and then left.
Not long after, someone knocked on the table next to Xu Zimo with a few "dong dong dong" sounds.
Xu Zimo turned to look and saw the woman in the purple dress standing beside him, looking at him with a half-smile.
"We meet again," she said.
"Yeah, the world’s really small," Xu Zimo replied casually.
"Judging by your tone, you don’t seem very happy to see me," she said with a smile, sitting down beside him.
"Do you need something?" Xu Zimo asked.
"Just came to thank you for giving us the dragon tendon," she said.
"I only accept repayment through devotion. Verbal thanks are useless," Xu Zimo said, waving his hand.
"I’m willing to devote myself. Do you dare accept it?" she said playfully.
"Why wouldn’t I? You’re average looking, but you could manage as a maid who pours tea," Xu Zimo replied.
The woman in purple laughed and shook her head, saying, "You’re right. People from the sub-sect like you wouldn’t understand matters of the main sect."
"From the sound of it, you look down on people from the branch sects," Xu Zimo said.
"It’s not that I look down on them. The facts speak for themselves," she replied with a smile.
"Over the years, those who came from branch sects to our main sect, aside from one man a few years back, have all ended up as servants to our disciples."
"That’s them," Xu Zimo said calmly.
"What makes you different?" the woman asked with interest.
"For them, the Empyrean Sect might be the goal of a lifetime. But for me, the Empyrean Sect doesn’t even qualify to be the starting point," Xu Zimo replied evenly.
Hearing this, the woman laughed and said, "I thought you were interesting, but turns out you’re just full of big talk."
As they were chatting, Huangfu Xuan’s children, Huangfu Hao and Huangfu Xianyue, walked over.
"Lin, we meet again," Huangfu Hao said through clenched teeth.
"What? Didn’t I beat you enough last time?" Xu Zimo asked, looking up.
"Last time I wasn’t prepared. I want to challenge you again," Huangfu Hao said.
"Children fighting is meaningless," Xu Zimo said, waving his hand. "Scram before I kill you."
Hearing this, Huangfu Hao's face turned ugly. He glanced at his sister, Huangfu Xianyue.
Huangfu Xianyue chuckled softly, then leaned in close and whispered in Xu Zimo’s ear, "Lin Qiu, you’re from the Ancient Demon Race, aren’t you?"
"What makes you say that?" Xu Zimo asked.
"You don’t need to deny it. This matter isn’t over. I’ll come for you again," she said, then turned and walked away.
Xu Zimo felt that these people were getting a bit arrogant. If his soul weren’t unstable right now, he would’ve liked to massacre an Empyrean Sect or two just to see what happens.
Besides, the method to fuse with the Blood Lizard is in the World Sovereign Empyrean Sect. For now, Xu Zimo wasn’t ready to kill the Huangfu siblings.