"From now on, anyone who shows even the slightest intent to fight will be escorted out of the auction."
The experts nodded in understanding. In soone else's house, one must adhere to their rules. So far, the pavilion had proven to be an excellent host.
Shadow Exalted rely snorted and looked away. He was eager to participate in the auction and knew it would be unwise to oppose the Pavilion now.
The Pavilion Head addressed the other Void Return Realm experts, saying, "Please, everyone, return to your seats."
Dong Tian Wang and Long Ning exchanged a nod before settling back down. Mo Di and Star Wondering shared a brief glance before also retreating to their seats.
"Younger Friend Kai, please refrain from causing any more trouble." Kai, who had just returned to his spot, suddenly heard a voice in his mind.
Recognizing the source, he cupped his hands toward the Pavilion Head before taking his seat.
"Well played," a lodious voice chid in, resonating in Kai's ear.
His eyes widened in surprise as he turned to see Revenant Sai smiling at him alluringly.
In that instant, Kai felt an inexplicable feeling in his heart.
Regaining his composure, he gazed at her with gratitude. "I couldn't have done it without your support, senior."
"Huh, don't be modest," Revenant Sia chuckled softly, studying him with intrigue. "But how did you uncover this black-robed man's power?"
"Oh, so Revenant already knows about him?" Kai replied, surprised.
"For most, it would be difficult, but for , it's easy," Revenant Sia said casually.
Kai frowned, his confusion evident. Fortunately, Revenant offered an explanation.
"While he can conceal his aura deeply, there's one thing he can't hide," she added.
"What is that?" Kai asked, curious.
"His life force," Revenant Sia explained. "The life force of a Void Return Realm expert is markedly different from that of lower cultivation realms."
Kai nodded, contemplating her words. "If that's the case, how powerful is he?"
"Though this man's life force seems damaged, I suspect he is a late-stage Void Return Realm expert," she replied seriously.
Kai's expression darkened at this revelation, and he inwardly cursed his bad luck.
***
"Late stage Void Return Realm?" Liang, now eavesdropping on the conversation through the jade slip in his hand, narrowed his eyes, unable to conceal his surprise.
"This is improbable." He shook his head in disbelief. "The tiline doesn't align."
Since the black-robed man unleashed his aura, Liang had detected it with ease. As he had expected, it was not unfamiliar to him.
Han Zhi!
Despite the passage of ti, Liang had never forgotten this na. Their last encounter had been in the passage leading to the Devil Realm many years ago. Since then, Han Zhi seed to have vanished without a trace.
The aura emanating from the black-robed man was nearly identical to Han Zhi's, only more powerful.
"But that can't be, right?" Liang murmured, shaking his head in bewildernt. "How long has it been—two or three hundred years?"
The Han Zhi he had known had been rely a fledgling Dao Integration Realm expert. How could his cultivation have skyrocketed to such extraordinary heights in such a short span of ti?
"Han Zhi... the na rings a bell. I have encountered him before, even before joining the Legion," Liang mused aloud.
Cultivators' mories were typically sharp, and Liang was no exception. He was certain that he had t Han Zhi sowhere in the distant past, but the details weren't clear to him.
"It must have been before my reincarnation," Liang reasoned.
Though uncertain if all his mories had been wholly preserved after his rebirth, he was confident that he had shed certain trivial recollections during his consciousness cleansing. Han Zhi's must have been among them.
"No! I must recall."
Liang sat cross-legged and activated the Thousand Derivations Rune.
Ti moved sluggishly as he ticulously scanned his mories, scene by scene.
Hours passed before he finally opened his eyes. Though evident exhaustion etched itself upon his features, he was indifferent to it.
"Han Zhi?" Liang's lips curled into a faint smile. "He was one of the young boys who were chosen as vessels for the devil kings."
Technically, Han Zhi should have been crippled or worse, dead after the possession.
However, Han Zhi and the other vessels possessed a unique physique. Although not particularly rare, it was peculiar within the Yang region.
True Devil Physique—a na granted to those born in the Yang region but with devil qi coursing through their bodies.
Han Zhi had been such an individual, making him an ideal candidate for a devil expert to inhabit.
"However, this person should not be the sa Han Zhi I knew," Liang frowned slightly.
It was likely that Han Zhi's soul had been assimilated by another more powerful expert—the one with the late Void Return Realm.
"But why does he harbor such animosity toward ?" Liang couldn't help but wonder. "Perhaps he inherited the resentnt of his previous incarnation?"
The number of late stage Void Return Realm experts could be tallied with one hand.
For an extended period, only one individual had purportedly been slain by the Devil Realm Lord or gone missing.
Ji Fang, the forr realm lord of the Common Road Realm!
"So I now have a grudge with a previous realm lord?" Liang couldn't resist a wry smile.
There were but three known realm lords, with Ji Fang being one of them. Each possessed the late stage Void Return Realm cultivation.
The Devil Realm Lord was considered the most formidable, followed by Ji Fang and then Wu Jie, also known as the Martial Lord.
"Wait, I'm overlooking a key point here," Liang took a deep breath.
With the backing of such a formidable expert, the Alliance—or at least Mi Ling—now wielded even greater influence. Liang's instincts had been correct not to attend the banquet.
As for Kai? Liang was unconcerned. Even if he hadn't intervened, the outco would have been inevitable. Kai had already incurred the wrath of Mi Ling and Mo Di, and his actions could be seen as a form of retaliation.
"I can only hope that the Revenant remains by his side after the auction. Otherwise..." Liang trailed off.
Should the Revenant abandon Kai once the auction concluded, Liang had other ans at his disposal to ensure Kai's safety.
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