After a short while, Billy took a moment to compose himself and walked towards the cave entrance.
At the edge of the cave, he could clearly sense the fluctuation of a formation line. After briefly examining it, he realized it was just a simple guard array.
For him now, such an array was quite ordinary.
A few minutes later, Billy emerged from the cave.
Meanwhile, at Canyon View Institute’s outer courtyard, Matthew Lawrence and a group of elders were in a state of panic, their faces grim.
They had already searched the entire Institute, including the surrounding forests, but found nothing.
A living person had vanished into thin air-it was as if they had seen a ghost.
The most troubling part was that the person who had been taken was someone Elder Xavier had specifically instructed them to protect!
Now that he was gone, how would they explain this to Elder Xavier when he came to check in a few days?
“Elder Matthew, could it be that Mr Billy was taken to Canyon View City below?” asked a gray-robed elder, looking at Matthew Lawrence.
“I don’t think so,” another elder in a green robe responded. “We closed the protective array as soon as we got the news; they shouldn’t have been able to get out!”
“If it was someone from outside, they wouldn’t have been able to break through. But what if it was someone from within the Institute?” the gray-robed elder retorted.
“Elder Lee, what are you implying?” asked an elder on the left.
“Mr Billy has only been at the Institute for a few days; he shouldn’t have offended anyone,” the green-robed elder continued.
“A man without sin can still be guilty if he possesses treasure,” Elder Jayson mused.
“Elder Lee means that the person who acted did so for the treasure within Mr Billy’s body?” the green-robed elder asked again.
“What else?” Elder Jayson responded with a question.
“But three days ago, Elder Matthew already issued a gag order,” the green-robed elder pondered aloud. “We were all there; no one should have…”
He trailed off, his pupils contracting slightly.
Not just him, but everyone else seemed to realize something because they noticed someone was missing.
“Go find Maison Compton!” Matthew Lawrence ordered the green-robed elders sternly.
“Alright!” The elders responded and left immediately.
“Elder Matthew, I heard that before Mr Billy came to the Institute, he had a conflict with Raul Duffy in Canyon View City,” Elder Lee said after the others had left.
“Hmm?” Matthew Lawrence’s pupils contracted slightly. “Are you saying this might involve Princeton Lopez?”
“I’m not sure if Elder Princeton is involved,” Elder Jayson shook his head slightly before continuing. “But it’s highly likely that Avery Francis challenged Mr Billy because of Raul Duffy.”
“Damn it!” Matthew Lawrence frowned deeply.
“Elder Matthew, if Maison Compton really took Mr Billy, with his cultivation level, Mr Billy wouldn’t stand a chance. We must prepare for the worst,” Elder Jayson continued.
“Elder Xavier will probably return in a few days. If we can’t produce Mr Billy by then…”
Matthew Lawrence exhaled heavily, his face full of concern.
He wasn’t just worried about explaining things to Elder Xavier but also to the headmaster!
Harleen and Ivy had already been taken in as personal disciples by the headmaster, who had invested significant resources in their second physique refinement.
It was clear that the headmaster was grooming them as successors.
If they found out that Billy had been harmed at the Institute and possibly by someone from within, he couldn’t imagine the consequences!
He could only pray that Billy would be safe; otherwise, he would consider taking his own life in atonement!
“Elder Matthew, we can’t find Elder Maison Compton!”
About twenty minutes later, the group of elders returned.
“Damn it!” Matthew Lawrence cursed, his face darkening further.
“Elder Matthew, I asked at the exits; they haven’t seen Elder Maison Compton today. He should still be within the Institute,” said the green-robed elder.
“Search!” Matthew Lawrence ordered sternly. “Mobilize everyone in the outer courtyard. Even if you have to turn the Institute upside down, find him!”
“Understood!” The elders nodded in unison.
As they turned to leave, they saw a figure appear in their line of sight.
It was Billy!
“Mr Billy?!” they exclaimed simultaneously.
“Mr Billy, are you alright?” Matthew Lawrence’s eyes lit up as he hurried over in a few quick steps. While speaking, he released his spiritual power to check Billy’s condition.
Seeing that Billy was unharmed, he finally relaxed.
“Thank you for your concern, Elder Matthew. I’m fine!” Billy replied with a smile.
“Mr Billy, who captured you?” Elder Jayson asked as he approached.
“I don’t know who he was; his face was covered with a black cloth, so I couldn’t see his real appearance,” Billy shook his head.
“How did you escape then? Where is he now?” asked the green-robed elder.
“He took me to the forest outside and demanded I hand over the treasure within my body,” Billy continued. “I told him I couldn’t sense its presence myself and couldn’t give it to him.”
“He didn’t believe me and searched my body for a long time but found nothing.”
“Later, probably worried that you would track him down, he reluctantly fled. I don’t know where he went.”
Of course, Billy wouldn’t reveal Maison Compton and Princeton Lopez so quickly.
For one thing, he wasn’t familiar with Canyon View Institute and didn’t know if any of these people were their accomplices.
For another, both Maison Compton and Princeton Lopez held significant positions within the Institute. If it became known that he had killed them, it would cause some trouble.
Though he never feared trouble himself, he wasn’t alone; he had many brothers and sisters by his side.
Moreover, if people knew he had killed Maison Compton and Princeton Lopez, Matthew Lawrence and others would surely wonder how he managed to kill two mid-to-late-stage Otherworldly Realm experts.
He wasn’t ready to reveal his trump card just yet!
And there was another important reason: he hadn’t settled accounts with Raul Duffy yet!
He couldn’t alert them prematurely!
“Is it that simple?” The green-robed elder was taken aback.
“Yes,” Billy nodded. “The main reason is probably that he feared you would track him down; otherwise, he wouldn’t have given up so easily.”
“What did he look like? How old was he? What was his cultivation level?” asked the green-robed elder again.
“He was very robust with broad shoulders and a muscular build, about fifty years old or younger. I couldn’t gauge his exact cultivation level but probably Otherworldly Realm,” Billy replied.
“An Otherworldly Realm expert under fifty?” Matthew Lawrence frowned slightly and looked at the green-robed elder.
“Investigate immediately!”