“How much high-end combat power does Gate of Serenity still have?” Billy continued to ask.
“Since the young lady was captured, Gate of Serenity has been an empty shell!” Kaeden Pearson sighed.
“There are only ten Mystic Kun Realm elders left at headquarters, along with a dozen mid-to-late Controlled Kun Realm members. All other high-end combat forces have fallen.”
“Take me to see those elders!” Billy said.
“Are you really a friend of Miss Janelle?” Kaeden Pearson scrutinized Billy, still harboring some doubts.
“Have you seen this?” Billy took out the token Janelle Pearson had given him from his storage ring and showed it to the man.
“This is Miss Janelle’s token!” Kaeden Pearson examined the token carefully, then looked at Billy and bowed. “I apologize for my rudeness. Please forgive me!”
As he spoke, he returned the token to Billy.
“No problem, lead the way!” Billy waved his hand.
“Please follow me!” Kaeden Pearson said, then led Billy forward through the air.
About an hour later, they landed on a mountainous area.
Ahead, at the foot of the mountain, was a large estate. The gate and walls were damaged in many places.
“Who goes there?” a guard at the gate shouted upon seeing them.
“Open the gate, it’s Kaeden Pearson!” Kaeden Pearson responded loudly.
“Open up!” the guard called down.
Soon, Billy and Kaeden Pearson walked into the estate.
Billy observed that many buildings inside the estate were also collapsed, giving the place a desolate appearance.
“Please wait here, I’ll go fetch Elder Jagger,” Kaeden Pearson said to Billy before turning to leave.
A few minutes later, a group of over twenty people arrived through the air, with Kaeden Pearson among them.
Leading the group was an elder in white robes, the highest-ranking member present, a fifth-rank Mystic Kun Realm.
Besides him, there were several others with Mystic Kun Realm cultivation, including two fourth-rank Mystic Kun Realm and three early-stage Mystic Kun Realm members.
These were evidently the strongest individuals currently in Gate of Serenity.
“What is your name, young man?” the elder named Jagger Pearson asked Billy with a bow.
“Billy,” he replied.
“Mr. Billy, you are not from Deadland, are you? When did you meet Miss Janelle?” Jagger Pearson continued.
“A few days ago,” Billy said as he presented the token again. “If you don’t believe me, you can verify the token’s authenticity.”
“Mr. Billy, you misunderstand,” Jagger Pearson bowed slightly. “Miss Janelle rarely interacts with outsiders, so I had to ask. Please forgive me.”
“No problem,” Billy put away the token. “How much do you know about Shadow Hall?”
“What aspect does Mr. Billy want to know about?” Jagger Pearson asked after a brief pause.
“What about their high-end combat power?” Billy asked.
“The cultivation level of Shadow Hall’s Sovereign is unknown,” Jagger Pearson paused before continuing. “Besides their Sovereign, the strongest are two Vice Sovereigns, both sixth-rank Mystic Kun Realm.”
“Each Vice Sovereign has an assistant, all fifth-rank Mystic Kun Realm. Additionally, there are nearly twenty early-stage Mystic Kun Realm members.”
“So many?” Billy frowned slightly.
The strength of Shadow Hall far exceeded his expectations!
With Vice Sovereigns at sixth-rank Mystic Kun Realm, the Sovereign was undoubtedly at late-stage Mystic Kun Realm, which was quite terrifying!
He had planned to go to Shadow Hall alone to demand their release. Now it seemed overly optimistic.
Even if he could come and go freely, rescuing someone from inside would be extremely difficult.
“Mr. Billy, may I ask if your full name is Billy Gardner?” Jagger Pearson asked tentatively.
“You’ve heard of me?” Billy smiled faintly.
“So it really is Mr. Billy!” Jagger Pearson bowed deeply. “I’ve long heard of Mr. Billy’s great name. It’s an honor to meet you today!”
“Mr. Billy, glad to meet you!” The others bowed at the same time, all with expressions of surprise on their faces.
“No need for pleasantries,” Billy waved his hand and looked back at Jagger Pearson. “Do you know where Miss Janelle is being held?”
“We only know that the young lady is imprisoned in Shadow Tower. We don’t know Miss Janelle’s exact location,” Jagger Pearson shook his head.
After a pause, he continued. “Mr. Billy, are you planning to rescue the young lady and Miss Janelle from Shadow Hall?”
“I promised Miss Janelle that I would rescue her sister,” Billy nodded.
“Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Billy, but Shadow Hall’s headquarters is full of powerful individuals. Going alone…” Jagger Pearson continued.
He had already assessed Billy’s cultivation level as fourth-rank Controlled Kun Realm!
Although this level was extraordinary among his peers, it was still too weak against true powerhouses.
Going to Shadow Hall to rescue someone with this strength seemed reckless; he might not even get past their gate!
He had heard that Billy couldn’t yet wield the Nine Dragons Cauldron in battle, so he didn’t understand what Billy was relying on.
“Give me Shadow Hall’s address; I’ll check it out first,” Billy interrupted him.
“Let’s go together, Mr. Billy. I might help…” Jagger Pearson took a deep breath before speaking.
“No need!” Billy interrupted again. “I have another task for you.”
“What can I do, Mr. Billy?” Jagger Pearson said after a moment of surprise.
He knew that even if he went along, he wouldn’t be much help. In a direct conflict, his fifth-rank Mystic Kun Realm would just be cannon fodder.
About fifteen minutes later, after giving instructions to Jagger Pearson and others, Billy flew towards Shadow Hall’s location.
Shadow Hall wasn’t far from Gate of Serenity; half an hour later, Billy landed several kilometers outside its estate gate.
The estate was much larger than Gate of Serenity’s, covering millions of square meters and resembling a small city. Unknown birds occasionally circled above it.
Billy drank a few drops of soul water and used Invisibility Technique to fly towards the estate.
Given his current skills, rescuing someone from Shadow Hall’s headquarters openly was too difficult; he had to rely on Invisibility Technique.
Fortunately, he had plenty of soul water now; when his mental strength ran low, he could just drink more drops.
According to his plan, he would first locate where Janelle Pearson and her sister were held, then move them into Nine Dragons Cauldron Space and use Invisibility Technique to bring them out unnoticed.
However, reality differed slightly from his expectations!
Half an hour later, he returned to his original spot.
The reason was simple: although he found Shadow Tower’s location, he couldn’t enter because it was fortified with high-level formations that he couldn’t break.
Still, the trip wasn’t in vain; he confirmed that Janelle Pearson was also held in Shadow Tower and gathered some other information.
After adjusting his breath slightly, Billy took out a sound transmission stone and sent a message before walking towards the estate gate.
Since sneaking in wasn’t an option, he had to go in openly!
“Stop! Who goes there?” one of the guards shouted at Billy.
“Inform your Sovereign that Billy seeks an audience,” Billy replied.
“What a joke! Do you think our Sovereign meets anyone who asks? Whether you’re Billy or someone else, leave if you don’t want trouble!” the guard retorted coldly.
“You’d better inform your Sovereign; otherwise, you won’t bear the consequences if they hold you responsible,” Billy said calmly.
“Ignorant fool! Who do you think you are?” the guard continued coldly.
“Is that Mr. Billy outside?” At that moment, an elder hurried out from inside.