“How is that possible?” A gasp of astonishment echoed through the scene.
“You actually destroyed my physical body?!” Mara King’s soul cried out in horror.
His shock was no less than anyone else’s!
He had encountered prodigies capable of challenging those above their level, but a monster who could leap an entire major realm to kill an opponent-this was the first time in his thousands of years of life.
“Who exactly are you?” Mara King paused slightly before continuing to ask.
“If you don’t leave now, don’t expect to keep even your soul!” Billy replied calmly.
As he spoke, he glanced at Harleen and Stout. The fifth-rank Entering God Realm opponent had already been slain by Harleen, with his soul floating in mid-air.
Stout was still battling the sixth-rank Entering God Realm man, both of them bearing some injuries.
“We will meet again!” Mara King’s soul looked at Billy before flying away.
The others hurriedly followed, and the sixth-rank Entering God Realm man exchanged one last blow with Stout before retreating.
“Why are they leaving? Come on, I was just getting into it!” Stout licked his lips and was about to give chase.
“Stout, come back!” Billy called out.
As he spoke, he took out an Essence Core Pill he had just bought and swallowed it.
In a moment, his eyes brightened slightly.
The plain-clothed woman hadn’t lied; the Essence Core Pill’s energy condensing effect was indeed far superior to the Chi Condensing Pill!
With his current cultivation, one Sky Burial Blade followed by an Essence Core Pill was enough for a full recovery.
Good stuff!
“Sir, you should leave Shadow Market quickly!” The plain-clothed woman said to Billy.
“You destroyed Mara King’s physical body; he won’t let this go easily. Hellgate Sect is full of powerful individuals, you…”
“Thanks for the warning!” Billy smiled faintly and asked, “Do you know the cultivation level of the strongest person in Hellgate Sect?”
“I don’t know that!” The plain-clothed woman shook her head. “I only know that among the Four Mara Kings, the strongest one is at half-step Breaking God Realm, but he is definitely not the strongest in Hellgate Sect!”
“Understood!” Billy nodded slightly.
After bidding farewell to the plain-clothed woman, the three continued deeper into Shadow Market.
Shadow Market lived up to its reputation, with a dazzling array of treasures that were highly attractive to Billy and his companions from the eighth-tier star domain.
Of course, the prices were steep. Though Stout felt the pinch, he gritted his teeth and bought a lot of items.
After all, such opportunities were rare; it wasn’t every day they could visit Shadow Market. In the future, they might not even have the chance to buy these items again.
Thanks to their haul of Purple Gems from Demonic Beast Mountain, they didn’t have to resort to using soul water for trade.
Along the way, Billy bought dozens more Essence Core Pills. With these pills in hand, he felt much more confident.
To Billy’s slight surprise, Hellgate Sect didn’t show up again for the entire day.
Additionally, they learned that Myriad Treasures Pavilion had announced an auction at Myriad Treasures Tower the next day, with the sixth volume of Heaven Book as the highlight.
The next morning, the three arrived at Myriad Treasures Tower estate.
“Myriad Treasures Pavilion must be very wealthy,” Stout remarked as he looked up at Myriad Treasures Tower.
Billy and Harleen were also impressed by the sight before them.
The main building in the estate was a six-story tower covering dozens of acres, with exquisite carvings and an antique charm.
But what stood out were seven or eight towering columns extending from the sixth floor, reaching into the clouds, topped by a massive circular platform.
From their position on the ground, they couldn’t see what was on the platform.
The entrance to the estate was bustling with people, most likely here for today’s auction.
“Are you here to buy something or to attend today’s auction?” A Cheongsam Lady approached them with a smile after they entered the main building.
“Is there really a Heaven Book being auctioned today?” Stout asked. “You’re not just using false advertising, are you?”
“You’re joking!” The Cheongsam Lady responded with a smile.
“Miss, what are the requirements to participate in today’s auction?” Harleen asked.
“Normally, our Myriad Treasures Tower auctions are open to everyone interested,” she replied. “However, today’s auction is special, so there are certain thresholds for participation.”
“What thresholds?” Stout asked.
“The Grand Sky Chamber requires a deposit of ten thousand Purple Gems per room. Ordinary seats require a deposit of one thousand Purple Gems,” she answered.
“Ten thousand Purple Gems? You might as well rob us!” Stout exclaimed instinctively.
Billy and Harleen also frowned slightly.
Even though they were wealthy, ten thousand Purple Gems was still a significant amount!
“This is just a deposit,” she maintained her smile. “If you don’t win any items at the auction, we will return it in full.”
After a brief pause, she added with a smile, “If you’re here for valuable items, be prepared. Ten thousand Purple Gems might not be enough to get anything good.”
“Ten thousand Purple Gems won’t get anything good? That’s an exaggeration!” Stout clicked his tongue and looked at Billy.
“Boss, it’s too expensive. Let’s skip it. After the auction ends, we can find whoever buys the Heaven Book and have them sell it to us instead!”
“Give her the deposit,” Billy replied.
“Alright,” Stout said reluctantly.
After Stout paid ten thousand Purple Gems, the Cheongsam Lady led them to the central area on the first floor.
They noticed that the tower was designed with an open center and a light screen about ten feet in diameter extending up to the circular platform at the top.
“This way, please,” she said as she stepped into the light screen passage. Billy and his companions followed her inside.
The next moment, a strong suction pulled them up towards the platform above.
On reaching the platform, Billy glanced around. The outermost circle consisted of several private rooms-the so-called VIP boxes.
In front of these rooms were tiered seating areas, with a circular stage at the center of the platform.
The tiered seats were sparsely occupied by about a hundred people in small groups.
He also noticed faint ripples around the platform and several hundred meters above it-clearly some kind of barrier.
The Cheongsam Lady led them to Box No. 6 and they took their seats inside.
“Please wait a moment; the auction will start in two quarters of an hour,” she said. “I’ll be outside; if you need anything, just call me.”
With that, she left the room.
“Boss, can you sense what cultivation levels these people have?” Stout asked Billy.
“The people in the tiered seats are average; the strongest is only at third-rank Entering God Realm,” Billy replied.
Although many had concealed their martial aura, with his current spiritual power, it wasn’t too difficult for him to discern their levels.
“What about those in the private rooms?” Stout asked again.
“Each room seems to have an array set up; I can’t detect anything,” Billy shook his head.
“Alright,” Stout shrugged and continued. “Boss, could this be a trap?”
“Heaven Book is such a rare treasure. If Myriad Treasures Pavilion got it, why would they auction it? Wouldn’t they keep it for themselves?”