366: Inside the Netherworld Palace, heroes gathered.
Behind the gates of Youming Hall, it was not the grim palace one might imagine.
Instead, it was a boundless, dark starry sky.
The moment they stepped in, the feeling of solid ground vanished, replaced by a weightless sensation of floating.
Meteorites of various sizes floated quietly in the darkness, emitting a faint, eerie light and forming individual seats.
The entire hall was vast and boundless, as if an actual Universe and starry sky had been contained within.
"What a grand gesture."
Qing Xuzi's Divine Sense transmission was filled with shock.
This Youming Hall itself was an unimaginable spatial supreme treasure.
Shen Yuanmo did not respond, his gaze calmly scanning the starry sky.
In his eyes, this starry sky was not an illusion.
Rather, it was woven from countless complex spatial formation patterns, each node containing a terrifying power sufficient to kill a Void Returning Great Expert.
The two found the area marked for the Wanfa Immortal Sect, a meteorite about ten zhang in diameter, positioned relatively forward but not at the core.
Just as they sat down, a domineering and peerless Sword Intent swept across from the entrance.
It was the Sect Master of the Taiyi Sword Sect, Jian Wuya.
He did not even look at the area belonging to the Taiyi Sword Sect.
Instead, he walked straight to the center of the starry sky, to the largest meteorite, which was clearly prepared for the most distinguished guests.
Several Void Returning Elders followed behind him, their gazes like knives.
With undisguised warning and arrogance, they scanned everyone present as if declaring sovereignty.
The atmosphere within Youming Hall instantly became incredibly oppressive due to their arrival.
Everyone present was a prominent figure in the Eastern Region or a long-famed old monster.
Yet at this moment, they all chose silence; no one dared to raise any objection to his domineering behavior.
Jian Wuya sat high in that most prominent position, arms crossed, eyes closed, resting, as if the divine treasury key was already his.
Qing Xuzi's face darkened slightly, and he whispered via transmission: "The Taiyi Sword Sect is truly becoming more and more arrogant."
Shen Yuanmo's gaze swept past Jian Wuya and landed at the very top of the starry sky.
There sat a throne condensed from pure darkness.
While everyone waited with bated breath, a figure appeared on that throne without warning.
The figure was blurred, as if composed of endless shadows and nothingness, without any concrete form, making it impossible to even tell if it was male or female.
He sat there quietly, yet seemed to be the center of this Universe and starry sky, the end of all Laws.
Any Divine Sense attempting to investigate would, the moment it approached within three feet of him...
...be swallowed and dissolved by an invisible force, unable to stir even a ripple.
The Lord of the Ghost Market!
Everyone's breath stalled at this moment.
A reverence and fear stemming from biological instinct spread through the hearts of everyone in the hall.
"Show your sincerity."
An ancient and neutral voice came from the throne, devoid of emotion, yet clearly echoing in the depths of everyone's Divine Soul.
The transaction had begun.
Almost the moment his words fell, Jian Wuya abruptly opened his eyes.
Two brilliant sword lights flashed and vanished in the dark starry sky!
He spoke loudly, his voice like a sword's cry, shaking the surroundings!
"My Taiyi Sword Sect offers ten Top Grade Spiritual Veins and one Rank Six Low Grade Dao Artifact!"
"Plus, a favor from my Taiyi Sword Sect!"
Boom!
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire Youming Hall instantly erupted!
Countless sounds of gasping for air rose one after another!
Ten Top Grade Spiritual Veins!
What kind of concept was that?
Enough to support a first-rate Sect's consumption for ten thousand years!
A Rank Six Low Grade Dao Artifact!
That was a treasure enough to make a Void Returning Great Expert's eyes turn red with envy!
And the most shocking was that final favor from the Taiyi Sword Sect!
The Taiyi Sword Sect, a colossus of the Eastern Region—a favor from its Sect Master.
Its value was even above those Spiritual Veins and Dao Artifacts!
Such a grand gesture could be called extravagant to the extreme!
Even Qing Xuzi's face became incredibly unsightly.
Although the Wanfa Immortal Sect had a deep foundation, it was absolutely impossible to offer such a terrifying price for a divine treasury key whose ownership was not yet certain.
The shadow on the throne remained silent for a moment.
He seemed somewhat moved by this offer, but did not immediately agree.
Clearly, he was waiting.
Waiting for a higher price.
"My Heavenly Demon Valley is willing to offer three hundred-thousand-year-old Demon Heart Grasses and an Incomplete Manual of an Ancient Demonic Technique!"
"My Profound Water Palace is willing to exchange the Rank Six Low Grade Dao Artifact, the Profound Water Bead!"
"..."
A few more first-rate forces tried to speak up, but what they offered...
...compared to the Taiyi Sword Sect's bid, was simply insignificant; they soon fell silent.
The scene had almost become a one-man show for Jian Wuya.
Seeing this, a smug smile finally appeared on Jian Wuya's face.
His gaze, with undisguised provocation, shot straight at the meteorite where the Wanfa Immortal Sect was located.
"Qingxu, what's wrong? Is this all your Wanfa Immortal Sect has in its coffers?"
"Or do you also want to be shrinking turtles?"
He mercilessly tore open the scars between the Taiyi Sword Sect and the Wanfa Immortal Sect, the humiliation in his words plain for all to see.
Qing Xuzi's face turned red with anger, his magic power surging around him, but he forcibly suppressed it.
He could not make a move here.
Moreover, he truly could not produce a higher bid than Jian Wuya.
Within the entire Youming Hall, everyone's gaze focused on the Wanfa Immortal Sect, with sympathy and also with schadenfreude.
Everyone thought this contest had already ended early.
Just then.
A voice, calm without the slightest ripple, accurately fell into the ears of the shadow figure on the high throne via Divine Sense transmission.
No bid.
No listing of any Heaven And Earth Treasures.
Only one simple sentence.
"I can help you take another step forward."
As soon as these words were spoken.
That vast starry sky seemed to completely freeze at this instant!
Time, space, Laws... everything came to a standstill.
The next instant!
BOOM!!!!
That shadow figure sitting high on the throne, unchanging for ten thousand years and as calm as an ancient well, suddenly fluctuated violently!
A terrifying and peerless supreme aura, as if it would completely crush this starry sky and return it to Chaos, leaked uncontrollably from his body for a split second!
Just for a split second!
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
Inside the hall, except for Jian Wuya who sat in the very center and received the brunt of that aura's attention...
...all the Void Returning Great Experts, whether in the Early Stage or Middle Stage, turned pale as if struck by lightning!
They felt their Divine Souls being gripped tightly by an invisible giant hand, as if they would be completely crushed in the next second!
They groaned one by one, their auras instantly withering, their eyes filled with extreme shock and fear!
Strong!
Too strong!
Is this the true strength of the Lord of the Ghost Market?!
Just a trace of aura leaked out of control made all the Void Returning Great Experts present unable to even produce the thought of resisting!
Only two people were unharmed.
One was Qing Xuzi of the Wanfa Immortal Sect; a faint, imperceptible ripple appeared in the space before him, and that terrifying pressure sufficient to crush his Divine Soul...
...the moment it approached within three feet, was silently dissipated into nothingness by an even more vast and more fundamental power.
And the other was Shen Yuanmo.
He still sat there calmly, picking up his teacup, as if the scene that just shook the heavens and earth had nothing to do with him.
However, no one noticed.
That shadow on the high throne, enough to make a Dao Integration Great Expert wary.
At this moment, was staring intently at him with an unprecedented gaze mixed with shock, doubt, and a hint of longing!
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