195: Why hasn't the auction started yet?

Hearing that the steward was present, Chen Feng's expression finally relaxed.

A Marquis-level Expert stationed here was enough to deter those petty criminals.

Although the grand finale items of this auction were precious, they mainly appealed to those of Marquis Rank and below.

As a Feng Wang Rank Expert, he wouldn't stoop to snatching those things.

"Go, the auction is about to begin, keep a close eye on things."

Chen Feng waved his hand.

"Yes! Your subordinate takes his leave!"

His subordinate bowed and departed... Meanwhile, on the other side of the Dark Ruins Black Market, inside the warehouse where the auction items were stored.

The security here was extremely tight.

The alloy walls were covered with defensive Formations, their lights rapidly flowing, clearly operating at maximum power.

Dozens of guards, armed with weapons, stood ready.

In the center of the warehouse, a white-haired old man sat cross-legged.

Although the aura of a Marquis-level Expert was restrained, it still gave off a faint sense of oppression.

Just then—

In anunmanned corner, space subtly fluctuated, and a teleportation gate silently opened.

The next second, an invisible energy spread out, instantly enveloping the entire warehouse.

At the same time, terrifying Mental Energy surged forth...

Under Phantom Sea King's terrifying attack, the guards present didn't even have time to react before they all collapsed.

The steward, being a Marquis-level Expert, managed to send out a distress signal to the outside world before he too fell.

However, this was destined to be futile.

This area had been covered by "Area Isolation"; no signals could be transmitted out.

"Let's get to work!"

Wang Chiyao snapped her fingers, and countless Puppets swarmed out, beginning to transport the goods.

With this Feng Wang Rank Expert controlling the situation, this "zero-dollar purchase" proceeded exceptionally smoothly.

The mountain of goods piled in the warehouse was disappearing at a visible rate.

"Brother Xingyu, look! These two are the grand finale items!"

Wang Chiyao excitedly ran over, holding two exquisitely crafted boxes.

Inside the boxes, "Space Origin Crystal" and "Star Marrow Iron" were stored respectively.

The moment the boxes were opened, two System prompts successively sounded in Lin Xingyu's mind.

"Ding! Congratulations, host, for discovering space energy. Do you wish to devour it?"

"Ding! Congratulations, host, for discovering star energy..."

"Yes!"

Lin Xingyu's face lit up with joy, and he replied without hesitation.

As his voice fell, a powerful devouring force emerged, instantly engulfing the two items.

Two completely different energies were rapidly extracted, all flowing into Lin Xingyu's Inner World.

"Rumble—"

Accompanied by a roar, the expansion rate of his Inner World increased once again... A moment later, the entire warehouse had been emptied.

Lin Xingyu scanned the area, confirming there were no omissions.

"Time to pack up!"

With a low shout, the group stepped into the teleportation gate one by one and disappeared.

Only an empty warehouse remained... Meanwhile, in the auction hall on the other side.

As time passed, the atmosphere gradually shifted from anticipation to anxiety.

"What's going on? It's already fifteen minutes past the opening time!"

"Doesn't the Dark Ruins Black Market always pride itself on punctuality? What's wrong today?"

"Why are they performing song and dance? Is this still an auction?"

"Stop dawdling, bring out the auction items already!"

A commotion began to stir below the stage, the discussions grew louder, and dissatisfaction spread... Meanwhile, backstage at the auction, it was now a chaotic mess.

Staff members were pale, running back and forth, and the communicators were in disarray.

"Still no contact, the warehouse is offline, no response from the communication channel!"

"The warehouse door is locked from the inside, and the defensive Formations are fully active; we can't get in at all!"

"Something must have happened! Quick, report the situation to the adults!"

The news reached Chen Feng's ears at the fastest speed.

"A bunch of good-for-nothings!"

Chen Feng abruptly stood up and headed straight for the warehouse area.

The guards in the corridor, feeling the killing intent emanating from him, all lowered their heads and moved aside.

"Get out of my way!"

Chen Feng roared, and the aura of a Marquis-level Expert erupted.

Vast Spiritual Energy gathered in his right hand, striking heavily against the alloy door.

"Boom—"

A huge roar echoed all around, making people's eardrums ache.

The alloy door trembled violently, runes flashing on its surface, actually withstanding the blow.

He had spent a fortune on this door, specifically to resist powerful enemies; its defense was extremely abnormal.

Now, it had become his obstacle.

Chen Feng's face was grim; he unleashed his full power, punching the door repeatedly.

"Boom, boom, boom—"

The roars were incessant, and the powerful shockwaves made the surrounding people unable to stand steadily, retreating continuously.

After enduring countless blows, the alloy door finally succumbed to the pressure and shattered.

Chen Feng gasped for breath, rushing in first, followed by the guards.

However, the scene before them made everyone feel as if they had fallen into an ice abyss.

Empty!

It was completely empty before them!

At this moment, the vast warehouse contained no items whatsoever.

The goods that had once been piled high like mountains had vanished completely, even the shelves were gone.

All the guards, including the steward who had been stationed there, had disappeared without a trace.

There wasn't even any sign of a struggle... "Search! Don't miss any clues!"

Chen Feng's face was so dark it looked like it could drip water.

He knew that with the strength of a Marquis-level Expert, it was impossible for all of this to be done so silently.

Even if the steward was defeated, he would have definitely caused a commotion, alarming others.

To render a Marquis-level Expert completely helpless, without even sending out a warning...

"King! It must have been a Feng Wang Rank Expert who made the move!"

Chen Feng squeezed out these words through gritted teeth, his voice chilling to the bone.

Not long ago, Marquis Chuanyun had mysteriously disappeared, and he had vaguely suspected it was the work of a Feng Wang Rank Expert.

Now, with the warehouse completely ransacked and the steward missing, his suspicion was further solidified.

This was a continuous strike against the Dark Ruins Black Market!

Within the Vast Sea City region, the forces possessing Feng Wang Rank Experts were few and far between.

And among those who had clashed with the Dark Ruins Black Market, it seemed there was only the Gu family...

Some time ago, because of the space stone ore vein, the Dark Ruins had done a lot to suppress the Gu family.

"Could it be the Gu family?"

This possibility flashed through Chen Feng's mind.

But then he thought again and felt something was off.

The Gu family should be in a frantic state right now; how could they have the energy to deal with the Dark Ruins?

As far as he knew, the Gu family's warehouse had exploded some time ago...

"Holy crap!!!"

Chen Feng couldn't help but curse.

"Did the Gu family think I sent people to blow it up, and that's why they came for revenge?"

"Damn it, it must be!"

He trembled with rage.

The Gu family were a bunch of mad dogs, biting indiscriminately without investigating thoroughly.

"Investigate! Investigate them to death!"

"Use all available power to investigate the Gu family's recent movements!"

Chen Feng's roar echoed in the empty warehouse.

If it really was the Gu family, he would definitely make them pay a bloody price!

...