T/N: From this chapter onward I'll change Dou Venerable into Dou Venerate. I initially use the word "Venerable" because in many translated novel other than BTTH, this word frequently used for one of the cultivation realms inside those novels. But, when I look up in the dictionary "Venerate" is actually the correct translation.
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The sky was covered in dark clouds, with lightning and thunder roaring.
Dark clouds shrouded the sky; dazzling arrays of lightning flickered amidst them, like dragons and serpents crawling behind the darkness, illuminating the night with an eerie light, making the Magic Beast Mountain Range even more terrifying.
Protector Wu's eyes lit up, his lips curling into a smile, "Hehe, the elder has finally arrived!"
The clouds churned, and a blood-red tornado rose, uprooting countless trees as it passed.
Everyone's expressions changed dramatically, especially Mister Gold and Mister Silver, who were the closest to becoming Dou Ancestors. They could feel the terrifying power emanating from within.
"This terrifying pressure... could it be... a Dou Venerate?!"
"Impossible... How could there be a Dou Venerate in the eastern part of the Magic Beast Mountain Range? It must be fake."
Mister Gold and Mister Silver were so frightened that they almost knelt to the ground under the pressure.
A Dou Venerate was way above a Dou Emperor. Even if everyone present combined their strength, they wouldn't be able to hold a candle against them..
Even Han Feng didn't expect such a powerful presence here, realizing the Heaven Ascending Pavilion's background was terrifyingly strong.
As the tornado approached the valley where Heaven Ascending Pavilion was located, a chilling aura shot out from within the pavilion. It transformed into a sharp sword in mid-air, moving at the speed of light.
In the shocked eyes of everyone, the blade pierced through the blood-red tornado, and a figure in a blood-red robe crashed heavily to the ground. Upon closer inspection, the figure's head was missing.
Everyone was stunned.
The air seemed to freeze.
Protector Wu swallowed hard and quickly approached the corpse. The bloody scene made his face pale. From the clothing, it was evident that this was the honorable elder he awaited for.
"This... this..."
He rubbed his eyes several times in denial, but eventually accepted the reality. This corpse really belonged to Blood Ghost Elder, an honorable elder of Hall of Souls, a veritable one-star elite Dou Venerate!
And he just died like that!
Protector Wu couldn't help but shudder. To instantly kill a Dou Venerate without even showing their presence, what kind of terrifying origin did Heaven Ascending Pavilion have? Was this even a level humans could reach?!
Meanwhile, inside Heaven Ascending Pavilion, Li Xiao savored the pastries made by Ya Fei and couldn't help but praise Lian Xue for her decisive and swift actions. Anyone who dared to threaten even a blade of grass in Heaven Ascending Pavilion could be killed outright.
However, it was a pity for this elder. He had just shown up and was already dead...
He was by no means weak; just his presence could make the people present shudder in fright. It was just that Lian Xue's strength was a league above them, and she was so decisive in killing, so he couldn't muster any resistance at all.
Li Xiao could only lament how unlucky that guy was.
Nearby, the crowds were still stunned in shock. They wondered if what just happened was just a dream. After all, a Dou Venerate just died like that. He hadn't even made an appearance nor had he said a word but he had already lost his life. What a vain death.
Protector Wu's expression twisted into a grimace. Cultivating a Dou Emperor might not be a big deal, but can't be said so with an elite Dou Venerate. It required an enormous amount of manpower, resources, and finances to train someone to that level.
Now, one had died silently, without showing any of his skill, without even having the chance to say his name... and he was already gone.
He could only stare blankly in silence.
Niu Meng glanced at the blood-soaked corpse, roughly snapping its fingers to retrieve the storage ring, then turned to Protector Wu with a piercing gaze.
"Do you know this old man?"
Sensing the intense killing intent radiated from Niu Meng, Protector Wu instinctively shook his head fiercely like a rattle. It was clear that if he said one wrong word, he would soon follow Blood Ghost Elder's fate.
"No, I don't know him... Of course, I don't know this person. I was just checking to see who was so arrogant as to cause trouble near Heaven Ascending Pavilion. If it were me, I would have personally killed him too!"
Protector Wu''s words managed to clear the suspicion on him, but he could only watch helplessly as the respected elder's storage ring was taken by Niu Meng.
He cursed internally, lamenting why the elder had to show off. Did he think walking through the air was no longer satisfying with so many experts around?
Half an hour quickly passed, and the gates of Heaven Ascending Pavilion slowly opened.
Ya Fei greeted the guests with a graceful smile, "Everyone, the Heaven Ascending Pavilion is now open. Please come in."
The crowd, still pale-faced from the earlier events, cautiously entered. They were curious if the woman before them was the one who killed the Dou Venerate.
Jia Xingtian frowned, "It's her. I didn't expect to see her here."
"You know her?" asked Fa Ma, the president of the Alchemist Association.
"She's Ya Fei of the Mittel Family, granddaughter of Tengshan."
Hearing this, Fa Ma spoke gravely, "Since when did the Mittel Family collaborate with Heaven Ascending Pavilion? Why didn't we know about this?"
"You're not the only one in the dark. I'm sure the entire Jia Ma Empire's elite are unaware. Tengshan has been keeping secrets quite well."
Jia Xingtian shrugged, initially wanting to get closer to the young woman, but seeing the number of people behind him, he reluctantly moved on, planning to inquire about the details later.
Ya Fei's reputation in the Jia Ma Empire was well known, but the question remained why someone from the Mittel Family would be involved with Heaven Ascending Pavilion. Were they now allied?
If that were the case, any opposition to the Mittel Family would cease, as no one would want to risk offending Heaven Ascending Pavilion.
As the Emperor of the Jia Ma Empire, Jia Xingtian fell into deep thought. If this alliance was real, he might seize the opportunity to strengthen ties, ensuring the Empire's dominance in the Northwestern Region. This could lead to the unification of the Four Great Empires.
The thought made Jia Xingtian smile slyly, drawing disdainful looks from other emperors who wondered what devious plans he was concocting.
Everyone took their designated seats according to their status. Those with the most gold coins went to the third floor, while those with moderate wealth sat on the second floor. The rest found seats wherever they could, still awestruck by the earlier display of power.
They marveled at the strength of Heaven Ascending Pavilion, where killing a Dou Venerate seemed so casual—a level of power that they could only dream of.
Ya Fei stood at the center of the crystal stage and gave a deep bow, "I'm pleased to welcome you all to Heaven Ascending Pavilion."
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ya Fei from the Mittel Family, and now the new auctioneer for Heaven Ascending Pavilion. From now on, I will personally handle the auction going forward."