Do You Not Intend to Ask My Opinion?

"Bookworm, you're trying to steal my person?"

The Treasure Pavilion Master's expression changed dramatically. His enormous, mountain-of-flesh body turned as he questioned the Arts Pavilion Master.

The Arts Pavilion Master's expression remained utterly placid. His effeminate voice seemed laced with some unknown enchantment that made people instinctively want to listen, yet paired with his male body, it created an unsettling dissonance.

"I was merely stating the facts."

"You're courting death!"

The Treasure Pavilion Master's mountain-like body moved. His massive palm came crashing down upon the Arts Pavilion Master, concentrated mana surging outward in rolling waves.

The bamboo scroll in the Arts Pavilion Master's hand unfurled, and a golden light transformed into a barrier that shielded him within.

"Golden Body Incantation!"

Then the bamboo scroll turned over. The earth split apart, and vast quantities of magma erupted from enormous fissures, swallowing the Treasure Pavilion Master and engulfing the entire Ghost Market in its fiery reach.

Fortunately, the space occupied by the four pavilions was utterly different from the Ghost Market's outer layer. Otherwise, the aftershock of that single exchange would have been enough to wipe out every living creature in the Ghost Market.

Feeling the surging fluctuations of mana, Shen Yuan could not help but feel a chill in his heart. He was certain that these two Ghost Market Pavilion Masters were both experts of the Qi Refinement into Spirit Realm.

But how far they had progressed in that realm could not be determined from this battle alone.

Such powerful figures were undoubtedly as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns in this era when the Spirit Tide had only just returned. Yet two of them had appeared at once in the Ghost Market, which surely had something to do with the Ghost Market's own nature.

Shen Yuan guessed that these Pavilion Masters were likely part of the Ghost Market itself, gradually recovering such strength along with the return of the Spirit Tide.

But their weakness was equally obvious: they had already completely fused with the Ghost Market and could not leave it. No matter how powerful they were, they could only wield that power within the Ghost Market.

Their condition was much the same as those old monsters hidden away in the blessed grotto-heavens of reclusive sects.

After a brief consideration, Shen Yuan immediately concluded that the strength displayed by the two Pavilion Masters was not something he could confront head-on.

Both the Space Grenade and the Earthly Baleful Sword Art were supreme offensive techniques, and they did indeed have a chance of injuring the two Pavilion Masters.

But if he used those offensive techniques and still failed to kill them, Shen Yuan would find it difficult to withstand the subsequent counterattack of great cultivators in the Qi Refinement into Spirit Realm.

Without completing Essence Refinement into Qi and giving birth to mana, Shen Yuan was, in essence, still merely a mortal.

Of course, Shen Yuan was not entirely without a response. Since the two Pavilion Masters could only throw their weight around inside the Ghost Market, once he left it, even the two of them would find it difficult to do anything to him.

In that brief moment, Shen Yuan had already weighed the matter in his heart.

Meanwhile, Zhi was greatly startled by the fact that the two Pavilion Masters had started fighting at the first disagreement.

Before she could speak to stop them, a shriveled little old man wearing a bamboo hat and carrying a fishing rod appeared beside Shen Yuan at some unknown time.

The old man brought his withered face close to Shen Yuan as though sniffing for something. Then his gaze shifted and fell directly upon the Maine Coon at Shen Yuan's side.

More precisely, upon Bai Xue hiding behind the Maine Coon's neck.

His eyes suddenly burst with greedy light. His chicken-claw-like hand reached for Bai Xue, moving so quickly that even the Maine Coon failed to react in time.

"Clang!"

A clear sword cry instantly tore through the Ghost Market. The old man immediately felt a bone-chilling coldness strike from behind, and his outstretched hand seemed to lose all sensation in that instant.

If he extended it even the slightest bit farther, the source of that sword cry would surely sever his hand.

His movements paused. The old man casually withdrew his hand, clasping his right hand behind his back as he said with a smile, "Young people truly have fierce tempers."

Shen Yuan swept the old man with an icy gaze but gave no response.

Only then did Zhi seem to awaken from a dream and hurriedly bow to the old man.

"Greetings, Divination Pavilion Master."

The old man casually waved a hand and watched the battle with a smiling expression. "The Ghost Market has not been this lively for thousands of years. The last time was when an emperor entered the Ghost Market and caused the gambling ghost and the fatty to fight over him.

What are the fatty and the scholar fighting over this time?"

Zhi hurriedly replied respectfully, "Reporting to the Divination Pavilion Master, after the Spirit Tide descended, the Ghost Market revealed its true form for the first time and received this guest.

The two Pavilion Masters began fighting only to compete for this guest—"

"This is utterly disgraceful!"

The old man's expression turned cold, and a pressure immediately radiated from his body. His strange aura was like unfathomable darkness, stirring fear in the heart.

"With the guest still here, you actually began fighting so rashly. You do not understand even the slightest etiquette of hospitality."

At those words, Zhi immediately breathed a sigh of relief, her face revealing an expression of agreement.

Yet the next moment, the old man waved his large hand, his expression returning to normal. "Since that is the case, I shall first bring the guest to my Divination Pavilion to rest for a while. We can continue dealing with the matter after they finish fighting."

Zhi's expression froze again. She finally understood that the Divination Pavilion Master also intended to compete for Shen Yuan.

But just as the old man made his move, a die that had come from nowhere fell to the ground.

The die rolled across the ground from the impact before finally landing in front of Shen Yuan, its upward-facing side fixed on the number six.

Within the Gambling Pavilion, which resembled the lair of a ghostly monster, a graceful woman in a fitted purple cheongsam slowly emerged from the shadows, holding a long smoking pipe in her right hand. Her seductive voice slowly rang out.

"The number is six. It seems this should be a guest of my Gambling Pavilion."

"Bullshit!"

"You old gambling ghost love cheating most of all!"

"I refuse to agree!"

The three Pavilion Masters objected in unison. Even the Treasure Pavilion Master and the Arts Pavilion Master stopped fighting, glaring furiously at the beautiful woman who had just appeared.

The atmosphere froze at that instant, invisible pressure quietly spreading outward.

None of the four Pavilion Masters would yield. It seemed none of them wanted to give up the first guest to arrive after the return of the Spirit Tide.

"What do you want from him?"

The one who spoke was the Treasure Pavilion Master, who looked like a mountain of flesh.

His tiny mung-bean eyes continuously swept over the other three Pavilion Masters.

"I want his storage ring. My talent tells me there must be good things inside."

The Arts Pavilion Master spoke in an effeminate voice:

"Despite his realm, he knows of the Heavenly and Earthly Fiend Divine Ability. Perhaps he possesses cultivation formulas derived from divine abilities. A lesser divine ability. I want the knowledge in his mind."

The Divination Pavilion Master glanced at Bai Xue, who was trembling violently, swallowed discreetly, and wore an incomparably greedy expression.

"You can have everything else. I want that black cat!"

The Gambling Pavilion Master smiled like a blooming flower. "I am very interested in his body. I have worn this skin for several thousand years already and have grown tired of it. It is time to change into a new skin."

As the four Pavilion Masters discussed the matter, they divided Shen Yuan up completely.

"Do you not intend to ask my opinion?"