Chapter 1170: The VIP Area

When the Zhou Clan's members at the backstage of the auction fair were still shocked by the grade one Life Recovery Pill with 91% Purity, a nonchalant voice resonated in the air and attracted everybody's attention. "Trying to escape?"

Duan Ling Tian raised his hand, and an invisible force grabbed Zhou Li who was trying to escape from the auction fair's backstage.

His hand in the air seemed as though it was gripping a throat.

As for Zhou Li, his throat was gripped by an invisible force that seemed to have transformed into an invisible hand. His face was flushed as he was lifted into mid-air. His eyes were bulging, and he could not make a sound at all.

"Sir, please have mercy!" Zhou Ji hastily pleaded as he looked at Duan Ling Tian.

"Have mercy?" Duan Ling Tian cast a glance at Zhou Ji nonchalantly and asked in reply, "Do you think... that's possible?"

"Sir, Zhou Li is the only son of a Zhou Clan's grand elder... If you kill him, you'll only be inviting harm to yourself!" Zhou Ji knew that a soft method would not work on him so he switched to a harsher method instead.

It was as though he was afraid Duan Ling Tian did not know how powerful their Zhou Clan's grand elder was, he continued to say, "Our Zhou Clan's grand elder is one of the best in our Zhou Clan. He's at the Eighth Level Martial Monarch Stage!"

"Although I'm a Seventh Level Martial Monarch Stage martial artist, I'd most likely die in just a blow if I fight with our Zhou Clan's grand elder." Zhou Ji continued to play up their Zhou Clan's grand elder's power.

"Zhou Clan's grand elder? Eighth Level Martial Monarch Stage?" However, Duan Ling Tian did not take Zhou Ji's bait at all. He looked at Zhou Ji indifferently before his hand that looked as though it was gripping a neck suddenly tightened.

Crack!

A crisp sound of bone breaking resonated in the air. Although the sound was not particularly loud, it had taken everyone, except for Duan Ling Tian and Feng Tian Wu, by surprise. It made their hearts leap.

Everyone from the Zhou Clan, including Zhou Ji, turned pale immediately.

Bam!

Zhou Ji whose neck was broken by Duan Ling Tian fell to the floor. The Profundity Fragment in his body and his Spatial Ring were in Duan Ling Tian's hand now.

"Y-You... You..." Zhou Ji looked at Duan Ling Tian, speechless. He was shocked by Duan Ling Tian's action.

He actually dared to kill the only son of the Zhou Clan's grand elder.

In his opinion, this young man was doomed!

Many other Zhou Clan's members shared the same thought with Zhou Ji.

However, there was a small group of Zhou Clan's members who thought otherwise.

"Ever since he entered the backstage of our Auction Square, his face remained calm. There was no trace of panic on his face at all. At first, I thought he was just putting on a show, but I finally understand that he thinks nothing of us at all!"

"There's still no trace of panic on his face even after he killed Zhou Li, the Zhou Clan's grand elder's only son. It seems like he's not afraid of the grand elder at all!"

"He's not afraid of the grand elder at all? How strong is he exactly?"

"Earlier, he said the grade one Spirit Weapon that could grant a 90% boost is made by a grade one weapons craftsman from his sect. A sect that has such an extraordinary grade one weapons craftsman must not be an ordinary sect!"

"Perhaps he's a disciple of a first-rate sect in the center area of the Inner Land!"

A small group of Zhou Clan's members whispered among themselves.

...

The Inner Land could be considered as the center of Cloud Continent. There were many powerhouses who were gathered there.

The center area of the Inner land, on the other hand, was the core center of Cloud Continent. There were more powerhouses there who were even more powerful.

The moment they heard the whispering of the small group of Zhou Clan's members, most of the other Zhou Clan's members, including Zhou Ji, felt that they had a point. Their faces immediately turned grave in unison.

Indeed.

A grade one weapons craftsman who could make a grade one Spirit Weapon that could grant a 90% boost would not have joined an ordinary sect.

Although their Zhou Clan was a first-rate force as well, it was ranked in the last few places among the first-rate forces in the Inner Land. It was a first-rate force that was ranked at the bottom on Cloud Continent.

The closer it was to the center area of the Inner Land, the stronger the first-rate force was.

Zhou Ji took a deep breath and looked at Duan Ling Tian before he asked, "May I know which sect you are from, sir?"

"You'll find out which sect I'm from in no time... In case the Zhou Clan claims that I framed him, please take my things out from Zhou Li's Spatial Ring!" Duan Ling Tian replied nonchalantly to Zhou Ji's query. He raised his hand and threw Zhou Li's Spatial Ring to Zhou Ji.

Zhou Ji cast a complicated glance at Duan Ling Tian before performing a Blood Ownership Claim on Zhou Li's Spatial Ring. Soon after, he took out a Spirit Sword and a pill.

Although they were already mentally prepared, they still burst into an uproar the moment they saw Zhou Ji took out the stolen goods from Zhou Li's Spatial Ring.

Each of them looked at Zhou Li's body in contempt.

"What a disgrace to our Zhou Clan!"

"Moreover, he was the son of our grand elder! He really brought shame to our Zhou Clan!"

...

Although Zhou Li had turned into a corpse, there were still many people who sneered at him.

"Put the sword and pill back before you remove the Blood Ownership Claim on the Spatial Ring and give it back to me. As for the previous sword and pill, if your Zhou Clan's auction fair is willing to auction it for me, I'll hand them to you. If you're unwilling, I'll take them with me and leave," Duan Ling Tian said nonchalantly as he looked at Zhou Ji.

"Of course we're willing!" Zhou Ji replied without any hesitation. "Moreover, the Zhou Clan's Auction Square will help you auction these two items for free, sir."

While Zhou Ji spoke, he put the sword and pill back into the Spatial Ring that Zhou Li left behind before he removed the Blood Ownership Claim on the Spatial Ring and returned it to Duan Ling Tian.

"In that case, thank you, manager Zhou Ji," Duan Ling Tian replied after he took a good look at Zhou Ji.

"You're welcome." In the face of the young man who seemed to not fear their Zhou Clan's grand elder, Zhou Ji did not dare to be negligent in fear of offending someone he was not supposed to offend since he did not know the young man's background.

Soon after, Zhou Ji looked at the lady standing by the side who was shaking in fear and asked Duan Ling Tian, "Then, how do you want to deal with her, sir?"

Smack!

When Zhou Ji's words left his mouth, the lady kneeled down in front of Duan Ling Tian and smacked her head on the ground loudly as she bowed. "C-Customer, I know that I'm w-wrong. It's alr-right if you want to take my l-life. H-However, after I die, I hope y-you'll have mercy and let go m-my family go."

The lady knocked her head on the ground. She begged for mercy, not for her life, but for her family's lives. She was afraid Duan Ling Tian would vent his anger on her family.

"Seeing as you tried explaining to me via Voice Transmission earlier, I won't make a fuss about this," Duan Ling Tian said indifferently.

"Thank you, customer! Thank you, customer!" The lady quickly thanked Duan Ling Tian.

"The customer is not making a fuss, but you still don't want to get up? The auction fair is about to begin! Why are you still not bringing him to the VIP area? You better serve the customer properly. Otherwise, you don't have to come here anymore!" Zhou Ji frowned when he saw the lady was still kneeling on the ground.

"Yes! Yes!" Upon hearing this, the lady returned to her senses. She hastily stood up before looking at Duan Ling Tian and Feng Tian Wu. "Please follow me."

She proceeded to lead Duan Ling Tian and Feng Tian Wu who was following her from behind.

After Duan Ling Tian left, the backstage of the Zhou Clan's Auction Square fell silent again.

"You! Send Zhou Li's body back to the clan. Apart from that, tell the Clan Leader about everything that has transpired here today. Before he finds out the young man's identity, it's better not to alert the grand elder who's still in closed-door cultivation. Moreover, don't take the initiative to attack at all!" Zhou Ji looked at one of the Zhou Clan's disciples. When he reached the end of his order, he remarked with a cautious expression, "I have a feeling he's not that simple!"

The moment the Zhou Clan's disciple heard his order, he responded respectfully, "Yes." He lifted Zhou Li's body before he left.

"Okay, everybody! Get ready! The auction fair is about to begin!" Zhou Ji told the others.

"Yes," The crowd of people replied one after another.

At another side.

Under the lady's guidance, Duan Ling Tian and Feng Tian Wu finally arrived at an area that was closest to the auction stage.

There were rows and rows of standalone pergolas as well. Some pergolas only housed one person while some housed a group of three to five people who were animatedly chatting with each other. It was apparent they came here in a group.

"Oh? There are people who wear masks here too?" Soon after, Duan Ling Tian noticed there were many people in the VIP area who were wearing masks. It seemed as though they were afraid other people would recognize them.

Duan Ling Tian could faintly guess their intentions. It was precisely because they were worried they would attract attention when they place their bid during the auction. With the masks, nobody would know who was bidding for the items.

After that, they could just take off their masks and walk away as though nothing had happened.

"Customer, this way please." The lady led Duan Ling Tian and Feng Tian Wu to an empty pergola. There were a stone table and stone stools in the pergola. Apart from that, there were also good wine, dainty dishes, and fresh fruits placed on the stone table.

After Duan Ling Tian and Feng Tian Wu sat down, the lady kept watch in the front of the pergola after telling the two of them, "Customers, just call me if you need anything."

After she finished saying this, she continued to keep watch in front of the pergola.

There were many pergolas in the VIP area. However, the only pergola that had somebody from the Zhou Clan's Auction Square keeping watch was none other than the one that housed Duan Ling Tian and Feng Tian Wu.

The pergola instantly stood out like a stork in a flock of fowls. It attracted many people's attention.

"Who is so arrogant? They actually have a specially-assigned servant to serve them!" Many people were curious.

A young man who was dressed luxuriously sat in a pergola near Duan Ling Tian's pergola.

An old man stood behind that young man like a shadow.

"I'd love to see who's this person that the Zhou Clan treats so well! Even I don't have anyone serving me!" The luxuriously dressed young man heard the commotion in the surroundings and saw a lady standing outside a pergola. His face instantly turned grave.

In the next second, he stood up and brought the old man over to that pergola.

"Dear customers, there's someone here." When the luxuriously dressed young man brought the old man over and was about to enter Duan Ling Tian's pergola, the lady who was standing outside quickly stopped them and smiled. "Please find another place to sit, dear customers."

"Scram!" When the luxuriously dressed young man saw the lady blocking his way, the young man who was originally unhappy became angry. He raised his hand and thrust a palm out as fast as lightning.

Boom!

A loud explosion reverberated in the air. The lady was instantly killed by him. Blood splattered inside the pergola.