Chapter 243: A Frightening Change at the Venue

The middle-aged security guard opened his mouth, and it seemed as if he wanted to scream aloud. But, the bone-spear that had pierced his body was too thick. So, it had curbed most of his life force, and had rendered him unable to make any sound.

Moreover, it wasn't only one bone-spear that was shot. Five other unfortunate guards were also similarly nailed either to the ground or the walls. In fact, some people's bodies had been pierced by more than one bone-spear. And, they had stopped breathing on the spot as a result.

The middle-aged security guard gathered his barely remaining trace of strength, and raised his head to see. He hadn't even noticed when a merchant-dressed obese man had appeared not far in the front; he had a short and stout stature. He was slowly walking in the direction of the Sparkling Gem Pavilion's East entrance.

This obese man's body was emitting bursts of grey Qi. Moreover, six luminous dots could be seen behind his head; they were faintly shining.

"A Six-Star Magician!"

Shi Mu wasn't far from the street at the moment. He swept his vision over this short and stout man, and his pupils couldn't help but shrink.

This person was one of the fellow young disciples in Liu An's group. Shi Mu hadn't expected that this man would be a Star-grade Magician in reality. And on top of that, he had also attained the power of Six-Stars.

Ximen Xue had told him about some of the things related to the Star-grade Magicians when they were strolling in the rain.

A magician could easily trigger a star-like shadow right before stepping into the battle once they had succeeded in building a Star Palace. In addition, they could also augment the power of their magic arts with the help of this shadow's power.

An increase in the number of star-like shadows was directly proportionate to the activation of the Star Palace's stars. A magician could attain seven stars at the most. Such magicians were called the Seven-Star Magicians.

The fact was that a magician would trigger the star-like shadow because each star-like shadow could enhance the strength of their magic arts by nearly thirty percent at that time. Furthermore, the might of the magic arts could be enhanced by nearly three times if all seven stars were triggered at the same time. However, this would demand a bountiful consumption of the magician's magic power in return.

A Star-grade magician could also choose to display "Star explosion" and detonate the star-like virtual shadow at a crucial moment. In fact, a short-time operation of these star-like shadows could substantially enhance the might of one's magic arts. And, this would indirectly reduce his cost of cultivation.

"Who these people are!"

The surrounding security guards and Transcending Heaven Immortal Cult's disciples were in a profound shock. However, they drew their weapons, and exhibited a fighting-stance.

The short and stout man sneered and extended his hand from the black cloak. There was a bone-white wand-like object in his hand.

He waved the wand, and the six luminous stars behind his head flashed. Then, a few huge magic characters appeared on the ground.

The magic characters emitted a strange and vast-stretched green fog. Then, the fog completely shrouded the space in the vicinity of the entrance.

The security guards and Transcending Heaven Immortal Cult's disciples' complexion became pale. They rushed toward the black-robed obese man. But, they had barely run a few steps, and a few green streaks started to appear on everyone's faces and skin. It seemed like their bodies were covered with lead. Even their actions had become very sluggish.

The security guards and Immortal Cult's disciples couldn't reach the obese man. They suddenly fell to the ground in a disorderly manner, and began to throw-up foam from their mouth. Even their bodies started to twitch in a crazy manner.

The young bodyguard from before had also collapsed to the ground. He was dumbfounded to see that the obese man was continually moving towards them. His eyes were smeared with an unbelievable look; it seemed as if he couldn't believe that someone had dared to attack the Sparkling Gem Pavilion in broad-daylight.

The short and stout man read an incantation while walking towards them. Then, he raised his hand, and a dozen or more groups of millstone-sized red fireballs emerged out of thin air. Then, they fired into the people who lay on the ground like meteors.

Bang!

A string of huge explosive sounds rang out in the air. The area in the vicinity of the Sparkling Gem Pavilion's Eastern entrance had suddenly changed into a sea of fire. These fiery waves then rolled out and engulfed the guards near the entrance.

A dozen or more security guards and Immortal Cult's disciples had been massacred within a few seconds owing to the sudden appearance of that short and stout man. But, the bustling crowd didn't notice the changes that had taken place until the sound of explosion reached their ears.

A hubbub of screams and shouting rang out in the air. Then, everyone began to move away from the Sparkling Gem Pavilion and dispersed in all directions. This sparked a chaotic situation for a short while.

But, the short and stout man had seemingly not heard these clamorous voices. His body flew over the sea of fire in a very graceful manner. Then, he went inside the Sparkling Gem Pavilion.

Meanwhile, at the Sparkling Gem Pavilion's Western Entrance...

A tall black-dressed man strode in the direction of the west entrance; his face was painted red.

"Stop! Who is Your Excellency?"

A Taoist swordsman of the Transcending Heaven Immortal Cult pulled out a long sword from his back with a whistling "Shua" sound. Then, he pointed it at the red-faced man and shouted.

The red-painted-faced man showed a fiendish grin. However, he didn't pay attention to the swordsman's action. Then, a red light suddenly spurted out on his body.

The sturdy body of the red-faced man seemingly inflated in the red light. It began to swell-up at a lightning speed; so much so that his black-clothes were torn to shreds. His body became twenty-thirty-feet tall in an instant. Even the original silverish-red color of his face turned ashen in color. And, two long fangs protruded from his mouth... like those of a wild beast!

A layer of coarse and stiff black hair also sprouted over this man's body. In addition, eagle-like sharp claws emerged from his five fingers.

The red-faced man had turned into a huge human-form monster in a flash! And, his whole body was curled-up in grey smoke.

"Zombie Art! He's the Dark Moon Evil Cult's follower!"

The surrounding guards turned pale with fright. They then promptly gathered in the same place.

"Evildoer, you are courting death!"

The Taoist priest - who carried a long sword on his back - shouted loudly, and rushed toward the red-faced man. He flicked his arm, and his shining long sword changed into a several-feet-long giant sword-light. Then, the sword-light hacked toward the red-faced zombie-man in a fierce manner.

The red-faced man continued to move forward. He didn't even pour his glance at the Taoist swordsman.

"Bang" a muffled sound resounded!

The giant sword-light pounded on the red-faced man's ashen-colored arm that was densely covered with a layer of coarse black hair. However, it could only leave a shallow trace. In fact, it couldn't even scratch his skin!

The Taoist swordsman was greatly startled by this. He wanted to move aside to dodge the zombie-man.

"Bang" a loud sound was heard!

The red-faced man brandished his hand in a casual manner, and the Taoist swordsman's body was sent flying backwards. A few deep wounds were split-open in his chest; so much so that even his bones could be seen clearly. In fact, his body had nearly been cut into several pieces.

"Bang" a loud rumbling sound rang out again!

The young Taoist swordsman knocked against the wall near the entrance. And, a large area of the wall got smeared with his blood. Then, he rolled to the ground and stopped breathing.

The red-faced man grinned in a wicked manner. Then, his huge body charged into the crowd. Afterwards, the surrounding security guards and Immortal Cult's disciples were struck and sent flying. Ordinary sword attacks were like an itching sensation for this man whenever they fell on his body. They couldn't cause any injuries to his body.

The security guards and Transcending Heaven Immortal Cult's disciples had fallen in a pool of blood within a few breaths' time.

Sparkling Gem Pavilion's Southern Entrance...

A fierce battle between a dozen or more security guards and two huge monsters could be seen underway at the moment.

One of these two beasts was a thirty-forty-feet long rotten-corpse wolf. Its whole body was full of festering carrion. A kind of green and sticky liquid was dropping from its body from time to time. It was emitting a nasty odor that could leave anyone with a desire to puke.

The other beast was a gigantic bone-tiger. It had very sharp teeth and talons. Its body was relatively smaller than the carcass-wolf. But, it was still twenty-thirty-feet long.

These two beasts were pouncing on and biting at the surrounding people. It seemed as if a wolf had entered into the flock of sheep. Their bodies were quite huge in size. Still, their movements were exceptionally vigorous.

The security guards' swords couldn't cause the slightest injuries to these monsters. Instead, these weapons were easily torn to shreds by these monsters.

Consequently, the guards and the Immortal Cult's disciples near the entrance were wiped-out in a fleeting moment. Only a pile of remnant corpses was left behind on the ground.

Then, a short silver-haired young man strode over and went inside the Sparkling Gem Pavilion. He bore a solemn expression on his face while he was walking. His whole body was curled-up in a layer of grey smoke. There were five silver-colored stars flickering behind his head. A frenzy of screams and panic-fleeing continued to ring behind him.

Sparkling Gem Pavilion's Northern entrance...

"Bang" a muffled sound was heard. A seventy-eighty-feet-long bone-python flung its long tail. It pounded a person's silhouette and sent him flying in the air. That silhouette's body snapped into two sections in midair, and blood splashed out.

Several corpses could be seen scattered over the place in the surrounding. Their clothing was enough to conclude that they were either the corpses of the security guards or Immortal Cult's disciples who had been guarding the Sparkling Gem Pavilion's northern entrance.

Some people inside the Sparkling Gem Pavilion were trying to escape from the North exit at this moment. But, their complexion became pale and they stopped as their eyes fell on the massive bone-python outside.

Suddenly, a tall black-dressed woman walked past the bone-python and went straight into the Sparkling Gem Pavilion. Her face was covered with a veil. She held a bone-wand in her hand. Surprisingly, there were seven stars flickering behind her head in an irregular manner.

...

A blood-red moon-shadow suddenly appeared in midair inside the auction hall. This was that same hall on the first floor of the Sparkling Gem Pavilion where Shi Mu had been sitting a while ago. Then, the blood-red moon emitted a circle of glaring blood-light.

The air in the hall also became sticky and hard to breathe-in under the effect of the blood-light.

Many people in the hall were panic-stricken. But, there were some people who had managed to maintain their composure since they considered themselves to be stronger. For example - the participants of the Ascension to Immortality Ceremony still maintained a serene expression on the surface.

Shentu Guang was seated in the first few rows of the hall. He gazed at the blood moon, and a wisp of unspeakable aghast look floated in his eyes.

Shentu Guang had been able to establish the Qi Palace and had stepped into the Xian Tian realm when he was young. Obviously, he made such a feat with the support of his family's resources. He was a little arrogant and mischievous, but he wasn't a straw bag. His martial arts' strength was considered quite formidable in the group of some influential families' disciples. Otherwise, he wouldn't be embraced as the leader of those people.

However, a feeling of terror and suffocation surged from the bottom of his heart at the moment.

Most of the disciples beside him - who belonged to several influential families - also turned pale with fright. Some of them had even started to tremble.

The crowd of people near the first-floor hall's exit saw that the situation wasn't good. So, they returned and rushed towards the four exits.

However, it wasn't long before bursts of disturbances and screams began to erupt outside the four exits. A badly mutilated corpse was also thrown inside the four exits. It was done to spark an upheaval among the people who wanted to rush out of these exits.

...

The auction hall's stage... Ouyang Lun's face also revealed an aghast and shocked look as he saw the sudden emergence of the blood-mood shadow in midair. Ouyang Lun was the auctioneer.

He didn't get enough time to jump into action. Suddenly, a white light flashed beneath the blood-moon, and a person's silhouette emerged out of thin air; it was Liu An!

He looked very handsome. His red and long hair was fluttering in the air. There was a red, round and waning moon on his forehead. It was exuding bursts of blood-light. It seemed to be conforming to the blood-moon shadow in the air. It rendered people with a kind of strange and evil feeling.

Liu An wore a solemn expression on his face. He mumbled something, and his whole body was shrouded in a layer of faint-grey light as a result. Then, a shining full-moon's shadow appeared behind his head.

After that, a wisp of frightening magic-power waves burst out of his body and swept across the entire hall like a gust of wind.

A few people were close to Liu An. And, their complexion changed very drastically when they saw this scene.

There were some weak people in the hall as well. Their eyes rolled back and they fainted on the spot.

"A Full Moon Magician!"

Ouyang Lun exclaimed in alarm. Then, a buzzing sound was heard from the surface of his body, and his whole body exuded a layer of a purple light-shield. But, the light-shield began to tremble under the impact of the formidable magic power waves - as if it was struck heavily. Ouyang Lun's complexion turned unsightly as he saw this.