The next day… Shi Mu got up at the crack of dawn.

　　He had been in an excellent mood ever since he had advanced to the Star-Grade Magician’s realm. In fact, he had even started to prepare for the Ascension to Immortality Auction one month in advance.

　　He was determined to win the blood and essence of the evil ape at the auction.

　　He had been very lucky that he could survive the attack of the Earth-ranked warrior – Zha Gu. The fact was that he had drawn support from all kinds of external forces at that time – like various means and magic charms. However, the contribution of the Art of Breeding Strong Evil Ape’s five stages couldn’t go unnoticed either. This art had strengthened his body to an inexplicable degree. Otherwise, the injuries he had received were very grave… so much so that an ordinary Xian Tian warrior’s muscles and bones would’ve been crushed.

　　Moreover, Shi Mu would also wish to compete if there would be some other good stuff at the auction. After all, such an opportunity wouldn’t show up very often.

　　However, gold and silver weren’t recognized at this auction. The only thing they would accept was spirit stone.

　　He rummaged in his Vast Earth Ring, but he found that he didn’t possess many spirit stones. Precisely, he had two middle-ranked and twenty-one low-ranked spirit stones at the moment.

　　These many spirit stones would be regarded as a ‘considerable amount of assets’ in the Black Demon Sect. However, they wouldn’t necessarily be considered ‘enough’ in this Ascension to Immortality Auction since many talented disciples would converge from various sects.

　　However, Shi Mu still had some time on his hands. And, he had decided to earn some spirit stones during this period.

　　Shi Mu had already drawn out a brilliant plan to earn spirit stones.

　　Shi Mu waved his hand, and an ancient book appeared in his palm. It was that “Secret Art of Charm Magic.”

　　The realm of his formula magic had reached such a degree that drawing a middle-grade magic charm was like a piece of cake for him. So, he might think of drawing high-grade magic charms since he had ascended to the Star Grade Magician’s realm. In addition, he was also blessed with sharp eyes to draw support from. After all, drawing high-grade magic charms would cost him nothing big but a few pieces of spirit stones. So, he would only need to practice a few times. However, unfortunately the book he currently held didn’t contain high-ranked magic charms.

　　Shi Mu skimmed through the book for some time. Then, he opened the door after a momentary consideration.

　　“Are you going somewhere?” Cai had squatted to one side, and was dozing off at the moment. But, he woke-up when he heard a sound. He then flew over to Shi Mu’s shoulder.

　　“Um,” Shi Mu nodded.

　　Shi Mu had already inquired about magic charms in the Heavenly Yu City. And, he had also drawn a conclusion based on that information, and figured that middle-grade magic charms were very scarce in this city. Even so, they weren’t sold at high prices here. Therefore, Shi Mu could only draw as many high-grade magic charms as possible if he wanted to earn spirit stones very quickly.

　　Shi Mu walked along the corridor and stepped outside the building. Then, he moved towards the inn’s exit.

　　However, his foot suddenly stopped in front of a small courtyard. He saw that a young man was cleaning a room in that courtyard. This young man was dressed in a waiter’s uniform.

　　Jin Xiao Chai had taken residence in this room.

　　Shi Mu’s brows creased. He took a step and walked in.

　　“Dear Guest, do you need something?” the waiter asked as he saw Shi Mu approach.

　　“Where is the guest of this room?” Shi Mu asked.

　　“Oh, that respected guest has checked out earlier this morning,” the waiter replied.

　　Shi Mu remained silent for a moment. Then, he turned around and walked towards the exit.

　　“Elder Sister Jin has already departed?” Cai shouted.

　　Shi Mu nodded, and let out a sigh in secrecy. The fact was that Shi Mu wanted to discuss some matters related to the Demon Yang Ceremony with Jin Xiao Chai.

　　Cai looked somewhat dejected as he heard the reply. So, he squatted down and swayed his tail in a dispirited manner.

　　“Brother Shi, I haven’t seen you in ages,” a voice rang out from the front. A red-haired man stood not far in the front. He was clad in a moon-white robe. He was looking at Shi Mu with a smile on his face.

　　“Brother Liu,” Shi Mu was surprised.

　　The man in the front was Liu An.

　　“What a coincidence that I bumped into Brother Liu here. Does Brother Liu also live in the vicinity?” Shi Mu walked over to him and asked.

　　“This isn’t the case… I have come over here to look for you in particular, Brother Shi,” Lin An replied.

　　His words left Shi Mu dumbfounded for a moment.

　　“Well, I hadn’t expected that Brother Shi would make a major breakthrough in the magic art within a few days. Congratulations!” Liu An sized Shi Mu up for a moment. Then, he said.

　　“It’s only a small breakthrough. But, Brother Liu’s eyes are indeed very sharp. It’s truly admirable,” Shi Mu’s brow furrowed as he replied.

　　“It’s not like that. In fact, I should be admiring you,” Liu An spoke with a smile.

　　“May I know why Brother Liu wanted to meet me?” Shi Mu asked.

　　“So, this is the case…” Liu An moved a step closer to Shi Mu and said.

　　“I had once told Brother Shi that I have several Soul Magician friends. Actually, they happen to be in the Heavenly Yu City at the moment. Also, we are holding a private meeting. So, may I know if Brother Shi is interested in participating in our small get-together?” Liu An whispered.

　　Shi Mu was overwhelmed with excitement as he heard these words.

　　Shi Mu had been very interested in Soul Magic due to Yan Luo.

　　In fact, he had been racking his brain to figure out plenty of matters related to Soul Magic for a long time… especially after the death of Young Master Ju. But, he couldn’t decode them. So, it was as if his eyes were smeared with darkness. This meeting was naturally a blessing in disguise for him since he would be able to meet other soul magicians and discuss matters with them.

　　However, Liu An had been able to receive Yan Luo’s strike in such a convenient manner back then. So, his identity had always seemed a little mysterious to Shi Mu ever since that incident.

　　“May I ask when the meeting will begin?” Shi Mu asked after a momentary consideration.

　　“I think a few of them should have arrived in a residence in the eastern part of the city by now. So, it would be better to meet with them first if Brother Shi is available at this moment. We’ll wait for the others to arrive. Then, we’ll start our meeting,” Liu An replied.

　　Shi Mu considered for a moment. Then, he gave him a nod.

　　After all, a short-duration meeting couldn’t hamper his plan of earning spirit stones. Besides, a meeting shouldn’t consume too much time. In fact, it would rather enrich his knowledge in such a short time.

　　“That’s great. My friends have heard me talk a lot about Brother Shi. So, they are very excited to meet you,” Liu An said.

　　“Cai, you stay at home. Don’t follow me,” Shi Mu turned his head towards Cai and said.

　　“I don’t want to. It’s too boring to stay behind…” Cai shouted.

　　“Be obedient, and I’ll bring you delicious foods when I return,” Shi Mu spoke-up in an attempt to persuade Cai. He also sent an order to Cai through his mind.

　　A strange look flashed through Cai’s eyes. He then shot a glance at Liu Yan. Then, he spread its wings, and flew toward the room without speaking anything.

　　“Let’s go,” Shi Mu said to Liu An.

　　“This parrot should also be Brother Shi’s spirit pet. It’s very rare to see a spirit pet that commands such high wisdom. It’s no harm to take him along with us,” Liu An said.

　　“I have other friends in the Heavenly Yu City. So, they may come to look for me at this time. But, they can easily pass me a message if I leave the parrot behind,” Shi Mu replied.

　　Liu An laughed for a moment. Then, the trace of a strange gleam flashed through his eyes. But, he didn’t say anything.

　　The two people walked toward the exit while laughing and talking en-route.

　　Half an hour later… the two people arrived in front of a spacious courtyard that was situated in a secluded region.

　　The house and the courtyard looked very old at a glance. The paint was peeling off the wall above the door. It also seemed like no one had cleaned this house in ages. And, it appeared as if it had been left uninhabited for a long time.

　　“This is the ancestral house of my neighborhood friend. No one lives here. So, they lent it to us. It’s much quieter than an inn,” Liu An said.

　　Shi Mu nodded. Then, he took a step and walked in.

　　The house constituted an image of a desolate bleakness. Moreover, not even a single person’s shadow could be seen around.

　　Shi Mu’s brows slightly creased. This place rendered a strange feeling to him.

　　“Let’s go. A few of my friends are inside,” Liu An walked toward a spacious room inside. Only the area around the room seemed to have been cleaned.

　　Shi Mu saw Liu An walking inside, and followed after him closely.

　　Squeak!

　　Liu An shoved-open the door, and a living room appeared before their eyes. A tea set was arranged in that room; it seemed brand-new. A few teacups were also arranged on the table. And, a plume of steam was still rising from those cups of tea. But, it was strange to see that there was no one inside.

　　“Hey! Where are you guys?” Liu An spoke-up as his gaze swept around the room.

　　Shi Mu had barely entered the room, and a ‘Clang’ sound suddenly spread from the depth of the room.

　　“It seems like they are in the inner room. Brother Shi, you take a seat. I’ll call them out,” Liu An smiled to Shi Mu. Then, he walked inside.

　　But, Shi Mu didn’t sit down. He swept his eyes around since he felt that there was something strange about this place.

　　An idea cropped up in his mind. Then, his spirit sense seeped out of his body, and proliferated in all directions.

　　Shi Mu’s complexion changed the next moment.

　　His spirit sense was blocked by a tenacious force as soon as it touched the walls of the living room.

　　Suddenly, the entrance door behind Shi Mu automatically closed with a “Clang” sound.

　　Then, a layer of black radiance floated on all the four walls. And, the entire room sank into darkness as a result.

　　Shi Mu’s complexion changed very drastically. His hand moved and pulled out the blade and the stick that he carried on his back. A layer of red light also bubbled-up on the surface of his body as a protective shield.

　　“Who is playing tricks in secret!?” Shi Mu snapped in a stern manner while his eyes moved and examined the surrounding in a cautious manner.

　　A shadow emerged from the ground behind Shi Mu in a silent manner. It was a lofty human skeleton-warrior that was almost a head taller than Shi Mu. It wore a suit of steel armor, and held a huge black sword in its hand. Also, two groups of blue soul flames were flickering in its eyes.

　　The lofty skeleton pounced towards Shi Mu as soon as it appeared. Its big sword also changed into a black light, and hacked towards Shi Mu’s head in order to chop him down.

　　Shi Mu tightened his guard as a whistling sound reached his ears from behind. Then, he whirled around while issuing a cold snort. A spurt of fire flared up on the surface of the black blade he held. Then, his blazing blade galloped forward to receive the attack.

　　A loud metal-clanging sound rang out in the room. And, a few sparks that had stemmed from this collision dispersed in all directions!

　　The skeleton’s sword was blocked in midair in a stalemate position.

　　A trace of amazement floated in Shi Mu’s eyes as he saw this. He could feel that the strength of that armored skeleton was indeed awe-inspiring.

　　Shi Mu had wielded the blade single-handedly. But, the strength of his last strike should be ten-thousand pounds at the very least. Even so, his overwhelming strength couldn’t crush that human skeleton.

　　Moreover, the big sword in the skeleton’s hand didn’t seem to be an ordinary weapon. That was because its edge didn’t reveal the slightest damage even after a direct collision with Shi Mu’s black blade.

　　Shi Mu snorted in a cold manner, and the short stick in his other hand changed into a black lightning. Then, the black lightning smashed against the armored skeleton’s arm.

　　Ka-cha!

　　The skeleton’s arm was also wrapped in armor. But, the armor shattered into pieces as soon as the short stick fell on it. The skeleton’s bone-arm and elbow were also badly mutilated by this attack.

　　The black blade flared up again in a fierce manner. This left the big sword shaking for a moment.

　　Then, the fire flashed as it trailed a half-moon-shaped blade-light in the air, and hacked at the skeleton’s chest.

　　The armored skeleton issued an outlandish sound as its gigantic body was cleft into two sections from the chest. Then, it collapsed to the ground.

　　“Ah! My Skeleton General!” someone exclaimed from the inner room. It was followed by a tall and sturdy man’s silhouette that jumped out from inside. He was clad in black clothes, and his face was painted red.

　　That man held a grey-colored bone-wand in his hand. And, a hint of melancholy could be seen across his whole face.

　　Shi Mu’s stature flashed the moment his eyes fell on the man. And, he changed into a red shadow as he dashed forward. His black blade also flared up again, and turned into a bright blade-light. Then, it pounded towards that man’s head.

　　However, it seemed like the red-faced man didn’t react at all. He remained staring at that approaching blade-light. In fact, it seemed as if he was in a daze.

　　“Elder Brother Wu, watch out!” someone cried out in alarm.

　　A black light emerged from the ground beside the red-faced man. Then, it condensed into a black formula circle.

　　After that, a huge bone-python’s head sprouted from the magic circle, and bit the edge of the black blade like a flash of lightning.

　　However, the bone python’s teeth collapsed. And, its huge head was pressed downward.

　　Then, a pair of blue soul flames flashed in the bone-python’s eyes. The soul flames also had a touch of purple-ish shade to them. But, it seemed as if the python was infuriated.

　　The rest of the python’s body had also emerged from the magic circle by this time. It was a seventy-or-eighty-feet long gigantic bone-python. Its nose was puffing-out two plumes of greyish-red smoke. Its bones looked thick and sturdy. And, these features gave off the aura of an astonishing strength.