Among the Void Fortresses encircling the periphery of the Void Market, Shadowhold was the most renowned. Its prestigious Dao Exchange Gathering was famed throughout this region of the void, often featuring treasures of the highest order.
Back when Shadowhold’s master was only at the Half-Step Hunyuan stage, the fortress flourished. Now, with Master Lowell having fully entered the Hunyuan Realm, Shadowhold’s reputation dominated the region.
At this moment, six men sat in the grand reception hall of Shadowhold’s master. Had Joe Di been present, he would have recognized at least three among them.
The first was, of course, Darren Rice, whom Joe Di was searching for. Besides Darren, there was Franklin Young, whose whereabouts had been unknown since leaving the Dao Fruit Tower plaza, and Ken Blaze, the Kunpeng Clan powerhouse eager to seize Joe Di’s Bolt.
Master Lowell sat at the head of the table, feeling as if he had swallowed a fly—deeply unsettled.
He and Darren Rice had once been kindred spirits; otherwise, Master Lowell would not have hosted Darren at Shadowhold for so many years. Yet now, resentment was beginning to take root in his heart.
Because of Darren Rice, Shadowhold was about to face a catastrophe.
The reason was, of course, Joe Di. He was searching for Darren Rice and was rumored to be arriving at Shadowhold soon. Yet before Joe Di arrived, three Kunpeng Clan elites and Franklin Young had already come to Shadowhold.
The Kunpeng Clan elites and Franklin Young had come to Shadowhold with the clear intent to surround and kill Joe Di, but Master Lowell had no desire to get caught up in this mess.
Who was Joe Di? Rumor had it that when he slaughtered the Tianmu Clan’s Xiang Mu, he was only at the Dao Origin stage. For a cultivator at that level to kill a late-stage Hunyuan was extraordinary enough, but he was also a Dao Pill Saint. Only a fool would provoke someone like him—Master Lowell certainly would not dare.
Years ago, his son had offended a cultivator named Emperor Ye. If not for Emperor Ye’s aversion to slaughter, Shadowhold might have long since vanished from this region of the void. Now, Joe Di was rumored to be every bit as talented and domineering as that legendary Ye.
If Shadowhold aided Franklin Young of the Demon Clan and the Kunpeng Clan, it might face calamity in the future. But if it refused, disaster would strike immediately.
Master Lowell was deeply troubled; in truth, Darren Rice felt just as restless.
He and Joe Di hailed from the same place, and of all the cultivators who came from the Void Sea, only he remained. Even if they hadn’t shared a homeland, he would never wish to provoke a powerhouse like Joe Di.
What’s more, he knew exactly why Joe Di had come seeking him.
Neither Master Lowell nor Darren Rice dared voice their frustration. With two Half-Step Dao Fusion cultivators, one at the peak of Hunyuan, and one late-stage Hunyuan present, they stood no chance of resistance.
“Master Lowell, when Joe Di arrives, simply lure him into Shadowhold. Outside, we’ll activate the trapping array. After that, your part is done. Rest assured, once this is over, Shadowhold will gain the friendship of my Demon Clan and the Kunpeng Clan. Whatever you need in the future, we’ll be there.” Franklin Young could see Master Lowell’s reluctance to oppose Joe Di.
Master Lowell sighed—low cultivation was like being an ant. Franklin Young of the Demon Clan had known all along that Darren Rice was here, yet showed no concern. Instead, he and the Kunpeng Clan quietly set up a top-tier trapping array outside Shadowhold. Had they not revealed it, Master Lowell would never have known.
Joe Di halted, choosing not to step into the boundaries of Shadowhold.
An ordinary Seventh-Rank Formation Sovereign might not detect anything amiss around Shadowhold. But Joe Di, capable of arranging grand arrays with Law Array Banners, immediately sensed the altered cosmic laws in this region of the void.
As his divine sense probed deeper, countless concealed array banners appeared in the void.
Joe Di’s heart sank, his expression darkening. Did the mere master of Shadowhold truly dare plot against him?
No, something was off. Joe Di quickly understood—he bore no grudge against Shadowhold’s master, and even if he did, Master Lowell wouldn’t dare make a move against him.
The only possibility was that someone knew he’d come to Shadowhold and set a trap for him here. But who would dare such a thing?
Aside from the Kunpeng Clan, it had to be the Demon Clan—most likely both working together. If the Kunpeng Clan was involved, Joe Di had no intention of walking into a deathtrap.
Joe Di knew all too well the strength of the Kunpeng Clan. Ken Blaze alone had been a handful, and this time, it was certain that more than just Ken Blaze had come.
True to his nature, Joe Di wanted to set up a counter-trap array here and disrupt their killing formation.
But reason prevailed—if another cultivator as strong as Ken Blaze showed up, along with several late-stage Hunyuan experts, even his arrays would be useless unless he could truly set up an eighth- or ninth-rank Guardian Array.
Without even entering, Joe Di knew that Kunpeng and Demon Clan elites were waiting for him at Shadowhold. The trap had been laid long ago, likely after Franklin Young investigated Darren Rice and realized Joe Di might come seeking him.
As for the Void Market, Franklin Young likely knew the moment Joe Di set foot there.
Yet Joe Di was unwilling to leave just like that. He possessed only a single Realm-Splitting Talisman, which he might need upon his return. For now, his only option was to consult Darren Rice. Darren and the others had likely planned for years to reach the Void Market, so they should know something.
With this in mind, Joe Di used Law Array Banners to sketch out a Concealment Array and slipped inside. He didn’t believe these enemies would wait here forever.
Hidden within the Concealment Array, Joe Di didn’t waste a moment, continuing to inscribe Law Array Banners. If the enemies left, he would rush into Shadowhold to rescue Darren Rice. Preparing these banners was insurance against a sudden activation of the trapping array.
Once he finished inscribing the Law Array Banners, the enemy’s trapping array would become his—or at least, it couldn’t trap him.
Time passed in this cycle of exhaustion and anticipation; in the blink of an eye, ten days had gone by. Joe Di had long finished his preparations and now waited quietly outside Shadowhold for the right moment.
Inside Shadowhold, Master Lowell and Darren Rice felt relieved—Joe Di hadn’t come for them, which was for the best. Especially for Master Lowell, who feared that if Joe Di did show up, the fools in front of him wouldn’t be able to stop him.
Despite the Demon Clan’s Franklin Young and the Kunpeng Clan’s elites constructing a trapping array outside Shadowhold, Master Lowell doubted it could hold Joe Di. Back when the Dragon Clan’s array was formidable, even Lord Ye, at the Dao Origin stage, could come and go as he pleased.
“Franklin, I fear Joe Di won’t be coming back here,” Ken Blaze of the Kunpeng Clan said, frowning with impatience.
Franklin Young was puzzled. “The information I received was clear—Joe Di went to the Void Market searching for Henry Xing, specifically to learn about Darren Rice’s whereabouts.”
“Is Joe Di searching for Darren Rice just to leave this realm and return to the Void Sea?” Ken Blaze snorted, sensing Franklin Young’s plan might be unreliable.
Franklin Young replied, “I don’t know what Joe Di and Henry Xing discussed, but Joe Di and Darren Rice had no prior connection. He must be searching for Darren to find a way back to the Void Sea.”
“Henry Xing is the master of the largest trade tower in the Void Market. Maybe Joe Di already learned how to return to the Void Sea from him,” Ken Blaze said, his tone growing more irritable.
If Franklin Young hadn’t insisted on waiting here, Ken Blaze would have tried to intercept Joe Di at the Void Market.
After speaking, Ken Blaze suddenly stood up. “Ken Shaw, come with me to the Void Market. Ken Wayne, you stay here with Franklin Young.”
“Are we really splitting up?” Franklin Young’s heart skipped a beat—this was a risky move. Back then, Emperor Ye had slain five late-stage Hunyuan experts who teamed up against him. If they split up now, their collective strength would drop dramatically.