The moment Alex stepped through the shadowed corridor of the Jin Auction House, the air shifted. The scent of polished wood and rare artifacts mixed with the faint aura of concentrated mana—this place was a den of power. He crouched low, feeling the pulse of the hidden wards beneath his feet. Each step was calculated; every breath synchronized with the rhythm of his heartbeat. Behind him, Liang Hao and Griffin mirrored his movements, their own senses stretched to the limit, talismans in hand to provide support.
Three Clan Elders awaited inside. Alex had already studied the intel: one at the peak 6th layer of the Origin Realm, the other two at early and mid-5th layer. He knew that direct confrontation, without advantage, meant certain death. Precision was key. The Auction House's corridors were narrow, the ceilings high enough to allow spells but not free-for-all chaos. Every move would count.
From the shadows, Alex whispered the first command: "Set the traps." Small talismans, hidden along the corridors and behind ornate displays, pulsed faintly with elemental energy. One emitted a soft ice aura, designed to slow and stagger any sudden movement. Another would activate a disorienting flash when the Elders attempted to readjust their mana flows.
The first Elder stepped forward—a man cloaked in gold-embroidered robes, aura radiating dominance. He moved with the quiet confidence of someone at the peak 6th layer, hands weaving incantations that distorted the air like heat waves. Alex's eyes narrowed. He drew upon his mana, activating spatial magic, and vanished into a shadowed corner, reappearing behind a display case.
The Elder's eyes flickered, sensing a disturbance. Alex launched forward with Phantom Strike, the air around his blade shimmering as he merged speed and magic. The strike grazed the Elder's robe, the talisman behind him activating in tandem, slowing the Elder's reaction. Ice crystals formed on the floor, causing the first stumble—a minor but critical opening.
Behind Alex, Liang Hao and Griffin moved in synchrony. Liang Hao activated a flame sigil, a controlled burst that forced the Elder to stagger again. Griffin triggered a spatial displacement talisman, subtly warping the corridor and disorienting his opponent further. The combined effect: one Elder, otherwise unmatched, found himself struggling to regain footing against three coordinated attacks.
The second and third Elders arrived moments later, sensing the disturbance. Alex pivoted, drawing ice magic from the ambient mana and forming protective shards in a spherical barrier. The shards repelled the first Elder's retaliatory strike, while simultaneously forming a barrier against the second Elder's initial assault.
Alex's mind raced. Every attack had to be layered, every talisman timed perfectly. He used Phantom Strike again, this time in combination with a lightning step, closing the distance in a heartbeat, allowing him to land a strike against the second Elder. A small talisman beneath the floor pulsed, sending a jolt of earth energy to stagger the Elder's stance.
Sweat formed along Alex's brow. The fight was relentless. The peak 6th-layer Elder unleashed a wave of mana that warped the floor, attempting to crush him. Alex countered by drawing on his spatial magic, bending the corridor's geometry just enough to slip through the attack. Behind him, Liang Hao ignited a flame burst, disrupting the Elder's focus. Griffin set off a series of flash talismans, disorienting the third Elder as he approached.
One by one, Alex isolated them. Each strike, each dodge, and every talisman was part of a carefully orchestrated sequence. The first Elder, staggered repeatedly by spatial shifts, ice shards, and flame bursts, finally fell to a precise strike to the chest, mana disrupted and balance lost.
The second Elder, mid-5th layer, lunged with raw aggression, but Alex's ice and spatial synergy allowed him to slip behind the Elder, striking at a critical pressure point. The talisman beneath the floor pulsed at the exact moment, and the Elder collapsed, dazed and incapacitated.
The third, the mid-5th-layer Elder, had enough skill to anticipate the combined tactics. But Alex wasn't alone—Liang Hao's flame bursts and Griffin's talisman traps turned the narrow corridor into a labyrinth. With a final Phantom Strike, synchronized with a spatial displacement talisman beneath the Elder's feet, Alex closed the distance and delivered the decisive blow.
All three Elders lay defeated, their aura dissipating. The corridors of the Auction House were temporarily calm, but Alex knew this was only the first phase. He activated a series of containment talismans, sealing off corridors and entrances to prevent reinforcements from reaching the battle site.
Panting lightly, Alex looked over his team. Liang Hao's chest heaved with exertion, Griffin's hands were scorched from the talisman charges, yet both were alive, unharmed beyond minor burns. Alex allowed himself a brief, rare smile. The mission inside the Auction House was successful.
He sent a spatial signal to Alaric and Squad Two. The exits and external support needed to coordinate the extraction, and Alex knew that his work here had created the opening they required. But there was no time to celebrate. The Jin Clan had other assets, and Alaric's team was about to engage the Monarch-level experts at the exits.
Alex wiped the sweat from his brow, feeling the pulse of his mana, ice, and spatial magic synchronize perfectly after months of training. For the first time, he felt the Phantom Emperor's power truly integrated within him. Every talisman, every strike, every tactic had worked as intended.
"Time to finish this," he muttered, moving deeper into the Auction House to secure the remaining clan members and loot.