The entire Asking Heaven River exuded an eerie, chilling aura, making it feel like an ill-fated place.
"Lord, I have a bad feeling about this place," Cai Yan disliked the atmosphere here. She constantly felt like countless eyes were watching them from the shadows, especially sensing an evil, frigid, and sinister energy emanating from ahead.
"I feel it too. Since we're here, let's see what's what. It's been open for so long without anyone bothering it; it must have something unique about it."
Zhou Yan held Cai Yan's hand, reassuring her.
"Lord, don't you find these people here strange? They don't look like good people," Little Zhao observed, noticing that everyone on the ship was peculiar. They remained silent, as if plotting something.
Zhou Yan also noticed this. These people were like beasts prowling in the darkness, seemingly searching for prey. The ship's lights, in particular, flickered like will-o'-the-wisps, dim and lifeless, resembling souls dancing.
Eeriness, malevolence, terror, and coldness permeated the entire vessel. These individuals preferred to stand in dark corners, as if waiting to ambush prey. There were at least five hundred people on board, yet not a single one spoke. No one even walked; they had remained in place since boarding.
After a long while, the entire ship seemed to descend, like an elevator, plummeting rapidly. The people around them made no move, and Zhou Yan signaled his generals to stand down.
"We've arrived. You can disembark," a strange voice echoed, tinged with a smile that sounded more like a mockery.
Zhou Yan followed the flow of people off the ship. He looked at the buildings ahead, realizing it was an underground world, hidden somewhere. The place was damp and dark everywhere. He couldn't fathom how the ships reached here.
In some areas, Zhou Yan saw several corpses lying around, seemingly killed recently. On the river, they had also spotted a few bodies, which were then dragged into the water by something and disappeared.
The air here was thick with the scent of decay, burning, and gloom, as if many had died here. It made one feel deeply uncomfortable, as if they had arrived at the edge of hell.
Zhou Yan suspected they were at the bottom of the river, inferring from the ship's descent. However, he wasn't entirely sure of the specifics.
"Form groups of a few people. Don't spread out too much," Zhou Yan instructed.
The group, adhering to their previous assignments, began to disperse and enter the black market. At the entrance of the black market, there were people specifically collecting the black market tokens, indicating they were single-use and not permanent.
Zhou Yan paid no mind. After entering, he threw his black market token into a prepared bonfire to be burned.
Zhou Yan was surrounded by his generals, who eyed the people around them warily. Zhou Yan quickly told them, "Don't be so tense. Relax a little."
"Yes, sir."
They were indeed too tense. This place was a melting pot of all sorts, and they had already witnessed several killings upon arrival. Danger permeated the air constantly; it was a haven for wicked hunters.
Zhou Yan and his companions looked at the goods displayed by the vendors, greatly surprised. He saw many valuable items that might not even be found in the outside world, yet many were present here. This black market was indeed interesting.
With a slight smile, Zhou Yan approached a vendor and inquired about a material called Evil Spirit Ore, of which samples from one to nine stars were displayed.
"How much are these materials?" Zhou Yan asked.
"What star level, and how much quantity?" the vendor inquired.
"As much as you have, I'll take it all," Zhou Yan replied.
The vendor, hiding his face beneath his hood, looked at Zhou Yan with a chilling smile. "Young man, you've got quite the nerve. I have a considerable amount. Can you handle it?"
Zhou Yan directly answered, "In that case, give me one million units of each."
"O-one million units! Σ(ﾟдﾟlll)"
The vendor's face beneath his hood was visibly shocked by Zhou Yan's words, but he quickly recovered and sneered, "One-star units are five hundred spirit coins each. Do you dare to buy?"
"Isn't that ripping us off? Your one-star materials are worth at most two hundred spirit coins per unit, yet you're selling them for five hundred," Little Zhao, hearing this, immediately became displeased.
The vendor let out another sinister laugh. "Heh heh, little girl, this is a black market. Don't use outside standards to measure its value."
"Three hundred spirit coins per unit. How much one-star Evil Spirit Ore do you have? I'll buy it all. If you disagree, then forget it; I won't stay any longer," Zhou Yan stated firmly.
The vendor looked at Zhou Yan and then replied, "I have three hundred and ten thousand units. Can you handle that?"
Zhou Yan said, "If you are a Lord, then open the trading panel to trade." This was the safest method of transaction in the black market, preventing the vendor from running off with the money and eliminating mutual distrust.
"Agreed." The vendor opened his Lord panel and placed all the materials on it.
Zhou Yan transferred ninety-three million spirit coins to him.
"Good lad. Since you're so keen on buying, I'll give you a relatively cheaper price..."
Seeing his materials sold, the vendor began negotiating prices for other materials with Zhou Yan. After the vendor quoted a price, Zhou Yan would haggle it down before proceeding with the transaction.
Apart from Evil Spirit Ore, Zhou Yan also purchased several other types of materials from the vendor, trading materials worth at least billions of spirit coins. Zhou Yan was naturally satisfied; after all, any material that could be bought with spirit coins was not a problem.
The other generals also began purchasing materials. Although they were unsure of the prices of many items, they could inquire. They used their communicator function, and someone would inform them of the approximate prices for each item. A slight markup was acceptable, but it couldn't be outrageously high.
After completing the transactions, the vendor packed up his stall and then chuckled sinisterly, saying, "Kid, you've already been targeted. Whether you can walk out of here alive depends on your own abilities."
Zhou Yan also chuckled upon hearing this and replied, "My purpose for coming here was precisely to be targeted. If they don't target me, my life would feel a bit dull."
The vendor was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter. "Good lad. I hope you're as you say. Good luck."
With that, the vendor walked directly into the depths of the black market.
"Lord, should we eliminate those people!" Dian Wei, hearing this, drew his weapon, ready to act.
"What's the hurry? You'll have your chance to act later," Zhou Yan replied.
Dian Wei smiled and sheathed his weapon.