With a sudden gasp, they found their weapons passing through phantoms as they struck each other.
"This is bad! Retreat!" e=e=e=┏(°ロ°;)┛!!
Years of wickedness had honed their skills, but by the time they realized their predicament and tried to escape, a tremendous force sent them flying. They spewed blood mid-air, crashing heavily to the ground. Their bodies felt as though they would shatter, the power too immense, too terrifying. They knew they were finished, likely facing a level reduction. Looking at their companions, they saw similar fates, all quickly defeated and severely wounded. A wave of terror washed over them as they stared at the person before them, utterly bewildered by such overwhelming strength.
It wasn't just the bandits. The men sent by Gao Jin to protect Zhou Yan were equally stunned. They had intended to intervene when Zhou Yan was surrounded, but then they witnessed his phantom-like speed, as he swiftly subdued all his attackers. They stood frozen,|(￣0￣) never imagining his prowess, how he resolved the situation so quickly.
As Zhou Yan's gaze fell upon them, these seasoned thugs, accustomed to living by the blade, felt a chill. "What... what do you want?"
"What do I want? Are you fools? Of course, I want what you wanted," Zhou Yan declared boldly. He then produced a three-meter spear and, with lightning speed, swept it towards them. Several arcs of spear energy flashed, and the bandits were utterly annihilated, dozens of corpses littering the ground, leaving the onlookers in astonishment.
This was you who struck first, I was merely defending myself. ＜(▰˘◡˘▰)
Self-defense killing is not illegal, right, Mr. Zhang San? "(￣(エ)￣)ゞ
He noticed the scattered items on the ground, each bandit having dropped a considerable amount. He quickly moved to collect them. After gathering everything, he grumbled in dissatisfaction, "So damn poor, bringing so little and still daring to go out." He then scanned his surroundings with an unfulfilled look. Instantly, the onlookers scattered at their fastest, fearing they might become the next victims of his spear. ヾ(´･･｀｡)ノ
Zhou Yan put his hands on his hips and, bored, walked towards a distant teleportation array, leaving the scene.
"Manager, the target has left safely, and..."
Gao Jin nodded after hearing his subordinate's report. "I understand. You may return." Gao Jin was also deeply shocked. Truly, a formidable dragon.
...
Upon returning to the [Myriad Realms Virtual Mall], Xiao Wei informed Zhou Yan that the previously assigned maids had been dispatched to various worlds to commence their duties. However, a number of them remained on standby to rotate with those working extended hours. As for Diao Chan and the others, they had all returned to the territory.
Zhou Yan nodded and instructed Xiao Wei to teleport him to [Moon Star]. Xiao Wei promptly transported him to the [Moon Star · Trading Market]. Entering a partnered shop, Zhou Yan was personally greeted by the owners at the entrance, much to the surprise of many onlookers. They were curious about this person, wondering who he was to command such respect and personal welcomes from so many proprietors.
They ascended to the upper floor. Xiao Jin Ya quickly spoke, "Brother Dragon, thanks to your patronage, I have opened a shop. I hope you will continue to trade with us, and we are immensely grateful."
"Indeed, Brother Dragon. Thanks to you, our business is booming. We hope to purchase more from you."
"We have already collected many of the materials you require and will continue to gather more. We only wish to establish a long-term cooperative relationship with you."
"What other materials do you need? Just say the word, and we will spare no effort in collecting them."
...
Having tasted success, they had sold Zhou Yan a great deal of rare metals and purchased many scarce items from him. With these goods, their shops experienced incredible business, with items selling out quickly and customers urging them to restock. They now revered Zhou Yan as a "god," their veritable god of wealth.
"That's easily arranged. As long as you handle things properly, business transactions will always be favorable," Zhou Yan replied. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement, and he saw no reason to refuse. After all, the profits he made were five to six times greater than theirs, so sharing some benefit was only right.
Subsequently, they began their trades with Zhou Yan. Even Xiao Jin Ya transacted nearly six hundred million Spirit Coins worth of goods, while others reached up to three billion Spirit Coins. This time, Zhou Yan's transactions were substantial, totaling around ten billion Spirit Coins, and it took several hours to complete all the trades. Zhou Yan asked them to collect more rare metals of six-star and above in the future, as he would have use for them. They readily agreed.
Shuang Man was very pleased with this transaction, as everyone had earned a considerable amount of Spirit Coins. However, they were far from realizing that Zhou Yan would ultimately profit hundreds of billions of Spirit Coins, far exceeding their wildest imaginations.
Though it was late, Queen Aimela of the [Elf Forest Continent] sent him a message, inquiring if he could trade for lumber now, as she had an excessive amount. It seemed another opportunity to be "burdened" with money had arrived. He quickly responded, confirming he would be there shortly. He was in need of lumber to upgrade his buildings and hoped to acquire a significant amount of high-grade wood this time. He disguised his appearance to resemble his previous elven form.
"Xiao Wei, teleport me to the [Elf Forest Continent · Trading Market]!" Zhou Yan commanded. Xiao Wei replied, "Spirit Coins - 2600, commencing teleportation..." "Teleportation to [Elf Forest Continent · Trading Market] successful!"
Returning to this world filled with nature always brought a sense of peace and joy. He hurried towards Queen Aimela's trading treehouse.
"Whoa, so many little elves lining up, what are they doing?" He saw numerous elves forming a long queue along the way. He was astonished to discover that the source of this immense line was the Elf Queen's treehouse. He hadn't anticipated the Elf Queen's influence to be so potent. This was... excellent! He quickly announced his identity, and familiar elven guards promptly escorted him to the Queen's chambers.
Upon seeing Zhou Yan, the Elf Queen finally relaxed. "My subjects are too enthusiastic. From the moment I sent out the message, a long queue formed. I have already used all my Spirit Coins to purchase lumber. If you hadn't arrived soon, I would have had no Spirit Coins left to buy from my own people."
Zhou Yan was utterly dumbfounded! How many Spirit Coins did the Elf Queen of an entire world possess? Even if the elven world had no merchants, the Queen who governed it was undoubtedly the wealthiest individual in the elven realm. The fact that she was nearly out of funds to purchase items indicated the immense wealth she had mobilized for this acquisition. The thought of the vast fortune he was about to acquire made him feel as though he was about to be buried under a mountain of gold.