Tang Xiao Qi was like a drop of water merging into the sand sea, silently leaving the northwestern wasteland core area. He did not use any conspicuous flying treasure or escape light, only relying on "Swimming Dragon Nine Turns" body technique and exquisite control of airflow, low-level rushing between desert and hills. His figure was blurry, almost merging with surrounding environment. The Rabbit Spirit on his shoulder was also quiet. Its two long ears alertly turned, ruby eyes occasionally flickering, sensing surrounding dangers or. treasures.
According to Aunt Su's vague clues and his own analysis of demonic energy veins and those ancient demonic cultivator families' operating style, he locked his target on an ancient city named "Yellow Sand Market" located at the junction of northwest and southwest.
Yellow Sand Market, though its name sounded ordinary, was a gray hub in a three-way border area. It did not belong to any major sect or mortal kingdom. Due to its special geographical location, connecting several dangerous deserts, ancient ruins, and hidden trade routes, over time it became a paradise for exiles, explorers, smugglers, and various unsavory forces. Dragons and snakes mixed, intelligence was plentiful, and underground transactions and black market activities were most rampant. If Shadow Snake Pavilion remnants and those ancient demonic cultivator families were making big moves, this place was extremely likely one of their key nodes for obtaining special materials or exchanging intelligence.
After several days of tireless travel, Xiao Qi finally saw Yellow Sand Market's outline in the distance. It was not the flourishing city one might imagine but a disorderly earth-yellow building complex built relying on several huge weathered rock mountains. City walls were low and dilapidated, more like symbolic boundaries. Wind and sand were this place's eternal theme, covering everything with a layer of gray-yellow.
Xiao Qi did not directly enter the city but carefully observed the periphery for several days. He changed his appearance, disguised as a weathered, ordinary-faced Foundation Establishment middle-stage rogue cultivator, mixed into the flowing crowd, entering this ancient city overflowing with noise, sweat smell, and faint blood and conspiracy scent.
Inside the city, streets were narrow and dirty. On both sides were crooked adobe houses and tents. Various accents of hawking, arguing voices never stopped. Cultivators and mortals mixed. There were humans, half-demons, even some incompletely shape-shifted demon beasts swaggering by. The air smelled of cheap wine, roasted beast meat, spices, and a trace of blood and conspiracy.
Xiao Qi's target was clear—the black market.
After spending several low-grade spirit stones, gathering intelligence from several locals, he learned that Yellow Sand Market's biggest black market was not fixed at one location but rotated among several local biggest underground forces. Each time location and time were different. Specific recommenders or tokens were needed to participate. The most recent one was tomorrow night at the zi hour, location deep in an abandoned mine pit in the city west, hosted by a force named "Sand Scorpion Gang."
Finding a recommender was not difficult. As long as one displayed enough "wealth" or "strength." Xiao Qi casually showed refined fire control technique at a noisy tavern, and "casually" revealed one corner of his storage bag with mountain-high spirit stone light. Soon, a thin as monkey, sharp-eyed middleman actively approached him, handing over a black wood token carved with a scorpion pattern.
"Tomorrow night zi hour, mine pit in city west, enter with this token. Understand the rules? Don't ask what you shouldn't, don't look at what you shouldn't." The middleman lowered his voice, then quickly disappeared into the crowd.
Xiao Qi rubbed the cold token, his gaze slightly narrowed. Aunt Su's intelligence mentioned this black market auction would likely feature a key item related to "ancient seal." Regardless of whether this was the target of Shadow Snake Pavilion and demonic cultivator families, he must go see.
The next day at zi hour, moonless and windy.
At the mine pit entrance in city west, two guards wearing Sand Scorpion Gang insignia coldly checked guests' tokens. Deep in the mine pit, contrary to imagination, it was not dark but lit by various strange glowing minerals and talisman lamps, making it grotesque. Along the narrow tunnel down, seven turns and eight detours, finally arriving at a huge, artificially carved underground cave.
Inside the cave, people crowded yet it was exceptionally quiet. Cultivators from all sides, concealing appearances and auras, gathered in groups of three to five or sat alone in corners, gazes alert, each other. The air was full of tense and greedy atmosphere. The auction stage was set on a high rock, simple and crude.
Xiao Qi found a shadowed spot to stand. Spiritual sense, like the finest spider silk, quietly spread out, perceiving everyone present. His heart was solemn. This small black market auction actually hidden over ten Golden Core stage auras! Although most were early-stage, there were also one or two especially obscure and deep, probably mid-stage or even late-stage! It seemed the items at this auction were truly extraordinary.
The auction soon began. The host was a with a face scar and one eye flashing fierce light, Sand Scorpion Gang's deputy leader. He had no superfluous words, directly began the auction.
The first several items, though precious, like thousand-year poisonous grasses, rare refining materials, several powerful unorthodox treasures, all sparked heated bidding. But Xiao Qi remained unmoved. His target was the finale.
Time passed little by little. The atmosphere at the site became increasingly heated and solemn.
Finally, after a treasure containing yin evil aura was sold, the surveyed the entire site, a smile appearing on his face:
"Next is this auction's finale, and also the target many people came for—"
He clapped. Two masked strongmen carefully carried a black cloth-covered, foot-square jade box, placing it on the auction stage.
"This item, my brothers brought out from the periphery of an extremely dangerous ancient ruins, nine deaths and one life." The one-eyed man forcefully lifted the black cloth!
Inside the jade box, not some glamorous treasure, but a palm-sized, irregularly shaped, entirely ink-black piece, its surface covered with countless fine, complex, emanating ancient desolate aura dark-gold talisman characters. a fragment!
This fragment looked unremarkable, but the moment it was exposed to air, an indescribable, mixed with extreme sealing power and a thread of obscure demonic aura fluctuation, suddenly! The air in the entire cave seemed to solidify!
Xiao Qi's pupils sharply contracted!
The Azure Lotus Golden Core within him actually autonomously accelerated rotation, transmitting a strong alert and. craving? And the Rabbit Spirit on his shoulder instantly fluffed, staring at the fragment, low whimpering from its throat.
Without any introduction, Xiao Qi instantly understood what this was!
The sealing Dao rhythm emanating from this fragment was from the same source as the "Demon-Suppressing Spirit-Locking Formation" ruins he had seen in the northwestern wasteland, but more ancient, more exquisite, and more. fragmented! Moreover, that obscure demonic aura was not from the fragment itself but a thread of origin aura remaining from something it once sealed!
This was absolutely an ancient seal-related item, especially related to sealing powerful demons! Even possibly. part of a core seal!
The one-eyed man looked at the suddenly breathing and burning gazes below, satisfiedly licked his lips, announcing an starting price:
"One ancient seal fragment, suspected related to 'Yinming Demon-Suppressing Stele'! Starting price—five hundred thousand supreme-grade spirit stones! Or equivalent heaven-earth treasures! Now, begin!"
Words fell. The entire cave first fell into momentary deathly silence, then erupted in crazy bidding!
"Fifty-five hundred thousand!"
"Sixty hundred thousand!"
"I offer three thousand-year ghost crying vines!"
.
The price skyrocketed at alarming speed. Most bidders were those with obscure Golden Core auras, clearly all prepared.
Xiao Qi's heart was also. He could almost be certain, Shadow Snake Pavilion and demonic cultivator families' target was very likely this fragment! It might be used to strengthen the demonic entity's seal? No, more likely. to weaken, even destroy the Azure Lotus seal!
Must get it!
He took a deep breath, lowered his hat, using a disguised hoarse voice, announced a price that instantly silenced the entire site:
"One million supreme-grade spirit stones."
All gazes, instantly focused on this hidden shadow ordinary rogue cultivator who had never bid before.