Secret Realm Opens

"Name your price, or have you decided not to sell it?"

"Sell, sell, sell! Of course I'm selling it." Steward Bai hurriedly replied with a smile, "This Heavenly Flame Remnant Map isn't expensive. Just one hundred thousand gold coins."

Just one hundred thousand gold coins!?

Was he treating people like bandits, so used to robbing them blind?

Xiao Ming was speechless inside when he heard that. Look at that price—did it look like he wanted to sell it?

The previous Black Region Great Plains map had at least been clearly marked with a price. But this one, which he had just taken out of his Na Ring, couldn't possibly have had a fixed price too, could it?

Even if this remnant map was genuine, it was not worth that much. He did not want to be a sucker.

"Same as the Black Region Great Plains map: four thousand gold coins."

"Sir, isn't that price a little low?" Seeing how ruthlessly Xiao Ming bargained, Steward Bai put on a troubled expression.

"Hmph, you know how incomplete this map is yourself. This remnant map isn't worth one hundred thousand gold coins, and I don't have that many gold coins either."

Xiao Ming said so. Of course he had money, but he would not stupidly reveal all his wealth.

He continued, "Besides, you know what the Nether Poison Flame is used for, right? If this map weren't genuine and didn't record the location of a precious poisonous grass, it wouldn't even be worth one thousand gold coins!"

If it wasn't worth anything, why were you buying it?

Steward Bai muttered inwardly, but did not say it aloud.

After all, it was rare for a sucker to want to buy this map. It would not do to scare him away.

Therefore, Steward Bai merely smiled bitterly. "You're forcing the price too low. I can't decide to lower it by that much. How about ninety thousand gold coins?"

"Ten thousand at most."

"Eighty-eight thousand."

"Eleven thousand..."

"..."

After some haggling, Xiao Ming ultimately bought the map for twenty-four thousand gold coins.

After the transaction was completed, both sides were very satisfied with it.

After taking out his Purple Gold Card and paying the bill, Xiao Ming hurriedly left the Cartography Pavilion.

Standing in the hall, Steward Bai slightly narrowed his eyes as he watched Xiao Ming disappear from his line of sight. The kindly smile on his face gradually vanished, replaced by an incomparably cold expression.

"Steward Bai, that remnant map only sold for twenty-four thousand gold coins. Won't the Pavilion Master blame you when he finds out?"

The Female Guide's cautious voice rang out in the hall. Steward Bai turned and glanced at her before saying calmly:

"It doesn't matter. Although the original map was sold to that black-robed Da Dou Shi, the Cartography Pavilion's greatest pride is mapmaking. We made a backup of that remnant map long ago."

"Hehe, that Heavenly Flame Remnant Map had sat there for so long without being sold. In fact, we would have profited even if we sold it for one thousand gold coins. The Pavilion Master won't blame me."

As he spoke, doubt emerged in Steward Bai's heart.

Come to think of it, it was rather strange that the map had actually sold. Could that person have discovered some secret in the map that our Cartography Pavilion could not see?

With that thought, Steward Bai decisively shook his head and dismissed the idea.

No, absolutely impossible. That map had long been examined over and over by the Cartography Pavilion. It truly was just an ordinary map, merely somewhat old. There was not the slightest unusual thing about it.

Perhaps he had bought the map for some other purpose.

"Then should we find someone to follow him? That Da Dou Shi seems quite wealthy."

"No need. That person may be wealthier than an ordinary Da Dou Shi, but not by much. Didn't you see that his Purple Gold Card only had a little over twenty thousand gold coins left? Though that is fairly considerable, the Pavilion Master isn't here right now. It would be troublesome if a Da Dou Shi caused a scene, and anyone weaker would not be able to keep up with him."

"However, if he comes again next time and the Pavilion Master is here, then we can consider it."

"Understood." The Female Guide nodded repeatedly.

"Oh, and you did well this time. Your monthly pay will increase by ten percent at the end of the month." After glancing at the scantily dressed Female Guide, Steward Bai suddenly said.

The Female Guide was overjoyed upon hearing this. Wasn't this why she had stopped Xiao Ming earlier? She thanked him again and again.

"Thank you, Steward Bai. Thank you, Steward Bai." Only after Steward Bai disappeared did she stop. After letting out a light breath, she continued waiting for customers in the hall.

After leaving the Cartography Pavilion, Xiao Ming first put away the Heavenly Flame Remnant Map, then wandered around Black Mark City for an hour.

During that time, he spent a little gold coin to purchase some intelligence he wanted and learned some information about the powerful figures who had come to Black Mark City for the auction this time.

Finally, after confirming that no one was watching him, he casually found an inn to stay in.

Day Two, early morning.

Not far from Black Mark City, clear dew hung from emerald green leaf tips, while White Mist curled through the trees.

A black figure suddenly darted into a dense clump of trees. His gaze passed through the gaps between branches and looked into the distance, where the dense forest gradually thinned before finally meeting a pitch-black plain.

As far as the eye could see, the endless plain was filled with monotonous black. Set against the slightly gloomy sky, an oppressive atmosphere that made people irritable hung over the plain.

A few sparse travelers, widely separated from one another, could also be seen on the plain.

In the forest, Xiao Ming looked at the boundless black expanse and understood that he was about to enter the Black Region Great Plains.

Taking out the map from his Na Ring and comparing it, Xiao Ming looked at a small black dot on the map and softly said while standing amid the trees:

"Only after going thirty li west will I reach the place where that Secret Realm opens. I hope I don't encounter a Black Windstorm on the way."

Aside from the countless bandit groups, the most dangerous thing in the Black Region Great Plains was the Black Windstorm. Those without enough experience would lose their sense of direction within it.

There had once been an unlucky fellow who traveled through a Black Windstorm, only to circle more than half the Great Plains and die of exhaustion.

Xiao Ming was not worried about dying from exhaustion. He merely feared missing the opening of the Secret Realm.

After praying for better luck, Xiao Ming put away the map. Dou Qi flowed through his legs as he activated a Dou Skill, and his entire body appeared several meters away like a ghost.

The sight was as though he were performing short-range teleportation. It was quite strange, and Xiao Ming soon disappeared from where he stood.

On the pitch-black Great Plains, a figure brought up a strand of faint yellow dust before immediately racing past. His speed was actually faster than a horse's, and he eventually disappeared at the end of the line of sight.

This person was Xiao Ming. Two Hours had passed since he left Black Mark City.

His luck had been good during that time, and he had not encountered a Black Windstorm.

Thus, he had actually completed those thirty li long ago and was merely searching for the exact location now.

Unfortunately, this world did not have a positioning system like GPS. So even though Xiao Ming knew the exact location, it was still somewhat difficult to find where the Secret Realm would open on this nearly identical plain.

See? After searching for so long, Xiao Ming had still not found it.

As time passed, Xiao Ming's steps began to slow until he finally stopped.

"Forget it. I won't search anymore. When the Secret Realm appears, there'll be a huge disturbance. I can just rush over then, and I won't stand out so much if I run into people."

Letting out a light breath and calming the aura disturbed by his intense exertion, Xiao Ming took out a Qi Returning Pill from his Na Ring and popped it into his mouth.

Just like that, he remained where he was for another quarter of an hour.

Rumble!

Xiao Ming, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly heard a tremendous roar. Opening his eyes, he looked in the direction of the sound and saw a beam of light dozens of meters wide Soared into the Sky in the distance, piercing straight into the clouds.

The white radiance clearly illuminated Xiao Ming's face beneath his black robe.

Seeing that imposing sight, Xiao Ming revealed a shocked expression.

"This Secret Realm truly is extraordinary, but isn't this disturbance a little too big?"

Before his words had faded, a treasured sword suddenly appeared in Xiao Ming's hand. He dropped to one knee, planted it in the ground, and tightly gripped the hilt with both hands to brace himself.

Not long after, a howling gale mixed with Energy Fluctuation suddenly swept down from the sky. At once, Xiao Ming's body swayed slightly under the fierce wind.

Lowering his body to ensure his stability, Xiao Ming heard his black robe flap loudly in the wind, and his expression changed slightly.

He didn't expect the fluctuations to be this powerful before the Secret Realm had even officially opened. Fortunately, he had prepared beforehand. Otherwise, caught off guard, he might have been blown several li away.

"Ah—save me!"

As if to confirm Xiao Ming's thoughts.

A figure, accompanied by miserable screams, whistled from far to near and flew past diagonally above Xiao Ming before quickly disappearing. Xiao Ming's expression became strange.

That guy was too unlucky.

The gale did not last long before gradually subsiding.

Xiao Ming stood up, stored his sword in his Na Ring, straightened the clothes that had been disheveled by the wind, and draped his black robe over himself again to hide his face before shooting toward the pillar of light.

Thanks to 20190507211933762 for the Monthly Pass, and thank you all for the Recommendation Tickets.