Paper Kite

Paper Kite "Come, come, Daoist Lu, have a taste of this Aged Spirit Wine I've kept for nearly ten years."

In Cultivator Wu's home, the two of them had drunk to their hearts' content.

Lu Xuan swirled the silver wine cup in his hand. The golden spirit wine in the cup rose and fell with his movements, releasing a rich, mellow fragrance.

"I truly never expected that Wang Shan, a patrol guard of the Law Enforcement Hall, would actually be contaminated by an Evil Spirit. Fortunately, it was discovered early and didn't spread to us neighbors."

Cultivator Wu set down his wine cup. Thinking of the possible consequences, he could not help feeling a lingering fear.

"Indeed. If the Evil Spirit hadn't been discovered and eliminated in time, it would have been hard to guarantee the safety of those of us living nearby."

Lu Xuan echoed him.

"Those useless people from the Law Enforcement Hall have been guarding this area all this time. It's inconvenient to even go out and do anything."

"And they don't even think about it. They couldn't even guard their own people and let an Evil Spirit invade. What use is there in coming to manage us? They'd be better off thoroughly investigating their own ranks. Maybe they could even find a few more!"

The old Cultivator Wu was clearly somewhat drunk, his eyes unfocused.

"Daoist Lu, why don't you plant some Spirit Plants suitable for brewing spirit wine? If you planted them, I'd buy as many as you had!"

As he spoke, Cultivator Wu dragged the topic over to Lu Xuan.

"I've been considering it recently as well, but the Spirit Field in my courtyard is too small. There's already no extra open space to plant other Spirit Plants, and for the time being, I don't have the energy to cultivate any others either."

"If I do have that intention, I'll definitely come to Daoist Wu to cooperate."

The two continued drinking.

"By the way, Daoist Wu, do you know about the Black Market in Vast Forest Market?"

Lu Xuan asked the old man.

"The Black Market? What, you want to go in?"

"I do have that thought. It's just that I've never entered it before and don't understand it very well. Daoist Wu, your cultivation is profound, and you've stayed in the market for a long time, so I wanted to ask you about the relevant situation."

Lu Xuan smiled.

"I have indeed entered it several times. The most recent time was probably about two years ago."

The old man sobered up a little, a reminiscent look appearing on his face.

"The Black Market is located in the central area of the market. Rumor has it that it's managed by several underground forces in the market, but I estimate that behind them are the shadows of one or several major clans in the market."

"When the market was first established, it was built atop an abandoned Secret Realm. The Black Market is situated within a natural Bewildering Array. Only after spending several Spirit Stones to purchase a Guiding Talisman can you enter."

"Since it's called the Black Market, it's very different from the Rogue Cultivator Market and those large shops. The things that appear there are generally those that cannot see the light, and cultivators who enter usually conceal their appearances or cultivation levels."

"The goods inside are the same. There will be quite a few treasures that are difficult to see in the market or shops. Their origins are unclear. Some are inconvenient to sell normally because they came from killing people and seizing treasures, and there are also all sorts of strange and bizarre materials, with no shortage of Evil Spirit objects."

Lu Xuan nodded from time to time.

"Then if an ordinary rogue cultivator enters the Black Market, can their safety be guaranteed?"

"Inside, it's definitely safe. There are powerful cultivators guarding it, and it's very rare to hear of anyone causing trouble inside."

"As for outside, that isn't under the Black Market's jurisdiction. Among the cultivators entering and leaving the Black Market, there's no lack of savage and vicious people, or Evil Cultivators who practice sinister cultivation methods, so its safety is much lower than inside. Occasionally, incidents like killing people and seizing treasures will occur."

"Under normal circumstances, it's still no problem. After all, the Black Market is in the central area of the market. In any case, when I was at Qi Refining Low Stage, I went there more than once and never encountered any accidents."

"If you really want to enter, just be a little cautious yourself. If you're truly worried and afraid, you can enter together with cultivators you're familiar with."

"I have learned much. Many thanks to Daoist Wu for telling me this important information."

The old Cultivator Wu waved his hand.

"This isn't anything much. You could learn it just by asking around outside."

Their friendship was ordinary, so he did not ask Lu Xuan what purpose he had in entering the Black Market.

Lu Xuan stayed a little longer, then returned home with the Cloud Stepping Lynx Young Beast that had been quietly perched on his shoulder the entire time.

He pondered for a moment, but still decided to make a trip to the Black Market.

According to what the old Cultivator Wu had said, many rare and strange things would appear in the Black Market, so the possibility of finding Unknown Spirit Seeds there was greater than in the Rogue Cultivator Market.

Moreover, entering and leaving the Black Market was generally still fairly safe. Lu Xuan felt that as long as he did not expose the wealth on him or stir up trouble, he would be able to withdraw unscathed.

Besides, he had complete confidence in his current strength.

Qi Refining Stage 6 cultivation, the Gold Metal Swordplay near the Grandmaster Realm, the First Grade Special Magic Tool Split Silver Blade, two Second Grade Myriad Sword Qi Talismans, the Second Grade Flying Sword Li Fire Sword, the First Grade Treasure Thunderfire Pearl, and many Talismans...

Even if he faced a Qi Refining High Stage cultivator, Lu Xuan had a fair amount of confidence that he could kill them.

The next day, Lu Xuan patrolled the Spirit Field once, keeping all the Spirit Plants in their optimal state, then followed the location Cultivator Wu had provided and headed to the Black Market.

Because the Cloud Stepping Lynx Young Beast was too conspicuous, and he had no suitable means to conceal it, Lu Xuan left it at home.

After learning that it could not follow Lu Xuan out, the Cloud Stepping Lynx stared at Lu Xuan with its pair of Green Eyes, motionless.

Lu Xuan focused his mind on its body and sensed that the Young Beast seemed deathly afraid he would abandon it, its heart filled with helplessness and fear.

This nearly made Lu Xuan's heart soften, but in the end, considering the possibility that his true identity might be exposed, he still comforted it well for a while, left the Cloud Stepping Lynx a pile of dried meat strips, and went alone.

About half an hour later, Lu Xuan arrived outside the Black Market.

Although the Black Market was close to the market's center, the surroundings were quite desolate. There were no courtyards or residences, and on the road, there were only a few cultivators hurrying along, wary of one another.

The entire Black Market was shrouded in a vast mass of dense black mist. When Spiritual Sense probed into the black mist, it seemed to be obstructed by something, unable to advance even an inch.

Lu Xuan wore a simple mask on his face as he arrived before the cultivator guarding the entrance to the Black Market.

Along the way, he saw that almost all the cultivators were dressed like him. Most wore masks or cloth scarves over their faces, while a few used Special Magic Tools to conceal themselves. There were also several who did not much care and showed their true faces openly—though whether those were truly their own faces, Lu Xuan had no way of knowing.

He observed the movements of the cultivators ahead for a moment, then handed three Spirit Stones over at the entrance to a cultivator whose entire body was wreathed in black mist.

Immediately after, he received a Guiding Talisman drawn with black runes. On it was a black arrow that drifted slightly.

After entering the black mist, everything before him turned hazy. The black arrow flickered with light, constantly making tiny adjustments to its direction, guiding Lu Xuan forward through the black mist.

A long while later, Lu Xuan felt his body suddenly grow refreshed. He had passed through the black mist and arrived inside the Black Market.

The Black Market was more spacious than he had imagined. Within his field of vision were one or two hundred cultivators. The scene was relatively quiet, with only faint sounds of discussion.

Above the Black Market, it was as though a heavy black cloud covered everything. High in the air, a dozen or so Black Paper Kites flew slowly.

The paper kites had been refined from some unknown material. At first glance, they looked like Demonic Beast hides drifting overhead.

When one flew over Lu Xuan's head, he could feel an evil thought sweep across his body, making dense goosebumps rise involuntarily over his skin.