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Qiu Long Planet, slave market.
The enormous hemispherical building resembled a dormant metal behemoth, stretching across the horizon.
It was bustling with people. Lifeforms from countless races across the universe gathered here, and the air carried a peculiar blend of body odor, spices, and a faint smell of blood.
Lin Yuan and Luo Feng strode into the heart of the slave market.
This was the largest slave trading center on Qiu Long Planet, covering a vast area.
As soon as they entered the hall, a deafening din swept over them. Countless strange races haggled, while data and prices for all kinds of slaves scrolled across holographic displays.
Though Lin Yuan and Luo Feng weren't dressed particularly lavishly, their calm, composed air, along with the aura of a powerful expert faintly emanating from Lin Yuan, quickly drew the attention of those with a keen eye.
A middle-aged manager in a gray uniform, sporting a thin mustache, hurried over to greet them.
His face was wreathed in a professional smile. His shrewd little eyes swept quickly over the two men before he bowed slightly and said:
"Welcome to the largest slave market on Qiu Long Planet, gentlemen. My name is Yama. How may I help you?
"Whether you're looking for strong laborers, beautiful maids, or apprentice-level martial artists with special talents, we have it all."
Lin Yuan cut straight to the point. He glanced at Yama and said coolly:
"I need Star Level Nine slaves."
His words struck like a bolt of thunder, freezing Yama's professional smile on his face.
Star Level Nine?
On a place like Qiu Long Planet, Star Level Nine experts were already top-tier fighters!
A single Star Level Nine slave would cost an astronomical sum!
Yama came to his senses, and the gleam in his eyes intensified tenfold. He bent even lower, his voice trembling with excitement:
"Honored guest, please! This way! Let's discuss the details in the reception room!"
A huge deal! A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
The VIP room was the height of luxury. Beneath its soft lighting sat only Lin Yuan, Luo Feng, and Yama.
Yama eagerly poured them expensive drinks, then quickly operated the smart device on his wrist.
"Buzz—"
Several enormous holographic projections appeared out of thin air, displaying three-dimensional images and detailed statistics for various types of slaves.
"Please, take a look."
Yama pointed at the projections, his voice animated. "These are the finest specimens currently in our inventory."
Lin Yuan leaned back on the sofa, his gaze sweeping across the projections.
The first projection showed a giant over three meters tall, his entire body covered in muscles bulging like rock. His skin was a deep blue-green, like metal.
"This is a Mondo. They're born warriors, with thick skin and tough bones, and astonishing defenses. Few opponents of the same level can penetrate them."
The second projection showed a thin humanoid creature shrouded in black mist, its eyes glowing a ghostly green.
"This is a Shadow Cat. They're born assassins, incredibly fast, and skilled at stealth and ambush. They make the best covert guards."
The third projection showed an elegant man with a third vertical eye on his forehead.
"This is a member of the Three-Eyed Race, a darling of Spiritual Force users. Their mental power is exceptionally pure, and they excel at long-range control and mental attacks."
The fourth projection showed a stern man in crimson armor, holding a pair of blades, his eyes burning like flames.
"This is a member of the Yante Race, known as an all-around warrior. They have no weaknesses in physical strength, speed, or Origin Force output, making them killing machines on the battlefield."
Lin Yuan nodded slightly, already knowing what he wanted. Earth was desperately short of high-level fighters. Even the combined forces of all its countries and factions couldn't match a single Star Level expert.
He was buying slaves both to prepare for the worst and to ensure that no one would dare cause trouble while he was away.
He turned to Yama and spoke as calmly as if he were buying cabbages at the market. "One Mondo martial artist at Star Level Nine, one Shadow Cat martial artist at Star Level Nine, one Three-Eyed Race Spiritual Force user at Star Level Nine, and one Yante Spiritual Force user at Star Level Nine."
"Cough, cough..."
Luo Feng, who had been drinking, nearly choked. He stared at Lin Yuan with wide eyes.
Four Star Level Nine experts?!
But Lin Yuan wasn't finished.
"Also, three Yante slaves at Stellar Level Seven."
"Three Three-Eyed Race slaves at Star Level Five."
"Three Star Level Five martial artists each from the Mondo and Shadow Cat races."
Silence.
The VIP room fell utterly silent.
The electronic notepad in Yama's hand nearly hit the floor. He stared at Lin Yuan, mouth agape, as if looking at a monster that had dropped from the sky.
Each item on that list felt like a mountain of gold crashing down on his head.
Luo Feng quietly wiped away a bead of cold sweat, his heart racing.
He knew Lin Yuan had made a fortune selling the Arc Wheel, but in just a few seconds, the value of everything he'd bought had already exceeded the 18 billion he had by several times.
Anyone else seeing this would probably think some prodigal heir from a super-family had come out to squander his fortune!
"Y-You're sure, sir?" Yama's throat felt parched.
"What, you don't have them?" Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow.
"We do! We absolutely do!" Yama sprang to his feet, his face flushed with excitement. "Honored sir, you're incredibly generous! This is the biggest purchase I've ever seen in my career!"
He hurriedly ran the numbers on his smart device, his fingers trembling.
"Four Star Level Nine experts, plus all the others... The total comes to 46 billion Black Dragon Coins. With the maximum discount of 5.5 percent, the final price is 43.7 billion Black Dragon Coins!"
43.7 billion Black Dragon Coins!
The figure left Luo Feng secretly speechless.
An ordinary habitable planet cost only a few hundred billion. With a single wave of his hand, Lin Yuan had effectively bought a planet!
"And there's more!"
Afraid Lin Yuan might change his mind, Yama quickly offered a bonus. "To show our sincerity, we'll include ten Star Level Five Spiritual Force users and twenty Star Level Three martial artists at no charge!"
Lin Yuan nodded noncommittally, seeming to wait for something else.
Yama gritted his teeth and steeled himself. "Also, it seems you gentlemen could use some basic guards.
"I'll take the liberty of throwing in two thousand Planetary Level Nine Spiritual Force users! They're only Planetary Level, but there are plenty of them. They'd be perfect for patrols or as a ceremonial guard."
At that, Luo Feng's pupils contracted.
Two thousand Planetary Level Nine experts!
On Earth, Planetary Level fighters were "councilors," divine beings at the very top of the pyramid. Yet here, two thousand "deities" were being thrown in as a mere bonus?
At that moment, Luo Feng gained a deeper understanding of the universe's cruelty and vastness.
"Deal." A satisfied smile curved Lin Yuan's lips.
He transferred one billion Black Dragon Coins from his virtual account as a deposit, then stood up. "I don't like elaborate dinners. Let's complete the handover at the spaceport. I'm in a hurry."
"No problem! Absolutely no problem! I'll have a supervisor escort you there personally!"
Yama bowed and scraped, his face beaming like a flower.
Half an hour later, at Qiu Long Planet's spaceport.
A huge B-class transport ship sat quietly at the dock, its massive hull gleaming with a cold metallic sheen.
The slave market's senior supervisor, a man named Wula, was in charge of the handover.
"Mr. Lin Yuan, please."
Wula respectfully led Lin Yuan and Luo Feng into the ship.
The cargo bay doors opened, and a terrifying aura washed over them, almost suffocating them!
The vast cargo bay was packed with people standing shoulder to shoulder.
At the front stood four Star Level Nine experts, their auras as deep as the abyss.
The burly Mondo stood like an unscalable mountain. The Shadow Cat expert flickered in and out of view, radiating a dangerous chill. The Three-Eyed and Yante experts had their eyes closed, but the energy fluctuations surging around them were enough to make anyone's heart skip a beat.
Behind them stood dozens of mid-level Star Level experts, along with a full two thousand Planetary Level Nine Spiritual Force users!
The two thousand stood in perfect formation. Though their eyes were empty and numb, the gathered pressure of so many lifeforms still made Luo Feng feel short of breath.
This was the power of money.
This was the law of the universe.
"Mr. Lin Yuan, this is the control terminal." Wula handed him a sophisticated device. "It contains the control rights for all the slaves' biological chips. Once you imprint your Spiritual Imprint, their lives will be in your hands.
"Even if you order them to kill themselves, they won't be able to refuse."
Lin Yuan took the device and poured his Spiritual Force into it, swiftly changing the master permissions.
"Beep—Permission locked."
At the crisp notification, the bodies of the more than two thousand slaves, whose eyes had been vacant and numb, jolted.
The emptiness in their eyes gradually faded, replaced by absolute obedience and fanaticism—the loyalty protocol forcibly written into them by their biological chips.
The next second.
Clatter!
Whether they were the proud Star Level Nine experts or the two thousand-strong army behind them, they all dropped to one knee in perfect unison.
The metal floor rang with a dull thud.
Then more than two thousand voices rang out together, a thunderous roar reverberating through the vast cargo bay and making their eardrums hum:
"MASTER!!!"
The roar shook the heavens, their presence as mighty as a rainbow!
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