Nether Ghost Market, Light and Darkness Intertwined
Taiyi Immortal City, deep underground.
There are no sun, moon, or stars here, only a perpetual, eerie mist. Countless intricate underground rivers intertwine to form this dark and Nether Ghost Market.
Beside a secluded underground river dock, an old man in a gray robe with a withered face stood quietly in the shadows.
This is Dongfang Yueming in disguise.
"Call..."
He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, which instantly transformed into a dense, ghostly mist the moment it left his body, clearly demonstrating that he had perfected the disguise.
While waiting for the Ghost Market to open, Dongfang Yueming once again examined his own system of laws.
[The five Great Dao are: Fire, Earth, Thunder, Strength, and Wood.]
[Top Tier (6): Water, Double Gold, Space, Double Wind.]
[Median (2 items): Healing, Darkness.]
"Among the Five Elements, Fire, Earth, and Wood have already reached the Great Dao, while Metal and Water are also at the highest level of Perfection, just one step away from completion."
"Wind, thunder, and power—two of these three have already achieved their Dao transformations; the wind element is only one step away from completion."
A glint of precise deduction flashed in Dongfang Yueming's eyes.
"As long as I can gather high-grade crystals of the three elements of metal, water, and wind here, the prototype of my ' Great Dao ' will be fully formed!"
Besides these three systems, he had another plan.
He raised his hand, a wisp of extremely faint yet exceptionally pure black energy swirling around his fingertips.
[Mid-Rank Law of Darkness (Perfection)]!
"Since we're going to be navigating this shady Ghost Market, and may even face more bizarre enemies in the future, simply being upright and honest isn't enough."
"Only by cultivating both light and darkness can one achieve Perfection."
"This time, I'll take the opportunity to gather some dark-elemental resources and push this law forward as well."
"Boom--"
With a muffled clanging of mechanisms, the massive bronze door in front, engraved with countless demonic totems, slowly opened.
A strong stench of blood and decay hit me.
Dongfang Yueming remained expressionless as he followed the group of cultivators, also shrouded in black robes and exuding a chilling aura, into the Ghost Market like Ghost.
Inside the Ghost Market, the light was dim, with only the phosphorescent lanterns hanging on the stalls on both sides emitting a ghastly green glow.
There were no hawkers' cries here, only low whispers and the intertwining of Divine Sense. On the stalls were nothing but stolen goods obtained through murder and robbery, and even living sacrificial vessels and slaves.
Dongfang Yueming strolled among them, his gaze indifferent.
Just as he reached a main road, a considerable commotion suddenly broke out ahead.
"Get out of the way! Anyone who doesn't want to die, get out of the way!"
A domineering force pushed aside the crowded people.
Dongfang Yueming raised an eyebrow, stepped aside, and looked up.
Suddenly, two incongruous figures entered this deathly gray and gloomy scene.
The leader was a woman dressed in platinum armor.
She was tall and had a commanding presence, with her long, flowing blonde hair casually tied back. Most striking was the faint, yet incredibly pure, milky-white aura that surrounded her.
In this eerie Ghost Market, she was like a walking, blazing sun, dazzlingly bright!
Beside her stood a young man with a deep, introspective air, who appeared to be her attendant or bodyguard, vigilantly shielding her from the prying eyes around them.
"This place... is truly disgusting."
The woman frowned slightly, her delicate nostrils twitched slightly, and her eyes revealed an undisguised disgust.
"It reeks of decay, darkness, and depravity... If it weren't for that thing, I wouldn't want to stay a moment longer."
The Law of Light emanating from her instinctively repelled everything around her.
"Miss, please bear with it a little longer."
The man beside him whispered, "According to the compass, the aura of the last fragment of the map lies deep within this Ghost Market."
"I know."
The woman took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed her radiance, but the nobility and arrogance that came from her very bones could not be concealed.
In the crowd, Dongfang Yueming watched this scene, his pupils slightly contracting.
[The Law of Light...]
[And judging by its purity, it's at least of the highest grade, even... faintly possessing a trace of the 'Tao'!]
This woman is someone of considerable importance.
Moreover, besides the dazzling light emanating from its body, a terrifying, dormant "force" wave, like a volcano, was hidden between its muscles and bones!
Dual cultivation of light and power!
He recalled the previous rumors that the Giant God Heavenly Palace of the Supreme Immortal Domain was about to begin its trials, and the threshold was the "Law of Force".
Just as Dongfang Yueming was sizing up the other party.
"Buzz--!"
The [fragment of the Mysterious Ruins Map Fragment] that he had casually tossed into the corner of his storage space suddenly trembled violently without warning!
A powerful pull drew him directly to the woman in the platinum armor!
"Um?"
Dongfang Yueming's heart stirred.
At the same time, the woman in front also suddenly stopped in her tracks.
She turned around abruptly, and her amber-gold eyes shot out two sharp beams of light as she frantically scanned the crowd!
"I sensed it!"
It's nearby!
Her gaze lingered for a moment in the direction of Dongfang Yueming.
But at this moment, Dongfang Yueming had already concealed all his aura, disguising himself as a frail, dying old man, blending in seamlessly into the crowd.
The woman frowned, seemingly unsure of what to do, but ultimately looked away.
"Deep inside... in the direction of the auction house!"
She snorted coldly and, with her entourage, strode towards the heart of the Ghost Market.
Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, Dongfang Yueming's lips curled into a playful smile.
"Fragments of ruins..."
"It seems this trip to the Ghost Market will be even more interesting than I imagined."
He adjusted his straw hat and followed at a leisurely pace.
The Nether Ghost Market, the core trading area.
The stalls here are no longer scattered haphazardly, but rather stand on individual obsidian platforms, with a deep-seated presence sitting behind each platform.
Dongfang Yueming stopped in front of a stone platform.
On the stone platform, a crystal, entirely golden and radiating an indestructible sharpness, floats silently.
[Higher Law Crystal - Gold]!
How much is this?
"I asked in a hoarse voice, "Dongfang Yueming asked.
The stall owner was a strange man completely wrapped in black cloth, with only his murky eyes showing. He coldly said, "I only trade, I don't sell. I want a defensive Tier 5 Immortal Artifact."
"Defense-related?"
Dongfang Yueming raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Is this enough?"
He waved his hand casually.
Clang!
A purple-gold shield wreathed in raging lightning slammed heavily onto the stone platform.
The shield was covered in dense lightning patterns, radiating a terrifying aura of destruction; it was clearly a... [Tier 5 Immortal Artifact - Lightning Light Shield]!
"This... this is?!"
The stall owner's cloudy eyes widened instantly, and his breathing became rapid.
"A top-grade defensive immortal artifact with lightning attributes?! And the forging technique... seems to be in the style of the Divine Firmament Sect?"
"Should we change it or not?" Dongfang Yueming tapped the table impatiently.
"Change it! Change it! Change it right now!"
Fearing he might change his mind, the stall owner grabbed the shield and pushed the crystal towards him.
Dongfang Yueming put away the crystal and turned to leave.
[The Great Dao of Metal... The puzzle is complete!]