Zhao Bo led Gu Chen into the alley, then through a maze of twists and turns, until they arrived at a wooden house with a style resembling that of the Republic of China era. This wooden house was built at the base of towering buildings on both sides. The surrounding flowerbeds were devoid of any aesthetic appeal, with withered branches and scattered leaves, like a holdout home that had failed to be forcibly demolished.
Compared to the magnificent high-rise buildings in front, this place looks like a ruin left unrebuilt after a disaster.
"Is this the black market?"
Gu Chen looked at Zhao Bo with a puzzled expression.
"Yes." Zhao Bo nodded, then led Gu Chen into the wooden house.
Upon entering the wooden cabin, Gu Chen discovered a hidden world inside. There was a large area with a counter, tables and chairs, and several bodyguards standing not far from the entrance.
Zhao Bo seemed to know them well; after he went inside, everyone greeted him. Zhao Bo simply went to the counter to collect a few items and then walked towards Gu Chen.
"Master, this is your identification." Zhao Bo respectfully handed a metal tag to Gu Chen.
Gu Chen took it and saw a sensor on the sign.
"What's the use of this?" Gu Chen asked after playing with it for a while.
"Entering the black market requires a permit. For ordinary people, the fee is calculated based on the time they enter—ten thousand yuan per hour," Zhao Bo said. "However, I'm the guide here; Master doesn't need to follow this rule."
"It really is a rip-off," Gu Chen sighed.
Zhao Bo then led Gu Chen into a room, which was also meant to conceal their presence. Once inside, they discovered it was an elevator, and it quickly began to descend.
We arrived at the third basement level, and the elevator stopped.
Suddenly, a wave of heat emanated from outside the elevator, accompanied by a deafening roar. Gu Chen adjusted to the heat for a moment before stepping outside.
Casinos, trading areas, underground boxing, debauchery...
You can see every kind of underground world you can imagine here.
Especially the underground boxing area directly opposite the elevator entrance, with a total of three rings, was packed with people, some even placing bets, creating a huge and lively atmosphere.
"Master, is this your first time here?"
Although Zhao Bo couldn't see Gu Chen's face clearly, he could sense that Gu Chen was looking around.
"What does it matter if it's my first time here?" Gu Chen said coldly.
"That's not what I meant." Although it was very hot around him, Zhao Bo still shivered upon hearing this and said, "If Master wants to buy something, that's the trading area. You can go there to make purchases. You can use money or barter."
"Are there many martial artists here?" Gu Chen suddenly asked.
"Many," Zhao Bo nodded, "But most are only at the Entering the Hall- Level, very few are at the Bone-Forge Realm."
"Do they know your strength?" Gu Chen asked again.
Zhao Bo glanced around, then shook his head and said, "No one knows. Although I am not as good as my master, my Perfection Bone-Forge Realm is already among the best in the mortal world. Unless I want to expose myself, no one can find me. Moreover, because of my cultivation of the Undying Divine Skill, although I am a guide in the black market, I am mostly regarded as an old madman."
"Okay." Gu Chen smiled faintly, looked towards the underground boxing area, and said, "Find me a few decent fighters. I'll come find you after I buy my stuff."
underground boxer?
Zhao Bo was puzzled, but he didn't ask any further questions and did as Gu Chen said.
After Zhao Bo left, Gu Chen also headed towards the trading area.
Besides recruiting Zhao Bo, his biggest purpose in coming to the black market was to buy medicinal herbs!
As we all know, cultivation is extremely resource-intensive. Whether it's pills or cultivation techniques, both are indispensable if you want to reach the top. Although Gu Chen now possesses the experience and memories of his previous life, the spiritual energy on Earth is still too weak for him.
To cultivate quickly, resources are essential.
So after searching his memories, he decided to buy medicinal herbs to make a decoction for soaking, so that he could absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, cultivate quickly, and reach a higher level.
However, the black market does have its advantages. Here, whether it's fighting in underground boxing matches, gathering information, gambling, or trading, everyone is looking for what they need: money, treasures, or fame.
Underground, there are underground rules; they won't ask about your identity or your past.
In the trading area, Gu Chen quickly found the materials he needed, especially a "Blood Moon Flower". The seller only wanted 600,000, and Gu Chen bought it without hesitation.
For Gu Chen, without a pill-refining furnace, he didn't want to get involved in pill refining too early, and he wasn't sure he could gather all the necessary materials. So he thought of soaking in medicinal soup. The one he chose was a simplified version of the Spirit-Gathering Pool, which could absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, open up a cultivator's eight extraordinary meridians, and make advancement much easier.
Gu Chen's main ingredient in the Spirit-Gathering Pool is "Fire Crystal Meteorite." He searched the black market but couldn't find this ingredient. Now that he has Blood Moon Flower, although it can't completely replace the effects of "Fire Crystal Meteorite," they are almost the same.
Fire Crystal Meteorite are considered treasures after all, and they are quite valuable even in the markets of the cultivation world. They are probably even more rare and hard to come by in the mortal world.
After spending another 200,000 yuan to buy several kinds of auxiliary medicines, the job was considered done.
"Fortunately, this world also has martial artists and a faint spiritual energy that can nurture these medicines. Moreover, the materials for the Spirit-Gathering Pool are not rare." Gu Chen thought to himself. He currently has three medicinal herbs on hand: "Blood Moon Flower," "Black-Yellow Grass," and "Cloud Yang Grass." Based on his experience, he should be able to concoct a medicinal soup that suits his cultivation method.
Not long after selecting the materials, Zhao Bo came over excitedly.
"Master, I've already found the boxers you were looking for." Zhao Bo pointed over there, where four boxers stood in the corner of the ring. They were shirtless, with bulging muscles, and their physiques and auras were extremely fierce.
"Not bad." Gu Chen assessed his strength, finding it to be at least the Early Initiation Realm and at the Mid Initiation Realm.
It's so-so.
"Master, what are you going to do?" Zhao Bo asked curiously. "Are you letting them make money by fighting in underground boxing matches?"
"Make money?" Gu Chen smiled slightly, not answering immediately, and said, "Take them to the VIP room; you should have that authority."
We arrived at the VIP room.
Gu Chen sat on the sofa, with four boxers standing in front of him, while Zhao Bo Gu Chen stood behind him.
"This is the boss?"
One of the boxers raised an eyebrow, looked at Gu Chen shrouded in darkness, clicked his tongue, and said, "Why all the mystery?"
Another boxer with a thick beard said, "Boss, what do you want with us? If you need us to box for you, one should be enough, right?"
In the black market, there are many wealthy patrons and bosses who hire boxers to fight for them and risk their lives, in exchange for generous compensation. So when Ma Tian approached the four of them, this was the first thing they thought of.
"You'll box for me?" Gu Chen shook his head and said, "You're not qualified, you're too weak."
"What do you mean?!"
The underground boxers' expressions changed. The bearded man glared fiercely at Gu Chen and said, "I'm a boxer with a nine-fight winning streak in the underground boxing region. How dare you say I'm too weak? Not qualified?"
"Not bad." Gu Chen picked up his teacup and said calmly, "If it weren't for having no other choice, you wouldn't even be qualified to meet me."
Boom!
The four boxers felt greatly humiliated, and released their auras, staring coldly at Gu Chen.