"Hey, Yi Bai, what's wrong?"
"Is there something in that direction?" Dong Guo Yan looked in the direction of Yun Yi Bai's gaze.
Seeing that Yun Yi Bai was still motionless, Dong Guo Yan reached out and gently pulled him in that direction.
In truth, Yun Yi Bai was still in a daze. The unknown feeling of being drawn towards something intrigued him, but at the same time, it made him hesitate.
However, under Dong Guo Yan's gentle pull, Yun Yi Bai quickly snapped out of his trance.
Soon, the positions were reversed, and now it was Yun Yi Bai pulling Dong Guo Yan through the bustling black market.
Until...
"Is this the place?" Dong Guo Yan stood beside Yun Yi Bai, staring at a street stall in front of them. The stall was filled with various items: weapons, medicinal herbs, armor, even unknown bones and pills. It resembled a small department store.
Additionally, in one corner of the stall, there were more than a dozen boxes, and no one knew what was inside.
"Hmm?"
"Take whatever you want, one item for 10,000 gold soul coins!" The stall owner, dressed in a black robe, was entirely hidden by the cloak. His face was concealed, but his voice sounded old and feeble.
"These things are what I have acquired over the years while traveling across various dangerous places and exploring ancient ruins," the old man slowly spoke, his tone carrying a touch of arrogance.
"I don't know the exact uses of these items, but if you happen to buy a useless item, then it's just bad luck; however, if you get something good, well, that's your fortune."
Hearing the black-robed man's words, Yun Yi Bai thought to himself, Isn't this just a '10,000 gold soul coin shop?"
Yun Yi Bai's eyes were fixed on the items before him, but in reality, his focus was on the boxes in the corner.
"And what about the boxes over there?" Dong Guo Yan asked, pointing at the dozen or so boxes at the edge of the stall.
"Hehe! Those are a little benefit I'm giving to you," the old man said with a sly grin.
"One of those boxes contains an item worth more than the value of your purchase, meaning that one item is worth over 10,000 gold soul coins."
"But it's all up to your luck."
This old man has a bit of conscience, but not much!
"Dong Guo Yan," Yun Yi Bai said softly, "this is a scammer! I've never seen such a strange way of selling things—pick any item for 10,000 gold soul coins, and you don't even know if it's good or bad. This is a trap."
Yun Yi Bai was well aware of Dong Guo Yan's words. In this black market, those who had a conscience couldn't survive long. The black-robed old man had probably long hidden away all the good items he acquired. The stuff he had out for display was most likely worthless or something whose value Yun Yi Bai couldn't comprehend. Either way, it was a trap.
Perhaps there were some valuable items among the ones he couldn't recognize, but overall, he wasn't at a loss.
"Old man, your business methods are certainly unique. But since we're here, we might as well try our luck," Yun Yi Bai said, casually showing off his wealth with his gestures.
The black-robed man smiled faintly, his eyes glinting with a sly look. He secretly rejoiced, thinking, Ah, more naïve young masters who don't understand the world. Well, in that case, don't blame me later.
This black-robed man was a Soul King with a rank of Level 53. He had power but little character; otherwise, he wouldn't be doing business in this black market.
Though everyone in this black market wasn't exactly kind-hearted, they wouldn't dare to do anything reckless at this special time. Both the two great empires and the Spirit Hall had forces nearby, and if anyone stirred up trouble or angered the wrong person, the black market would likely face a crackdown from the three factions.
Yun Yi Bai changed his tone and continued, "But what if none of these boxes contain the item you mentioned?"
Yun Yi Bai slightly squinted, and in an instant, his normally restrained aura erupted. But this pressure was directed solely at the black-robed man.
Yun Yi Bai had mastered the control of his soul power to an exquisite level.
If one were to divide a soul master's control over their soul power into several stages, they could be classified as: beginner, small success, great success, perfection, and ultimate. Yun Yi Bai had already reached the great success stage.
Buzz...
The black-robed man's soul rings appeared: two yellow, two purple, and one black. From this, one could tell that the black-robed man held some position of authority.
Because those who were truly poor and powerless soul masters did not have standard soul ring configurations. Instead, their fifth soul ring might even be a thousand-year purple soul ring since they didn't have anyone to help them hunt soul beasts, nor the money to hire mercenary teams.
"This pressure is terrifying. This pressure posed a threat to me!" The black-robed man activated his martial soul to disperse the pressure Yun Yi Bai had unleashed.
Naturally, his actions drew the attention of people around them.
But Yun Yi Bai merely withdrew his pressure indifferently.
"Looks like I've misjudged you, young friend. I didn't expect you to have such strength!" The black-robed man spoke with some apprehension.
"If you don't find something of the corresponding value, feel free to come back and find me!"
At this point, the black-robed man still wanted to sell the items, proving once again that this was indeed a black market.
"I've always been here, and you can ask around if you don't believe me!" The black-robed man gestured toward the other stall owners nearby.
"Hope you can handle the revenge from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan!" Yun Yi Bai said casually.
The black-robed man's face darkened beneath his hood. What a vicious young man! To threaten an old man! He must be completely heartless.
Yun Yi Bai then took out a purple-gold card, which contained exactly 150,000 gold soul coins—enough to correspond to the fifteen boxes on display. This amount of money was nothing to Yun Yi Bai at the moment.
However, his actions were never without purpose.
He had become famous, and he had long since felt that someone had been following him in the shadows.
If he showed too much obsession with a particular item, it wouldn't be in his favor.
So, he put on this act.
Yun Yi Bai handed the purple-gold card to the black-robed man and began to open the boxes.
Yun Yi Bai's actions attracted some other soul masters who had come to the black market to shop. They gathered around, watching with interest.
The first box contained a gray gemstone, but it was just a regular gemstone, worth only a few hundred gold soul coins.
Yun Yi Bai suffered a loss.
The second box contained a plant that was almost withered, likely worth only a few gold soul coins. Dong Guo Yan's face darkened as she glared at the black-robed man with dangerous eyes.
At this point, the black-robed man also felt embarrassed. In front of so many people, his little tricks had been exposed. Even if he had a thick face, he couldn't help feeling some discomfort.
The True Dragon Nine Crowns, this item was somehow related to the True Dragon Nine Crowns...