Chapter 1305
[Immortal Realm Chapter] Supreme Grandmaster, Seizes the Black Market
"I am the Daoist of Nirvana. Like you, I haven't been in Qiyun Ridge for long, just trying to make a living. Please excuse my humble appearance."
The Annihilation Avatar casually announced his name.
Unexpectedly, Hoshino was also taken aback after hearing this, and seemed to care a lot about the title, showing a suspicious expression.
"what happened?"
"It's nothing, haha, it just sounds vaguely familiar."
"Oh? Where have you heard of me, fellow Daoist?"
The Annihilation Avatar was getting restless. He had only just arrived in the Immortal Realm and this was the first time he had revealed his name, so why did it sound so familiar?
Could it be that there's another person here named the Daoist of Nirvana, who shares the same name as me?
Both of them fell into suspicion, but they simply laughed it off on the surface.
After revealing their identities, they started joking with each other to ease the tension.
"Brother Jiemie, it's quite unexpected that a cultivator at the Void Transformation stage would come to the black market to work for me. If you revealed your identity earlier, we could cooperate."
"Haha, Brother Xing Shuzi is ruthless enough. As expected of someone who runs a black market, he casts a wide net with poison pills, reaping wealth faster than picking up money. We are all in awe!"
The two men gave a sinister laugh, their sarcastic tone laced with mockery.
After Xing Shuzi's secret was discovered, and that he was a Void Transformation cultivator, he was understandably troubled. Realizing that someone had caught him red-handed, he was afraid that things wouldn't end well today.
"You two go down first."
With a wave of his sleeve, the two unfortunate souls who had just been possessed at the Nascent Soul stage retreated behind the curtain without uttering a word.
The Nirvana Avatar's eyes lit up with surprise upon seeing this.
Judging from their state, these two people still maintain their self-awareness after being possessed, and their subjective initiative has not been affected at all. They are simply subtly obeying each other. This kind of silent control is even more terrifying!
"Fellow Daoist, now that we're all alone, we can speak frankly. How long have you been investigating this matter?"
Xing Shuzi thought his actions were discreet, and he even targeted Nascent Soul stage juniors when distributing poison pills. Despite his caution, he still ran into a Void Transformation stage cultivator. He was a bit troubled about how to resolve the situation.
"It's been a month. The first day the pills arrived in my hands, I sensed something was wrong, which made me curious about the mastermind behind it all."
"Now that you've found the source, what are your plans?"
The annihilation clone smiled, then changed its expression to one of righteous indignation.
"Of course we should report it to the Qiyunling Law Enforcement Hall. Such heinous acts of murder for money are utterly evil and must be severely punished without any leniency!"
report?
Can't take a joke?
Xing Shuzi's lips twitched. He knew this kid was trying to extort him. Who would do something so self-defeating? He just wanted hush money from him.
"No, let's talk this out. Don't threaten to report me all the time! How about this: from now on, whenever you open a shady business here, all the best customers will be yours, and I won't take any commission afterward. What do you think?"
The annihilation clone flatly refused, claiming that he was upholding justice and would never stoop to such a lowly position.
"Since I have witnessed such a heinous act, how can I stand idly by and disregard the lives of so many cultivators in the market for my own selfish gain? I must expose it to the public and warn more people!"
Xing Shuzi was so angry that he laughed, and said in a sinister way with a crooked mouth.
"Don't bring that up. Don't you also use entrapment tactics, luring people out of the city to steal from you and then double-crossing them? What's the difference between us?"
"That's different. When I double-cross people, I'm doing it for the good of the people. Even if word gets out, people will only applaud me. Those cultivators who are destined to die deserve to die. But when you poison people and spread it indiscriminately, who wouldn't be terrified? Which is more harmful?"
"."
We can't talk today.
Xing Shuzi knew he was in the wrong, but he didn't want to give up everything he had built in Qiyunling, so he had no choice but to bow his head and admit defeat.
"Alright, fellow Daoist, tell me what you want first, and see if I can accept it."
The Annihilation Avatar was quite direct, rattling off a long list of material names, treating the other party like an ATM.
Xing Shuzi was no pushover. After listening, his eyes narrowed, and he stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"These seventh-tier materials all seem to be related to the cultivation field. Judging from your profound cultivation, you don't seem to be a beginner in the Void Realm. Could it be that your cultivation field hasn't reached its full potential yet?"
!!!
The annihilation clone was shocked. The other party had actually deduced that his domain was still in its infancy just by the name of a few materials he had mentioned. He was indeed a seasoned veteran!
Although he swallowed two Void Realm cultivators, the cultivation of a domain is not something that can be achieved overnight, and there is no way to argue about that.
Now that we've finally caught a fat sheep, even if it means exposing ourselves, we'll slaughter this old bastard first!
"Heh, why worry about so much? Are you going to do this deal or not?"
Upon hearing this, Xing Shuzi was no longer alarmed. Knowing that the Annihilation Avatar Domain was a weakness, he relaxed and leaned back in his chair.
“Treasures related to a domain, let alone mine, are considered strategic reserve materials even in top-tier commodities. Do you think they are so easy to obtain? Unless you are extremely wealthy, you have to rely on time to hone them. It’s not so easy to take shortcuts.”
"So, what are you trying to say?"
"Hehe, even if you've taken advantage of me, your domain still won't reach its full potential in a short time. Aren't you afraid of creating a grudge and giving me an opportunity to retaliate later?"
Is this a blatant threat?
The Annihilation Avatar refused to back down, confronting its opponent in the dark hall, its eyes glowing with a dangerous and eerie red light.
"What, you dare to attack me in the marketplace?"
Xing Shuzi remained calm and composed.
"I wouldn't dare, but you can't possibly stay home all the time. Offending someone of the same level would make anyone uneasy, wouldn't it?"
The Annihilation Avatar laughed loudly, its sound particularly jarring in the hall.
"Since that's the case, then I'll report you. When you're expelled from the market by the Enforcement Hall, let's see how long you can wait outside for me. I'll keep you company to the end!"
He got up and left.
"and many more!"
Xing Shuzi has seen tough guys before, but never one as stubborn as this. The purpose of my words just now was only to bargain, not to actually wait outside for you. Why don't you bargain?
Having no other choice, I softened my tone and tried to persuade them gently.
"In that case, I can only provide half of what you need, fellow Daoist. If you want the rest, I know where to find it, and we can go get it together."
Shall we go get it together?
Is this a ploy to lure me out of the market and then rob and kill me?
"No, I will stay at Qiyun Ridge and not go anywhere else. You should give up your little scheme!"
"Hey, fellow Daoist, you've misunderstood. In another six months, Qiyun Ridge will join forces with the Thirty-Three Markets to hold a trade fair. At that time, the entire South China Sea will focus its attention here. Many reclusive Void Realm cultivators will flock here from all over the country, as well as cultivators from the inland Yunfeng Immortal Domain. It will be an unprecedented spectacle. What can't you get?"
"Oh, is that so?"
A large-scale trade fair? That sounds like a good idea.
He came to Qiyun Ridge with this in mind: to quickly gain a foothold in the Void Realm, and resources were essential.
Now, all that hard work and toil for others is to build up your net worth for the trade fair, isn't it?
Xing Shuzi frankly admitted that he had come for this trade fair, and that taking over the black market was just a preliminary arrangement. He knew that there would be a lot of bloodshed when a large number of Void Realm cultivators came here to deal with the black market goods, and he was sure to make a fortune.
He also promised that if the Nirvana Avatar came again in the future, he would give him all the best resources and would never mention the venue fee again.
After some discussion, the two signed a contract and swore an oath, thus reconciling. The Annihilation Avatar knew it couldn't push too far; having more friends was always better than having more enemies. Of course, whether they would remain friends or enemies after this extortion was still uncertain.
Xing Shuzi took out a piece of volcanic copper jade and a handful of black rock pearl sand, both of which were relatively precious seventh-order spirit minerals and important materials for most Void Realm cultivators to construct their domains. He frankly said that he had some left over after his domain was completed, and if his Nirvana clone had asked for it earlier, he would have given it to him to make friends.
Haha, you can be that generous?
We chatted for quite a while before we knew it, and then we returned to our original topic.
"I have a question: how did Brother Jiemie discover that there was something fishy about my pills after he returned?"
"Haha, you mean Chaoling Shedan? I almost misjudged him back then too."
"What? You even know Danming!"
Xing Shuzi was shocked.
This elixir is based on my own exclusive secret recipe. How could someone name it so accurately? Even if I gave it to the appraisers at the trade fair, they could only find that there was a problem.
"Could it be that you are the supreme master of the appraisal industry?"
The Nirvana Avatar smiled without saying a word, but it essentially tacitly agreed.
Cooperation always requires a foundation; by appropriately demonstrating one's own value, the other party will pay more attention.
Sure enough, after Xing Shuzi suspected that he was an unparalleled appraisal master, his attitude immediately became warmer.
"To be honest, fellow Daoist, I have only just reached the level of a Supreme Alchemy Master. At present, the only Void Transformation stage pill I can refine is the Chaoling She Pill."
"These pills are not very big, and a batch can produce more than a dozen. They are usually used for practice. After we finish practicing, we have nowhere to put them, and it would be a pity to throw them away, so we put them on the market to be used by ourselves."
"Actually, I had no intention of robbing or killing anyone; I was just making use of waste materials. I never expected you to see through my deception. I am truly ashamed."
A supreme alchemy master?
The secret passage within the Nirvana Avatar was indeed revealed!
This Xing Shuzi is extraordinary. His alchemy skills are superb, reaching the supreme level, which is much rarer than a Void Transformation stage cultivator. No wonder he is so generous.
Upon hearing the other party admit it, he wanted to repair the relationship, so he casually started pretending to be confused.
"Fellow Daoist Xing is joking. What pills? Murder for money? I've never heard of such a thing!"
"Hahaha~"
The two clapped their hands and laughed, burying the hatchet.
Just as the appointed time arrived, a servant whispered a reminder from the side passage that many people were already waiting for the black market outside. Xing Shuzi then ordered the gates to be opened.
"Brother Jiemie, the black market is open. Is it still room C21 today? Go ahead without worry. I'll save some good resources for you!"
"Then thank you very much for your care, Fellow Daoist Xing."
The annihilation clone turned and entered the passage, heading towards its private room.
Not long after he left, a sound, faint and elusive, echoed from the shadows, carrying a jarring quality:
"That kid probably wasn't lying. He has a pure power of annihilation on him, which should come from the Yin-Yang Annihilation Scripture."
Are you 100% sure?
"can."
The other party spoke concisely and then fell silent.
Xing Shuzi sat alone in the rattan chair, her eyes filled with a dim starlight, lost in thought.
Nothing happened in the days that followed.
The avatar of Nirvana would wander around the various markets during the day, familiarizing himself with the local customs and culture of Qiyun Ridge, and then go to the black market at night to run a black shop, diligently making money and accumulating wealth.
Along the way, some aggrieved parties came to cause trouble. After all, Bing, the 21st person, had made a name for himself. He was so blatantly erecting a memorial archway in the black market that it was bound to attract the attention of those with ulterior motives.
However, when the other party came angrily demanding an explanation, they all suffered great losses to varying degrees and had to pay money to redeem their belongings, which only allowed the other party to extort a large sum of money from them.
Lin Shan himself took advantage of this time to stay in his cave and focus on recuperating and resting.
First, he gradually stabilized his initial Void Realm, and then used the resources he had collected to buy some materials in the market to restore the Calamity Star Dharma Image and the Thunder Pool Dharma Image.
Following the path of star cultivation, the Calamity Star Dharma Image was refined into a natal star, but a problem arose:
That was the "Star Forging Technique" that Xing Jinshu from the lower realm gave him. It was only a sixth-order secret technique at the Nascent Soul stage, which is why it was destroyed in the battle with Ancestor Yanling.
If the Calamity Star Dharma Image can be crafted using a Void Realm secret technique, even if the opponent self-destructs their domain, it will be impossible to destroy their natal star.
So he was considering whether to strengthen the "Star Forging Technique". But then he remembered that Xing Shuzi was also a star cultivator and might have a ready-made secret technique. So he asked his avatar to ask if he could find a way to borrow it, which would save him a lot of ancient charm.
As for the domain, the materials available on the market are only enough to restore it to its initial form. To achieve full mastery of the domain, he will have to wait for a large-scale trade fair.
That evening.
As usual, the Annihilation Avatar arrived at the entrance to the black market on Wenzhu Street.
Surprisingly, after waiting for a long time, the door still didn't open!
Many people on the street were getting impatient. They were always punctual, so why were they so late today?
As darkness fell completely, the group finally couldn't wait any longer.
Not only shop owners, but also sellers who came to get rid of their dirty goods also came, crowding into the narrow alley and causing a traffic jam!
Someone came up and asked about the Nirvana Avatar:
"Fellow Daoist Bing, are you acquainted with the seniors of the black market organizers? What's going on today?"
Everyone else looked over too. Right now, the hottest thing on the black market is this unscrupulous shopkeeper. He's collected countless stolen goods and no one has ever been caught. He must have the organizers backing him up!
The Annihilation Avatar itself was puzzled. Where had that old man, Xing Shuzi, gone? Could he have gone out on business? Why didn't he give any advance notice?
After waiting for half the night without success, and not daring to trade on the street, they could only leave dejectedly.
Another day has passed.
As usual, I arrived at Wenzhu Street and waited at the entrance early.
As the sun set and night fell, there was still no response. The black market tunnels remained tightly shut, and no one opened the doors!
Those who came down realized something was wrong. Could something really have happened?
Over the next few days, the Annihilation Avatar would occasionally stroll around the area, only to find that there was still no activity. The black market had quietly shut down.
On the seventh day, Wenzhu Street was taken over by the Enforcement Hall!
Blue-robed cultivators stood guard every ten feet, setting up a perimeter to disperse the crowd and completely sealing off the area. One could see the Law Enforcement Hall conducting destructive excavations beneath the street, forcibly breaking into the black market to seize goods.
This is a real accident.
When the Annihilation Avatar saw the notice outside, a portrait was prominently listed, and Xing Shuzi was directly put on the wanted list!
How could a powerful cultivator at the Void Transformation stage end up like this? What exactly happened?
This change came suddenly, and everything was shrouded in mystery.
Before he could figure it out, he suddenly caught a glimpse of another notice out of the corner of his eye, which also wanted relevant individuals, including "Black Market Frequent Customer C, Room 21 Owner and Others".
"!!!"
He was suddenly stunned; the portrait above clearly showed himself.
At this moment, the surrounding crowd also noticed, and all eyes focused on him, comparing him repeatedly with the portrait on the notice, and were surprised to find that they were exactly the same.
It's really strange these days; people actually walk right into a trap? (End of Chapter)