Enter the black market and discover pots of gold!

Just as Cao Xing was preparing to lead his people into the tunnel, several figures were secretly watching them from the nearby forest.

"Did you see it clearly?" one of them asked in a low voice.

"I saw it clearly. That group's equipment is very refined; they must be worth a fortune."

"And—I also saw a dragon, a young dragon that has just passed its growth phase!"

As this person answered, there was a hint of excitement in their tone!

Hearing this, the others also gathered around, their eyes flashing with greedy light.

"However, these people possess an extraordinary aura; their background is likely significant."

Someone whispered a warning: "We should be cautious and not provoke those we cannot afford to offend."

Hearing this, hesitation appeared on the faces of the others.

At this moment, a burly figure stepped out, his tone filled with disdain: "What are you afraid of? We are members of the White Eagle Mercenary Group!"

"The leader said that our White Eagle Mercenary Group is backed by the Giant Axe Mercenary Group. The entire forest is under our jurisdiction, and anyone who wants to pass through here must leave something behind!"

"If anything happens, he will help us smooth it over."

After these words, the other mercenaries seemed tempted, but two were still hesitant.

Seeing this, the burly man continued to strike while the iron was hot: "Think about it, how long has it been since a sensational treasure appeared in this black market?"

"Last time, a dragon egg appeared here and sold for a high price of billions of crowns!"

"And here, we have a living young dragon."

"If we can capture this young dragon and sell it in the black market, we will be rich immediately!"

"Even if the leader only gives us a portion of the profit in the end, it will be enough for us to live worry-free for the rest of our lives!"

Hearing this, the others were persuaded, and a look of greed appeared in their eyes!

They were eager to move.

It seemed the name of the White Eagle Mercenary Group gave them enough courage.

The few looked at each other, seemingly having made up their minds.

"Do it!"

Then, they quickly drew their bows and aimed at Cao Xing and his group.

"Swish—swish—!"

Arrows flew through the air, heading straight for Cao Xing and his group.

However, just at the moment when the arrows were about to hit their target.

The assassin in black within the crowd suddenly disappeared from where she stood.

The next moment, these arrows all turned into piles of powder and dissipated into the air.

Hardly anyone even saw how she made her move.

Meanwhile.

Several figures quickly emerged from the forest.

They were wearing simple leather armor and holding crude weapons.

Their strength was only around Tier 3 or 4; they looked like just a group of ordinary mercenaries.

"Stop!" one of them shouted loudly, his tone carrying a hint of warning.

Cao Xing and his group stopped, with strange expressions on their faces.

In fact, given their strength, they had naturally sensed the existence of these people long ago.

However, because the other party's aura was too weak, they had not paid them any mind.

However, what Cao Xing and his group did not expect was that such weak existences would dare to take the initiative to attack them.

Are they tired of living?

Cao Xing turned his gaze over and asked indifferently.

"Who are you?"

The burly man puffed out his chest, his tone carrying a bit of arrogance: "We are mercenaries from the White Eagle Mercenary Group!"

"This black market entrance is our territory. Everyone who wants to pass through here must pay a toll."

"Otherwise, don't even think about entering!"

Cao Xing looked at City Lord Oran, his eyes filled with inquiry.

Oran lowered his head and thought for a moment, then said: "I have heard of the White Eagle Mercenary Group—"

"Their leader's strength is not bad; he also has the potential of a Tier 7 commander."

"However, I did not know that the White Eagle Mercenary Group had occupied this black market entrance."

The few mercenaries heard City Lord Oran's words and immediately became even more smug: "It seems you have also heard of our leader's name."

"Let me tell you, our White Eagle Mercenary Group has long established a cooperative relationship with the Giant Axe Mercenary Group."

"And this forest is the territory of the Giant Axe Mercenary Group. We, the White Eagle Mercenary Group, are guarding it on their behalf!"

"Offending us is the same as offending the Giant Axe Mercenary Group!"

"Be sensible and obediently hand over the toll!"

"Otherwise, even if you enter the black market, don't think about leaving safely."

Cao Xing frowned slightly: "What do you want?"

The leading mercenary swept his gaze over Cao Xing and his group, finally fixing it on the small dragon behind Cao Xing.

A flash of greed crossed his eyes: "Hand over that little dragon of yours!"

Hearing this request, a look of realization appeared in Cao Xing's eyes.

Then, a cold smile tugged at the corner of his mouth: "So—you have taken a fancy to my pet."

"I have to say, you are very bold."

His tone was calm, yet carried a bone-chilling coldness.

As the saying goes, those who do not know are fearless.

With their lineup, even a Legendary expert would not dare to provoke them easily.

Yet these few Tier 3 or 4 mercenaries dared to jump out and threaten them; it was simply courting death.

These mercenaries were completely unaware of the danger and continued to speak arrogantly: "Hmph! Less nonsense!"

"Our leader is a Master-level powerhouse, and the leader of the Giant Axe Mercenary Group is a Legendary-level existence!"

"Even if you are stronger than us, if you dare to make a move, you will inevitably be hunted down endlessly!"

"By then, it will be too late for you to regret it."

Cao Xing shook his head, too lazy to talk nonsense with them anymore, and directly waved his hand: "Don't waste time, finish them off."

Everyone nodded, and their gaze toward these mercenaries was as if they were looking at dead men.

Meanwhile, Renice beside him had already drawn [Song of Time].

The bowstring was pulled to a full moon shape by her.

The next moment, the bowstring was released, emitting a vibrating sound.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

Four or five arrows were fired in succession, hitting the center of the mercenaries' brows at lightning speed.

"Puff! Puff!"

[-1195246!] [-1349124!] [-1382351!]

Several terrifying damage numbers exceeding one million appeared in succession.

Renice is currently only a level 100 hero.

To be able to deal this kind of damage can be said to far exceed the limits of this tier.

Moreover, because the Legendary weapon [Song of Time] she is equipped with has the ability to accelerate the flight speed of arrows.

Combined with her strength, the speed of these arrows had reached a terrifying level.

Even Cao Xing would not be able to react if caught off guard.

Let alone these Tier 3 or 4 mercenaries?

City Lord Oran and Bai Zhi, who were nearby, simultaneously felt a fatal threat from Renice's attack!

Because they had a premonition that if this archer were to attack with full force, the two of them would likely be instantly killed without even a chance to react!

And what was even more shocking was that this terrifying archer was only one of many powerhouses by Cao Xing's side.

By his side, there were many existences whose strength was completely on par with or even stronger than Renice!

They took a deep look at Cao Xing.

They had a clear understanding of his terrifying strength once again.

Meanwhile, Cao Xing walked over and collected the items dropped by these people, as well as their bodies.

Then he turned around and said: "Let's go, let's head down."

Everyone nodded and walked towards the tunnel, heading down along the stairs.

As for the deaths of these mercenaries, no one cared.

"Tap-tap—tap-tap—"

Dense footsteps echoed in the deep stair tunnel.

This stair tunnel was very long and dark, spiraling downwards as if leading into the depths of the earth.

It was pitch black all around, with only the energy torches in everyone's hands emitting a faint light, barely illuminating the stair path ahead.

Cao Xing chuckled: "This scene, this atmosphere, it really feels a bit like exploring a dungeon."

Bai Zhi turned her head and gazed at Cao Xing.

Noticing her gaze, Cao Xing chuckled: "What's wrong, have you played that game too?"

The white-haired woman nodded, "I played it when I was in school."

"In school?"

A look of confusion flashed in Cao Xing's eyes, and he suddenly asked: "By the way, how old are you?"

Then, as if realizing something, he added: "If it's inconvenient to answer, you don't have to."

After a moment of silence, Bai Zhi slowly said: "Nineteen."

Hearing this answer, a look of surprise appeared in Cao Xing's eyes again.

Before he could speak, Elisa beside him said in surprise: "Wow, this white-haired sister is only two years older than Elisa!"

"She looks so mature and cold; I didn't even dare to go talk to her."

Upon hearing this, Bai Zhi gradually shifted her gaze to Elisa, then showed a look of apology: "Sorry, I have always been like this."

"It's okay, beautiful sister."

Elisa blinked her eyes, a naive and innocent smile on her face.

A moment later, she suddenly asked: "Beautiful sister, can I touch your hair?"

Hearing this, Bai Zhi's expression froze, and she seemed to be a bit hesitant.

"Can I? Beautiful sister?" Elisa put on a pitiful appearance, her eyes full of anticipation.

Cao Xing, who was nearby, couldn't help but laugh.

Elisa had this kind of personality; she was very adept at seizing any opportunity to get close to others.

With Bai Zhi's cold nature, she simply couldn't handle this little girl.

A moment later, Bai Zhi nodded gently, a hint of helplessness in her tone: "Fine."

"That's great!"

Elisa excitedly came to her side, then carefully reached out and gently stroked Bai Zhi's silver-white hair.

"Wow, it's cool and smooth, just like silk!" Elisa exclaimed, her eyes filled with delight.

Bai Zhi lowered her head slightly, letting Elisa fiddle with her hair.

Although there was still no expression on her face, her eyes had softened quite a bit.

A smile also appeared on the faces of the people nearby.

In this pleasant atmosphere, they continued to head deeper.

After descending about a thousand meters, a faint light could be seen ahead.

The light came from an ancient stone gate, covered in mottled cracks, as if it would collapse at any moment.

The stone gate was half-open, barely wide enough for two people to pass through.

City Lord Oran walked at the front of the group and said: "Lord Cao Xing, once we pass through this gate, we will officially enter that underground city."

Cao Xing nodded: "Good."

Then, the group passed through the gate one by one in order.

The narrow spiral passage disappeared, and suddenly, everything opened up!

At this moment, everyone was stunned, shocked by the scene before them.

Braum rubbed his bald head and said in amazement: "By the gods, who would have thought there would be such a large city beneath this forest!"

"And it's gathered so many people, it's truly incredible!"

At this moment, they were standing on a high platform.

And ahead, what came into view was a vast underground space.

Densely packed architectural ruins were scattered throughout it.

And among these ruins, one could see many vendors setting up stalls right on the ground, displaying their goods and waiting for passersby to browse.

And on the streets of those ruins, one could see a great flow of people.

They would pause for a moment in front of a vendor, then get up and leave to head to the next stall.

It looked like there were all kinds of people here.

Besides some mercenaries wearing leather armor, there were also merchants in luxurious clothing.

And those accompanied by heavy guards, who one could tell at a glance held a very noble status.

Among them were also some mysterious figures wearing black robes.

The entire underground city was brightly lit and bustling with noise, like a city that never sleeps.

Seeing this scene, the corners of Cao Xing's mouth curled into a smile: "Interesting. It seems that here, we might actually be able to find some good things."

Thinking of this, he ordered: "Let's go, we'll head down and take a look."

With that, Cao Xing led the group and quickly jumped down from the high platform.

Then, they approached the city-like architectural ruins.

The closer they got, the clearer the surrounding scene became.

On the dilapidated ruins, vendors sat directly on the ground, with some of their daily necessities behind them.

It was obvious that many people had already made this place their long-term shelter.

Cao Xing looked up at the top.

[Current Temperature: 1℃]

Compared to the sub-70℃ temperatures outside, this place could be considered quite warm.

Some vendors setting up stalls on the outskirts quickly noticed Cao Xing and his group, these new faces.

They cast their gazes over, sizing up this group of strangers, their eyes filled with a hint of scrutiny and curiosity.

As if judging their background and strength.

Some pedestrians on the street also stopped, their gazes sweeping over Cao Xing's group, then they lowered their heads and whispered to each other.

Cao Xing did not pay any attention to this.

After all, with the attire and temperament of their group, it would be hard not to attract attention.

He continued to lead the group forward.

As they walked, City Lord Oran explained things on the side.

"Lord Cao Xing, these stalls on the outskirts are all set up by those gold diggers and adventurers."

"In their hands, there usually aren't any good things; most are just junk or worthless trinkets."

"However, occasionally there are some buried treasures. Of course, that requires a lot of luck and a sharp eye."

"And once you pass the outskirts and enter the interior, the grade of the goods inside will be much higher."

"But if you want to go in, you have to pass a financial verification first to prove you have sufficient economic strength."

"There's a financial verification?" Cao Xing was a bit surprised. "How is it verified?"

City Lord Oran explained: "If you are going in to buy things, you must have at least 5 million crowns on you."

"If you are a seller, then you must produce sufficiently precious goods."

"And the ones responsible for verifying this are the controllers of this underground black market, the Giant Axe Mercenary Group."

Cao Xing nodded in realization after hearing this.

After the consumption from the previous few times, although he was on the verge of bankruptcy.

But 5 million crowns was still something he could come up with.

However, Cao Xing did not plan to go directly into the black market; instead, he wanted to browse the outskirts first.

City Lord Oran solemnly warned: "This underground black market is a mixed bag; new people come in every day, and many leave."

"Those who can stay here permanently are all seasoned veterans who have been around for years, just waiting for some greenhorns to take the bait."

"Therefore, when buying things in the black market, you must be cautious and even more cautious."

Cao Xing nodded slightly, knowing this was City Lord Oran's reminder to him.

Then, he turned his gaze to Bai Zhi beside him: "Bai Zhi, it's time for us to make our move."

"Look with me to see if there are any good things on these stalls."

Bai Zhi was slightly stunned, then suddenly understood something.

"I understand."

You have to know, these Survivors all had a system-provided interface.

In most cases, one only needed to lock their gaze onto the item to display its corresponding attributes.

Thus, the two tacitly began to act, standing on both sides of the group.

Their eyes swept over the items on those street stalls.

[Broken Rapier Hilt (White)]

[Worn-out Clay Pot]

[Worn-out Energy Core]

[Moon-Condensed Flower Seed (Blue)]

[Unknown Metal Fragment]

The information of item after item flashed by.

As City Lord Oran said, most of the things on these stalls were ordinary, or even worthless.

Some items were deliberately aged by them to look like they had historical significance.

Others were placed with some kind of special stone that could emit a faint glow at certain angles, making them look even more mysterious.

If it were someone who had just arrived at this black market, seeing these things, they might impulsively buy them directly.

By then, they would lose everything!

After all, according to the rules of this black market, as long as you pay the money and take the item away, then subsequent matters have nothing to do with the vendor.

Whether you made a profit or a loss, you have to bear it yourself.

Cao Xing also discovered that some stalls seemed quite special.

When their gaze fell upon them, it only displayed a series of question marks.

Obviously, these vendors knew that some powerful people had special abilities to see the quality of items, so they had applied some kind of shielding ability to their stalls to block others from exploring.

Cao Xing and Bai Zhi exchanged a look.

The other also shook her head.

Obviously, neither of them had found anything valuable.

Cao Xing thought to himself: "It seems there really isn't anything good on these outskirts."

Thus, he said directly: "Let's go, we'll head straight inside to take a look."

With that, Cao Xing led the group and quickly passed through the first street.

Some pedestrians they met along the way basically avoided them from afar after seeing them.

After all, the aura that Cao Xing and his group invisibly radiated gave people a faint sense of oppression!

In the underground black market, although the presence of the Giant Axe Mercenary Group maintained simple order.

But if one accidentally provoked someone they shouldn't and a conflict occurred.

And if you get slapped to death by someone, even the Giant Axe Mercenary Group wouldn't be able to interfere!

So generally, except for a few, like the group of greenhorns they met at the entrance who were blinded by profit, everyone kept a low profile.

Furthermore, to avoid trouble, Cao Xing had already put Magic Dragon Bingbing into the necromancers bag.

Similarly, there were all kinds of intelligence organizations inside the black market.

Some people quickly recorded the physical characteristics and the number of people in Cao Xing's group, then left the place.

Cao Xing did not pay any attention to this.

Just then, Bai Zhi suddenly tugged on Cao Xing's sleeve.

Cao Xing turned his head and asked curiously: "What's wrong?"

She pointed to one of the stalls and said in a low voice: "Look there, there is a jar."

Cao Xing, upon hearing this, moved his gaze over without changing his expression.

He saw that on a vendor's stall in the front left, there was a pile of miscellaneous small items.

Among them, there was a jar covered in mud and dust, about forty centimeters high, which looked particularly ancient.

Through the thick mud, one could see tiny yellowish marks on the body of the jar.

After his gaze landed on that jar, a piece of information immediately appeared before his eyes.

[Unopened Gold Jar (Gold)]