C18 Transaction Area

The black sphere remained largely unchanged, yet Chu Xing was struck by a sudden intuition that it was alive. It required more spiritual energy to grow, akin to an infant's need for nourishment.

Absorbed in the enigmatic patterns etched upon the sphere, Chu Xing was momentarily entranced.

He resolved to pursue his cultivation on Mount Kunlun for three reasons: the abundance of spiritual energy, the opportunity to enhance his combat skills through battles with animals, and the simple fact that he had nowhere else to go.

Chu Xing's true self and his clone embarked on separate paths. By day, he engaged in combat and honed his swordsmanship; by night, he focused on cultivating his spiritual energy. Time slipped by unnoticed, and the ruins remained elusive.

Online research revealed that Earth's ruins were now exceedingly rare. After a month-long search by many, any remaining ruins were likely buried deep underground.

The Bermuda Triangle, at the edge of the Americas, was a massive ruin. Post-cataclysm, ships that ventured through the Triangle were swallowed by the sea.

In the Stardust Nation, many ventured with fleets of cargo ships to probe the Bermuda Triangle, only to be consumed by its waters. The area had become a graveyard.

The oceans themselves were now off-limits. Naval vessels from around the world had clashed with sea creatures and were now cowering in their ports.

The Stardust Nation had bases worldwide, and for safety, they assembled six aircraft carriers and hundreds of warships to travel together.

However, during their Pacific crossing, they waged war against oceanic beasts. Support planes from the homeland and a barrage of missiles failed to prevent the fleet's demise.

The timeline for humanity's reclamation of the seas was uncertain.

On August 20th, Chu Xing made his way to the People's Park in Rock City, where he was scheduled to meet Chu Hao.

The following day, the nation would join forces with sects and major corporations to host a grand cultivation trade fair in Rock City, lasting three days. The fair aimed to provide a secure venue for the exchange of goods and knowledge.

Chu Xing was there in search of treasures he might need, while his Mechanical Clone continued its cultivation within the black sphere, ensuring its own protection.

After over half a month of training on Mount Kunlun, Chu Xing's cultivation level might not have increased, but his combat experience had soared, and he was now able to employ the Ling Yun Sword Technique effectively.

Chu Xing had taken his last Body Tempering Pill, expelling impurities much like the first time, which left his skin noticeably fairer. It was a pity that the pills were in such short supply.

The spiritual energy within his sea of consciousness had expanded significantly, allowing for quicker sword tip strikes—no longer sluggish as before.

"Chu Xing, when did you get here?" Chu Hao asked, snapping Chu Xing out of his reverie with a pat on the arm.

"Ouch, you've gotten stronger! I've just arrived myself," Chu Xing replied with a grin, returning the gesture with a pat on Chu Hao's shoulder.

Seventeen-year-old Chu Hao, a year Chu Xing's senior, stood at a solid 1.75 meters with a ruggedly handsome face. Not strikingly attractive, but he had a certain enduring appeal.

"Judging by your frame, you can take a hit. A little pain is nothing," Chu Hao joked, slinging his arm around Chu Xing's neck. "How have you been lately? What level have you reached?"

"Not bad, I've made it to the Qi Training Second Layer. How about you?" Chu Xing guided Chu Hao to sit down on a nearby stool.

"I'm still at the Qi Training First Layer. Not much progress, just sparring with some friends and creatures. Those beasts from Divine Dragon Ridge are formidable. We should check it out together sometime," Chu Hao rambled on.

Chu Xing noticed Chu Hao's large backpack and the sword in his hand, realizing he probably didn't own a storage bag yet.

"Ruins are hard to come by these days. We'll explore them together when we get the chance. Here, I've got a couple of things for you." Chu Xing took Chu Hao's backpack, slipped in a storage bag, and added a Middle Rank Earth Grade cultivation manual titled 'Longevity Technique.'

"Don't take them out," Chu Xing murmured under his breath.

Peering inside, Chu Hao quickly tightened his grip on the bag and exclaimed, "Where did you find these? They're incredibly precious!"

"I got lucky with this one. What's it to you, anyway? Just make sure you keep up with your cultivation," Chu Xing said with a smile.

Chu Hao looked at Chu Xing, and it was as if they were kids again—sharing meals, getting scolded, and studying together. He declared earnestly, "My good brother, let's strive forward side by side."

...

They caught up on recent events, but Chu Xing kept quiet about Elder Hsu and the black ball. That was a secret he wouldn't share with a second soul—it was far too risky to let out.

"Chu Xing, why don't you join me in meeting a classmate?" Chu Hao suggested.

"No thanks, you still don't get me. I prefer my own company."

"Alright, just be careful out there," Chu Hao sighed.

After they parted ways, Chu Xing headed back to his hotel to await the next day's trading.

The trading venue sprawled across a vast open space in the suburbs, with ten corridors created by tables for people to sell their wares. The government even provided masks to help avoid unnecessary conflicts.

By the time Chu Xing got there at eight in the morning, the place was buzzing with activity. Soldiers were stationed around the perimeter to keep order, and the Dragon Group operatives Chu Xing had encountered on Mount Kunlun were vetting entrants to keep ordinary folks out.

Donning a monkey mask, Chu Xing stepped into the bustling scene, reminiscent of a rural fair.

"Get your storage bags here!"

"Come take a look—treasured swords, cultivation techniques, and more!"

"All for spirit stones!"

Chu Xing browsed the stalls, which mostly peddled weapons of every imaginable kind, with some vendors even offering steel arms.

Among the curiosities were insect carcasses Chu Xing had never seen, palm-sized and resembling bees.

"Isn't that the alchemy furnace from Mount Kunlun?" Chu Xing peered at the stall, but the masked vendor was a stranger to him. With only a Qi Training First Layer cultivation base, Chu Xing wasn't about to start alchemy, especially since infusing spiritual power might just break it like the sword he had. He moved on.

"Excuse me, how much for this 'Basic Array Technique'?" Chu Xing inquired of the stall owner.

"Thirty spirit stones," replied the vendor, who sounded like a teenage girl. Chu Xing noted she was at the Qi Training Second Layer with a fire attribute. "Reaching the Qi Training Second Layer is quite an achievement these days."

Chu Xing didn't have thirty spirit stones on him, but he was eager to delve into the art of formations. Mulling it over, he proposed, "How about I trade my 'Intro to Elixirs' for your 'Basic Formation' manual?"

"Deal, let me see it," the vendor replied, his voice tinged with excitement—though it was unclear if he intended to use it himself.

With the exchange complete, Chu Xing strolled on. Many haggled over prices, yet few struck deals.

"Nothing but penny-pinchers," Chu Xing mused.

At one stall, Chu Xing's gaze fell upon a black ore about five cubic meters in size. Driven by curiosity, he reached out and touched it, feeling a magnetic pull from within the ore that seemed to resonate with the mechanical clone inside him.

"How much for this ore?" Chu Xing inquired, his expression unreadable.

"Ten spirit stones," the vendor replied nonchalantly.

"That's quite steep for a single piece of ore. How about a discount?"

"It's unbreakable," the vendor claimed.

"Perhaps that's just a lack of strength. Tell you what, I'll trade you this blade for the ore," Chu Xing offered, producing a Yellow Grade Low Rank sword.

"Agreed, let's trade!" The vendor, aware that the ore was a hard sell, was content to exchange it for a sword.

"Shaolin, Wudang—these major sects are like black holes, always taking, never giving!" Chu Xing observed that many sects had stalls, yet they were all either purchasing or bartering.

Chu Xing recalled that the assailants from the other day belonged to the Qingcheng Sect.

After finding no more items of interest, Chu Xing decided to head back to the hotel early.

Inside the black sphere, the clone examined the black ore, and soon, a black ball with a twenty-centimeter diameter materialized in his hand.

Chu Xing tested the ore's hardness with a broken sword, only to split it in two. "Did I get the short end of the stick? Surely something that attracts a clone can't be this fragile," he lamented.

Eventually, he discovered its true function. It required an infusion of spiritual energy to enhance its strength, the extent of which depended on the amount of energy input.

Chu Xing surmised that at the Qi Training Stage, one could fend off attacks from adversaries two levels higher.

The mechanical clone was enveloped in a thin layer of black metal, giving the appearance of being clad in a form-fitting suit.

"Not bad. It conceals the clone and enhances its defense," Chu Xing observed with approval.

The following day, Chu Xing resumed his wanderings in the trading area. He spotted Lin Miaoke; despite her mask, her 1.75-meter stature was unmistakable.

"That must be Zhao Chunyang next to her," Chu Xing mused, "decked out in white. Who else could pull off such flamboyance?"

"You can't leave; you've taken my talisman treasure!" a man yelled.

"Who's taken your stuff? Move aside," retorted another.

"Don't pin this on us. Who would want your junk metal?" bellowed a third man.

Disputes were not uncommon in the trading area, but this time, Chu Xing recognized the voices.

Approaching, Chu Xing swept the area with his Spiritual Force and recognized Duan Dezhang, the pig-headed man, and their group.

"Still thieving, I see. Some things never change," Chu Xing thought to himself.

Before long, the Dragon Group showed up. Over the past couple of days, Chu Xing had learned that their leader was Wang Zhengming, a military man and captain of the group.

"Enough gawking, come out and let's talk," Wang Zhengming commanded.

"Why should we step outside if we haven't taken anything?" Duan Dezhang protested loudly.

"Exactly, you're accusing us unjustly..." the pig-headed man and his companions chimed in.

"We have surveillance here. We'll discuss this outside, and no one will be falsely accused."

As soon as Wang Zhengming finished speaking, Duan Dezhang made a break for it, disappearing into the crowd.