Chapter 1748 The Black Market in the No-Man's Land of the Abyss of the Beginning of Demons

Sending these spoils back will also be a huge drain on both the Demon Embryo and the Black Child.

The demonic fetus, which had just recovered, had to refine a large number of high-level spiritual objects to recover the resources consumed during the delivery.

Zhang Xuan then took the opportunity to begin studying the jade slips seized from the Guixu Vessel.

It turns out that the Guixu Vessel belongs to the powerful force of the Meteor Demon Sea.

In the Meteorite Demon Sea, there is a Ten Thousand Saints Demon Palace, which was forged from the skulls of ninety-nine demon immortals.

These skulls belong to various powerful beings, including Golden Immortals, extraterrestrial gods and demons, and even the indescribable Taiyi Demon God.

That place is the core of the entire Meteor Demon Sea.

The Ruins Vessel is a faction under the Meteor Demon Sea, specifically responsible for the recycling of spoils, refining of resources, and utilization of waste within the Meteor Demon Sea.

This place even handles the remains of ancient behemoths comparable to Golden Immortals.

Unfortunately, the remains of this ancient behemoth at the Golden Immortal level were located on the upper three levels of the Ruins Vessel, and even with the Bloodscabbed token, he had no authority to enter.

Deep within the Ruins Vessel, there are numerous honeycomb-like cultivation nests specifically for nurturing materials like Demon Embryos.

By sheer chance, the demonic fetus in front of her turned out to be connected to her son, Heizi.

Adjacent to the Meteor Demon Sea is the colossal Silent Soul Court.

The Silent Soul Court Immortal Foundation is built upon a high-grade Silent Immortal Vein.

That place is a sacred place for cultivating the soul path; those who achieve great success in cultivation can transform their souls and be guided to the Yellow Springs.

The only thing that caught Zhang Xuan's attention was that the top forces in the Abyss of Beginning Demons all had Immortal Transformation Pools, which were used to collect the remains of fallen immortals from all the heavens and myriad realms and to release their Daoist energy to nourish their immortal veins and supply them with the power to advance and grow.

"Both absorb the scattered Dao essence from all the heavens and myriad realms, the Immortal Transformation Pool of the Primordial Demon Abyss is quite similar to the boundary membranes of the Nine Divine Realms," Zhang Xuan thought to himself.

Unfortunately, the Daoist essence absorbed by the membranes of the nine divine realms cannot be recovered, but the Immortal Transformation Pool in the Abyss of the Beginning Demon can recover and utilize this Daoist essence to nourish the immortal veins.

Besides these major powers, the Abyss of Beginning Demons is also home to a large number of native demons who form various small and medium-sized forces.

Some demons developed astrological witchcraft, while others specialized in physical training.

Among these native demons, there will be those with exceptional talent who excel in the assessments and will be recruited by major forces such as the Meteor Demon Sea and the Silent Soul Court.

These large, medium, and small forces together form the vast system of the Abyss of Beginning Demons.

The top ecological niche is naturally occupied by those mysterious and unpredictable Taiyi Demon Lords, each of whom possesses a superior immortal vein.

Below them are the True Demon Golden Immortals who wield real power. They occupy mid-grade immortal veins, establish their own offices and territories, and rule over a region. They are also the backbone of a major power.

Below them are the Demon Lord leaders, as well as a large number of Mahayana and Integration cultivators. They are the main force and vanguard in the expansion of the Abyss of Beginning Demons.

The vanguard team that attacked the Nine Divine Realms of the Primordial Demon Abyss belonged to this category.

Soon, the demon fetus also fully recovered.

The old fox, having surveyed the surroundings, reported, "To the southeast, there's a space of earthly evil magnetic storms. There, the earthly evil energy intertwines with chaotic magnetic force, creating an incredibly violent environment that's remarkably effective for tempering sword bodies. I killed several seventh-tier magnetic evil demonic scorpions that were entrenched there, and took their crystal cores and stingers. These materials are somewhat useful for breaking through protective qi."

"An eighth-order Netherworld Stone mine has been discovered in the due north region. There are signs of mining, possibly the work of a medium-sized demonic tribe. It has been abandoned, but there is still a lot of ore left. The ore quality is acceptable, containing pure Netherworld death energy."

He took out a fist-sized piece of Nether Stone and several dark blue tail needles.

Zhang Xuan nodded: "They are indeed all good things. I didn't expect that such a remote place as the Abyss of Beginning Demons could have such high-level spiritual materials. It truly lives up to its reputation as a great world with a history of over ten million years."

“I also explored the edges of the Meteor Demon Sea and the Silent Soul Court from afar. In the direction of the Demon Sea, the baleful aura soared to the sky, and huge demonic shadows patrolled from time to time. In the direction of the Yellow Springs, death aura permeated the air, and there was a sense of soul lock. If any living being who does not cultivate the Yellow Springs technique approaches, they will be easily dragged into an illusion. These two places are not places we can set foot in at present.”

“Well, let’s avoid it for now. Our goal is to find a relatively safe place to collect resources from this realm and improve our strength,” Zhang Xuan said. “I recently studied those jade slips and discovered that there are also markets similar to those in the Abyss of the Beginning Demon. They are usually maintained by some powerful rogue demons. Perhaps we can try to make contact with such places.”

“The risk is huge,” the old hand said bluntly. “Our identities can’t stand up to scrutiny. Once exposed, in that kind of mixed-race place, we’ll probably be attacked.”

“Therefore, we need disguise, but even more so, we need strength.” A golden glint flashed in Zhang Xuan’s eyes. “I plan to personally explore this market town.”

The market town, a small trading hub, is located at the crossroads of a tributary of an underground, dark river, where energy is disordered, making it ideal for black market transactions.

Zhang Xuan changed into a demonic cultivator's robe obtained from an unlucky overseer, concealed his aura, and used the Daoist rhyme of the causal branch to simulate the feeling of a cold and sinister demonic cultivator before entering this three-way intersection.

This place indeed formed a small market town, filled with shops that had been converted from bone ships or metal wreckage.

The demonic cultivators coming and going were of all kinds, their auras mixed, and most of them concealed their faces, auras, and cultivation levels.

The items traded are incredibly diverse, ranging from low-level monster materials hunted in the wasteland and strange plant minerals collected, to jade slips of cultivation techniques of unknown origin, and even occasionally, the sale of demon slaves.

Zhang Xuan blended in, slowly walking past the various shops. Occasionally, he would stop, pick up an item to examine it, and then put it down. Most of the time, he listened to the hushed conversations between the shop owners and customers, or the small groups of demonic cultivators around him discussing the matter.

"Have you heard? The Nine Netherworld Ferrymen recently acquired a batch of Yellow Springs Tear Gold, with extremely high purity. It's said to have been retrieved from a newly discovered tributary. Unfortunately, the quantity is limited, and the Skeleton Merchant Guild bought it all at a high price..."

"The Star Shattering Shuttle of the Meteor Sea is at war with the Styx Thieves again, apparently over a piece of star core that fell from beyond the boundary. It's quite a fight, and I heard even the True Demon Lord has been alerted..."

"Hey, breaking news! A batch of new Guixu Vessels has been snatched up! It's all because of that traitor, Blood Scab! He really angered Granny Bone of the Guixu Vessels, and the bounty is ridiculously high..."

"The Ruins Vessel? I have a distant cousin who works as a handyman there. I heard that a few days ago, a batch of refined materials in their middle-level processing plant was stolen by the Blood Scab True Demon. Now they are investigating very strictly, and there's a lot of tension."

Zhang Xuan's heart stirred slightly, but his expression remained unchanged.

It seems the commotion they caused at the Guixu Vessel was quite significant. Fortunately, they've attributed it all to Xuejia and haven't investigated other places yet.

He continued wandering around without making a sound, piecing together the fragmented information he heard in his mind.

There are fierce conflicts and collaborations between the major forces within the Abyss of Beginning Demons, between different factions within those forces, and even between these forces and various scattered soldiers and bandit organizations.

After wandering around for most of the day, Zhang Xuan stopped in front of a relatively quiet shop.

The shop had no signboard, only a string of dried, dark purple claws hanging on the wall. The shop owner was an old demon shrouded in a tattered cloak, his aura obscure, around the peak of the Mahayana stage, but Zhang Xuan felt that he was more dangerous than some early-stage True Immortal demon cultivators.

The shop doesn't have many items, but they all seem to have some interesting features.

Several bone fragments inscribed with ancient curses, seven or eight bottles of liquid swirling with iridescent mist, several gray stones radiating spatial fluctuations, and several tattered fragments of ancient maps.

Zhang Xuan's gaze lingered on the map fragment for a moment, then he pointed to the gray stones and asked in a deliberately hoarse voice, "How much for these Void Essence Stone fragments?"

The old demon raised his eyes, his cloudy yellow pupils scrutinizing Zhang Xuan, and slowly said, "Ten magic crystals per piece, or something of equal value, nothing junk."

In the Abyss of Beginning Demons, 10,000 magic crystals can be exchanged for one True Demon-level Magic Source Crystal, which is equivalent to a Celestial Essence Stone.

He currently has twenty-three magic source crystals, which is equivalent to 23 magic crystals.

Void Essence Stone Fragments are only eighth-grade spiritual materials, and each one costs ten magic crystals, making them quite expensive.

However, these Void Essence Stones have a remarkable effect on nurturing the Time-Space Secret Realm.

The number of people using the secret realm of time and space in the Immortal Gourd Realm has led to a dilution of the divine essence within it.

This Void Essence Stone is of great use to him.

Zhang Xuan took out a half-step eighth-tier flesh and blood spirit mushroom that was sealed in a jade box.

This is one of the magical plants obtained from the Refinement Vault.

"How about I exchange this for a dozen or so Void Essence Stones from here?"

The old demon opened the jade box and glanced at it. A hint of surprise flashed in his yellow eyes, as if he recognized that the Ganoderma lucidum was of excellent quality.

He hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Sure, the guest is quite agreeable."

He put away the Ganoderma lucidum and pushed more than a dozen fragments of Void Essence Stones to Zhang Xuan.

After the transaction was completed, Zhang Xuan did not leave immediately. Instead, he asked casually, "Boss, you are very knowledgeable. Have you ever heard of Dao Source Treasures that contain the power of the primordial chaos? For example, those related to ancient true spirits, gods, and demons?"

The old demon's cloudy eyes suddenly narrowed, staring intently at Zhang Xuan, and he said hoarsely, "Why is the guest asking this? That's a taboo subject."

"I just wanted to try my luck. I've heard that some ancient ruins or forbidden lands might harbor such rare treasures," Zhang Xuan said calmly.

After a long silence, the old demon said, "Considering the swift transaction you made, I have heard a rumor, though I don't know if it's true or not."

"About three thousand years ago, the Silent Soul Court and the Meteor Demon Sea had a minor conflict over a newly discovered ancient battlefield. That battlefield was very special, with a chaotic internal spacetime structure and a strong aura of chaos, which was suspected to be a remnant of a great war involving ancient true spirits and demons."

"Later, it is said that both sides jointly discovered a lot of Chaos Crystals deep within the fragments."

Zhang Xuan's heart skipped a beat!

"Chaos Crystal?!"

The Chaos Primordial Crystal is a top-tier treasure that materialized from the Chaos Dao Foundation at the beginning of chaos, containing the complete Chaos Origin!

This is the Dao Source Wonder that best matches the main trunk of the Dijiang River.

If one can obtain and refine it, the main trunk of the Emperor River will surely be completed!

The old demon continued, "A small piece of that Chaos Crystal weighs more than a star, and there are quite a few of them, making them difficult to collect. The two major forces almost clashed again over this. In the end, it alarmed a higher level. It is said that a Demon Lord of the Golden Immortal level intervened to negotiate, and ultimately sealed those Chaos Crystals, along with the battlefield, deep within the Guiji Star Abyss at the border between the two forces, for joint secret development."

“Guiji Xingyuan…” Zhang Xuan memorized the name.

"This is just a rumor. I only glimpsed a fragment of it by chance from the memories of a remnant soul who participated in that conflict during a Soul Court patrol." The old demon warned, "Guest, just listen and don't delve into it, and certainly don't spread it."

After the old demon finished speaking, he fell silent and resumed his drowsy appearance.

A huge wave of emotions was surging in Zhang Xuan's heart.

The Chaos Crystal does indeed exist!

And it's right here in the Abyss of the Beginning Demon!

Although it was sealed and guarded by two major forces, making success almost impossible, it at least pointed the way.

He suppressed his excitement, nodded slightly to the old demon, and left the skeleton shop without making a sound.

After wandering around the market again and confirming that there was no more valuable information, Zhang Xuan quickly left this place of trouble and began his return journey.

Back in the cave, Zhang Xuan told the old fox about the information he had gathered, especially the news about the Chaos Crystal and the Returning to Silence Star Abyss.

“Guiji Star Abyss…” The old oil-headed man frowned. “I once saw that area from afar. The aura there was extremely chaotic. Even ordinary true demons dared not venture into it easily. It is not surprising that it was chosen as a sealing place by the two Golden Immortals.”

“The Chaos Crystal is valuable, but we cannot afford to get our hands on it right now.” Zhang Xuan analyzed calmly, “The ability of beings at the level of Golden Immortals and Demon Lords to deduce heavenly secrets and trace cause and effect far exceeds our imagination.”

The old slickman nodded: "That's right. Although we try our best to conceal our activities here, our foundation is not in this realm, and our karmic connection with this world is still shallow. We can still hide if we are careful. Once we try to come into contact with something as important as the Chaos Crystal, which involves Golden Immortals, it will inevitably cause huge karmic ripples, making it difficult to avoid attention. At that time, not only us, but even the connection between the Immortal Gourd Realm and Hei Zi will probably be exposed."

"It seems we can only proceed slowly," Zhang Xuan said slowly.

"The interdimensional passage between the Black Child and the Demon Embryo can transport resources. If we want to obtain resources from the Abyss of the Beginning Demon and transport them there in the long term, relying solely on risky acts like robbing the Ruins Vessel is not a sustainable solution," the old oil-headed man said with considerable concern.

“We must establish stable channels for acquiring resources,” Zhang Xuan nodded slightly. “And in this Abyss of Beginning Demons, the most stable channel is none other than—trading.”

The slick-haired old man opened his eyes: "You want to open a shop?"

“Not only will I open a shop, but I will also do exclusive business.” Zhang Xuan’s lips curled up slightly. “I have many specialties from the nine divine realms, all of which are rare treasures that are hard to find in the Abyss of Beginning Demons. Seventh-grade spirit pills, seventh-grade spirit objects, seventh-grade grand formations, high-grade spirit foods… These things may not be the most top-tier in this world, but they are rare.”

The demonic fetus opened its eyes, hesitatingly saying, "But... our identities are sensitive. What if we're exposed..."

“I’ve already been to the black market. It’s a mixed bag there. Many of them have offended powerful forces and fled there. I’ll first hide my identity as Bloodscabbed, and then on top of that, I’ll hide another identity. There’s absolutely no way anyone will be able to find out about us.”

The old slick man pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "That's feasible."