In the West City Wall Section of Emerald City, Leah leaned against the stone lion by the city gate, her fingertips tracing the frost carvings on her sword hilt, waiting for the figure in white robes and silver armor to arrive.
Zhao Yun’s figure was bathed in moonlight, his crimson eyes set in the beast-head pauldrons of his silver armor seeming to burn with an inextinguishable beacon fire, the fish-scale lamellar armor making a soft sound with each step.
Leah’s sword hilt quietly slid into her palm, her ice-blue pupils unconsciously fixed on the figure. Only when she noticed did she realize she had been holding her breath for a long time, hastily lowering her gaze to smooth the frost carvings on the sword guard.
Aleia’s Beast Ears suddenly turned toward Leah’s direction, catching the almost inaudible gasp. Her tail instantly puffed up into a fluffy snow-ball, landing on the ground like a Honey Cake, splashing syrup that stained Leah’s ice-blue snow skirt.
Oh dear!
She deliberately cried out and rushed toward Zhao Yun, her deerskin boots stepping on Leah’s shoe.
Lord, this armor is so dazzling, I can’t even see the road!
The girl’s furry Paws rested on his silver pauldron, using the pretense of adjusting her battle tunic to get close to Zhao Yun’s neck. She provocatively lifted her chin toward Leah.
Leah calmed her breathing, a faint, almost imperceptible smile curving the corner of her lips.
Lord, you are late. Were you delayed by a little kitten?
As soon as the words fell, Aleia’s tail instantly puffed into a plume, and Nia’s Silver Bells jingled rapidly with her bouncing: Lord Zhao Yun was trying on new armor!
Zhao Yun flicked a Gold Coin toward Leah.
Leah caught the coin, still warm, and chuckled as she tucked it into her bosom: The Black Market entrance is in Shadow Alley, but entry requires a ticket.
The group walked down Shadow Alley, where the narrow path squeezed between high walls only allowed two people to walk abreast.
Aleia’s nose twitched, and she suddenly tugged on Zhao Yun’s sleeve: I smell Corrosive Fluid and Sulfur! Her amber vertical pupils faintly glowed in the dimness, and her Claws silently extended.
Leah’s long sword, however, slid out half an inch at that moment, and Frost Sword Qi froze the shadowy creature wriggling in the corner of the wall; the blob of liquid struggled and solidified into a twisted human-like face.
That’s one of the fools who challenged the Black Market the day before yesterday. Leah ground the ice sculpture under the tip of her boot; his soul was made into a guiding lamp by the Black Market merchants.
Just as she finished speaking, a fierce sound of fighting suddenly erupted nearby. Zhao Yun and the others looked over and saw two groups brawling in the alley.
One side consisted of tall figures whose skin emitted a faint glow, with members including both humans and Orcs; the banner behind them was embroidered with a black eight-pointed star. These members wielded various weapons that shimmered with strange Magic Power, and every swing brought forth a wave of Black Flames that sizzled as they scorched the surrounding air.
The other side was a group of relatively slender figures dressed in tight black leather, their faces covered by masks, mostly armed with poisoned Daggers and Crossbows. They were engaged in a fierce battle for control over this area and valuable trading resources.
Zhao Yun and the others intended to bypass the conflict. However, in the chaos, a black-clad member accidentally shot a Crossbow Bolt toward Aleia.
Aleia’s eyes sharpened, and she easily dodged to the side before glaring: These guys dare to provoke us!
Zhao Yun reached out to stop Aleia: Let’s handle our business first.
Although angry, Aleia suppressed her rage and nodded.
Just as they were preparing to go around, another black-clad member noticed Zhao Yun and his group. He shouted loudly: Look at them, they don't look like our people. Maybe they are here to seize Territory! Hearing this, the other members turned their gazes toward Zhao Yun and the others, hostility flashing in their eyes.
Leah snorted coldly, swinging her Long Sword, and a wave of Frost Sword Qi spread out before her, instantly freezing the ground and forming an Ice Wall.
“We are just passing through and don't want to get involved in your dispute. You had better not provoke us!” Her voice was icy, carrying a hint of unquestionable authority.
The members of the black-clad organization exchanged glances, seemingly weighing the pros and cons. In the end, they chose to continue fighting their opposing organization and stopped paying attention to Zhao Yun and the others.
After resolving this minor interlude, Zhao Yun and the group continued toward the Black Market entrance.
The roar of chains being wound echoed from the dry well at the end of the alley. The stone cover of the well slowly moved aside, and mist billowed out, revealing a Skull Lantern. Green ghost fire burned in the lantern’s eye sockets, and its lower jaw clicked as it spoke: “Admission is one Gold Coin per person.”
Zhao Yun flicked four Gold Coins into the skull’s mouth, and a bronze staircase spiraling downward slowly appeared. At the bottom of the stairs, swarms of glowing sacs hanging from the Dome illuminated the underground space in a bizarre indigo blue.
Aleia’s tail tightly wrapped around Zhao Yun’s wrist. The “goods” hanging from the stalls on both sides writhed in glass jars: Elf eyeballs soaked in preservative fluid, still-beating demon hearts, and even semi-transparent ghosts curled up in iron cages.
Nia covered her mouth, a gasp escaping between her fingers: That Orc is selling his own horns!
The rhinoceros-horned Orc behind the stall was filing down his broken horn. Hearing this, he looked up and revealed a terrifying set of sharp teeth.
“Little kitten, your ears are worth twenty Gold Coins in the Black Market.”
Aleia’s Claws instantly pressed against the Orc’s throat, but Zhao Yun held her shoulder: “The main business is more important.”
Leah led the group down a web-like fork in the path, finally stopping in front of a Tent constructed from the Skull of a giant beast. The curtain was sewn together from countless bandaged Incantations, and the incense drifting from inside mixed the Scent of Blood with sandalwood.
The moment the curtain was lifted, they saw that the Crystal Ball suspended above the divination table clearly reflected the image of the Black Moon Altar!
“We meet again, little princess of the Silver Card Mercenary Group.”
A hoarse female voice came from beneath the Hood, and withered fingers pulled back the Black Robe, revealing half a face burned away by Flame.
Leah’s pupils constricted: ‘Witch Doctor’ Margaret? Rumor has it you died at the Black Moon Altar...
Margaret cackled and tore open her robes, revealing a heart beating in her chest, inlaid with a black crystal stone.
“I won’t die before I get revenge on the Undead Race that turned me into a living Sacrifice.”
She suddenly turned her head toward Zhao Yun, her undamaged left eye flashing with sharp light. Dragon Mark... Interesting. You want to ask about the ‘Gate’ of the Black Moon Altar?
“The Black Moon Altar is not something you can touch. Three days ago, a Platinum Rank mercenary squad with several high-level professions was wiped out. The Mercenary General Association of the Dorte Kingdom has already withdrawn that mission and assigned the Diamond Rank Mercenary Group ‘Spear of the Firmament’ to send a core squad to investigate.”
“It is said that the squad is led by two experts with Earth Rank strength, one Magister and one Earth Knight, respectively.”
Margaret’s gaze lingered on Leah for a moment, a strange smile playing on her lips.
“Little princess, your friend with the Dragon Mark might be able to uncover the secret of the Black Moon Altar. However, you must be careful; the power he carries might attract a lot of trouble.”
Leah frowned slightly: “That’s none of your business. We only want to know the truth about the Black Moon Altar.”
Aleia suddenly twitched her nose: “There is a heavy stench of decay outside the tent!”
Almost simultaneously, the Incantation bandages on the four walls of the Tent snapped, and twelve masked Heavy Armor warriors burst through!
“In the name of The Abyss,” a muffled roar came from beneath the leading warrior’s helmet.
The sound of the Star Shattering Spear tearing through the coarse cloth drowned out the declaration. Zhao Yun spun and swept, his Spear Wind carrying the divination table crashing into the enemy formation. The Black Mist that erupted when the Crystal Ball shattered instantly swallowed the Sword Light.
Leah’s Frost Sword Qi froze the lower limbs of three warriors, and Aleia’s Claws took the opportunity to tear open the armor around their throats.
“Take the Memory Crystal and go!” Margaret shrieked, crushing her black crystal heart. Vast Magic Power transformed into countless ghostly hands that grabbed at their pursuers.
Nia lunged for the Memory Crystal floating in mid-air but was struck in the calf by a magic arrow that flew like a stray projectile. Zhao Yun caught the falling girl in mid-air, used the tip of his Star Shattering Spear to push off the ground, and leaped out of the Tent, the spear tip carving a dazzling Star River across the Dome.
The Black Market was now in complete chaos. Leah swung her sword, cutting down a warrior blocking her path, her Ice-blue Long Hair dotted with blood: “There is a Secret Tunnel in the southwest corner!”
Aleia carried the unconscious Nia on her back, her scorched and curled tail still tightly wrapped around Zhao Yun’s arm armor.
As the group rushed into the dark room piled high with forbidden books, Margaret’s Memory Crystal suddenly floated up, projecting an image that stole everyone’s breath.
Deep within the Black Moon Altar, hundreds of Chains bound a constantly expanding Fleshy Tumor, its surface displaying the Star Sand patterns Zhao Yun had seen in the fissure at Changban Slope. The tumor writhed as it consumed the living Sacrifices pierced by the iron chains, and the Black-Robed Person presiding over the ritual lifted his Hood, revealing a skeletal face!
The roar of Incantations being chanted came from outside the dark room, and the entire Black Market began to collapse.
Zhao Yun clenched his left arm, where Dragon Scales were emerging, and the starlight spewing from the tip of his Star Shattering Spear pierced the darkness.
“Break the Barrier!”
The Spear Shadow rolled back like a reversed Star River, tearing a rift in the Barrier. The moment the group tumbled into the sewer, the Black Market was reduced to ruins in a magical explosion.
Aleia trembled as she opened Nia’s tightly clenched palm; in the blood-stained Memory Crystal, the coordinates of the Black Moon Altar flickered like a breath.
“Let’s go, back to Leeds City!”