Within the Blazing Fire Oasis, a gentle breeze blew, and the previously suffocating pressure vanished under an immense force, leaving behind only a small, crimson light orb. A peerless figure, like an empress descended, played with the orb.
The fleeing powerhouses stopped, turning to gaze at the sky, confused and stunned.
"What just happened?"
"The Sky Cannon fired in unison, but those beams full of destructive energy were all contained, condensed, and formed into a small sphere? How is that possible!"
If it had been before the Sky Cannon fired, crushing this disposable item with immense power would have been difficult, but still conceivable.
But with hundreds of beams firing simultaneously, the entire sky lit up red, and the crisis of death loomed overhead… and yet, midway through the barrage, it could be reversed and condensed? What kind of power was this! It far surpassed their imagination.
"Could it be that this is a mythical being?"
"It must be a great myth. Even mythical beings might not be able to quell a storm of destruction so easily."
"The Blazing Fire Chamber of Commerce is backed by a myth? And they appear to be in perfect condition."
At this moment, the wine-red empress figure standing in the sky had vanished. Under her oppressive aura, even the ferocious raiders felt a chill surge through their hearts, no longer daring to attack the grand marketplace and scattering in all directions. However, their ferocity and madness were no match for the patrol teams even when they were at their peak. Now, with their courage depleted, they were in complete disarray, dead or surrendering within minutes.
This left Roland in a predicament.
"What should we do with them?"
"The… Chairman said to lock them up for now. Our oasis might need to build a celestial prison."
The chaos dissipated in an instant. The entire commercial city's losses were limited to the initial explosion and a few shattered glass panes. With a little cleaning, everything was restored to normal. However, the merchants and mercenaries who witnessed everything could not forget the scene, discussing it with great interest.
"It seems our guesses were correct. The Blazing Fire Chamber of Commerce likely migrated here with the entire oasis, and they have a myth guarding them. This marketplace is bound to develop."
"With a myth guarding the Blazing Fire Oasis, doesn't that mean it's safer than Starfall Fortress?"
"If I'm being honest, yes."
"Over a hundred years ago, Starfall Fortress experienced a major wave disaster, and almost half of it was destroyed. Countless shops suffered heavy losses. But if a myth were present, such situations would never have occurred."
The two Falling Star powerhouses, eavesdropping on the merchants' conversations, fell into deep silence.
The merchants and mercenaries' discussions shifted from the oasis environment to the wine-red-haired myth.
"It's not my first time seeing a mythical being, but I feel this empress is stronger, possessing an aura of invincibility in this world."
"And this empress myth looks very young. By her appearance, she's at most two to three hundred years old. This means she can still guard the oasis for another six to seven hundred years!"
"Empress sister is so amazing, I'm already a little fan."
"I wonder if I'll have the chance to see this empress again."
"Just a passerby, but I think I saw a few grains of rice… on the corner of this empress's mouth?"
"Myths are not to be insulted, are you trying to die?!"
…
Yi · She Who Single-handedly Protected the Blazing Fire Oasis · Invincible in This World · Red-Haired Empress · Luoxi, wiped the grains of rice from the corner of her mouth.
"Hee hee hee, wasn't I amazing! I really am super amazing!"
Yiluoxi was in a very good mood, feeling as refreshed as if she had drunk several tons of iced soda. Especially since she had "borrowed" several lavish meals from Youyou again, it was double the happiness. As expected of this Chairman. I'm truly so smart, so amazing.
Yiluoxi felt a sense of self-gratification.
An Jiuyou replied with a helpless smile, "Yes, yes, Luoxi is amazing. After today's events, many of those hidden little imps should quiet down, right?"
Outside, a great merchant chairman suddenly realized.
"I was wondering why the grand marketplace didn't deploy an ritualistic barrier. So it was a trap, meant to kill the chicken to warn the monkeys!"
"So that's what happened. The Blazing Fire Chamber of Commerce's move was brilliant!"
The Blazing Fire Commercial City gradually became lively. It possessed an advantage in its geographical location, being the second commercial city in the vast Fallen Star Grotto-Domain. Although it was far from qualifying as a city yet, in the eyes of many merchants, the Blazing Fire Commercial City already had the potential, at least for the future.
At the same time, it was very far from Starfall Fortress. Starfall Fortress was located in the central-eastern region, while the Blazing Fire Commercial City was situated at the far western edge, offering more choices for many distant oases. Furthermore, due to the publicity of the legendary peculiar artifact, more and more people from the outer regions were arriving here. This was an advantage that even Starfall Fortress lacked! Starfall Fortress couldn't entice foreign merchant guilds to travel thousands of miles to visit.
"Root Water, a treasure that can enhance potential?"
"Clear Heart Tea, drinking it can slowly reduce one's own erosion and pollution. This, this is a treasure that anyone would dream of!"
"The Ancient Moon Dynasty has a Clear Heart Tea tree, but very little tea flows out. I was fortunate enough to taste it once. Even setting aside its effects, its taste was unparalleled. I never expected the Blazing Fire Commercial City to have it for sale. It's just a pity it's sold in such small quantities. I tried three times to snatch it before barely getting a small jar."
"It's good enough to get one! The limited supply of such miraculous tea is understandable, but not being able to snatch it is still very frustrating!"
"It's rumored that the Blazing Fire Commercial City also has a treasure that can increase the probability of advancing to mythology? Why haven't I seen it."
"That kind of treasure is too illusory. I just want to buy an ability fruit. When will new ability fruits be available? It's too frustrating to only be able to look but not buy!"
On that day, two Thunder Fruits were purchased by two major merchant guilds. A few days later, the Blazing Fire Commercial City displayed three more fruits, one labeled 'Thunder Fruit,' one labeled 'Hurricane Fruit,' and one labeled 'Freeze Fruit.'
—Palm Thunder, Hurricane, Frost Fist.
However, these three ability fruits were not for sale at the moment, only for viewing and appraisal. They could not be purchased. This made countless people’s hearts itch. If you said there was no stock at all, you would extinguish their desires, but having stock and refusing to sell was just being vexing!
"Manager Bai, how about this, I'll pay 1.5 million for you to sell me this Freeze Fruit?"
"Don't even think about it, I'll offer 1.6 million!"
"I'll bid 1.7!"
"I'll bid 1.8 million!"
"Damn it, you guys calm down, this is predatory competition!"
The prices called out far exceeded the cost of undergoing an inheritance at an ability inheritance ground. However, the situation could not be viewed in such a simple way. The cost of inheriting abilities, besides the single expenditure, also depended on the construction cost of the entire inheritance ground. This initial investment was enormous, and ten million peculiar crystals were far from enough. Furthermore, inheriting abilities at the inheritance ground did not guarantee success; only those with exceptionally high talent were eligible. Most importantly, these major oases did not have inheritance grounds! This was why the direct descendants of the super oases' sixth awakening were far stronger than those from major oases, easily defeating one or two opponents. It was due to their deep foundations. Abilities were a crucial part of these foundations.
The leaders of the major oases wanted to buy, and the direct descendants of the major families in the super oases also wanted to buy. To learn an ability with money? What a great deal! They crowded around the display cases. Even if they couldn't be there in person, their subordinates would stand guard twenty-four hours a day, waiting for the day of sale. As for snatching? This was a place guarded by a myth; no force dared to court death.
Oh, there were still some who did. There were two instances of reckless robbery in the past few days, but they were subdued by the patrol personnel in an instant. That empress myth didn't even show her face.
Their gazes were fixed on Bai Yansi. This manager of the grand marketplace was only a low-level fourth awakening, yet no one dared to offend her. She shook her head slightly: "You all jest. Yansi is just a small manager and has no authority to decide whether to sell ability fruits or not. I am merely executing the will of that great one."
"However, that great one has heard of your urgent demands and has decided to hold an auction two months later, on the night of the full moon. I can reveal to you all that there will be no less than ten ability fruits at the auction, and even higher-level ability fruits. Of course, this includes any treasures we mentioned in our promotions. If any of you have treasures, you can also consign them at our auction. The first auction will only charge a 1% appraisal and consignment fee."
…
Two months later, on the night of the full moon!
The news spread like wings. In the world of peculiar phenomena, amidst the thick grey fog, there was almost no distinction between day and night. But in the oases, there were days and nights, sun and moon. Although they appeared to be phantoms, untouchable, phenomena like the alternation of day and night, the movement of stars, and the waxing and waning of the moon could be seen in various oases. The timing of day and night was similar to that of Blue Star. Or rather, the rules of alternation in the entire peculiar world and all outer worlds were the same, conforming to some kind of rule.
This auction, while not unprecedented, still involved several treasures related to mythology, as well as incredible items like ability fruits. The entire commercial city was in turmoil. More and more super forces were organizing teams and heading towards this remote and backward place, the Fallen Star Grotto-Domain.
Under these circumstances, a group of several people arrived at the Blazing Fire Oasis.
…
…
"We're here, we're here! The Blazing Fire Chamber of Commerce's Fallen Star Grotto-Domain branch. We've finally made it." Qianqiu wiped the bloodstains from his body. His clothes were tattered, his cape bore numerous grey scorch marks, and the exaggerated scythe-like weapon on his back was covered in dried bloodstains. His journey had clearly not been easy.
"The difficulty of crossing vast domains is indeed as hard as ascending to heaven… No, no, ascending to heaven is much easier."
"Big Brother, aren't many of these dangers your own doing?"
"Heh heh." Facing the teasing from the petite woman beside him, Qianqiu scratched his head. How could a myth's actions be called "doing"? It was clearly a diligent exploration of the map and information gathering. Yes, that's it.
A while ago, after Qianqiu and his companions had figured out the direction, they began heading towards the Fallen Star Grotto-Domain. Originally, with a myth guarding their team, crossing domains wouldn't be difficult. However, Qianqiu and his companions had no route map and were all "newbies." They stumbled along the way, relying on "navigation" to avoid getting lost. Even so,
Half a month ago,
Outside the Sea of Shattered Ruins, in the inter-domain region. This was a high-risk area between vast domains, where the grey fog was even denser. Even with the Bright Light Ring, Qianqiu's fog-dispelling range was compressed to seventy to eighty meters. Frightening roars occasionally echoed from within the fog. The sides of the road were precipitous cliffs, with churning grey fog. Even a mythical being, observing with divine sense, couldn't see far. This made Qianqiu very curious. He wanted to fly down and take a look to broaden his horizons, but the needle-like premonition of danger in his mind extinguished his suicidal thoughts. Well, he had actually secretly tried using his innate ability, but he died inexplicably halfway down. It also caused him some mental trauma, otherwise, he would have tried a few more times.
Qianqiu began observing other things. The landscape of the inter-domain region was peculiar, with roads formed by cliffs and precipices, resembling bridges. Along the way, they encountered many branching paths. Some led to dead ends, some led to other vast domains, and some might even loop back to the Sea of Shattered Ruins. Some intersections even had signposts covered in mottled marks.
"To Vast Domain: Ancient Ruins"
…
"To Vast Domain: ■ Turbid Sea Bay"
…
"To Vast Domain: White Tree Realm Sea"
"Note: Due to changes in the peculiar world's environment, the destination of this path is unknown" (The marks were slightly clearer)
In the peculiar world, the locations of vast domains were not simply described by east, west, north, and south. They couldn't be discerned either; proximity was used more often to indicate relationships. The Blue Star world bordered three vast domains. The Fallen Star Grotto-Domain, the Sighing Mountains, and the Buried Bone Land had paths leading to these three vast domains and could only lead to these three vast domains. This was because Blue Star was on the outer fringe. In comparison, the vast domains adjacent to the Fallen Star Grotto-Domain were at least a dozen, and the Sea of Shattered Ruins could lead to hundreds of vast domains. In this labyrinthine inter-domain area of the peculiar world, taking a wrong path could lead to vastly different outcomes. Therefore, some traveling merchants had erected signposts here. However, the signposts were severely damaged by time and the environment, making many symbols illegible. Moreover, signposts might not be truthful; they could have been erected by servants of evil gods, pointing to certain death traps. Signposts were only for reference. Caravans crossing domains relied more on route maps collected bit by bit by themselves.
Qianqiu had an adventurous route map. He stared at the signpost in front of him. "White Tree Realm Sea? I've heard of it before. It seems to have already fallen to the faction of evil gods."
"This vast domain too."
"And this vast domain as well."
After passing several signposts, they all pointed to vast domains that had fallen long, long ago, where it was estimated that no normal oases existed. More intersections had no signpost prompts. Even with signposts, it might take several dozen intersections to reach the target vast domain, making it very difficult to navigate.
"How are we supposed to get to the Fallen Star Grotto-Domain?"
"Oh, I have navigation. So, never mind."
The latter half of the inter-domain region had fewer signposts. Qianqiu's curiosity was drawn to the distance, where the churning grey fog was highly solidified, forming a terrifyingly grotesque grey giant python hundreds of meters long. It flew out from the abyssal grey fog on one side of the road, crossed the bridge-like path, and flew into the abyssal grey fog on the other side. It then emerged from the initial side again. It was performing repetitive movements of entering and exiting. This seemed to be a special peculiar evil? Qianqiu found a matching pattern in the "Illustrated Guide of Peculiar Evils," but there was no further specific information. He thought for a moment, grasped the legendary, incomplete peculiar artifact contributed by Tian Sha, and strode forward.
After a while, he rushed out, looking disheveled and ragged, fleeing with a few companions to shake off the grey fog python.
"Big Brother, can't we prioritize safety?"
"Absolutely, absolutely."
…
"Big Brother, can you stop messing around?"
"Next time, I definitely will."
…
"Big Brother, can we wait until that monster leaves before passing through?"
"A mere fog beast, let me go and provoke it… No, let me go and lure it away… What are you looking at? Big Brother is very confident in his actions, just like how my assassin career has never made a mistake. Don't you believe me?"
Thus, when they emerged from the inter-domain region and stepped into the unique environment of the Fallen Star Grotto-Domain, Qianqiu's Hidden Kill Cloak looked like a beggar's outfit, his body was covered in bloodstains, and he himself had sustained minor injuries, which quickly recovered under the powerful self-healing ability of a myth. The other few people drooped their heads, appearing exhausted, while Qianqiu, who had been fighting… or rather, messing around, the whole way, was full of vigor. Looking at the oasis before them, he was full of anticipation. Yes, this was his new workplace.
…
Qianqiu's group consisted of five people in total. Besides him and his initial three companions, there was only the fierce-looking strongman, Blood Butcher. As they were about to head to the Fallen Star Grotto-Domain, he had dismissed all his "employees," but Blood Butcher refused to leave and followed them here. A worker's heart, a worker's soul, jumping ship for a raise makes one superior. The Blazing Fire Chamber of Commerce's benefits were quite high – Qianqiu often said this. At the time, many thought Qianqiu was just making empty promises, trying to trick them onto his ship, but Blood Butcher believed him. The reason he believed was simple: Qianqiu had advanced to become a myth! This was originally completely impossible. They, as assassins, had soul imprints placed on them, and there was no possibility of advancement even by risking their lives. Qianqiu's advancement not only indicated support from a high-level existence but also that the mastermind behind the scenes was exceptionally generous. Seeing a small detail reveals the whole picture! Blood Butcher, despite his fierce appearance, was a meticulous person. He decided to go all-in! He followed!
"Is this a newly established branch of the Chamber of Commerce by the headquarters? I wonder what kind of person the branch president here is?" Blood Butcher muttered.
Qianqiu waved his hand, "We'll know once we meet them. Let's go, let's go, I'll treat everyone later." They entered the oasis. The outer perimeter was still under intense construction, with puppets moving flexibly among the workers. Many awakened individuals dressed in luxurious robes, or as mercenaries and guards, could be seen entering and exiting. —This was to earn some gold in the grey fog zone. After all, the bosses remained in the commercial city and didn't need so many guards, and others couldn't just be on vacation and eat for free. Well, it wasn't impossible to be on vacation; the traveling merchants didn't demand 996 from their employees. However, the consumption in the Blazing Fire Commercial City was too high. The delicious food and various entertainment activities were too tempting to resist. What could they do? They had to find ways to make money!
"Yo, brother, are you from the outer regions?" A man with red hair, wearing mottled armor, carrying a shield and a battle knife, walked towards Qianqiu and his companions.
Qianqiu scratched his head: "How did you know we're from the outer regions?"
"The direction. Most people coming from this direction are from outer regions. I am too. My name is Lott, the leader of the War Flame Mercenary Group, and I undertake escort services." Lott handed over a business card. Judging by his practiced movements, it wasn't his first time. However, a team as small as Qianqiu's was a first for Lott, and he was a bit curious. He enthusiastically greeted them and introduced the general situation of the commercial city to Qianqiu and his companions. Goods, treasures, and most importantly, the story from a few days ago, where the wine-red mythical empress single-handedly protected the oasis, condensing the terrifying destructive energy into a small sphere. Lott narrated it vividly. Qianqiu and his companions listened intently.
"Is that myth currently stationed in this oasis?"
"Yes. With a myth stationed here, there's a great sense of security." Lott pointed to a strikingly conspicuous red and white building in the distance. "Look, that's the Oasis Guard Post. It's rumored that the empress myth is inside. If you're lucky, you might even see her."
"We can see a living… No, I mean a real myth?" Mumu, Qianqiu's companion, asked. In her mind, myths were always aloof and mysterious. Except for Qianqiu. Before her Big Brother Qianqiu ascended to myth, she had never seen any myth. Such beings lived in seclusion and rarely appeared in public. But here…
"Yes." Lott was also amazed. "Perhaps it's because the commercial city is newly established. Since that day, the empress myth hasn't taken action, but she has appeared a few times. There's also a rumor that someone once encountered the empress at that 'Gourmet Heaven' restaurant." It was precisely for this reason that the number of customers at Gourmet Heaven had increased. Even more bustling was the area outside the Guard Post. It had almost become a tourist attraction for the Blazing Fire Commercial City, second only to the grand marketplace in liveliness. Many merchants and mercenaries who had just arrived came to check it out. When Qianqiu and his companions arrived, they saw many people gazing at the red and white building from afar, but no one dared to cross the line. Elite guards from the commercial city were stationed at the entrance. Even more deterrent was the reputation of the mythical being. This was a forbidden zone, only to be observed from afar, not entered.
However, Qianqiu left behind a sentence, "Wait here for a moment, I'll be back soon," and walked directly into the Guard Post. The onlookers were left gaping.
…
There were not many people inside the Guard Post. Qianqiu stated his identity and was quickly led to his destination by a staff member. The underground training ground! According to the staff member, Chairman Yi was training at this time.
"Am I going to see that red-haired empress?"
"As expected of the organization, even a branch in an outer vast domain is guarded by a mythical lord. Well, but will I be redundant here?" His thoughts drifted as he walked forward. Distant roaring explosions could be faintly heard. A huge training battle arena appeared before him, filled with flowing flames and burning white flames. Terrifying energy raged, impacting the surroundings. The walls, inlaid with countless crystals, vibrated, and even spatial ripples were visible to the naked eye.
Was this the daily training of that red-haired empress? Truly powerful. But it seemed a bit violent? As he thought this, the roaring sound gradually ceased, and the surging multicolored energy flow merged into the surrounding crystal walls and rapidly faded. The scene before him quickly became clear. In the pitted ground, a figure was sent flying out of the dust, looking miserable.
Wine-red long hair, a young face. This description… Uh, isn't this the invincible empress who guards the commercial city? Who is the woman on the right, holding a giant sword and burning with fierce white flames?
Qianqiu fell into contemplation.
Yiluoxi, who had fallen on the ground, also fell into contemplation. Wait, isn't a colleague about to arrive?