Chapter 1073: Strange Black Feather Trading Company

The vast God Realm comprises forty thousand star realms. Of these, Lower Star Realms alone account for thirty thousand, which is over seventy percent.

Although in terms of overall strength, heritage, resources, and underlying foundation, they cannot compare to Middle and Upper Star Realms, numerically, they form the main body of the God Realm.

Among the many Lower Star Realms, the Blackflame Realm is a highly unique entity, especially in the Eastern Divine Region. Although its strength is not top-tier, its reputation is no less than any other.

It boasts the highest number of merchant guilds among all Lower Star Realms in the Eastern Divine Region.

If a profound practitioner in the God Realm needs any rare treasures or exotic items, a trip to the Blackflame Realm would surely not leave them empty-handed—provided they brought enough violet stones and violet crystals.

Blackflame City, located at the heart of the Blackflame Realm, spans a thousand miles and is home to numerous renowned merchant guilds, with countless small and medium-sized ones as well. There are not many sect forces within the city, nor are there any Realm King forces, yet the city shares the star realm's name, "Blackflame," which underscores its significant status within the Blackflame Realm.

Yun Che appeared above Blackflame City, gazing down for a long time at this unfamiliar main city in an unknown star realm.

His knowledge of the God Realm was essentially limited to the Snow Song Realm. The Snow Song Realm, being perpetually cold and sparsely populated, was quite unique. In contrast, the bustling Blackflame Realm, with its ceaseless flow of people and an extraordinarily lively atmosphere, gave Yun Che the momentary illusion of returning to a prosperous city in the lower realms when he first appeared.

"Blackflame Realm... Blackflame City," Yun Che murmured. Scenes from the Snow Song Realm flashed through his mind, filling him with endless melancholy.

He put away his Ice Phoenix Engraved Jade, changed into simple attire, then slowly descended, stepping onto land that was utterly foreign and not his own.

On the Azure Cloud Continent, he was the sovereign.

In the Snow Song Realm, he was a direct disciple, envied by all, with a Great Realm King as his patron... even when he first arrived, he had Mu Bingyun to rely on.

But now, he was utterly alone. In the vast star realm, amidst the countless people, there was no place he knew, no one familiar to him.

Perhaps anyone else would have been overwhelmed by a crushing sense of loneliness and anxiety.

"Master..." Yun Che whispered.

After a long period of melancholy, Yun Che's gaze and thoughts cleared. Since things had come to this, he could only face them alone. What he needed to do now was to find a Wood Spirit Orb with all his might... and a high-quality one at that.

Violet Profound Stones, Violet Profound Crystals, and Violet Profound Jades are the common currency of the God Realm. A thousand violet stones are equivalent to one violet crystal, and a thousand violet crystals are equivalent to one violet jade.

When he followed Mu Bingyun into the Thirty-Six Ice Phoenix Palaces, he received a monthly stipend of five thousand violet stones. After becoming Mu Xuanyin's disciple, however, he received nothing.

However, a trip to the Ice Wind Empire later yielded a significant haul from its treasury. He hadn't expected to use it so soon.

Although he only took the portion near the Qilin Horn for fear of triggering mechanisms, it was still part of a vast imperial treasury's reserves, undoubtedly a huge sum. Yun Che recounted it again...

He had three hundred thousand Violet Profound Crystals and two hundred Violet Profound Jades.

This amounted to a staggering five hundred million Violet Profound Stones!

"Wealth plundered from a major nation in a Middle Star Realm should be enough to squander freely in a Lower Star Realm, right?" Yun Che muttered to himself.

But where should he go?

Yun Che took out the black jade given to him by Huo Rulie, and his gaze instantly sharpened.

When he received it from Huo Rulie, it had been a lifeless black jade. Now, however, the center of the jade lit up, revealing a feather as dark as night.

"A black feather?" Yun Che focused slightly, sensing the faint ripples emanating from it. Soon, his gaze fixed forward, and he walked straight ahead... The profound energy fluctuations emanating from the black jade were clearly indicating a direction.

Although he was new to the Blackflame Realm, the difference between a Lower Star Realm and a Middle Star Realm was immediately apparent. The spiritual energy here was significantly less dense and pure than in the Snow Song Realm or the Blazing Heaven Realm... Of course, it was still far superior to the Azure Cloud Continent.

Blackflame City had an extremely high volume of people, and every place he went was bustling. It was clear that profound arks or mounts were prohibited here; figures constantly flew through the air, but no profound arks or profound beasts were seen.

Most of these profound practitioners were in the early stages of the Divine Dao. City guards were visible everywhere, their profound strength primarily at the Divine Origin Realm or Divine Soul Realm.

In the Blackflame Realm... and indeed almost all Lower Star Realms, reaching the Divine Origin Realm and entering the Divine Dao was enough to attract attention; achieving the Divine Soul Realm meant being among the elite; reaching the Divine Tribulation Realm allowed one to establish a sect; and if one could pass the heavenly tribulation to reach the Divine Spirit Realm, they could become a regional overlord.

Reaching the Divine King Realm meant becoming the master of a realm!

And if a Lower Star Realm were to produce one or more Divine Sovereigns, it was highly likely that the entire star realm would be elevated, rising to the rank of a Middle Star Realm.

Therefore, after Yun Che advanced to the Divine Soul Realm, his profound strength, among those of his age, was considered genius-level in the Snow Song Realm, qualifying him for direct entry into the Thirty-Six Ice Phoenix Palaces. In a Lower Star Realm, his current cultivation was even more remarkable among the younger generation.

Following the faint profound energy guidance of the black jade, Yun Che walked towards the central area of Blackflame City, sensing the city's aura and the profound practitioners coming and going.

Truly living up to its reputation as a famous trading star realm among the thirty thousand Lower Star Realms and even Middle Star Realms, Yun Che saw various large and small merchant guilds everywhere he looked. Outside the guilds, there were countless small shops and stalls selling all sorts of strange and wondrous items.

Yun Che walked unhurriedly for several hours, and the scene remained the same.

The entire Blackflame City resembled a massive marketplace.

Finally, Yun Che stopped at a certain spot, and the sensation from the black jade completely vanished.

Before Yun Che stood a majestic, ancient, and towering building that reached into the clouds, an absolutely conspicuous behemoth within Blackflame City.

It was a large merchant guild, with dozens of hall entrances visible at a glance, and people of all kinds constantly streaming in and out.

Yun Che looked up high at the large characters soaring into the clouds, murmuring, "Black Feather Merchant Guild."

The black feather shape that had appeared on the black jade was identical to the emblem of the massive merchant guild before him.

As Yun Che walked, the Black Feather Merchant Guild before him was the largest he had seen. Its ancient and magnificent architecture suggested a considerably deep foundation and a long history.

Yun Che stood still, his face showing deep confusion: Why would such a massive merchant guild also engage in underground business? Especially... involving Wood Spirit Orbs, which the Eternal Heaven God Realm had personally forbidden?

A slight misstep could potentially destroy generations of reputation and foundation. The Black Feather Merchant Guild was already so grand, standing proudly high above, perhaps with few rivals in all of Blackflame City. Why would it still take such immense risks?

He had initially thought it would be a small-scale merchant guild or gang operating such an underground black market for exorbitant profits. He never imagined it would be a colossal, long-standing merchant guild of this size.

Could clandestine underground transactions truly be so incredibly lucrative?

Yun Che stopped pondering and walked towards the outermost hall entrance of the Black Feather Merchant Guild. Inside, a young woman stood greeting guests with a polite smile and bow.

"Welcome to the Black Feather Merchant Guild. Esteemed guest, please come in. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask." Seeing Yun Che enter, the young woman bowed slightly.

This woman possessed a cultivation at the Sovereign Profound Realm. On the Azure Cloud Continent, she could be a grandmaster of her generation, yet here, she was merely a greeter. Yun Che did not walk past her, but stopped in front of the young woman and silently took out the black jade.

Upon seeing the black jade in Yun Che's hand, the young woman's expression subtly changed. She then bowed deeply, her voice becoming much more respectful: "So it is an esteemed guest. Please follow me."

Yun Che put away the black jade and silently followed the young woman. Previously, he had been full of doubt, but now it was clear: this, the largest merchant guild he had ever seen, was indeed involved in underground transactions for items like Wood Spirit Orbs.

How strange!

Just how profitable were these dark dealings?

Five hundred million Violet Profound Stones on him... there's no way he couldn't even afford one Wood Spirit Orb, right?

Five hundred million was an absolutely enormous sum, an astronomical figure, and he had been brimming with confidence earlier. But for such a colossal merchant guild to secretly sell Wood Spirit Orbs... if there wasn't an incredibly huge profit involved, how could they dare to take such a risk and defy the Eternal Heaven God Realm's prohibition?

So, by now, Yun Che was starting to feel a bit apprehensive.

Yun Che followed the young woman for quite a distance. As they descended a long flight of stairs, the surroundings became completely silent; no sound could be heard.

The young woman stopped before a tightly closed hall door. Yun Che recognized at a glance that this hall was sealed by several large profound formations, capable of completely isolating sound, sight, and even aura. However, it was a one-way isolation, meaning those inside could clearly see and sense everything outside.

Yun Che frowned deeply... but then, recalling that Huo Rulie would certainly not harm him, his brow relaxed. Still, he did not lower his guard in the slightest.

"Mister Ji, an esteemed guest has arrived," the young woman said respectfully, standing before the hall door.

After a brief silence, the hall door slowly opened.

"Esteemed guest, please enter. Mister Ji is waiting for you inside."

The young woman bowed lightly and turned to leave.

Yun Che didn't hesitate, taking a few large strides. The moment he stepped inside, the hall door behind him firmly closed.

The hall was quite spacious. An old man sat at a wooden table; he was likely the "Mister Ji" the young woman mentioned. Seeing Yun Che, he rose to greet him, smiling faintly, "This esteemed guest is quite unfamiliar. May I ask what brings you to my Black Feather Merchant Guild?"

"I want a Wood Spirit Orb, the purer its spiritual energy, the better!" Yun Che stated directly.

Yun Che's words made the smile vanish from the old man's face, a hint of anger showing. "Esteemed guest, what do you mean by that? Hunting wood spirits is an act that both gods and humans condemn, a defiance of the Heavenly Way! My Black Feather Merchant Guild has been in operation for tens of thousands of years, always conducting legitimate business. How could we possibly engage in such vile deeds? If you are seeking a Wood Spirit Orb, I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place."

"..." Yun Che frowned inwardly... The old man's anger didn't seem feigned, especially when he mentioned "hunting wood spirits." Yun Che distinctly felt a strong sense of indignation and resentment emanating from him.

What the hell? Did he come to the wrong place?

After thinking for a moment, Yun Che stepped forward and silently placed the black jade Huo Rulie had given him onto the table.

The old man also picked up the black jade without a word. After sweeping it with profound energy, he calmly asked, "Do you have proof?"

Yun Che extended his arm again, taking out the token Huo Rulie had given him, and said expressionlessly, "If you know who the original owner is, you should understand that with his strength, there's no way I could have stolen or snatched it."

His gaze swept over the Golden Crow token, and the old man's expression softened, a smile appearing. "So, you are recommended by Sect Master Huo of the Blazing Heaven Realm. Please forgive my earlier rudeness. Sect Master Huo is one of our most important guests, so anyone he recommends is naturally an esteemed guest among esteemed guests. Please, have a seat."

"No need to sit," Yun Che said straightforwardly. "I need to buy a Wood Spirit Orb."

The old man looked directly into his eyes. "May I ask for your esteemed name, guest?"

"Ling Yun," Yun Che replied calmly. Of course, he wouldn't use his real name.

"Hahahaha," the old man chuckled, "I've spent my entire life managing this guild, seeing countless people, and have developed an eye for discerning character. Whether someone's words are true or false, or if they are genuinely here to trade or have ulterior motives, I can tell at a glance."

"For instance, your desire to buy a Wood Spirit Orb is real, but the name Ling Yun, that's false."

Yun Che: "..."

"But it's fine. A name isn't important; it's just a designation, as long as there are no other ulterior motives. After all, mutual confidentiality and trustworthiness are the most crucial principles in transactions with esteemed guests. Take Sect Master Huo, for example: aside from this old man, no one in Blackflame City knows he has ever visited. So, Young Master Ling, you may rest assured, and you must also adhere to this." The old man said with a faint smile.

Yun Che believed his words; otherwise, Huo Rulie wouldn't have personally come to the Blackflame Realm every time.

"Don't worry," Yun Che said, "I wouldn't have the face to speak of such a matter."

"Heh heh."

The old man chuckled, then, whether intentionally or not, he glanced at Yun Che out of the corner of his eye. When his gaze returned, an ineffable complexity flashed deep within it, and he then said, "Regarding the Wood Spirit Orb, you have arrived at both a fortunate and an unfortunate time."

"What do you mean?" Yun Che asked.

"The fortunate part is that our guild recently acquired a 'Wood Spirit Orb' and plans to sell it tomorrow. The unfortunate part is... this 'Wood Spirit Orb' is very special... no, extremely special! It is the most unique Wood Spirit Orb our guild has obtained in all these years. Therefore, it will be sold at a very high price! So high that you might not be able to afford it even if you spent your entire fortune."

Yun Che's brow furrowed slightly. "Special in what way? Is its spiritual energy extremely high?"

"Heh heh, on that point, this old man is not at liberty to disclose. What can be said has already been said," the old man said with a faint smile. "If you have sufficient confidence in your wealth, then leave a sound transmission imprint. Tomorrow at Hai Shi (9 PM - 11 PM), you will be informed of the transaction location."

"Alright." Yun Che nodded slowly. "Then I'll quietly await tomorrow!"