Chapter 58: New Moon City, Black Moon Trade Association

Crescent City, located in the east-central part of the Azure Wind Empire, is ten times larger than Floating Cloud City. Numerous sects and clans, both large and small, are scattered inside and outside the city. The Azure Wind Imperial Family has established its Profound Palace here, and even the Xiao Sect and Burning Heaven Clan have branch divisions. Consequently, countless young profound practitioners arrive from all directions, hoping to join powerful sects and pursue the path of profound cultivation.

On this day, a young man in black slowly approached the east gate of Crescent City. He appeared to be only sixteen or seventeen, with a hint of youthfulness on his face, yet his gaze was firm and deep, and his expression held a resolve and composure beyond his years. His steps were slow; each footfall on the hard ground left a shallow indentation and a startling line of sweat drops.

Yun Che had walked for over a month to cover the 700 kilometers from Qinglin Town to Crescent City. It wasn't that he didn't want to go faster, but rather that he simply couldn't.

The day he left Qinglin Town, Jasmine had instructed him to find a heavy object weighing over 400 catties. Yun Che, pushing himself to the extreme, spent all his remaining Yellow Profound Coins at a small blacksmith's shop in Qinglin Town to buy a piece of raw iron weighing a full 660 catties. Then, Yun Che prepared his food and set out from Qinglin Town on foot, choosing not to buy a profound horse, and carrying this 660-cattie piece of raw iron on his back.

For a profound practitioner in the True Profound Realm, this weight would be insignificant. However, for someone in the Elementary Profound Realm, it was by no means negligible.

On the first day of carrying the raw iron, every step Yun Che took consumed a significant amount of profound energy. His shoulders were in unbearable pain, and his cervical spine felt as if it could break at any moment. After walking 400 steps, his profound energy was completely depleted, and the raw iron pressed him to the ground, leaving him unable to stand for a long time. But after a short rest, he showed no sign of resistance to the iron; he picked it up again and continued to move forward, one step at a time.

Yun Che carried this raw iron for the entire 700 kilometers. His diet consisted of unchanging dry rations and low-grade Profound Recovery Pills he had refined himself, while he drank water from the waterfall he had collected in the Scarlet Dragon Mountain Range.

The drops of sweat he left along the way would have been enough to form a small stream.

Yun Che's terrifying perseverance once again astonished Jasmine. Throughout the entire journey, he never once put down the raw iron from his back. Even when his body was completely exhausted and his back was bleeding, he showed no sign of repulsion or uttered any sound of pain, remaining incredibly calm instead.

Over the 700 kilometers, from his initial struggle to adapt, Yun Che's profound energy within his profound veins was depleted and restored thousands of times. Through this repeated cycle of exhaustion and recovery, his profound energy became increasingly dense and potent. Signs of another breakthrough appeared as early as half a month prior, but Yun Che firmly suppressed it, preventing his profound energy from advancing. His profound energy had grown too fiercely before, and he needed to ensure it was stable enough, allowing his body to fully adapt to and control this newfound power.

On this day, the gates of Crescent City finally appeared in his sight.

"We're finally here," Yun Che said, a smile playing on his lips as he walked slowly forward.

"You can now effortlessly defeat profound beasts of the same level," Jasmine said in a pompous tone. "However, low-level profound beasts are, after all, intellectually inferior and have limited attack methods. To become a true expert, you need to battle against people more often... So, let's start with Crescent City."

"Alright!" Yun Che nodded, his gaze fearless, instead filled with a subtle excitement and anticipation.

"Now, take off the profound iron from your body. Your body has completely adapted to the surging profound energy... No, I estimate your body could withstand even several more levels of surge."

Yun Che unfastened the profound iron and dropped it to the ground, where it left a deep indentation. In that instant, Yun Che felt his body so light it was as if it didn't exist. He drew a slight breath, pushed off the ground, and leaped more than five *zhang* high, landing steadily. With a flick of his right hand, a cluster of crimson flames blazed on his palm, then quickly extinguished, only to reignite and extinguish again... He controlled them at will, without any hindrance.

"I have good news for you. Your body can now barely withstand the first stage of the Evil God's Seven Realms!" "This means that when you encounter an opponent you cannot defeat, you can try activating the first stage!"

"I can activate the first stage now?" Yun Che asked, his face full of surprise.

"Only barely. You can try activating it as a last resort," Jasmine warned. "With your current profound energy and physique, it shouldn't be life-threatening, but whether it will cause some degree of permanent damage, I cannot be certain. It's best not to use it recklessly before you reach Level Seven of the Elementary Profound Realm."

Yun Che had originally wanted to experience the sensation of activating the first stage and see how powerful the accompanying profound arts would be. However, after hearing Jasmine's words, he reluctantly abandoned the idea. If he were to suffer irreparable damage because his body couldn't handle it, the loss would be immense.

As Yun Che approached Crescent City, its majestic and formidable city walls appeared before him, exuding an overwhelming aura. Beneath the towering city gates, people flowed ceaselessly, creating a bustling scene rarely, if ever, seen in Floating Cloud City.

Inside Crescent City, as he walked the streets, Yun Che saw various buildings and shops stretching as far as the eye could see. Crowds thronged, and a tide of noise filled the air, indicating immense vibrancy and prosperity. Moreover, almost everyone, regardless of age or gender, carried a profound energy aura, strong or weak.

"It truly is a metropolis," Yun Che sighed. "Compared to this, Floating Cloud City is practically just a large town."

"Excuse me, sir, could you tell me where the Black Moon Merchant Guild is located?" Yun Che politely asked a kind-looking middle-aged man he stopped.

"Black Moon Merchant Guild?" The man scrutinized Yun Che, his plain attire and youthful age causing a flicker of suspicion. Nevertheless, he pointed the way: "From here, go straight west, cross about seven streets, then turn right and keep going. You'll get there. However, young man, places like the Black Moon Merchant Guild require substantial capital, whether you're buying or selling."

Yun Che nodded, thanked him, and headed in the direction indicated. After walking through seven extremely long streets, turning right, and continuing for another half an hour, the crowds suddenly thinned, and the atmosphere changed significantly.

A massive plaque, inlaid with a dark crescent moon, appeared in Yun Che's sight. The words "Black Moon Merchant Guild" were inscribed beneath the dark moon, carrying an inexplicable sense of deterrence despite being just four characters. Unlike the bustling activity of other streets, people passing through this area were few, mostly hurrying with closed mouths. There was no clamor, not even loud talking, as if they feared disturbing something.

"This Black Moon Merchant Guild is exactly as Grandpa described," Yun Che murmured to himself.

The Black Moon Merchant Guild, headquartered in the Divine Phoenix Empire—the largest of the Seven Nations on the Profound Sky Continent—has branches across various countries and major cities. It is renowned as the continent's foremost chain merchant guild, having thrived for nearly a millennium. Far from declining, it has grown increasingly powerful, gradually becoming a formidable force capable of influencing events across the land.

The Black Moon Merchant Guild was, of course, far more than just a simple merchant association. The immense power behind its dominance of the entire Profound Sky Continent was evident. When Xiao Lie had spoken of the Black Moon Merchant Guild, he had seriously mentioned that even the Four Major Sects of the Azure Wind Empire dared not cause trouble within its premises.

The Black Moon Merchant Guild operated under extremely strict and rigorous rules, ensuring near-absolute fairness and impartiality in all transactions, never favoring any party. However, the Guild only dealt in high-grade goods, completely disdaining low-quality merchandise. Consequently, the items sold by the Black Moon Merchant Guild were beyond the reach of ordinary families. For powerful sects and factions, many of their resources also originated from the Black Moon Merchant Guild. The Guild's monthly auctions were always fully attended.

Having confirmed the Black Moon Merchant Guild's location, Yun Che found an secluded corner. He then took out a small bottle of pre-refined medicinal powder from the Sky Poison Pearl and quickly applied it to his face.

"What are you doing?" Jasmine asked curiously.

Yun Che didn't reply. When he lifted his head, his formerly youthful face was gone, replaced by the resolute and stern features of a middle-aged man, with eyes filled with the marks of time. He applied a small amount of powder to his hands, making them appear somewhat withered. Then, he produced a slightly worn cloak, exchanged it for his black clothes, and put on a straw hat, concealing half of his face.

"You can even disguise your appearance?" Jasmine exclaimed in surprise.

"For a divine doctor, what's a disguise?" Yun Che smirked proudly, then his face hardened and turned cold, and his voice became hoarse: "Wherever the Black Moon Merchant Guild appears, it will be an unrivaled giant among merchant guilds. As long as the quality is high enough, the Black Moon Merchant Guild will accept and sell anything... Maybe they even have pretty girls' clothes. Let's go in and take a look."

As Yun Che spoke the words "pretty girls' clothes," he distinctly heard Jasmine emit a soft grunt.

Commoners held a deep reverence for the Black Moon Merchant Guild, thus they would hurry past its location, daring not to make any move that might offend it. Yun Che's strange attire attracted considerable attention, but as people watched him walk steadily into the Black Moon Merchant Guild, their gazes at him filled with a touch of awe... Those with the capital to transact business with the Black Moon Merchant Guild were undoubtedly important figures.

The interior of the Black Moon Merchant Guild was vast, with a subtle yet palpable sense of oppression in its quietness. Ordinary people walking in would feel suffocated by the atmosphere. On massive shelves, a dazzling array of goods was displayed: medicinal herbs, pills, weapons, armor, gemstones, profound cores of low-level profound beasts, and even low-grade profound arts... everything imaginable was there. However, there was no doubt that every item sold here came with a hefty price tag. Some might be things that an ordinary family could not afford in their entire lifetime.