Chapter 1414: 1414. Trade

"How did you know about Great Builder's inheritance?" Saul asked as he led the group inside the structure.

"I didn't," Noah replied. "I only happened to unlock the secret area when I cleared the last room. Did you take a look at it?"

"Others from the family have," Saul admitted as he kept his gaze forward. "The Balrow family has immediately closed the pyramid and cleared two more layers, but the exploration is on hold for now."

"Did they lead to the same room?" Noah asked.

"Yes," Saul replied. "We obtained two more pieces of Great Builder's inheritance, but the higher-ups have yet to decide whether they want to keep clearing the pyramid."

"Why is that?" Noah asked.

Noah couldn't understand why such a large organization would hold back in front of rewards that it knew how to obtain. After all, they consisted in the inheritance of a rank 9 existence. Not many would hesitate in front of the chance to seize it.

Saul fell silent as he continued to lead the group through the structure. They went through multiple rooms and unlocked a secret passage by activating a device hidden under a tile.

The floor moved at that point, and a narrow staircase unfolded in their vision. It was only when the group had descended a few steps that Saul finally answered Noah's question.

"You know what Great Builder's plan is," Saul said as he heaved a long sigh. "The output of energy redirected to the secret room increases whenever we clear a layer. The family has become worried that we might trigger the resurrection of a rank 9 expert."

Everything became clear in Noah's mind at that point. Great Builder was a variable that the Balrow family wasn't willing to face. Even if it could instantly obtain valuable resources, that organization didn't want to awaken a monster by mistake.

"Is it possible to take a look at the other two parts of the inheritance?" Noah asked as a cold smile appeared on his face.

Saul stopped to stare at him with an emotionless expression. Multiple thoughts surged in his mind as he studied Noah's face.

"How did you reach the liquid stage so soon?" Saul asked.

"I had a series of lucky encounters," Noah replied. "My accumulation in the wilderness did the rest."

"The whole world knows that you are a hybrid," Saul said. "The wilderness can explain the level of your body, but your cultivation level belongs to another field. These lies work only with those fanatics from the Crystal City."

A tremor ran through Noah's eyes when he heard those words. Saul made him understand that he knew about the events inside the Hellish Landscape. He wouldn't have mentioned the Crystal City otherwise.

Saul glanced at Noah's companions at that point. He couldn't use his mental waves to inspect them since Jordan's presence worried him, but he could vaguely understand that something had changed in Noah's status from that scene.

Connecting Noah to the Legion wasn't hard. Gathering information in the Immortal Lands wasn't hard for a cultivator in the solid stage who belonged to a large organization. Saul only needed to link a few reports to understand what Noah had experienced after the clash with the Crystal City.

Saul couldn't imagine that Noah had also explored Supreme Thief's inheritance and found a connection with that structure and Great Builder's pyramid. Still, he could identify him as the cause behind the sudden disappearance of Boss Van's guild, especially since Chief Taylor had live to tell that story.

"You should never leave survivors," Saul eventually said. "Your bounty would have already gone up to ten million Soul Stones if the magical beasts didn't decide to invade. Those creatures are the only reason why I can allow you inside the auction without having to face any repercussion."

"You have my gratitude then," Noah replied, but Saul released a loud snort.

"Who cares about your gratitude," Saul said. "What are you willing to give for the two pieces of Great Builder's inheritance in our possession?"

"The originals?" Noah asked.

"The copies," Saul replied firmly.

"I will give you the first part," Noah said as his cold smile widened. "A copy."

"Nonsense," Saul said as he resumed to move. "You have the weakest part. The Balrow family is willing to trade the piece in the liquid stage for yours, but it can't include the part in the solid stage. That's something that even I can't buy without relying on my organization."

"I hope the other forces would understand the value of my piece then," Noah said as the coldness leaked by his figure became more intense.

Saul almost froze when he heard those words. Noah had hinted at something that he feared. If Noah sold his part of Great Builder's inheritance during the auctions, the Balrow family would have to deal with the enormous pressure coming from the forces that wanted to explore the pyramid.

Instead, if everything remained between Saul and Noah, the Balrow family would continue to hold its monopoly over that resource, which was a good investment in front of a rank 9 inheritance.

"I can't give it for free," Saul said once he managed to recover. "Add something to the plate. I wouldn't know how to explain the trade to my superiors otherwise."

The duo began to negotiate after they silently agreed that they wouldn't spread that resource through the world. The information about the pyramid also had to remain a secret to fend off interested forces.

Noah eventually agreed to build a series of living weapons for the Balrow family since he wasn't willing to let go of his resources, especially before the auctions.

As for the delivery of the goods, Noah and Saul agreed that they would wait until the auctions were over to conclude that deal. Both parts had to see how the event would go before deciding to trade those valuable techniques.

The staircase led to a series of underground rooms before allowing the group inside the actual areas that would feature the auctions. After they went through a few old doors, the sound of countless conversations reached their ears, and a series of crowds appeared in their vision.

A large underground structure as big as the whole Silkpost city unfolded in the group's eyes. Countless cultivators filled the area and gathered in front of small shops that featured a small number of items.

However, the exhibited items weren't their best pieces, and most of those shops didn't belong to actual merchants. All the experts that couldn't reach the secret area were there, selling and trading the resources obtained throughout their lives in the hope of finding something that could make their level advance.

"This is only the first area," Saul explained. "No point remaining here. The auctions will happen a few more layers underground."

"Lead the way then," Noah said, even if some of the items there had attracted his interest.

Noah was filthy rich, but he wanted to see what the auctions had to offer before exploring the other markets in the underground structure. He didn't want to risk losing the best items put up for sale to trade with unknown cultivators.

Glances flew in the group's direction, but the experts there didn't have the authority to stop Saul. Jordan's presence also scared them away, so they reached the lower layers of the underground structure without coming across any trouble.