Chapter 616: Treasure House
The treasure house of the black market is located near Lake-Blue City in the depths of Yuantu Great Prairie. Before the extraterritorial invasion by the Barbarian Clan, Lake-Blue City was a prosperous metropolis known throughout Yuantu Great Prairie. It was a hub where cultivation resources gathered from the deep regions of Yuantu Great Prairie were assembled and then transported to Jiuqu League and even Crossing Severing Mountain Range. Additionally, various goods from the outside world destined for Yuantu Great Prairie also had to pass through this major city. In the Cultivation World, the more developed and prosperous a place is in terms of commerce and trade, the more likely it is to have a black market.
The Dark Alliance initially established the black market in Lake-Blue City, making it one of the largest institutions in Yuantu Great Prairie. Daoist Master Withered Branches led the group of people transporting goods and flew straight ahead. Meng Zhang had several moments when he wanted to use his abilities to find out what was inside the boxes. However, after careful consideration, he suppressed his curiosity. Both Daoist Master Withered Branches and his two companions were not to be underestimated. Meng Zhang might be considered a strong Gold Core Daoist Master, but in the face of Demonic Cultivation, he couldn't afford to be careless. If he were to use his Divine Ability, a group of powerful Demonic Cultivators might be alerted, and once his identity was exposed, he had no idea what consequences he would face.
Daoist Master Withered Branches was willing to help Luo Ye Daoist Master due to their previous relationship, but other Demonic Cultivators might not be as accommodating. Besides, loyalty and bonds in this world were unreliable. To avoid unnecessary complications, Meng Zhang decided not to meddle.
The journey was not fast due to the heavy cargo they were carrying. The entire team flew at a moderate speed through the air. On the ground, squads of Barbarian Clan soldiers rode battle wolves, patrolling the vast grasslands. In the sky, Barbarian Clan squads rode flying eagles, constantly patrolling the area. Occasionally, one or two formidable Barbarian Generals could be seen flying by.
The defense in the Barbarian Clan-controlled areas was quite strict. Although the Barbarian Clan excelled in offense and often used attacks instead of defense, it didn't mean they left their controlled areas defenseless.
After several days of flying, Daoist Master Withered Branches and his team finally reached their destination. Lake-Blue City originally sat atop a Third Rank spirit vein. After the Barbarian Clan occupied the area, they destroyed the original city and established a camp as an important stronghold. In the countless realms of the heavens, regardless of race or Cultivation Base, the vast majority of living beings yearned for the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and pursued spirit veins on the land.
Within Lake-Blue City, there even existed a Barbarian King, a powerhouse capable of surpassing a Primordial Spirit True Monarch. If he were alarmed, Meng Zhang's team would have no place to bury themselves.
Fortunately, the treasure house of the black market was not located within Lake-Blue City, so Meng Zhang and his companions didn't need to enter the city. With a Primordial Spirit True Monarch's divine sense covering a vast range, the Barbarian King, being of the same level, naturally possessed a similar level of Divine Ability. It was challenging for them to hide anything from him, but due to the abundance of information, the Barbarian King wouldn't pay attention to every little thing; he would only focus on the anomalies.
There was a close connection between Demonic Cultivation and the Barbarian Clan. The transport team led by Daoist Master Withered Branches had obviously been here many times before. They were familiar with most of the Barbarian Clan patrol teams they encountered along the way, so they were left undisturbed, free to come and go.
Arriving near Lake-Blue City, the situation remained the same. From ordinary barbarian soldiers to powerful barbarian generals, no one interfered with them. Seeking help from Daoist Master Withered Branches was a wise move by Luo Ye Daoist Master, which saved them from many troubles.
Using his Deception Breaking Eye, Meng Zhang carefully observed the alert range of the totem poles ahead and cautiously avoided them. Even the tightest defense has vulnerabilities, especially in this area, which was considered the inner part of the Barbarian Clan-controlled zone. Enemies had difficulty entering here unnoticed, so the surrounding Barbarian Clan members were not particularly vigilant. The true focus of the Barbarian Clan's surveillance was still outside this area.
Meng Zhang led everyone in secretly traveling underground for half a day, finally arriving at their destination, close to the location of the treasure house. The underground here extended 600 zhang (Chinese unit of length, about 3.33 meters per zhang), and a small underground dark river flowed through it, creating a large cavity in the earth.
When cultivators reached the Gold Core stage, they would generally cultivate some elemental escape techniques, not necessarily to attain profound mastery but to be able to use them smoothly in case of emergencies. With their Gold Core Daoist Master's Cultivation Base, even if they used the most basic elemental escape technique, it would still yield satisfactory results.
Meng Zhang and the four others entered the underground river from the ground and then used water escape techniques or water repelling spells, diving to the bottom of the dark river. However, the treasure they sought was not in this space. When constructing the treasure house, the head of the black market in charge at the time spared no expense to invite an expert proficient in spatial spells. They opened an independent space hidden within a spatial interstice. The treasure house was built within this separate space, shielded from detection with no traces left in the surrounding area. Even if a Primordial Spirit True Monarch came here without knowing the target's location and searched aimlessly, they could easily miss the treasure house.
A few hundred years had passed, and this treasure house had remained quietly hidden here, waiting for future generations to unlock its secrets.
Meng Zhang took out a palm-sized jade token. It was given to him by Daoist Master Black Fox and could open the treasure house. This jade token was actually a magic tool made using special methods, connecting it to the space where the treasure was hidden.
Meng Zhang infused True Essence into the jade token and then recited the incantation taught by Daoist Master Black Fox. After a while, a slight tremor came from the riverbed of the underground dark river, causing the water to ripple. Although they were 600 zhang deep underground, too much movement could still alarm the Barbarian Clan above. Fortunately, the tremor didn't last long and slowly subsided after a short moment.
The riverbed of the dark river revealed what seemed like a water curtain forming a large entrance.
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