Iris Continent.
Within the Zuoqiu Clan.
Zuoqiu Kong stood silently in an elegant and simple courtyard while staring at that door that had been tightly closed all these years, and along with the passage of time, his slanted ink black brows couldn’t help but gradually knit together.
In the end, the door was still tightly shut and deathly silent, and he sighed lightly before intending to leave.
Right at this moment, a heavy voice that was filled with supreme dignity resounded from within the tightly closed door. “Kong’er, do you feel that you made no mistakes?”
Zuoqiu Kong was stunned, and then he took a deep breath and lowered his head before he said, “Father, could it be that you feel…that bastard shouldn’t be killed?”
Father!
Just this method of address pointed out the identity of the owner of the voice behind the door. Surprisingly, it was the Patriarch of the Zuoqiu Clan, Zuoqiu Feng!
“No wonder A’Xue said that you were too young…” Zuoqiu Feng’s sigh resounded once more from within the room. “Your mistake wasn’t planning to kill that bastard this time, and it’s instead that you haven’t clearly recognized the will of the seniors in the clan.”
“Their will?” Zuoqiu Kong had a faintly uncomfortable feeling. Earlier, when he met his Little Aunt, Zuoqiu Xue, he’d suffered repeated blows. Now, even his father said he was too young, and as a figure that was like a blazing sun in the Immortal Dimension, he naturally felt rather dissatisfied!
“Exactly, their will!” Zuoqiu Feng’s voice became solemn and even stern as he said, “You feel that it’s Ancestor Taiwu that spoiled your plans this time? No! It’s that you haven’t realized there’s no difference in groups in the eyes of Ancestor Taiwu and the others, let alone betraying us to support your Little Aunt.”
Zuoqiu Kong was stunned, and he faintly understood something yet didn’t dare confirm it.
“Remember, they only have the Zuoqiu Clan in their hearts. Besides this, even I, the Patriarch, am unimportant to them, whereas you intended to rely on the strength of an outsider to kill Chen Xi right under Ancestor Taiwu’s nose. These actions had already touched the limits they were willing to allow.” When he spoke up to here, Zuoqiu Feng went silent for a moment before he sighed and said, “After all, as far as they’re concerned, the blood of the Zuoqiu Clan flows in Chen Xi’s veins, and he’s part of the clan!”
When he said that Chen Xi was a part of the clan, his voice couldn’t help but carry indescribable hatred.
Only now did Zuoqiu Kong understand where his mistake was, and he couldn’t help but frown. “Father, in this way, the operation this time was bound to fail as soon as I sent A’Jun and Uncle Hong to pay a visit to Ancestor Taiwu?”
“You understand now? Ancestor Taiwu has always been living in seclusion in Dao Emperor Academy while shutting himself out from the outside world, yet even I don’t dare underestimate his influence in the clan. Doing this was equivalent to pushing Ancestor Taiwu towards your Little Aunt’s side.” Zuoqiu Feng’s deep sigh sounded out from behind the door.
This caused a wisp of gloominess to surge onto the space between Zuoqiu Kong’s brows, and his originally composed and indifferent expression gradually became gloomy.
Never had he expected that he would have made such a terrible mistake this time, and it was even to the extent that his operation was bound to fail since the beginning…
“Go on, don’t leave the clan in the near future.”
“Father, when will you be completing your closed door cultivation and start managing the clan?” Zuoqiu Kong couldn’t help but ask.
“Soon, I’m just waiting…for a critical factor to advance!”
A critical factor to advance!
Zuoqiu Kong’s eyes narrowed before he bowed towards the tightly shut door, and then he turned and left.
…
At the same time, within the teleportation formation in Darkombat City.
“The Soulsmelt Mining Area? That’s a place Misty Immortal Continent’s Immortal Monarch’s Estate detains the forsakers of the heavens from the mortal dimension. Chen Xi, your Master wouldn’t be a…” When he found out that Chen Xi actually intended to head to a place called Soulsmelt Mining Area within Misty Immortal Continent, Xuanyuan Yun’s eyes squinted while he felt surprised and bewildered.
Forsakes of the heavens were those from the mortal dimension that weren’t willing to ascend into the Immortal Dimension and utilized prohibited secret techniques to conceal their Immortal Foundation, allowing them to escape the detection of the Heaven Dao.
To the Immortal Dimension, such actions were a great disrespect. Once it occurred, then not only would they be forcefully drawn up into the Immortal Dimension, these forsakers of the heavens would suffer severe punishment.
The Soulsmelt Mining Area was an area controlled by the Immortal Monarch’s Estate of Misty Immortal Continent that specialized in punishing forsakers of the heavens, and it was no different from the prisons of the mortal world.
“Do you know the exact position of the Soulsmelt Mining Area?” asked Chen Xi.
Even though Chen Xi hasn’t answered Xuanyuan Yun’s question, it still allowed him to faintly determine that Chen Xi’s Master from the Mortal Dimension was probably a forsaker of the heavens.
When he thought up to here, Xuanyuan Yun couldn’t help but sigh. He was clearly aware of how pitiful the consequences faced by the forsakers of the heavens were after they were drawn up into the Immortal Dimensions.
“It’s probably nearby Wind Indulgence City.” Xuanyuan Yun said, “However, it’s difficult to locate. I know some friends in Wind Indulgence City, and I can find out from them.”
“Alright, then it’s decided. But we have to first look for a person once we arrive at Wind Indulgence City.” Chen Xi answered without the slightest hesitation.
“Who?” Xuanyuan Yun was stunned.
“The little miss that sent me the transmission jade slip. Her name is Qi Xiaoyu.” Chen Xi’s gaze was deep as he answered calmly.
…
Misty Immortal Continent.
The scorching sun hung high above Wind Indulgence City, and the sky was clear blue.
Orchid Tree Lane was the busiest street in Wind Indulgence City, and there were numerous trading companies, restaurants, treasure pavilions, herb stored, and so on and so forth distributed along it.
However, Orchid Tree Lane was most renowned for its slave trade.
The slaves sold here didn’t just include prisoners of war that came from the various worlds in the Outerealm, there were even some rare and strange races from the three dimensions. For example, Sharkmen from Mulberry Ocean, tiny people that were only the size of a grain of rice from Ancient Sky Abyss, Cloudweave Silkworm Goddesses from Cloudglow Icelands, and various others.
According to rumor, one could even buy the descendants of dragons, phoenixes, and ancient clans that had declined here. Of course, the identities of these slaves were too special, and they absolutely didn’t dare sell them openly. So they could only be seen in some secret black markets.
In short, the slave trade had become the second name for Orchid Tree Lane, and it drew the over countless customers from the other continents to purchase slaves here.
Noon was the most bustling period of time in a day on Orchid Tree Lane, and many merchants would display stalls on the sides of the broad street while shouting loudly and clamorously.
“This is it?”
“Yes, the strand of aura that remains within the jade slip probably belongs to that Qi Xiaoyu. I searched with my Immortal Sense earlier, and I faintly captured a trace of an aura that conforms to Qi Xiaoyu. It’s right here.” Within the bustling streams of people, Chen Xi and Xuanyuan Yun were walking side by side.
“This is the most renowned slave trade area in Misty Immortal Continent, and there are numerous people of countless races here…” Xuanyuan Yun sized up the surroundings and spoke swiftly.
“Follow me.” Suddenly, Chen Xi seemed to have sensed something, and he didn’t wait for Xuanyuan Yun to finish speaking before he dragged Xuanyuan Yun along and flashed towards the distance.
In practically a blink of the eye, they’d already arrived before a large-scale slave selling stall.
It was said to be a stall, yet it was actually no different than a small square, and there was a platform standing there. On the platform were numerous large iron cages, and they numbered over a thousand in total.
Shockingly, there was all sorts of slaves within the iron cages. There were humans and various other races, and they were laid out and sold like goods.
There were over twenty robust immortals that were guarding these slaves, and they were actually all at the Mysterious Immortal Realm. In Wind Indulgence City, such a force could be considered to be rather striking.
At this moment, there was a middle aged man that seemed like merchant standing before the platform, and he was ceaselessly promoting these slaves within the iron cages to the people that passed by with a rather fervent attitude.
When Chen Xi arrived here, he locked onto one of those iron cages on first glance, and there was a young woman in ragged clothes confined within it. Her hair was disheveled while her hands were shackled with iron chains. However, based on her jade white skin and graceful figure, one could still perceive that this young woman’s appearance ought to be not bad.
It was indeed so because Chen Xi’s deep gaze directly passed through her disheveled hair and saw the young woman’s appearance. Her features were young and clear while her appearance seemed obedient and pretty. Her tiny oval lips were puckered together tightly, and she revealed a pitiable aura.
However, Chen Xi frowned because the young man had suffered cruel beatings in the past, and her jade white skin was covered in the signs of trauma. Moreover, her little face was ghastly pale, and she had a completely dazed and dim gaze. Being locked within the icy cold iron cage caused her to seem extremely miserable and pitiable.
“Qi Xiaoyu?” Chen Xi couldn’t restrain himself from asking. He was able to sense that the strand of aura left behind on the transmission jade slip was exactly alike to the aura of the young woman before him.
However, the young woman seemed to have no reaction, and she seemed to remain lifeless like a corpse.
Chen Xi frowned and was about to continue questioning her when the middle aged merchant rushed over hastily, and he beamed as he said, “Young Master, have you taken a liking to this slave?”
Chen Xi glanced at him and nodded.
“Young Master, you have such a discerning gaze. We paid a great price to purchase this slave. She was born a beauty and is a virgin. As for any other uses, it’s up to you to unearth them. If you’ve taken a liking to her…”
Before the middle aged merchant could finish speaking, Chen Xi frowned and interrupted him. “Speak! What’s the price?”
“Young Master really is a straightforward person. I’ll get to the point, give me 10,000 Immortal Stones and this slave is yours.” A wisp of a cunning expression flashed in the middle aged merchant’s eyes, and he grinned as he declared the price.
“10,000?” Chen Xi glanced at him and said, “I can accept this price. But let me ask you, where did you buy this young woman from?”
As soon as these words were spoken, a wisp of vigilance instantly flashed onto the middle aged merchant’s face, and then he laughed bitterly while he cupped his fists and said, “I’m sorry Young Master. It’s part of the rules, and I can’t expose that.”
“Alright, then let me ask you this. What’s her name?” said Chen Xi with a frown.
“She’s a slave, so how could she be worthy of possessing a name? If you like her, you can give her one after you buy her.” The middle aged merchant smiled.
“Alright, I’ll take her.” Chen Xi took a deep breath, and he forcefully restrained the trace of uncomfortableness he felt in his heart as he waved his hand and spoke.
The middle aged merchant was delighted, and he was just about to say something when he saw that the young woman locked within the iron cage had suddenly raised her head before she cried out in a sharp voice. “No, I don’t agree to that. I can’t leave this place. I…still have to wait for someone!”
