23: Chapter 23 Wild Market

Seven days after the Iron-Armored Bear incident, Wang Sheng's wounds had mostly healed.

With Hua Jieyu's bone-setting paste combined with Shen Xun'er's Moonlight Blessing, his Rank 2 Barbarian Warrior physique recovered far faster than an ordinary person's.

The claw marks on his left ribs had scabbed over and fallen off, leaving only a pale pink scar. The new skin shimmered with a faint golden light as the Holy Light circulated.

Hua Jieyu said it would take another three to five days to fully recover, but Wang Sheng could not wait that long, because the Myriad Races Market was about to open.

This news was brought back by Liu Ruyan.

She would disappear every two days to mark the entrance of the beast paths on the outskirts of the Savage Beast Forest.

When she returned three days ago, she brought back news that perked everyone up: the footprints on the beast paths had changed direction. They no longer circled around the Bright Camp but extended towards the southeast. That direction was exactly where the Myriad Races Market in the Central Wasteland Region was located.

"The number of travelers on the beast paths is increasing."

Liu Ruyan stood in the center of the Chiefs Tent, her willow-like waist slightly turned to the side. The smoky, misty luster in her phoenix eyes appeared exceptionally deep under the reflection of the fire pit. "And it's not just the Human Race; I saw claw marks from the Beast Race, footprints from the Elf Race, and even scale marks from the Dragon-Kin Race. This means the opening day of the Myriad Races Market is approaching."

"Myriad Races Market?" Wang Sheng looked at Shen Xun'er.

Shen Xun'er sat by the fire pit, leafing through the star divination records of the Ancestral Spirit Altar. Her moon-white ceremonial robes shimmered with a soft silver-blue luster in the firelight, and her long, raven-black hair draped over her shoulders like fine silk. Upon hearing Wang Sheng's question, she looked up, a flash of understanding crossing her almond-shaped eyes. She closed her eyes and used the altar to divine information about the world.

"The Myriad Races Market is a neutral zone for trade among all races in the Central Wasteland Region, opening once every period of time."

"The Myriad Races Market, a neutral zone for trade among all races in the Central Wasteland Region?" Wang Sheng nodded, shifting his gaze from Shen Xun'er's moonlight-soft face to the others in the tent. "We need resources. We don't have enough Spirit Potato seeds for the spirit fields, the Weapon Refinement Workshop is lacking Savage Beast bone materials, and the herb garden has too few varieties of spirit herbs. If we don't replenish them soon, the development of the Bright Tribe will stagnate."

"I'll go." Murong Xue spoke quickly, her brown ponytail whipping neatly behind her head, her silver armor glinting coldly in the firelight. "Your wounds haven't fully healed; you need someone who can fight to guard you closely."

"I'll go too." Liu Ruyan's voice was very soft, but the light in her phoenix eyes was exceptionally firm. "The market is the place with the densest intelligence. I need to go and investigate. The frequency of those footprints on the beast paths is increasing, and the movements of the Savage Beasts don't seem right. I always feel like something is stirring in the shadows."

Wang Sheng was silent for a moment.

He looked at Murong Xue. The valiant Holy Light Knight stood in the tent like an unsheathed silver spear. Her tall, fit figure was even more heroic wrapped in silver armor; the arc of the breastplate outlined a full yet powerful curve, while the cinched waist armor revealed a slender waistline, and below the waist armor were the long, powerful contours of her thighs. Her brown ponytail swayed gently behind her shoulders, and those bright eyes on her resolute face were filled with undeniable firmness.

He then looked at Liu Ruyan. The classical Eastern beauty stood quietly to the side. Her willow-like figure was wrapped in night-travel clothes, which instead highlighted her perfectly curved physique. The tight cut of the night-travel clothes clearly outlined her slender, graspable waist and slightly curved hip line, especially those smoky, misty eyes, which changed from cold to an indescribable gentleness in the warm light of the fire pit. She did not express concern as directly as Murong Xue, but volunteering herself was the greatest statement in itself.

"Alright." Wang Sheng made his decision. "Murong Xue will provide protection, and Liu Ruyan will gather intelligence. I will take you two with me."

"I want to go too," Zhao Linger's voice came from outside the tent. Her baby face peeked through the gap in the tent flap, her large eyes sparkling. "The market must be a lot of fun! I've never seen a market in the wilderness before!"

"No." Wang Sheng said decisively. "The sound characteristics of your Spirit Sound Technique are too distinct. If you accidentally expose the tribe's intelligence capabilities, the loss will outweigh the gain."

Zhao Linger pouted so hard she could hang an oil bottle from it, but she still obediently retreated outside the tent. Shen Xun'er curled the corners of her mouth on the side, the amusement in her almond eyes impossible to hide; she understood Zhao Linger's little schemes better than anyone.

The departure date was set for the next morning.

The location of the Myriad Races Market was to the southeast of the Central Wasteland Region, about sixty li in a straight line from the Bright Camp. One could reach it by passing through the outskirts of the Savage Beast Forest and crossing a low mountain. According to Liu Ruyan's intelligence, the market's opening period usually lasted three days, and today was the first day.

The wilderness in the early morning was shrouded in pale golden mist, and the sound of the Lingxi River was murmuring like a song.

Wang Sheng stood at the entrance of the camp, draped in a robe sewn from Savage Beast hide to cover the scar on his left ribs. Tied at his waist was the Chiefs Tent staff, a short staff polished from the bones of an Iron-Armored Bear, with a Savage Beast crystal core embedded at the top that shimmered with a faint dark golden light in the morning sun.

Murong Xue was fully armed, her silver armor like a moving mirror in the morning light. Her long spear was slung across her back, and the silver gleam of the spear tip pierced through the morning mist.

Liu Ruyan had changed into an inconspicuous grey-brown short outfit, hiding her night-travel clothes underneath. She had two short daggers tucked at her waist, and the light in her phoenix eyes appeared exceptionally cold and deep in the morning mist.

"Take note, the Myriad Races Market is a neutral zone; regardless of what happens, you must not resort to force." Wang Sheng warned again before leaving. "There are only three of us, and the Bright Tribe is only at the camp level; we are nothing at the market. Act low-key, and focus on trading."

Murong Xue and Liu Ruyan nodded simultaneously.

The three of them set off, passing through the outskirts of the Savage Beast Forest. Liu Ruyan led the way; the stealth ability of the Phantom Assassin allowed her to be like a silent shadow, not even disturbing a single falling leaf as she traversed between the treetops.

Murong Xue followed closely by Wang Sheng's side, the spiritual energy on her silver armor circulating slightly, ready to respond to any sudden situation at any time.

Along the way, the Savage Beasts on the outskirts of the Savage Beast Forest dared not approach within a three-li radius of the camp under the pressure of the Ancestral Spirit Altar's Sanctuary Domain. However, after moving away from the Sanctuary Domain, they could occasionally still feel the prying eyes of low-rank Savage Beasts. Wang Sheng's Holy Light Warrior aura was like a walking lighthouse, and his Rank 2 Barbarian Warrior spiritual pressure was enough to disperse most ill-intentioned Savage Beasts. The few that were not so smart wisely retreated under the deterrence of Murong Xue's silver spear.

When crossing the low mountain, Liu Ruyan suddenly stopped, her phoenix eyes narrowing slightly.

"There are many people ahead."

Wang Sheng looked in the direction she was gazing. On the other side of the low mountain, in a wide river valley, hundreds of tents and stalls had sprung up like bamboo shoots after rain. Cooking smoke and spiritual energy fluctuations intertwined, forming a lively and noisy scene.

The Myriad Races Market.

This was the first time Wang Sheng had seen such a gathering of so many races on the Wilderness Continent.

The market was located in a river valley where two rivers converged. The terrain was open, surrounded by tall, ancient wilderness trees, naturally forming a huge enclosed space.

In the center of the river valley was a stone altar, covered in ancient Spirit Runes, emitting a faint silver-white light. That was the neutral barrier of the Myriad Races Market, said to have been laid down by ancient gods themselves. Anyone who resorted to violence within the market would be suppressed by the barrier.

"This barrier..." Shen Xun'er was not by his side, but Wang Sheng remembered what she had said. The neutral barrier of the Myriad Races Market was a relic of the ancient gods, at least SS-rank or higher. Attacks below the Barbarian General level would be completely absorbed, and attacks at the Barbarian General level would only cause one-tenth of the damage. This meant that within the market, fighting at the Barbarian Warrior level was almost equivalent to a harmless farce.

Stalls were lined up along both banks of the river, stretching as far as the eye could see. Figures of the Human Race, Beast Race, Elf Race, and even occasionally the Dragon-Kin Race could be seen moving between the stalls. The air was filled with a mixed scent of various foods, herbs, and Savage Beast furs. The sounds of hawking, bargaining, and the low growls of Savage Beasts merged into a noisy ocean. Wang Sheng took a deep breath and walked into the market with Murong Xue and Liu Ruyan.