28: Chapter 28 First Exploration of the Black Market: A Moving Treasure Map!

Returning to the dormitory, Lin Qingzhi did not delay for a moment.

Regarding that oddly shaped encrypted phone seized from the Spirit Master, she didn't even attempt to crack any passwords or fingerprint locks.

I only saw her extend a slender, jade-like finger.

At the tip of her finger, a wisp of Ice Phoenix True Essence, purer than a strand of hair, quietly coalesced.

Then, using that finger which seemed to contain the supreme laws of heaven and earth, she lightly tapped the phone screen.

"Zzz... Crack!"

An extremely faint sound, like glass shattering, rang out.

That phone, forged from a special alloy and capable of withstanding heavy hammer blows, had its core encryption chip and energy circuits instantly incinerated into primitive particles under the overbearing impact of Lin Qingzhi's True Essence.

Brutal, but effective.

This was very much like the Empress.

The phone screen flickered a few times, skipped all verification steps, and entered the main interface directly.

I leaned in, observing curiously.

The interface was simple, containing only an app similar to an underground forum.

Lin Qingzhi clicked it, and a dark, chaotic trading world filled with the scent of blood and wealth opened its gates to us.

【Jiang City Awakened Ones Black Market】

That was the name of this underground world.

Lin Qingzhi quickly browsed the information. Finally, her gaze locked onto a map and a scrolling string of contact codes.

"West side of the city, abandoned subway station..."

She murmured softly, a flicker of realization flashing in her eyes.

"They certainly know how to pick a place."

That evening, the night was as dark as ink.

Lin Qingzhi and I, like two shadows blending into the darkness, silently left the campus and delved toward the location marked on the map.

For Lin Qingzhi, this was her first step back onto the urban stage.

As for me, after devouring Zhang Meng's blood qi and receiving the generous rewards of an S-rank mission evaluation, the power within my body had reached an unprecedented peak.

【evolution points: 83】

Looking at this number, my heart was filled with unprecedented pride.

This huge sum was enough for me to complete another bone-transforming evolution.

But, I held back.

I had a premonition that this so-called "black market" was definitely a dragon's pool or a tiger's den, filled with unknown dangers and opportunities.

Keeping the evolution points in hand would allow me to better handle any emergencies.

The abandoned subway station entrance was like the mouth of a man-eating beast, gaping pitch-black and constantly exhaling damp, moldy air.

At the entrance, two burly men wearing demonic ghost masks stood guard like door gods.

The blood qi fluctuations emanating from them were clearly those of Awakened Ones at the Consummation of Hetero-rank.

Lin Qingzhi stepped forward and, using an extremely faint vibration audible only to a mosquito, spoke the contact code from the phone.

One of the large men nodded and stepped aside to clear a path.

Walking down the rust-stained steps, a strange scent mixed with blood, herbs, engine oil, and various chaotic spiritual energy fluctuations hit us in the face.

The sight of the subway platform left me in awe.

The original waiting area had now turned into a bustling yet oppressive and eerie bazaar.

Under the dim emergency lights, Awakened Ones wearing various masks shuttled and traded in front of crude stalls.

Some were as burly as bears, some as thin as monkeys; some radiated scorching blood qi, while others were shrouded in cold energy.

This was the dark side of Jiang City's Awakened world.

An outlaw land full of opportunity and slaughter.

"Mo Wen."

Just as I was shocked by the scene before me, Lin Qingzhi's cold voice rang directly in my mind through our wonderful bond.

"Use your ability to scan the area."

"Look for the things with the purest and oldest energy. Do not be deceived by appearances."

Here it comes!

It was finally time for me, the 'Chief Appraiser' and 'Mobile Treasure Map,' to take the stage!

I was so excited my six legs were itching, and I immediately activated my 【Spiritual Energy Perception】!

Buzz!

In my eyes, the entire world instantly shed all its material disguises, turning into a flowing three-dimensional scroll composed of countless energy light spots!

This was practically a God's-eye view!

I saw it.

At one stall, an 'enchanted longsword' that looked cold and sharp had energy halos that were unstable and even carried a hint of industrial dye—a fake.

At another stall, a 'century-old blood ginseng' being hyped up had rich life energy, but its roots bore unnatural break marks—a fast-tracked product.

Even people could not hide before me.

That masked person with a steady aura had chaotic spiritual energy fluctuations inside—a paper tiger.

That cowering, weak stall owner had a ball of mercury-like energy condensed at his dantian—a ruthless character playing the pig to eat the tiger.

In this black market full of lies and disguises, I was the only truth!

Under my guidance, Lin Qingzhi walked unhurriedly through the various stalls, showing not even a hint of interest in the 'treasures' the owners boasted about.

Her posture actually made some ill-intentioned fellows hesitate to approach easily.

Finally, in the most remote corner of the black market, I made a startling discovery!

It was a stall run by a scruffy, drowsy old man, with some scrap metal scattered about.

Among a pile of rusty parts, a fist-sized 'waste stone' covered in oil that he used to weigh down a tent corner radiated an extremely restrained yet incomparably pure energy halo, brilliant as the stars, in my vision!

That energy was ancient, heavy, and filled with the most primitive aura of the earth.

I was so excited I almost cried out, immediately using the vibration of my wings to frantically relay my discovery to Lin Qingzhi.

Lin Qingzhi's footsteps paused slightly.

She calmly walked to the stall, swept a disdainful glance over the junk, then casually picked up the 'waste stone,' weighed it in her hand, and asked in a nonchalant tone:

"Boss, how much for this broken stone?"

The old man lazily lifted an eyelid. "Heh, little girl, you have a good eye. I dug this out of an ancient tomb. One price, ten thousand yuan!"

Lin Qingzhi was almost laughed at by him.

She was just about to use her Empress eloquence to slash the price to the floor when—

An arrogant, overbearing voice suddenly rang out from behind us.

"Wait!"

"This young master has taken a fancy to this broken stone!"

I looked back.

A youth wearing designer clothes with slicked-back hair walked over swaggeringly, accompanied by two fierce-looking bodyguards.

On his chest was pinned a family badge with a flame pattern.

The largest local Awakened family in Jiang City—the Wang Family.

And this youth was clearly that notorious playboy of the Wang Family—Wang Teng.

Trouble had arrived.

But in my heart, a trace of excitement inexplicably rose.

This meant...

More evolution points were about to deliver themselves to my door!