Stone and picture combined

The "Treasure Ship" of the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce was not a ship that truly sailed the sea, but a colossal Magic Treasure in the shape of a storied vessel. It hovered above Bibo City, brightly lit and protected by strict Restrictions.

As the hour of the Rat approached, various beams of light rose from all over the city, landing on the deck of the Treasure Ship. Those who could obtain an entry token were without exception either powerful Cultivators or individuals of immense wealth. Their auras were mixed, carrying vigilance and scrutiny toward one another.

Nightmare had altered his appearance, transforming into a pale-faced, sinister-looking middle-aged Cultivator. His cultivation was still suppressed at the Early Nascent Soul Stage. Mixing into the crowd, he handed over his token and successfully entered the auction venue.

The interior of the venue was far more spacious than it appeared from the outside, clearly utilizing a spatial expansion Formation. It was luxuriously furnished, with seats arranged in a circle around a high platform in the center. The air was permeated with a faint, calming fragrance that could effectively isolate Divine Sense probing.

Nightmare sat in an inconspicuous corner. The Phantom Cloud Fox on his shoulder had already activated its innate Divine Ability, completely hiding its form and aura; only Nightmare could feel its negligible weight.

His gaze swept across the venue, and he saw several members of the Sea Hook Gang sitting in the front row. The scar-faced leader was among them, whispering something to a person who appeared to be a manager. There were at least two or three other subtle auras of the Soul Transformation Stage in the venue, likely experts invited by the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce to maintain order.

Soon, the auction began.

The early lots were mostly Materials, Medicinal Pills, and Magic Treasures native to the sea. Although precious, they did not cause much of a stir. Nightmare waited patiently.

Finally, the auctioneer's voice rose by an octave: "Next is the finale of this auction—the 'Gui Xu Sea Eye' ruins map!"

Two attendants walked onto the stage carrying an ancient scroll made from the skin of an unknown beast. As the scroll was unfurled, it depicted complex and dangerous sea routes using some kind of glowing pigment, ultimately pointing to a highlighted area shaped like a distorted pupil.

"This map was obtained by our Chamber's experts at a great cost from an ancient ruin. It marks a sea eye Secret Realm that has never been publicly explored. As for the Opportunity within, there is no need for this old man to say more! The starting price is five hundred High-Grade Spirit Stones, or equivalent treasures!"

A commotion immediately broke out in the venue, with bids following one after another.

"Six hundred!"

"Seven hundred!"

"I offer one 'Millennium Water-Avoiding Pearl'!"

"Eight hundred Spirit Stones plus three stalks of 'Void Flower'!"

The price soared, quickly breaking the one thousand five hundred Spirit Stone mark. In the end, it was won by a Cultivator shrouded in a black robe in the front row with a rare "Space Crystal."

With the map sold, the atmosphere at the venue became even more heated.

However, the auctioneer did not announce the end, but instead smiled mysteriously: "Esteemed guests, please remain calm. This auction has one more special mysterious lot. After being appraised by multiple experts of our Chamber, its secrets remain unfathomable, but the hardness of its material far exceeds the ordinary, perhaps hiding a great secret!"

A black stone plate about the size of a tabletop and an inch thick was brought up. The surface of the stone plate was rough and covered in wear marks, but one could vaguely see some extremely blurry, intermittent carvings. The style of those carvings... had some resemblance to the stone plate from the Third Observation Post and the Cang Clan runes!

Nightmare's heart skipped a beat! It was it!

Some disappointed boos echoed in the venue. After all, an incomprehensible stone plate was of uncertain value.

"The starting price for this item is three hundred High-Grade Spirit Stones!" the auctioneer announced a price that was not low.

Silence fell over the venue; no one responded. After all, no one wanted to spend a large sum of money to buy a piece of useless stone.

The auctioneer looked a bit awkward.

Just then, Nightmare in the corner spoke in a hoarse voice: "Three hundred."

Everyone's gaze instantly focused on him, carrying curiosity and scrutiny. The scar-faced leader of the Sea Hook Gang also squinted over.

The auctioneer breathed a sigh of relief: "Good! This Fellow Daoist bids three hundred! Is there any higher bid?"

Still, no one answered.

"Three hundred, going once! Three hundred, going twice..."

Just as the auctioneer was about to drop the hammer—

"Five hundred." A cold female voice suddenly came from a private box on the second floor.

The crowd was in an uproar, looking up one after another. The private box was blocked by Restrictions, making it impossible to see the people inside.

Nightmare frowned: "Six hundred."

"Seven hundred." The female voice did not hesitate.

"Eight hundred." Nightmare's voice was icy.

"One thousand." The female voice remained flat but carried a sense of determination to win.

The atmosphere in the venue became subtle. A broken stone was actually bid up to one thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones? This was either a shill, or this stone truly had some unknown secret!

Nightmare was silent for a moment. He felt that the female voice didn't seem to be deliberately driving up the price, but really wanted this stone plate. But he absolutely could not give up!

Just as he was about to increase the bid again, the Phantom Cloud Fox on his shoulder suddenly scratched him lightly, transmitting a vague intent that pointed toward the second-floor box, with a hint of... familiarity and doubt?

Nightmare's heart stirred, and he changed his words: "One thousand one hundred Spirit Stones, plus this copy of the 'Nether Water Secret Scripture'." He threw out a hand-copied Earth Rank Cultivation Technique he had obtained from the one-eyed owl's Storage Pouch, which was worth nearly several hundred Spirit Stones.

The second-floor box was silent for a moment, then the female voice spoke again, seemingly with a hint of imperceptible surprise: "...Acceptable."

In the end, Nightmare won the black stone plate at a high price.

The transaction was completed, and the stone plate was in hand, heavy and cold. Nightmare could clearly feel that the material of this stone plate was of the same origin as the cloud key in his palm and the stone plate of the Third Observation Post in his memory!

He suppressed the urge to study it immediately, put away the stone plate, and prepared to leave.

However, just as he walked out of the auction venue and onto the deck, his path was blocked by several people.

It was none other than the scar-faced leader of the Sea Hook Gang and his subordinates.

"This Fellow Daoist looks very unfamiliar." The scar-faced man looked at Nightmare with a mocking smile, "To be so generous as to bid on a useless stone plate, what a fine mood."

Nightmare was expressionless: "What does it have to do with you? Move aside."

"Hehe," the scar-faced man sneered, "The gang lost some things recently and is strictly checking all suspicious persons. Can you take out your Storage Pouch and let us check it? If there are no suspicions, we will naturally let you pass."

This was clearly a deliberate provocation, coveting the stone plate and wealth he had just bid on!

Other Cultivators around avoided them, not daring to intervene in the Sea Hook Gang's affairs.

A flash of cold light appeared in Nightmare's eyes: "What if I say no?"

"Then don't blame us for being impolite!" The scar-faced man shouted sharply, his cultivation at the Middle Nascent Soul Stage erupting as he reached out toward Nightmare! His subordinates behind him also attacked simultaneously, blocking the surroundings!

They actually dared to make a move directly on the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce's Treasure Ship! They were obviously accustomed to being arrogant!

Just as the scar-faced man's hand was about to touch Nightmare—

Nightmare moved!

He did not retreat, but instead took a step forward! His right hand struck out first, fast as lightning! On his fingertips, the gray-white and dark green interlaced Annihilation poison radiance flashed again!

It was still the "Soul Shattering Finger"! But this time, the Concept of life and death rotation contained in the finger technique was even more profound and unfathomable!

The scar-faced man's expression changed drastically; it was too late to change his move!

Pfft!

The finger wind cut into the Protective Aura like a red-hot soldering iron cutting into butter, easily piercing through it and striking his palm!

"Ah!" The scar-faced man let out a shrill scream, his entire arm withering at a speed visible to the naked eye, and that Annihilation Death Qi rushed straight along his Meridians toward his Dantian and Nascent Soul!

He was scared out of his wits, desperately urging his Yuan Power to resist while retreating violently!

But since Nightmare had made his move, would he give him a chance?

His figure stuck to him like a ghost, his left hand forming a claw. Dark-colored Demonic Essence spat out, carrying a terrifying aura that plundered vitality, and he struck directly at his crown!

The Netherworld Book of Life and Death Divine Ability—Vitality Plunder!

The scar-faced man's eyes were filled with despair and fear. He felt his cultivation and vitality, which he had cultivated for hundreds of years, flowing away crazily!

"Stop!" A roar came from the side, and a powerful mana fluctuation slammed toward Nightmare. It was the Soul Transformation Cultivator from the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce who had made a move!

Nightmare snorted coldly and had to give up on completely killing the scar-faced man. His claw wind veered, shattering his shoulder, and he borrowed the force to float backward, easily avoiding the long-range strike from the Soul Transformation Cultivator.

The scar-faced man fell to the ground like a broken sack. Although he saved his life, his cultivation plummeted, one arm was completely scrapped, and his vitality was severely damaged; it would be difficult to recover without years of hard cultivation.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye!

By the time everyone reacted, Nightmare was already standing with his hands behind his back at the bow of the ship, coldly looking at the Early Spirit Transformation Stage old man who had appeared. The old man was dressed in the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce's attire and looked at Nightmare with shock and suspicion, obviously not expecting this "Early Nascent Soul Stage" individual to be so ruthless and powerful.

"Is this how the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce does business? Indulging evil guests to commit violence, and instead attacking the victim?" Nightmare spoke first, his voice icy.

The Soul Transformation old man's face turned blue and white. The Sea Hook Gang was indeed in the wrong, and with everyone watching, he could not openly show favoritism.

"Fellow Daoist, calm down. This is our Chamber's failure in supervision." The old man cupped his hands and looked at the dying scar-faced man on the ground, saying coldly, "Members of the Sea Hook Gang, please leave the Treasure Ship immediately! Otherwise, don't blame this old man for being impolite!"

The remaining Sea Hook Gang members were scared out of their wits and hurriedly carried the scar-faced man away, fleeing in a sorry state.

The old man said to Nightmare again: "Sorry for the shock, Fellow Daoist."

Nightmare snorted coldly, said nothing more, and turned into a beam of light, instantly disappearing into the pitch-black Void Realm sea.

The Soul Transformation old man looked at the direction he disappeared in, his brows furrowed, and he muttered: "What eerie methods... fusing deathly silence with poison... and a trace of... ancient, vast aura... What is this person's background?"

...

After moving far away from Bibo City, Nightmare found a floating meteorite and set up a concealment Formation.

He couldn't wait to take out the black stone plate and revealed the mark of the cloud key in his palm.

When the aura of the cloud key touched the black stone plate, a sudden change occurred!

Hum!

The stone plate vibrated violently, and the blurry carvings on the surface lit up one by one, emitting a white light of the same origin as the cloud key! Immediately after, the stone plate melted like liquid, turning into a beam of white light, and merged into the cloud key mark in Nightmare's palm!

Boom!

A massive stream of information poured into Nightmare's mind!

This black stone plate was not an independent object at all, but a fragment of the Third Observation Post stone plate! It was one of the fragments that had shattered and fallen off during the great battle back then. What was recorded on it was the detailed star chart and spatial waypoints of the area near the third gate!

The cloud key and the stone plate fragment became one, becoming more complete. Nightmare's control authority over the third gate increased again, and he obtained a navigation route map to the second gate area that was ten million times more accurate than the sea map of the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce!

The navigation route map clearly marked the dangerous areas along the way, relatively safe passages, and even several hidden nodes where one could temporarily rest!

More importantly, through the complete cloud key, his sensing of the "blood key" became several times clearer!

The blood key was deep in the area where the second gate was located! But it seemed to be in an extremely unstable, dangerous place shrouded by a powerful energy field!

"So that's it... truly an unexpected joy!" A sharp light exploded in Nightmare's eyes.

This Bibo City was indeed the right place to come!

Now that he had the navigation route map and a clear goal, it was time to break into the Gui Xu Sea Eye again!

He looked at the Phantom Cloud Fox on his shoulder. The little guy seemed curious about the Fusion just now and scratched the mark on his palm with its little paw.

"This time, I might really need your help." Nightmare whispered.

The Phantom Cloud Fox chirped, puffed out its little chest, looking like it was all on me.

Nightmare smiled and cast his gaze back into the boundless and treacherous depths of the Gui Xu Sea Eye.

This time, he was well-prepared and would definitely take the blood key!

Meanwhile, in the private box on the second floor of the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce Treasure Ship in Bibo City.

A woman dressed in white, with a light veil covering her face and a cold temperament, was quietly watching the direction Nightmare disappeared. She was playing with a Jade Talisman in her hand, with an ancient character "Cloud" engraved on it.

"The aura of the cloud key... it actually actively rejected my sensing..." The woman whispered to herself, a trace of complexity flashing in her eyes, "Revered Master, is this the variable 'outside of fate' that you spoke of?"

"Very well... then let's see how much of a stir you can cause in this pool of stagnant water..."

Her figure slowly faded, dissipating like drifting clouds within the private box, as if she had never appeared.

Deep in the sea eye, the undercurrents were faster. The real storm was coming.