Chapter 1306: Mirror Flower, Water Moon

The Demon Sovereign listened, then asked, "Is that so? Then tell me, does Chen Changsheng know you left a strand of consciousness here?"

Jiuxiaozi said, "He knows."

The Demon Sovereign fell deep into thought.

He found it hard to believe that Chen Changsheng would tolerate Jiuxiaozi to such an extent.

This, however, was not something the Demon Sovereign could tolerate.

Such magnanimity from Chen Changsheng would likely leave behind endless hidden dangers. In the Demon Sovereign's eyes, Jiuxiaozi was simply not a trustworthy Daoist.

The more a person fixated on the principle that the Dao models itself on nature, the more uneasy it made the Demon Sovereign. Such people possessed no humanity. No—it was more accurate to say they shouldn't even be called human.

To put it bluntly, this man would do absolutely anything in his pursuit of the ultimate end.

Jiuxiaozi looked down at the Go board between them.

He paused, leaned in, and picked up a black piece.

Under the Demon Sovereign's watchful gaze, Jiuxiaozi placed the piece on the board.

The Demon Sovereign frowned, but when he looked at the board again, his expression drastically changed.

A single piece, yet it ingeniously altered the entire layout.

The stalemate was broken. The black pieces pressed down like a black dragon disdaining the nine heavens. Under such momentum, the white pieces seemed to fall into disarray; all that remained for them was a steady, relentless devouring.

The Demon Sovereign raised his head to look at Jiuxiaozi.

Jiuxiaozi seemed to have caught a sudden wave of interest. This time, he picked up a white piece. After a brief moment of thought, he played it.

As the piece fell, the situation reversed once more.

From within the complex board, this white piece found the flaw in the black formation. Like a surprise battalion, it pierced straight into the royal court, severing the black dragon's head from its tail and completely turning the tide.

As the Demon Sovereign watched this, his misgivings deepened.

This man could not be left alive!

When Chen Changsheng woke up, he was still thinking about that game. The black side had a brilliant move that could turn danger into safety and even reverse the overall situation, but the Demon Sovereign was far too focused on the big picture to see it.

However, Chen Changsheng knew this was only a matter of time. Perhaps by the time he returned, the Demon Sovereign would have already spotted that move.

Chen Changsheng collected his thoughts.

He had already returned to the Cultivation World.

Most of this place was unfamiliar to him. He rarely traveled within the Cultivation World; for him, coming here was a way to broaden his horizons.

He walked onward, inexplicably wandering into a market.

This market was located deep within the mountain forests, heavily hidden away.

This surprised Chen Changsheng. After a bit of asking around, he finally understood.

This was the Black Market.

The Mortal World had its black markets, and the Cultivation World was no different.

What Chen Changsheng couldn't understand, however, was how a Black Market in the Cultivation World could be so openly displayed under the clear light of day.

This was quite different from what he had imagined.

The Cultivation World's Black Market sold absolutely everything.

Most of the goods were the relics of disciples from major Immortal Sects. To put it plainly, these were the spoils of murder and robbery. Out of fear of offending those Immortal Sects, the culprits brought the items to the Black Market to sell.

But if it were only these things, it would hardly be enough to call it a Black Market.

Chen Changsheng asked a stall owner a couple of questions.

Upon hearing them, the stall owner immediately said, "One look and I can tell it's your first time here. You don't understand a thing."

Chen Changsheng said, "I indeed stumbled upon it by sheer luck."

The stall owner held out a hand.

Seeing this, Chen Changsheng understood what he meant.

If he wanted answers, he naturally had to offer some benefit.

Chen Changsheng had no valuables on him. After thinking for a moment, he fished out a copper coin and condensed a strand of Yin-Yang Magical Power into it.

"There is a wisp of Yin-Yang Qi within this copper coin. That should be enough, right?"

The stall owner took it to examine. With a slight probe, he confirmed that it was indeed Yin-Yang Qi inside, and a particularly pure strand at that.

"It's actually this pure!"

The stall owner's eyes filled with disbelief. Such a treasure was incredibly rare.

Wasn't this person a bit too generous with his wealth?

The stall owner nodded repeatedly and said, "It's enough, it's enough, more than enough!"

The stall owner then began to explain things to Chen Changsheng.

What sat under the broad daylight wasn't actually considered the Black Market. The true Black Market was further inside. Initially, it had just been some secondhand peddlers selling things here under the Black Market's protection. The Black Market cared greatly about its reputation, and the backer of this place would not tolerate anyone acting wildly within its territory.

"We secondhand peddlers are just borrowing their prestige to earn a bite to eat."

The stall owner continued, "Later on, it slowly became what it is now, and this place came to be known as the Outer Market. It isn't actually the true Black Market; the real Black Market is still inside."

"I see." Chen Changsheng paused for a moment before saying, "If that's the case, the person backing the Black Market must be quite extraordinary."

"That's for sure," the stall owner said. "After all, to put it plainly, this Black Market is actually opposing all the Immortal Sects and Daoist cultivators in the entire Cultivation World."

Chen Changsheng asked, "Then how can one enter the Inner Market?"

The stall owner replied, "For some people, it might be very difficult, but it shouldn't be an issue for a lord like yourself."

"How so?"

"You are so generous with your wealth, my lord. You only need to take out a similar copper coin and briefly flash it. You won't even need to search; someone will soon come and invite you into the Inner Market."

Chen Changsheng was somewhat surprised and asked, "Is a Yin-Yang Copper Coin truly that valuable?"

The stall owner was startled by these words and said, "Oh my, your status must truly be unfathomable, my lord. To think that such a thing couldn't even enter your Dharma Eye. But to the rest of us, it truly is a rare and precious treasure."

"Yin-Yang Qi isn't hard to find, is it?"

"It isn't hard to find, but Qi this pure is exceedingly rare."

"I see."

Chen Changsheng understood now. He promptly said, "Thank you for clearing that up."

The stall owner smiled. "You are too polite, my lord."

Chen Changsheng left the stall. Following the stall owner's advice, he took out a Yin-Yang Copper Coin and began playing with it in his hand.

Sure enough, it didn't take long for someone to approach him.

"Fellow Daoist, I wonder if I might take a closer look at that Yin-Yang Copper Coin in your hand?"

"Naturally."

Chen Changsheng presented the copper coin on his palm.

The man didn't reach for it. He just looked at it and immediately understood, thinking to himself, Such pure Yin-Yang Qi!

After a brief moment of astonishment, the man cupped his hands in greeting before saying to Chen Changsheng, "Fellow Daoist, there is nothing fresh in this Outer Market, and the goods are half-real and half-fake. Lingering here truly lowers your status. Why don't you follow me to take a look inside the Inner Market?"

Chen Changsheng said, "Then I'll trouble you to lead the way."

"This way, Fellow Daoist."

A sycophantic expression filled the man's face as he led Chen Changsheng deeper into the market.

At the very end of the market was a pool of water.

At first glance, it looked no different from any other pool, but when the man led Chen Changsheng to step into the water, it felt as if they had instantly transitioned into an entirely different world.

Chen Changsheng was momentarily dazed and asked, "A pocket world?"

The man smiled and explained, "You misunderstand, Fellow Daoist. This is a manifestation of our exalted lord's Divine Abilities, not a pocket world. This is the Mirror Flower, Water Moon Art."