Projection of the Heavens: I prove my immortality through slaughter.

Lin Xuan did not refine all ten drops of Star Essence Liquid at once. Under the precise control of his Virtual Divine Spark and the protection of his partially completed Destruction True Intent, he spent five days perfectly absorbing the first drop. His cultivation was completely stabilized at the peak of the seventh level of Foundation Establishment, and his physical body and soul received considerable nourishment. Although the range of his divine sense did not expand again, the sharpness and refinement of his perception reached a new level.

Feeling the surging power within him, Lin Xuan knew that working in isolation was not a long-term solution. Improving his strength required resources, but even more so, information. While the Star Essence Liquid was valuable, understanding the structure of this star field, uncovering the secrets behind the black fragments, and obtaining more clues about enhancing his projection abilities were equally crucial.

In Chenxi Ancient City, the most well-informed yet chaotic place, besides the overtly powerful Wanbaolou, is the hidden black market.

The underground black market in the ancient city is not fixed in one place, but is run by several powerful forces on a rotating basis. The location changes frequently, and entry requires a guide or a special token. Through his virtual divine sense, Lin Xuan analyzed and deduced a large amount of fragmented information from the ancient city recently, and pinpointed a black market stronghold located deep in an abandoned mine in the outer city.

That night, the moon was hidden and the stars were few.

Lin Xuan changed into an inconspicuous gray cloak, activated the "Star Convergence Technique," and perfectly concealed his aura to the early Foundation Establishment stage, just like an ordinary low-level rogue cultivator. Following the deduced route, he made his way through the maze of twists and turns until he arrived at the entrance of a seemingly long-abandoned mine.

There was a faint fluctuation of the array at the entrance. Two guards wearing ghost masks and exuding a sinister aura blocked the way. Both of them were at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

"A token, or a referrer." The guard on the left spoke in a cold, emotionless voice.

Lin Xuan didn't speak, but simply flicked his finger, and ten glittering mid-grade spirit stones fell into the other party's hand. This was the most direct and effective "token" analyzed by the virtual divine spark.

The guards weighed the spirit stones in their hands, scanned Lin Xuan with their divine senses, and after confirming that he only had the cultivation level of "early Foundation Establishment," they exchanged glances and made way for him. The guard on the right handed over an identical ghost face mask.

"Put it on, and follow the rules inside, or... life or death will be your only concern."

Lin Xuan took the mask, put it on, and stepped into the mine. After passing through a layer of water-like ripples in the space, the scene before him suddenly opened up.

This wasn't a mine pit at all; it was clearly a massive, hollowed-out underground cavern! The cavern's ceiling was inlaid with fluorite that emitted a ghastly white light, illuminating the area below as if it were daytime. Inside, the cavern was bustling with noise and stalls, but unlike the orderly Wanbaolou, this place was filled with chaos, primal energy, and naked desire.

The stalls displayed a wide variety of items: magical artifacts of unknown origin, pills tainted with bloodlust, jade slips recording evil techniques and secret arts, and even slaves of various races bound by restrictions, their eyes numb... The air was thick with the scent of herbs, blood, and the tense atmosphere of clandestine transactions.

Most of the cultivators passing by, like Lin Xuan, concealed their faces and auras, moving hurriedly with wary eyes. Here, murder and robbery could happen at any moment.

Lin Xuan moved his divine sense slightly, and like an invisible spider web, he quietly spread out, carefully avoiding several stalls with obscure auras that seemed to be guarded by Golden Core cultivators, and began to gather information.

He first spent some spirit stones to purchase several jade slips from a vendor who specialized in selling information about star regions. These slips contained information about recent major events, power distribution, and some secrets of dangerous areas within the Tianfeng Star Region. His virtual divine spark quickly analyzed the information, supplementing his understanding of this star region.

Then, he casually stopped in front of a stall selling various fragments of strange objects. The stall owner was a thin old man with cloudy eyes, yet a shrewd look in them.

Lin Xuan's gaze swept over the rusty, lifeless fragments on the stall, but he didn't find anything similar to the black piece. Just as he was about to leave, the gaunt old man spoke up, his voice hoarse:

"Fellow Daoist, what are you looking for? I have the most complete selection here, and I can even find out a thing or two about ancient secrets."

Lin Xuan paused, a thought flickering in his mind. A notification came from the virtual divine core: although this old man's aura was only at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, his spiritual energy fluctuations were subtle, suggesting that he had cultivated some kind of special concealment or detection method.

"Just browsing." Lin Xuan changed his voice, making it low and hoarse. "Any new information about the 'Ancient Burial Road' lately? Or, are there any noteworthy 'wanted posters'?"

His question seemed casual, but it was actually a deliberate attempt to lead the conversation. The Sky-Splitting Clan would never let the matter of the ancient star Yinghuo rest in peace, and he was eager to know how far they had progressed.

The gaunt old man's cloudy eyes seemed to brighten for a moment, and he chuckled, "Fellow Daoist has come to the right person. That treacherous place, the Ancient Burial Star Road, has indeed been quite unsettled lately. I heard that an important direct descendant of the Sky-Splitting God Clan perished there, along with his guards and a valuable treasure, all of which have gone missing."

Lin Xuan felt a chill run down his spine, but his expression remained unchanged: "Oh? The Rift God Clan? Are they the overlords of the southern part of the Heavenly Wind Star Region? Who would dare to be so bold?"

"Heh, who knows? They say he's a ruthless character of unknown origin, a master of swordsmanship, and extremely vicious." The old man lowered his voice, a hint of schadenfreude in his tone. "The Rift God Clan has really lost face this time. They've reportedly issued their highest-level 'Starry Sky Hunt Order,' with a terrifyingly high bounty! They not only provided the killer's residual spiritual energy aura (from the battleground between Lin Xuan and Yun Huang), but also, based on the survivor's description, sketched out his approximate physical characteristics—black hair and black eyes, handsome features, wielding a sword, his cultivation level is suspected to be mid-Foundation Establishment, but his combat power far surpasses others of the same level…"

As the old man described it, Lin Xuan was now certain that the "murderer" was himself! The efficiency of the Rift God Clan was even higher than he had expected; they had already sent the wanted notice to the outskirts of Chenxi Ancient City! Although it was only an internal manhunt order and not publicly posted, it was enough for those well-informed forces and desperados.

"It seems the Sky-Splitting God Clan is truly enraged." Lin Xuan's tone was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.

"Indeed!" The old man clicked his tongue. "That bounty is enough to tempt even a Golden Core cultivator! It's said that anyone who can provide concrete clues will receive a million spirit stones and a spiritual treasure! If you can take their head, you'll even get a promise from the Rift God Clan and the opportunity to be baptized in their 'Divine Blood Pool'! Right now, who knows how many eyes are secretly searching for them..."

A million spirit stones! A spiritual treasure! A promise from the gods! A baptism in the pool of divine blood!

Any one of these conditions would be enough to drive countless cultivators mad! Lin Xuan could sense that when the old man announced the reward, the breathing of several cultivators who seemed to have approached unintentionally became more rapid.

"Indeed tempting," Lin Xuan echoed, then changed the subject, "However, such a person is not someone to be trifled with. I'm afraid it won't be so easy to capture."

"Hehe, you're right, fellow Daoist." The old man gave Lin Xuan a meaningful look (though through the mask). "However, it's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. It's said that the Rift God Clan has already dispatched a 'hunting squad,' led by a Golden Core elder, and they're on their way. Moreover... hehe, some people may have already smelled the scent."

The old man's words carried a clear implication. Lin Xuan sneered inwardly, knowing that this old fellow had probably become suspicious of his identity through some kind of secret technique. These words were a way of currying favor, a warning, and possibly a test.

"Thank you for informing me, fellow Daoist." Lin Xuan said no more, put down a few spirit stones as a consultation fee, and turned to blend into the bustling crowd.

The gaunt old man stared in the direction Lin Xuan had disappeared, a glint of light flashing in his cloudy eyes. He muttered to himself, "Black hair, black eyes, late Foundation Establishment stage (he vaguely sensed Lin Xuan was hiding his cultivation level), his aura is as condensed as an abyss... Interesting. This information should fetch a good price..."

After leaving the black market, Lin Xuan did not return directly to Xingyuan District. Instead, he moved like a ghost through the complex alleys of the ancient city, changing direction and aura several times. Only after confirming that no one was following him did he quietly return to his cave.

He shut down the formation, removed his cloak and mask, his face calm, but his eyes grew increasingly deep and cold.

"The Sky-Splitting God Clan... Starry Sky Hunt Order... Golden Core Elder Leading the Team..."

The virtual deity shimmered with light, rapidly analyzing the advantages, disadvantages, and potential risks of the current situation.

The drawbacks are obvious: he has become a target of public criticism, facing not only direct pursuit from the Sky-Splitting God Clan, but also constant vigilance against those who would stop at nothing for the bounty. Once his identity is fully exposed, he might be able to navigate the rules in Chenxi Ancient City, but once he leaves, he will inevitably face endless pursuit.

The advantage lies in... pressure! Extreme pressure is often the best catalyst for breakthroughs. And why can't the generous reward be used in return?

"Hunting squad... Golden Core elder..." Lin Xuan's lips curled into a cold smile. "I suppose he's quite wealthy."

Far from feeling fear, he was actually somewhat excited. Fighting against the strong and seeking breakthroughs in the face of life and death—this was his path!

Of course, he wasn't a reckless fool. His primary task was to quickly increase his strength and convert the Stellar Essence into real combat power. At the same time, he also needed to use the cultivation qualification for the Star Tower Secret Realm as soon as possible, as it might allow him to leap forward in strength once again.

As for the wanted notice from the Sky-Splitting God Clan... as long as his strength increases fast enough, fast enough to make those hunters feel despair, fast enough to make the Sky-Splitting God Clan feel that the price is too high, then this wanted notice will naturally become a joke.

"You want my life? Let's see if you have the ability and can afford the price."

A cold glint flashed in Lin Xuan's eyes, and without further hesitation, he took out the second drop of Star Essence Liquid.

A storm is coming; he needs even greater strength to break through all obstacles!

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