I'm in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have one equipment slot!

A flash of white light, and Zhou Yuan's figure appeared in a dilapidated stone house.

as always.

In the corner of the stone house, a Star Palace cultivator sat cross-legged. He was in the late Foundation Establishment stage and had a cold expression, completely ignoring Zhou Yuan who appeared in the teleportation array.

Zhou Yuan had seen this kind of scene many times and was already used to it.

However, when he stepped out of the stone house, the scene before him made him pause slightly.

This place is completely different from the desolate and simple place I was when I was teleported to Inkbelly Island and Silver Shark Island.

He appeared in a small city.

Although it is not large and looks very simple, covering an area of ​​only about twenty miles, it is indeed a city built of black stones.

The dilapidated stone house with a teleportation array is located in the center of the stone city, built on a high platform resembling an altar, with a steep stone staircase on each of the four sides leading down.

Standing on the high platform, you can see all around.

Zhou Yuan's gaze swept over them.

The stone city is symbolically surrounded by a stone wall about three or four zhang high.

About ten feet outside the stone wall, a thick white light shield shimmered, protecting the entire city.

Inside the stone walls are tall stone houses of varying sizes.

Strangely, there were no attics or anything like that; they were all single-story houses.

At first glance, although the city is full of houses, there are actually not many independent buildings.

Some stone houses were connected in a row, while others were single-story houses that occupied an astonishing area, often dozens of feet wide.

What's even more surprising is that at this moment, there are actually some mortals and cultivators mixed together in this stone city, walking back and forth on the rough black stone path, and occasionally rushing in and out of some stone houses.

Most of the mortals were young and beautiful women, each dressed as gorgeously as a butterfly. They strolled in groups of three or five or alone, their laughter frequently reaching our ears.

There were also some ordinary people, including strong, burly men and handsome young men and women, each busy with something.

Zhou Yuan was a time traveler, so he naturally had a good idea of ​​what was going on here.

I understand the reason.

Other monster islands in the outer seas are all footholds set up by high-level cultivators specifically for hunting monsters.

The cultivators would teleport there, hunt down demonic beasts, and once they had accumulated enough spoils, they would return to the Inner Star Sea.

There were no mortals, no cities, only simple markets and demon hunters coming and going in a hurry.

But Qiyuan Island is different.

Because there is a huge abyss nearby, where high-level demonic beasts frequently appear.

The probability of encountering level 6 and 7 monsters is significantly higher than in other monster island sea areas.

Some people have even seen level eight transformed demons appear here.

In the years since the discovery of the Abyss, some forces have found several spirit stone mines on the island and developed other sources of raw materials needed for cultivation.

It has abundant resources and can basically be self-sufficient.

As a result, some cultivators brought their families and teleported over to settle here.

Those with spiritual roots can cultivate, while mortals without spiritual roots are responsible for various miscellaneous tasks, naturally forming a city where humans and cultivators live together.

"Hopefully I'll be lucky enough to encounter a weaker level eight transformed demon..."

Zhou Yuan murmured to himself.

His purpose in coming to Qiyuan Island was to hunt down an eighth-level transformed demon.

Because an eighth-level demon core, when equipped in the equipment slot, can increase the chance of forming a Nascent Soul!

Although hunting down a transformed demon is extremely risky, he has no choice but to take the gamble in order to achieve Nascent Soul formation.

Zhou Yuan slowly walked down the high platform and onto the street.

Although the streets in the city were rough, they were quite lively.

There were independent cultivators selling their wares at stalls, demon hunters hurrying along their journeys, and brightly dressed mortal women, some standing at the shop entrances soliciting customers, others smiling charmingly beside the cultivators.

"You look unfamiliar, senior. Is this your first time visiting Qiyuan Island? 'In Huangfeng Valley, I Have an Equipment Slot!': Overwhelmingly positive reviews!"

A slightly obsequious voice rang out, and a middle-aged man in a gray robe stepped forward.

This man was thin and shrewd, with a cultivation level at the pseudo-core stage. He was clearly the kind of tour guide who spent years "soliciting customers" on the island.

Zhou Yuan glanced at him and nodded.

The man's smile widened, and he quickly introduced himself: "I am Jia San Shao. I have been on Qiyuan Island for many years and know everything about it. If you are new here, please feel free to ask me anything."

As he spoke, he led Zhou Yuan forward, his mouth moving on and on:

"This Blackrock City is the first and only city on Qiyuan Island. As long as you have the strength, or a large amount of spirit stones and demon cores, this is a paradise for cultivators! You can enjoy and buy things that are unavailable on other demon beast islands—"

"Whether it's top-tier dual cultivation furnaces, incredibly powerful magic weapons, priceless spirit beasts, or materials that are only found once in a hundred years, you can find them all here!"

As they spoke, the two arrived in front of a rather large stone house.

Zhou Yuan had noticed this black stone house long ago.

It is one of the largest mansions in Shicheng, and its entrance is always bustling with people.

"Senior, this is the largest auction house in Blackrock City, where various rare items are auctioned every day. If you are interested, you may wish to go in and take a look," Young Master Jia said solicitously.

Zhou Yuan hesitated for a moment, then stepped inside.

The auction house has a very large interior space, enough to accommodate hundreds of people.

In the center was a high platform, surrounded by layers of seats, most of which were already occupied by cultivators. Many young and beautiful maids moved among them, serving tea and water to the cultivators.

Most of the maids were mortals, and a few were low-level female cultivators in the Qi Refining stage. They were all beautiful and slender, wearing light gauze dresses that swayed as they walked.

A fragrant breeze wafted through the air.

Zhou Yuan found a seat in a corner, glanced around, and remained calm.

The auction has begun.

One by one, the auction items were presented on the high platform—ritual implements, magical treasures, elixirs, materials… everything imaginable was included.

There was even a segment where people were sold directly. Several young women at the third or fourth level of Qi Refining were taken to a high platform and auctioned off as "furnaces" and bought by some cultivators below the stage.

Most of the women were pretty, but their eyes held a hint of numbness and fear.

Zhou Yuan watched this scene without any emotion. This was the way of the cultivation world: the strong prey on the weak, and only the fittest survive.

He looked patiently for a long time, but still couldn't find anything that moved him.

Unless they sell level seven demon cores here.

But how often can one encounter a level seven demon core?

Zhou Yuan shook his head and was about to get up and leave.

"Next item, the Mystic Pivot Stone..."

A voice came from the stage.

Zhou Yuan suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Xuan Shu Stone?

He turned to look at the high platform, where he saw a maid carrying a jade plate with a fist-sized, jet-black stone on it.

The surface of the stone had faint silver patterns flowing around it, radiating a peculiar aura.

"Mystic Pivot Stone, starting bid: 10,000 spirit stones!"

Zhou Yuan's heart stirred.

This is a core material for crafting a high-level array.

When refined into the array, it can serve as a hub, aggregating the power of all array plates and flags and concentrating it into a single point!

If the "Ninefold Sealing Pill Formation" that he previously refined can be re-refined with Xuan Shu Stone, it can immediately be upgraded into a great formation that can trap Nascent Soul cultivators!

Moreover, it can evolve into offensive techniques, no longer just illusion arrays and defensive formations!

"Twelve thousand spirit stones!" Zhou Yuan offered.

"Thirteen thousand!"

"Fourteen thousand!"

"Sixteen thousand!"

After several rounds of bidding, Zhou Yuan finally acquired the Xuan Shu Stone for 16,000 spirit stones.