Arno gave Jiang Chen a deep look. Such a personality was somewhat reminiscent of The Fallen. The Fallen were just like that; they would rather endure loneliness and torment than submit to the Alliance of All-Gods. In their hearts, dignity was always paramount, even more so than life itself.

Angelina said, "If that old man is a Prophet and has seen your destiny, can't we go ask him for a solution?"

"No need."

"Little Chen."

"Really, there's no need," Jiang Chen said dismissively. "What bullshit prophecy? It's just some charlatan's nonsense. Do you actually believe it?"

A Prophet? Is that profession really such a big deal? Jiang Chen didn't think much of it.

Angelina could only follow Jiang Chen helplessly. I must find an opportunity to ask that Prophet, she thought. I need to find out exactly what methods there might be to avoid this.

Angelina was inwardly astonished. She was a divine reincarnation! If she became a God, she could definitely change the outcome. She absolutely couldn't bear to see Jiang Chen die.

The three of them stopped in front of a restaurant.

Jiang Chen turned and asked, "Hungry?"

"A little."

Arno laughed. "Let's go. This restaurant is owned by The Fallen. It's a good chance to try their cooking; the food here is quite delicious."

Jiang Chen was startled. A restaurant run by The Fallen?

"How dare they run a restaurant here? Isn't the Alliance of All-Gods hunting them?" Jiang Chen asked, puzzled.

Arno explained, "It's not just The Fallen who have restaurants here; people from the Evil Alliance have opened them too. So, don't be surprised. This is the dark market—anything is possible. The last encirclement campaign was launched by the Pettis Family. Actually, those Fallen have some sort of connection with the Pettis Family, a connection established right here in the dark market. However, such relationships are very unreliable. A Hero discovered the Fallen's residence and reported it to the Alliance of All-Gods. The Pettis Family couldn't just sit by, so they launched that encirclement campaign."

He continued, "Among The Fallen, there are also ordinary people, much like how some of us haven't awakened a profession. Some Heroes see capturing them as an achievement, but in my heart, as long as they aren't Fallen who possess True Qi, they're innocent."

Jiang Chen was inwardly startled. That was the first truly righteous thing he'd heard from a Hero. They *are* innocent. This man, Arno, clearly had his own sense of right and wrong. Not all Heroes considered The Fallen to be villains.

Arno laughed. "You'd best avoid the Evil Pub. Their drinks are awful, and their food is no better—it's practically raw. They often host Corrupted Heroes there, so we wouldn't be welcome."

Jiang Chen asked, "Doesn't anyone dare to cause trouble here?"

"Oh, people do," Arno replied. "But most individuals here are familiar with each other, or at least know who's who. No one wants to start a fight because you never know how strong your opponent is or what level they might be. Everyone tries to keep a low profile."

As they talked, the group entered the restaurant. The entire restaurant was built from wood, resembling an ancient tavern. Moreover, women were dancing on a stage, none of whom bore the distinctive forehead marks of The Fallen. They were clearly ordinary people.

The group sat at a table. A Servant came over and asked, "What would you like?"

"Grilled meat," Jiang Chen decided.

"Alright."

Arno smiled. "Perhaps it's due to their nomadic lifestyle, but their grilled meat is excellent. I come here for it whenever I have the time."

Jiang Chen focused his Spirit and quickly detected a master. She has True Qi, he sensed. The woman was sitting cross-legged, apparently cultivating.

Just then, a group of Corrupted Heroes entered. One of them grumbled, "I just ran into that Prophet. He actually scammed me out of 2,000,000! I nearly killed him with one slash. He even said I'd die today! Isn't that laughable? I'd like to see who dares to kill me!"

Jiang Chen heard this and turned to look. There were five Corrupted Heroes. Each had Demon's Horns on his head, but they wore no masks and spoke loudly and brazenly.

Jiang Chen's interest was piqued; he also wanted to see if the Prophet's words were true.

The five Corrupted Heroes scanned the room, their gazes landing on the women on stage. They suddenly looked interested.

The Corrupted Hero who had been grumbling earlier laughed. "Those are Human Race women! I haven't tasted one of them yet!"

"Cut it out!" one of his companions warned. "This is the dark market. It's best not to cause trouble, or things could get messy."

"What's there to fear?" the first Corrupted Hero retorted. "I've killed countless people. They're just ordinary humans. What's the big deal about eating one? It's just a matter of money, isn't it? We can just buy one later."

"Exactly. Just pay up, and it's settled," another agreed.

Arno whispered to Jiang Chen, "Those Corrupted Heroes don't follow any rules. They eat whatever they can get their hands on, and their favorite food is... us. They have no morality whatsoever. They believe that ultimate power dictates everything."

Jiang Chen nodded. These Corrupted Heroes are really courting death. It seems the Prophet's prediction might actually be true.

One of the Corrupted Heroes pulled out a wad of money. "I want that woman!" he declared. "Boil her and serve her to me as roasted meat."

The Servant approached them. "Apologies, sirs, but we don't offer such... services here."

"Isn't it all about money for you lot?" the Corrupted Hero sneered. "I'm offering money! They're just ordinary people. You can just grab another one later. What's all the fuss about? I enjoy eating delicious hearts."

"We do not have such a custom," the Servant repeated firmly.

The Corrupted Hero grew impatient. "What custom? Don't make me decide to eat *you* instead! I haven't tasted one of The Fallen yet. I wonder what you'd taste like."

The Servant calmly patted the Corrupted Hero's shoulder. Jiang Chen clearly felt a surge of True Qi enter the Corrupted Hero's body. It was followed by several sharp, cracking sounds as the Hero's heart instantly exploded into fragments.

That's definitely the unique True Qi of The Fallen, Jiang Chen realized. Their greatest strength is using True Qi to shatter an enemy's heart or crush their skull. No defense is effective against it.

The Corrupted Hero collapsed, dead, blood streaming from his seven orifices. His companions drew their Broad blades.

A beautiful woman emerged from a back room. She moved with incredible speed, her blade a blur as she struck.

SHINK! SHINK! SHINK!

In moments, she had cut down the remaining Corrupted Heroes. She was so fast that even Jiang Chen couldn't follow her movements clearly. He only saw a fleeting shadow, and then the men were dead, fallen beneath her blade.

The beautiful woman said coldly, "Clean this up. Don't disturb the guests."

"Yes, Proprietress," a staff member responded quickly.

The other diners in the restaurant watched the deaths without a flicker of surprise, as if it were an everyday occurrence. This was perfectly normal in the dark market. It would be abnormal if people *didn't* die here daily.

That woman is a blade master, Jiang Chen thought. As if sensing Jiang Chen's gaze, the Proprietress glanced at him before slowly walking upstairs.

Arno whispered, "They're pretty incredible, aren't they?"

Jiang Chen nodded. "Mm, but there's still a significant gap compared to Siyuan."

Hearing this, the Proprietress, who was partway up the stairs, paused for a moment before continuing on her way.

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