Cheng Hong's gaze was as deep as a dark pool. Although it was only a fleeting exchange, Qin An could already understand the deep meaning within.

After a moment's thought, Qin An said nothing, merely sliding the Cold Star back into his belt.

As the Cold Star returned to its sheath, a trace of cold brilliance followed. Though the edge was sheathed, it still emanated an unwavering killing intent.

All around were broken walls and ruins, grotesque corpses strewn about, blood soaking into the green bricks. The air was thick with a metallic sweetness and the acrid scent of combustion, as if even the wind had stilled.

At this moment, steady footsteps came from amidst the rubble.

Dongfang Mo walked through the chaos, clasped his fists in salute, and said solemnly, "Thank you!"

He did not say much, but the two words fell like metal striking the ground, firm and resonant.

To receive gratitude from a mountain patrol silver officer, who had built an incomparable foundation with five Yang Elixirs, was an event that could shake the Three Mountains and Five Rivers if spread.

Yan Li and Zhao Hai exchanged a knowing glance, moved forward in unison, and said, "Life-saving grace cannot be repaid. If there is ever a request, we would not hesitate to cross mountains of blades or seas of flames!"

The other silver officers followed suit, the sound of their hands colliding like the ringing of metal, the murderous aura still present.

The mountain patrol silver officer, who had once provoked Qin An, had a face of changing expressions before finally letting out a long sigh and bending deeply: "I apologize for my previous rudeness, and hope you can forgive."

For the mountain patrol silver officer's apology, the others thought there was nothing wrong.

Qin An was strong enough, ruthless enough, and turned the tide. To apologize, even to kowtow, was nothing trivial.

Facing the crowd's gratitude, Qin An simply nodded slightly, his expression indifferent.

Though he spoke little, the crowd found it entirely reasonable.

The strong naturally have a proud backbone.

If they were in his shoes with such strength, they would probably be even prouder than Qin An.

Dongfang Mo's tone was gentle, already considering him an equal: "Now that this mission is finished, what are Mr. Qin's plans?"

Qin An's fingertips brushed over the embossed patterns on the scabbard: "Take a stroll through the black market."

The mission was accomplished, but the black market's aftermath required the state officers to intervene.

The mountain patrol silver officers were only responsible for subduing demons and eliminating devils, the aftermaths were not their concern.

Dongfang Mo pondered for a moment, then said earnestly, "If we meet again, we must drink and make merry with Mr. Qin."

After parting today, who knows when they will meet again.

Moreover, who knows how many of these mountain patrol silver officers would survive by their next meeting.

Those who join the mountain patrol officers do not meet a good end.

Even Dongfang Mo and the other two, who have a foundation of five Yang Elixirs, cannot guarantee survival in every mission.

Before long, the silver officers left one after another.

Qin An followed them away.

Once outside, feeling the fresh air, Qin An took a deep breath.

By now, the other mountain patrol silver officers had already left, leaving only Qin An and Cheng Hong.

Qin An glanced at Cheng Hong and asked, "What did your gaze mean earlier?"

Earlier, he didn't make it clear, knowing that Cheng Hong still had unfinished words, letting him not leave just yet.

Cheng Hong revealed a charming smile, brushing her red lips with her hand: "There's a grand opportunity, of course."

Qin An's eyes were sharp as a blade: "Explain."

He knew that Cheng Hong possessed a lot of intelligence, coupled with Cheng Hong's Qi Observation Skill; the grand opportunity she mentioned must be greatly related to the black market.

Cheng Hong's red lips curved with a seductive glance, about to move closer, but seeing Qin An already side-stepping with his hand on the blade, she secretly thought it dull.

"The black market has been around for a long time, originally managed by someone, but that person died at the hands of a demon."

"During their control, they collected many valuable treasures."

"Most have been excavated and found, but the most important item remains undiscovered to this day."

Qin An squinted his eyes: "What item?"

When he heard Cheng Hong narrate this, he was already intrigued.

If it was something belonging to the former owner of the black market, it must not be ordinary.

He also understood Cheng Hong's implications.

Simply put, she didn't want other mountain patrol silver officers involved since there were only so many things, probably hard to split.

Cheng Hong looked around before speaking in a low voice: "Earth Vein Crystals."

At these words, a glimpse of spirit lit between Qin An's eyes.

Cheng Hong continued: "It's said that the former owner collected the demon vein crystals for his offspring, but regrettably, they all died."

"Would you like to join me in exploring?"

Qin An rubbed the scabbard: "Alright."

He didn't hesitate in the slightest.

Only after entering the Gui Cang would one realize what an Earth Vein Crystal was.

The veins of the mountains, rivers, and lands all exist in the realm.

An earth vein represents the prosperity and flourishing of a region.

But prosperity has its pinnacle, and after reaching its zenith comes decline.

Once the earth vein declines, it condenses into an Earth Vein Crystal, not something mortal forces can create, only formed as the vein wanes.

And the Earth Vein Crystals are the supreme treasures for those in the Gui Cang Realm.

Above Gui Cang is the Pulse Condensation Realm.

Qi Storage nurtures Qi, Body Storage polishes flesh, Jade Bone tempers bones, Gui Cang nourishes organs.

Pulse Condensation is to refine one's eight primary meridians.

The so-called eight primary meridians are the Governing Vessel, Conception Vessel, Thoroughfare Vessel, Girdle Vessel, Yinwei Meridian, Yangwei Meridian, Yin Qiao Meridian, and Yang Qiao Meridian.

Ordinary Returning to Storage Realm practitioners can break through quickly, but to forge a perfect Pulse Condensation takes a great toll.

With eight Earth Vein Crystals, replacing the eight primary meridians can create an unparalleled foundation.

Each constructed one makes one's future entry into the Pulse Condensation Realm stronger.

Qin An was now in the Returning to Storage Realm, but he did not want to stop at ordinary Pulse Condensation.

A stronger path was the one he should take.

Seeing Qin An's decisive words, Cheng Hong helplessly said: "Even among sworn brothers, accounts need to be settled clearly. Let us first discuss how to divide them. From what I know, there are two Earth Vein Crystals, one for you and one for me. How about it?"

Qin An nodded: "Fine."

Cheng Hong exclaimed in surprise: "So decisive?"

Qin An gave Cheng Hong a glance: "You provide the information, I form an alliance with you; this is business, naturally fair and just."

Thinking about it, Cheng Hong found that Qin An's words were not wrong.

Thinking of this, she didn't dwell on it further.

"Return to the underground arena; inside are countless labyrinths and secret paths, but the map is stored in my mind, it cannot elude me."

The two no longer spoke, and after a brief deliberation, headed towards the underground arena.

...

Underground arena.

Since the monsters had all been eliminated by Qin An and the others, they encountered no further danger.

Qin An and Cheng Hong smoothly reached the second level.

The second level had no new entrance; from the outside, it seemed to be a dead end.

Cheng Hong led Qin An, moving amidst the ground littered with monster corpses, and soon arrived before a wall.

Below lay the corpses of Huomeng and the other two leading monsters.

After a moment of thought, Qin An recalled that it was here where Huomeng killed the other two monsters.

"Were they trying to escape at that time? Is there a secret passage here?"

The idea immediately came to Qin An.

Cheng Hong nodded and said, "Yes, if the monsters took over the black market, they must have figured out the secret passages."

"The previous owner of the black market also understood well the wisdom of having multiple escape routes, but unfortunately, the incident happened so suddenly that they didn't have time to escape through them."

Qin An rubbed his chin and said, "In that case, might the earth vein crystal have already been taken by the monsters?"

The monsters had been managing the black market for quite some time, and they would have surely become familiar with all its secrets by now.

Their search this time might yield nothing.

Cheng Hong swept a charming gaze over Qin An, saying, "The earth vein crystal is extremely important, and the owner of the black market hid it well."

"The chance of it being found is very low, and even if it has been, we've only wasted a little time."

Qin An pondered for a moment, agreeing that Cheng Hong's reasoning made sense.

Finding it would be fortunate, and if not, it would only be a waste of some time, not a big deal.

Cheng Hong said no more, raising her hand to search the wall.

Soon, Cheng Hong found a protrusion on the wall and pressed it.

The protrusion looked no different from an ordinary stone surface, but when Cheng Hong pressed it, it quickly sank in.

The stone wall vibrated slightly, and a hidden door opened from both sides.

The hidden door was deep and looked like the gaping maw of a ferocious beast.

Luminous pearls were embedded on both sides of the passage, serving as the only light source, emitting a gentle glow.

Cheng Hong turned her head and said, "The path inside is winding; you must follow me closely. If we get separated, it will be hard to find our way out."

Qin An nodded slightly, indicating his understanding.

Then, the two stepped into the passage.

...

As soon as they stepped into the passage, a cold wind swept over Qin An, sending a shiver down his spine.

They had only walked a few dozen steps when they encountered more than a dozen entrances ahead.

Qin An raised an eyebrow and said, "It's truly a maze."

More than a dozen entrances meant more than a dozen possibilities.

Having encountered such a situation so soon, Qin An could already imagine how complicated the rest would be.

Cheng Hong said, "Although the monsters have explored most of this place, hidden dangers still lurk within the maze, so we must proceed with caution."

Hearing this, Qin An drew his cold star from his waist.

The blade of Cold Star gleamed coldly under the illumination of the luminous pearls.

Cheng Hong, knowing the map, naturally led the way in front.

The two walked for nearly another half-hour, during which the maze's secret paths were intertwined, making even Qin An unable to distinguish them.

Fortunately, Cheng Hong was leading.

After another incense stick's worth of time, a passage appeared ahead once more.

At the end of the passage was a dead end.

Cheng Hong breathed a small sigh of relief, "If they had found this place, the passage would surely be open. It seems the earth vein crystal wasn't taken."

As she spoke, Cheng Hong and Qin An reached the passage's end.

Before Qin An could speak, Cheng Hong began feeling around the wall.

Soon after, Cheng Hong channeled True Qi into the wall before her.

As she did, Cheng Hong explained to Qin An.

"Common True Qi channeled into it would only detect an ordinary wall."

"But with my Qi Observation Skill, I can discern subtle differences."

"This wall conceals a hidden array, and by using True Qi paired with my Qi Observation Skill, we can break the array and open the passage."

Saying this, Cheng Hong continued to patiently transition True Qi into the wall.

After nearly another incense stick of time, Cheng Hong withdrew her hand, quietly stepped back a few steps, and simultaneously drew the pair of spikes at her waist, her whole body on guard with poison skills fully activated.

The secret passage found by the monsters would naturally be danger-free, but the one before them hadn't been explored.

Plus, with the presence of the earth vein crystal, the previous owner of the black market wouldn't make it easy for them to acquire it.

Qin An squinted his eyes, True Qi circulating as the Protective Gang Qi of his mysterious body expanded over a foot outward.

Soon, the wall ahead began to tremble, with accumulated dirt and rocks falling to the ground in a flurry.

The stone walls on both sides suddenly opened, revealing a hidden door.

The inside of the hidden door was pitch-black, without even a single luminous pearl, making it impossible to see what lay within.

Qin An raised his hand and, with a slash, pried two luminous pearls from the wall, handing one to Cheng Hong: "Take it, be careful."

The absence of light can induce dread, and ordinary people in such a situation might hesitate to proceed.

Cheng Hong accepted the luminous pearl, nodded slightly, and walked into the passage alongside Qin An.

...

The passage was dark, but with the luminous pearls, their vision was not obstructed.

Qin An's feet stepped on the damp, dark soil, with a sense of moistness hitting his face.

After walking a few dozen more steps, they suddenly encountered a faint trace of Evil Qi ahead.

Though the Evil Qi was weak, its presence indicated the existence of monsters or pseudo-gods.

"Be careful," Cheng Hong said, drawing her pair of spikes.

She sensed it as well, with fine beads of cold sweat appearing on her forehead.

Qin An nodded slightly and continued forward.

After several hundred more steps, a glow the size of a grain of rice appeared ahead.

As the two approached, the grain-sized glow gradually enlarged.

Before long, an exit appeared before them.

Qin An and Cheng Hong exchanged a glance before stepping through the exit.

Outside, there was an enormous stone grotto.

Upon seeing the scene within the grotto, Qin An's grip on Cold Star tightened abruptly.

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