Inside Shadow City, at the pinnacle of the towering fortress where countless rare treasures lay in heaps, a faint glow flickered in Youying's right eye as his gaze pierced through the barriers, fixating on Feng Qi and Mist Lord.
After analyzing the details of Mist Lord, Youying's greed was fully ignited.
No one could resist the allure of a Miracle Artifact, himself included.
Shadow City, a neutral trading zone, was an independent space within the world. It functioned by projecting a spatial coordinate, summoning travelers from all over the world, forming a vast marketplace.
However, entry into this domain was not free.
Every visitor who set foot inside Shadow City would have their life essence drained, serving as the entry fee for their stay.
The cost was steep. Many travelers who overstayed found themselves completely drained, unable to leave, trapped in a state of irreversible decline until they withered away and perished.
The extracted life essence would be gathered at the high tower, where an internal formation would condense it into Bloodstones, adding to Youying's vast wealth.
To enhance Shadow City's reputation, Youying would hold annual auctions, offering treasured artifacts from his private collection. This wasn't an act of generosity—it was merely a means to increase his personal fortune.
As for the spatial projection system, it was purely for security reasons.
Throughout history, powerful factions had attempted to raid Shadow City, seeking to plunder its treasures.
But every assault had been repelled.
By keeping the location randomized, he could evade large-scale coordinated attacks.
Over the years, Shadow City had amassed a staggering fortune, and this wealth had in turn strengthened him.
For the many races across the world, engaging in trade was always a risky affair—there was no trust among species.
But Shadow City was an exception.
Here, Youying was the sole ruler, and his word was law.
As Shadow City's reputation grew, it became a hub where precious artifacts frequently surfaced. Despite this, Youying had never once broken his own rules to seize a valuable item.
The city's foundation was built on trust, and he wouldn't sacrifice long-term gains for a single artifact.
However, Youying alone knew—that trust was not absolute.
If the profit outweighed the trust, then trust was no longer worth upholding.
And Miracle Artifacts were one such exception.
Since its founding, Shadow City had never once encountered a visitor carrying a Miracle Artifact—after all, no race would be foolish enough to bring such an item here for trade.
There was simply nothing in existence that could match the value of a Miracle Artifact.
But today, the unthinkable had happened.
For the first time, a reckless fool had entered Shadow City carrying a Miracle Artifact.
Brimming with anticipation, Youying's gaze shifted toward Feng Qi, standing beside Mist Lord.
Within moments, detailed information materialized before his eyes.
[Feng Qi (Human)]
Personal Information: ???
Bloodline Potential: ???
Abilities: Insight Perception, Raging Wave, Water Element Resistance, Stun, Poison, Purple Soul, Herculean Strength, Hard Skin, Swift, Steel Bones, Thorns, Regeneration, Steel Fangs, Malice, Blood Source, Nightmare, Resilience...
Carried Items: True God (??? Unable to analyze transcendent artifact), Evolution (??? Unable to analyze transcendent artifact), ???, ???
System Message: Detected unbreakable information. Possible resolution: Attempt reanalysis after fully restoring Eye of Truth.
The moment he saw the flood of question marks, Youying's expression twisted in shock.
For the first time ever, his Eye of Truth had failed to produce any useful data.
What shocked him even more was the list of items Feng Qi carried—a string of complete unknowns.
The first two were undoubtedly Miracle Artifacts.
But the last two—even his Eye of Truth outright stated that they were unidentifiable.
This had never happened before.
His right eye, while incomplete, had always been capable of at least extracting some information from Miracle Artifacts, such as their names.
But now, his greed was rapidly transforming into fear.
Carrying four Miracle Artifacts, with a companion who also had a Miracle Artifact—could such a person be weak?
A sense of panic surged through Youying's mind.
What if these two unknown figures had come here for a purpose?
His eyes darted toward the mountains of treasures piled across the top floor of the tower.
His biggest fear wasn't being attacked—it was having his lifelong accumulation of wealth stolen.
As he stared at Feng Qi and Mist Lord, Youying fell into deep contemplation.
Something felt off.
Neither of these mysterious visitors emitted the presence of a true powerhouse.
Their blood energy fluctuations were far too weak for anyone of immense strength.
But then, Youying quickly came to a realization—
They must have concealed their true power.
If their strength was beyond his comprehension, then naturally, his own abilities would be incapable of perceiving the truth.
"But… what if… they really aren't strong?"
As this thought crept into his mind, his greed surged once more.
Collecting treasures was Youying's ultimate passion.
For it, he had drained his entire race's resources, modeling Shadow City after the Miracle "Heaven and Earth", creating this independent pocket dimension.
His own race—the Youming Clan—had been utterly ruined, fading into history.
But Youying had no regrets.
Every lifeform pursued something different.
For him, it wasn't eternal life, unrivaled strength, or the prosperity of his people—
His dream was to hoard the world's greatest treasures.
Since the inevitable catastrophe of the future could not be stopped, he would rather perish with his amassed riches, knowing that at least he had possessed them once.
To him, treasures were categorized into 18 tiers.
But one thing stood above all other artifacts.
Miracle Artifacts.
All other treasures could be replicated—but Miracle Artifacts were eternal, unique, and indestructible.
As he gazed upon the Miracle Artifacts standing before him, Youying's greed and fear battled within his mind.
Greed won.
This was an opportunity that might never come again.
Even if the cost was death—
He was willing to take that risk.
Fate was inevitable—when the great calamity descended, no one could escape the judgment of destiny.
To Youying, the struggle of the various races was nothing more than a futile struggle against the inevitable.
Staring at Feng Qi and Mist Lord, Youying fell into deep thought.
He didn't dare to make a move personally. He feared encountering a true powerhouse—a mistake that could reduce him to nothing, just like his annihilated kin.
So, he decided to test the waters first.
This way, even if something unexpected happened, he would have someone else to take the fall.
He knew there was still risk, but if he succeeded, he would possess six Miracle Artifacts—including the Eye of Truth.
He would become one of the greatest collectors in the world.
Even if the impending catastrophe was unavoidable, even if he was fated to perish, he would at least be among the last to fall.
With his decision made, Youying waved his hand through the air, tearing open a spatial rift. A massive, armored warrior clad in blood-red battle armor, wielding a gigantic battle axe, stepped forward from the void.
The moment the warrior laid eyes on Youying, he dropped to one knee.
"My Lord!"
"Hunter, I have a task for you…"
Feng Qi and Mist Lord continued wandering the city streets.
Unlike Mist Lord, who was constantly distressed about his lifeblood being drained, Feng Qi was completely absorbed in his curiosity about everything around him.
Not only were there countless domain creatures he had never seen before, but the variety of rare artifacts and treasures displayed all around the city made him feel genuinely amazed.
One thing was certain—every domain creature here was extremely powerful.
As they walked, he realized that every single entity in this city had immense blood energy surging through them.
As the narrator put it, "Even if you randomly threw a brick, anyone it hit would be way out of your league."
Feng Qi understood this well.
If a domain race had managed to survive up until 1,500 years into the future, then it was inevitably a force to be reckoned with. Otherwise, it would have long been annihilated by another faction.
After wandering for a while, Feng Qi arrived at a stall.
The vendor was a green-skinned gnome, but unlike the others, he wasn't selling physical artifacts.
Instead, a wooden sign was placed before him, inscribed with twisting runes.
Feng Qi focused his gaze, and the characters distorted before transforming into readable text.
[For Sale: Intelligence Reports on Frostburn Region's Power Distribution, Strength Analysis of Various Races]
In Shadow City, everything was up for sale.
Weapons, spiritual ores, monster organs, domain creature body parts, and even intelligence reports.
And this was exactly what Feng Qi needed.
If he could learn about the powerful forces that would rise to prominence in the future, he could eliminate them ahead of time—1,500 years before they even became a threat.
He wasn't sure where Frostburn Region was, but any intelligence was better than none.
Information was like a puzzle piece—the more he gathered, the more he could piece together the truth of the past and the future.
But there was a problem.
Purchasing intelligence required currency—Bloodstones.
And he had none.
[Just ask the price first. If it's reasonable, you can extract your own blood on the spot to craft some Bloodstones. If it's too expensive and you don't have enough blood to spare, then take some from Old Mist… Of course, he probably won't agree.]
Feng Qi: …
The narrator's suggestion made sense.
He glanced at Mist Lord, a thoughtful expression forming on his face.
"What are you planning?" Mist Lord immediately grew alert, obviously realizing what Feng Qi was thinking.
"If my blood isn't enough, could you lend me some?"
"Nonsense! I don't have any to spare!" Mist Lord shook his head and immediately took a step back.
"We're brothers, aren't we? I'll pay you back next time for sure."
[Hah! You and your 'next time for sure' promises. First, it was the suction cup demon, now it's Old Mist. At this rate, your 'next time' is going to stretch across an entirely new timeline.]
Feng Qi ignored the narrator's mocking and gave Mist Lord a reassuring "Trust me" look before turning to the green-skinned gnome behind the stall.
"How much for the intelligence?"
The gnome lifted his head, glanced at Feng Qi, and pointed a finger forward.
Immediately, several floating scrolls wrapped in spiritual energy hovered before Feng Qi's eyes.
Frostburn Region Comprehensive Intelligence Report, Blackstone Clan Analysis, Underground Fiend Race Report, Titan Race Profile… Resource Distribution for Spiritual Ores, Spiritual Stone Deposits, and Cultivated Spiritual Materials.
The gnome finally spoke.
"I can't guarantee 100% accuracy, but I can promise that most of these reports are reliable."
Feng Qi nodded. "How much for the Frostburn Region Comprehensive Intelligence Report?"
"5,000 Bloodstones, or 33 Origin Bloodstones."
"That expensive?!" Feng Qi's eyes widened.
He had thought he could afford it if he extracted all his blood, but the price was far beyond what he expected.
Even if he drained himself completely, he wouldn't be able to afford it.
Hearing Feng Qi's reaction, the gnome remained indifferent.
"These reports were obtained at the cost of my clan's warriors' lives. If you can't afford them, leave. These aren't meant for broke fools. If you don't buy them, someone else will—either a faction from Frostburn Region or another race interested in conquering it."
[Hahaha! "Not meant for broke fools"—that's brutally honest. But he's not wrong. The only ones buying this kind of information are factions planning invasions or expansion. For them, this price is nothing.]
Feng Qi sighed in frustration.
At 5,000 Bloodstones, even if he and Mist Lord combined their blood, they still wouldn't be able to afford it.
[Don't worry. Keep training your body. If you make it strong enough, you'll be able to sell your blood and buy multiple reports in one go.]
Ignoring the narrator's 'advice,' Feng Qi turned to Mist Lord.
"This guy's a rip-off. Let's go find a cheaper one."
Hearing Feng Qi call him a scammer, the gnome's eye twitched.
Then, he raised his gaze and coldly stated:
"If we were outside of Shadow City, you'd already be dead."
"Shorty, don't let me catch you outside. Frostburn Region, right? Next time I pass through, you won't be so lucky."
As the gnome's expression darkened, Feng Qi and Mist Lord continued deeper into the city.
"Better to avoid trouble than to invite it. What if he really comes after us? The blood energy inside him is ridiculously strong—we're definitely not his match. I think you're being reckless."
After walking for a while, Mist Lord turned to Feng Qi and spoke.
"He called me a broke loser."
"Does that really matter? Patience is a necessary part of growth. If you keep acting impulsively, you'll pay for it sooner or later."
Ignoring Mist Lord's earnest advice, Feng Qi casually waved a hand.
"Backing down just makes me angrier. It's better to fight back—it's more satisfying."
Seeing Feng Qi's carefree attitude, Mist Lord sighed in exasperation. Feng Qi simply chuckled, patting him on the shoulder before shifting his gaze to the stalls on both sides of the street.
As they wandered, stopping occasionally, lantern jellyfish floated past them.
Watching the way their transparent tendrils swayed, Feng Qi suddenly recalled something.
He remembered a future dream sequence where Star City Shelter's skies were filled with lantern jellyfish.
That confirmed one thing—lantern jellyfish naturally existed within Shadow City, an independent space. But then why had they fled in large numbers in the future?
[Isn't it obvious? The future is basically an all-out war between superpower factions. A place like Shadow City, which hoards wealth, was bound to catch the attention of stronger forces. The dream you saw probably took place after some faction completely destroyed Shadow City, which allowed the lantern jellyfish to escape into the outside world.]
"That makes sense!"
(PS: Related plot can be found in the beginning of Chapter 136.)
Understanding the possible reason, Feng Qi stopped at another intelligence-selling stall.
The vendor was rather unique—it looked like a standing hamster, with a half-erased rune crystal embedded in its forehead.
A tattered cloth covered the stall, with handwritten text advertising the intelligence for sale.
After a brief conversation, Feng Qi realized that this fat hamster was charging even more than the green-skinned gnome earlier.
Frustrated, he had no choice but to move on.
As they continued walking, Feng Qi saw many tempting items.
One particular domain creature was selling cultivation techniques, specifically body refinement techniques.
These techniques had one major advantage—any race with flesh and blood could practice them. With minor modifications, they could be adapted to different species or even used directly.
Mist Lord's "Flesh Sacrifice" was one such technique.
These techniques were far superior to the five-star techniques available in Star City Shelter.
After all, human cultivation studies had only developed for a relatively short time compared to domain races, and more importantly, human cultivation progress had stagnated over time.
Advancing cultivation required resources.
But over 1,500 years, humanity's situation had only gotten worse—fewer resources, harsher conditions.
If he could bring back a high-level technique from a domain race, it would significantly boost human cultivation studies—essentially letting humans stand on the shoulders of giants to continue progressing.
However, when Feng Qi asked the price, he couldn't help but curse under his breath.
Everything was outrageously expensive.
Most things he could afford were low-value spiritual materials. He couldn't even buy a decent weapon.
Poverty made him jealous.
If he had the strength, he would have looted everything in sight.
Rules? His rule was his fist.
He could even justify it—these domain races had invaded the human world in the past. It was only fair that they repay their debts.
Artifacts? Techniques? Intelligence?
If they didn't hand them over, he'd smash their heads in. If they did, he'd still smash their heads in.
[Don't worry, kid. Keep refining your body. Eventually, you'll be strong enough to make this dream a reality. Just like how you used to struggle against weak domain creatures but can now slaughter them with ease, one day you'll be able to do the same here.]
"Now that's a real hero's mindset."
Just as Feng Qi was exchanging thoughts with the narrator, a dull thud suddenly echoed beside him.
He turned his head—Mist Lord had been knocked to the ground by a hulking, blood-red figure.
"My bad, let me help you up."
As the deep voice spoke, a shadow passed by Feng Qi, moving toward Mist Lord and grabbing his arm to pull him up.
"Ah!"
The moment Mist Lord was lifted, he let out a scream, his entire arm turning into mist.
"I must've used too much force."
Feng Qi's eyes narrowed.
If the initial collision had been an accident, then grabbing Mist Lord's arm and crushing it under the guise of helping him up was clearly intentional.
But why was this blood-red figure targeting Mist Lord?
Wouldn't he be afraid of attracting the attention of Shadow City's ruler and getting instantly erased?
The commotion quickly drew attention from nearby vendors and travelers.
All eyes turned toward the blood-red figure, watching as he crushed Mist Lord's arm.
Their expressions showed amusement.
Despite the illusion of harmony, the various races despised each other. If they could, they'd wish for every other race to be completely wiped out.
At the same time, they shot mocking looks at the blood-red figure.
Shadow City's rules were no joke. Breaking them meant death.
And this blood-red brute had clearly broken the rules.
Mist Lord's gaze also turned cold.
He now understood—this was no accident.
Just as he was about to question the attacker, the blood-red brute suddenly turned toward Feng Qi.
But Feng Qi didn't retreat.
The moment their bodies collided, he felt like he had been hit by a speeding train—his body was sent flying backward.
"Ah… My bad," the hulking man scratched his head, speaking in an apologetic tone.
To an outsider, it looked like this was just an unfortunate accident—a big brute who didn't know his own strength had unintentionally injured two weaker travelers.
But Feng Qi and Mist Lord weren't fooled.
This was deliberate.
Yet Feng Qi couldn't figure out why.
At that moment, just as he was about to hit the ground, a pale blue streak of light shot out from Shadow City's central tower.
The light curved gracefully through the air, tracing an arc like a crescent moon before striking the blood-red brute's body.
Like ice dropped into molten lava, the moment the light touched him, the hulking figure instantly vaporized into blood mist.
Seeing this, every domain creature in the area turned their heads toward the tower.
And Feng Qi and Mist Lord did the same.
The scene that had just unfolded was completely expected. Since Shadow City had strict rules in place, it was only natural that those who broke the rules were dealt with harshly. This was an important part of maintaining the city's operations.
However, Feng Qi still couldn't understand why that blood-red figure had deliberately walked to his death.
Was it a probe?
What could they possibly gain from doing this?
While deep in thought, Mist Lord walked over, reached out, and helped him up from the ground.
Once Feng Qi regained his balance, Mist Lord spoke with a grim expression.
"Someone is testing us."
"I noticed. But I don't get why," Feng Qi nodded immediately.
"If they're sending a disposable pawn to gauge our strength, it clearly means they intend to attack us... And in this place, who do you think would dare to make a move?"
As he spoke, Mist Lord lifted his head and looked ahead.
Following his gaze, Feng Qi turned and looked toward the tower at the center of Shadow City.
"You think it's the city's ruler who wants to target us?"
"It's highly likely. None of the other travelers in this city have the guts to pull something like this. If I'm not wrong, you're carrying something he desperately desires—something so valuable that he's willing to break his own rules just to get it."
"Why are you so sure it's something on me and not on you?" Feng Qi was stunned.
"I don't have anything valuable on me. Obviously, it's something on you," Mist Lord rolled his eyes, but Feng Qi could still see a trace of unease on his face.
After hearing Mist Lord's explanation, Feng Qi finally understood what was going on.
Clearly, the ruler of Shadow City had used his all-seeing analysis ability to detect that Mist Lord possessed a miracle artifact. He might have even discovered the ones Feng Qi was carrying.
This test was nothing more than a way for the ruler to confirm their true strength.
Feng Qi could completely understand the ruler's mindset.
After all, anyone carrying miracle artifacts couldn't possibly be weak.
In reality, this whole probe was simply the ruler's way of covering his own uncertainty.
As for killing the disposable pawn, it was just a staged performance—a way to maintain the illusion of upholding his own rules while secretly planning to break them.
Mist Lord continued, "If he's testing us, it means he doesn't actually know how strong we are. In fact, he's probably afraid of us. Maybe the artifact you're carrying made him assume you're a powerhouse, but it's obvious now—we failed the test. Which means… we're in trouble."
As he finished speaking, Mist Lord turned and began walking back the way they came.
"I don't think we can escape. This is his territory. But trying is better than waiting to die."
Seeing this, Feng Qi immediately followed.
The situation was crystal clear now.
Simply put, they were carrying treasures that made them prime targets—Shadow City's ruler had locked onto them.
Under normal circumstances, their miracle artifacts should have been undetectable.
The real problem was that this city's ruler possessed the ability to analyze all things.
Against such a broken ability, there were no secrets.
[I have to admit, I'm really curious… What does your status information look like to the ruler? And can he analyze me too?]
"If we can't escape, we'll probably meet him soon. I'll ask him for you."
[Much appreciated!]
As they hurried forward, Mist Lord's expression was grim.
Even before entering this illusory city, he had felt it was too dangerous—and now, things had gone exactly as he feared.
At this point, he saw only two ways to survive.
First, hand over the miracle artifact and use it as leverage to bargain for their lives.
But this probably wouldn't work.
After all, the ruler had already broken his own rules. If he was willing to go that far, he likely had no intention of letting them live in the first place.
The second possibility was that the ruler wouldn't risk openly breaking his rules—meaning he might hesitate to attack them outright, giving them a chance to escape.
But the chances of that happening were slim.
Since he had already made his move, he clearly wasn't planning to let them go.
As these thoughts raced through his mind, Mist Lord came to a simple conclusion—
Making friends with this reckless fool had doomed him.
Sighing internally, he turned to Feng Qi and asked, "What exactly is this artifact you have? It must be something ridiculously valuable for the city's ruler to act this way."
"How should I know? Maybe it's something you're carrying."
"That's nonsense. I have nothing," Mist Lord snapped.
"What if it's something hidden in your spiritual sea?"
[Good point! What if the ruler analyzed your spirit and discovered a hidden miracle bracelet or token? Maybe he even detected me… In fact, if he found your miracle artifacts, then there's no way he didn't also find Mist Lord's Will Core. That means you're both prime targets.]
[Getting three miracle artifacts in one go? No wonder he's willing to break his own rules.]
Hearing this, Feng Qi couldn't help but roll his eyes.
Honestly, he wasn't too concerned about whether or not they could escape.
After all, if he died, he'd just return to reality.
Dying to Little Black or dying to Shadow City's ruler—there wasn't much of a difference.
But he hoped that Mist Lord could make it out alive.
Even though this version of Mist Lord started off weak, Feng Qi firmly believed that if given time to grow, he would absolutely have a place in the final battle of the future.
In Feng Qi's eyes, Mist Lord was like a protagonist straight out of a legendary tale—destined to rise to greatness.
[If he hadn't met you, he'd definitely be the chosen one. Back then, Mist Lord dominated the western sector of Star City Shelter. A single snap of his fingers could have wiped out all of humanity, harvesting the blood energy of countless races. If he had more time to develop, the influx of blood energy from across the world might have made him strong enough to rival the Pillar Gods. He could have collected enough blood energy to revive his people.]
[With all these advantages stacking up, the Mist Tribe led by Mist Lord would have ruled the world. They would have stood at the pinnacle of power… But after meeting you, look at him now—reduced to a weakling who needs to cling to your thigh for protection.]
Feng Qi: …
The narration's ridicule hit where it hurt most.
But every word was true.
As they ran back along their original path, the entrance they had come through was growing closer and closer.
Just as Feng Qi and Mist Lord were about to step onto the teleportation steps, a streak of light shot out from the tower's direction, arriving in an instant and wrapping around them.
Both of them suddenly found themselves unable to move.
A powerful pulling force took hold, the blue light surrounding them dragging them backward toward the tower at an incredible speed.
Down below, the travelers all looked up, curiosity in their eyes.
Some of the domain creatures wore thoughtful expressions, as if trying to guess what was happening.
Within seconds, Feng Qi and Mist Lord were pulled into a black opening in the tower.
The moment they entered, the black void closed shut, sealing them inside.
As they steadied themselves, their eyes immediately scanned the room they had been transported into.
It was massive—easily the size of two basketball courts.
All around them were piles of rare treasures, each type of spiritual material neatly categorized and arranged. The air itself was filled with the unique medicinal fragrance of spiritual herbs, so potent that just breathing it in made their bodies feel lighter, as if their strength had been slightly enhanced.
The sheer visual impact left Feng Qi stunned.
If they were talking about storage volume alone, the Scarlet Research Institute's resource vault was much bigger than this.
After all, its underground warehouses spanned several football fields.
But this was different—because every single item here was a priceless treasure.
Using his spiritual sense, he could clearly feel the rich and powerful energy fluctuations coming from every single resource in the room.
Even the lowest-tier material here would be considered a supreme treasure in the Scarlet Research Institute.
And yet, this room was filled to the brim with such treasures—covering an area the size of two basketball courts.
[If Suction Cup were here, it would probably eat everything in sight and power up several times over. Tsk, tsk. I wonder how that little guy is doing now.]
Gazing past the multicolored, glowing spiritual materials, Feng Qi's eyes landed on the throne at the far end of the room.
Seated upon it was a figure with human-like features. Their face was exquisite, neither male nor female, and they wore a robe embroidered with dark green patterns. Their arms rested on the throne's armrests, covered by dark red armguards, and every finger bore a different ornate ring.
There was no doubt.
This was the ruler of Shadow City.
If they had dressed like this in human society, they would have been mocked as a nouveau riche.
But here, in this lawless domain, such extravagant attire was a symbol of power and status.
In a world where the strong devoured the weak, only the powerful dared to flaunt their wealth. The weak had no right to possess treasures, nor the ability to protect them.
At that moment, the space in front of them warped, and before Feng Qi realized it, he and Mist Lord had instantly been teleported forward, now standing directly before the Shadow City Lord.
A charming smile spread across the ruler's face.
"Would you satisfy my curiosity?"
Feng Qi remained calm. "Speak. Why have you brought us here?"
The Shadow City Lord's eyes gleamed with interest.
"The miracle artifacts you possess… Where did they come from?"
[Tsk, tsk. Just as expected. He's already identified that you both have miracle artifacts. Now, before he kills you, he wants to squeeze out every last bit of information. Looks like it's time for an early shift—I'm exhausted.]
Mist Lord's expression darkened.
"What miracle artifacts? I don't have anything like that."
The Shadow City Lord chuckled, his right eye glimmering with light.
"You do. It's hidden in your heart. All I have to do is crush it, and it will appear."
Hearing this, Mist Lord's face fell.
He realized he wasn't leaving this place alive.
But what confused him even more was—why was something like that inside him?
Why couldn't he remember it?
"See? I told you it was you." Feng Qi sighed. "Now we're both screwed. Guess we'll be walking the road to the underworld together."
Ignoring the glare from Mist Lord, Feng Qi turned to the Shadow City Lord.
"You son of a… Don't get too full of yourself. I'll admit defeat this time, but you better remember this—one day, I'll make you pay. Now hurry up and get it over with."
[Hahaha! That's the spirit! Even in death, never lose your momentum!]
Seeing Feng Qi's unyielding stance, even Mist Lord was momentarily stunned.
The Shadow City Lord, seeing that they weren't going to cooperate, stopped wasting words.
His gaze shifted back to Mist Lord.
The miracle artifact inside Feng Qi was too well-hidden—even the Eye of Truth couldn't detect it.
But the one inside Mist Lord was clear as day.
It was inside his heart—or rather, it had already merged with it.
With a flick of his hand, the Shadow City Lord unleashed his power.
Instantly, Mist Lord's flesh peeled away.
He didn't even have time to turn into mist—his body was disintegrated into nothingness.
Only traces of blood energy remained in the air, but even those were quickly absorbed by the room, vanishing completely.
All that was left floating in the air was a deep blue core.
Seeing this, a fire ignited in Feng Qi's heart.
Without hesitation, he rushed forward—fists clenched, preparing to strike the Shadow City Lord with all his might.
Even if he was destined to die, at least he'd go down fighting.
At this moment, Feng Qi was completely restrained by an unknown force. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn't move an inch.
With no means to fight back, all he could do was curse at the top of his lungs.
The Shadow City Lord had no interest in paying attention to him. Instead, his greedy gaze was fixated on the deep blue core floating in the air.
With a simple wave of his hand, the core drifted toward him.
As he examined it, emotions flickered across his face—excitement, longing, reverence, greed. He gazed at the core as if he were admiring a perfect work of art.
"This miracle artifact still retains his consciousness. You can collect it, but you will never truly possess it," Feng Qi remarked coldly.
Hearing this, the Shadow City Lord turned to him, flashing an eerie, charming smile.
"I've noticed that. But it just so happens that I have a way to refine miracle artifacts that have already been claimed. It will take a long time, but even if I fail to refine it, I will be satisfied just keeping it in my collection."
For a moment, Feng Qi was speechless. Then, unable to hold back, he cursed again:
"F*ck you, you sissy bastard! If you're gonna do it, then kill me quickly!"
The Shadow City Lord ignored him. With a flick of his wrist, a jade box encrusted with gemstones appeared in his hand. He carefully placed the core inside, then set it aside.
After dealing with the will core, he turned his eyes back to Feng Qi, his gaze filled with anticipation and desire.
"Sh*t! Don't look at me like that! You're making me sick!"
[Agreed. That stare is way too creepy. When we get stronger, we'll hunt him down and deliver a righteous iron fist straight to his smug face!]
"Deal!" Feng Qi responded in his heart.
"I'm very curious—where exactly are the miracle artifacts hidden on your body?" the Shadow City Lord asked, tilting his head slightly.
"How many do you see?" Feng Qi immediately countered.
This was important information. He had almost forgotten to ask.
"I'm not sure. I can confirm at least two," the Shadow City Lord replied.
[Ask him if he detected me.]
"Did you sense an additional consciousness within me?" Feng Qi continued.
"A consciousness? You have an extra consciousness inside you?" The Shadow City Lord frowned slightly.
[Oh sh*t. If even a miracle artifact can't detect me, then what the hell am I? Guess I'm dying without ever finding out…]
Feng Qi: …
"It seems you hold even more secrets than I thought," the Shadow City Lord mused. "I suddenly feel reluctant to kill you. The mysteries within you intrigue me. You're like a living treasure map—you might bring me unexpected surprises."
Hearing this, Feng Qi sighed in frustration.
"But before I uncover your secrets, I've decided to extract the miracle artifacts from your body first. Don't worry, I'll let your consciousness remain."
As soon as he spoke, the Shadow City Lord waved his hand.
Feng Qi's flesh began to peel away, layer by layer.
The searing pain was unbearable, coursing through his entire body.
Compared to Mist Lord's instant death, watching his own body being stripped apart bit by bit made Feng Qi think of archaeologists carefully brushing away dirt from ancient relics.
Judging by the Shadow City Lord's expression, that might actually be what he was thinking.
However, soon enough, his composure wavered.
Once all of Feng Qi's flesh had been removed, he saw no sign of any miracle artifacts.
With another wave of his hand, the stripped flesh was further disintegrated, broken down into microscopic particles.
Still, there was nothing.
Frustrated, he turned to Feng Qi's bones, crushing them into fine powder using spatial force, leaving behind only his flickering soul fire, desperately trying to locate the miracle artifact.
But once again, he was disappointed.
Even after reducing Feng Qi's entire body to dust, there was still no sign of the miracle artifact.
For the first time, the Shadow City Lord lost his composure.
His frustration mounting, he flicked his hand to the right.
A blood-red spiritual plant nearby dissolved into a crimson liquid, which then flew toward him.
With another motion, the red liquid merged with Feng Qi's disintegrated flesh and bones.
Under the surge of powerful blood energy, the mysterious blood-colored plant rebuilt Feng Qi's body, restoring him back to his original form.
"Tell me where the miracle artifact is, and I will grant you a quick death," the Shadow City Lord said coldly. "Otherwise, I will make you suffer eternally."
His voice carried a chilling threat.
But seeing the frustration on his face, Feng Qi felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
At that moment, a voice echoed in his mind:
[Oh-ho! I just detected Little Black's presence. It's closing in fast. Time to clock out! Logging off for the day!]
Hearing this, Feng Qi's expression brightened.
He grinned at the Shadow City Lord, flashing a mischievous smile.
"You're threatening me? Do you even know who my big brother is?"
"Who?" The Shadow City Lord narrowed his eyes.
"I don't mind telling you," Feng Qi smirked. "He just contacted me. He's already on his way here. Your Shadow City is as good as finished. My big bro doesn't say much, but he acts fast. You're dead."
"And this entire treasure hoard of yours? Yeah, it'll all belong to him soon."
The Shadow City Lord's first instinct was to not believe a word of it.
If Feng Qi truly had a powerful backer, why hadn't he mentioned it earlier?
But when Feng Qi spoke about his treasures being stolen, it hit a nerve.
Without hesitation, the Shadow City Lord turned his gaze toward the horizon, his right eye glowing green as he scanned the outside world.
Moments later, his expression drastically changed.
Through the void, he saw a pitch-black figure rapidly approaching the Shadow City's domain.
His Eye of Truth activated instantly, attempting to analyze the intruder's information.
A moment later, the results appeared before his eyes:
[??? (???)]
Details: Unknown
Unable to analyze target.
Warning: The subject cannot be parsed.
…
Seeing this completely blank analysis, the Shadow City Lord's eyes widened in shock.
"You see that?" Feng Qi grinned. "That pitch-black figure? Yeah, that's my big brother. You're dead meat."
As he glanced down at Feng Qi's smug face, the Shadow City Lord felt a chilling sense of dread creeping into his heart.
For the first time in centuries, he was afraid.