In the center of the jade platform within the valley, numerous beings of varying appearances sat with downcast eyes, each before specialized cultivation materials. Most of these materials were exceedingly rare—some were jade, others divine weapons, and still others armor, all exquisitely crafted.

These dazzling arrays of cultivation materials were entirely for exchange, sought for items suited to their own needs. This was a trading zone specifically established by the Dragon Lizard race for the waiting parties to interact.

At that moment, Shi Yan, Audrey, Evelyn, and their party of five were moving through this trading area, their eyes bright as they closely examined the wares.

“Heavenly Wood Stone, Undying Lotus Pedestal, Soul Devouring Silk—these are all priceless treasures,” Audrey murmured, her bright eyes shining. “Where we come from, these things are treasures that money cannot buy, incredibly difficult to nurture even within the Wilds. I never expected to see them traded so casually here.”

Evelyn smiled faintly and explained, “The Wilds Domain is just a remote border realm; the passage gate is unknown to anyone. There are countless realms within the Star Sea, and truly top-tier figures all gravitate toward the Void Sea. Therefore, most martial artists traversing the Void Sea are already top-tier in their home domains, so the items they possess are naturally extraordinary.”

He paused, then his expression turned serious. “Moreover, the Void Sea itself was formed from the shattering of countless realms during the Primordial Era. Many strange remnants of rare Primordial treasures still linger here, far rarer than the materials found in this spot. If we go to other regions, we might discover even better things.”

Shi Yan nodded slightly.

He knew this area only occupied a portion of the Dragon Lizard Star. This was the activity zone designated for third-rate races. Races with significant influence, like the Water Clan, would be accommodated in superior zones, where the trading areas would undoubtedly feature artifacts even rarer than those here.

“Most transactions here are bartered; Divine Crystals are rarely sold. Many realms across the Vast Star Sea possess Divine Crystal veins, so Divine Crystals… aren’t considered rare. What is rare is precisely the material that suits one's own cultivation. You should notice that they clearly state what they are demanding in exchange,” Evelyn gently pointed out.

In the trading zone, it resembled a complex, crisscrossing street, dotted with scattered vendors and passing members of foreign races, wandering about as if window-shopping. Only when they spotted materials suited for their cultivation would they stop to converse with the owner. If they happened to possess what the vendor needed, the exchange could be successfully completed.

Following Evelyn’s reminder, Shi Yan and Audrey focused their attention, noticing that many sellers had listed their desired exchange items in the Common Tongue nearby. For example, the alien selling the Heavenly Wood Stone had explicitly written that he only wanted materials suitable for the Lightning Profundity.

That individual possessed a cultivation base of the Second Heaven of the Initial God realm, and the fluctuation of thunder and lightning around him was extremely distinct. Naturally, he was diligently cultivating the Lightning Profundity.

After strolling around once, Shi Yan and Audrey gained an understanding of the trading area. However, neither of them discovered any treasures suitable for them, so they continued to wander.

“You two keep looking around; we’ll check over there. We can meet back at our lodging when you get tired,” Evelyn suggested they split up.

Shi Yan and Audrey naturally had no objections. Immediately, the three martial artists of the Heavenly Eye race moved to a different sector to explore another location.

Shi Yan and Audrey strolled side-by-side. Their expressions were casual, occasionally exchanging a word or two, like a couple.

There were many foreign races present here, but most resembled the basic human template, marked by blue icons. Some had curved horns sprouting from their heads, others possessed menacing tails, some had unusually long ears, and others had skin covered in strange, intricate patterns…

There were far too many of these foreign races, and their languages varied greatly. Fortunately, everyone used the Common Tongue, so there were no obstacles in making trades.

“Oh!”

Suddenly, Audrey let out a soft cry, stopping in front of an alien being, her eyes filled with wonder.

That alien was a middle-aged man covered in wave-like azure patterns. He was likely cultivating the Profundities of Wind and Thunder, as the sounds of wind and thunder faintly emanated from within him.

What caught Audrey’s attention was a pitch-black wine urn before him. A distinct soul fluctuation radiated from within the urn. With Audrey’s unique Soul Profundity, a slight probe told her the soul within was not weak.

Shi Yan sensed it secretly and his expression also stirred. “Three souls at the Third Heaven of the Initial God realm—their consciousnesses have been wiped clean, leaving only pure soul energy. Very good.”

He knew Audrey’s Profundity allowed her to absorb powerful souls to enhance her realm's power. This was a unique Profundity of the Nether Emperor race. This was also why Ming Hao was once the most suitable cultivator for the Soul Control Profundity, as Soul Control itself was one of the most miraculous subtleties of soul cultivation.

“Only exchanging for things suitable for my Profundity!” The middle-aged man cracked open one of his narrowed eyes, glancing at Shi Yan and Audrey. He sighed inwardly with disappointment, then snapped impatiently, “If you don’t have anything, don’t block the view for others!”

He was one of the few Immortal martial artists in this trading zone. Seeing that Shi Yan and Audrey were merely Initial God realm cultivators, he surmised they couldn’t produce anything valuable and naturally did not offer a pleasant demeanor. Moreover, he feared Shi Yan and Audrey would linger and block the view of someone who truly possessed a rare Wind artifact, thus developing antipathy.

“It’s a shame I don’t have anything suitable for him,” Audrey muttered regretfully, about to withdraw.

The three Initial God souls within the urn held an extreme attraction for her. If she could integrate them into the depths of her soul, it might help her break through to the Second Heaven of the Initial God realm. Three souls at the Third Heaven of the Initial God realm possessed astonishing power; for her, they were potent restorative medicine.

Audrey’s graceful body moved, just as she prepared to leave, but she saw Shi Yan standing still and was surprised, whispering, “No need to waste time.”

The middle-aged man, his wave patterns rolling across his body, glared impatiently at Shi Yan. “What are you doing, brat? Are you deliberately blocking the path?”

Shi Yan grinned, tapped his brow, and ten or so strange crystal stones instantly dropped into his palm. The stones flickered with lightning, covered in circular holes from which the whistling sounds of wind and thunder erupted, surging with astonishing wind and thunder power.

The Wind Thunder Stone was precisely the rare stone upon which the Chen family of the Thunder Heaven Domain depended for survival. It was formed over thousands of years by the unique wind and thunder power that resonated between the crystal walls of the Thunder Heaven Domain when the ancient Thunder Dragon, Lei Di, settled his remains. Lei Di cultivated the Thunder Profundity, but the region was fiercely swept by violent gales. Through an unconscious opposition with these gales, the Wind Thunder Stone miraculously formed.

The Wind Thunder Stone was the most suitable rare stone for those integrating the Wind and Thunder Profundities, capable of greatly increasing power and enhancing the comprehension of the Profundities.

The middle-aged man had initially intended to exchange for a rare Wind Profundity artifact or materials for the Thunder Profundity. He never expected to see a rare stone naturally fusing the awakened energies of both Wind and Thunder. The moment the Wind Thunder Stones appeared, his face froze in shock, and he instantly switched to a smiling expression.

“Little brother, this crystal stone is an excellent exchange. Give me these ten Wind Thunder Stones, and you can take this wine urn as a gift for your woman. As for those three Initial Gods, they chased me back then, but they didn’t expect me to break through to the Immortal realm just in time, so I killed them all, wiped their soul consciousness, and turned them into pure soul masses…” he explained with a smile.

When Audrey saw Shi Yan take out the Wind Thunder Stones, her usually cold face instantly filled with ecstatic surprise. When the man mistook her for Shi Yan’s woman, her pretty face momentarily stiffened, then flushed deeply, revealing a rare charm. Her neck turned crimson, her beautiful eyes shimmering slightly, and she stuttered awkwardly.

She was quite thin-skinned and rarely felt embarrassed; for a moment, she truly didn't know what to do.

“My woman…” Shi Yan chuckled in self-amusement, muttered to himself, and then accepted it calmly. “Let’s settle it this way. I’ll take the wine urn, and the Wind Thunder Stones are yours.”

Grinning widely, he set down the Wind Thunder Stones one by one, grasped the wine urn holding the three Initial God souls with one hand, and linked his arm around Audrey’s slender waist with the other, walking away triumphantly.

“Bastard! Let go!” Audrey’s face was crimson, her bright eyes sparkling. She shot him a fierce glare, and as soon as she saw no one was paying attention, she quickly broke free, took a breath, and feigned composure. “I truly need that item. That… consider it a debt I owe you; I will repay you later.”

With that, she happily snatched the wine urn from Shi Yan’s hand, her eyes shining, while maintaining a calm surface expression. “With these three souls at the Third Heaven of the Initial God realm, I can break through to the next level. I really didn’t expect souls of this caliber to be for sale! Where we come from, they possess the power equivalent to the patriarchs of the Twelve Divine Clans. This Void Sea is truly a terrifying place.”

Shi Yan, having been forcefully pushed away by her, chuckled and shook the right hand that had just circled her waist, his eyes burning as he glanced at her waist, openly flirting with the proud princess of the Nether Emperor race. “You know you owe me? Hmm, how do you plan to repay it? You mentioned before that I am someone who loves all women, extremely lustful. We are wandering alone outside the domain, completely without relatives. Tell me, shouldn't we become a bit more intimate?”

Audrey froze. “Are you really that roguish and shameless?”

“Didn’t you already know?” Shi Yan asked in feigned surprise.

“How can you face your confidantes? As far as I know, on the Divine Grace Continent, you have several women who are hopelessly devoted to you. You’ve only been gone a short while, and already you’re seeking carnal pleasure. Can you live with your conscience?” Audrey chastised him seriously.

Shi Yan’s brow furrowed, a shade of gloom appearing in his eyes. He remained silent for a long moment before saying, “No one knows what the future holds, and whether we can ever return to the Wilds Domain. Perhaps they will never see me again. I also don't know if I can survive here for long, if I can live one good day, be happy for one day—let’s just live like this for now…”

The deeper his understanding of the Void Sea grew, the more he realized his own insignificance and powerlessness. The Seven Great Races stood high above, possessing Domain Ancestors comparable to Huang and Hui, and more than one. For a mere Initial God like him, whether he could survive safely before finding a way back was a major problem.

The complex environment here cast a shadow over his soul, making him afraid to contemplate the future, wanting only to live well in the present.

His verbal teasing of Audrey was also a form of self-relaxation and stress relief, because here, every new piece of information or every new person he learned about brought immense pressure.

Because of this, he developed an intense craving for the Immortal Pill. He secretly resolved that he would spare no cost to acquire the last Immortal Pill held by the Dragon Lizard race; he absolutely had to obtain one and break through to the Immortal realm as quickly as possible!