If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Yi Tianxing would never have believed such a scene could exist.
This was a complete upheaval of everything he previously knew.
After all, many of the races present here were traditionally hostile toward one another.
Take goblins and elves, for instance. The two races despised each other. Elves saw goblins as filthy creatures obsessed with destruction—destroyers of nature, of the land, fanatically mining ore veins, polluting the environment, constantly engaging in engineering and alchemy, and always covered in grime. To the cleanliness-loving elves, goblins were utterly intolerable.
Then there were the dwarves. Like goblins, dwarves dealt with ores and forging. The two races were notorious for not getting along, seldom interacting outside of conflict. And yet, here in this place, goblins, dwarves, elves—they were all gathered together. Seeing them coexist like this was anything but ordinary.
This Darkblood Town was definitely interesting.
"Haha! We did it! We actually forged a rune rifle with immense killing power!"
"Amazing! Rune rifles—no matter the type—if they can kill beasts and protect us from harm, then they're the best weapons we could ask for!"
"Good! With rune rifles, we won't need to hide underground anymore. We can fight back on the surface, slay the beasts, and avenge our fellow humans who died at their hands!"
Suddenly, cheers erupted from within Darkblood Town, filled with excitement and hope—an eagerness for a brighter future.
Humans were still the dominant race here. But it was clear they weren't exactly thriving. They weren't enslaved by the other races, but in terms of societal hierarchy, it was apparent that humans held a lower status. Goblins, dwarves—even the elves—were the nobles in this town. Humans were mere commoners.
A class divide—plain and simple.
Looking around, there were no fewer than several hundred thousand people living here.
Their survival could only be attributed to the secrecy of the underground realm. On the surface, such a number would never have survived. Still, seeing so many fellow humans alive filled Yi Tianxing with a mix of sentiment and joy.
"Very well, I'll experience Darkblood Town for myself. Let's see what it's like when multiple races are forced to coexist."
He made up his mind and started walking toward the town.
It was called a town, but in reality, it wasn't much different from a full-fledged city.
"What's growing here? It doesn't look like ordinary crops—and it seems to carry spiritual energy. Some faint, some stronger."
As Yi Tianxing walked through the underground realm, he noticed that the soil beneath his feet was not much different from surface soil. Although the area never saw sunlight, it wasn't completely dark either. Nearby, he saw a lava river—not just any underground stream, but one that flowed with molten lava, radiating red light.
There was a volcano nearby.
That volcano's underground fire vein was the source of the lava. Here, it served as the primary light source for the subterranean world. Under its glow, the entire space took on a bloody red hue—hence the name Darkblood Town.
This lava river had become a prime site for dwarven and goblin forging, which was likely why they had chosen this location to build the city.
In the open areas outside town, he could see fields of black rice flourishing.
It was no ordinary rice—it looked entirely unique.
"Black rice—so there really is a variety suited to growing in darkness. Truly, nothing is impossible in this world."
Yi Tianxing had once come across black rice in the Wordless Heavenly Tome. It was a special grain that thrived in darkness, its grains just as black as its name implied. The taste was excellent, and it could even be used to brew fine wine. It wasn't a normal crop but a spiritual grain—specifically, a low-grade yellow-rank spiritual grain.
While its spiritual energy was weak, its ability to grow on a large scale in darkness made it incredibly valuable.
Eating it brought real benefits: the body wouldn't suffer under constant darkness, and one's strength would gradually increase—albeit slowly, and only with sustained consumption.
Despite Yi Tianxing's presence, the townsfolk didn't seem surprised. With so many humans around, no one could tell whether he was an original resident or an outsider. The idea that someone could silently infiltrate the underground city was simply unthinkable.
The city gates were barely guarded—after all, they believed the place was secure. Outsiders could never find this hidden haven.
Yi Tianxing entered the city with ease.
The town was large, though its architecture seemed chaotic and unorganized. Still, it was bustling.
He saw goblins everywhere—green-skinned, with pointed ears, long noses, sharp jaws, and small, scrawny builds—sitting by the streets selling goods. They constantly dragged passersby into conversation, talking so fast and so much that people would be pulled in before realizing it.
The sound of goblins haggling echoed throughout the streets—over every single coin, every item.
Their greed seemed etched into their bones—unchangeable.
Goblins weren't just top-tier engineers and alchemists; they were also the most talented businessmen. Their obsession with wealth ran so deep it was practically inherited. They were the best merchants—and also the stingiest.
They'd haggle for an entire day over a single gold coin.
"Hey! You there, human brother—don't walk away!"
As Yi Tianxing walked down the street, a goblin in a corner suddenly caught sight of him. The goblin's eyes lit up instantly, gleaming like he had just seen an endless mountain of gold, treasures, and fortune.
The goblin rushed over and grabbed Yi Tianxing excitedly.
"What do you want?"
Yi Tianxing looked at him calmly. One glance, and he knew—this goblin was a shrewd one.
"Brother, you must've come from the outside, right?"
The goblin's eyes darted back and forth rapidly.
"Oh? How can you tell?" Yi Tianxing asked, amused but composed.
The goblin clearly already knew he was from the outside—denying it would be pointless.
"Heh, that's easy. The clothes you're wearing, even though you tried to disguise them, are clearly not something from around here. This fabric—exquisite, luxurious, worth a fortune! No one in Darkblood Town has access to such cloth. I'd know if they did. This stuff is practically made of gold in my eyes—you think I wouldn't notice?"
The goblin's eyes gleamed with a cunning light.
Yi Tianxing glanced at his robes. Though he had tried to conceal it, they were made of Mist Brocade, a high-grade material. In a place like Darkblood Town, where goblins had sharp eyes and an obsession with wealth, he might as well have been wearing flashing gold. There was no hiding it.
Moreover, his clothes were spotless—unusual in this place.
"Interesting… I didn't expect my clothes to give me away," Yi Tianxing thought, amused. He didn't mind. He had never intended to remain hidden for long. Sooner or later, he'd be dealing with the town's upper echelon.
"Heh, that's nothing. Our Darkblood Town is the biggest black market for all the surrounding tribes. Every first week of the month, the black market opens—and it's just a few days away now. Tribes from all around bring rare treasures of every kind. With my eye for quality, your clothes would sell like crazy. Say… how about a business deal?"
The goblin's eyes were practically shining. His tone and expression made it seem like he was staring at a mountain of gold just waiting to be collected.
"What kind of business?"
Yi Tianxing smiled.
"Just tell me where you got that fabric. If you've got a supply channel, bring a batch to Darkblood Town. I guarantee they'll sell out instantly. The elites of every race will pay big. We'll go into business together. You supply it—I'll handle the rest. We split the profits, seventy-thirty."
"Seventy-thirty? Who gets seventy?" Yi Tianxing asked, smiling.
"Obviously me—you're just supplying the fabric, I'm doing all the hard work," the goblin said matter-of-factly. Then he added, "Wait, how about eighty-twenty? You're barely lifting a finger. Honestly, even ninety-ten makes sense!"
"Goblins really are obsessed with wealth. That much is clearly true," Yi Tianxing mused. Then he asked, "I heard Darkblood Town just developed rune rifles. Is that true? Are they for sale? What exactly are they?"
"Rune rifles? Heh! That's the goblin race's greatest invention yet!" the goblin beamed proudly, his ears twitching with excitement. "Even without gunpowder, we've built rune rifles! Our grandmaster alchemist and engineer Anima, along with human and dwarven masters, spent years developing them. They're incredible. Want to know the best part? Rune rifles don't even need bullets to kill. This is the greatest invention of our age!"
"A rifle that doesn't need bullets…"
Yi Tianxing's eyes lit up. If that were true, then these rune rifles were truly remarkable—and possibly worth acquiring.