Heaven and earth teem with countless races—not just the various beastman tribes. Besides beastmen, no one knows how many other races truly exist. And not every race is willing to see the beastmen fully unite and establish a royal court. Once united, the power they unleash is far beyond what most can imagine.
For other races, this acts as an invisible warning.
In the past, tribal-based systems allowed them to roam the wilderness with ease. But now, individual tribes can no longer guarantee security or survival. Some even feel as if their status is being gradually overturned.
Be it the Great Yi Dynasty or the Myriad Beasts Royal Court, both are like two ancient savage beasts—no longer prey but hunters. This shift has created tremendous pressure on other tribal factions.
Faintly, the leaders of many tribes began pondering how they would survive in the future.
Meanwhile, in the Great Yi Dynasty, the establishment of the Myriad Beasts Royal Court caused an uproar.
"The beastman tribes actually united and established a royal court? What are they planning—do they mean to challenge us?"
"This is bad. Many beastman races have always regarded humans as mere blood meat, showing no mercy. If they grow stronger, they'll pose an enormous threat to our race."
"Exactly! Don't forget, the Behemoth King once led the beastmen army to assault Great Yi. They bathed in blood at the Iron and Blood Great Wall. Corpses were everywhere. That hatred is etched in our very bones—it won't just vanish."
In each human Immortal City, waves of hostility and fear surged in the hearts of the populace.
Any lingering comfort or laziness was now abandoned. A deep sense of urgency filled them—this was a true and formidable enemy. If war did break out, it would be long and bloody, claiming countless lives. Anyone unprepared might fall in the first charge—dying a meaningless death.
The establishment of the Myriad Beasts Royal Court instantly awakened the people's desire for strength, sparking a nationwide cultivation frenzy. Countless citizens, driven by the pressure, achieved breakthroughs, desperately training in martial arts and divine abilities—all to become stronger.
When the people grow strong, so does Great Yi.
After gazing for a long time at the Myriad Beasts Plains, Yi Tianxing withdrew his divine sense from the Ten Thousand Immortals Hall, returning to his body.
At that moment, Ao You also looked into the void, her eyes gleaming with interest.
"King Yi, your dynasty might be in trouble. Individually, the beastman races may not be powerful, but united, they'll experience a massive transformation. Their strength will surge. And as far as I know, their relations with the human race are… less than friendly. You'd better prepare early."
Clearly, she was quite informed about Great Yi—possibly because the Bohai Dragon Palace had its own intelligence-gathering network within the dynasty. Their knowledge wasn't recent; they had likely been studying Great Yi for some time.
Yi Tianxing replied calmly,
"Naturally. But there's no need for Your Highness to worry. The Myriad Beasts Royal Court's formation will not affect our trade route. Besides, I am confident—one beastman royal court cannot pose a fatal threat to Great Yi."
"Good. I believe you won't regret this trade," Ao You said confidently as she took out a jade catalog, continuing:"This is the item list provided by Bohai Dragon Palace. Everything listed is within the trade scope. Based on this, you may request any goods, and once the trade route is open, they'll be delivered regularly."
She had clearly come prepared—this trade was anticipated and calculated from the start.
Yi Tianxing accepted the jade slip and flipped through it casually.Immediately, he was stunned by the wealth of the aquatic races. It was overwhelming—so rich it sparked thoughts of robbery.
"Blue Spirit Gold Thread—a top-tier material that can be refined into immortal-grade armor. It even has the potential to become a high-grade magical or spiritual treasure."
Yi Tianxing's eyes stopped at one item: Blue Spirit Gold Thread.
Ao You smiled and explained:
"It's produced only in the ocean, extracted from the leaves of Blue Spirit Seaweed. This seaweed produces golden threads within its leaves, which can be drawn out using special methods. These threads are extremely tough, fire- and water-proof, and can be woven into immortal clothing or battle armor. In fact, most of our palace's clothing is made from this material. It's incredibly rare—we measure it in 'liangs' (taels)."
It was indeed a rare treasure. Blue Spirit Seaweed had to grow for over a hundred years before it could produce golden thread, and only once a year could a thread be harvested. Specialized spiritual botany masters were required to tend it.
Even the clothes Ao You wore were woven from this material.
"Indeed, this is a fine treasure," Yi Tianxing nodded. Oceanic resources far exceeded those on land—a vast, inexhaustible treasure trove.
Afterward, Yi Tianxing and Ao You concluded their discussions. Soon, Cai Yan and the other three women returned, and after meeting Ao You, they quickly became fast friends, even going off to tour the intermarket together.
Over the following days, Xue Jin promptly arrived at Nameless City, holding detailed talks with the Bohai envoys over trade terms, including inventory, quantities, and logistics.
The Bohai Dragon Palace accepted Eternal Coins as valid currency, which allowed seamless transactions.
In return, they made large-scale purchases within Great Yi—grains, livelihood materials, and especially cloud brocade and mist silk, which caught their eyes immediately.
An agreement was reached: this trade would occur twice yearly—once with the dragon palace envoy visiting Great Yi, and once with a Great Yi trade caravan entering the underwater palace.
The method of underwater travel was revealed: a mystical treasure from Bohai called the Divine Demon Skysunder Shuttle (神魔穿天梭). It could rapidly pierce spatial barriers, creating a tunnel between land and sea. However, its use was resource-intensive, which explained the biannual limit.
To stabilize the tunnel, they also employed another treasure: the Heavenlink Shell (通天贝), capable of locking onto spatial coordinates and creating a stable dimensional corridor. With Heavenlink Shells placed both underwater and on land, bidirectional travel became possible—at the cost of vast energy crystals.
Soon, the intermarket came to a quiet close amid laughter and satisfaction. Almost every participant left smiling, clearly having obtained what they wanted.
With the intermarket closed, most of the foreign warriors departed Nameless City, leaving behind only Hé Shēn and a contingent of elite troops.
One day, He Shen stepped out of the city lord's manor and climbed the wall.
His bean-like eyes sparkled with gold light as he grinned and shouted:
"Take down the signboard!"
Immediately, soldiers sprang into action. The plaque of Nameless City was removed—but not taken away. Instead, it was flipped and re-hung, revealing a different inscription.
Nameless City had vanished.
In its place now stood: Blackgold City (黑金城).
Yes—etched in ancient script across the wall were the three characters Blackgold City, radiating a dark, forbidden aura that stirred a strange and unsettling emotion.
"Change uniforms!"
He Shen gave the next order.
The soldiers on the wall swiftly donned new black armor, their faces masked. They stood like grim warriors of death in the shadows—mysterious and terrifying.
Many more black-armored troops patrolled inside the city, their presence blanketing every inch with pressure and secrecy.
Dark fog gathered outside the city, shrouding it in mystery, causing hesitation even among those who merely looked upon it.
He Shen clapped his hands and declared cheerfully:
"Send out the invitations. From today onward, Blackgold City is officially open. This is the Black Market, and here, you can obtain Blackgold."