Chapter 399: Shadow Crystal

Zhou Zhuo provided him with the final intelligence inside the safe house: "This middleman is called 'Yinying'. No one knows his true identity, but he is the safest channel to contact the black market. Meet him at 9:00 tonight at the 'Yelan' bar in the old city district. The code is 'I seek the fragments of the stars', and the response is 'Only the dark night knows the answer'."

Lin Xuan nodded and noted it down: "If there is no news from me within 48 hours, initiate the emergency plan."

As night fell, Lin Xuan walked into the small bar named "Yelan". It was an ordinary place, as ordinary as could be, with sparse customers, dim lighting, and low, noisy background music. He sat down at the bar and ordered a whiskey.

"I seek the fragments of the stars," Lin Xuan said softly to the bartender.

The bartender's expression did not change, he only nodded slightly: "Only the dark night knows the answer. Booth three, someone is waiting for you."

Inside the booth, a tall, thin man wearing a silver mask was leisurely sipping wine. Seeing Lin Xuan enter, he gestured for Lin Xuan to sit: "A new face, interesting. Tell me, what do you want?"

Lin Xuan feigned the appearance of an arrogant wealthy merchant: "I heard there is something called a 'Shadow Crystal' that can allow people to experience extraordinary power. Money is no object; I want the best."

"Yinying" chuckled: "Straight to the point, I like that. However, Shadow Crystals cannot be purchased by just anyone; a referral is required."

Lin Xuan took a card from his pocket—this was the identification of a captured Void Believer provided by Zhou Zhuo: "This friend said you could help me."

"Yinying" took the card, a flash of surprise in his eyes: "So, a friend of Mr. Wu. Then, at 8:00 tomorrow night, I will arrange a car to pick you up; the specific location is confidential. Bring enough cash, at least five million. The price of a Shadow Crystal is one million per gram, fluctuating based on purity and quality."

The next evening, a black sedan picked up Lin Xuan on time. The car windows were completely obscured, making it impossible to see the route. About an hour later, the car stopped, and Lin Xuan was led into a seemingly abandoned factory.

The interior of the factory concealed an elevator leading directly underground. When the elevator doors opened, Lin Xuan was surprised to find that the third basement level was actually a luxuriously decorated venue; crystal chandeliers, marble floors, and leather sofas all displayed opulence. Dozens of well-dressed men and women were moving about, some pausing in front of display cases, others whispering to each other.

"Welcome to the 'Shadow Market'," Yinying explained from the side, "Here, there are not only Shadow Crystals but also various other 'special goods'. Remember the rules: do not ask for identities, do not take photos, and keep transactions private. Violators will bear the consequences themselves."

Lin Xuan nodded to show he understood and began to stroll through the market. With the help of Wood Element perception, he could clearly feel that almost every item here carried varying degrees of Void Energy fluctuations. Besides Shadow Crystals, there were ornaments emitting eerie light, purple-black liquids in exquisite bottles, and even some seemingly ordinary electronic devices that had Void Energy flowing inside them.

In the process of gathering intelligence, Lin Xuan noticed that the customers in the market were of various identities—there were business tycoons, entertainment stars, and even some government officials he recognized. These people appeared glamorous on the surface, but in private, they were addicted to the power brought by the Void.

"There will be a special auction in the main hall in thirty minutes," Yinying said mysteriously, "There will be top-tier goods, are you interested?"

Lin Xuan feigned interest and nodded in agreement, though he became increasingly vigilant in his heart.

The center of the main hall was set with a circular stage, surrounded by ring-shaped seating. As time passed, more and more people took their seats, and the atmosphere in the venue gradually became tense and expectant.

A middle-aged man in a tailored suit walked onto the stage: "Distinguished members of the New Era Association, tonight's special auction is about to begin."

Lin Xuan was slightly shocked—this organization calling itself the "New Era Association" was clearly the mastermind behind the Void trading network. What shocked him even more was that the person hosting the auction was actually Yang Jincheng, the CEO of Xingsheng Group, who was ostensibly a sponsor of the Five Elements Academy but was actually highly Void-corrupted, merely maintaining a human appearance.

"Tonight's finale item," Yang Jincheng said with a smile, gesturing for an assistant to open a specially made box, "is a 'Void Core' capable of fully unlocking human potential. It is extremely rare; there are no more than five on the market. Starting bid: one hundred million yuan."

The box opened, and a fist-sized black-purple crystal was revealed to everyone, emitting intense Void Energy fluctuations. Even the wealthy people present gasped—the starting bid of one hundred million yuan clearly exceeded many people's expectations.

Taking advantage of everyone's attention being on the Void Core, Lin Xuan quietly approached the stage, wanting to use Wood Element perception to investigate the composition of this crystal in detail. But the moment his energy touched the crystal, Yang Jincheng suddenly turned his head, his gaze casting toward him like lightning.

"We have an uninvited guest among us," Yang Jincheng's voice turned suddenly cold, "A spy from the Five Elements Academy!"

The venue fell into chaos, and security personnel quickly closed in on Lin Xuan. Knowing his disguise had been seen through, Lin Xuan stopped hiding and erupted with his full Wood Element power, repelling the nearest security guards while searching for an escape route.

"Stop him!" Yang Jincheng roared, simultaneously raising his hand in a wave, sending a black-purple energy wave straight toward Lin Xuan.

Lin Xuan dodged to the side, simultaneously surprised to find that the wealthy merchant who had just bought the Void Core had already pressed the crystal against his chest, and his entire body began to change—black veins appeared under his skin, his eyes turned purple-black, and most shockingly, his aura suddenly surged, actually reaching a level close to that of a Practitioner, but filled with a corrosive Void aura.

"Taste my new ability!" the wealthy merchant sneered, firing several black energy arrows at Lin Xuan.

Lin Xuan fought while retreating, rushing all the way toward the elevator. However, the elevator had been locked, so he had to redirect to the emergency stairs. There were more and more pursuers behind him, among them many who had used Shadow Crystals to temporarily gain abilities. Under the siege, Lin Xuan's injuries worsened again; his wounds burst open, and blood soaked his shirt.

After an explosive attack, Lin Xuan finally rushed out to the surface and dove into a nearby alley. Confirming he was not being followed, he immediately contacted Xiao Yuan: "Discovered a Void Energy trading network; the situation is more serious than expected. The 'New Era Association' controls the entire black market, and behind it is Yang Jincheng; he has been completely Void-corrupted. They are selling 'Void Cores' that allow ordinary people to gain quasi-Practitioner abilities; it is very dangerous."

Xiao Yuan's voice was full of worry: "Are you okay? Do you need backup?"

"I am safe for now, but my identity has been exposed," Lin Xuan replied, panting, "Assemble all available forces; we need to organize a raid to completely destroy this exchange. Yang Jincheng must be captured; he is the key to the higher levels."