Chapter 251: Ecological Bagworm

Luo En nodded briefly in confirmation: "Then, let's set off early without delay."

Yi Sen pointed toward the east gate of the town:

"We need to pass through the main urban area and then exit through the east gate. The Shadow District is outside the formal city walls, but it has its own set of protective systems—not to prevent the infiltration of Abyss energy, but to maintain its unique ecological balance."

Luo En understood his implication.

This was a lawless zone with its own rules and order, built upon strength and interests rather than morality or law.

The two traversed the city area in the morning light, where early vendors and residents were already about.

Passing over a stone bridge, Yi Sen pointed to a small stream below.

The water appeared unnaturally purple, with faint fluorescence floating on the surface, flowing as slowly as congealed syrup.

"That is 'Abyss Blood'."

Yi Sen explained, his voice tinged with a hint of awe:

"It is said to be the 'blood' of the Abyss itself, seeping into the surface world through certain special nodes. Its composition has yet to be fully analyzed by anyone, but if you dare to take a sip..."

He paused, a flicker of horror crossing his eyes: "At best, it permanently alters your senses; at worst, it causes direct mutation."

Luo En stopped to observe the peculiar stream.

Through "Extraordinary Identification," he could sense the complex energy structure contained within the water.

It was not a single form of energy, but a mixture of dozens, perhaps hundreds, of energies that intertwined and collided while maintaining a strange, eerie balance.

"Where does it flow?" Luo En asked, his gaze following the direction of the stream.

"It eventually flows into the 'Silent Lake' in the east, which is one of the areas where Abyss energy is most concentrated."

Yi Sen replied, his expression turning serious:

"The Silent Lake is a restricted zone; without official permission, no one is allowed near it. Even formal wizards require special approval to conduct research there."

Luo En nodded in understanding and did not press further.

Upon passing through the east gate, the scenery changed immediately.

The orderly stone-paved roads turned into uneven dirt paths, and the regulated buildings were replaced by various makeshift shacks.

The Abyss aura in the air became more intense, carrying a subtle sense of oppression that made breathing slightly uncomfortable.

"We have officially entered the peripheral zone."

Yi Sen reminded him, his voice instinctively lowered:

"There is no perfect protective array here like inside the city, and the infiltration of Abyss energy is more pronounced. However, for a wizard, this should not be a problem."

Luo En could clearly feel the change in the surrounding environment.

It was not just the anomaly of the energy field, but also a subtle spatial distortion, as if the distance before his eyes was slightly stretched or compressed, making it difficult to judge depth.

Even more unsettling was the state of the pedestrians around them, which was clearly different from normal people.

"The residents here are basically 'marginalized people'."

Yi Sen explained in a low voice, his eyes scanning the surroundings vigilantly:

"They are either criminals expelled from the city, explorers who have been too deeply affected by the Abyss to adapt to normal society, or special researchers who choose to stay here voluntarily."

Luo En noticed a small figure huddled in a corner by the roadside; the person was wrapped in a tattered cloak, revealing only a pair of glowing eyes.

When the two passed by, those eyes turned toward them, filled with indescribable hunger and fear.

"My lord, try not to make eye contact with them."

Yi Sen warned, quickening his pace:

"Some of them have lost the ability to think normally, leaving only the basic instincts shaped by the Abyss."

Luo En nodded slightly, taking the warning to heart.

Similar records existed in the "Abyss Creature Compendium":

The final stage of Abyss influence is often cognitive degradation and instinctual reinforcement, simplifying complex higher-order organisms into mere predators or scavengers.

As they ventured deeper, the surrounding buildings became increasingly dilapidated, and the air was filled with an indescribable odor—a mixture of metal, sulfur, and rotting organic matter.

"We are almost there." Yi Sen's voice became tense:

"That black wall ahead is the boundary of the Shadow District."

Luo En looked up to see a black wall about three meters high appearing in his field of vision.

It seemed to be composed of some kind of black metal or mineral, with its surface covered in tiny pores that occasionally emitted wisps of purple mist.

There were no guards above the wall, but the wall itself seemed to possess a life-like quality, undulating slightly as if breathing.

"That wall is said to be an experimental product of a certain alchemist, cast from a special material called 'Living Metal'."

Yi Sen explained, his voice tinged with awe:

"It can autonomously judge the strength and intentions of those entering, automatically attacking dangerous individuals, but because it is only an experimental product, it can sometimes be a bit unstable..."

Luo En narrowed his eyes; he could sense the complex energy flow within the wall, which indeed bore a striking resemblance to the energy circulation of a living organism.

"Please follow me."

Yi Sen led Luo En toward the side of the wall, where there was an inconspicuous small door that blended into the wall, making it almost indistinguishable:

"This is the 'Authentication Entrance'; it requires an entry fee and a simple strength assessment."

Sitting in front of the small door was a dwarf half a person tall, with purple skin, a pair of curved horns on his head, and pure black eyes with no whites.

He wore a robe made of unknown material, with faint runic light flickering on its surface.

"Yi Sen, bringing new guests again?" the dwarf asked in a hoarse voice, his eyes sweeping over Luo En:

"This one looks like a big shot."

"Barke, this is a wizard, and he wishes to visit the Shadow District."

Yi Sen introduced him respectfully, his voice tinged with a hint of nervousness: "Please show him the appropriate courtesy."

The dwarf Barke's eyes widened slightly; he quickly stood up from his seat and bowed to Luo En:

"Welcome to the Shadow District, Wizard."

His attitude was significantly more respectful, and his voice even carried a hint of flattery:

"The entry fee for a formal wizard is ten magic stone fragments, but considering this is your first visit, five will suffice."

Luo En did not haggle and directly took five magic stone fragments from his spatial bag and placed them on the small table in front of the dwarf.

"Thank you very much for your generosity, Wizard."

Barke quickly tucked the magic stone fragments into his bosom and then took a small black crystal ball from under the table:

"Please allow me to perform a simple strength assessment for you. Don't worry, it's purely a safety regulation of the Shadow District."

Luo En understood the purpose of this assessment—to judge the visitor's strength level and ensure they would not be offended.

He reached out and touched the crystal ball lightly.

The sphere immediately lit up with a dazzling blue light, then quickly turned purple, and finally shifted to a deep red.

"A very stable Morning Star level!" Barke scanned the color of the crystal ball expertly, his eyes showing a hint of surprise:

"Your instantaneous output has reached at least the intermediate Morning Star level!"

Luo En had already known this; judging solely by the instantaneous reaction of magic power input, he was indeed only at the intermediate Morning Star level, having only advanced a month ago.

"Then... please accept this." Barke skillfully took a red badge from a drawer and handed it to the other party:

"This represents your identity within the Shadow District and will let some of those small rats with low perception know to stay away, so as to avoid unnecessary bloodshed."

Luo En took the badge and pinned it to his robe.

The badge was engraved with a complex rune that flickered with peculiar light in the glow.

"What about my commission?" Yi Sen reminded him in a low voice, a hint of greed flashing in his eyes.

Barke impatiently tossed a few crystal coins to Yi Sen: "Got it, got it, take them."

Turning to Luo En, the dwarf's attitude became flattering again:

"Wizard, everyone in the Shadow District will show you respect. If you encounter any problems, just show your badge. In the core area, you will also find some special services and items reserved only for high-level visitors."

Luo En nodded in understanding and signaled to continue forward.

Barke quickly opened the small door and bowed respectfully to let them pass.

Stepping through the small door, Luo En immediately felt a strong energy fluctuation, as if passing through some invisible barrier.

The surrounding scene changed instantly—the gray decay of the outside world was replaced by strange, colorful lights.

The entire Shadow District looked as if it were shrouded in eternal twilight, yet illuminated by countless colorful lights.

"Welcome to the Shadow District, Wizard."

Yi Sen also became more relaxed, as if he had returned to a familiar territory:

"With your authorization, you can go directly to the core area, where the 'Silent Market' unique to the Shadow District is located."

He looked around and continued to perform his duties as a guide:

"The trading mode there is completely different from the outside world. Every trader has their own isolation cage, unable to perceive each other's energy fluctuations or conduct mental probes. All communication is done through the central magic board. It is safe and discreet, making it an ideal place for exchanging rare items."

Luo En's gaze swept over the panoramic view of the Shadow District.

The architectural styles here were bizarre and varied; some looked like giant mushrooms, while others resembled twisted bone towers.

He observed the so-called "Silent Market" carefully.

Its dome interior was divided into dozens of hexagonal isolation zones, each completely sealed by a semi-transparent energy barrier, making it almost impossible to see the interior from the outside.

In the center stood a huge black crystal board, its surface constantly flickering with various characters and patterns—these were the countless trade demands and supply information posted by traders.

This design was indeed clever, capable of effectively avoiding accidents caused by energy fluctuation conflicts or mental pollution during the trading process.

For the trading of Abyss materials, these protective measures were by no means redundant.

As they ventured deeper, Luo En noticed that the isolation zones were not all the same size.

Some were clearly more spacious and luxurious, seemingly reserved for visitors of specific ranks;

Others were narrow and simple, only large enough for one person to move around in.

This layered design reflected the hierarchy within the exchange, and Luo En himself was clearly classified as an upper-level visitor.

"Every trader is assigned a temporary isolation zone,"

Yi Sen continued to explain, his speaking speed slightly increased to avoid wasting time:

"Where they post their trade information or respond to the needs of others. All substantive communication and item exchanges are completed by the central system, ensuring that neither party knows the other's true identity unless they voluntarily disclose it."

Standing at the reception desk was a strangely shaped magic puppet.

Its body was made of silver-white metal, with countless tiny blue crystals embedded in its surface, while its head was a perfect sphere with no facial features.

Luo En probed the precise energy flow within its body; it possessed some kind of artificial intelligence structure.

"Respected visitor, welcome to the Silent Market."

The puppet said in a neutral voice, the sound resonating directly in Luo En's mind, completely bypassing his ears:

"Please present your authorization identifier."

Luo En displayed the red badge on his chest to the puppet.

The spherical head flickered slightly, seemingly performing some kind of scan or authentication.

"High-level authorization confirmed."

The puppet's voice carried a hint of respect:

"You will be assigned to the special trading zone, Isolation Zone 7. Please allow me to introduce the basic rules of the Silent Market."

(Rules omitted)

Isolation Zone 7 was spacious and comfortable, at least three times larger than the isolation zones for ordinary traders.

In the center sat a chair made of some kind of black metal, with a small magic board floating in front of it, which was the personal interface for the central board.

"Special authorization holders can consult historical transaction records and special item lists." After introducing the general rules, the puppet added:

"If needed, please browse by selecting the 'Archives' option at the bottom right of the magic board. We provide full access to visitors with 'High-level authorization'."

Luo En was very interested in this privilege.

Historical transaction records might hide precious intelligence about the Abyss, while the special item list might list the rare materials he needed.

The energy barrier of the isolation zone presented a deep blue-purple hue, which not only blocked sight but also shielded all energy fluctuations and mental probes.

"I wish you a pleasant trading experience, respected Wizard."

The puppet bowed slightly and exited, leaving Luo En alone to explore the system.

Yi Sen had long been arranged to wait outside; such high-level trading zones did not allow guides to enter.

Luo En sat in the chair and let his mental power touch the magic board lightly.

The board immediately responded gently, with a complex menu structure appearing on its surface.

He first browsed the interface layout, quickly understanding the operation method—it was concise and efficient, clearly designed for those high-level visitors whose time was precious.

First, he searched for "Transformation Resin," hoping to find transaction records for this precious material.

However, the results made him frown slightly—there had only been two related transactions in the past three months, and the quantities were extremely limited.

The records in the "Abyss Creature Compendium" were indeed correct; this substance was truly rare to the extreme.

According to his plan, Luo En began to query materials related to the Chimera bloodline, especially those Abyss bloodlines suitable for the "Lion Head" core.

The Manticore bloodline obtained at the Black Fog Academy arena last time had been modulated and lacked activity, losing its potential for advancement, so he had not chosen to integrate it into his own "Chimera" bloodline at the time.

This time, he hoped to find more original, highly active bloodline samples.

Luo En's gaze moved through the data stream like a scanner, his extraordinary identification and insight abilities allowing him to quickly filter out valuable information.

Ninety percent of the transaction records were ignored by him, and only those that were truly rare or related to his needs were marked.

Through systematic analysis of the historical archives, Luo En locked onto two particularly valuable material records:

The first was the primary extraordinary organ of the "Sand Sea Hunter."

This top predator living in the third layer of the Abyss, the "Black Sand Wasteland," resembled a giant snake, covered in hard, deep-black scales, and could move through the sand sea as if it were a fish in water.

Its greatest feature was its astonishing environmental adaptability and hunting talent, allowing it to survive and reproduce even in the harshest areas of the Abyss.

Luo En paid special attention to a detail mentioned in the transaction record:

The Sand Sea Hunter possessed an incredible energy conversion ability, capable of converting Abyss pollution into its own power.

The second was the core extraordinary organ of the "Ecological Bagworm."

This creature was not powerful, but it could move freely between the layers of the Abyss without environmental restrictions.

Its secret lay in a special "ecological membrane" on its surface, which could quickly analyze and adapt to environmental characteristics, creating a stable micro-environment for itself.

"These two bloodlines..." Luo En deduced possible integration paths in his mind, a light of thought flashing in his eyes:

"Combined, they should be able to shape a very interesting 'Lion Head'. The Chimera is a composite bloodline to begin with; I wonder what kind of chemical reaction will occur if I perform a secondary bloodline composite on top of the composite..."

Continuing his deep search, he discovered records of several special materials used to protect soul fragments:

"Spirit Dimension Crystal," "Stardust Sand," and "Ghost Pearl."

These were key components for building the simulation battle device, capable of stabilizing and protecting the soul fragments within the device, preventing activity loss or deterioration.

Luo En recorded these pieces of information one by one into a specific area of his memory palace, while simultaneously starting to post his own trade demands on the magic board.

He planned to exchange the high-level magic potions he carried and the rare materials brought from the Black Fog Academy for these special items.

The first to respond was a trader offering "Spirit Dimension Crystal," who was willing to exchange a thumb-sized crystal for Luo En's "Mental Stabilizer."

This magic potion was already considered precious in the wizarding world, and the version Luo En had improved was even more potent and stable, clearly piquing the other party's interest.

Luo En confirmed the transaction through the system and placed the potion on the transfer platform.

A moment later, a crystal emitting a faint silver light appeared in the same position.

He picked up the crystal and carefully inspected it through extraordinary identification—the structure was stable, the energy was pure, and the quality was top-notch, perfectly meeting the needs of the simulation battle device.

Next, he reached agreements with several other traders one after another, obtaining "Stardust Sand" and a considerable quantity of "Ghost Pearls."

These transactions went smoothly; the conditions offered by the other parties were relatively reasonable, and Luo En did not hesitate to pay enough magic stones or magic potions.

In his view, for such a key device concerning future development, only the best materials could be used; this was an expense that could not be saved.

However, there was no response regarding the extraordinary organs of the "Sand Sea Hunter" and the "Ecological Bagworm."

Luo En was not in a hurry; he knew that extraordinary organ samples of such Abyss creatures were rare to begin with and would require more time to find suitable sellers.

After waiting patiently for about an hour, a response finally appeared on the magic board:

A trader calling himself "Wanderer" indicated that he possessed the complete "ecological membrane" of the "Ecological Bagworm," but the asking price was high—five bottles of advanced magic potions plus one magic stone.

Luo En thought for a moment and decided to accept the price.

With his current financial resources, this expenditure, while not small, was within an acceptable range.

Moreover, the energy core of the Ecological Bagworm was crucial to his bloodline experiments, making it worth the price.

The transaction was completed quickly.

He received a transparent crystal ball, inside which floated an energy body that constantly changed colors—this was the legendary "ecological membrane."

Through extraordinary identification, he confirmed that the sample was intact and highly active.

He could even feel that unique "adaptability," which was attempting to establish a connection with the surrounding environment.

(End of chapter)