C16 Yin Fiend Corpse Worm

The underground market is divided into three sections: the Outer Valley, the Inner Valley, and the Restricted Zone.

The Outer Valley is where the street stalls are located, a place bustling with all sorts of people, with relatively easy access. To enter the Inner Valley, however, one must pay a certain fee.

The most mysterious of all is the Restricted Zone, accessible only to the core members of the market. Ordinary fighters can't even get close.

"Pay $100 to enter the Inner Valley," the guard at the underground market said with a blank expression.

Qiao Gao paid the $100, and the guard let him through.

As soon as he stepped into the Inner Valley, Qiao Gao heard the roar of excitement, followed by a strong scent of blood.

"I've heard there's an auction house, a training ground, and a combat arena in the Inner Valley," Qiao Gao thought as he looked around. His priority now was to find a training room to thoroughly examine his energy channels and figure out why they were withering.

The Inner Valley wasn't very large. After passing the combat arena, and with the guidance of a market guard, Qiao Gao quickly found the training ground.

The training ground was housed in a three-story stone building, heavily guarded to ensure absolute safety.

Qiao Gao approached the front desk and said, "Could you arrange a training room for me, please?"

The receptionist, a woman with striking features and a confident demeanor, looked at Qiao Gao with respect and said, "I'm sorry, sir, but we only have one 'Azure Dragon' training room left."

Upon hearing this, Qiao Gao couldn't help but frown. From what he knew, the underground market's training rooms were divided into four levels: 'Black Tortoise,' 'White Tiger,' 'Vermilion Bird,' and 'Azure Dragon.' The higher the level, the more abundant the energy concentration, making training much more effective. However, the cost varied significantly.

For instance, the lowest level 'Black Tortoise' room cost only 100 energy crystals per day, while the highest level 'Azure Dragon' room required 1000 energy crystals per day. Such luxurious training rooms were a rare indulgence, even for experts at the Soul Connecting Stage.

The receptionist seemed to sense that Qiao Gao's energy was weaker than hers. How could a warrior at the Vein Connecting Stage afford to stay in an 'Azure Dragon' room? Despite her doubts, she kept her expression neutral.

"The issue with the energy veins can't be delayed any longer. I must quickly identify the cause of their depletion, or there will be endless trouble!" With this thought, Qiao Gao spoke up, "Book me an 'Azure Dragon' training room."

The receptionist's eyes widened in shock. The 'Azure Dragon' level room was rarely rented out, maybe once a month.

"I've heard there's been a strange occurrence in the wilderness recently, attracting many young nobles from outside the city to seek treasure and adventure. Could he be one of them?" she wondered, deciding to treat this seemingly young boy with extra care.

Once everything was set, she might never have to work the front desk at the black market again, rising to the top!

Qiao Gao frowned and asked, "Is there a problem?"

The receptionist quickly snapped back to reality, flashing a smile she thought was irresistible. "No problem at all, I'll arrange it for you right away."

"Sir, please follow me," she said, trying to be charming.

Qiao Gao remained indifferent and followed her.

As soon as he entered the training room, he was hit by an intense energy.

"Sir, this is the 'Azure Dragon' training room. Let me know if you need anything."

The 'Azure Dragon' training room was about 1,076 square feet. Besides the training platform, there was a small practice area, and the energy here was so dense that training for a day was equivalent to ten days outside.

However, it cost 1,000 energy crystals a day—such a money drain that even experts at the Soul Connecting Stage would find it hard to afford!

Qiao Gao looked around, satisfied, and said, "You can leave now."

The receptionist didn't leave. Instead, she threw herself into Qiao Gao's arms, whispering, "Sir, I can offer any service you need. Training can be so dull; why not mix business with pleasure?"

She was blatantly trying to seduce Qiao Gao, her hands wandering...

"Get off!" Qiao Gao pushed her away.

Having encountered women of true beauty like Hwang Ningxue, there was no way Qiao Gao would be interested in such ordinary charm. Besides, he was eager to train and had no interest in anything else.

The receptionist looked awkward but was still reluctant to give up.

"Hmph, if you keep this up, I'll file a complaint with your manager," Qiao Gao said sternly.

The receptionist finally got scared. Even though working at the black market's front desk wasn't as lucrative as finding a wealthy patron, it was still better than most jobs outside. She didn't want to lose it.

"Alright, I'm leaving..."

She said fearfully, then exited the 'Azure Dragon' training room.

"Hmph! Acting all high and mighty, who do they think they are?"

As soon as the door closed, Zhou Qing couldn't help but vent her anger.

"Oh, who dared to offend our Zhou Qing?" A cheerful voice came from a man in a yellow training suit. He walked over, casually wrapping an arm around Zhou Qing's waist, gently stroking it.

Zhou Qing shot him a look, clearly still upset, and swatted his hand away.

"What happened?" the man in the yellow robe asked seriously.

Zhou Qing suddenly said, "I found a big catch. Want to pull off something big?"

Thinking about the humiliation she just suffered, Zhou Qing wanted to get back at Qiao Gao.

"What's the deal?" The man in the yellow robe's eyes lit up. As a leader in the Hidden Dragon Gang, this wasn't his first time teaming up with Zhou Qing for a risky venture.

Zhou Qing pulled him aside and briefly explained the situation.

"Daring to insult the unparalleled Zhou Qing? They must have a death wish. I'm in for this one."

"Pleasure doing business!"

The two of them quickly came to an agreement, their smiles carrying a hint of cunning.

...

Inside the training room, Qiao Gao was completely unaware of the looming danger, having caught the attention of the Hidden Dragon Gang. Even if he knew, he would only smirk disdainfully; such small fry weren't worth his attention.

"A mere Human Rank Essence Vein, and it's shriveled to this extent." Qiao Gao sat cross-legged, using his inner sight to 'see' the condition of his essence vein.

He activated his cultivation technique, absorbing a large amount of energy.

"Buzz~~"

The essence vein trembled slightly as the absorbed energy coursed through the withered vein, only to vanish completely. His essence vein felt like a sponge dried out of moisture, cracked and parched.

"Hmm? Something's off!"

Suddenly, Qiao Gao noticed a shadow deep within the essence vein.

"What is this?"

He muttered under his breath, employing his body refining technique, his soul power enveloping the essence vein.

The shadow was trapped, and as Qiao Gao got a clear look at it, his face turned grim.

"It’s a Yin Fiend Corpse Worm."