In the sky, a blazing sun hung high, and the scorching heat caused the air to slightly distort. Looking far into the distance, the view was filled with desolate mountains, barely any greenery.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two figures shot rapidly towards the southeast, they were Luo Feng and Yang Wanyi.

The two decided to take a detour to reach Big Market City. After a day’s journey, they finally arrived at the edge of the Red Flame Desert.

Along the way, Luo Feng heard some information from Yang Wanyi about the four major commerce alliances of the Canglang Dynasty.

The four major commerce alliances are Dayang Commerce Alliance, Massive Cauldron Commerce Alliance, Heavenly Position Commerce Alliance, and Black Wind Commerce Alliance.

In the last Business Alliance Conference, Heavenly Position Commerce Alliance ranked first, making it the top commerce alliance of the Canglang Dynasty, followed by Massive Cauldron Commerce Alliance, Dayang Commerce Alliance, and Black Wind Commerce Alliance.

The strength of each commerce alliance is distinctly divided, and this ranking has continued for nearly a decade with little change. However, Luo Feng speculated that if the previous words of the middle-aged martial artist were true and the Crown Prince was involved, there might be significant changes in the rankings of the four major commerce alliances in this conference.

Swoosh!

While Luo Feng was contemplating the matters of the four major commerce alliances, a piercing screech suddenly sounded through.

Under the clear sky, a large shadow appeared, a giant bird with wings spanning twenty to thirty meters wide descended, its body shining with bursts of strong fire light, seemingly a cloud of fire pressing down. Its sharp claws, resembling treasured swords, encompassed both Luo Feng and Yang Wanyi.

"It’s a level seven low-grade Demon Beast, Ferocious Fire Eagle."

Yang Wanyi felt a strong sense of oppression, raised her head to look, and furrowed her slender brows. She prepared to strike.

Slash!

Just as her voice sounded, a sound resembling fabric tearing was heard, as a cold blade light sliced out.

Thud!

The blade light flashed; the ferocious giant bird split into two from the center, and black blood poured down like rain.

With a casual gesture, the Demon Core of the Ferocious Fire Eagle fell into Luo Feng’s hands, and he collected it.

"Let’s go." Luo Feng said.

The golden flame feather robe on Yang Wanyi gradually receded, and she looked at Luo Feng’s figure with a helpless smile.

Being by Luo Feng’s side, he seemed to handle everything perfectly, leaving her with no worries. Memories drifted back to half a year ago when she met the naive young man in Panlong City. As she gazed at Luo Feng now, various thoughts flickered through her mind. In these six months, so much had changed, including Luo Feng and naturally herself...

Another day passed, and at dawn, the two entered the region of Big Market City.

Presented before them were wide avenues, crisscrossing in all directions. Merchant teams occasionally passed by on the road, along with groups of martial artists, most at the Spiritual Rotation Realm, with few seen in the Meridian Wheel Realm.

Not wanting to draw too much attention, Luo Feng and Yang Wanyi landed on the avenue and headed towards Big Market City.

Upon Yang Wanyi’s appearance, she immediately drew many gazes towards her.

"I dare say, she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life!"

"Tsk tsk, you don’t even know her, and you’ve been roaming in Big Market City for so many years."

"Who is she?"

"Yang Wanyi, the young head of Dayang Commerce Alliance."

"So she is Yang Wanyi from Linglong Hall’s Fire Proud Sun! Hearing about her was nothing compared to seeing her in person; truly a supreme beauty. However, who’s that guy beside her, walking together—it seems their relationship is quite special."

"Never seen him, he must be a disciple from the Golden Palace."

"Such envy. Yang Wanyi is the daughter of Dayang Mansion, and a new genius in Linglong Hall, known as one of the Shuang Jiaoyang alongside Leng Yianyang Ling Qingwu, truly a talented woman. If I could talk to her for a few moments, I’d be completely satisfied. Whatever luck brought this guy to walk beside Yang Wanyi?"

"No need to be envious. Admirers of Yang Wanyi among young talents number in the hundreds and thousands across the Twelve Golden Palace. It’s said Zhouyan, the current head of Heavenly Position Business Line, has taken a liking to her. When he arrives at Big Market City, it might not end well."

"Haha, true, a beauty like this isn’t easily accessed by ordinary people. Perhaps we’ll see a good show then."

As they watched Luo Feng and Yang Wanyi’s figures gradually fade into the distance, many martial artists whispered among themselves, their gazes filled with envy and jealousy.

Walking along the avenue for twenty to thirty miles, as a hint of dawn appeared in the eastern sky, the surrounding area was devoid of barren hills, now replaced by an endless expanse of huge desert.

"We’ve arrived."

Yang Wanyi looked at the vast desert with a smile.

Luo Feng glanced around, puzzled, "We’ve reached Big Market City?"

In front, the vast desert stretches on endlessly, with no sign of any city.

"You’ll see soon enough." Yang Wanyi’s enticing red lips curved into a smile as she winked at Luo Feng.

Luo Feng, filled with doubt, could only follow the crowd, moving towards the desert. After walking a few more miles, he understood Yang Wanyi’s meaning.

To his surprise, Big Market City was built underground beneath the desert, presenting a massive pit spanning over hundreds of miles, with a depth exceeding one hundred meters. Inside, rows of buildings and a bustling crowd, the size of ants, could be seen, thriving with activity. Around the pit, there was a faint yellow membrane.

Luo Feng used his soul power to sense it, and showed a repressed expression.

This yellow membrane soared into the sky, extending more than a thousand meters high, like a wall encapsulating the entire Big Market City.

"Beneath Big Market City lies a small Yuan Spirit Vein. As it’s close to the Red Flame Desert with a harsh environment and frequent demon beast appearances, during the city’s construction, the first City Lord of Big Market City invited disciples from the Holy Land to set up a formation under the city, using the underground Yuan Spirit Vein and Fiery Ruthless Aura to form an Extreme Fire Yuan Gang that protects the city. Unless one is a Martial Artist in the True Yuan Realm, they can’t hope to breach it."

Yang Wanyi noticed Luo Feng’s confusion and explained with a gentle smile.

Luo Feng nodded, unable to resist praising, "It’s truly divine craftsmanship."

Just earlier, he saw a gigantic bird attempting to pass through, crashing into the yellow membrane and instantly letting out a sharp scream while its feathers got scorched, forcing it to stagger away.

Following the bustling crowd, Luo Feng observed a large stone gate where people were entering, and asked, "Is that the entrance?"

Yang Wanyi nodded slightly, "Yes, paying ten first-grade yuan stones gains entry into Big Market City. Additionally, leaving the city also costs ten first-grade yuan stones."

"Ten first-grade yuan stones, and exiting the city incurs a fee too."

Luo Feng showed surprise, as even the Imperial City Azure Sky City only charged one first-grade yuan stone for entry, with no exit fee.

Yang Wanyi smiled slightly, "Ten first-grade yuan stones indeed represent a fortune for ordinary people, but for those coming to Big Market City, mainly merchants or martial artists, this sum means little."

"That’s true."

Luo Feng nodded, and the two headed toward the entrance.

As he watched the continuous stream of people, Luo Feng casually asked, "Who benefits from these fees?"

"The first commerce alliance, now known as the Heavenly Position Commerce Alliance," Yang Wanyi said expressionlessly.

Luo Feng was taken aback, then laughed, "No wonder the Heavenly Position Commerce Alliance cares so much about the first commerce alliance’s seat. With so many people coming and going daily, just the entry and exit fees are substantial."

Yang Wanyi nodded, "The privileges of the first commerce alliance are not limited to this. It’s just one aspect."

While they talked, they arrived at the stone gate, where Luo Feng handed over twenty first-grade yuan stones to enter Big Market City.

"Captain Huang, the person seems to be Yang Wanyi from the Dayang Commerce Alliance." A Heavenly Position Commerce Alliance guard by the stone gate whispered to the guard captain next to him while watching Luo Feng and Yang Wanyi’s back.

The guard captain nodded with a serious expression, pondered for a moment, then said, "You take care of things here, I’m going to see the young master."

With that, he plunged into the crowd and quickly disappeared.

Behind the stone gate was a circular staircase, towering hundreds of meters high and over a hundred meters wide, grand and majestic, making people feel insignificant when walking on it.

"It seems the Heavenly Position Commerce Alliance has noticed us,"

Luo Feng glanced back, a cold gleam flashing in his eyes, and said to Yang Wanyi beside him.

Yang Wanyi nodded slightly, smiled, "Don’t worry, despite being the first commerce alliance, the Heavenly Position Commerce Alliance wouldn’t dare act recklessly in Big Market City."

The two walked down the stairs and entered the city.

The luxury of Big Market City left Luo Feng in awe; every building surpassed ten meters, majestic and practical, with some grand structures even embedded with gems and metals. The streets were wide enough to accommodate two or three dozen carriages running side by side. Despite the large crowd, it didn’t feel cramped.

Besides shops lining the streets, numerous martial artists set up stalls, showcasing a dazzling array of goods, amidst constant bargaining sounds, more prosperous than even the Imperial City Azure Sky City. Heavenly Position Commerce Alliance guards patrolled frequently.

Yang Wanyi remarked, "Those wanting to set up a stall must pay a handling fee of a hundred first-grade yuan stones to the first commerce alliance. Else, once caught setting up a stall privately, the punishment is severe. Those unwilling to pay typically resort to private transactions, especially martial artists with less valuable goods."

Luo Feng nodded slightly, realizing the first commerce alliance benefits far more than he imagined, considering the number of these stall-setting martial artists, the handling fees must amount to tens of thousands of yuan stones.

"Miss Waner!"

As they strolled along the street, a respectful voice suddenly came from their left.

Upon hearing the voice, Luo Feng turned his head to see four martial artists wearing Dayang Mansion attire hurrying over, with the speaker being a robust middle-aged man leading them.

After a glance at the middle-aged man, Luo Feng’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

The man’s aura was strong, superior to any he’d encountered from the Heavenly Position Business Line, surprisingly a mid-level Martial Artist in the Spiritual Rotation Realm stage eight.