His tone suddenly turned serious. “This dagger is cursed. If you touch it directly, misfortune will follow you.”Jackson frowned. “You’re selling something dangerous like that?”The stall owner did not care in the slightest. Instead, he spoke calmly to Javon. “I’ll explain everything from the beginning. This dagger is indeed cursed. That’s why I’m selling it cheap.”“If you’re willing to pay one hundred thousand Aetherstones, I’ll tell you its origin.”He gave a faint smile. “Oh yes… I almost forgot. This dagger is a mid-tier Overhaul artifact.”Javon’s heart beat a little faster.An Overhaul-tier artifact.Even in an ordinary market, something like that could easily be worth millions of Aetherstones. Yet this dagger was priced at only one hundred thousand.Jackson muttered under his breath. “Overhaul artifacts usually cost more than a million Aetherstones. You’re selling it for just one hundred thousand?”The stall owner rolled his eyes. “If it weren’t cursed, I wouldn’t be selling i

In the center of the black market stood a massive tower.The tower had forty-nine floors, rising high within the underground city. It was the center of high-tier trade in the black market. The items sold inside were far rarer than those found at ordinary stalls.As soon as they entered the first floor, Jackson immediately brought Javon to the reception desk.A white-haired old man sat there, fast asleep and snoring loudly.“Third Sentinel… wake up,” Jackson whispered.Yet he did not dare touch him.The old man muttered in his sleep. “Hmm… roast duck…”A few seconds later he lazily opened his eyes.“Transaction?” he murmured. “Hand over your storage ring.”Javon took out a storage ring. He always kept his possessions separately, Aetherstones, pills, and artifacts were all stored in different rings.The old Sentinel checked the contents of the ring.His eyes immediately lit up.“Ho… young man, you’re quite wealthy!”“Four hundred and ten thousand Aetherstones!”He tossed a metal token t

Javon read the information displayed.**[Aether Ring – Age: 1100 Years]Additional Ability: EngravingThis technique allows the user to copy a martial technique from a cultivator of the same level and enhance its power by three levels.The copied technique can only be used once.Maximum: three times per day.Price: 4,000,000 Aetherstones**Javon let out a quiet sigh. The ability was extremely powerful.But the price was even more outrageous.Even with all the Aetherstone Cores he possessed, his total wealth was only about 1.8 million. He clearly could not afford that ring.As he continued scanning the shelves, his gaze suddenly stopped on another ring.Its label was different.**[Overhaul Ring]Age: 9,999 years (damaged)Ability: DevourThis ability allows the user to increase their strength by consuming various energy sources, Aetherstones, artifacts, pills, and more.Price: 2,000,000 Aetherstones**Javon turned toward Master Nyx. “Sir… this Aether Ring is rather strange.”Master

At the edge of the black market, Javon observed everything from afar.The Hernandez family was indeed searching for him.A faint smile appeared on his lips.Javon hovered in the air, his gaze cold as he looked at the group below. “I didn’t expect… you were looking for me as well.”Below him stood Roderic, along with several disciples of the Hernandez family.In truth, Javon had deliberately left the Abyss Hall. Fighting inside the black market would have been inconvenient. But unexpectedly, not long after he stepped out, the Hernandez group also appeared.And their target… was him.Roderic frowned. “What nonsense are you talking about? Are you the one who took the Overhaul Ring from Master Nyx?”Javon was slightly surprised. “You came for that ring?”He had never expected anyone to truly covet that broken artifact.Roderic sneered. “Young man. Hand over the ring, and perhaps I’ll spare your life.”He glanced around the desert. “If you stayed inside the black market, I couldn’t touch y

Javon let out a breath. “How can an artifact like you take human form? Aren’t you only an Overhaul artifact? Your consciousness is far too… human.”Noctyra immediately rolled her eyes. “Idiot! Do you even know what an artifact spirit is?”She rubbed her forehead in irritation. “Unbelievable… having a master like you is truly unlucky.”Javon had no interest in arguing. He went straight to the point. “The merchant who sold you said you carry a curse. What exactly is going on?”Noctyra snorted. “Curse? Nonsense! They were simply too weak. I am an Imperial-tier artifact.”Javon fell silent.An Imperial artifact?He had heard of that tier before, but he never imagined the dagger he bought in the black market would be of that level.Noctyra continued, still annoyed. “Those people were only at the Celestial or Overhaul stage. They tried to force the power of a divine weapon. Without a strong enough bloodline, of course their bodies would be drained.”“They died because of their own weakness,