After transmigrating into the body of the protagonist's childhood friend, he was targeted by a

The two followed the directions given by the shopkeeper and walked eastward for a long time before finally seeing the dark building.

The Black Building lived up to its name; the entire building was pitch black, and the walls, made of some unknown material, seemed to absorb all the surrounding light.

Several strange beast statues of unknown species crouched on the eaves, looking down at the passersby from above, both magnificent and eerie.

The two were stopped at the entrance. The guard, clad in black armor with a mask covering half his face, the exposed lower half of his face expressionless, said in a flat, indifferent tone: "Please show your invitation."

Having just arrived, where did they get an invitation?

Luo Yiyan looked at Lin Zhixu with a worried expression.

"What should we do? Are we just going back like this?"

Lin Zhixu quickly asked himself: "How did they get in in the original story?"

System: [In the original story, they didn't even go inside. Luo Yiyan's aura was leaked, he was targeted, and chased all the way, barely escaping with his life.]

Lin Zhixu paused for a moment: [Then are the medicinal herbs he wanted to buy included?]

The system only replied with one sentence: "With money, you can buy anything."

Lin Zhixu lowered his eyes. He understood what he meant.

Is there any way to get in?

System: [Yes. But you don't actually need to go in. In the original story, Luo Yiyan didn't go in either, and you don't have any scenes here. You can just do nothing. The plot will guide you.]

Lin Zhixu: [I really don't understand, is Yan Lingcang crippled? Why does he have to make Luo Yiyan find the medicinal herbs he needs?]

System: [Actually, he had no choice. The Frost Lotus was about to bloom, and he had to stay by its side to protect it. This was his chance to break through to the Nascent Soul stage. The Frost Lotus blooms only once every ten thousand years; if he missed this opportunity, he would have to wait another ten thousand years.]

Well, in the end, the protagonist always has his own unspeakable reasons for doing everything.

They lingered outside the door for too long; the guard's eyes grew dangerous, and he gripped his weapon tightly.

Luo Yiyan panicked a little and tugged at Lin Zhixu's sleeve.

"Zhixu, if we can't get in, let's just give up. Let's look around some more; maybe there are other places too."

Lin Zhixu pursed his lips and quickly asked, "Is there any other way to get in?"

System: [Are you sure you want to go in?]

Lin Zhixu: [Stop talking nonsense and get to the point.]

The system paused for a moment: [Actually, there's another way to get in besides an invitation. Barter, or exchange messages.]

Lin Zhixu raised an eyebrow.

Isn't this just a gift delivered to our doorstep? The system claims to know everything, so revealing a couple of secrets shouldn't be a problem.

The system had clearly considered this as well, its tone tinged with the humiliation of being forced into prostitution: "[...This is cheating. I'm a legitimate system, with professional ethics.]"

Lin Zhixu ignored it and stepped forward to the guard, saying, "We don't have invitations, but we can exchange them for messages. Any message will do."

The two guards exchanged a glance.

Exchanging information is not uncommon in the black market; outsiders often use secrets as a stepping stone.

One of them glanced at Lin Zhixu twice, then turned and went inside.

Soon, an old man followed the guard out, looking at the two with undisguised suspicion in his eyes.

"It's you guys who know everything about it?"

Luo Yiyan nervously gripped Lin Zhixu's sleeve.

Lin Zhixu nodded without changing his expression.

The old man scoffed, "Such arrogance. Since you're so confident, come with me."

"But let me make this clear: getting in is easy, but getting out will be difficult. If all you do is talk big, don't blame me for being impolite."

Lin Zhixu remained silent and followed Luo Yiyan inside.

Once inside the black building, the scene was completely different from the outside.

At the end of the long corridor, the space suddenly opened up, revealing a magnificent hall brightly lit with candles.

Elegantly dressed monks strolled among the crowds, their arms around alluring attendants, the air thick with the scent of wine and a cloying fragrance.

It was a place of extravagance and debauchery, a veritable den of pleasure.

Out of the corner of her eye, Luo Yiyan caught a glimpse of a man dressed lightly, nestled close to a cultivator.

Her ears turned bright red, and she dared not look to the side again.

The old man led them through the hall, turned into a secluded corridor, and into a dimly lit room.

The old man gestured for them to sit down, and then sat down opposite them.

"Tell me, what secrets do you know?"

Lin Zhixu leaned back in his chair, his tone more composed than his: "That should be asked the other way around: What do you want to know?"

The old man was startled, thinking that he had discovered something.

Suddenly his ears twitched, and his expression returned to normal.

"Three hundred years ago, someone slaughtered my entire clan. I have searched for him for three hundred years, but I have not been able to find him. I want to know where he is now."

Lin Zhixu frowned slightly, asking himself, "Where is that person?"

The system remained silent for a long while before reluctantly squeezing out a few words: [In the underground palace three hundred feet below the surface of the Northern Wilderness's Soul-Severing Abyss.]

Lin Zhixu smiled slightly behind his mask and politely thanked him.

He had already discovered that as long as it didn't involve the core plot, the system couldn't refuse him at all.

Lin Zhixu looked at the old man and relayed the system's words.

"The person you are looking for is in an underground palace three hundred feet below the Soul Abyss in the Northern Wilderness."

The old man suddenly threw his head back and burst into laughter, the sound echoing in the dimly lit room.

He abruptly stopped laughing, his eyes flashing with cold light: "What a reckless brat, daring to try and fool this old man."

Lin Zhixu frowned: "What makes you say that?"

The old man's voice suddenly rose, "That man was killed by me long ago. You're saying he's still in the Northern Wilderness? You still dare to say you're not a liar?"

Lin Zhixu, of course, believed the system more than his words.

"Impossible, that person is definitely still alive."

The old man said, "I personally tore him to pieces, how could I not know? You have no right to spout such nonsense! Today, you will all die here!"

Luo Yiyan's face turned pale, and she instinctively stepped in front of Lin Zhixu.

Lin Zhixu pulled Luo Yiyan aside, steadied himself, and said coldly, "The cultivation world is full of wonders. How can you be so sure he was definitely dead back then?"

The old man was stunned. "I've already torn him to pieces..."

Lin Zhixu said, "So what if he's torn to pieces? Doesn't he have a secret method to save his life and revive himself?"

The old man's face fell; he was so certain that he himself was no longer sure.

Lin Zhixu didn't give him time to think it over, and said again, "I've already given you the information. Believe it or not, it's up to you. You can ask a different question to verify it."

The old man stared intently at him for a long while before suppressing his surging emotions and sitting back down. "Alright. Let's choose another one then. I have a beloved weapon that suddenly broke a few days ago."

"It's forged from Phoenix Cry Black Iron; such things are extremely rare. Where can I find another one?"