The plunder of the heavens begins with the Spirit Cage.

As the two ventured deeper, they soon came upon two burly alien guards at the entrance.

They are covered in heavy protective armor, and their cold eyes scrutinize every person entering and leaving.

Lyra calmly approached them and took out a dark purple pass that she had bought at a high price.

The chip floated and lit up with tiny streams of light, instantly scanning the identification terminals of the two guards.

The terminal's light flickered several times before suddenly dimming, and a message popped up indicating that the verification had failed.

One of the alien guards raised his vertical pupils, which were covered with keratinous lines, and said in a calm tone, "Don't be fooled."

They had seen things like this hundreds or thousands of times, and were so numb that they no longer bothered to make sarcastic remarks.

Instead, Leila's heart sank, and her face instantly turned extremely ugly.

Damn it, she really wants to go back and punch that liar Bangbang a few times until his head is a pig's head.

That's three months' salary for her!!

They gave me a fake!

Caught in a dilemma, Leila suppressed her frustration, took a deep breath, and asked the two guards, "Our pass is invalid, so how can we get in?"

"50,000 crystal coins per person, 100,000 for both of them."

If your transaction goes smoothly, or you gain the approval of a store, you will naturally get your admission ticket.

Otherwise, this trip in would be a one-time event.

100,000? Where am I supposed to get 100,000?!

Leila's face darkened further. She already had a meager income, and had long since emptied her savings to pay for her grandfather's illness.

At this moment, let alone 100,000 crystal coins, he couldn't even come up with 10,000. Some of the money was borrowed through his grandfather's and father's old relationship.

“We…” Leila turned her head with difficulty, about to tell Lu Qianwei that she should go back and think of a solution.

Before she could even utter a word, a warm hand gently rested on her shoulder.

When she said, "Let's think of another way...", the surrounding wind and the rusty smell of the dark alley suddenly vanished.

The two guards only saw a blur before their eyes, and the two figures that were standing in front of them vanished into thin air. The helmet scanner and security gate did not detect any trace of the two people.

They exchanged a brief glance and then ignored each other.

Since there was no sign of them forcing their way in, it was none of their business whether the other party went in or left.

"How...how did you do that?!"

Looking at the quiet black city area around her, where people were wearing masks and cloaks, Leila's eyes went from shock to suspicion.

"Honestly, I feel like you're an alien in human skin."

"Hey, please, I already said it's a superpower~" Lu Qianwei shrugged.

"Alright, stop worrying about this. Let's see which company can afford to take what we have."

Come to think of it, it's best to sell the Star Core Shards as soon as possible.

"Ok."

Leila suppressed her many questions, her immediate priority being to sell the goods; everything else could wait.

The two walked further down the passage; this hidden black market was much more spacious than the entrance.

Dozens of branch roads extend in all directions, with crowds jostling shoulder to shoulder. Traders of all kinds, cloaked in disguise, come and go in a hurry. The air is filled with a mixture of smells of engine oil and alien tobacco, and even the air itself is tense and turbulent.

The shops on both sides vary in size: many are narrow cubicles that can only allow one or two people to turn around, with half-drawn curtains hanging to carry out small-scale smuggling business;

There were also large shops converted from three or four cabins, with armed bodyguards guarding the entrance, clearly indicating that they were doing large-scale business.

Leila dodged the shady brokers who kept trying to strike up a conversation with her, and finally stopped in front of a shop with a wooden sign that read "Black Stone Materials".

Blackstone is not an ordinary rock; it is a strategically valuable mineral resource in interstellar space and is classified as a controlled item.

This shop dares to advertise its acquisition of Blackstone; if it doesn't have powerful backing, its capital must be substantial.

Leila pulled on the eaves, took a deep breath, and led Lu Qianwei inside.

In the dim light, the short, stocky, four-armed mine owner was squatting on the control panel, dismantling old energy cores. He glanced up at the two men and asked in a low voice, "Delivering materials or buying goods?"

Lu Qianwei placed one hand on Leila, who was about to speak but was tense, gesturing for her to step back and let her speak.

Laila met Qianwei's gaze from the top lane, and finally nodded slightly and took a step back.

Brother Lu's calm and collected demeanor clearly demonstrated that he had more experience in the ways of the world than she did.

However, just as she was thinking this, she saw Lu Qianwei leaning against the counter, taking out a star core fragment, and asking bluntly, "Do you want the energy fragments from the collapse of a planet?"

The boss's hand holding the screwdriver suddenly paused, and his cloudy eyes instantly lit up, but when he saw Lu Qianwei holding it casually in his hand...

His face darkened again. "Kid, is it that I don't know anything about the goods, or that you don't?"

"Who are you trying to fool with that model? Get out of here right now, or don't blame me for calling for help." The old man waved his hand impatiently to shoo them away.

Lu Qianwei frowned. "Isn't it a bit unreasonable to kick an old man out without even taking a look?"

"Tch~"

Next time you know the weight of a star core fragment, what will you be like...? Wait, wait, wait?!

Before Lao Tzu could finish speaking, the moment Lu Qianwei placed the star core on the counter, the metal table immediately deformed and dented, and was instantly crushed into scrap metal with a clatter.

The old man was terrified, but also looked at Lu Qianwei in astonishment.

What the hell is this race?

Since it possesses such immense power...

"What's going on, boss?!"

"You two, hands up! Don't move!"

Upon hearing the commotion, several bodyguards stationed outside rushed in instantly, the clicking sounds of guns being cocked echoing as their muzzles were locked on Lu Qianwei and Laila.

"Cough cough, everything's fine here."

"All of you, step back!"

It's just a misunderstanding. Everyone's out guarding the shop entrance now, making sure no one comes in to disturb us!

The bodyguards were stunned upon hearing this, but they dared not disobey the old man's orders and obediently put away their guns and withdrew from the shop to maintain order.

The shop fell silent again. The old man from the mining tribe, who had been impatient and urging people to leave, wiped the thin layer of sweat from his palms.

When they looked up, their faces were plastered with fawning smiles.

Damn it, putting aside whether the star core is real or fake, just the power with which he easily wielded it, he was sure that the bodyguards would all be finished the moment they fired their guns.

"Ahem, sorry, I misunderstood earlier."

"I have never seen a humanoid race that possesses such power."

"If this brave and powerful warrior doesn't hold a grudge, I will offer my sincere price."

I promise you won't be disappointed!

"Alright, I didn't realize it either. If you can swallow it, I'll sell it to you." Lu Qianwei said, picking up the star core and dusting it off.

"Haha, you're such a straightforward person. This place is too small and simple to discuss business."

The old man stepped aside and made a respectful invitation gesture, his tone extremely humble: "Please follow me. There are private VIP rooms inside, absolutely safe."

Inside the VIP room, a dedicated energy detector steadily supports the fragmented star core, suspending it in mid-air.

The golden-red light surged violently within the crystal, causing the data on the detector screen to jump wildly, soaring to record highs.

All the data clearly demonstrate that the energy concentration of this fragment is 100% pure planetary core remnant.

All doubts were completely dispelled, and the old man from the mining clan smiled even more broadly and sincerely, his eyes filled with the ecstatic joy of finding a priceless treasure.

If they buy it, their group can use it to cheaply transform a barren planet and truly own their own territory.

In the future, it might even become an interstellar power and join the alliance!

Thinking of this, the old man was so excited he wanted to jump for joy, but in front of Lu Qianwei and the other man, he tried his best to suppress his joy.

Instead, he frowned with worry and said, "Not long ago, the prince of the Dominman civilization lost a fragment of a star core that he was going to auction, and now they're offering a huge reward..."

Upon hearing this, Lu Qianwei frowned and asked with a puzzled look, "What does this have to do with us?"

Then, with a look of sudden realization and anger, he stood up and said, "Ha, I get it now, you mean I robbed them!"

"Hmph, since you're so insincere, Xuanling, let's go!"

"If I weren't without legal status, I wouldn't bother trading on the black market!"

"Uh...no!" Upon hearing this, the old man hurriedly stood up and stepped in front of the two of them.

“You misunderstand. What I mean is… you are suddenly selling a star core fragment during this dangerous window of opportunity.”

If the Dominman civilization knows about our deal, there will definitely be risks involved.

The old man's forehead was sweating. He quickly came up with a solution and said, "However, if you come in without proper identification, no one will know that you also have star core fragments."

I promise that no one else will know about this.

"Um?

"What you're implying is that we stole someone else's things?" Lu Qianwei said indignantly, pushing the old man aside and about to leave.

Seeing this, the other party repeatedly begged for forgiveness, claiming it was a misunderstanding. After Lyra untimely replenished the gravity-free isolation container needed for the usual star core fragments, he finally began to believe, with some doubt, that what Lu Qianwei had in his hands belonged to them.

That makes sense. How could a race capable of lifting 65,000 tons of star core fragments possibly engage in such petty theft?

Becoming a soldier or bodyguard can earn you a year's salary that most people can only dream of.

Moreover, many of the Manchu artifacts were stolen in less than a day.

If a professional team can crack and extract the data in such a short time, they wouldn't sell it on the black market; they would have their own channels.

The old man, after a series of brainwashing and hypnotic treatments, gradually came to believe it, greeting him with a smile while secretly groaning inwardly.

Damn it, I originally wanted to lower the price, but now I've made the other party angry. If the price is too low, they might actually go to another store, and then they'll be devastated.

After much difficult thought and consideration, the old man decided to contact the group's boss.

After receiving confirmation from the powerful figure behind the scenes, he confidently returned to his seat.