Leo Ray furrowed his brow and pondered for a moment, then responded, "Even if this isn't a rift from the Great Catastrophe, we cannot overlook it. Someday, we must uncover the truth here ourselves."

Leo Ray understood clearly that for the "Fortress," this bottomless gorge was undeniably like a cracked tile constantly being worn by the wind, filled with mystery and the unknown.

Therefore, if he truly controlled this "Fortress," even partially, he must face this issue as long as he has the ability; otherwise, the "Fortress" cannot be considered truly impregnable.

"Alright, now is not the time to think about these things. Let's focus on the 'trial' the Shadow Market has set for us."

Leo Ray gathered his thoughts and pointed to another shadow not far away, where amidst the blustering sand, a crystal clear gleam flashed, evidently a few Gravity Polyhedron Crystals.

Finally, Leo Ray and his group found a total of 15 Gravity Polyhedron Crystals, then returned the way they came, quickly leaving the weightless region covered by the Inverted Gorge and returning to the entrance of the gorge.

As soon as Leo Ray and his companions appeared, the enormous Shadow Market suddenly emerged from thin air, opening the city gate at once, clearly waiting for a long time.

"These guys are indeed extremely eager for the Gravity Polyhedron Crystals."

Leo Ray lightly raised his eyebrows, first gathering his subordinates who had been on standby, and then headed straight towards the city gate.

Upon reaching the giant city gate, the Administrator, leading a group of market guards, had been waiting for some time.

"Nothing is more uplifting than seeing Your Majesty's return."

A deep and hoarse voice echoed, as the Administrator came forward, but ultimately stood firm at the boundary between the city gate and the outside world.

"I lived up to Your Excellency the Administrator's expectations and finally found the Gravity Polyhedron Crystals."

In Leo Ray's palm appeared a few crystal clear brown crystal stones, which could automatically float in the air, yet for Leo Ray, suppressing them with energy was extremely easy.

"They are indeed energy-filled Gravity Polyhedron Crystals!"

The Administrator's voice revealed a hint of excitement, extending a hand to take them.

But Leo Ray stepped back, smiling, "Your Excellency the Administrator, before that, can you tell me whether the Human Clan has completed the Shadow Market's trial?"

"Your Majesty truly completed my set trial."

The Administrator, aware of his previous lapse, reverted to his initial calm state, nodded and said, "However, I still need to verify the quality of the Gravity Polyhedron Crystals, please hand over your harvest for inspection."

Saying that, the Administrator extended his hand once more, and Leo Ray silently made the gesture to give them away.

Yet, just as Leo Ray's palm was about to approach the city gate boundary, he seemed to recall something and withdrew his hand.

"What does Your Majesty mean?"

Looking at the cooked duck flying away again, this time, the Administrator's tone carried a clear hint of urgency.

Seeing this scene, the strong ones surrounding Leo Ray were all greatly encouraged.

Just as Lord said, possessing the needed Gravity Polyhedron Crystals means the initiative is indeed in our hands.

"Your Excellency the Administrator truly has a poor memory."

Leo Ray smiled faintly and said, "Do you recall the question I asked? You promised that once the trial was completed, you would provide the answer."

"So it's because of this."

The Administrator seemed well-prepared and responded immediately, "Your Majesty's first question was about when the actual Shadow Market meeting will be held after the Human Clan completes the trial, and whether other Summit Races have already been invited, correct?"

"To be frank, according to the Shadow Market's rules, it requires both official and personal invitations to be delivered to specified quantities before the meeting can be held."

"Among these, official invitations are relatively easier, as the strength ranges of various races are fixed, so delivery is easy, whereas personal invitations are less fixed, requiring extra time."

The Administrator's explanation seemed professional and systematic, saying, "Therefore, I ask Your Majesty to be patient; shortly, I will deliver new invitations to Your Majesty, and once the Market is about to convene, Your Majesty will be notified at the first opportunity."

At this point, the Administrator added, "The reputation of the Shadow Market echoes throughout the Outer Region, even those Summit Races won't take it lightly, so Your Majesty can wait with peace of mind."

"So currently, the date of the Market's assembly isn't fixed?"

Leo Ray's face remained unchanged as he lightly raised his eyebrow and said, "Please answer my second question, does every force that receives an official invitation need to complete the trial?"

"If the answer is affirmative, why did Your Excellency the Administrator issue a normal invitation to the Human Clan instead of a special trial letter?"

Upon hearing this, the Administrator remained composed, responding, "Your Majesty's questions are always sharp. Replying to Your Majesty, the trial is not a mandatory regulation of the Shadow Market, but is instead decided by the Administrator based on the attendees' circumstances, hence there's no dedicated trial letter specific to the Shadow Market, please pardon me."

"Thank you, Your Excellency the Administrator, for the explanation. I have gained much clarity."

Though aware not everything expressed was the complete truth, Leo Ray evidently grasped something from it and chose not to pursue further inquiries.

Leo Ray retained his faint smile, shrugged, and said, "Alright, Your Excellency the Administrator, please take the Gravity Polyhedron Crystals."

With that said, Leo Ray extended his hand with the crystals once again, though this time he didn't place it right at the inner boundary of the gate, but retreated a bit.

Thus, the intention expressed by Leo Ray was unmistakable — if they wanted the Gravity Polyhedron Crystals, they could come out of the city to fetch them.

Upon witnessing this, our strong men quickly understood; Lord was evidently testing his hypothesis to see if the opposing side's strength would actually diminish upon exiting the city.

The Administrator evidently sensed something too, helplessly waving, "Please, Your Majesty, complete the handover at the city gate."

"We've risked obtaining these items, yet Your Excellency the Administrator won't even take two steps, why?"

Leo Ray stood his ground, questioning, "Or perhaps there's a reason Your Excellency the Administrator can't leave the city? Like a decline in strength outside the city, unable to gain energy from the Market?"

"This..."

Upon hearing Leo Ray's question, the Administrator hesitated slightly before hurriedly explaining, "Your Majesty misunderstood. According to Market rules, none, including myself, are permitted to casually leave the Market's gate."

"Your Excellency the Administrator, by your saying, you are the top Administrator of the Shadow Market yet still shackled by rules of the Market, constantly citing rules."

Leo Ray squinted his eyes, smiling, "Could it be that the Shadow Market isn't just one, but rather a force of a certain form, and as a member of this force, Your Excellency the Administrator is bound by rules?"

"What? The Shadow Market isn't just one?"

Upon hearing this, not only the Administrator and market guards froze, but even our strong men were left looking at each other, as Leo Ray's words were beyond everyone's expectations.

"Emperor of the Human Clan, please refrain from baseless speculation."

After a moment of silence, the Administrator finally spoke, "Otherwise, I'll revoke the Human Clan's participation eligibility."

"An uncertain Market meeting time — does Your Excellency the Administrator think I would be interested?"

Leo Ray paid no attention to the threat, instead turning around and made a leaving gesture to the strong men beside him, casually saying, "Since Your Excellency the Administrator isn't willing to be honest, then the Human Clan won't miss such a friend. However, I will take all the Gravity Polyhedron Crystals with me."

With those words, Leo Ray took a step forward, leaving without turning back.

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