Chapter 286: Infamous Reputation

The Ghost Market was as bustling as ever, with shadowy figures and flickering candlelight.

Last time he came, his cultivation base was too low; he was only in the Qi Gathering Realm, so he dared not look around much, found what he needed to buy, and hurriedly left, fearing ambush and murder.

This time, however, he had some confidence; after landing at the entrance of the black market, he walked in at a leisurely pace.

In an instant, he felt many gazes sweep over him, but seeing his leisurely demeanor, they all withdrew.

???????????????????????? Poison, weapons, ores, medicinal herbs, all sorts of Wuhuaba Sect items were available.

Basically, everything a martial artist could use was available.

At one stall, he saw an ore the size of a plum, resembling a certain spirit iron he had seen in the Ziyang Sect, but he was unsure and did not step forward to inquire.

Items in the black market are a mix of true and false; without relevant knowledge, trying to find bargains will cost you more than any price you pay.

"Tiger Bone Vine, one of the main ingredients for refining the Return to Origin Elixir or the Gather Origin Elixir; taken directly, it can also strengthen tendons and bones. Price: one hundred and twenty taels."

At one stall, he saw the Tiger Bone Vine, one of the three main ingredients for the Gather Origin Elixir, but aside from knowing its name, he knew nothing else about its medicinal effects.

Wait until the formula is complete, then come back here to look.

"Treading the Gang Qi and Chasing the Wind, a lightness skill for the Gang Qi Realm, moving like a thundering rush, swift as a gale. Price: two hundred taels."

He actually saw someone selling the Treading the Gang Qi and Chasing the Wind lightness skill; he didn't know if they were selling Ziyang Sect Wu Gong recklessly or if it was a fake.

Besides the Treading the Gang Qi and Chasing the Wind, this person's stall also had several other Wu Gong.

Xu Yang was about to step forward to look when someone walked up to him and whispered, "Brother, do you want a Return to Origin Elixir? Selling for only two hundred taels per pill."

Xu Yang was immediately tempted; two hundred taels for a Return to Origin Elixir was not an outrageous price.

You should know that the Guiyuan Pills sold at the Wanbao Pavilion auction last time all cost over 250, so 200 per pill is very cheap.

However, he quickly came to his senses.

Such cultivation resources controlled by noble families and sects could not possibly flow into the black market; if it were genuine, anyone on the street could sell it.

If it were a disciple of the Ziyang Sect, it would be even simpler; plenty of people would be willing to pay a bit more to buy it.

Either the elixir has problems, or this is a trap to catch fat sheep.

"You can inspect the goods first." This person noticed Xu Yang's momentary temptation and added in a low voice.

"Not interested!"

Xu Yang bypassed him and went straight to the stall selling secret manuals, saying, "Are the secret manuals genuine?"

The stall owner was a person wearing a monkey-faced mask; he looked up at Xu Yang and said, "Everyone relies on their own eyesight; once you leave the stall, we bear no responsibility."

Xu Yang almost cursed his female relatives; if it's not genuine, how can anyone buy it?

"Can I look?" Xu Yang asked.

"You can look at the first ten pages."

You can't see the whole thing, it's not guaranteed genuine, so what's the point of buying?

Xu Yang immediately stood up.

"Brother, do you want a secret manual? Come look at mine; mine are all guaranteed genuine!"

"Mine are too!"

As soon as he stood up, four or five people shouted out.

Xu Yang chose a man with a relatively mature voice and walked over; he saw that only three secret manuals were displayed on the stall.

Transmitting Sound into Secrets, price fifty taels.

Heavenly Demon Body Dissolution Great Method, price one hundred taels.

Breath-Collecting Art, price eighty taels.

They were all Mi Shu-type cultivation methods.

Xu Yang's eyes lit up; these were all Mi Shu he had wanted before but lacked the contribution points to exchange for.

These things are useless in ordinary times, perhaps one might never need them in a lifetime, but at certain moments, they could save a life.

"Brother, do you want them? My items are all guaranteed genuine; pay first, and you can look at the manuals freely; if you find any problems, you can get a refund on the spot," the stall owner with the horse-faced mask said cheerfully.

His plan to use the panel to get things for free died in the cradle; just like the Mencanggongdian of the Ziyang Sect, the cultivation methods at this stall are genuine, but payment must be made first.

Xu Yang pinched his voice and said, "Can the price be lowered a bit? If so, I need all three."

As soon as he spoke, Xu Yang noticed several more gazes sweep over, nakedly ill-intentioned.

Because he didn't know these basic things, in many people's eyes, he was a noob.

"Bundle price: two hundred taels!" the stall owner said.

"One hundred taels; if that works, I'll pay fifty taels first, check the first one, and if there's no problem, I'll pay the remaining fifty taels to see the rest."

"Good!"

The counteroffer was too high.

Xu Yang didn't play dirty; he immediately paid fifty taels and picked up the Heavenly Demon Body Dissolution Great Method to read.

Since there were no techniques, only a section of mental cultivation and Xing Gong pathways, the content of such Mi Shu was very little; he finished reading the Heavenly Demon Body Dissolution Great Method in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

A flash of light appeared before his eyes, and the panel popped up.

【Heavenly Demon Body Dissolution Great Method (0/5)】

Compared to orthodox cultivation methods, such Mi Shu do not have realm divisions like Meiyouru Sect, Minor Success, or Great Success.

It really is the genuine article.

Xu Yang's heart rejoiced, but his expression remained calm as he said, "It is genuine; may I ask, brother, how much strength can the Heavenly Demon Body Dissolution Great Method increase?"

The stall owner said, "Good eyesight; the Heavenly Demon Body Dissolution Great Method is similar to the Ran Xue Gong; both can instantly double one's strength, but the lifespan consumed is slightly more than that of the Ran Xue Gong.

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, it should burn away over ten years of lifespan."

Since he had already paid, he openly stated the drawbacks of the Heavenly Demon Body Dissolution Great Method.

Xu Yang did not mind; at the critical moment of using the Heavenly Demon Body-Dissolution Great Art, burning a few more years of lifespan or a few fewer made little difference—preserving his life was paramount.

Facing the threat posed by Xiao Hua, having one more way to increase his strength meant one more chance of survival.

After paying the remaining fifty taels of silver, he reviewed the Lian Xi Shu and the Secret Sound Transmission once more; both were genuine.

Of course, to avoid drawing attention, he still left with three secret manuals.

He visited several more stalls; the secret manuals sold were indeed genuine, but all were true qi cultivation methods.

"Pure Origin Gold-Splitting Finger, a Gang Qi Wu Gong, priced at six hundred taels!"

Xu Yang stopped before a stall.

The stall owner smiled, "The cultivation methods here are all genuine, but you must pay first before you may look."

The stall owner had obviously noticed his earlier commotion and introduced himself with a smile.

"One hundred taels; if acceptable, let me see it," Xu Yang said, pointing at the Pure Origin Gold-Splitting Finger.

The stall owner shook his head, "This is my family's inherited Wu Gong; I will not sell it for a single tael less. Moreover, only if you swear to Heaven never to pass this cultivation method to a second person will I sell it to you."

"What is the power of this Ci Gong?" Xu Yang asked.

The stall owner said nothing; he simply thrust a finger into the empty air.

With a soft "puchi," a red finger-force shot forth, the Gang Qi dissipating only ten zhang away.

Xu Yang was somewhat surprised; the Gang Qi unleashed by ordinary martial techniques usually scattered seven or eight zhang from the body.

The fact that the finger-force of the Pure Origin Gold-Splitting Finger could scatter only at ten zhang indicated its intricacy far surpassed that of ordinary Gang Qi martial techniques.

"Among the finger techniques of the Gang Qi Realm, the Pure Origin Gold-Splitting Finger, while not the absolute peak, is certainly upper-middle. If my family had not fallen on hard times and urgently needed money, not even for six hundred taels, let alone a thousand, could one obtain it."

"The greatest strength of this method is not its ranged attack; watch closely, brother."

As the stall owner spoke, he pointed at a stone beneath his feet; with a "bang," a stone the size of a human head exploded into a shower of fine fragments.

"I have only two hundred taels; if you are willing to sell, let me see it," Xu Yang said.

Xu Yang, of course, did not believe the stall owner's nonsense; a martial technique of the Pure Origin Gold-Splitting Finger's caliber would not exceed one hundred contribution points in the Canggongdian of the Ziyang Sect.

In a place like the black market, it was merely a matter of copying another copy; this was not an auction house where one could purchase it to be passed down as a family-inherited secret Wu Gong.