Chapter 23

Green Forest Marketplace.

A slightly chubby young man with an unremarkable face strode into it.

This person was none other than Fang Xing!

Ever since breaking into the 'Tendon and Bone Realm,' Fang Xing discovered that he could even 'fine-tune' his physique, becoming fat or thin at will. Presumably, once he reached a profound level in the Tendon and Bone Realm, he would even be able to change his height and bone structure at will.

Therefore, he directly changed his image and stepped into this cultivator marketplace once again.

"Golden Spirit Fruit! Delicious Golden Spirit Fruit, only one spirit sand each!"

"Selling talismans, all kinds of talismans, thirty percent cheaper than the shops!"

"A magical artifact, there's actually a magical artifact!"

The marketplace was as bustling as ever.

Fang Xing even saw a group of people gathered in front of a stall, looking at the stall owner who was full of baleful energy and clearly not someone to be trifled with.

Or rather, they were gazing at the magical artifact flying sword in front of him, their faces filled with eagerness.

"This is... a magical artifact?"

Fang Xing glanced at it and discovered it was a pitch-black iron sword, only a palm's length long, with some traces of damage on its surface.

"Second-hand low-grade magical artifact 'Black Feather Sword'... only twenty spirit stones!"

The stall owner crossed his arms, a flash of impatience appearing on his face: "If you're a pauper, don't come here!"

Perhaps because his cultivation was profound, the people nearby all sheepishly cleared a space, and not one dared to cause trouble.

"Sigh, what a pity, why isn't it a 'Blood-Refined Magical Artifact'?"

A Primordial Realm warrior looked at the black flying sword and sighed.

Compared to talismans, the requirements for wielding magical artifacts were much higher!

Even a Primordial Realm warrior could not use a low-grade magical artifact.

Unless... it was a 'Blood-Refined Magical Artifact' refined through special techniques, which allowed a warrior to drive it with their own true Qi or even essence blood.

"Although a Blood-Refined Magical Artifact doesn't have much power, only comparable to an ordinary low-grade magical artifact, it is troublesome to make and the materials are rare... It costs at least one hundred low-grade spirit stones and up, so don't you go dreaming."

A cultivator nearby immediately sneered.

Fang Xing watched the excitement for a while, then went on his way.

Anyway, he couldn't afford it either...

Green Elixir Workshop.

The maid from last time was not there, and this time she had been replaced by a woman of about twenty years old.

She wore a peach-colored Daoist robe, tailored perfectly, and carried a bright and beautiful temperament. Seeing Fang Xing, she smiled before speaking: "This guest, how may I be of service?"

"Selling herbs!"

Fang Xing was concise and took out a white fruit.

This fruit was the size of an infant's fist, with a layer of snake-like patterns on its surface, and it carried a faint, fishy smell.

"This is... Snake Orchid Fruit? This spirit herb is somewhat rare; I can offer a purchase price of two spirit stones."

The woman in the Daoist robe's eyes lit up: "I wonder how many this guest has?"

"Only two, both obtained after a narrow escape from death..."

Fang Xing took out another Snake Orchid Fruit and said with some emotion.

In reality, he had a whole box of such fruits!

The place where he picked them was indeed somewhat dangerous; it was the habitat of that giant python in the river channel, and even several simulation birds had been swallowed!

Judging from various performances alone, that giant python was stronger than the wild boar monster, and clearly also more dangerous; the herbs near the nest were perhaps even rarer and more expensive.

Testing it this time, it was indeed so!

After taking four low-grade spirit stones, Fang Xing first bought a bottle of 'Blood-Qi Pills.' After walking out of the Green Elixir Workshop, he saw the sign for the Small Talisman Hall and walked in unconsciously: "Give me a Spirit-Testing Talisman!"

"Perhaps... the talismans in this Small Talisman Hall have problems."

"A single case doesn't prove anything; without trying a few more times, it's ultimately not safe!"

Walking out of the Small Talisman Hall, Fang Xing strolled around the surroundings again, preparing to purchase another 'Spirit-Testing Talisman' at a stall!

If the results were the same all three times, then he would just have to accept his fate.

"This guest, do you want spirit rice?"

Just as Fang Xing was looking for a talisman stall, a timid voice suddenly interjected from the side.

He turned his head and saw a spirit rice stall.

A young girl dressed in red was looking over with eyes full of trepidation and anticipation.

"Is this low-grade spirit rice?"

Fang Xing stepped forward, picked up a handful of spirit rice, and asked indifferently.

This spirit rice was much larger than ordinary white rice and carried a fragrance of lotus leaves; just smelling it made one's appetite stir.

"Yes, it is! Only one spirit sand per catty!"

The girl hurriedly revealed a fawning smile: "Those cultivators eat this every day! It is said that if mortals eat too much, it's easier to give birth to descendants with spirit root aptitude."

"Oh? Then if I eat too much, can I grow a spirit root myself?" Fang Xing became interested.

"That's impossible! There has never been an example of a spirit root being born postnatally in the Cultivation World!" The girl shook her head repeatedly, speaking as if it were common knowledge.

Fang Xing suddenly felt somewhat dejected: "Then I won't buy it; I'm not a cultivator, so it's of no use to me!"

"Who says it's of no use? Those powerful warriors also buy spirit rice to eat in their daily lives... It can increase blood-Qi, and spirit rice is purely natural, without the slightest bit of pill poison!" The girl hurriedly said.

"Pill poison?"

Fang Xing's footsteps paused.

"Yes, frequently taking pills will result in pill poison. If it accumulates, it will damage the body and even shorten one's potential, causing cultivators to be trapped at bottlenecks and unable to make any progress... Therefore, those cultivators eat spirit rice for their daily cultivation, and only take pills at critical moments when breaking through."

The girl added another sentence: "This is what my grandfather said."

Fang Xing became interested, feeling that this girl was somewhat inexperienced in the world, and immediately chatted a few more sentences.

Only then did he learn that although there was pill poison in pills, it wasn't actually a big deal for cultivators.

After all, many loose cultivators had long been trapped to death before various major realms.

Furthermore, along with the refinement of cultivation methods and even the breakthrough of major realms, there would be a process of marrow cleansing and tendon changing, which would expel part of the body's toxins.

What's more, the human body originally had a self-purification function; as long as the accumulation of pill poison did not exceed a certain limit, it was not a big deal.

"Thank you, little girl. I'll buy... ten catties of spirit rice. By the way, what is your name?"

Fang Xing felt a bit embarrassed about getting a free lesson by the end, so he took the initiative to take out spirit stones.

"My name is Ding Hongxiu. My family's Lotus Fragrance Spirit Rice is the best among low-grade spirit rice!" Ding Hongxiu puffed out her small chest with some pride.

"Hehe, I'll remember that."

Fang Xing carried the cloth bag filled with rice on his back, waved his hand backward, and blended into the crowd.

A moment later.

"Hmm?"

Fang Xing, who had finally purchased another 'Spirit-Testing Talisman' cheaply after comparing prices, saw a medicinal herb stall, and his eyes suddenly narrowed.

The one setting up the stall there was none other than the old man with the tobacco pouch who had followed him before!

However, the other party clearly did not recognize him in his disguise.

'Just as well, my strength has broken through; I'll settle old scores and pay back old grudges!'

Fang Xing thought for a moment, turned into a corner, and reached out to wipe his face.

Amidst the wriggling of skin and flesh, his appearance changed back to the honest-looking features; it was the exact same disguise he had used last time!

'I don't need to go in front of that old man; I just need to let him see me inadvertently...'

Fang Xing quickly formulated a plan: 'Warriors in this world top out at the Primordial Realm. This old man is not a cultivator, at most a Primordial Realm warrior... He might have some hidden tricks on him, so I need to prepare a little.'

Several hours later.

Fang Xing swaggered out of the Green Forest Marketplace and plunged into the wild, desolate wilderness.

Behind him, the old man with the tobacco pouch narrowed his eyes and followed closely.

'Hmm? Did he really follow me?'

Fang Xing maintained a steady speed, keeping a distance, and ran for more than ten miles.

He tapped his wristwatch and immediately saw the surveillance from the bird-shaped simulation drone in the sky.

'And... there is no one else nearby; there should be no outside help.'

'Judging from his movement technique and speed, it confirms he is just a warrior as he claimed before... he didn't lie...'

'Since that's the case...'

Fang Xing pressed his chest, and a layer of silver-white nano-protective suit immediately enveloped his entire body, with an electric baton landing in his right hand.

"Hmm? Where is he? Did the fat sheep run away again?"

The old man with the tobacco pouch broke into a dense forest and did not see Fang Xing's shadow, a look of annoyance involuntarily appearing on his face.

As a bottom-feeder in the Green Forest Marketplace, the targets he could choose to kill and rob were limited.

It was rare to encounter a suitable fat sheep, but the other party had run away, and damn it, it was twice; it was truly somewhat...

Just at this moment, his ears twitched, and he suddenly looked up.

He saw a small bird like a yellow sparrow standing on a treetop, staring at him without blinking.

"Am I getting old? Why do I feel danger from an ordinary little bird?"

The old man felt somewhat emotional.

Thinking back to when he was young, he was also an invincible figure who had fought across the entire martial arts world, almost a supreme figure of the martial arts world.

If it weren't for being bewitched and following a master cultivator to seek the path of mortal immortality, he wouldn't have been relocated to this godforsaken place, and in the end, even the master cultivator he followed died, and he could only linger on...

*Whoosh! *

Just as the old man was distracted, that yellow sparrow actually flapped its wings and flew down.

On the other party's claws, it seemed to be clutching a talisman, on which the vermilion cinnabar ink was very conspicuous, erupting with a dangerous aura.

"No, that is... a Fireball Talisman?!"

Fireball Talisman!

It belonged to the few talismans that mortals could use just by tearing them open.

But without a cultivator's magic power to guide and aim, it was very easy to injure oneself, so the selling price in the marketplace was not high, only one low-grade spirit stone!

The next moment!

*Boom! *

A ball of fire suddenly appeared, swallowing the yellow sparrow while also enveloping the old man.

Not far away, Fang Xing watched this scene, the corners of his mouth slightly revealing a smile: "Learn about non-contact warfare..."

As long as there is a drone, paired with weapons, it can instantly be upgraded into a terrifying life-reaping machine!

Of course, the Blue Star Federation's weapon control is still quite strict.

But the other world is different.

Here, they sell anything for spirit stones! They are even afraid the power isn't enough!

Fang Xing sold the Snake Orchid Fruit and obtained four low-grade spirit stones; he bought Blood-Qi Pills with one, a Spirit-Testing Talisman with one, Lotus Fragrance Spirit Rice with one, and with the remaining one, he bought a 'Fireball Talisman'!

Of course, he had two Spirit-Testing Talismans on him, but the peddler at the stall was bargained down by him, only asking for seven spirit sands, and the savings he had obtained before were enough to cover it.

"A drone plus a Fireball Talisman is a flying bomb, and there's no problem of accidentally injuring oneself... Hmm?"

Fang Xing glanced at it again, and his eyes suddenly narrowed.

He saw on the screen that after the flames dissipated, the old man's disheveled figure emerged.

At this time, the other party's beard and hair had some scorched traces, but his body was enveloped in a layer of faint golden light.

This layer of golden light was extremely weak, and after another second, it actually dissipated and disappeared...

"A Rank 1 Low-Grade defensive talisman—Jin Guang Talisman? Its defensive power is inferior to the 'Golden Bell Shield Talisman.' Is this your trump card?"

Fang Xing remotely controlled more drones to appear, and several little birds clutched talismans and flew toward the old man.

When the old man saw this scene, his soul was practically scared out of his body, and he turned around and ran!

"It seems that the defensive talisman on him is only this one..."

Fang Xing made a judgment, his figure flashed, and he rushed into the dense forest.

The drones that appeared later were real, but the talismans were fake; they were just fakes disguised with yellow paper and red ink, but the old man didn't dare to look closely at all.

Being able to bluff out this much was already not bad.

"Damn it, I'm going to fall here this time!"

The old man's figure retreated rapidly, his face somewhat ferocious.

Then, he saw a silver-white figure emerge in front of him, with a black rod pointing toward him.

"Hmph!"

He raised the dry tobacco pipe in his hand to block the attack of the black rod.

*Zzzzt! *

The next moment, a beam of silver-white electric light suddenly emerged from the tip of the black rod, shooting toward his face!

"Ah, let's die together!"

The old man had a calm indifference toward life and death on his face; he pressed the mechanism on the tobacco pipe, and a poison needle flew out from the tobacco pouch, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, extremely sinister!

This was a hidden weapon he had inadvertently obtained in the mortal martial arts world, named 'Heaven-Severing Needle,' ranked first on the martial arts hidden weapon list!

*Clang! *

A pitch-black poison needle was blocked by the nano-suit and fell to the ground, and the surrounding grass and trees actually began to wither rapidly.

Then, the old man's scorched corpse flew backward and fell to the ground...