Chapter 157: Testing And Improving (II)

Night fell.

The inner city of Bafang City was divided into eight major districts. Each district had its own character, but Xingluan District was the most famous. It was a den of luxury known as the City That Never Sleeps and one of the most prosperous areas in all of Bafang City.

As dusk deepened, the night fully descended. Lanterns lit up across the entire Xingluan District, illuminating every corner of its bustling streets. Even at night, crowds filled the streets shoulder to shoulder, carriages rolling past in endless streams. Rather than quieting down, the city grew even livelier after dark.

Lights shimmered from both sides of the street as gambling halls, taverns, theaters, treasure shops, and courtesan houses lined the way, filling the night with color and brilliance wherever one looked. Lin Zheyu wore a gray fitted outfit, his muscles taut beneath it, and his features altered into those of a square-faced, imposing middle-aged man.

He crossed through Xingluan District and arrived at a gambling house on its outskirts. Donning a mask, he entered the gambling house and exchanged a secret signal with one of the attendants. The man led him through a series of corridors, turning left and right, until they reached another marketplace.

The marketplace inside was bright and crowded, full of bustling life. Lin Zheyu paid 3 taels of silver to enter and began wandering among the stalls. This was the black market he had heard about. The black markets of Bafang City were hidden deep within the inner city's most prosperous districts. Everything imaginable could be found here—goods of every kind, dazzling in variety; even slaves and sex slaves were sold.

As he browsed the stalls, Lin Zheyu focused on looking for cultivation techniques, forbidden ingredients for poison crafting, and nourishing medicinal formulas. Over the past few days, he had visited more than a dozen martial halls, but the cost of training there was exorbitant. It was far higher than simply purchasing the manuals outright.

Moreover, the martial halls never sold their techniques separately. If one was trained within, each stage of the technique had to be mastered before the next was taught; they would never impart the full art at once. So Lin Zheyu had no choice but to give up and try his luck at the black market in hopes of finding a suitable technique.

"Honored customer, what kind of cultivation technique are you looking to buy?" the stall owner selling techniques asked with a friendly smile.

His cultivation was strong, at the level of the second transformation of blood qi. Though his aura was faint and well-concealed, it still carried a subtle pulse of blood qi power that made it hard to gauge his true strength.

Although the man possessed a technique to conceal his presence, Lin Zheyu's perception had sharpened greatly after bringing the Tortoise Breath Technique to the third stage of Perfection. His understanding and control over his own body had also improved.

By observing the man's essence, qi, spirit, and aura, Lin Zheyu easily discerned that the stall owner was at the level of the second transformation of blood qi. A martial artist of such strength would surely sell no ordinary techniques.

"Only third-rate techniques? Don't you have any second-rate ones that can help one reach the Blood Qi Realm?" asked Lin Zheyu.

He skimmed through the descriptions on display; each was a third-rate technique that could only help one cultivate up to the peak of the Organ Forging Realm. Given the man's strength, it was obvious he couldn't be making his living off these low-level manuals. A cultivator at the second transformation of blood qi wouldn't bother selling third-rate techniques for such meager profit.

The stall owner glanced around, then lowered his voice and said, "Second-rate techniques aren't meant to be sold openly. But if you really want one, I can sell it to you privately; it'll just cost a bit more."

Like the black market in Songyi City, Bafang City's black markets forbade the open sale of second-rate techniques capable of cultivating to the Blood Qi Realm. Yet this stall owner clearly didn't care much for such rules. He could sense the faint aura of a first transformation cultivator from Lin Zheyu, a strength he had deliberately revealed.

"What techniques do you have?" asked Lin Zheyu.

The stall owner took out a slip of paper from his robe and handed it over. Six techniques were listed, each with a short description beside it. There was the Azure Cloud Technique, Heaven-Illuminating Fist, Overlord Whale Secret Method... The names sounded impressive, and the descriptions were full of grand claims, yet upon closer inspection, the best among them could only be cultivated to the fourth transformation of blood qi. One of them was even a secret art similar to the Mountain-Shattering Palm, capable of tripling one's strength. Since it was nearly identical, there was no reason to buy it.

Lin Zheyu frowned slightly, disappointment rising. He asked, "Is this all you have? Nothing that can be cultivated to the Dragon Transformation or even to the sixth transformation?"

The stall owner froze, staring at Lin Zheyu with a strange expression. This man's ambitions were astonishing; he actually intended to reach the sixth transformation, or even the Dragon Transformation, before breaking through to the Marrow Refining Realm.

Only by reaching the Marrow Refining Realm before the age of forty could one continue to grow stronger. After forty, even using powerful elixirs, one could no longer improve and could only prolong life slightly.

To break into the Marrow Refining Realm, one first had to reach the fourth transformation of blood qi, and progressing from there to that realm would take at least six or seven years. In other words, one had to reach the fourth transformation of blood qi before the age of thirty-three to have a chance at breaking into the Marrow Refining Realm before forty.

The difficulty was immense, which was precisely why so few ever reached the Marrow Refining Realm. And to cultivate up to the sixth transformation or even the Dragon Transformation was an even more terrifying challenge.

Each stage of the Blood Qi Realm was a grueling ascent; the more transformations one sought, the harder they became. To achieve nine transformations and reach the Dragon Transformation was as difficult as ascending to the heavens, let alone accomplishing it before thirty-three and advancing further into the Marrow Refining Realm. Only those born into powerful factions and gifted with exceptional talent could hope to achieve such a feat.

"No. Any technique that allows cultivation to the sixth transformation is a top-tier second-rate technique; it would never circulate freely. If you wish to learn one, you'll have to join a major power. Without the support of a great faction and access to potent elixirs and pills, reaching the sixth transformation is nearly impossible. For most independent cultivators, the fifth transformation is already their limit," said the stall owner, shaking his head.

"Then forget it." Lin Zheyu handed the paper back and turned to leave.

The stall owner watched his departing figure with an easy smile before sitting back down to await the next customer.

Lin Zheyu continued wandering through the black market. There were many Blood Qi Realm martial artists selling techniques. They were likely wanderers from other cities. He asked around at each stall but couldn't find any technique that satisfied him.

Does it mean I'll have to go to the Central Plains or join a major power?

Lin Zheyu thought helplessly.

Even within a major power, obtaining a high-grade technique was no simple matter; such arts required large amounts of contribution points to earn.

Lin Zheyu lingered in the black market until past midnight before finally leaving. Though he hadn't found a suitable cultivation technique, he had managed to purchase quite a few useful items.

He had acquired all the herbs listed in the Toxicology Codex required for crafting poisons and sedatives capable of threatening even Marrow Refining Realm martial artists. However, the ingredients for poison powders and sedatives were extremely costly, and Lin Zheyu could not afford to buy them in bulk. He bought just enough for one batch of each, planning to prepare them for future use, spending a total of 380 taels of silver.

Besides the herbs, he had also found a rare prescription. The formula was called Absolute Dust Blood Coagulating Powder, an ancient recipe that had once been popular but was gradually abandoned due to its severe side effects.

According to the seller, its potency far surpassed that of the Redfire Blood-Nourishing Powder, but its side effects were terrifying; even Marrow Refining Realm warriors dared not use it recklessly. Most people bought it not for human use but to feed and strengthen vicious beasts.

The effect should be far stronger than the Redfire Blood-Nourishing Powder... I just wonder how much silver it will cost and whether it's worth the price.

Because of its dangerous side effects and limited use, the formula's price was relatively low. He bought it for just 60 taels of silver.

My remaining silver won't last long. I'll have to find a way to earn more.

After these few days of spending, he had only 1700 taels left, along with four sets of Redfire Blood-Nourishing Powder herbs. It seemed like a decent amount, but if he intended to buy a cultivation technique, it was nowhere near enough.