Chapter 11: Return to the Black Market; Three Block the Road!

Another month had flown by.

Lu Changsheng's mind was completely tranquil. He would wait patiently, not rush.

Whoosh.

Without the slightest warning, he struck. The saber in his hand flashed white, and in the next moment, appeared on the far side of the room.

Lu Changsheng exclaimed, "Done! It's been an entire month, but I've finally pushed Deathflash to the level of Adept. Took me far longer than I expected..."

Normally, advancing a martial technique from the level of Active to Competence and then to Adept wouldn't take much time. Not to mention, his Perception was now at 147 points, far above that of the average person. And yet, it had still taken him an entire month to reach Adept level.

That alone proved how exceptionally powerful Deathflash was—at least third-tier, possibly even fourth-tier. Only after being pushed to the Adept level could this technique be wielded with ease and display its true combat power. This was the moment Lu Changsheng had been waiting for.

"Deathflash is now ready for battle. Time to head to the black market."

Once his preparations were complete, Lu Changsheng waited until nightfall. When the time came, he pulled a black scarf over his face and headed straight for the southern part of the city.

That night, during the Hour of the Boar, the southern district was as lively as ever. People from all walks of life crowded into the black market.

Lu Changsheng's gaze swept over the rows of stalls. At last, he spotted the same vendor he had seen last time. She was still selling manuals for martial techniques, though the selection seemed different this time. Clearly, she had her ways of acquiring all sorts of techniques.

Lu Changsheng walked straight up to her and whispered, "Hey, have you got any martial arts for the Blood Strengthening Stage? Preferably top-tier ones."

If he wanted to push his blood qi to its limits, he needed top-tier martial arts. Merely collecting a bunch of ordinary arts wouldn't yield much effect. If it were really that simple, everyone would reach the Divine Strength Realm.

"Top-tier martial arts?" The vendor looked up at him, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Oh, you're the guy from before."

She recognized him. Her eyes, honed by years of dealing in the black market, had seen through Lu Changsheng's disguise almost instantly.

"Top-tier martial arts, especially for the Blood Strengthening Stage, are exceedingly rare," she said. "Normally, you wouldn't find them for sale here. They're worth their weight in gold."

She gave him a faint smile. "However, if you're really interested, I

do

have one. The question is, do you have silver taels?"

"What's the martial art?" Lu Changsheng asked.

The vendor reached into her bundle and drew out a manual. It wasn't worn at all; in fact, it looked brand new, with the faint scent of fresh ink still lingering on its pages. It had only just been copied.

The woman said with a faint smile, "You're in luck. I just acquired this top-tier martial art and made a copy. It's called the

Sixfold Heaven Blood Strengthening Art

. Six layers in total, each a heaven of its own—an art truly worthy of the highest tier. The price is one thousand silver taels, non-negotiable."

Lu Changsheng's eyes widened. "What? One

thousand

?"

That was simply daylight robbery. A top-tier Blood Strengthening art wasn't supposed to cost more than a few hundred taels, and yet this woman was asking for a thousand. Was she taking him for a fool?

At his words, the vendor calmly returned the manual to her bundle and said coldly, "That's my price. If you don't wanna pay that much, you're free to leave. True top-tier arts are priceless. This Sixfold Heaven Blood Strengthening Art is an exceptional choice for laying your foundations. Mastering it will make your foundation unshakable and even increase your chances of reaching the Divine Strength Realm.

"The only drawback is its depth. Reaching the Sixth Layer is extremely difficult, but even if you top at the fourth or fifth, your foundation should be strong enough to advance to the Divine Strength Realm."

After that, the woman fell silent. She knew full well that anyone buying a top-grade Blood Strengthening martial art was aiming for the Divine Strength Realm. Such people rarely cared about the cost.

"A thousand taels... Fine, I'll take it," Lu Changsheng conceded. "And I'll pick out twenty-two martial techniques for two hundred taels. Deal?"

That was essentially asking her to throw in two techniques for free.

"Deal. Pick any twenty-two from here," the vendor replied without hesitation, showing no signs of wanting to haggle.

Lu Changsheng accepted the

Sixfold Heaven Blood Strengthening Art

, then selected twenty-two martial techniques before rising to head straight for the market's exit.

"One thousand two hundred taels, gone just like that..." he muttered to himself. "Money flows like water... and I still need to buy medicinal meals. Looks like I'll have to make a few more trips into the mountains."

He could already tell that simply gathering herbs in the mountains was no longer sustainable. Most of the medicinal herbs in the valley had already been harvested. Without them, what would he do in the future? He would have to think of another way to earn money.

As Lu Changsheng mulled over his next move, he heard a low voice coming from somewhere nearby.

"Huh? That guy looks familiar... Wait, isn't he that big spender we lost last time?"

"Yeah, it's definitely him. No disguise will fool my eyes."

"

Hehe

, he managed to slip away last time, but he's not getting away this time!"

"It looked like he spent a fortune again just now. We can't let him go."

In the depths of the black market, three figures watched Lu Changsheng with venomous eyes, trailing close behind him like snakes.

Lu Changsheng had taken only a few steps before sensing something was off.

As expected... the black market is a mixed bag. I've been targeted again.

He noticed the three figures behind him, but this time he felt no fear, not even a trace of nervousness. Once out of the market, he turned down several streets, moving deeper into a dim, deserted alleyway.

Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. Looking up, he saw a lone figure ahead. When he turned sharply, two more were there. He was surrounded.

Lu Changsheng maintained his composure and asked evenly, "Gentlemen, you're in my way. I don't suppose you're here to give me directions?"

"Hey brat, what did you just buy at the black market?" one of the masked men demanded.

"Nothing much, just a martial arts manual. It's not worth much," Lu Changsheng replied blandly.

"Not worth much? I saw you spend a thousand silver taels on it," the man sneered. "And a few months ago, you dropped a few hundred more here.

Tsk

,

tsk

... you really throw your money around."

Lu Changsheng's gaze sharpened slightly as he realized that these were the three men who had trailed him at the black market months ago. In other words, he had been marked by them for some time.

The three men slowly closed in on him.

"Gentlemen, there's no need for this," Lu Changsheng said evenly. "If it's my silver you want, I can give it to you. There are three thousand taels in my bundle. You can have it."

With that, he slowly walked toward the man who had blocked his path ahead.

"Three thousand?"

Their eyes lit up instantly, their hearts surging with glee. They had once thought he was a small catch, but now they realized they had struck gold.

"Quick, hand over the bundle," one of them urged. They were barely able to contain themselves.

Lu Changsheng closed the distance with measured steps, and when he was less than five steps away, his lips curved into a faint smile. He suddenly hurled the bundle forward.

"There you go. Catch."

The bundle arced high into the air, and all three pairs of eyes locked onto it.

Now!

In the very next instant, a murderous glint flashed in Lu Changsheng's eyes.