Chapter 36: Prepare in Advance
After a few more words, seeing that the house was almost tidied up, the three of them left the place.
Before leaving, Wei Zhengqing also told Lin Jing that if he encountered any trouble, he could come to him at any time, as he would be at home for the next few days.
After seeing the three off, Lin Jing stood at the door and glanced across the street before closing the front door and returning inside.
Although it was pitch black across the street, Lin Jing knew that the Zhang brothers, Zhang Sen and Zhang Lin, were definitely observing the situation from the shadows.
However, now with Ning Yue and Wei Zhengqing around, they dared not make any excessive moves.
"It seems that I will have to start preparing tomorrow."
Early the next morning, Lin Jing left his house.
As soon as he stepped outside, he saw the Zhang brothers, Zhang Sen and Zhang Lin, also emerging from their yard.
Zhang Sen, upon seeing Lin Jing, walked over with a smile as usual and greeted him.
"Brother Lin, what a coincidence! Are you also heading out?"
'Yes."
Lin Jing didn't really want to bother with them and intended to leave after giving a brief response.
Seeing Lin Jing about to leave, Zhang Sen quickly stepped in front of him and asked with feigned concern:
"Brother Lin, you don't seem to be in a good mood. Did something happen? Do you need our help?"
A corner of Lin Jing's mouth twitched as he thought:
"Asking them for help would be like searching for death with a lantern in a toilet.'
Lin Jing had seen through their intent as they had come to probe for information.
With this understanding, Lin Jing immediately had a countermeasure and said with a sorrowful expression:
"Not to hide it from Brother Zhang, my house was robbed last night, so I'm not in the best of spirits."
Zhang Sen exclaimed in surprise, then asked with feigned concern:
"Brother Lin, are you alright? Did you lose anything important?"
Lin Jing replied, "You're too kind to worry, Brother Zhang. Luckily I had my Storage Bag with me, and all valuable items were inside it, so I didn't lose anything."
"I didn't expect Brother Lin to have a Storage Bag, that's fortunate indeed." Having said that, Zhang Sen advised:
"Brother Lin, the peripheral areas have been repeatedly attacked by Demonic Beasts lately, suffering heavy losses. Some people might take this opportunity to cause trouble; it would be better for you to be cautious."
"Of course, if you encounter such a situation again, just come directly to us. As neighbors, we can certainly lend a hand."
While talking, Zhang Sen turned his head to Zhang Lin and said:
"Don't you agree, little brother?"
"Yes, yes…"
Zhang Lin nodded in agreement.
"Then, thank you, Brothers Zhang. I still have some matters to take care of, so
I'll be leaving now." "Brothers Zhang, see you later."
"Safe travels, Brother Lin."
After finishing, Lin Jing turned and left, the corner of his mouth curling into a sneer.
"The bait has been cast, now let's see if you'll bite." After Lin Jing had gone, Zhang Lin spoke in a low voice:
"Big brother, he really has a Storage Bag, so what do we do…
Zhang Sen glared at Zhang Lin and gestured for him to be silent before saying:
"Let's go, we'll head back home."
It was as if they had been waiting for Lin Jing; no sooner had they left the house than they returned.
Once back home, as soon as they entered the house, Zhang Sen scolded in a low voice:
"That Wei fellow and Ning Yue are still in their house, are you tired of living?"
"Sorry, big brother."
Zhang Lin hung his head low and hastily admitted his mistake.
Seeing Zhang Lin admit his mistake, Zhang Sen's expression softened considerably.
"Alright, be more careful next time."
After speaking, Zhang Sen went on to say, "That kid has a Storage Bag, we need to change our plan."
"What does big brother plan to do?" Zhang Lin asked in a low voice.
"If he has a Storage Bag, he will certainly carry it with him, which makes things much easier. I plan to quietly follow him when he goes out, and then look for an opportunity to make a move."
Zhang Lin's eyes lit up, rubbing his hands together in anticipation:
"Big brother, when will we make our move?"
Zhang Sen pondered for a moment and then said:
"It's not suitable to act during the day when there are too many people around.
We can only make our move at night."
"I've noticed before that Lin Jing has the habit of going out at night. We'll follow him after he leaves at night."
"Once we get to a deserted place, we'll directly strike and kill him, then snatch the Storage Bag and quickly withdraw."
"As long as we're careful, no one will discover that it was us who did it, and besides, Fang Market wouldn't bother with such affairs."
"Didn't an incident like this occur recently? In the end, the Fang Market just dealt with it carelessly, without even the slightest intention of searching for the murderer."
"Indeed. "
Zhang Lin echoed in agreement.
"I know about that incident too. They say it was a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator who died and that it was the work of a Foundation Establishment
Cultivator."
Zhang Sen continued:
"Keep a close watch on the opposite side these next few days. To avoid any complications, I plan to act in the next couple of days."
Zhang Lin thumped his chest and said, "Big brother, rest assured, I will keep a tight watch on the opposite side and will not miss any slight disturbance."
While the Zhang brothers were discussing their strategy, Lin Jing had already begun making preparations for what was to come.
Arriving at the Fang Market, Lin Jing headed directly for Yuebaolou.
Upon entering Yuebaolou, a maid came forward to greet him.
The welcoming maid was still one of these ordinary maids, all painstakingly selected to work at Yuebaolou, and quite good-looking.
Do not think of them as pitiable, as in fact, many people are very envious of them, especially during these times of Demonic Beasts rampages where many live in constant fear.
Yet, they did not have such worries.
Because they all lived within the Fang Market, such treatment made many people extremely jealous.
Besides, Lin Jing had also heard.
Among the maids, apart from them, some were raised from a young age by Yuebaolou, beauties with Spiritual Roots, specifically to serve the Offering Priests of Yuebaolou.
They say those people were even more beautiful than these maids. "Honorable Immortal, may I inquire what you need? I can guide you," said the maid.
"No need, I'll just look around by myself," said Lin Jing.
"Very well, Immortal," the maid replied and stepped back.
Having been to Yuebaolou many times before, Lin Jing was already familiar with the place and naturally did not need anyone else to show him around.
There was nothing Lin Jing needed on the first floor, so he went directly to the second floor.
As he arrived at the talisman counter on the second floor, the shopkeeper promptly greeted him:
"Fellow Daoist, what do you need?"
"I need a few Second Rank talismans," Lin Jing said.
The Five Thunder Talisman that Lin Jingzhi had previously used was a Second Rank talisman, which only a Foundation Establishment Cultivator could make, and its power matched that of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
First Rank talismans were now completely insufficient for Lin Jing's needs.
Because in Fang Market there were many with higher cultivation than his, if he used First Rank talismans, they would likely be incapable of posing any threat to others.
So, being the target of someone's attention, he should act decisively and use a Second Rank talisman to kill them, thus eliminating future troubles. The shopkeeper smiled and responded:
"Fellow Daoist, do you know what type of talisman you need? I can help you with that.."
Chapter 37: Purchasing Talismans, Going to the Black Market
"Shopkeeper, do you have any booklets specifically on talismans? I'd like to take a look," Lin Jing said.
"Certainly, please wait a moment, fellow Taoist," the shopkeeper responded.
With that, the shopkeeper took out a booklet from beneath the counter and handed it to Lin Jing.
Lin Jing took the booklet and began flipping through it.
It contained detailed records of various talismans, including their uses, power range, and various taboos associated with their use.
Lin Jing skipped over the First Rank talismans and went directly to the back to start with the various Second Rank talismans.
After a while, Lin Jing closed the booklet and handed it back to the shopkeeper.
Smiling, the shopkeeper asked, "Have you decided, fellow Taoist? Which talismans would you like?"
"Mm," Lin Jing affirmed.
"Shopkeeper, I'll take three Five Thunder Talismans, two Golden Body Talismans, and then one Invisibility Talisman."
These were all carefully selected by Lin Jing.
The function of the Golden Body Talisman was to protect oneself for half an hour, able to withstand a full blow from a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
Lin Jing bought them specifically to guard against unexpected situations, to be prepared for emergencies.
The Invisibility Talisman could hide oneself for half an hour, eluding the Divine Sense detection of those below the Foundation Establishment Stage. Needless to say, it was perfect for sneak attacks.
However, the Invisibility Talisman had one fatal flaw—you couldn't move while invisible, as the airflow caused by movement could easily be detected.
Therefore, Lin Jing only took one.
As for the Five Thunder Talisman, there was no need for an explanation; Lin Jing had used it himself and its power was indeed extraordinary.
"Fellow Taoist," the shopkeeper began, "I need to inform you that due to the recent upsurge of Demonic Beasts, talisman prices have risen. The ones you're asking for aren't cheap."
"I'm aware of that," Lin Jing nodded and said.
The shopkeeper nodded, took out several talismans, turned around, retrieved a wooden box from the shelf behind him, and neatly placed the talismans inside.
Turning back to Lin Jing, the shopkeeper said:
"Fellow Taoist, each Five Thunder Talisman and Golden Body Talisman costs
150 Lower Grade Spirit Stones. Since you want five in total, that will be 750 Lower Grade Spirit Stones. The Invisibility Talisman is a bit cheaper, at 100
Spirit Stones each."
"Together, that will be a total of 850 Lower Grade Spirit Stones."
As he spoke, the shopkeeper passed the wooden box over.
"Alright."
Lin Jing received the wooden box, took out Spirit Stones from his Storage Bag, counted out 850, and handed them to the shopkeeper.
He had originally saved up 2000 Spirit Stones, and purchasing these few talismans had cost him nearly half.
Lin Jing couldn't help but lament, "Spirit Stones really don't last long when it comes to spending…"
Actually, the price of the talismans was quite reasonable, considering they were Second Rank talismans meant specifically for dealing with Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
Your average Qi Refinement Cultivator couldn't afford these, could they?
After buying the talismans, Lin Jing went to check out the Magical Treasure section of the market.
However, unfortunately, since his cultivation was too low, there were no suitable Magical Treasures for him.
Afterward, he took another lap around Fang Market before returning home.
Once home, to thank Wei Zhengqing and Ning Yue for their help the previous day, Lin Jing invited them over and prepared a big table of delicious food.
Of course, the little girl Luo Luo couldn't be left out.
During the meal, Wei Zhengqing told Lin Jing that in two days, he would take him to the black market.
After dinner, the three of them left, and after Lin Jing had put everything in order, he went to cultivate.
Soon, two days passed.
Early in the morning on this day, someone knocked on the door of Lin Jing's home.
When Lin Jing opened the door, to his surprise, it was Wei Zhengqing standing on the doorstep; Lin Jing quickly invited him in.
Lin Jing asked in confusion,
"Brother Wei, are we heading out now?"
"Brother Lin, there's been a change in plans," Wei Zhengqing said.
"Today, I need to go out and deal with some matters with a friend. It's a bit dangerous, and it's not convenient to bring you along."
Lin Jing replied, "No problem, Brother Wei, you go ahead. The trip to the black market is not urgent; it can happen anytime."
"No, you've misunderstood, " Wei Zhengqing shook his head and said.
"We still need to go to the black market. After this, I may have to leave, and it might be a long time before I can return."
"Tonight at Zi Time, go to Shiyu Alley and wait for me there. I will arrive before Zi Time and will take you into the black market with me."
"You probably don't know the way to Shiyu Alley, so here, take a look at this map. "
With those words, Wei Zhengqing produced a map and handed it to Lin Jing.
"Uh… okay."
Lin Jing was somewhat taken aback. Wei Zhengqing had not hemmed and hawed at all but had directly arranged everything.
"Right, there's also…"
"This is a Godspeed Talisman and an Invisibility Talisman. It might not be safe going out at night. When you go out, use the talismans and try to avoid attracting other people's attention."
After presenting the two talismans, Wei Zhengqing immediately took out a purple talisman.
"A Teleportation Talisman!"
Lin Jing exclaimed in surprise.
"That's right, it is indeed a Teleportation Talisman." Wei Zhengqing nodded.
"Take it."
Wei Zhengqing's tone was firm and brooked no argument.
"Brother Wei, this…"
This Teleportation Talisman was also a Second Rank talisman, but its talismanic patterns were intricate and difficult to make, which made it quite valuable.
Furthermore, Yuebaolou sold it for 500 Spirit Stones each; Lin Jing had never been willing to buy one, and yet Wei Zhengqing had just given it to him.
Lin Jing never liked owing people favors. The Godspeed Talisman and the Invisibility Talisman were one thing — their value was not high, and he could easily compensate for them. But this Teleportation Talisman…
Lin Jing hesitated.
"Take it." Wei Zhengqing said again.
"As a friend recognized by me, Wei Zhengqing, you shouldn't have so many reservations."
Lin Jing looked up, meeting Wei Zhengqing's eyes, which were full of resolve, and then he stopped hesitating.
"Alrißht, Brother Wei. If that's so, then I'll accept it."
"Mm…!" Wei Zhengqing nodded.
"This Teleportation Talisman can instantly transport you to any location within a kilometer when you're in danger." "It should be enough to escape from danger."
"Thank you, Brother Wei. I understand," Lin Jing said.
"Since we've agreed on that, I should be going now. Remember to be careful tonight.'
"I understand."
Afterwards, Wei Zhengqing took his leave.
Once Wei Zhengqing had left, Lin Jing opened the map to memorize the location of Shiyu Alley, then started to cultivate in meditation.
He cultivated until evening, before he finally stopped.
During this time of cultivation, Lin Jing felt his Divine Sense becoming increasingly consolidated, and his control over the Controlling Fire Technique also improved over before.
He believed that it wouldn't be long before he could break through again.
Looking outside through the window, Lin Jing saw the moon hanging above the treetops and figured it was about time.
After making some simple preparations, Lin Jing left his residence.
However, just after Lin Jing had gone out…
Across in the opposite courtyard, Zhang Lin hurried into the house.
"Big brother… Big brother…"
"He's left; he's gone out…"
Zhang Lin was visibly excited, speaking in a hushed tone.
Zhang Sen, who had been meditating, opened his eyes and looked toward Zhang Lin.
"Did he go out alone?"
"Don't worry, big brother. I saw it clear as day; it was just him alone."
"Big brother, shall we take action?" Zhang Lin asked.
Zhang Sen narrowed his eyes and said:
"Opportunity knocks but once. Let's go, we'll follow him.."
Chapter 38: The Zhang Family Brothers, Death
After leaving the house, Lin Jing always felt off, as if a pair of eyes was watching him.
However, Lin Jing didn't think too much of it and headed toward the street upon leaving the alley.
He had considered the possibility of Zhang Sen and his brother.
The reason he was so nonchalant was that he had long been prepared in the dark, ready to use talismans to eradicate the brothers should they dare to show up.
For this reason, he hadn't used the Godspeed Talisman or Invisibility Talisman given by Wei Zhengqing, using himself as bait to lure them into his trap.
Meanwhile, Zhang Sen and Zhang Lin, the brothers, were secretly following Lin Jing, not daring to get too close and always trailing him from a distance.
"Big brother, when do we make our move?" Zhang Lin asked in a low voice.
Zhang Sen lowered his voice and said, "Not now, people pass by on the street at any time. We should quietly follow him, and make our move when we find a deserted place."
And so, the two brothers secretly followed Lin Jing.
As they walked, they increasingly felt that something was wrong because Lin Jing was heading towards the outside of Fang Market.
"Big brother, something's not right. It looks like he's planning to leave Fang Market," Zhang Lin observed.
"It's so dangerous outside the city, is he seeking death?" Zhang Lin voiced his doubts.
Zhang Sen kept a close watch on Lin Jing, his killing intent barely hidden, and made a decisive call.
"No more waiting, we can't afford to. Now that there's no one around, let's do it."
As they spoke, they saw Lin Jing turn into an alley.
"Perfect chance! "
"Let's go, quick and decisive."
After Zhang Sen finished speaking, he no longer concealed himself and charged forward.
But when the two rushed into the alley, they suddenly stopped in their tracks. Because the alley was empty, and Lin Jing was nowhere to be seen.
"Where did he go? We clearly saw him enter this alley." Zhang Lin looked around but didn't find anything.
"How could he have disappeared?" Zhang Lin said anxiously.
Zhang Sen, faced with the situation, also frowned deeply, becoming fully alert and wary.
"Are you looking for me?"
Suddenly, a voice came from behind the two.
The brothers hurriedly turned around, only to see the disappeared Lin Jing standing right behind them.
"You…"
Zhang Sen was first startled, then his killing intent erupted. But at that moment, Lin Jing uttered a single word.
"Explode!"
Immediately afterward, lightning spread, enveloping both Zhang Sen and Zhang Lin.
Zhang Sen was shocked, only then realizing what was happening.
"Five Thunder Talisman!! !
"No!!!"
Before he could react further, the lightning poured down, submerging the two brothers.
At this moment, Lin Jing watched the two within the lightning, expressionless.
He felt no sympathy for them.
The outcome was entirely a result of their own doing.
Under the Five Thunder Talisman, the two mid-stage Qi Refinement brothers had no chance to react before they were turned to ashes.
When the spell dissipated, the spot where the two had stood was left with nothing but a pile of black ash.
Lin Jing glanced at it, then turned and left.
He had sensed something was wrong soon after leaving his house, knowing these two were likely tracking him.
so,
Lin Jing had led them around in circles to this place; when their killing intent erupted, triggering the system warning, Lin Jing knew the time was right and entered this allev.
Closer to the corner, he had placed a Five Thunder Talisman in advance.
Lin Jing knew that upon seeing no one in the alley, they would surely hesitate, and then stop right there.
Meanwhile, Lin Jing had hidden himself inside the System Space.
Originally, he had considered using an Invisibility Talisman, but fearing it might not be secure enough, he eventually opted for the System Space.
What followed was the final scene.
Lin Jing emerged from the System Space, and without giving the two men time to react, he immediately detonated the Five Thunder Talisman, killing them both.
By the time Lin Jing reached Shi Yu Alley, it was already a quarter past Zi Time.
However, as soon as Lin Jing arrived, he saw Wei Zhengqing waiting there with a tower-like, muscular man beside him, displaying exaggerated muscles, giving off an impression that he could tear apart tigers and leopards barehanded.
Lin Jing came before Wei Zhengqing, apologizing with sincerity,
"Brother Wei, I'm sorry, I encountered some unexpected troubles on my way, which made you wait for quite a while."
Wei Zhengqing stared at Lin Jing, sizing him up, then said bluntly,
"You've killed someone."
Lin Jing paused for a moment, then inspected himself from head to toe and found nothing amiss.
The brawny man standing beside Wei Zhengqing, however, was amused by Lin Jing's actions.
"Hahaha…"
"Stop looking, the killing aura hasn't dissipated from you yet. It was through the aura that Old Wei deduced you've killed people."
see."
Lin Jing replied with an embarrassed smile before saying earnestly,
"I won't lie to you, Brother Wei, I did just kill two people—Zhang Sen and Zhang Lin, the Zhang brothers."
"The Zhang brothers, if I remember correctly, they both had a mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivation, right?"
Upon learning that Lin Jing had killed Zhang Sen and Zhang Lin, Wei Zhengqing showed no particular reaction, as if their deaths were insignificant.
"My goodness…"
The iron tower-like muscular man exclaimed.
"I thought you were just a fledgling, but it turns out you're quite ruthless."
"Just a beginner in Qi Refinement, yet you've killed two mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators.'
"I'm really curious to know how you did it."
Wei Zhengqing glanced at the muscular man and introduced Lin Jing,
"This is Yan Xiong, you can call him Big Black Bear or Big Bear. His cultivation is at the late-stage Qi Refining, same as mine. If I'm not around, you can go to him if you need anything."
Yan Xiong scratched his head and said with an awkward smile, "Don't listen to
Old Wei; just call me Old Yan."
"To be honest with you both, I actually took advantage of a trick, which is this."
As he spoke, Lin Jing took out a talisman from his Storage Bag.
"Five Thunder Talisman!"
The two immediately recognized the talisman upon seeing it.
"No wonder you were able to kill those two Qi Refining cultivators."
After saying this, Yan Xiong expressed some regret,
"That's a talisman that can threaten Foundation Establishment cultivators, yet It was used on two mid-stage QI Retimng cultivators.
"Tsk, tsk… what a waste…"
Wei Zhengqing countered, "There's nothing wasteful about it. When one is in a perilous situation, any means used for self-preservation cannot be considered too extravagant."
Yan Xiong did not dare to argue and muttered under his breath.
"Of course, I understand that; it's just a shame about the talisman. If only you had let me handle it, crushing them would have been as easy as squashing chicks, and we could have saved that Five Thunder Talisman."
"Were those two seeking to harm you?" Wei Zhengqing did not pay any more attention to Yan Xiong, instead, he turned to inquire from Lin Jing.
"Yes." Lin Jing nodded.
"They had secretly followed me since I left my house, and later on, they even revealed their intent to kill me."
"So, I decided to use their plan against them, leading them to a deserted alley and eliminated them with the Five Thunder Talisman."
After explaining, Lin Jing added,
"Moreover, I found out that the theft in my house that day was committed by the two of them."
After pondering for a while, Wei Zhengqing said,
"Some time ago, they owed a large amount of Spirit Stones to the Qianjin Pavilion, and they were under a lot of pressure to repay. During that time, you were consuming Superior Spirit Rice every day." "Clearly, you were showing wealth inadvertently." Lin Jing felt ashamed as it was indeed the case..
Chapter 39: Entering the Black Market
"Forget about them, let's go," Wei Zhengqing said.
After finishing his words, Wei Zhengqing and Yan Xiong walked forward, and Lin Jing immediately followed.
The three of them walked down the alley in silence, surrounded by a dead quiet with not a sound to be heard.
It was only the sound of their footsteps on the road that could be heard. Lin Jing turned his head to look around and realized that while there were many houses lining the alley, most of them were dilapidated.
Even though Shiyu Alley was on the edge of Fang Market, it was very strange to Lin Jing that there was not a single person in sight.
Seeing that Wei Zhengqing and Yan Xiong in front weren't speaking, Lin Jing didn't dare to inquire further and silently followed behind them.
After numerous twists and turns, they finally came to a courtyard door.
"Creak… "
Wei Zhengqing reached out to push open the courtyard door, which emitted a grating noise. This sound, in the silent night, sent shivers down one's spine.
Lin Jing followed the two men into the house.
Just upon entering the room, Lin Jing discovered that there was a formation inside.
"This Teleportation Array can only transport one person at a time. I'll go first, Brother Lin, you'll be second, and Yan Xiong will go last,"
Wei Zhengqing said to the two of them.
"Okay."
"No problem."
Both replied at the same time.
Wei Zhengqing then stepped forward, stood at the center of the Formation, and took out the Black Market Token, placing it into the groove in front of the Formation.
Immediately after, a bluish light flared up, enveloping Wei Zhengqing, and the entire Formation was activated in a flash.
The groove in front of the Formation lit up at that moment. The Black Market Token popped up, and Wei Zhengqing caught it and put it away.
At this point, the bluish light above the Formation didn't fade. Instead, it grew brighter and brighter, so dazzling that one couldn't keep their eyes open, and eventually, the light itself turned white.
Then there was a "whoosh" sound, and Wei Zhengqing disappeared in an instant. The light dissipated, and the Formation returned to calm.
"Little Lin, it's your turn. Don't worry, with me, Old Yan, covering for you," said Yan Xiong with a grin.
"Thank you, Big Brother Yan."
After speaking, Lin Jing walked to the center of the Formation, then mimicked Wei Zhengqing, placing the Black Market Token into the groove in front of the Formation.
Immediately after, the bluish light flared up again. Lin Jing put away the Black Market Token and stood quietly waiting. As the light grew increasingly brilliant, Lin Jing had no choice but to close his eyes against its glare.
Moments later, Lin Jing felt a lightness in his body, and when he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a grove of trees, with Wei Zhengqing standing in front of him, watching him.
Then, Lin Jing sensed that something was off; his Divine Sense seemed to be restrained and he couldn't use it at all.
Hurrying to Wei Zhengqing's side, Lin Jing asked, "Brother Wei, why can't I use my Divine Sense here?"
Wei Zhengqing nodded and replied:
"This place has a Formation that blocks Divine Sense. It was specially constructed by the owner of this black market. Even Golden Core Cultivators cannot use their Divine Sense here. The purpose is to protect the privacy of people who come to the black market to trade."
"That way, both parties to the trade can rest assured, without having to worry about their identity being exposed."
"I see," Lin Jing said, feeling relieved.
Soon after, Yan Xiong was also transported over.
Once the three had gathered, Wei Zhengqing took out three veiled hats.
"Here, wear these; that way, you won't have to worry about your identity being exposed."
"Alright."
Lin Jing took the hat, placed it on his head, and the black veil obscured his face, making it impossible to see the person's features from the outside.
Wei Zhengqing and Yan Xiong did the same, donning their hats, and then the three set off together, walking forward.
It wasn't long before Lin Jing saw a brightly lit area ahead.
As they approached, Lin Jing realized that this black market was actually a long street, with various stalls clustered on both sides, bustling with activity.
The trio arrived at the entrance of the black market, where several guards were stationed.
Seeing them approach, the leading guard stepped forward and said,
"Ten Lower Grade Spirit Stones per person."
Without a word, Wei Zhengqing took out thirty Lower Grade Spirit Stones from his Storage Bag and handed them over.
The leading guard took the Spirit Stones and signaled to the others behind him. The guards blocking the entrance immediately stepped aside to open the way.
After entering the Fang Market, Lin Jing noticed that there were indeed a lot of people around, many of whom, like them, concealed their appearances with wide-brimmed hats or masks.
There were also some who wore nothing at all, exposing their faces openly as if they had no fear of being exposed.
Of course, whether they used any disguise techniques, Lin Jing did not know.
Just then, Wei Zhengqing turned to Lin Jing and said,
"Brother Lin, you browse around the market for now; Elder Yan and I have some matters to attend to. We'll meet back here at the beginning of the hour of yin. Then we can leave together."
"All right," Lin Jing responded.
"Fighting is not allowed in the black market, or you will be killed on the spot.
Make sure to remember that."
After saying this, Wei Zhengqing walked away with Yan Xiong.
After Wei Zhengqing left, Lin Jing began to wander around the market on his own.
After a while, he realized that not just anyone could set up a stall here; they all needed to pay the black market to be eligible to set up shop.
The stalls offered all sorts of items, from various Spirit Grass and ores to Cultivation Techniques and Magic Artifacts, everything was available.
Lin Jing even saw someone actually selling the Qingyuan Dao Method at one of the stalls.
This shocked Lin Jing immensely…
This was the proprietary cultivation method of the Qingyuan Sword Sect, yet someone was selling it. It seemed that the seller must have some connections with the Qingyuan Sword Sect; otherwise, they couldn't possibly have obtained this technique.
Indeed, this was the black market.
His interest piqued, since Lin Jing's own practice was the Qingyuan Dao Method, and he only knew the first three levels. The highest he could cultivate with it was to the peak of the Qi Refinement stage. To continue cultivating, he would need to switch to a different technique.
"How many levels does this technique consist of? And what's the price?" Lin Jing asked, pointing at the Qingyuan Dao Method on the stall.
The Qingyuan Dao Method had twelve levels in total, with every three levels corresponding to a realm, capable of cultivation up to the Nascent Soul Stage.
However, it was clear that the Qingyuan Dao Method on offer at this stall was not the complete version.
After all, access to levels beyond six was restricted to Elders of the Qingyuan Sword Sect or disciples who had made significant contributions to the Sect.
"The first six levels of the Qingyuan Dao Method, 3,000 Spirit Stones, non-negotiable," said the stall owner, who wore a mask with a green face and fangs, making it impossible to see his face, but his voice suggested he was not young.
The first six levels allowed one to cultivate up to the Foundation Establishment Stage.
The price of 3,000 Spirit Stones wasn't actually too expensive, but it wasn't worth the risk of being discovered by the Qingyuan Sword Sect.
Lin Jing shook his head and then left.
The stall owner didn't seem to care. After all, Cultivation Techniques, unlike other wares, were not so easy to sell.
After leaving the stall selling the Cultivation Technique, Lin Jing continued to browse for a while. During this time, he noticed that the black market was a diverse place, offering all sorts of items.
He even saw that some were openly selling female cultivators. It seemed that the people in the black market were accustomed to this and exhibited no reaction whatsoever.
Lin Jing was stunned by this; it seemed he had been too ignorant before.
As he walked on, a commotion suddenly arose up ahead.
Curious, Lin Jing followed the crowd forward, wanting to see what was happening.
Just then, he heard voices from ahead.
"Let's go, someone ahead is selling Magical Treasures crafted by a Golden Core
Cultivator, let's check it out.."
Chapter 40: The Hidden Dragon Pendant of the Azure Moon
"Golden Core Magic Treasure?"
Lin Jing's interest was piqued, and he followed the restless crowd moving forward.
Upon arriving at a stall, he found the area in front of it already packed with people.
Peering through the crowd, he could see an exquisite wooden box on the vendor's table, containing a circular Jade Pendant emanating a hazy azure light as if trying to conceal the pendant itself. Next to the wooden box stood a sign that read:
[The Hidden Dragon Pendant of the Azure Moon]
A Golden Core Stage concealment Magical Treasure, capable of altering one's appearance ancl aura. Its errect IS extraoramary, aD1e to deceive tne DIVIne Sense of a Golden Core Stage Cultivator.
This Magical Treasure is for exchange only, not for sale. Required for the exchange: three Pure Clear Accumulation Elixirs, three Pure Foundation
Building Elixirs, plus ten Supreme Foundation Building Elixirs and twenty Supreme Gathering Yuan Pills.
At this moment, the crowd began to stir.
"God, has this person gone mad? To ask for so much, and all of it Pure Elixir Medicine."
"Indeed, with so many Pure Elixirs needed, I fear the entire Fang Market couldn't come up with that amount."
"Isn't that too expensive? All of those combined must be worth tens of thousands of Spirit Stones."
"Don't say that; this is a Magical Treasure crafted by a Golden Core Stage
Cultivator. Tens of thousands of Spirit Stones isn't expensive, right?"
"Even if it is a Golden Core Magic Treasure, those Pure Elixirs… even with money, where would you go to buy them? They are simply unobtainable." "Exactly, exactly."
"I think so too. Tens of thousands of Spirit Stones might be manageable, but
Pure Elixirs, those you can't necessarily buy even if you have the money."
"Besides, this is just an auxiliary Magical Treasure for concealment, not an offensive or Defensive Magical Treasure. What's the use of having it?" "Offensive Magical Treasures would likely cost much more than this."
"Sigh…"
"Forget it, can't afford it, can't afford it."
The onlookers, who were just there for the excitement, scattered all at once, and the previously congested stall was now much emptier.
Only a few people remained in front of the stall, evidently interested parties intent on acquiring the Magical Treasure.
Lin Jing also reached the front of the stall at this moment. The vendor wore a large bamboo hat, pulled down to cover his face thoroughly, likely to avoid recognition.
A young man was currently speaking with the vendor.
"Boss, I've calculated it for you, the items you're asking for add up to about seventy thousand Spirit Stones."
"How about this, I have one Pure Foundation Building Elixir here, and I will give you an additional seventy thousand Spirit Stones for your treasure. What do you think of this offer, Boss?"
After hearing this, the vendor shook his head and pointed to the sign, saying:
"I don't want Spirit Stones, only Elixir Medicine. If you truly desire this Jade Pendant, you can collect them on your own, and then come to exchange with me."
"Before this Jade Pendant is sold, I will be here periodically, until it is exchanged."
The young man's expression turned somewhat unsightly.
"Boss, you are making this quite difficult. Other Elixirs are negotiable, but Pure Elixirs are all but impossible to gather in the entire Fang Market."
"How about this instead, one Pure Elixir equated to twenty of the same grade Supreme Elixirs, what do you say?
"You must realize that the price of a Pure Elixir is almost equivalent to ten times that of a Supreme Elixir. I'm offering you twenty times the amount, which is like paying double the price. You would be making a huge profit from this."
The vendor shook his head again.
"Young Master, as you yourself have said before, Pure Elixirs are hard to find; their value cannot be compared with Supreme Elixirs."
"You really won't sell?" the young man asked coldly.
"I will not." The vendor continued to shake his head, his attitude quite resolute.
"Do you know who I am?"
The young man attempted to say more but was held back by someone at his side.
"Forget it, let's not buy it."
"This is the black market; don't stir up trouble."
Upon hearing this, the young man frowned, waved his hand dismissively, and left the place.
After this matter, the rest also understood that without Pure Elixir Medicine, the Magical Treasure could not be traded. Everyone felt a wave of regret before they all departed from this place.
At this time, only Lin Jing remained at the stall.
The stall owner looked at Lin Jing and asked, "Fellow Daoist, are you also interested in this Jade Pendant?"
"Yes," Lin Jing replied.
"I'd like to ask the owner how long you plan to sell here. I wish to collect Elixir Medicine to trade for your Jade Pendant."
The stall owner was taken aback, then regained his composure and extended two fingers, saying,
"Two years, I will be here for at most two years. After two years, whether you have collected the items or not, I will depart."
"Good," Lin Jing said.
"Within one year, I will have gathered all the Elixir Medicines."
"Fellow Daoist, that's a rather bold joke," the stall owner's tone dropped sharply, clearly suppressing anger.
It seemed he thought Lin Jing was playing him for a fool.
"I am not joking," Lin Jing stated earnestly.
"Since you will not leave for the time being, why not wait and see? After all, you stand to lose nothing."
"Could it be that you believe someone else could gather the items you require?"
The stall owner looked up at the person before him. By the sound of his voice, he was not old, but his tone was no less arrogant than that of the young man before—and even more presumptuous.
Yet upon hearing what he said, the stall owner began to hesitate again.
"Could it be that he speaks the truth? Can he really gather so many Pure Elixir Medicines within a year?"
After some thought, the stall owner finally made a decision.
"Alright, Fellow Daoist, I'll take you at your word this once."
"From now on, I will come to this black market every few days. I'll be waiting for the year's end," he said.
Lin Jing responded, "Good, then I ask you to await the results, Fellow Daoist."
One year was Lin Jing's conservative estimate; within six months he should be able to reach the status of a Second-Grade Alchemist, directly capable of refining second-grade Elixir Medicines. Why would he need a year?
Nevertheless, it was best to allow some buffer time, just in case something unexpected occurred.
After leaving the stall selling the Jade Pendant Magical Treasure, Lin Jing took several more turns around the black market to get an understanding of some of the prices.
In the end, he found out that the prices inside the black market were two to three-tenths higher than the outside world.
After learning the ropes, he calculated that the time he had arranged to meet with Wei Zhengqing was nearly upon them.
Then, he returned to the location he and the others had initially agreed upon.
After waiting for about a quarter of an hour, Wei Zhengqing and Yan Xiong appeared.
After discussing for a while, the three decided to leave.
When departing, they were at the end of the street, where several
Teleportation Arrays were located.
Unlike the Teleportation Array they used to enter, these were random, transporting users to any location near Fang Market.
This arrangement also served as a precaution against those who specialized in killing and robbing others, proving to be exceedingly considerate.
Upon exiting, Lin Jing surveyed his surroundings; the place he had been transported to was at the edge of Fang Market—a stroke of very good luck.
When he got home, Wei Zhengqing had not yet returned. Perhaps he was teleported quite far, or perhaps he went straight to find Yan Xiong.
With his Late Stage Qi Refining cultivation, the likelihood of encountering danger was small.
Afterward, Lin Jing no longer concerned himself with this and settled his mind to begin meditating and cultivating.
Not until the next day's noon did Wei Zhengqing return, accompanied by Yan Xiong.
This time, Wei Zhengqing bid farewell to Lin Jing and Ning Yue, as he had to leave for a while.
He entrusted Lin Jing with the care of Luo Luo during those times when Ning Yue was too busy.
Lin Jing naturally agreed without hesitation.
Finally, after a meal together, Wei Zhengqing and Yan Xiong departed directly..
Chapter 41: Visiting Elder Yu, Selling the Elixir
Time flies, winter gives way to spring, and in the blink of an eye, three months had passed.
In these three months, Lin Jing cultivated daily without any slackening.
Finally, today, Lin Jing felt his Divine Sense solidify, and his realm was stable. He was ready for a breakthrough.
However, Lin Jing didn't rush to break through immediately. He needed to make a trip to Yuebaolou to sell the Elixirs he had refined during this period.
When Lin Jing left home and arrived at the Fang Market, he saw that the streets were much more crowded than they had been three months ago.
And all this was thanks to the Demonic Beasts.
Due to the relentless attacks from the Demonic Beasts, some smaller families and sects could not withstand and temporarily relocated to the outskirts of Fang Market, relying on the market's power to resist the Demonic Beasts.
The reason these smaller families and sects did this
was that their strength was too weak. Their highest level of combat power was at the Foundation Establishment Stage, and they suffered heavy losses when facing the attacks of the Demonic Beasts.
They had made this decision out of necessity.
Even those large sects with profound heritage and countless disciples were not completely unaffected.
Among these families and sects, the only one that was not affected was probably the Qingyuan Sword Sect. After all, any Inner Sect Disciple of the Qingyuan Sword Sect had the cultivation of the Foundation Establishment Stage.
Moreover, there were many elders in the Qingyuan Sword Sect at the Golden Core Stage, so they were not afraid of the attacks from the Demonic Beasts.
Not only that, Lin Jing had also heard that aside from the Sect Master and Grand Elder, the Qingyuan Sword Sect had a few Nascent Soul Stage old monsters hidden within.
It was just unknown whether this rumor was true or false.
Entering the Fang Market, Lin Jing headed to Yuebaolou and found Elder Yu.
"Elder Yu, I've come to see you."
As Lin Jing spoke, he took out a pitcher of liquor from his Storage Bag and passed it over.
"This is your favorite Qinghua Drunk, I brought it especially for you."
Elder Yu looked at Lin Jing, chided with a smile:
"You little rascal… This old man's only indulgence, and you've got it completely in your grasp."
Elder Yu, without any hesitation, took the Qinghua Drunk, opened the stopper, and the fragrance of the wine instantly filled the air.
"That's the stuff…"
"So fragrant…"
Then without caring for anything else, he guzzled a large mouthful down.
"Refreshing…"
After taking a swallow, Elder Yu plugged the bottle and placed it in his chest like a treasure.
"You little rascal, are you here to sell Elixir Medicine again?
"Hehe…" Lin Jing chuckled with a grin. "Elder Yu, your insights are keen."
Elder Yu pursed his lips and said:
"It's been less than a month since you sold the last batch, and now you've refined another one."
"Your Alchemy speed, even this old man is envious." Having said that, Elder Yu reached out his hand.
"Come, show me the Elixirs you've refined, let me have a look."
"Please wait a moment, Elder Yu."
As he spoke, Lin Jing pulled out several bottles of Elixirs from his Storage Bag and handed them to Elder Yu.
Elder Yu opened the porcelain bottles, poured out the Elixirs, and started to carefully inspect them.
After a long while, Elder Yu lifted his head, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Lin Jing.
"Kid, your alchemy skills have improved quickly. Looking at the quality of these Elixirs, I estimate that in a few months, you'll be able to refine Supreme Elixirs."
Two months earlier, Lin Jing had given a Superior Elixir to Elder Yu, telling him that he had already been able to refine Superior Elixirs.
Elder Yu was startled by Lin Jing's rapid progress and had even felt a sense of cherishing talent, offering Lin Jing further guidance.
"Kid.
"When you've refined a Supreme Elixir, I'll introduce you as an Offering Priest of Yuebaolou."
"Ah… Offering Priest?"
Lin Jing hesitated: "Isn't it so that only Second-Grade Alchemists can become
Offering Priests?"
The Offering Priests of Yuebaolou were treated exceptionally well, and naturally, the requirements were high.
Elder Yu was disdainful:
"That's other people. The person I introduce, nobody dares to talk nonsense."
Lin Jing was at a loss for words. He knew before that Elder Yu's status in the Yuebaolou was not ordinary.
Now it seemed that he was even more formidable than Lin Jing had thought.
"Elder Yu is mighty."
Flattered by Lin Jing's brown-nosing, Elder Yu squinted his eyes and said with a smile:
"Kid, work hard."
"Your talent for alchemy is exceptional. I believe it won't take long before you can become a Second -Grade Alchemist."
After selling the elixir medicines, Lin Jing purchased a batch of materials for concocting elixirs and left the Yuebaolou.
By the time he came out of the Yuebaolou, the sky had already darkened.
The streets had also grown quieter, with only a handful of pedestrians remaining.
Lin Jing found an unoccupied corner to make some slight changes to his appearance before coming out again.
This time, he needed to buy some formulas and materials for Second Rank elixir medicines, which wasn't very convenient to do at the Yuebaolou.
The place he chose was the small shop where he had sold the Pure Elixir Medicine previously.
"Oh… Sir, you're here."
As soon as he entered, the shopkeeper greeted him with a beaming smile.
During this time, Lin Jing had sold elixir medicines here numerous times, making the shopkeeper a tidy profit.
Therefore, the shopkeeper was naturally overjoyed at Lin Jing's arrival and treated him better than he did other people.
"Shopkeeper, I want to buy a few Second Rank elixir medicine formulas. Besides that, I also need some materials for concocting Second Rank elixir medicines."
"Sir, have you become a Second Grade Pill Master?" The shopkeeper looked at Lin Jing, momentarily stunned.
"Hmm." Lin Jing nodded.
Seeing Lin Jing nodded, the shopkeeper immediately reacted, smiling broadly, "Congratulations, sir, on becoming a Second Grade Pill Master."
"You flatter me, shopkeeper."
The shopkeeper went on, "Sir, please let me know what formulas and materials you need, our shop has everything."
Lin Jing said, "For the formulas, I want the Foundation Building Elixir, the Clear Accumulation Elixir, and the Gathering Yuan Pill, just these three for now."
"As for the materials, I'll need twenty sets for the Foundation Building, Clear
Accumulation, and Gathering Yuan Elixir."
After saying that, Lin Jing thought for a moment before adding:
"That'll be all."
"Alright, no problem," the shopkeeper said, stroking his chin and noding.
"Sir, please wait a moment, I'll go fetch these for you now," said the shopkeeper as he walked towards the back of the shop.
In just a short while, the shopkeeper returned.
"Sir, these are the materials you asked for. Please check to see if the amount is correct," he said, placing three bags of materials on the counter and pushing them towards Lin Jing.
Lin Jing opened the bags, checked the contents, and nodded.
Then the shopkeeper took out three formulas from his Storage Bag and handed them to Lin Jing.
Lin Jing casually looked over the formulas, finding no issues.
"How many Spirit Stones will all these cost?" Lin Jing asked the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper replied, "Second Rank elixir materials are much more expensive than First Rank ones, as I'm sure you're aware, sir."
"Of course, I understand. Please feel free to tell me, shopkeeper," said Lin Jing.
"Sir, the three formulas you requested, along with the materials, total up to 1,200 Lower Grade Spirit Stones."
"Hmm… okay, that's a fair price," Lin Jing said.
He then took out the Spirit Stones and completed the transaction.
The items Lin Jing wanted would probably cost about the same even in the Yuebaolou.
Therefore, the price the shopkeeper offered wasn't expensive.
After all, the shopkeeper wanted to maintain a long-term cooperation with Lin Jing, so it was unlikely he would overcharge him at this juncture..
Chapter 42: Mid Qj Refinement, Second-Grade Alchemist
Having returned home, Lin Jing directly entered the System Space.
"Open the system panel," he said.
As soon as the words fell, the system panel immediately appeared before Lin Jing.
System Space (Level 2)
Remaining Time: 57 hours (Can accumulate: 200 hours)
Host: Lin Jing
Spirit Field Range: 20 acres
Spiritual Energy Concentration: 2 Time Flow Speed: 2
Daily Entry Time: 4 hours
Required for Upgrade: (103/500 Harvest Points)
Special Function: Alert (Includes the host's surroundings in the alert range, with immediate reminders for emergent situations.)
Observation: (The host can observe the real world from within the System Space.) (Note: When the host is observing, their perspective will synchronize with the external world's time.)
Time Accumulation: (Remaining daily entry time will not reset to zero but can be accumulated.)
In the time that had passed, even though the Harvest Points had increased a bit, he was still far from leveling up to the next stage.
Lin Jing reached out towards the panel and tapped on his name, and his information popped up.
Lin Jing (24/90)
Spiritual Root: Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root (Low Grade)
Cultivation: Qi Refinement Third Level (100%)
Cultivation Technique: Qingyuan Dao Method (First Layer), Qingyuan Sword
Control Technique (Proficient), Controlling Fire Technique (Mastered) Secondary Occupation: First-Grade Alchemist (2997/3000)
His cultivation had been full for a while now, ready for a breakthrough at any time.
Following that would be an improvement in his Controlling Fire Technique; as Lin Jing continuously practiced alchemy, his skill in controlling fire also became more proficient, and he had certainly reached a mastered level.
As for the Qingyuan Sword Control Technique, he practiced it casually in his free time and had also reached a proficient level.
Tonight, what he planned to do was:
Break through to the mid-stage of Qi Refinement, and then raise his alchemy to the second grade.
Lin Jing walked into the Alchemy Room and sat down cross-legged on the ground.
Then, he closed his eyes and began to focus, circulating his cultivation technique, ready for the breakthrough.
Because his cultivation was full, this time, he did not plan to use any elixir medicines, but to breakthrough by relying on himself.
As time flew by, four hours passed quickly.
The spiritual power within Lin Jing's body was fully accumulated, poised and ready to challenge the next level.
Suddenly, with a shift in his mind, Lin Jing started circulating his cultivation technique.
"Pop. "
As if something was punctured, he had a very smooth breakthrough and entered the Fourth Level of Qi Refinement.
Just then, the system's prompt sounded.
"System Notification: Congratulations to the host for successfully breaking through the current realm, reward: 10 Harvest Points."
After a successful breakthrough, the spiritual power surged through Lin Jing, and his aura changed instantly, becoming sharper than before.
However,
After the breakthrough, Lin Jing didn't open his eyes right away but continued to circulate his cultivation technique to consolidate his cultivation. Only after four hours did Lin Jing stabilize his cultivation and slowly open his
eyes.
Feeling the spiritual power coursing through his body, Lin Jing revealed a slight smile.
"Mid-stage Qi Refinement, Sword Flight."
"It seems it's time to buy a Flying Sword."
Afterward.
Lin Jing collected his thoughts and calmed his emotions.
He prepared to start alchemy, intending to also raise his alchemy skills. As usual, Lin Jing lit the fire, prepared the materials, and threw them into the furnace in sequence.
He had repeated this set of actions countless times and had become extremely proficient at it.
In less than four hours, a system notification had already arrived. "Elixir medicine successfully refined, alchemy proficiency +15."
"System notification: Proficiency has reached full capacity; alchemy automatically upgrades. Congratulations to the host for becoming a Second-Grade Alchemist, reward obtained: 20 harvest points."
"System notification: You are currently a Second-Grade Alchemist; proficiency required for refining low-grade elixir medicine is reduced by half, excess proficiency has been converted accordingly."
"Open the system panel."
Lin Jing summoned the panel again, wanting to check how much proficiency was needed for the next upgrade in alchemy.
Lin Jing (24/90)
Spiritual Root: Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root (Low Grade)
Cultivation: Qi Refinement fourth layer (0%)
Cultivation Technique: Qingyuan Dao Method (second level), Qingyuan Sword
Control Technique (proficient), Controlling Fire Technique (mastered) Side Occupation: Second-Grade Alchemist (6/10000)
Ten thousand, the next upgrade requires ten thousand proficiency.
"Not bad."
Lin Jing felt incredibly fortunate to have the system.
Ten thousand proficiency didn't seem like a lot.
Especially compared to other alchemists.
Many alchemists struggled for years at the same level, unable to advance regardless of their effort, and there were also many who remained first or second-grade alchemists until their deaths.
But he only needed to keep refining elixir medicines, gain proficiency, and could continuously upgrade without any bottlenecks.
"At this rate, isn't becoming the highest, a Ninth-Grade Alchemist, just around the corner?"
Thinking like this, Lin Jing's thoughts started to drift away.
Afterward, Lin Jing didn't continue alchemy but left the System Space instead.
The formula had just been obtained; starting to refine Second-Grade elixir medicines now would be somewhat hasty.
Lin Jing decided to wait, to mull over the formula first. It wouldn't be too late to start refining after he had thoroughly figured it out.
When he came out of the System Space, Zi Time had just passed, and it was the quiet of the deep night.
It seemed like Lin Jing had made a breakthrough and practiced alchemy; the time spent added up to no more than four hours, which is eight hours.
And because he was inside the System Space, only four hours had passed in the outside world.
This was the heaven-defying aspect of the System Space, being able to gain four extra hours each day compared to others.
Just as Lin Jing was preparing to continue meditating to solidify his cultivation, he suddenly felt the ground shaking.
"Hiss…
A sharp hissing sound came from outside.
Lin Jing's expression changed, and he hurriedly rushed out of the house, leaping onto the roof to look towards the direction of the noise.
He saw a blazing fire in the distance, lighting up the sky in a crimson hue, and within that fire, a huge centipede was wreaking havoc.
Around the Demonic Beast, several streams of rainbow light flashed brilliantly as a few cultivators were attacking it.
At that moment, another graceful figure floated up to the roof from the adjoining house—it was Ning Yue.
In her hand, she was leading a sleepy-eyed Luo Luo.
"Mommy, what happened?"
Luo Luo rubbed her eyes, struggling to open them, clearly unaware of what was happening.
Ning Yue looked at the huge centipede, her brows furrowed and her expression extremely grim.
Lin Jing leaped beside Ning Yue and asked,
"Fellow Daoist Ning, do you know what this centipede is?"
"Flame poison centipede," Ning Yue said.
Then she explained to Lin Jing,
"Flame Poison Centipedes are Foundation Establishment Stage Demonic Beasts that usually live deep in the Night Mist Mountain Range. It's very rare to encounter them, I just don't know how it appeared here."
"Judging by its size, spanning hundreds of meters, this Flame Poison Centipede must have reached the late Foundation Establishment Stage."
After hearing this, Lin Jing's expression also became quite grim.
"It's actually a Foundation Establishment Stage Demonic Beast, and it's in the late Foundation Establishment Stage.. How did it appear in the Fang Market?"
Chapter 43: Desperate Situation
You should know that Demonic Beasts are quite different from Human Cultivators.
Demonic Beasts are mostly powerful and extremely difficult to deal with, not easy to kill.
Moreover, Demonic Beasts of the same level tend to be stronger than Human Cultivators.
To kill this Flame Poison Centipede.
It is estimated that at least several Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the later stages would be needed.
At this moment, many Cultivators were also awakened by the commotion, leaping onto rooftops to observe.
Some even directly rode their Flying Swords over, wanting to besiege the Flame Poison Centipede.
Gradually, as the noise grew louder, more people woke up, and the number of people wanting to surround and kill the Flame Poison Centipede increased.
After all, such a large Demonic Beast would definitely have many treasures on its body.
Not to mention the most precious Demonic Beast Inner Core, just getting that would make one's fortune.
However, most of these people were in the Qi Refinement Realm, with hardly a few Foundation Establishment Cultivators among them, so with just them, it would probably not be that easy to kill the Flame Poison Centipede.
Indeed, as Lin Jing expected.
Being besieged by so many people, the Flame Poison Centipede seemed to grow angry.
It raised its head and let out a hiss, spewing out a large expanse of red poison fog, engulfing most of the people surrounding it.
From within the poison fog, a series of piercing screams resounded, causing one to shudder.
Immediately after, Lin Jing saw people rushing out of the poison fog.
Except, by that time, their flesh had corroded, revealing chilling white bones.
Even though they had already escaped the area covered by the poison fog, the flesh on their bodies continued to fall off.
Soon, that person fell to the ground, dead and silent.
This poison fog was so terrifying.
Right after that.
The second one, the third one, the fourth one…
More and more people emerged from the poison fog.
Most of them, just like the first one, didn't last long before they died amidst their painful howls.
Only a few Cultivators, with their Spiritual Power surging all over their bodies, managed to rush out of the poison fog unharmed.
Ning Yue then explained,
"The poison fog spewed out by the Flame Poison Centipede is lethal to anyone below the Foundation Establishment stage, only Foundation Establishment Cultivators can use their own Spiritual Power to temporarily withstand the poison fog and escape its range."
Lin Jing looked ahead, those few people must be Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
After the poison fog passed, most of the people who had been around the Flame Poison Centipede, hoping for a share of the spoils, were already mostly dead.
The rest were also afraid to approach, and all kept their distance, only daring to watch from afar.
Some were even so frightened that they scattered and fled.
When the poison fog had dissipated, the remaining Foundation Establishment Cultivators jointly launched an attack on the Flame Poison Centipede.
Those Foundation Establishment Cultivators lifted their Magic Artifacts, slashing at the Flame Poison Centipede and sparking flames, creating a sound like metal clashing.
It was unexpected that the shell of the Flame Poison Centipede was so tough.
There were also Cultivators who threw out several Talismans, and the violent Spells instantly engulfed the Flame Poison Centipede.
However, even so, it only caused the Flame Poison Centipede to pause momentarily, suffering only a minor injury.
After being injured, the Flame Poison Centipede seemed even more frenzied, twisting its huge body and charging towards those Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
The speed of the Flame Poison Centipede was very fast, and in the blink of an eye, it was in front of a Cultivator who had just reacted without any other actions.
It was swallowed by the Flame Poison Centipede in one bite, and Lin Jing clearly saw the Flame Poison Centipede's mouth full of densely packed, tightly arranged teeth.
The moment that Foundation Establishment Cultivator was swallowed, he didn't even have a chance to resist before being ground into pulp by those sharp teeth.
Seeing the miserable fate of their fellow, the Foundation Establishment Cultivators immediately became disorganized.
The Flame Poison Centipede hissed angrily and continued its assault on the few Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
Upon seeing this, those Foundation Establishment Cultivators hastily split up and fled in all directions.
The Flame Poison Centipede held a grudge, relentlessly pursuing the one who had thrown a talisman at it earlier, causing it injury.
The face of that Cultivator turned deathly pale as he panicked and fled, especially running towards where there were more people in a vain attempt to divert the Flame Poison Centipede's attention.
Seeing this, the crowd cursed and scorned his actions, but they also didn't dare to delay and promptly distanced themselves from him.
On her end, Ning Yue finally managed to catch Luo Luo before the Flame Poison Centipede arrived, holding her tight in her arms.
However, at that moment, that Foundation Establishment Cultivator unexpectedly turned direction and charged towards Lin Jing and the others.
"Be careful, it's charging this way." Ning Yue exclaimed in shock.
"Let's go, we need to get out of here quickly."
But just then, that Foundation Establishment Cultivator charged at the two of them.
In that moment, Ning Yue didn't care about anything else, grabbed Luo Luo and Lin Jing, and began to flee from the area.
However, it was at that moment when that Foundation Establishment Cultivator made his move, manipulating a magic artifact to attack the three of them.
Seeing this, Ning Yue let go of Lin Jing and Luo Luo, and quickly turned back, commanding her Flying Sword to counterattack.
Before the opponent's magic artifact could strike, Ning Yue caught sight of something amiss from the corner of her eye; Luo Luo was now being carried away by a beam of light, flying towards that Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
"Mother, Uncle Lin, save me…"
Luo Luo was in utter panic, calling out to Ning Yue and Lin Jing.
It was only then that Ning Yue realized the trap; the real target of that Foundation Establishment Cultivator was Luo Luo.
"Luo Luo…"
Ning Yue's eyes were about to split with fury as she cried out in despair…
Immediately, without any regard for her safety, she rushed towards Luo Luo, trying to rescue her.
Yet, with her Late Stage Qi Refining cultivation, she was much slower compared to that Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
Very soon, that Foundation Establishment Cultivator had Luo Luo in his grasp.
"You bad person, let me go!"
Luo Luo struggled desperately, but it was to no avail.
With a cruel smile, that Foundation Establishment Cultivator grabbed Luo Luo and threw her towards the Flame Poison Centipede. He himself did not dare linger and continued to flee forward.
"Mother…"
Fear was written all over Luo Luo's face as she screamed…
Then she watched herself getting closer and closer to the terrifying giant centipede… "Luo Luo…"
"Pfft… "
Ning Yue spat out a mouthful of blood, increasing her speed in an attempt to save Luo Luo before the Flame Poison Centipede could reach her.
From the moment that Foundation Establishment Cultivator charged over to when Luo Luo was thrown out, all these events happened in the blink of an eye.
Looking at the back of that Foundation Establishment Cultivator, Lin Jing felt a fire burning in his eyes.
But he had to force himself to keep calm, as saving Luo Luo was his top priority at the moment.
Seeing the Flame Poison Centipede getting closer to Luo Luo, Lin Jing pulled out several talismans from his Storage Bag and rushed towards the Flame Poison Centipede.
On her end, Ning Yue finally managed to catch Luo Luo before the Flame Poison Centipede arrived, holding her tight in her arms.
However, by this time, the Flame Poison Centipede was very close to them, and they could clearly see its terrifying, blood-stained giant mouth.
It was too late for the two of them to think of escaping now.
Knowing they had no way to escape, Ning Yue faced the impending death with an eerie calm, holding Luo Luo and soothing her with a gentle voice.
"Don't be afraid, Luo Luo…" "Mother is here with you…."
Chapter 44: Diverting Trouble Eastward
Just when Ning Yue thought they were certain to die, suddenly three loud shouts erupted.
"Explode!" "Explode!!"
"Explode!!!"
A violent thundercloud struck towards the Flame Poison Centipede.
This thundercloud, formed by Lin Jing using three consecutive Five Thunder Talismans, enveloped the previously arrogant Flame Poison Centipede as if it had met its nemesis. The creature stopped in place, daring not to move, and allowed the lightning to strike down.
Ning Yue looked up and saw Lin Jing standing on high ground, gazing at the Flame Poison Centipede with a Purple Talisman clutched in his hand. Seeing Lin Jing's figure, Ning Yue was momentarily dumbfounded and stood there in a daze.
It wasn't just Ning Yue who was stunned; the Foundation Establishment Cultivator was too, and even he hadn't expected that a mere mid-stage Qi Refinement ant would block the Flame Poison Centipede.
"What are you dawdling for, run!" shouted Lin Jing.
Snapping out of her shock, Ning Yue quickly came to her senses, took Luo Luo in her arms, and flew off on her Flying Sword directly towards Lin Jing, intending to take him along in the escape.
"Foolish!" Lin Jing bellowed.
"That Flame Poison Centipede will definitely come after me later. Take Luo Luo and get away, stay far from me." After saying this, Lin Jing, out of concern, added another line.
"Don't worry about me, I have my own way of escaping."
In the urgency of the situation, Ning Yue had no choice but to trust Lin Jing's words. She didn't dare hesitate any longer, and piloting her Flying Sword, she fled in another direction.
The thundercloud came quickly but dissipated just as fast.
Looking at the Flame Poison Centipede again, the area on its head that had been ravaged by the thundercloud was now charred black, and even its carapace had cracked.
However, it seemed to be not seriously injured.
Even with three Talismans stacked together, it had only caused such minor damage; the defense of the Flame Poison Centipede was terrifyingly formidable.
"Hiss…"
The sharp hissing sound was incredibly piercing. Clearly, Lin Jing's recent actions had infuriated the Flame Poison Centipede.
Immediately after, the Flame Poison Centipede moved, charging towards Lin Jing at a speed even faster than before.
As soon as the thundercloud had just faded, Lin Jing had swiftly pursued the Foundation Establishment Cultivator from before.
But that Foundation Establishment Cultivator, solely focused on watching the Flame Poison Centipede to assess its injuries, by the time he realized what was happening, Lin Jing had already run a considerable distance.
That Foundation Establishment Cultivator had so much he wanted to communicate to Lin Jing…
He didn't dare delay any longer because the Flame Poison Centipede was already quickly crawling towards them.
Very quickly, a rather bizarre scene unfolded.
The Foundation Establishment Cultivator was fleeing furiously at the front, with Lin Jing closely chasing behind him, and following Lin Jing was a massive Flame Poison Centipede, trailing the two men.
The Foundation Establishment Cultivator at the very front didn't dare to look back, but from the noises behind him, he could tell.
The mid -stage Qi Refinement Cultivator, who he had considered as nothing more than an ant, was still closely following him without having been devoured by the Flame Poison Centipede.
He was perplexed, unsure how the speed of the mid-stage Qi Refinement Cultivator could be so fast.
But he didn't dare to stop and check, because he could distinctly feel that the Flame Poison Centipede was getting closer and closer to the two of them.
He could only continue escaping swiftly forward, trying to shake off the man behind, because the Flame Poison Centipede was after the mid-stage Qi Refinement Cultivator behind him.
As long as that person was eaten by the Flame Poison Centipede, then he himself would be safe.
The reason why Lin Jing could move so quickly was that he had used the Godspeed Talisman.
And not just one, but he had used two simultaneously.
Even with the boost from the Godspeed Talismans, Lin Jing couldn't catch up with the Foundation Establishment Cultivator because the gap in their cultivation was just too wide.
Moreover, the Flame Poison Centipede was steadily drawing closer from behind.
Very soon…
Lin Jing felt a shadow looming over his head, the stench of blood descending from above.
As he turned around, a shudder ran down his spine, only to see the Flame Poison Centipede had caught up to him, its gaping maw about to strike.
In the blink of an eye…
The Flame Poison Centipede lunged with its gaping mouth wide open.
In the instant before it struck, Lin Jing activated the Teleportation Talisman in his hand.
However, to the others, it seemed as though Lin Jing was swallowed whole by the Flame Poison Centipede, leaving no remains.
Sensing the commotion behind him, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator turned around just in time to witness Lin Jing being devoured.
"Finally dead…"
The Foundation Establishment Cultivator breathed a sigh of relief.
"Uncle Lin…"
Luo Luo burst into tears upon seeing Lin Jing swallowed by the Flame Poison Centipede.
Ning Yue clutched Luo Luo's clothes tightly, her fingers turning white, even though Lin Jing had told her he had a way to escape.
But seeing Lin Jing swallowed by the Flame Poison Centipede, her heart still clenched lincontrollably-
"He wouldn't lie to me, he shouldn't," Ning Yue wasn't sure.
In this situation, even if Ning Yue rushed forward, it wouldn't help; all she could do was silently pray, hoping Lin Jing was unharmed.
When Lin Jing reappeared, an enormous centipede leg was raising before him, poised to come crashing down on his head.
Lin Jing was terrified; he'd been teleported right beneath the Flame Poison Centipede's leg.
"This Teleportation Talisman is such a trap."
Without a second thought, Lin Jing crushed a Yellow Talisman in his hand.
In the blink of an eye, a golden light shone from within, radiating from Lin Jing's body.
It was the Golden Body Talisman he had prepared earlier to eliminate the Zhang brothers.
Fortunately, he had prepared in advance and took out all the talismans, ready for an emergency. He hadn't expected to need it now.
"Boom… "
A massive centipede leg stomped down on Lin Jing, pinning him to the ground.
After the Flame Poison Centipede bit down and raised its head, it did not see Lin Jing's body.
It assumed Lin Jing was dead.
Lifting its head, it let out a triumphant shriek, as if reveling in the satisfaction of revenge.
Then, it turned its head, glancing around before setting its sights on the fleeing Foundation Establishment Cultivator and giving chase.
With thunderous stomps, Lin Jing was repeatedly stepped on by the centipede, pressed firmly into the ground.
Thanks to the sturdiness of the Golden Body Talisman, Lin Jing was uninjured.
Only when the Flame Poison Centipede had moved far away did Lin Jing crawl out from the human-shaped pit in the ground.
At that moment, he was at a loss for words.
"Damn it, I never expected to be stepped on by a centipede today," Lin Jing grumbled.
He had been stepped on at least a dozen times just now.
"If I had known, I would have hidden in the System Space. Then I wouldn't be so unlucky," he thought.
Of course, that was just wishful thinking. Under the public eye, he dared not enter the System Space at will.
By now, some Golden Core Stage expert might be watching. After all, it had been a long time, and the commotion was huge.
The Golden Core Cultivators living within the Fang Market had to be aware.
Lin Jing used the Teleportation Talisman for that very reason, fearing the exposure of the System Space.
Looking ahead, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator was still being relentlessly pursued by the Flame Poison Centipede, causing a large-scale collapse of buildings wherever it went.
This way, the Fang Market was bound to suffer immense losses.
After being chased for so long, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator seemed to exhaust his Spiritual Power and gradually slowed down.
The Flame Poison Centipede behind him hissed eagerly and accelerated toward
the cultivator..
Chapter 45: The Golden Core Appears
The Foundation Establishment Cultivator's complexion was ashen. Seeing the Flame Poison Centipede drawing nearer and nearer, he cried out urgently:
"Elder Ancestor, save me…"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a voice came:
"Evil creature, dare not harm a person!"
The voice, like the booming of a Huang Lu bell, echoed through the heavens, shaking one's eardrums to the point of piercing.
Immediately after, a figure emanating a five-colored light flew out from the depths of Fang Market.
Seeing this figure, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator's expression turned to one of excitement. He quickly flew to the person's side and breathed a sigh of relief.
The Foundation Establishment Cultivator bowed and said, "Elder Ancestor, please strike down this beast."
The Flame Poison Centipede seemed to sense that this person was not to be trifled with. It raised its head, hissing continuously, confronting the person but not daring to attack.
After a moment of standoff, the Flame Poison Centipede suddenly lashed out, initiating an attack.
"Evil creature seeking death…"
From the person, the five-colored light burst forth, transforming into a colorful streak, striking at the Flame Poison Centipede.
It was then that the crowd saw clearly that this person was a white-haired elder, and the five-color light turned out to be his Magical Treasure.
The colorful streak moved swiftly, instantly reaching the front of the Flame Poison Centipede and entering its head.
The Flame Poison Centipede immediately let out a mournful scream, ceaselessly ramming its head against the ground while its body convulsed and thrashed, pounding the earth with thunderous noise.
Quite quickly,
The Flame Poison Centipede lay on the ground, motionless.
And the colorful streak, after piercing the head of the Flame Poison Centipede, flew back to the hand of the white-haired elder and disappeared from sight.
The crowd also came to their senses, somewhat disbelieving. Had the Flame Poison Centipede just been slain like that?
When a Golden Core Cultivator acted, it was truly extraordinary.
Seeing the Flame Poison Centipede slain, the crowd that had previously scattered also returned.
"Many thanks to the Senior for assisting and slaying the Demonic Beast."
As one person spoke up, others also echoed in turn: "Many thanks to the Senior, for intervening to save us."
"Many thanks to the Senior."
"I am deeply grateful to the Senior and shall never forget this kindness."
Many gathered around the Golden Core Cultivator, incessantly flattering him.
Yet the Foundation Establishment Cultivator stood beside the white-haired elder, smugly, as though he himself had slain the Flame Poison Centipede.
The crowd looked down on him for this. When he had been chased by the Flame Poison Centipede earlier, he had caused the death of not a few people.
Yet, because of this person's relationship with the white-haired elder in the Golden Core Stage, the crowd did not say much.
"Elder Ancestor, wait a moment, I will go and retrieve the Demonic Beast Inner Core for you," said the Foundation Establishment Cultivator as he volunteered to stride towards the corpse of the Flame Poison Centipede.
Walking down the path, he even haughtily glanced at the crowd, but his arrogance aroused such disgust that nobody paid him any mind.
Reaching the head of the Flame Poison Centipede, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator found the wound left by the colorful streak and struck down with his sword.
The once tough shell of the Flame Poison Centipede was split open, and its flesh spilled out in a messy heap.
It seemed that upon death, the creature's shell had lost its vitality and was no longer as hard.
The Foundation Establishment Cultivator looked at the pile of flesh on the ground with a deeply furrowed brow and a look of distaste.
However, having already spoken, he could only suppress his disgust and reached into the Flame Poison Centipede's head.
Before long, he pulled out a Demonic Beast Inner Core.
"Elder Ancestor, the inner core," the Foundation Establishment Cultivator said, holding up the inner core for the white-haired elder to see, yet utterly unaware of the small worm wriggling on the bloodied piece of the inner core.
"Yi Yuan, be careful," warned the white-haired elder, his five-colored light reappearing as a streak again shooting towards the Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
"What?"
The Foundation Establishment Cultivator looked baffled, then suddenly let out a scream of agony.
The tiny insect had already burrowed into his body.
Then he fell backward rigidly, but before he could hit the ground, the white-haired elder appeared behind him and caught him.
Next, the elder's magical treasure, a stream of colored light, entered the Foundation Establishment Cultivator's body.
In just a moment, it forced the tiny insect out.
"Flame Poison Variant."
The elder furrowed his brows and spoke in a deep voice.
After speaking, the elder waved his sleeve, and the massive body of the Flame Poison Centipede vanished in an instant.
Then, he took to the sky with the Foundation Establishment Cultivator, leaving the area.
Seeing the Golden Core elder depart, it wasn't long before everyone else scattered as well.
With everything over, the people of Fang Market had not yet appeared.
They probably wouldn't be coming now, and if they desired to seek an explanation from Fang Market, they would have to wait until tomorrow.
That night, the Flame Poison Centipede wreaked havoc, destroying a vast number of houses, and no less than a thousand people had died.
If it weren't for Lin Jing's quick thinking, the number of casualties would have probably included Ning Yue and Luo Luo as well.
When the Golden Core stage white-haired elder had arrived earlier, Lin Jing had stayed within the ruins and had not approached.
First of all, he bore a grudge against that Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Lin Jing's cunning strategy to lead the disaster elsewhere had left that cultivator in a sorry state, and he nearly lost his life in the jaws of the Flame Poison Centipede.
It would definitely be a lie if that cultivator claimed not to hate him.
Moreover, that cultivator was clearly the type to hold a grudge. Had Lin Jing approached, it was likely he would have been killed on the spot.
Furthermore, the relationship between the Golden Core stage white-haired elder and that Foundation Establishment Cultivator was quite unusual, and it was unclear whether the elder had witnessed the events that had transpired earlier.
Lin Jing had even more reason to avoid contact.
After the two left, Lin Jing emerged from the ruins and headed towards his home.
When he saw his own house, Lin Jing could only laugh and cry; his own home was also reduced to ruins. Standing on top of another pile of rubble nearby were Ning Yue and Luo Luo.
Seeing Lin Jing return, Luo Luo ran over to him and hugged his legs.
"Uncle Lin, I thought I'd never see you again."
Luo Luo's eyes were filled with tears as she spoke.
Lin Jing reached out to pick up Luo Luo, then wiped the tears from her face.
"Good Luo Luo, don't cry…'
"Uncle is back now, isn't he?"
"Yes… yes…" Luo Luo nodded through her tears.
At that moment, Ning Yue came over and bowed to Lin Jing.
"Lin Daoyou, we owe you our lives. Please accept my gratitude."
Lin Jing held Luo Luo with one hand and quickly helped Ning Yue to her feet with the other.
"Ning Daoyou, you are too kind. Please rise."
"When we were in danger, you did not abandon me, so naturally I could not disregard you," Lin Jing said while helping Ning Yue up.
Seeing Lin Jing unharmed, Ning Yue couldn't help being curious and asked,
"Lin Daoyou, how did you escape from the jaws of the Flame Poison
Centipede?"
Lin Jing said indignantly,
"That Foundation Establishment Cultivator was despicable, actually intending to use Luo Luo as bait to lure you, Ning Daoyou, to stop the Flame Poison Centipede."
"Fortunately, earlier Wei gave me a Teleportation Talisman, so I thought of a scheme to lure the disaster elsewhere."
"I first used the Five Thunder Talisman to attack the Flame Poison Centipede, attracting its hatred, then I used the Teleportation Talisman to escape from its mouth, and finally, I made it transfer its hatred onto that Foundation
Establishment Cultivator."
"So that's what happened," said Ning Yue.
"Uncle Lin, you're so clever, that person is really too bad," Luo Luo also chimed in. Today, she was truly terrified, especially when she was grabbed by that Foundation Establishment Cultivator and thrown toward the Flame Poison Centipede.
That feeling of helplessness and despair was unbearable, even just thinking about it.
"Tonight, undoubtedly many will find it hard to sleep," said Ning Yue, sweeping her gaze around, expressing her lament..
Chapter 46: Fang Market Announcement
Not only here, but many places had collapsed buildings; most people could only sit and rest on the rubble.
However, compared to those who had died, they seemed to be especially fortunate.
Soon, daylight fully broke, and the sun also rose.
People from the Fang Market finally arrived.
Everyone also learned why there were no members of the Fang Market Guard Squad last night to slaughter the Flame Poison Centipede.
Last night, a beast tide struck, attacking the Fang Market.
Since the Fang Market Guard Squad was fully engaged in repelling the beast tide last night, this led to a significant vulnerability within the market.
And that Flame Poison Centipede, it took advantage of the Fang Market Guard Squad's battle with the Demonic Beasts, at a time when they could not spare the effort, to dig underground and stealthily enter the market.
In addition, the management of the Fang Market also issued two announcements.
The first was that due to the beast tide last night, the Fang Market Guard
Squad suffered great losses and decided to recruit a large number of guards.
The second was that considering the ongoing violent activities of the Demonic Beasts outside, to prevent another beast tide from occurring, the Fang Market had decided to establish a large Defensive Array on the perimeter.
Every cultivator residing within the Fang Market would need to hand over Spirit Stones.
Indeed, before noon had even arrived,
Steward Jiang had brought people here.
"Lin Daoyou,"
Steward Jiang came over and greeted with clasped hands.
"Steward Jiang," Lin Jing returned the greeting with clasped hands.
Steward Jiang turned his head and looked around; all around were ruins and rubble, as if an earthquake had occurred, with not a single house intact.
"This Flame Poison Centipede, truly…"
Steward Jiang sighed and then said to Lin Jing:
"You must have heard about the two announcements issued by the Fang Market today, Lin Daoyou."
"Naturally," Lin Jing spoke up.
"May I ask how many Spirit Stones are needed for the construction of the formation this time?"
Steward Jiang did not answer but took a step forward, getting closer to Lin Jing.
"Lin Daoyou, please don't be in a hurry."
"Actually, this time it's not only about the formation. The Fang Market has also decided to collect next year's rent in advance."
"Moreover, there's…"
"The damages to the Fang Market Guard Squad were not small this time, the Guard Squad also needs replenishment, hence, each household will need to pay some protection fee to maintain the operations of the Guard Squad."
"After all, they are risking their lives to battle the Demonic Beasts for your safety, it wouldn't be right if you all did nothing and reaped the benefits."
"Lin Daoyou, wouldn't you agree that's only fair?"
"Mmm, I understand," Lin Jing replied.
"Steward Jiang, how much do I need to pay in total this time? Just tell me."
"Lin Daoyou, the rent within the Fang Market has risen; each household needs to pay 20 Low Grade Spirit Stones every year. Additionally, for the construction of the formation, it is 30 Low Grade Spirit Stones,"
"Finally, for the protection fee needed to sustain the Guard Team, it's paid monthly, 10 Low Grade Spirit Stones each time."
"All together, that's a total of 60 Low Grade Spirit Stones."
At this point, Steward Jiang changed his tone and continued:
"If Lin Daoyou's Spirit Stones are insufficient, it's not a big issue. You can choose to join the Guard Squad."
"If you join the Guard Squad, you won't need to pay any Spirit Stones, and, moreover, the Fang Market will also provide you with a monthly allocation of
Spirit Stones."
"Of course, if you feel that the Guard Squad is too dangerous, you can also choose to help with the construction of the Defensive Array, which can offset some of the Spirit Stones you need to pay."
"Lin Daoyou, what do you think… which option will you choose?"
"Rest assured, Steward Jiang, I have enough Spirit Stones. Here you are," Lin Jing said.
Having said this, Lin Jing took out 60 Low Grade Spirit Stones from his bosom and handed them to Steward Jiang.
Once Steward Jiang received the Spirit Stones, he said, "Lin Daoyou, this afternoon, we will arrange for people to repair your house."
"Don't worry, they are professionals, very fast, and will definitely not delay your rest tonight."
After saying this, he pointed to the courtyard next to them and said:
"Lin Daoyou, if I'm not mistaken, the courtyard next door belongs to Daoyou Wei, right?"
"Yes," Lin Jing answered.
"I see he's not here, when he returns, please notify him to go to the management office to pay the fees as soon as possible," "Otherwise, in three days, we'll take back this courtyard and rent it to someone
After Manager Jiang spoke, he prepared to leave.
"Manager Jiang."
Lin Jing called out to him.
"Brother Wei is not around recently, so how about this, I'll pay the fees for him."
"You?"
Manager Jiang was stunned for a moment; it was his first time encountering someone paying Spirit Stones for a neighbor.
"That's fine,"
Manager Jiang said.
If someone was willing to pay the Spirit Stones, it would save him a lot of trouble later on, so why would he object?
After speaking, Lin Jing took out another 120 Lower Grade Spirit Stones and handed them to Manager Jiang.
"And for them, I'll pay for them together as well."
Manager Jiang looked in the direction that Lin Jing was pointing, where an ordinary-looking woman was meditating, and next to her, a little girl was lying on a wooden board covered with bedding, sound asleep.
It was indeed Ning Yue and Luo Luo.
Ning Yue had used a secret technique forcibly out of desperation to save Luo Luo yesterday, and suffered heavy injuries; she was currently meditating to heal.
Luo Luo, on the other hand, hadn't slept well the night before and had been frightened, so she was there sleeping soundly.
"If that's the case, then I will accept it."
Manager Jiang said as he took the Spirit Stones, and then he said farewell to Lin Jing, ready to leave.
Before leaving, Manager Jiang leaned close to Lin Jing and whispered: "Lin Daoyou, that Daoist Ning Yue is a good person, and quite virtuous…"
"But…'
"I'm afraid it's not very likely between you two. She and Daoist Su were very affectionate, I have seen it with my own eyes, even though Daoist Su unfortunately perished…"
"From what I see, Daoist Ning Yue probably won't accept anyone else in this lifetime."
"Lin Daoyou, it's better you heed my advice and give up…"
Lin Jing couldn't help but smile wryly; Manager Jiang had actually thought of this possibility.
"Manager Jiang, you have misunderstood."
"I've been studying the art of Alchemy recently, and Daoist Ning Yue is somewhat like my master."
Manager Jiang said sheepishly:
"Oh, I see. That's how it is."
"Sorry, I thought Lin Daoyou you had that kind of intention towards Daoist
Ning Yue."
"I've made you the subject of a joke."
"It's all right, it's clear now," Lin Jing spoke up.
"By the way, Lin Daoyou, since you are a Pill Master, I must advise you to stock up on Alchemy Ingredients these next few days."
"With the Demonic Beast Wave assault, many small families and minor Sects' Spirit Fields have been destroyed and, because of the Demonic Beast Wave, trade routes are not that smooth. Transporting from other places will greatly increase costs."
"I estimate that in a few days, the prices for Alchemy Ingredients will skyrocket."
Perhaps out of guilt.
Manager Jiang imparted this piece of news to Lin Jing before leaving.
This information was extremely useful for Lin Jing.
He just happened to need a large amount of Alchemy Ingredients.
In the past three months, while he was cultivating, his work in Alchemy had never stopped.
In three months, he had made more than a dozen Pure Elixirs, and since he couldn't use so many himself, he sold a few in the black market.
Plus the money he got from selling other Elixir Medicines, he now had over 6500 Spirit Stones.
This was also why he was so forthright when Manager Jiang came to collect Spirit Stones.
Now that he had gotten this news.
He was going to start buying Alchemy Ingredients in bulk..