Mysterious Black Iron Fragment

The shop assistant, seeing Su Yu in thought, quickly stepped forward. "Young master, if you buy all ten Beast Cores, it'll only be four hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones. That's an unprecedented low price!"

He rubbed his hands together, a fawning smile plastered on his face.

Su Yu's gaze inadvertently swept over the Black Iron Fragment. The Ancient Sword within his soul immediately trembled with urgency again.

He casually pointed at the fragment. "Four hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones is fine, but I want this included."

The shop assistant followed Su Yu's finger to the iron fragment the shopkeeper had picked up casually. A flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes.

This fragment had been gathering dust on the counter for a long time. The shopkeeper had only bought it for one Low-grade Spirit Stone, intending to sell it for ten.

"This..."

The shop assistant's eyes darted around, and he immediately put on a mysterious expression. "Young master has sharp eyes! This fragment is no ordinary item. It's said to have been brought from an ancient secret realm. Although no one has deciphered its secrets yet, it must hold a great mystery. It's worth at least twenty Low-grade Spirit Stones!"

Su Yu chuckled inwardly but maintained a calm facade. "Four hundred and ten Low-grade Spirit Stones in total. Deal or no deal."

With that, he turned as if to leave, his robes stirring a gentle breeze.

"Young master, wait!"

The shop assistant hurriedly stopped him, his face full of obsequious smiles. "Since you're sincere, then four hundred and ten Low-grade Spirit Stones it is!"

He nimbly wrapped up the ten Beast Cores and the fragment, lest Su Yu change his mind.

Just as Su Yu was about to pay, his peripheral vision caught sight of a strange blood-red flower in the corner of the display cabinet.

Its petals were as alluring as congealed blood, and its stamen emitted a faint golden glow, making it stand out among the many spiritual materials.

"Young master has sharp eyes!"

The shop assistant quickly presented the flower. "This is a fifty-year-old Blood-colored Flower, specifically for replenishing depleted Blood Essence. If a Martial Artist suffers damage to their vital blood from secret techniques, this flower can restore it instantly. It's worth three hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones."

Su Yu's heart stirred. He had never dared to cultivate the Blood Burning Technique he obtained from the Lin Family, precisely because he was worried about the weakness that followed the depletion of Blood Essence. If he had this flower...

"Do you have any older ones?" Su Yu asked.

The shop assistant gave a bitter smile. "Young master, you jest. Blood-colored Flowers only grow deep within the Blood-colored Swamp, where poisonous miasma permeates, and even powerful cultivators in the Essence Transformation Realm have never returned. This one is already a rare find..."

"I'll take it," Su Yu said decisively.

Just as he paid the Spirit Stones and was about to leave, a smooth, effeminate voice drifted in from the doorway. "Shopkeeper Qian, ten Level 2 low-grade Beast Cores. This young master needs them urgently."

A young man in luxurious brocade robes strode in.

He had a pale, beardless face, narrow eyes that gleamed with intelligence, and he was idly playing with two black jade beads in his hand.

The shopkeeper hurried to greet him. "Young Master Cui, what brings you here in person..."

The shop assistant whispered a few words into the shopkeeper's ear, and the shopkeeper's expression changed drastically. "Young Master Cui, the Beast Cores were just bought by this young hero."

Cui Ming—the legitimate son of the Cui Family of Qingyang City—narrowed his eyes as he sized up the unfamiliar young man before him.

Spirit Condensation Realm second level cultivation, yet his bearing is extraordinary. He must be a disciple of some sect.

"This young hero," Cui Ming said with a smile, his jade beads spinning rapidly in his palm, "I am willing to pay double the price. Would you consider parting with them?"

Su Yu's expression was calm. "I'm sorry, I have an urgent need for them as well."

The guard behind Cui Ming was about to react, but Cui Ming raised his hand to stop him. "Since that is the case, I shall not force the issue."

He stepped aside, a hint of malice flashing in his eyes.

After Su Yu's figure disappeared, Cui Ming played with the black jade beads in his hand and leisurely ordered, "Send the Shadow Guards to follow him. After that brat leaves the city, find a suitable place to deal with him. Remember—"

He paused, his fingertip tapping the jade beads together, producing a crisp clinking sound. "Make it look like he was attacked by a Yao Beast."

"Young master, to deal with a mere second-level brat, is it necessary..." the guard asked, confused.

Cui Ming paused the jade beads in his hand and sneered, "It's better to be safe than sorry."

He looked in the direction Su Yu had left, as if looking at a dead man.

The shopkeeper and the shop assistant exchanged glances, sighing inwardly.

They knew too well the methods of this Young Master Cui—no one who caught his eye ever had a good end.

Back in his private room at the inn, Su Yu cautiously took out the Black Iron Fragment.

The fragment had a dark luster, with fine patterns faintly visible on its surface. It was chillingly cold to the touch.

"What exactly is this..." Su Yu muttered, his fingertips gently stroking the surface of the fragment.

Suddenly, an anomaly occurred!

The Black Iron Fragment, without any warning, transformed into a streak of dark light and, like a swimming fish, burrowed into Su Yu's brow.

He felt a sharp pain deep within his soul. The Ancient Sword trembled violently, emitting an unprecedented clear and resonant sword cry.

"Sword brother?!"

Su Yu hastily looked inward at his Sea of Consciousness. He saw the Ancient Sword greedily devouring the streak of dark light.

The originally blurry patterns on the sword body began to become clear, with several ancient runes faintly visible flowing on the sword ridge.

However, after the fusion was complete, the long sword fell into a strange silence.

No matter how Su Yu called out with his Spiritual Sense, the Ancient Sword remained unresponsive.

He took out the Level 2 Beast Core he had just purchased and placed it in his palm. The long sword, which was usually ravenous, showed no reaction this time.

Could it have entered some kind of transformative state after absorbing the iron fragment?

After trying various methods with no success, Su Yu had no choice but to give up for the time being.

It seemed he could only research it after the auction.