Evolve Talent

The secret passage was pitch-black, with only the faint green glow of fluorite embedded in the walls barely illuminating the path underfoot.

Seeing this, Lin Yi's expression remained unchanged as he walked forward steadily, without any hesitation due to the darkness. After walking through the passage for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, he finally reached the end.

However, the end was not a door, but a smooth, cold black stone wall.

At this sight, Lin Yi stopped and stood still. After about three breaths, the faint sound of a mechanism turning came from within the black stone wall.

"Clank, clank, clank!"

As the sound rang out, the rock wall to Lin Yi's left silently slid open a gap, just wide enough for one person to enter sideways.

Lin Yi strode in and found a small chamber inside. There were no tables or chairs, only some ink and brushes placed in the center, along with a meditation cushion.

On the cushion sat a figure completely shrouded in a black robe.

"What does the guest wish to sell?" the black-robed figure spoke flatly, his voice hoarse.

"A Third Grade Precious Medicine, a Thousand Spirit Blood Origin Grass seedling," Lin Yi replied, then directly took out a jade box containing the Thousand Spirit Blood Origin Grass from his bosom and handed it to the black-robed figure.

"A Thousand Spirit Blood Origin Grass seedling?" The black-robed figure was startled, then took the jade box and opened it.

When he saw the plant inside, which resembled a Blood Origin Grass but had roots, stems, and leaves covered in mysterious, noble golden patterns, he immediately smiled.

"Not bad! It truly is a Thousand Spirit Blood Origin Grass seedling. I didn't expect such a treasure to appear in Guangling Prefecture City—truly a pleasant surprise."

"Five thousand two hundred taels of silver!"

"Five thousand two hundred?" Hearing this number, Lin Yi felt a pang of reluctance.

Earlier tonight, he had taken the time to check at the Martial Arts Academy's Library Tower. A Thousand Spirit Blood Origin Grass seedling, at normal market price, should be around seventeen thousand taels of silver.

Yet this black-robed figure was only offering five thousand two hundred, slashing the price by seven-tenths right off the bat. That was a brutal price cut!

However, not asking about origins and not haggling were the rules of the Mangshan Black Market's "Clean Room"—fair to all, and no one dared to break them.

So, no matter how much it stung, Lin Yi could only grit his teeth and accept it.

"Agreed," Lin Yi nodded lightly, but then added, "However, I only need four thousand two hundred taels in silver notes. For the remaining one thousand taels, exchange them for five 'Tiger Tendon Leopard Blood Pills.' That shouldn't be a problem, should it?"

Tiger Tendon Leopard Blood Pills were a type of pill in the Jiuzhou World specifically used to enhance Qi and blood and boost cultivation. Their effect was similar to Qi and Blood Pills, but their potency was ten or even twenty times stronger than ordinary Qi and Blood Pills. Among the common pills used by Seventh Grade Martial Artists, they were considered one of the best.

With the help of a thousand taels' worth of Tiger Tendon Leopard Blood Pills, Lin Yi figured that even if he couldn't reach Late Seventh Rank, he could still greatly improve his strength, advancing a considerable distance within the Seventh Grade Mid Stage.

Of course, with such good effects, the price was naturally high—two hundred taels per pill.

At the Mangshan Black Market, this was the same price as outside!

After all, this pill was a common commodity, not some rare item. Others could buy it elsewhere just as easily; they only came to the Mangshan Black Market for convenience, so the market wouldn't arbitrarily jack up the price.

"No problem. Please wait a moment, guest," the black-robed figure nodded. He first took out ink and brush to write a note, then lightly knocked on the wall behind the chamber three times.

"Clank!"

As the sound echoed, a square opening about four inches across suddenly appeared in the wall.

Seeing this, the black-robed figure handed the note and the jade box containing the Thousand Spirit Blood Origin Grass seedling inside.

In just over ten breaths, a stack of silver notes and a black pill bottle appeared in his hand.

"Here are four thousand two hundred taels in silver notes and five Tiger Tendon Leopard Blood Pills. Please count them, guest."

"Good!" Lin Yi nodded, took them, and carefully inspected them. Finding the notes and pills in order, he clasped his fists toward the black-robed figure and left.

Just over ten breaths after Lin Yi left the chamber, a voice suddenly sounded inside: "Master Bone, since this person came to our Mangshan Black Market's 'Clean Room' to trade, he's most likely an ordinary martial artist below the Sixth Grade. Yet he was able to produce a treasure like the Thousand Spirit Blood Origin Grass seedling. Should we send someone to investigate his background?"

"No need," the black-robed figure shook his head lightly. "When this person handed me the jade box, he deliberately revealed his Qi and blood subtly. I observed that while the Qi and blood intensity was only at the Seventh Grade Mid Stage, it was brimming with boundless vitality, leading me to conclude he is at most fourteen or fifteen years old."

"Furthermore, though his technique in handing me the jade box seemed ordinary, it actually contained an extremely profound Martial Skill Realm. That realm is so high that it's almost comparable to yours."

"A figure like this would be among the top-tier genius prodigies even in the most prominent families of Guangling Prefecture City. He likely obtained this Thousand Spirit Blood Origin Grass seedling by some stroke of luck but couldn't sell it openly for some reason, so he had to come to our Mangshan Black Market to trade."

"Since he doesn't wish to reveal his identity, it's best for the black market not to try and expose him. If we truly offend him deeply, it would be more loss than gain."

"Yes! Master Bone is wise!" the voice replied respectfully, then quickly faded away, as if it had never existed.

On the other side, after obtaining the four thousand two hundred taels of silver notes and five Tiger Tendon Leopard Blood Pills, Lin Yi first confirmed there was no one tailing him, then cautiously returned to Guangling Martial Academy.

A moment later, inside a martial cultivation room at Guangling Martial Academy.

Lin Yi sat cross-legged on the ground, eyes closed in contemplation, but in his mind, he commanded the Attribute Panel:

"Attribute Panel, charge four thousand taels of silver notes!"

"Whoosh!"

As Lin Yi's command fell, the four thousand taels of silver notes in his bosom vanished into thin air, leaving not even a trace of ash behind.

The Attribute Panel did not absorb the silver itself, but rather some quality inherent in the silver, so whether it was solid silver ingots or paper silver notes, the Attribute Panel could absorb them, and the effect was the same.

The moment the silver notes disappeared, the charge number on Lin Yi's Attribute Panel began to jump rapidly.

10%

20%

50%

80%

On the Attribute Panel, the numbers flickered swiftly, almost instantly surging to 100%.

Then, a line of text appeared before Lin Yi's eyes:

"Congratulations, Dao Master, charge progress has reached 100%. You may use an Immortal Skill to perform a Talent Evolve. Would you like to evolve?"

"Evolve!"

Lin Yi did not hesitate in the slightest.

Immediately...

"Rustle!"

The originally transparent Attribute Panel transformed, becoming a vast Starry Sky.

Within the Starry Sky, stars of six colors—White, Red, Yellow, Cyan, Purple, and Gold—twinkled.

Among them, White Stars were still the most numerous, occupying a large expanse of the Starry Sky, followed by Red Stars, then decreasing in number according to rarity.

However, compared to last time, the number of White Stars had decreased somewhat.

Conversely, the numbers of Red Stars, Yellow Stars... all the way up to Gold Stars had increased.

"It seems that the more silver I consume, the greater the probability of the Attribute Panel evolving a powerful talent!"

"This is a good thing for me! I just wonder if I can evolve a Crimson Grade Talent this time?"

Lin Yi's eyes lit up.

Crimson Grade—this was already a talent found in one in a hundred thousand, and even within Guangling Martial Academy, it was an undeniable mark of genius.

He had only spent four thousand taels of silver; if he could evolve such a talent, it would absolutely be worth it.

Full of anticipation, at that moment, in the vast Starry Sky, a star suddenly fell.

Its color was—Bright Yellow!