Ghost Market

White Ape Martial Hall.

"Hmm?!"

Sun Wu arrived at the Practice Field, and his gaze suddenly sharpened.

The person he was looking at was Jiang Chen, drenched in sweat.

"Second Qi and Blood Gate!"

After examining him closely, Sun Wu's eyes gleamed.

There was no mistake.

Jiang Chen's martial Blood Qi had already fused with Five Viscera Essence.

It had only been around ten days since Jiang Chen left the martial hall, hadn't it?

Yet in such a short time, he had actually refined Five Viscera Essence?

One had to know that refining Five Viscera Essence was far beyond anything Primordial Energy could compare to.

Even Sun Wu himself had needed nearly half a month to refine Five Viscera Essence.

And he possessed genuine Medium Bone Aptitude. Even among those with Medium Bone Aptitude, he was considered rather outstanding.

"Junior Brother Jiang must have comprehended the true essence of the White Ape Fist!"

Watching Jiang Chen move as though an ape were dancing, Sun Wu's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

With merely Ordinary Bone Aptitude, Jiang Chen had displayed such astonishing cultivation speed.

There was no need to ask.

This definitely had something to do with his White Ape Fist reaching perfection.

Sure enough, Sun Wu had not misjudged him. Jiang Chen possessed earth-shaking, heaven-shocking comprehension.

The morning sun rose into the sky.

"Huff!"

Steam rose from Jiang Chen's entire body as he finished cultivating.

[Cultivation: Second Qi and Blood Gate · Early Stage (6%)]

On the Myriad Dao Chart interface, his cultivation still increased by 1% every hour.

"Senior Brother Sun."

After wiping away his sweat, Jiang Chen did not rest and instead walked toward Sun Wu.

"Junior Brother Jiang, congratulations."

Sun Wu smiled as he offered his congratulations.

He now thought even more highly of Jiang Chen.

With Jiang Chen's monstrous comprehension, his potential was certainly no weaker than someone with Medium Bone Aptitude.

"Just luck."

Jiang Chen smiled modestly, but Sun Wu's attitude was precisely what he wanted.

To be valued by others, he needed to display sufficient talent.

"Senior Brother Sun, are there any secret medicines for the Second Qi and Blood Gate that are better than Five Elements Pills?"

After a few pleasantries, Jiang Chen went straight to the point.

"How much silver do the Five Elements Pills you buy cost per pill?"

Sun Wu was not surprised by Jiang Chen's question.

Any disciple who entered the Second Qi and Blood Gate would inquire about better secret medicines for cultivation.

"Thirty taels of silver."

Jiang Chen answered.

The price of Five Elements Pills was quite transparent. Whether one bought them at the martial hall or in outside shops, there would not be much difference.

"The Five Elements Pills you buy are only ordinary-quality pills."

Sun Wu said.

"Ordinary quality? Pills are divided by quality as well?"

Jiang Chen caught the meaning behind Sun Wu's words.

"Of course."

"Different medicinal ingredients, different techniques, and different heat control all result in different pill qualities. Even pills from the same furnace can have subtle differences."

"The pills circulating on the market are all ordinary quality. Better-quality pills are monopolized by the major powers and almost never make their way out."

Sun Wu explained in detail.

"Then does our martial hall have high-quality Five Elements Pills?"

Joy rose in Jiang Chen's heart.

White Ape Martial Hall stood behind the Zhou Clan.

With the Zhou Clan's foundations, they definitely had high-quality pills.

And since White Ape Martial Hall could both generate profits and discover martial talents, the Zhou Clan had no reason not to funnel resources toward it.

"The martial hall naturally has them, but only disciples with outstanding Bone Aptitude can obtain high-quality pills."

Sun Wu said.

Over the years, among all the disciples who had joined the martial hall, those who could obtain high-quality pills could be counted on one hand.

From this alone, one could see how high the martial hall's standards were.

Unless one was a true genius, one would never receive the martial hall's attention.

"Can't I buy them even if I pay more?"

Jiang Chen was unwilling to give up.

"Junior Brother Jiang, do you think our martial hall lacks money?"

Sun Wu smiled.

Jiang Chen was helpless.

Sure enough, in any world, good things could not be bought with money alone.

"However, just because the martial hall does not sell them does not mean they cannot be found outside."

Unexpectedly, Sun Wu changed the subject.

"Senior Brother Sun, didn't you say high-quality pills almost never make their way out?"

Thoughts churned in Jiang Chen's mind.

Could it be that Sun Wu had some special channel?

Come to think of it, that was entirely possible.

The more something was forbidden, the harder it was to forbid.

As long as the profit was great enough, someone would secretly commit even a crime punishable by beheading.

Not to mention that those major powers were not monolithic slabs of iron.

Whenever profit passed through someone's hands, even if they did not eat meat, they would still get their hands greasy.

"The trading houses on the market definitely do not have them, but if you are lucky, the brokers in the Ghost Market may sell small quantities."

"Junior Brother Jiang, if you trust me, I can help you ask around in the Ghost Market."

Sun Wu's words confirmed Jiang Chen's guess.

"Then sorry for the trouble, Senior Brother Sun."

Jiang Chen clasped his fists as he made the request.

He had not considered going to the Ghost Market himself.

The Ghost Market was a place where fish and dragons mingled.

He was still too weak, and it was not suitable for him to risk going there.

"It's just a small favor. There's no need to call it trouble."

"However, Junior Brother Jiang, things in the Ghost Market are much more expensive than on the market."

"Take high-quality Five Elements Pills, for instance. One pill costs sixty taels of silver. Why don't you go home and discuss it first?"

Sun Wu added.

Sixty taels was equivalent to twice the price of ordinary Five Elements Pills.

At one pill a day, that would be eighteen hundred taels in a month.

The price was so high that an ordinary family might not save that much in an entire lifetime.

"There's no need to discuss it."

Jiang Chen brought Sun Wu to his residence, took out one thousand taels' worth of banknotes, and divided them into two portions.

Nine hundred taels were for buying Five Elements Pills, enough to last him half a month.

The remaining one hundred taels were a service fee for Sun Wu.

Sun Wu was kindly helping him, so Jiang Chen naturally could not let him make the trip for nothing.

"Junior Brother Jiang, I'm helping you because I value your potential. Consider it an investment. As for money, I truly do not lack it."

Sun Wu did not take the service fee.

What he wanted was not this little bit of silver, but to make Jiang Chen owe him a favor.

As the saying went, money debts were easy to repay, but debts of gratitude were hard to repay.

"Then I'll accept Senior Brother's kindness."

Sun Wu had made himself so clear that Jiang Chen did not put on any false politeness.

This was also a good thing for him.

Sun Wu was the hall master's personal disciple and was also responsible for teaching the Outer Courtyard disciples. His status in the martial hall was extremely high. Drawing closer to Sun Wu would make it easier for Jiang Chen to enter the Zhou Clan's sight in the future.

After returning to the Practice Field, Sun Wu continued instructing the Outer Courtyard disciples.

As for the Ghost Market, it would not open until nightfall.

After Jiang Chen used the Standing Post Technique to nourish his Blood Qi, he continued another round of cultivation.

Around Si Hour.

"Hmm?"

Luo Yang, who had arrived at the Practice Field, halted when he saw Jiang Chen cultivating.

"Second Qi and Blood Gate?!"

Luo Yang naturally could not mistake that familiar Blood Qi fluctuation.

"In less than a month, he went from entering the Standing Post Technique to reaching the perfected Second Qi and Blood Gate..."

Luo Yang's eyes were filled with shock, as though he had seen a ghost.

As for Jiang Chen's nonsense about having condensed Blood Qi two months ago, Luo Yang did not believe a word of it.

Once martial Blood Qi was condensed, it was difficult to conceal unless one cultivated a special method for restraining one's aura.

But martial artists at the First Qi and Blood Gate barely had enough time to cultivate as it was. Why would they have the leisure to cultivate an aura-concealing method?

That was precisely why Luo Yang was so utterly shaken.

He too had Ordinary Bone Aptitude and knew full well how difficult cultivation was for those with Ordinary Bone Aptitude.

Over the past half year, while Jiang Chen had been busy currying favor with Zhou Qingzhu and fooling around with Zheng Hao and the others, Luo Yang had never relaxed in the slightest.

Even so, he was only at the late stage of the Second Qi and Blood Gate.

But what about Jiang Chen?

How long had he been cultivating? Yet he had actually entered the Second Qi and Blood Gate?

Was this something Ordinary Bone Aptitude could achieve?

Whose Ordinary Bone Aptitude had such cultivation speed?

Forget Ordinary Bone Aptitude—even Jiang Xuan and the others with Medium Bone Aptitude probably could not compare to Jiang Chen.

"Jiang Chen is over there."

While Luo Yang stood stunned, Zheng Hao and several others also sneaked over.

"Jiang Chen doesn't seem to have been affected at all?"

"Does that mean Jiang Chen has nothing to do with those two deaths?"

"This brat is really lucky. He actually managed to avoid all this..."

Looking at Jiang Chen, who was cultivating with complete focus, those veteran disciples spoke in low voices.

"Did they really run into gang fighting?"

Zheng Hao also observed Jiang Chen.

If this matter had anything to do with Jiang Chen, then with a young man's temperament, after getting involved in murder, it would have been impossible for him to remain completely unruffled.

Yet Jiang Chen clearly appeared entirely normal.

This could be seen from how smooth and flawless Jiang Chen's movements were.

Whether it was the static stance of the First Qi and Blood Gate or the dynamic stance of the Second Qi and Blood Gate, both required complete concentration and freedom from outside distractions.

If one had something weighing on one's mind, cultivation would inevitably be affected.

"Wait!"

Suddenly, Zheng Hao's gaze sharpened as he carefully examined Jiang Chen.

"Second Qi and Blood Gate?!"

Zheng Hao could not believe it.

Jiang Chen had broken through?

How was that possible?

Was the Second Qi and Blood Gate so easy to break through?

Then what had all their painstaking efforts to break through back then been for?

Just what kind of precious medicine had the Jiang Clan found for Jiang Chen?!

"Brother Zheng, what do we do now?"

The veteran disciples all looked toward Zheng Hao.

Judging from the usual pattern, Jiang Chen probably would not leave the martial hall again for another ten days or half a month, but they could not wait that long.

If they couldn't repay their debts when they came due, the Gambling Den would come knocking to collect.

By then, they wouldn't be able to hide the fact that they had gambled away money and fallen into debt.

"I'll find a way to stall the Gambling Den for a while. As for Jiang Chen, to avoid alerting the snake in the grass, we won't keep an eye on him for now."

Zheng Hao thought for a moment, then left with the others.

He would not let a fat sheep like Jiang Chen slip away. As long as they succeeded once, they could fill every last hole in their finances.