"Nothing to worry about. This blood is useful to me. Fire Crows are hard to catch, so there's no point forcing it."
Lin Changheng swept his gaze over the twenty-eight bottles of blood essence. Some were thin, others rich—the difference between mature and juvenile beasts. He smiled and nodded.
Su Shuangjiang finally breathed a sigh of relief. She had bought so much Rock Mountain Turtle blood essence in one go, and she hadn't been sure Lin Changheng wouldn't call it useless and refuse to take it.
After all, buying such a large quantity of fresh blood essence had been her own decision.
Fortunately, Brother Lin wasn't picky.
Lin Changheng then asked the price of the Rock Mountain Turtle blood essence. The answer was one Spirit Stone per bottle.
Rock Mountain Turtles usually hid in the mountains, beneath rocks. Though they were also low-grade demonic beasts, they were harder to find than Fire Crows.
And hunting them required breaking mountains and splitting rocks, which took more effort and skill, so their price was higher.
Lin Changheng understood the reasoning.
Though Fire Crows were wild, they could still be raised, in the end, which drove their price down. They were never worth much.
But Rock Mountain Turtles were different. They couldn't be raised—or, rather, humans hadn't yet figured out how to raise them—so their price was naturally higher.
"That's acceptable."
Lin Changheng agreed.
There were nineteen bottles of mature Rock Mountain Turtle blood essence and nine bottles from juveniles, for a total of twenty-eight Spirit Stones. Including the Fire Crow blood essence, Lin Changheng should have paid twenty-seven.
By that reckoning, he still had to pay three more Spirit Stones.
But he was happy to pay. He was more than willing!
The more demonic beast blood essence, the better!
The two chatted for a while longer. Then Lin Changheng suddenly asked where he could find low-grade magical artifacts with good value for money.
He lacked a sense of security and needed more means of defending himself. Female cultivators were often out and about, so perhaps she would know.
Su Shuangjiang considered for a moment. "For the best value, the black market."
Lin Changheng shook his head with a smile. "Fairy Su, I know the black market has what I need, but outside the market district it's chaotic. I'm afraid it would be too dangerous."
Hearing this, Su Shuangjiang's beautiful eyes turned to him in surprise. She studied Brother Lin for a few moments before covering her mouth and laughing softly. "Brother Lin... you're this cautious?"
"Ahem." Lin Changheng caught the teasing in her words, but still nodded calmly. "Cultivation is like walking on thin ice. If you're not careful and prudent, how can you ever reach the other shore?"
"This young woman has learned something."
Su Shuangjiang smiled brightly, then turned serious. "But I've heard a rumor, too. It seems that in half a month, the black market will, for the first time, move outside the market district and be held in the shantytown less than a hundred zhang away. I was planning to go take a look."
Hm? Would it still be a black market? The shantytown was technically still within the market district, under the protection of patrols...
Would it become a white market, an open market?
Lin Changheng was taken aback as well.
"Supposedly, the black market's master is also the master of this market district. The chaos outside the market has greatly affected business, which is why this rumor has surfaced."
"I see. That explains it."
The Wang Family of Qingfeng Ridge must have some connection to the black market, or have opened it at someone's behest. Now they were withdrawing, too—no point pretending anymore?
"When there's more definite news, I may have to ask you to let me know, Fairy Su. Ideally, we could go together while we're both headed that way."
Lin Changheng smiled. He even hoped to have the female cultivator serve as a free bodyguard.
"Of course." It was no trouble at all for Su Shuangjiang. How could she refuse?
After they'd settled everything, Lin Changheng walked Su Shuangjiang to the door. A thought stirred in his mind, and he decided to tell her the confirmed news that Zichuan Market would be abandoned, hoping she would make preparations early.
"This young woman understands."
Su Shuangjiang's expression changed slightly. She'd already suspected as much, but suspicion and certainty were a long way apart. "Thank you for the warning, Brother Lin. I'll think it over carefully."
Watching the female cultivator hurry away, Lin Changheng couldn't help shaking his head. When something happened to the market district, rogue cultivators were undoubtedly the ones most deeply affected.
They would lose the sheltered harbor where their paper boats could moor.
After seeing the female cultivator off, Lin Changheng quickly returned to his room and began absorbing the Fire Crow blood essence to perform Spirit Snatch!
A flash of light.
[Fire Crow Treasure Seed: Second Layer]
[Spirit Snatch: 24/100]
"Not bad! I wonder what innate talents the Rock Mountain Turtle has, and what kind of strange arts they'll bring me."
Full of anticipation, Lin Changheng plunged his hand into the small basin of Rock Mountain Turtle blood essence, which shimmered with earthy-yellow light, and linked his thoughts to the Origin Cauldron.
Whoosh!
In an instant, the rich blood essence vanished, leaving only a shallow layer of clear water.
At the same time, rosy light surged once more from the mouth of the cauldron in his sea of consciousness. A hazy, earthy-yellow Treasure Seed slowly took shape.
[Rock Mountain Turtle Treasure Seed: Spirit Snatching Transformation in Progress]
[Spirit Snatch: 11/100]
[Effects: Bloodline of a low-grade demonic beast, naturally endowed with the earth element, possessing the innate talents Earth Escape, Shield Opening, and Life Extension. Once Spirit Snatching is complete, one may choose one to refine.]
Lin Changheng's pupils contracted!
Wait—what had he just seen?
Life Extension! It was Life Extension!
His heart pounded wildly.
"There's the saying, 'Though the tortoise is old, it still has years to live'! One tortoise passes through three generations, and even when its owner is gone, the tortoise is still here!"
"Who would've thought I'd get to touch the art of Life Extension so early—and that it would come from the tortoise, a beast famed for its longevity!"
"They say 'live long and see far' and 'become an immortal and the founder of a lineage.' One of the ultimate goals of cultivation has already come a little closer!"
Lin Changheng took several deep breaths before the heart thundering in his chest gradually settled into a steady beat.
Excitement clouded reason, and impulsiveness led to poor judgment!
Still feeling it wasn't enough, Lin Changheng went straight to the courtyard and drenched himself in cold water. The shock of it finally calmed him completely, and he began to think again.
"Life Extension can wait for now. I'm only a little over thirty, with plenty of years left. It seems too early to pursue longevity."
"Especially with Land Reclamation about to begin. Currents are stirring beneath the surface, the forces on all sides are in turmoil, and it's extremely dangerous. Staying alive has to come first. No matter how long you live, once someone kills you, you're dead! All those extra years would be wasted, gone with the wind!"
"Earth Escape!"
"I'll get Earth Escape first and add another way to save my life. I can pursue Life Extension later!"
"The root of everything is staying alive!"
After wrestling with himself and sorting out his reasoning, Lin Changheng settled on a plan.
Soon, the time Lin Changheng and Su Shuangjiang had agreed upon arrived.
They both changed their clothes, concealed their appearances, and set out together.
Su Shuangjiang had confirmed in advance that the matter was true and informed Lin Changheng, which was why they were here.
At dusk, while there was still light in the sky, the two reached the shantytown. Figures moved faintly within, and there really were quite a few people.
They were allowed in only after paying ten grains of Spirit Sand.
Once inside, they found everyone moving in a hurry. At the stalls, people either gestured silently or spoke as little as possible, determined not to reveal anything more than necessary.
They were afraid their identities would be exposed and draw hostile attention.
Lin Changheng and Su Shuangjiang exchanged a glance. Without a word, they split up.
They'd already agreed that each would return here to wait once they'd finished their business. After meeting up, they would leave together.
Before you continue