Xu Qing silently nodded, then left Azure Hawk Martial Arts School carrying fifteen pounds of Meat Ganoderma. Once outside, he let out a sigh.
"Alas..."
Xu Qing thought to himself, I can't come to Azure Hawk Martial Arts School to buy Meat Ganoderma again next time. After all, the strength I've currently displayed is that of a martial artist who has only recently entered the Bright Force realm.
For a Bright Force martial artist, 'Level 1 Spirit Food: Tai Sui Spirit Meat' is enough to sustain daily life and martial arts training. There's simply no need for 'Level Two Spirit Food: Meat Ganoderma'.
Of course.
It isn't impossible to consume 'Level Two Spirit Food: Meat Ganoderma,' but it would be somewhat wasteful, and the amount one can eat is limited. Too much, and one would surely burst apart and die.
Yet half a month ago, I already bought fifteen pounds of Meat Ganoderma. Under normal circumstances, that should have lasted me several months at least.
But.
Only half a month has passed, and I've come to buy Meat Ganoderma again. That's already highly abnormal. The people at the Resource Hall have begun to sense that something is off.
I can't go there again.
At this thought.
Xu Qing frowned.
In that case, I can only go to the black market. Some time ago, Zhao Jingyuan did mention that Qingbei Town has a black market, where quite a few things are sold.
Xu Qing pondered. Quite a few things are sold in Qingbei Town's black market, with the most popular naturally being Secret Medicine and Spirit Food.
I can find an opportunity to take a look.
The scene shifted.
Xu Qing had already returned to his residence. After eating a pound of Meat Ganoderma and making some preparations, he headed out again for White Dwarf Mountain, continuing to grind experience for the Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique.
Meat Ganoderma.
Its appearance was practically identical to ordinary ganoderma, even its size exactly the same, as though every piece had been cast from the same mold. Each weighed precisely one pound, neither more nor less.
However.
There was still a difference between Meat Ganoderma and genuine ganoderma. Meat Ganoderma was not a fungus, but meat. At its core, it was still a blood-and-flesh Spirit Food.
It merely looked like ganoderma.
That night.
Late at night.
Before going to sleep.
Eight Extremities Fist LV8: 800/1280.
Thirteen Sword Strikes of Life-Taking LV4: 40/240.
Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique LV5: 160/160.
"Upgrade the Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique."
Buzz!
The Omni-Codex flickered with fluorescent light.
Accompanied by waves of profound fluctuations, Xu Qing's consciousness seemed to enter a mysterious space, where he continuously practiced the Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique.
In the end.
He successfully upgraded the Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique.
Correspondingly.
Xu Qing also mastered the upgraded Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique.
Upgrade complete.
Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique LV6: 0/320(...)
The LV6 Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique already allowed Xu Qing to control thirty-two beast companions at once. This was exceedingly exaggerated; even a true Rune Beast Master might not possess such ability.
Time flew by.
In the blink of an eye.
Fourteen days passed.
This day.
In the dead of night.
"Phew..."
Xu Qing drew a deep breath and stopped, no longer practicing the Thirteen Sword Strikes of Life-Taking. "Without realizing it, nearly another half month has passed, and I've finished the Meat Ganoderma again."
"Besides."
"Over this half month, I've already learned quite a bit about the black market through Zhao Jingyuan. Today is the time to go there and broaden my horizons."
"Also..."
With a thought.
Buzz! Buzz!
The Omni-Codex glimmered with fluorescent light.
Eight Extremities Fist LV8: 1500/1280 (Upgradeable!)
Thirteen Sword Strikes of Life-Taking LV4: 180/240.
Blood Curse Beast Taming Technique LV6: 140/320.
"Upgrade Eight Extremities Fist."
Xu Qing said.
Boom!
Xu Qing's mind shook, while the Omni-Codex shone brilliantly. His consciousness seemed to enter that mysterious space, where he began practicing Eight Extremities Fist.
The current Eight Extremities Fist had already reached LV8. It had long since become something entirely different, gradually evolving into an exceedingly profound martial art.
Upgrade complete.
Eight Extremities Fist LV9: 220/2560 (This is a profound fist art combining combat techniques and training methods, as well as a profound martial art fit to be passed down through generations. Its movements are fierce and forceful, plain and unadorned; its exertion swift, its explosive power immense. It tempers sinews, bones, and flesh, its force penetrating through the sinews and bones, flowing throughout the entire body and training the internal organs. Once mastered, one may step into the 'Transforming Force' level, with force able to spread throughout the entire body.)
Buzz! Buzz!
Xu Qing opened his eyes. He felt every part of his body had been strengthened. It was not merely an increase in force and cultivation level—his physical body's strength had also undergone a sublimation.
"Phew..."
Xu Qing exhaled a breath of stale air, his breath shooting forth like an arrow. It was a transformation that made him stronger, and made his Transforming Force more rounded and refined.
"Not bad, not bad."
The corners of Xu Qing's mouth rose slightly into a smile. "My Transforming Force cultivation has strengthened once more. At this pace, once Eight Extremities Fist upgrades to LV10, I'll reach the peak of Transforming Force."
Next.
Xu Qing familiarized himself with his strength and power. He put on the Ghost Mask again, transforming once more into that mysterious swordsmanship master, 'Lü Dongbin.'
Whoosh!
Xu Qing moved with agility. Using the Serpent Evasion Technique, he had already left the courtyard and headed for Qingbei Town's black market according to Zhao Jingyuan's directions.
"Here."
Half an hour later.
Xu Qing arrived at an alley off North Straight Street in Qingbei Town's outer city. Every night at midnight, a stone door would appear in this alley. So long as one opened it, one could enter the 'black market.'
In truth.
This design and method employed a kind of illusion technique, capable of deceiving ordinary people's sight. Only those aware of the exact circumstances could discover this stone door.
Click!
Inside the alley.
Xu Qing took a deep breath. He found that he was not the only one who had come; there were others as well. However, all wore cloaks and masks, making their appearances impossible to discern.
Of course.
Xu Qing knew the situation beforehand, so he had also prepared himself a monkey-faced mask and donned a gray cloak to conceal his figure.
In fact.
Xu Qing had long used the Ghost Mask's ability to conceal his true appearance.
Very soon.
The stone door was opened by the person ahead.
"Go."
Xu Qing remained calm. Like the others, he slowly walked inside. Yet once the stone door opened, there was no passage beyond it, only a wall.
However.
Everyone passed directly through the wall, their figures vanishing from sight.
This was a kind of eye-deceiving trick.
"Mm."
Xu Qing nodded and passed through the wall along with the others, entering the black market. His view suddenly opened up, revealing a huge marketplace.
Moreover.
The place buzzed with voices. Looking up, one could not see the sky, as though something completely covered it, creating an enclosed environment.
"Come take a look, have a look! Fresh Spirit Food, 'Blood Bamboo Shoots'! Don't miss it as you pass by!"
"Secret Medicine! Secret Medicine! Lost Secret Medicine!"
"The legendary Fundamental Method! Does anyone need one?"
"..."
The clamor entered Xu Qing's ears.
Sure enough.
Xu Qing looked around and saw street after street. On both sides, most vendors were people whose faces and figures were hidden, setting up stalls to sell goods.
Of course.
Quite a few people were also coming and going, stopping before stall after stall to haggle with the vendors, or conduct their respective transactions.
For the moment.
Xu Qing had little need for martial arts manuals, weapons, Secret Medicine, and the like. Unless he encountered some particularly special martial art, weapon, or Secret Medicine, he would only then consider spending money on it.
Besides.
If there truly were a Fundamental Method, it likely would not be Xu Qing's turn to obtain it.
One had to know.
Out in the open.
Throughout Qingbei Town's entire outer city.
Only the outer city's three great martial arts schools—Azure Hawk Martial Arts School, Crushing Stone Martial Arts School, and Crimson Eagle Martial Arts School—those three martial force giants, possessed true Fundamental Methods.
From this, it could be seen.
Fundamental Methods were things one could encounter only by chance and never seek by desire. At least at his current level, it was impossible to acquire one, and these stallholders could not possibly be selling Fundamental Methods.
However.
After hearing the call, Xu Qing still went over to take a look. The result was naturally that it was fake. Xu Qing saw through it at a glance, shook his head, and walked away.
Next.
Xu Qing wandered through the black market, but did not see anything particularly novel. Naturally, he had not forgotten the purpose of this trip, and he came to a rather large 'Spirit Food Exchange' within the black market.
Black Tiger Spirit Food Shop.
Within the black market, those without backing generally could only set up stalls. Anyone able to open a shop in the black market necessarily possessed influence and strength.
"Boss."
Xu Qing walked in and looked around. At the counter, he saw a brawny middle-aged man, huge in build, like a black bear.
Looking closely.
At the man's neck was a tattoo of a black tiger's head, though only a small part of the tattoo could be seen.
"What are you buying?"
Black Tiger, the owner, glanced at Xu Qing.
With just that glance.
Black Tiger unexpectedly felt a scalp-tingling sense of danger, as though the person before him was the forest's most apex predator.
Involuntarily.
Black Tiger felt a measure of awe.
"Spirit Food."
Xu Qing glanced at the owner, his tone calm. He took out a banknote worth ten thousand taels of silver and placed it before Black Tiger. "Level Two Spirit Food."
"Alright."
Black Tiger's pupils contracted. He knew a major deal had arrived. Coupled with that instinctive feeling of danger, he did not dare be the slightest bit careless. "At black market prices, one pound of Level Two Spirit Food costs two hundred and twenty taels. Most of the Level Two Spirit Food sold at our Black Tiger Shop is Black Mountain Tiger Meat."
"With ten thousand taels of silver, at the regular black market price, I can give you forty-five and a half pounds of Black Mountain Tiger Meat. I can make the decision to give you forty-six pounds."
"Fine."
Xu Qing nodded.
"Please wait a moment."
Black Tiger turned and walked inside, then brought out a not particularly large black iron box from the warehouse. Opening it, he revealed chunks of black flesh inside.
Looking carefully.
Each chunk of black flesh had been cut into a square black meat cube, each side only one centimeter long.
Yet.
Every such black meat cube weighed one pound. Forty-six pounds meant forty-six such black meat cubes.
"Please inspect them."
Black Tiger said.
Before you continue