Black Market Deal, a Desperate Trapped Beast

The underground of the outer city slums of Jinling City.

There is no sunlight here, only the perpetual stench of the sewers and the flickering neon lights. All sorts of people, outlaws, and martial artists eager to sell their shady goods make up this vast underground black market.

Dongfang Yueming wore a large black hooded sweatshirt, his face covered with a black cloth, and his figure moved like Ghost through the crowded throng. He exuded a cold aura that kept strangers at bay, and coupled with the passive effect of the Heaven Grade Concealment Profound Meaning, he was extremely inconspicuous in this chaotic place, and no one even bothered to give him a second glance.

He walked straight into an underground shop called "Dark Blood".

"Boss, delivery complete."

Dongfang Yueming lowered his voice, making it sound hoarse and aged, and casually tossed the storage bag he had obtained from the ruined cave onto the greasy counter.

Behind the counter, a thin, bony old man wearing a monocle lazily raised his eyelids.

He opened his storage bag, poured out more than a dozen bottles of pills, and uncorked one of them to smell it.

A glint of light flashed in the old man's eyes, but he quickly reverted to his half-dead state.

"Such a strong, sweet and fishy smell, the blood and qi are extremely turbulent, and it's mixed with some... inexplicable and strange ingredients." The old man looked at Dongfang Yueming with a half-smile. "Friend, although eating this stuff will cause your blood and qi to surge, I'm afraid there will be endless troubles in the future. Is this some kind of 'experimental product' that leaked from some noble family or laboratory?"

"Just name your price, don't ask where it comes from," Dongfang Yueming replied coldly.

"Alright, I know the rules of the black market." The old man chuckled twice and held up seven fingers. "This kind of potent medicine is too dangerous for legitimate martial artists, but desperate outlaws stuck at a bottleneck and eager to break through are flocking to it. One price, seventy thousand Federal Credits. No more."

"Make a deal."

After considering it in his mind, Dongfang Yueming concluded that the price was reasonable.

Adding the 10,000 yuan in cash he had previously taken from Xiahou Jing's corpse, his total assets now amount to 80,000 yuan.

"No need to transfer the money, I still need to buy some things."

Dongfang Yueming knocked on the counter.

"I need four Yellow Grade fist techniques and two Yellow Grade movement techniques. The most basic ones will do."

The old man glanced at him in surprise. Why buy so many low-level martial arts techniques? Was he going to open a martial arts school to teach apprentices? But he didn't ask any further questions and quickly picked out a few jade slips from the shelf behind him.

"Yellow Grade fist techniques cost 5,000 each, four books cost 20,000. Yellow Grade body techniques cost 7,000 each, two books cost 14,000. A total of 34,000."

Dongfang Yueming nodded and carefully put the jade slip away.

At this moment, the old man's cloudy eyes darted around, as if he had realized that Dongfang Yueming was a wealthy customer, and a warm smile spread across his face.

"Friend, judging from your lavish spending, are you stuck at the Peak of the Blood Nourishing Realm and preparing to break through to the Blood Refining Realm?"

The old man lowered his voice mysteriously, "I just got my hands on a Profound Grade Blood Refining Method with a very 'clean' provenance. It's definitely much better than those run-of-the-mill methods taught in schools and martial arts gyms! The original price was 100,000, but I think you're destined for it, so I'll give you a discount: 80,000!"

Profound Grade Blood Refining Method?

Dongfang Yueming chuckled inwardly. The "Supreme Mysterious Ice-Wood Blood Refining True Scripture" within him was already at the Earth Grade Perfection, so how could he possibly be interested in a mere Profound Grade? Moreover, with the system at his disposal, buying Profound Grade one would be a complete waste of money.

"No need. I only need the Yellow Grade Blood Refining Method." Dongfang Yueming decisively refused.

"Yellow Grade Blood Refining Method?" The old man was taken aback; the leap was too great. "There are such techniques, but Blood Refining Realm techniques are much more expensive than Blood Nourishing Realm techniques. Yellow Grade one costs 20,000 per book."

"Give me two books."

"Okay."

Two Yellow Grade Blood Refining Method were acquired, costing 40,000 yuan.

Dongfang Yueming glanced at the balance on her phone.

[Personal Account Balance: 7000 Federal Dollars.]

Dongfang Yueming carefully placed all the jade slips on his person, then turned and walked out of the "Dark Blood" shop.

Walking through the dimly lit underground passage, his mind raced.

"The synthesis route for Heaven Grade cultivation techniques is now very clear."

"I currently possess a Earth Grade Blood Refining Method. To synthesize Heaven Grade, I need another Earth Grade. And a Earth Grade requires four Yellow Grade as basic materials for gradual deduction and fusion."

"I just bought those two Yellow Grade Blood Refining Method, and I've collected half of them now."

He clenched his fist, feeling the blood within him as pure as jade nectar yet containing terrifying explosive power, his eyes gleaming with ambition.

"Only two more Yellow Grade Blood Refining Method are needed!"

"Once I gather all the necessary materials, I can fuse them into a Heaven Grade Blood Refining Method! And instantly reach the Top-Tier Perfection of the Blood Refining Realm— [Blood Contains Divine Radiance]!"

"At that time, whether facing the Xiahou Family or those lurking Variants, I will have the real confidence to overturn the table!"

at the same time.

Jinling Martial University, the elite dormitory area for third-year students.

Inside a luxuriously decorated single apartment, the atmosphere was so oppressive it was hard to breathe.

"Bang!"

An expensive crystal glass was smashed against the wall and shattered into pieces.

Shi Tingyue's eyes were bloodshot as he paced back and forth in the room like an enraged beast. He had a handsome appearance and was a third-year genius who was pursued by countless girls at school.

But at this moment, his handsome face was filled with undisguised fear and ferocity.

"Disappeared?"

"That good-for-nothing Zhu Hao has actually disappeared?!"

Shi Tingyue growled through gritted teeth.

Just half an hour ago, he received news that the wilderness survival training had ended. Dongfang Yueming, whom he considered prey, had returned to school unharmed! But Zhu Hao, whom he had sent to seize the "opportunity," had completely vanished without a trace!

Shi Tingyue clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his flesh.

Only he knew what that so-called "opportunity" really was!

Two years ago, he was an average student with no connections. Until one day, he found a package full of advanced cultivation techniques and strange pills in an abandoned warehouse outside the city.

He couldn't resist the temptation and swallowed those pills, then began practicing that technique.

From then on, his blood and qi surged like a rocket, and in just one year, he surpassed the Blood Nourishing Realm and even rushed to the Early Stage of the Blood Refining Realm! He became a "genius" that everyone in the school admired!

He once thought he was a chosen one, a gift from God.

Until recently...

His cultivation speed suddenly began to slow down abnormally.

Moreover, every night, he could vaguely sense that in the shadows, pairs of greedy, cold eyes, devoid of any human emotion, were staring intently at him!

The feeling was like a farmer looking at a pig that had been fattened to the extreme and was ready to be slaughtered!

"No... I don't want to die! I can't die!"

Shi Tingyue trembled violently, his back soaked with cold sweat.

He finally realized the truth: he was not a chosen one at all; he was just a carefully cultivated "cook"!

Once his vital energy stops growing and he loses his "value" for further growth, those monsters lurking in the shadows will not hesitate to serve him up and devour him whole!

"I must continue to grow stronger! I must prove to them that I still have potential! I can grow even more, even more delicious flesh and blood!"

This is the fundamental reason why he instigated Zhu Hao to seize Dongfang Yueming's "opportunity".

He needs those new pills to break through his current bottleneck, even if it only drags him deeper into trouble, because it's the only way he can delay his death!

Zhu Hao has gone missing.

Shi Tingyue's eyes gradually turned sinister and vicious.

"The only explanation is that Dongfang Yueming was playing dumb to outsmart Zhu Hao, or he just got lucky and managed to kill him, thus keeping the opportunity for himself!"

He stopped abruptly and grabbed his coat from the table.

"Mine! That was meant to save my life!"

"Dongfang Yueming... since you won't listen to reason, then don't blame your senior for being ruthless!"