Translator: AnubisTL
Li Qing held the jade box in his hands, his heart pounding with excitement.
Purple Mansion Spirit Liquid!
The core formation spiritual material that countless foundation establishment cultivators dreamed of day and night was now in his possession.
Though only ten drops, barely enough to slightly increase the success rate of core formation, it was still an immense gain.
After all, this was only the first day of the black market's opening. If it could operate long-term, there would undoubtedly be more opportunities to acquire core formation spiritual materials!
With this thought, Li Qing gently lifted the jade box's lid and probed inside with his divine sense.
The box was lined with a layer of gold foil-like brocade. Resting on this shimmering golden fabric were ten drops of purple liquid, each about the size of a watermelon seed.
Despite their liquid state, the drops hadn't seeped into the golden brocade, resembling mercury or liquid metal instead.
The moment the lid was opened, wisps of purple qi began to escape, clear and translucent.
Upon witnessing this scene, Li Qing immediately closed the lid, preventing the purple qi from escaping.
Yes, this was the genuine Purple Mansion Spirit Liquid!
Though Li Qing had never seen such a heaven-defying spiritual object before, he recognized it instantly.
Forcing down his excitement, Li Qing stored the jade box and spirit stones, then turned to the two hat-wearing men ahead.
"Indeed, this is Purple Mansion Spirit Liquid."
Li Qing had initially wanted to ask if they had more, but after considering it, he decided against it.
Purple Mansion Spirit Liquid was an absolute treasure for any foundation establishment realm cultivator. The fact that they had offered ten drops today likely required immense resolve on their part.
Asking for more would be ungrateful.
Li Qing was intrigued by these mysterious hat-wearing men and wished to forge a connection, but this was the black market, not a place for making friends.
Everyone here concealed their identities, so it was best to maintain proper boundaries.
With his long lifespan, Li Qing understood the wisdom of "there will be plenty of time later."
"Fellow Daoist," the young hat-wearing man asked, "will crimson crystals like this be sold here again in the future?"
Li Qing gave a vague reply, "Perhaps yes, perhaps no. These crystals aren't from me personally. It all depends on the mood of a senior expert."
Li Qing deliberately crafted a false background for the black market, hoping to instill caution in the man's mind.
By now, the free trading period was nearing its end. Since most attendees were rogue cultivators in the qi refining realm, the transactions remained at a relatively low level, barely catching Li Qing's interest.
Still, this was an excellent start. If the black market continued to operate, it would undoubtedly attract more and more cultivators in the future.
At that point, Li Qing and Shen Ningbing could use this platform to rise rapidly and secure substantial benefits.
"Fellow Daoists," Li Qing announced, "as previously stated, all of you who attended today are esteemed guests of the black market."
"Each of you may now collect a token. Presenting this token during future transactions will waive your handling fees for one month!"
As he spoke, Li Qing, who had returned to the platform, retrieved dozens of black iron tokens from his storage pouch and distributed them to the crowd.
Each person received a black iron token, and regardless of whether they would actually use it, everyone carefully stowed it away.
This was a marketing strategy Li Qing had learned from his previous life. Regardless of whether customers were initially inclined to spend, distributing benefits beforehand would inevitably make some remember the offer and feel it would be a waste not to use it.
"May I ask, sir, how often will trade fairs like this be held in the black market?" someone asked. Clearly, the free trade fair was what everyone cared about most.
If such events could be held regularly, it would be ideal, greatly benefiting many people!
Li Qing had anticipated this question.
"Heh heh heh, the dates for the black market's trade fairs are not fixed!"
"But I assure you, as long as you frequent the black market, you will never miss a trade fair."
With a snap of his fingers, a cold, white flame erupted from his fingertip.
In the next moment, the entire underground plaza trembled as several exits suddenly opened in the ceiling, each leading to the outside world.
"I hereby declare the trade fair officially concluded," Li Qing announced. "You are now free to leave or continue trading as you wish."
With these words, Li Qing leaped into the air, his figure darting toward one of the exits.
Many cultivators present also began to disperse through the various exits.
"Young master, stay close!" Uncle Fu said gravely. Their display of wealth during the fair had made them a target, and he couldn't guarantee their safety once they left.
Having revealed ten drops of Purple Mansion Spirit Liquid, others would undoubtedly assume they possessed even more.
He trusted neither the other foundation establishment realm cultivators present nor even the mysterious hooded figure who had hosted the trade fair.
He was certain that few foundation establishment realm cultivators could resist the allure of Purple Mansion Spirit Liquid, a core formation spiritual material!
With that, he led the noble-looking young man beside him toward another exit, unleashing his full aura and spiritual pressure without restraint.
Boom!
Late foundation establishment realm!
The tall, burly man wearing a wide-brimmed hat was actually a cultivator in the late foundation establishment realm.
Many qi refining realm cultivators nearby felt a suffocating pressure.
The other foundation establishment realm cultivators present gradually withdrew their gazes from the hat-wearing man, ceasing to pay him further attention.
Reaching the late foundation establishment realm was no ordinary feat for a rogue cultivator. For those with average cultivation talent, it required vast quantities of immortal cultivation resources to achieve.
Clearly, this man's background and status were extraordinary, making him someone they couldn't afford to provoke.
Meanwhile, Li Qing, who had been the first to escape the underground plaza, immediately halted his flight. He began weaving through the narrow, dilapidated alleyways, swiftly changing direction to evade pursuit.
Today, he had obtained ten drops of Purple Mansion Spirit Liquid and a substantial number of spirit stones. Moreover, his identity as the black market host would undoubtedly pique the curiosity of many.
"No one's following me? Are they all being so obedient?" Li Qing couldn't help but glance back, wondering if things were going too smoothly.
Still, smooth sailing was preferable to trouble. He had no desire to attract unwanted attention.
In the very next moment, a violent explosion erupted from a hidden underground cave!
Boom!
Dirt and debris flew as a figure completely shrouded in black cloth burst forth, moving with astonishing speed and unwavering focus—Li Qing!
Li Qing's pupils narrowed slightly at the sight.
How could someone be lying in ambush for me here? This doesn't make sense!
He had been the first to escape the underground plaza, choosing his exit at random. Even if someone had been tailing him, they could only be behind him, not charging out ahead of him!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The black-clad figure advanced with heavy, earth-shaking steps, yet its speed remained undiminished.
Something's off. This person's aura feels strange, and their movements are stiff.
Instead of dodging, Li Qing narrowed his eyes, studying the strange figure charging toward him.
A puppet!
The realization struck him swiftly.
This was a second-tier puppet, not a living being.
Looks like there's a second-tier puppet master down there, skilled in crafting and controlling puppets.
"That person deployed the puppet in advance, anticipating various contingencies. Quite meticulous, aren't they?"
"It seems the Purple Mansion Spirit Liquid I possess has piqued their interest. Are they using the puppet to test my strength?"
This was Li Qing's first time fighting a puppet master, but he remained calm. If his opponent had tricks up their sleeve, he certainly wasn't unprepared either.
In the next instant, a vast sheet of ice materialized across the ground, and sharp ice spikes erupted from its surface, hurtling toward the black-cloth-shrouded puppet.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
A series of crisp metallic clashes rang out. The ice spikes failed to pierce the puppet, merely tearing away its black outer layer to reveal a bronze-colored body beneath.
Such a formidable physique!
"Is this puppet forged from pure metallic spirit materials?" Li Qing mused inwardly. "Its hardness is so extreme that even my junior sister couldn't damage it."
As the second-tier puppet charged straight at him, Li Qing channeled his vital energy and silently activated the Brahma King True Body.
In terms of raw physical strength, he was a late second-tier body cultivator. Even a puppet entirely crafted from metallic spirit materials posed no threat.
And he still had the gilded battle armor!
Vital energy surged through Li Qing's body, instantly amplifying his strength. He channeled his spiritual energy, completely enveloping his fist with the gilded battle armor.
In the next moment, Li Qing's fist, now as massive as a cauldron, turned silver and, without hesitation, unleashed a devastating punch at the puppet that had closed within a few feet of him.
Boom!
Silver light streaked through the air, creating a sonic boom from the friction.
Immediately afterward, a thunderous roar shook the heavens and earth.
Bang!
The shockwave from the pure Internal Strength erupted outward, instantly collapsing the surrounding dilapidated courtyard walls.
The impossibly sturdy metal puppet froze in place, its solid body trembling violently as if on the verge of shattering into pieces.
"A divine sense imprint, just as I suspected!"
Li Qing keenly sensed a faint fluctuation of divine soul energy within the puppet. Without hesitation, he unleashed another punch at the source of the disturbance, this time imbued with intense, icy-white flames—Netherworld Cold Fire!
Boom! Boom!
This heavenly spirit fire was not only capable of incinerating fleshly bodies but also possessed devastating power against spirit bodies. When Li Qing had refined this source fire seed, his own divine soul had suffered severe damage.
Faced with the divine sense imprint controlling the puppet, Li Qing immediately unleashed the Netherworld Cold Fire.
The flames, like maggots clinging to bone, instantly surged into the puppet's body through its seams, rapidly burning toward the divine sense imprint.
Sizzle!
The Netherworld Cold Fire began to scorch the divine soul imprint, causing it to rapidly dissolve like spring snow meeting a red-hot iron.
In moments, the puppet ceased all movement, collapsing to the ground like a marionette with severed strings.
The puppet was now masterless.
Without hesitation, Li Qing stored the puppet in his storage pouch and transmitted a message in the opposite direction:
"Let's go!"
Immediately, another figure cloaked in black emerged and fled alongside Li Qing, rapidly leaving the city.
"Senior Brother, the puppet master is likely still in the black market. Why not turn back and find him to kill him?" Shen Ningbing asked telepathically.
Li Qing responded swiftly:
"First, the black market has just opened and needs to establish its reputation and credibility. Killing someone there so soon would create a bad impression."
"Second, I suspect the puppet master isn't even in the black market himself. He might have sent another puppet in his place."
Upon hearing these deductions, Shen Ningbing paused, her eyes flickering with uncertainty.
The second possibility was highly probable, perhaps even the truth, yet she hadn't anticipated it.
As expected, I still fall far short of senior brother Li, Shen Ningbing sighed inwardly, once again humbled by her senior brother's meticulous mind.
In a dilapidated tile-roofed house in Sunward City's north district, a figure seated in meditation suddenly shuddered violently.
Pfft!
The figure coughed up a mouthful of crimson blood, their face instantly turning deathly pale.
"Damn it! He's a fleshly body cultivator who wields Netherworld Cold Fire!"
"If I'd known, I wouldn't have attacked. Now I've needlessly lost a second-tier puppet. This is a disastrous loss."
The person's voice was weak, laced with bitter regret, their eyes burning with anguish.
They had never imagined that their target today would be a powerful fleshly body cultivator whose physical prowess rivaled even their second-tier puppet!
Moreover, the man wielded Netherworld Cold Fire, a heaven-defying substance that specialized in attacking the divine soul!
The combination of these two factors made him a natural nemesis to puppet masters like themselves.
A puppet's greatest advantage lay in its fearlessness of death. With sufficient materials, one could refine puppets of astonishing strength, capable of shrugging off most magical attacks.
Just like the ice spikes Shen Ningbing had unleashed earlier, they barely affected his second-tier puppet, only tearing through a layer of black cloth.
Ordinary foundation establishment cultivators would find such a puppet incredibly troublesome, utterly unable to deal with it.
With that puppet alone, he had defeated countless fellow foundation establishment cultivators.
Yet today, he had finally capsized in the gutter. Not only did he gain nothing, but he also lost an invaluable puppet and suffered severe damage to his divine soul.
"Damn it! I can't mess around in this black market anymore. Two powerful foundation establishment cultivators are guarding it, and their backgrounds are utterly mysterious, as if they appeared out of thin air."
"What a pity... the Purple Mansion Spirit Liquid! A core formation spiritual material you might never encounter in a lifetime, and I just missed it."
"..."
With these words, the man slowly rose to his feet and strode out of the dilapidated tile-roofed hut.
Inside the hut, a cold, emaciated corpse lay motionless on the ground, its eyes wide open in a death stare.
(End of the Chapter)
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