Chapter 5 First Steps into the Market
Deep within her body, that faint yet incomparably real Devilish Qi, like a spark reignited in the darkness, was stubbornly wandering through her parched Meridians.
This long-lost sense of power brought a trace of trembling and a small glimmer of joy, as if a drowning person had finally grasped a life-saving straw.
However, this glimmer of joy had not yet taken shape before it was completely submerged by a more surging wave.
In her mind, the scenes from just moments ago uncontrollably surged forth: that Wicked Disciple's scorching breath, his overbearing confinement, the sound of her robes tearing, and the image of herself—from resistance to sinking, until she let out shameful, trembling sounds—all were like the sharpest of blades, repeatedly slicing away at her dignity.
"Xiao! Ming!"
She bit her teeth together tightly, almost biting her lips until they bled; these two words, squeezed from the depths of her throat, were soaked in bone-deep hatred and monstrous fury.
Within her beautiful eyes, a biting cold light shone, and the murderous intent almost condensed into substance, completely freezing the lingering, ambiguous atmosphere in the air.
"Once this Revered Master's cultivation is completely restored... I will surely take you, this Wicked Disciple who has betrayed your Revered Master and destroyed your ancestors... extract your soul, refine your spirit, and ensure you never reincarnate for all eternity!"
The bone-chilling words echoed in the palace, every single word carrying the decisiveness of a blood oath.
Yet, just at the moment when this extreme anger and humiliation were about to devour her reason, a clear, strangely tingling soreness came from somewhere in her body, as if silently reminding her of how real and intense everything that had just happened was.
This "betrayal" of her body caused her to feel an unprecedented sense of panic and self-loathing.
She clenched her fists fiercely, her nails digging deep into her palms, attempting to use pain to suppress that soul-crushing chaos.
The Heavenly Demonic Market was shrouded year-round in a layer of grey, hazy Devilish Qi.
Stalls stood in rows along both sides of the street, and the sounds of hawking, arguing, and even the occasional clash of weapons and muffled groans intertwined, forming a chaotic yet vivid scroll of the Demonic Path.
Cultivators of all kinds wove through the area; Demonic Cultivators were filled with Evil Qi, Demon Cultivators were mysterious and unpredictable, and Ghost Cultivators were eerie and elusive, while the air was mixed with the scents of blood, low-quality Medicinal Pills, and various desires, unsettling the mind.
Xiao Ming walked within this turbulent current, the aura around his body restrained to the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, appearing completely unremarkable.
His expression was calm, his gaze sweeping over his surroundings with indifference, as if he were completely out of place in this clamor.
Just at this moment, the whispered conversation of two low-level Disciples drifted into his ears along with the flow of the crowd.
"Have you heard? The Medicinal Pill provision for Heartless Peak this month was once again forcibly cut by thirty percent by the Medicine King Peak on some pretext!"
"Medicine King Peak is going way too far! However... Peak Master Luo has been keeping to herself lately; could it be that the rumors are true... that there is something wrong with her Dao Body?" the latter person lowered their voice, sounding probing.
"Shh! Watch your tongue!" The first person's face turned pale, and they nervously looked around, their voice barely audible, "I only managed to pry a bit of news after racking my brains; it is said that the Peak Revered Master... has been poisoned by some strange toxin, and her cultivation is likely hindered..."
"Poisoned?!" The latter person gasped, their eyes filled with shock, then uncontrollably flashed with a trace of lewd light, "Tsk tsk, what a pity for such a stunning beauty; if one could only..."
Before they could finish speaking, they were yanked hard by their companion, and the two quickly merged into the crowd and disappeared.
Xiao Ming's footsteps did not pause, but his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
He was already aware of Heartless Peak's predicament, but hearing it with his own ears still caused a trace of displeasure to cross his heart, as if his own territory were being coveted by others.
However, this emotion was quickly suppressed—in this Demonic Sect, impotent rage was the most laughable thing.
Without the strength to crush everything, any superfluous emotion was a flaw.
He composed his mind and redirected his attention to the endless stream of people before him.
Deep within his eyes, a faint gleam quietly swirled as the [Heavenly Fate Plundering System] silently activated.
In an instant, his vision shifted.
Above the heads of the passing Cultivators, dense, multi-colored beams of Luck emerged.
Crimson and orange-yellow occupied the vast majority, like weeds covering the ground; occasionally, one or two pale green lights would flash, but they were merely slightly larger ants.
Countless information panels unfolded, revealing their Realm, Opportunities, and Life Scripts.
Xiao Ming's gaze was like the most precise compass, or like a venomous snake searching for prey in the jungle, quickly and calmly scanning and filtering through this torrent of information.
He was waiting, waiting for the "big fish" worthy of him taking action.
[Red Luck, three days later, pick up ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones at Black Wind Cave... Skip.]
[Orange Luck, five days later, have an epiphany while Cultivating, Breakthrough a small Realm... Useless.]
[Yellow Luck, half a month later, Revered Master falls, helplessly inherit Revered Master's estate and the still-charming Mistress...]
The corner of Xiao Ming's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly, and he felt amused in his heart: 'This Opportunity... is quite unadorned.'
If not for Revered Master Luo Li having raised his standards extremely high, he might have truly befriended this person to "take care" of the Mistress on his behalf.
He quickly suppressed this stray thought, his gaze becoming cold and sharp once again as he continued to scan.
[Red Luck, half a day later, pass by a village, discover a Yellow Rank spiritual plant... Useless.]
[Yellow Luck, within this month...]
Information flashed by like a torrent; he was like the most patient hunter, lurking within the clamor, waiting only for that target worthy of a single strike.
Finally, his gaze fixed on a stall selling broken Jade Slips and piles of miscellaneous items.
The stall owner was a sharp-mouthed, monkey-cheeked man with a conspicuous yellow beam of Luck above his head.
[Name: Zhao Laosan]
[Realm: Qi Refining Late Stage]
[Luck Rank: Yellow (Slight Luck)]
[Recent Opportunity: Half an incense stick's time later, a Foundation Establishment Early Stage Cultivator suffering from "Cold Spirit Fire Poison" will pass by. This person possesses a secret technique and can sense the aura of the mutated "Blood-Vein Hidden Mushroom" on the stall (this mushroom is the only essential medicinal herb for their detoxification). Zhao Laosan will perceive their urgency and sell it at the high price of four hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones.]
[Life Script: With this windfall, purchase a realm breaking pill and luckily Breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Stage.]
"Half an incense stick's time later... the only medicinal herb..." A sharp light flashed in Xiao Ming's eyes, and he had already made his plans.
The Sect's monthly stipend provided to a Peak Revered Master's direct Disciple was only one hundred Spirit Stones; how could he let this windfall, delivered to his doorstep, go?
He hesitated no longer and walked straight to the stall, his gaze falling on that seemingly unremarkable grey mushroom, his tone indifferent: "How much for this?"