71: Chapter 71 A Fire-Playing Expert? Beware of Bedwetting

Beneath Dan City, the Black Market.

This was another world entirely, a stark contrast to the glitz and glamour of the Pill Tower.

The lighting was dim, and the crowd was a mixed bag. The stalls didn't display legitimate Medicinal Pills, but rather all sorts of Black Market goods of unknown origin, poisonous herbs, and even blood-stained Magical Artifacts obtained from killing and looting.

"Young Master, this place... is so chaotic."

Ji Hongye followed closely behind Lin Que. Although she was once the Saintess of a demonic sect, she still felt uncomfortable facing such a bottomless pit of chaos.

"Chaos is good."

Lin Que held a folding fan, his eyes scanning the various stalls with a faint, indiscernible smile on his lips.

"Only when the water is muddy can one catch fish easily."

His goal for this trip was clear: to find spiritual items that could enhance fire resistance.

At the Pill Assembly in three days, the Heavenly Flame serving as the prize was known as the "Bone Spirit Cold Fire." It possessed both extreme cold and extreme heat attributes, making it incredibly difficult to subdue. Without preparation, even a Nascent Soul old monster would lose a layer of skin trying to capture it.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, Lin Que's footsteps paused.

His gaze fell on a street stall in a corner. The stall owner was a blind old man, with a pile of black, rotten-looking stones laid out before him.

And in the middle of that pile of stones sat a gray rock the size of a fist, its surface covered in cracks.

[thousand changes multi-treasure pearl is vibrating!]

[Detected high-tier fire-attribute spiritual item: earth core flame marrow (Sealed state).]

[Grade: Peak Tier 4 (Half-step Tier 5).]

[Traits: Contains ten-thousand-year earth fire essence; extremely high temperature; incinerates upon contact.]

[Side Effects: fire toxin attacks the heart, burning the Divine Soul.]

"Good stuff."

A sharp glint flashed in Lin Que's eyes.

This thing was practically a "snack" tailor-made for his Undying Blood Body and Arhat Golden Body.

He walked over, crouched down, and casually picked up an ordinary stone to ask the price before finally pointing at the gray rock with feigned indifference.

"Boss, how much for this rotten stone? I think the shape is decent; I'll buy it to press down my pickled vegetables."

The blind old man didn't even lift his eyelids. "Ten thousand Spirit Stones. Firm price."

"Ten thousand for a pickle jar stone? You've gone mad for money!"

The passing Cultivators nearby all started to mock him.

"I'll buy it."

Just as Lin Que was about to pull out Spirit Stones—

"Hold on! This Young Master offers twenty thousand!"

An arrogant voice suddenly cut in.

A young man dressed in a fiery red robe with crimson hair strode over, surrounded by a group of people. Heat waves rolled off him, causing the crowd to move aside wherever he went.

"It's the Young Valley Lord of Heaven Burning Valley, Yan Lie!"

"I heard he was born with a Fire Spirit Body and has a beast-like intuition for fire-attribute treasures! It seems that stone really is a treasure!"

Yan Lie walked to the stall and looked down at Lin Que, his eyes full of contempt.

"Kid, this Young Master has taken a fancy to this. If you know what's good for you, get lost."

He was used to acting overbearingly in Dan City. Seeing an unfamiliar "playboy" like Lin Que, he didn't take him seriously at all.

"Heaven Burning Valley?"

Lin Que stood up, lightly tapping his palm with his folding fan, wearing a half-smile.

"Everything is first come, first served. You want to snatch my pickle jar stone for twenty thousand Spirit Stones? Are you even worthy?"

"You're looking for death?!"

Yan Lie was furious. A ball of crimson "Blazing Sun True Fire" suddenly ignited in his hand, causing the surrounding air to distort instantly.

"When this Young Master was playing with fire, you were still wearing diapers! There's a great treasure inside this stone; is a commoner like you worthy of laying a finger on it?"

As he spoke, he reached out directly to grab the gray stone, his palm's Blazing Sun True Fire forming a heat-insulating shield.

"Careful, it might be hot."

Lin Que didn't stop him. Instead, he took half a step back and made a "please" gesture.

"Hmph, this Young Master was born with a Fire Spirit Body. This little bit of temperature..."

Yan Lie confidently grabbed the gray stone.

Indeed, through the Seal, the temperature wasn't high.

But at the very moment his fingers touched the gray stone—

Lin Que's mind stirred.

[Target Locked: earth core flame marrow.]

[Action: Actively trigger the internal fire toxin eruption.]

[Transfer initiated! Target Locked: Yan Lie (Malice Value 100%).]

[Multiplier: Ten times pain sensation!]

"Get... HOT!!"

Buzz!

The previously dormant gray stone's violent ten-thousand-year earth fire essence suddenly, under the System's guidance, ignored all physical defenses. It surged directly through Yan Lie's fingers, into his Meridians, and even burned toward his Divine Soul!

"AHHH!!!"

Yan Lie, who had been incredibly arrogant just a second ago, suddenly let out a blood-curdling scream like a slaughtered pig.

He violently jerked his hand back as if he'd been electrocuted, tossing the stone away.

"Hot! It's burning me to death!!"

Yan Lie clutched his hand, jumping around frantically. His palm clearly showed no signs of burns, but he felt as if his very Soul was being deep-fried in fire!

Even... Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!

A puff of blue smoke suddenly rose from the crotch area of his expensive fireproof dharma robe.

"He... he wet himself?!"

The spectating Cultivators were dumbfounded.

The once-invincible Young Lord of Heaven Burning Valley was now clutching his crotch, his face flushed red, with a large wet patch beneath his feet.

It was a physiological incontinence caused by high-temperature stimulation.

"Young Lord Yan, such a fiery temper?"

Lin Que fanned himself, leaning forward with a look of feigned concern.

"Playing with fire is all well and good, but you must take care of your body. Look, you've been burned so badly you've wet the bed; it won't sound good if word gets out."

"You... you did this!!"

Yan Lie was dying of shame and indignation, his finger trembling as he pointed at Lin Que.

"You can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want."

Lin Que shrugged. Then, under everyone's terrified gazes, he bent down and picked up the gray stone Yan Lie had thrown away.

"Look, this stone is clearly cold."

In front of everyone, Lin Que not only held it with his hand but also... brought it to his mouth.

"Since you don't want it, then I'll reluctantly..."

Crunch!

Lin Que opened his mouth, revealing a set of pearly white teeth, and actually bit directly into that incredibly hard Tier 4 spiritual material that contained terrifyingly high temperatures!

It was as if he were biting into a crisp apple.

Crack!

The stone skin shattered.

A stream of crimson lava flowed from inside the stone, sliding down the corner of Lin Que's mouth. That high-temperature lava, enough to burn through a throat instantly, was like syrup in Lin Que's mouth.

Gulp.

Lin Que's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed it directly.

[Devoured earth core flame marrow!]

[Arhat Golden Body is being strengthened... Fire resistance attribute increased by 500%!]

[Undying Blood Body activating...]

*Burp—*

Lin Que let out a satisfied burp accompanied by sparks, wiped the corner of his mouth, and looked at the already terrified Yan Lie with a look of contentment.

"Tastes pretty good, a bit spicy. Do you want a taste?"

Total silence.

Yan Lie looked as if he'd seen a ghost, backing away repeatedly, not even caring about his wet crotch anymore.

Swallowing earth core flame marrow whole?!

Is this guy even human?!

Even a Tier 5 Yao Beast wouldn't dare eat it like that!

"Madman... You're a madman!!"

Yan Lie didn't dare look for trouble anymore and fled with his people in a sorry state. Competing for items with a monster that swallowed lava whole—he was afraid he'd become the next "sashimi" meal.

"Tsk, coward."

Lin Que curled his lip, tossed a Storage Pouch to the blind old man (containing twenty thousand Spirit Stones; he wasn't short on cash), and then turned to lead Ji Hongye away... Black Market exit, dark alley.

The playful look on Lin Que's face vanished instantly.

"Come out."

He stopped, not turning back, but merely tightening his grip on the folding fan.

Crack.

The folding fan turned into dust.

In its place was a pitch-black long blade that appeared instantly in his hand—starfall.

"Following me all this way, aren't you tired?"

In the shadows.

Three figures dressed in blood-colored cloaks with chilling auras slowly emerged.

There wasn't a hint of a living person's breath on them, only a thick Death Qi.

Blood Fiend Sect: Blood Corpse Guards!

"Jie jie jie... Demonic Blade Lin Que, so you were hiding here."

The leading Blood Corpse Guard's voice was raspy, and he held an eerie human-skin lantern.

"Although you've changed your appearance and even learned Alchemy... the scent of our sect's Blood Scripture on you can be smelled from ten miles away."

"The Old Ancestor has ordered us to bring your head back for a reward of ten thousand gold."

"Been discovered, have I?"

Lin Que turned around. Facing these three Late Stage Spirit Sea Realm death soldiers, he didn't panic; instead, he cracked his neck, making a series of popping sounds.

Having just swallowed the earth core flame marrow, his body was feeling quite feverish.

He was just worrying about having nowhere to vent.

"Perfect, I'll use you to help my digestion."

Golden and blood-red light intertwined in Lin Que's eyes, and a cruel curve hooked his lips.

"Three Late Stage Spirit Sea Realms... should be enough for me to practice the eighth style of the Seven Absolute Blades, right?"

Boom!

Before his voice even faded.

Lin Que's figure had already vanished.

In the dark alley, only a blade light as brilliant as a galaxy remained, along with... the impending wails of the prey.