Martial Sage from the Vajra Skill

The Ghost Market was as bustling as ever, filled with moving shadows and flickering candlelight.

The last time he came, his Cultivation was too low—he was only in the Qi Gathering Realm. He hadn’t dared to look around too much, simply finding what he needed and leaving in a hurry, afraid of being robbed and killed.

This time, however, he had more confidence. After landing at the entrance to the Ghost Market, he walked in unhurriedly.

In an instant, he felt numerous gazes sweep over him. Seeing his calm and leisurely demeanor, they all retracted.

Poisons, Weapons, ores, medicinal herbs—all sorts of miscellaneous items were available.

Basically, anything a Martial Artist could possibly need was there.

At one stall, he saw a plum-sized piece of ore that looked like a type of Spirit Iron he had seen at the Purple Sun Sect, but he wasn’t sure and didn’t go up to ask.

The goods in the Ghost Market were a mix of real and fake. Trying to find a hidden treasure without the proper knowledge was a surefire way to lose all your money, no matter how much you had.

"Tiger Bone Vine, one of the main ingredients for refining the Guiyuan Pill or Gathering Essence Pill. Consuming it directly can also strengthen one’s muscles and bones. Price: one hundred twenty taels."

He spotted Tiger Bone Vine, one of the three main ingredients for the Gathering Essence Pill, at a stall. However, aside from its name, he currently knew nothing about its medicinal effects.

’I’ll come back and take a look once the Pill Formula is maxed out.’

"Stepping on Gang and Chasing Wind, a Gang Qi Realm Lightweight Skill. Move like roaring thunder, swift as a gale. Price: two hundred taels."

He was surprised to see someone selling Stepping on Gang and Chasing Wind. He couldn’t tell if they were recklessly selling a Purple Sun Sect Martial Art or if it was just a fake.

Besides Stepping on Gang and Chasing Wind, the person’s stall had several other Martial Arts manuals.

Just as Xu Yang was about to take a closer look, a person walked up to him and said in a low voice, "Friend, need a Guiyuan Pill? Only two hundred taels each."

Xu Yang was instantly tempted. Two hundred taels for a Guiyuan Pill wasn’t an outrageous price.

After all, the Guiyuan Pills at the last Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion auction had gone for over two hundred fifty taels each. Two hundred was a bargain.

But he quickly came to his senses.

Cultivation Resources like this, which were controlled by Noble Families and Sects, were unlikely to flow into the Ghost Market. If it were the real deal, the seller could have easily sold it to anyone on the street.

And if they were a disciple of the Purple Sun Sect, it would be even simpler; plenty of people would be willing to pay a premium for it.

Either there was something wrong with the Elixir, or this was a trap to fleece some rich fool.

"You can inspect it first," the person added in a low voice, having noticed Xu Yang’s momentary temptation.

"Not interested!"

Xu Yang walked around him and went straight to the stall selling Secret Manuals. "Are these authentic?" he asked.

The stallholder, a person wearing a monkey-face mask, looked up at Xu Yang and said, "You’ll have to rely on your own judgment. No refunds or returns once you leave the stall."

Xu Yang nearly cursed the man’s female relatives. ’If you can’t guarantee they’re authentic, how is anyone supposed to buy them?’

"Can I take a look?" Xu Yang asked.

"You can look at the first ten pages."

’Can’t read the whole thing, and no guarantee of authenticity? What’s the point of buying it, then?’

Xu Yang immediately stood up to leave.

"Friend, looking for Secret Manuals? Come check out my stall, everything here is guaranteed authentic!"

"Mine too!"

...

As he stood, four or five people immediately started shouting to him.

Xu Yang chose a man with a relatively mature-sounding voice and walked over. There were only three Secret Manuals displayed on the stall.

Secret Transmission, priced at fifty taels.

Celestial Demon Dissolving Technique, priced at one hundred taels.

Breath Concealment Skill, priced at eighty taels.

They were all Secret Technique-type Cultivation Techniques.

Xu Yang’s eyes lit up. These were all Secret Techniques he had wanted before but didn’t have enough contribution points to exchange for.

These things were useless in ordinary times and might never be needed in a lifetime, but in a critical moment, they could save his life.

"Interested, friend? Everything here is guaranteed authentic. Pay first, and you can read the Secret Manuals as you please. If you find any problems, I’ll refund you on the spot," the stallholder in the horse-face mask said with a chuckle.

’So much for my plan to use the panel to learn these for free.’ Just like at the Purple Sun Sect’s Hidden Skills Hall, the Cultivation Techniques at this stall were guaranteed to be real, but you had to pay first.

Xu Yang disguised his voice and said, "Can you lower the price a bit? If so, I’ll take all three."

The moment he said this, Xu Yang felt several more gazes sweep over him, filled with blatant, ill intent.

Because he didn’t know these basic techniques, in the eyes of many, he was just a rookie.

"Bundle price, two hundred taels!" the stallholder said.

"One hundred taels. If you agree, I’ll pay fifty taels first. After I’ve verified the first one is real, I’ll pay the other fifty to see the rest."

"Done!"

’I offered too much.’

Xu Yang didn’t go back on his word. He immediately paid the fifty taels and picked up the Celestial Demon Dissolving Technique to read.

Because it had no physical Techniques, only a Heart Method and an energy circulation route, this type of Secret Technique had very little content. He finished reading the Celestial Demon Dissolving Technique in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

A flash of light appeared before his eyes, and the panel popped up.

[Celestial Demon Dissolving Technique (0/5)]

Compared to orthodox Cultivation Techniques, this kind of Secret Technique didn’t have realm divisions like Entry Level, Minor Achievement, and Great Success.

’It’s actually real.’

Xu Yang was secretly overjoyed but kept his expression neutral. "It’s the real deal," he said. "If I may ask, friend, how much does this Celestial Demon Dissolving Technique boost one’s strength?"

The stallholder replied, "A keen eye you have. The Celestial Demon Dissolving Technique is similar to the Blood Burning Technique; both can instantly double your strength. However, it burns more of your lifespan than the Blood Burning Technique does."

"In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, it probably burns through a dozen or so years of your life."

Since the money had already been paid, he was quite open about the drawbacks of the Celestial Demon Dissolving Technique.

Xu Yang didn’t mind. If it came to a point where he had to use the Celestial Demon Dissolving Technique, a few years more or less of his lifespan wouldn’t matter. Survival was what counted.

Facing the threat from Xiao Hua, having one more way to boost his strength meant a better chance of survival.

After paying the remaining fifty taels of silver, he read through the Breath Concealment Skill and Secret Transmission, confirming that they were also authentic.