After a while, Ling Tian left the Shi Chun Inn and headed to the Ji Lian Pavilion to deliver the monthly batch of pills.
When Ling Tian entered the Ji Lian Pavilion, Xiao Yao was sitting bored, reading books as usual.
Ling Tian approached quietly until he reached her, then greeted her enthusiastically: "Hello, Senior Sister Xiao."
When Xiao Yao heard Ling Tian's voice, she raised her head and said with a smile:"Welcome, Junior Brother Ling. Did you come for the monthly batch of herbs?"
Ling Tian nodded as he took out three bottles from his spatial bag and handed them to Xiao Yao quietly.
When Xiao Yao received the bottles, she examined them briefly, then said with praise:"Not bad. Most of them are of medium quality. Perhaps if you continue at this pace, you might reach my level someday."
When Ling Tian heard her words, his lips began to tremble, and he thought fearfully:"What? Does she want to make me her new plaything?"
However, he controlled his expression and said modestly: "How could I reach your level when even my Senior Brother Li hasn't done so until now?"
When Xiao Yao heard this, she smiled while saying encouragingly: "Don't belittle yourself, Junior Brother Ling. Both of you have mental strength at the Heavenly Level, so don't underestimate yourself."
When Ling Tian heard this, he answered calmly: "Thank you, Senior Sister, for the encouragement. I will do my best."
Xiao Yao nodded happily, then gave him his monthly share of one hundred batches of herbs for Qi Replenishing Pills, saying: "By the way, Junior Brother Ling, what's your success rate now?"
Ling Tian was slightly surprised, but he answered without his expression changing:"Forty percent, Senior Sister Xiao. What about you?"
When Xiao Yao heard his words, she nodded and said with a mischievous smile: "Not bad. You're close to Junior Brother Li at that time. As for me, well, if you beat me, you'll definitely find out."
When he heard her words, Ling Tian truly feared that Xiao Yao would make him her new toy, so he said hastily while waving his hand: "Consider I said nothing, Senior Sister Xiao."
However, Xiao Yao didn't let the matter go and said in an annoyed voice but with a cunning look: "Why? Don't you think I'm beautiful enough?"
When Ling Tian heard her words and noticed the look in her eyes, he surrendered and said: "Senior Sister Xiao, stop teasing me, please."
Xiao Yao laughed at this situation and said as she returned to reading her books:"Alright, Junior Brother Ling, I won't play with you anymore. You may go."
As if he had received a pardon from a death sentence, Ling Tian said as he quickly left the pavilion: "Goodbye, Senior Sister Xiao."
When Xiao Yao saw his actions, she laughed a little while thinking to herself: "This junior brother is truly interesting."
Afterward, she went back to continue reading her books.
After Ling Tian left the Ji Lian Pavilion, he realized that night had fallen, so he headed to the western part of the city.
Unlike the morning when the eastern part was devoid of people, the eastern district was very lively at night, with many parties, lights, and singing everywhere.
Ling Tian passed through this and reached the city center, where, unlike the morning, the place was deserted without a single light.
This was because the city center was mostly shops, and the shop owners returned to their homes at night.
Finally, Ling Tian arrived at the western districts, which seemed more lively, at least compared to the city center.
Ling Tian reached a crossroads leading to the Chi Chun Inn, but he took a different path.
He wandered a bit through the districts, then entered an alley and put on black armor with a black mask while thinking: "Perhaps I'll find something good this time."
After Ling Tian thought this, he headed to the black market that he had learned about from one of the drunken men. Fortunately for him, the old man had been telling the truth, as he had not only disclosed the location but also the password.
"Well, that was probably an advertisement, but in an indirect way for the black market," Ling Tian thought as he remembered the strange advertising methods in his previous world.
However, he soon thought happily: "Well, without it, I wouldn't have been able to make a fortune selling the pills I couldn't sell openly."
After a while, he arrived at one of the alleys, entered it, and knocked on the third door four consecutive knocks, then one light knock.
After a second, the door opened and the man said calmly: "Who summoned you, my friend?"
Ling Tian answered calmly: "The Shadows summoned me."
When the person behind the door heard this, he allowed Ling Tian to enter, saying:"Please come in, our dear guest."
Ling Tian nodded and entered quietly, following the person without another word.
After a while, he reached a black door, but before entering it, he was handed an artifact so that no one could determine his cultivation level.
Ling Tian was shocked when he took it the first time and confirmed that this place was indeed suitable for him.
"I cannot accompany you further than this, sir," the man said politely as he retraced his steps.
After a few seconds, Ling Tian wore the artifact and entered a relatively large hall with many corridors containing people dressed like him.
Ling Tian felt gazes directed toward him, but they lasted only moments before disappearing.
Ling Tian headed to the nearest empty table and sat in the seat marked with the number sixty-two.
There were also two other people at the table. They nodded at him slightly as a courtesy, and he also returned the gesture.
After a few minutes, more people arrived from different corridors.
After half an hour, a person stood in the middle of the hall and said: "Welcome everyone. I am the host today. You may call me Mister Seven."
After finishing his words, he waited for a second while examining everyone, then said: "If this is your first time here, the rules are simple. Place anything you want to sell on the table in front of your number, and then we will hold an auction for the item. In return, five percent will be taken by the Black Market. If no one is interested, it will be returned to you before you leave."
After Mister Seven finished speaking, one of the people sitting a few tables away said:"What if the amount I'll receive doesn't satisfy me?"
When Mister Seven heard this, he smiled and answered the man: "Of course, you have the right to refuse. And if you want to exchange it for something specific, please write that with the item you'll add."
After he finished his words, many people who were here for the first time nodded in agreement.
Mister Seven continued speaking: "Well, since there's nothing more to clarify, let the auction begin."
Ling Tian waited a bit as if thinking, but in reality, he was observing the situation.
If there weren't many distinctive items and his pills became one of the most prominent things, he would be in danger. However, after looking at the collection of treasures that people began taking out, he relaxed a little and took out three bottles filled with pills.
"Well, I hope I find a suitable sword here," Ling Tian thought as he wrote something on the paper present.
After putting it away, he sat watching the displayed treasures, and what caught his attention was an alchemy furnace that looked very ancient.
After a minute, someone came and took the treasures displayed on the table where Ling Tian was sitting, and the same happened at the other tables.
Then after ten minutes, the auction officially began.
Mister Seven said loudly enough for everyone to hear: "Alright everyone, the first item we have today is from Mister Forty-Three."
After saying that, a person came to the platform carrying a purple-colored herb.
Mister Seven said enthusiastically: "It's a Purple Moon Grass, one of the three main ingredients for refining Foundation Establishment Pills."
After he said that, the crowd gasped in amazement, and when Mister Seven saw them like this, he said: "I don't need to explain further. The starting price is five thousand spirit stones, and each increase must not be less than one hundred spirit stones."
When Ling Tian heard this, he was shocked and thought to himself: "It seems today will be an exciting day."
As soon as Ling Tian finished this thought, the auction had reached ten thousand spirit stones. Only then did the rate of increase begin to slow down.
Ling Tian sighed at that and thought sarcastically: "And I thought I had become rich."
After a few minutes, the auction ended after the Purple Moon Grass reached twenty thousand spirit stones.
The auction continued displaying treasures, but Ling Tian wasn't interested in most of them, and the ones he was interested in were too expensive.
Now the ancient furnace that had piqued Ling Tian's interest was displayed.
Mister Seven, who had been confident now, began somewhat hesitantly but still said: "As you can see, this ancient cauldron is an artifact at the peak of Tier One, but its owner, Mister Twenty-Two, says that even a Foundation Establishment strike didn't affect this cauldron, so he believes it's Tier Two."
After people heard this, most of them lost interest, but some others' eyes gleamed.
Mister Seven continued hesitantly: "So Mister Twenty-Two says he won't sell it for less than three thousand spirit stones."
When the crowd heard that, even those whose eyes had been gleaming began to mock. One of them even said: "Are you mocking us with three thousand spirit stones? I can buy two Tier One artifacts, both of peak quality."
Mister Twenty-Two was unaffected and said: "This is my offer. If you don't like it, shut up."
Ling Tian thought while looking at the furnace: "I felt something strange from this furnace. Even if I buy it, I'll still have money left to buy a suitable sword."
Just as he was about to make his offer, he heard one of the people say: "Five thousand spirit stones."
This made him forget all about the furnace, and he thought sarcastically: "Damn the strange feeling. I won't go bankrupt because of a piece whose use I don't even know."
When the crowd heard the man's words, they thought they had heard wrong, but Mister Seven's voice saying: "Five thousand from Mister Fifty-Five. Anyone willing to increase?"
Made them certain it was true.
After the count ended, Mister Fifty-Five took the furnace after paying five thousand spirit stones.
When the crowd saw this, they thought Mister Fifty-Five might be one of the wasteful nobles and no longer paid him any mind.
After the alchemy furnace, Ling Tian's pills finally came.
Mister Seven, who seemed happy after selling the furnace, said enthusiastically: "Now we have thirty high-quality Qi Replenishing Pills from Mister Sixty-Two. He wants one hundred and fifty spirit stones in exchange."
After Mister Seven said this, many people felt this offer was reasonable, unlike the furnace, because each pill's market price was seven stones, but here they were being sold at five.
Ling Tian felt gazes directed toward him, but he had gotten used to that, and these gazes soon disappeared. However, he kept feeling someone looking at him, so he looked in the person's direction and discovered it was Mister Fifty-Five.
Ling Tian was slightly confused, but he thought he was just curious, so he nodded his head toward Mister Fifty-Five as a sign of greeting between alchemists.
Mister Fifty-Five returned the greeting, then looked away.
After a while, Ling Tian's pills were purchased, and he was given the spirit stones, which made him happy.
He thought happily: "Now I have more than five thousand spirit stones."
Afterward, the auction continued, and Ling Tian didn't find anything suitable until the end of the auction, when a spirit sword at the peak of Tier One was displayed. Ling Tian bought it for two thousand spirit stones and was happy with it.
"Finally, I have a good sword," Ling Tian thought as he carefully examined the sword.
After the Black Market auction ended, the crowd dispersed, and each person left separately to prevent theft to the maximum degree.
After Ling Tian left, he ran in a random direction, then hid in one of the alleys, returned to his normal clothes, and went back to the Shi Chun Inn quietly.
After reaching his room, Ling Tian felt safe, so he took out the sword and began waving it happily like a child. Finally, after a while, he controlled himself and put it aside.
"Alright, I should cultivate now," Ling Tian thought as he sat in the lotus position and began cultivating.
He continued this way until dawn, and when he wanted to sleep to rest, his entire room began to shake.