Chapter 639: Selling Blood

Lu Yang thought to himself, "No wonder you insisted on coming to such a desolate, God-forsaken place. So you're here to sell blood."

Pathetic.

Aren't you afraid the Phoenix Clan will find out and eliminate you, their competitor?

Lu Yang had already planned it: he would step in then, as Phoenix Ancestor's senior brother, and persuade the Phoenix Clan to leave a complete corpse.

"Seniors, please halt," said two Golden Core cultivators politely, blocking their path at the grand hall's entrance. They wished to confirm their cultivation realms.

Typically, visitors presented invitations upon arrival. However, for Nascent Soul cultivators from outside the region without invitations, their cultivation realms needed to be verified.

Otherwise, it would be a mockery if anyone could simply enter the Nascent Soul Grand Hall with a covered face.

"Are you calling me?" Meng Jingzhou stopped, cast a cold glance, and a wisp of his Nascent Soul realm aura emanated, startling the two.

The two Golden Core guards quickly apologized, cold sweat beading on their foreheads. The other party was definitely a Nascent Soul cultivator, and at least at the mid-Nascent Soul stage!

"No, no, we wouldn't dare. Seniors, please enter."

As the two entered the grand hall, the atmosphere suddenly changed. It was brightly lit, and upon closer inspection, one would notice that the lamps were, surprisingly, Mermaid Oil Lamps that burned for a thousand years!

These items were beyond price, originating from the Mermaid Clan of the East Sea, a major clan qualified to be invited to the Monster Kingdom's founding ceremony.

Mermaid oil lamps were difficult to refine, and their method was a closely guarded secret, rarely known to the world. However, Lu Yang and his companion, being of unusual identities, knew the refining process.

The most challenging aspect of these oil lamps was the refining materials. The process imposed strict requirements on mermaids, specifically plump Integration stage mermaids. The fat from their bellies would be cut off, then the limb regeneration technique used to heal the wound and regrow the fat.

This cut-off fat was the raw material for refining mermaid oil lamps.

As for why the refining method was kept secret, Lu Yang felt it was probably similar to the reason the Phoenix Clan sold blood, so there was no need to delve deeper.

In the center of the grand hall were over ten types of magic treasures and dozens of herbs, all useful to Nascent Soul cultivators, but useless to Lu Yang and his companion.

There were also many side halls here. Judging by their names, some sold information, others offered private chats with old Nascent Soul monsters, and some customized elixirs or magic treasures.

"There seem to be a lot of people over there, shall we go take a look?"

There were dozens of black-robed figures in the grand hall, all Nascent Soul cultivators. They were heading towards one particular side hall, a bartering exchange area. It must have reached a conventional time when interested Nascent Soul old monsters would go there to trade.

In the side hall, the old Nascent Soul monsters gathered in small groups, forming their own cliques.

"Old Monster Pei, I didn't expect you, old geezer, to still be alive," said an old woman leaning on a wolf-head staff. "When you die, be sure to tell this old woman in advance so I can go offer my congratulations."

"That's too bad," Old Monster Pei retorted, his eyes weathered and chilling, giving one the feeling of being targeted by a venomous snake or scorpion. "I'll definitely die after you, Old Woman Xie!"

Those who came here were all old Nascent Soul monsters from nearby cities. Even if they deliberately concealed their identities, everyone could guess with considerable accuracy.

As for Old Monster Pei and Old Woman Xie, their disguises were perfunctory; anyone familiar with them could recognize them at a glance.

These two were well-known peak Nascent Soul cultivators in the vicinity. They were invincible here, fearing no danger.

The Nascent Soul families they founded were also major clans, occupying many industries such as iron smelting, textiles, and escort services, making them extremely wealthy.

Some also said that these two were the true masters of the black market, though no one could confirm it.

Meng Jingzhou could confirm this; the intelligence he received from Senior Brother Dai stated that these two were indeed the black market's masters, and their conflicts were a pretense for outsiders, designed to obscure the truth.

The intelligence Dai Bufan possessed, as long as it didn't involve Lu Yang and his companion, was always comprehensive and reliable.

"Are there any marrow-cleansing and meridian-purifying elixirs or natural treasures? There will be a heavy reward."

An old Nascent Soul monster shouted, seeking a treasure to improve a junior's aptitude.

"Which fellow Daoist has a first-grade sect disciple admission qualification? I am willing to trade an Infancy Transformation Pill for it."

"Can it really be traded for an Infancy Transformation Pill?" asked an old Nascent Soul monster, clearly tempted, as he held valuable resources.

The old Nascent Soul monster with the trade demand took out a wooden box sealed with talismans, from which wafts of elixir fragrance emanated.

"This scent... it is indeed an Infancy Transformation Pill," said the other. "I don't have a first-grade sect admission qualification, but I have something better."

"Better? Could it be a super-grade sect?" the old Nascent Soul monster with the Infancy Transformation Pill exclaimed in surprise.

"No, even higher."

"The Five Great Immortal Sects?" This Nascent Soul monster couldn't remain calm. When could admission qualifications for the Five Great Immortal Sects ever be sold?

Even if they could be sold, how could they be traded for just one Infancy Transformation Pill?

Once one entered the Five Great Immortal Sects, it was like a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate; their future would be bright and limitless. Any disciple from the Five Great Immortal Sects, even a Qi Condensation or Foundation Establishment cultivator, would have to be treated as an equal by these dozens of Nascent Soul cultivators!

"Fellow Daoist, your imagination isn't big enough," the other person said. "It's even higher. My spot is for the world's number one force."

The old Nascent Soul monster holding the Infancy Transformation Pill was puzzled. "There's a sect above this?"

The nearby old Nascent Soul monsters stealthily pricked up their ears to eavesdrop, hoping that if these two couldn't make a deal, they might still get a chance to trade.

The other person nodded inscrutably and slowly said:

"The Great Xia Imperial Palace is recruiting eunuchs. You can get in just by signing up."

The old Nascent Soul monster holding the Infancy Transformation Pill was furious and nearly attacked.

Fortunately, he calmed down at the last moment. Fighting was prohibited in the black market; violators would either be permanently banned, or worse, lose their lives there.

Clearly, the other party's act of provoking him was intentional.

Meng Jingzhou mysteriously leaned closer to the old Nascent Soul monster who had just suppressed his anger and whispered, "Fellow Daoist, the Dao Inquiry Sect will be recruiting disciples in half a year, and the questions are already set. Coincidentally, I have the real past exam questions for the Dao Inquiry Sect's entrance exam. Do you want them?"

"Scram!"

This sounded like a scammer.

"Don't be angry, Fellow Daoist," he said. "If you don't want that, I also have blood that can enhance virility, and its effects are even better than Phoenix Clan blood. Do you want it?"

The old Nascent Soul monster was about to yell "Scram!" again, but just as he opened his mouth, he remembered that he might actually need something like this.

"Is it really more effective than Phoenix Clan blood?"

Currently, items used for virility were Phoenix Bloodstones soaked in Phoenix Clan blood, but their effects were mediocre, and there was the danger of being discovered by the Phoenix Clan. If there was blood more effective than Phoenix Clan blood, that would be ideal.

But what kind of blood could be more effective than Phoenix Clan blood?

Lu Yang snorted coldly, playing along with Meng Jingzhou: "This is the blood of a powerful celibate cultivator! This cultivator has entered and exited brothels seven times without being corrupted, and even with women sitting on his lap, he remains unlustful. Even imperial eunuchs would praise his self-control! All his yang energy is locked within his blood. How could it possibly compare to Phoenix Clan blood, lustful dragon venom sacs, or Yin-Yang Harmonizing Flowers?"

Meng Jingzhou: "..."

"Damn it, you might as well not have played along," Meng Jingzhou thought. "Why does that make me sound so pathetic?"