Chapter 259: Heavenly Spirit Sword Body
Azure Wave Island.
Once again stepping onto one of the three great black markets within the Fog Sea of Tongtian, Lin Chang’an couldn’t help but reveal a smile.
Back when he was merely a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he had treaded carefully. But now, as a Core Formation cultivator, his confidence was entirely different.
"Still, I’d better change my identity, lest that Fellow Daoist Lei recognizes me."
Underneath Lin Chang’an’s calm smile, his gaze once again landed on Fatty Lei’s shop.
After all, the person he was most familiar with in this marketplace was Fatty Lei. And although this man was only at the False Core Realm, his connections were widespread.
This time, Lin Chang’an disguised himself as a gaunt Core Formation cultivator, his entire aura brimming with baleful energy—at a glance, one could tell he was not to be trifled with.
“P-Please come in, senior.”
Upon entering the marketplace, Lin Chang’an’s unrestrained aura instantly turned the guards’ faces pale. One of them stammered while speaking.
However, Lin Chang’an’s expression remained indifferent. Without even sparing them a glance, he strode in, leaving the cultivators behind him breathing a collective sigh of relief.
The black market was as bustling as ever. After all, too many transactions here couldn’t be conducted in the open, and too many troublemaking cultivators had no choice but to hide in such places.
Thus arose both the prosperity and the sinfulness of this place.
Rumor had it that deep within the Fog Sea of Tongtian, there existed an even more flourishing black market, guarded by Nascent Soul cultivators.
But Lin Chang’an had no intention of going there—one reason being the distance, and the other, the danger of the journey.
Inside the shop.
Having just returned from attending the final auction of the Five Dragon Island Marketplace, Fatty Lei was sipping his Spirit Tea, grinning with satisfaction.
At that final auction three months ago, his luck had been quite good—he had obtained a spiritual item he needed.
Suddenly sensing the presence of a cultivator of the same realm, Fatty Lei walked out of his room, squeezing out a smile.
"Yo, Fellow Daoist, you look unfamiliar. Is this your first time here?"
Lin Chang’an, who had just stepped into the shop, fixed a cold gaze on Fatty Lei and said bluntly:
"I heard from a friend that Fellow Daoist has many treasures here—even magic treasures and third-rank demon beasts appear frequently."
"Haha, you flatter me. These things are only temporarily placed here for sale by other Fellow Daoists. I certainly don’t have the strength to claim them as mine."
Fatty Lei spoke humbly with a broad smile, though a rare hint of pride flickered in his beady eyes.
He wasn’t exaggerating—on Azure Wave Island, when it came to connections and high-tier goods, he was second to none.
Lin Chang’an knew well that this Fatty Lei had it right: the man made his living off his network.
All the high-end goods—his profit lay in the margins.
Still, Lin Chang’an never underestimated people like him. When he had opened a black market in Tianxuan City, he had deeply understood just how alluring those profits could be.
“Please, Fellow Daoist.”
Upon realizing the guest was a Core Formation cultivator, Fatty Lei became even more attentive, ushering Lin Chang’an into the inner room with a warm smile.
Spirit Tea and Spirit Fruit were brought out, and the fat man sat grandly on a massive wooden chair, beginning to probe.
But Lin Chang’an didn’t bother to hide anything and said calmly:
“Fellow Daoist, I need a mid-grade third-rank gold-attribute demon core.”
“A mid-grade third-rank gold-attribute demon core!” Fatty Lei gasped in rare surprise, staring at Lin Chang’an.
For his humble shop, a mid-grade third-rank demon core was a high-grade item—borderline top-tier.
He hadn’t expected to meet such a high-spending customer today.
Yet Lin Chang’an remained expressionless. With a wave of his hand, a flash of light from a magical treasure appeared briefly.
Fatty Lei narrowed his eyes, seemingly realizing something.
That flash of brilliance clearly came from a magical treasure.
From its aura, it appeared to be a sword-type treasure.
“I have a damaged gold-attribute magical treasure. I need a third-rank gold-attribute demon core to repair it.”
With that calm tone, Lin Chang’an had revealed his magical treasure just briefly—just enough to prevent the other party from discerning its grade.
But the dimmed spiritual light made it clear that the item was both gold-attribute and damaged.
Using a demon core of the same attribute to repair a magical treasure was quite common in the cultivation world.
“So that’s the case.”
Fatty Lei nodded in realization, while secretly startled at how deeply hidden this fellow was.
Most early Core Formation cultivators rarely possessed magical treasures.
But from the baleful energy and faint sword intent surrounding this man, he seemed to be a sword cultivator.
And to already have both offensive and defensive magical treasures in the early Core Formation stage—this man was no ordinary cultivator.
Thinking this, Fatty Lei became even more deferential, smiling as he said:
“Fellow Daoist, I don’t have such a demon core right now…”
But before he could finish, Lin Chang’an was already preparing to leave.
Fatty Lei quickly called out: “Aiyo, Fellow Daoist, you’re too hasty. I don’t have it, but that doesn’t mean others don’t.”
Only then did Lin Chang’an sit down again, calmly gazing at him.
“Fellow Daoist Lei, though this marketplace has a good reputation, profit tempts the heart. If you ask me to wait too many days, then let’s not waste words.”
It wasn’t that Lin Chang’an was overly cautious—it was simply human nature.
Reputation only stood firm in the absence of overwhelming profit.
A single mid-grade third-rank demon core could tempt even regular Core Formation cultivators.
Fatty Lei was not annoyed at all. Instead, he chuckled and opened his white folding fan, smiling as he spoke:
“Don’t worry, Fellow Daoist. I understand the rules. Three years ago, some cultivators on the island jointly hunted a mid-stage third-rank demon beast—that’s no secret, many know of it.
Two of the cultivators who got the demon core and the hide are still on the island. The one with the core is looking to trade for some fire-attribute materials used in crafting magical treasures. Are you prepared for that?”
It was a probe, clearly showing Fatty Lei didn’t want to be excited for nothing.
Lin Chang’an frowned.
“Fellow Daoist, I don’t have fire-attribute materials. I came intending to trade this.”
Lin Chang’an took out two demon cores from his storage pouch, each radiating sinister Yin energy. Fatty Lei’s eyes immediately widened.
“Two low-grade third-rank demon cores from Sinister Spirit Beast Kings!”
Low-grade third-rank demon cores of the five elements generally fetched fifty to sixty thousand mid-grade Spirit Stones. Yin-attribute ones went for around a hundred thousand.
A mid-grade third-rank gold-attribute demon core was about one hundred and fifty thousand.
So the value of these two cores was more than sufficient.
“Would it be possible to trade through you, Fellow Daoist Lei?”
With a meaningful smile, Lin Chang’an regarded him. People like Fatty Lei, acting as intermediaries in the black markets of the cultivation world, were brokers.
They didn’t own the goods but used their vast networks to serve as a bridge between buyer and seller.
“Fellow Daoist, I do have some fire-attribute materials, but not much. Give me half an incense stick’s time to send a message—how about that?”
Cautious with high-grade spiritual items, Fatty Lei rubbed his hands together and grinned. After Lin Chang’an nodded, he immediately took out a Voice-transmission Talisman in front of him and began contacting the other party.
Lin Chang’an nodded inwardly. Fatty Lei had held this business for many years for good reason.
Though only a False Core Cultivator, his network was something Lin Chang’an couldn’t rival. This man was born to do this.
Thinking of this, Lin Chang’an couldn’t help but sigh—seemed that when he sold that third-rank Emerald Alligator Turtle material to Fatty Lei, the guy had earned quite a lot.
As for swindling him back then, Lin Chang’an didn’t care in the slightest.
If you got tricked in the black market business, you could only blame your bad luck.
“All set. That Fellow Daoist will be arriving shortly.”
Even though everything was done right in front of him, Lin Chang’an didn’t relax his guard.
Upon hearing that the other party would arrive soon, he nodded inwardly. If there had been any delay, he would’ve turned and left immediately.
Not because he was overly cautious—but in the cultivation world, carelessness often led to becoming someone else’s resources on the road to advancement.
As for why he didn’t go to Five Dragon Island—in truth, it wasn’t wise to trust the so-called upright forces too much.
Sometimes, when those in the light decided to play dirty, they were even more ruthless than those in the dark.
Besides, back on Five Dragon Island, he had already made it known that he needed a mid-grade third-rank demon core, and only the Long Clan responded—no one else reached out.
He understood why. Most Core Formation cultivators—including those at False Core Realm—either belonged to clans or served powerful factions in the Five Dragon Sea Region.
Pure rogue cultivators at the Core Formation stage were extremely rare, and third-rank demon cores were extremely precious—few would part with them.
The Fog Sea of Tongtian was different, however. There were plenty of rogue cultivators here—cultivators who lived like there was no tomorrow.
With fewer burdens, any resources they obtained would be quickly traded for what they truly needed, unlike those major factions and clans, who hoarded resources for a rainy day.
This was also one of the main reasons behind the black market’s prosperity.
……
A cup of tea later, the one who arrived at the shop turned out to be an alluring female cultivator dressed rather provocatively.
“Fatty Lei, this must be the Fellow Daoist I’m trading with.”
As soon as the alluring female cultivator entered, she smiled sweetly while looking at Lin Chang’an.
Her presence instantly put Lin Chang’an on guard. This person likely wasn’t far from mid Core Formation stage.
Seeing the two of them, Fatty Lei chuckled, patting his belly with a grin as he introduced her to Lin Chang’an.
“Fellow Daoist, this is Red Mushroom, also known as Lady Hong Third.”
“So it’s Fairy Hong.” Upon hearing her name, Lin Chang’an immediately understood and clasped his hands in greeting.
He had heard of this Lady Hong Third during his time in the Fog Sea of Tongtian. Her reputation wasn’t bad—she was known to keep her word, and those who had hunted demon beasts alongside her all praised her.
But no one dared underestimate her. For a female cultivator to make a name for herself, she must be ruthless.
“My surname is Tian,” Lin Chang’an said hoarsely, giving a false name.
“So it’s Fellow Daoist Tian.”
Fatty Lei then chuckled and spoke openly about the deal in front of both of them.
“So, you Fatty Lei want a bite of the fat meat too.”
Lady Hong Third raised her brows. Though she was still smiling, there was now a hint of danger in her aura.
Fatty Lei just chuckled—if there was profit to be made, he certainly wouldn’t sit back and watch.
Lady Hong Third needed fire-attribute magical treasure materials. Fatty Lei had some, though not much. Meanwhile, Lin Chang’an had two Yin-attribute low-grade third-rank demon cores.
Yin-attribute demon cores were more versatile in their applications. Otherwise, despite the Fog Sea of Tongtian being abundant in Sinister Spirits, their value wouldn’t still surpass the five-element demon cores.
Their high price was not without reason.
Watching this unfold, Lin Chang’an didn’t care how much Fatty Lei wanted to profit. He only cared about obtaining what he needed.
“Alright, bring out the materials first. If it’s too little, that won’t do.”
Lady Hong Third smiled sweetly, but her tone showed she had her own bottom line.
“Lady Third, please take a look.”
Fatty Lei slapped his storage pouch and revealed three different types of fire-attribute materials. Though not many, the three together formed a sizable amount.
Lady Hong Third gave them a glance and clearly seemed tempted. After a brief hesitation, she finally spoke:
“One low-grade third-rank Yin-attribute demon core, plus these materials.”
“Lady Third, you’re really asking too much! These three materials alone are…”
Fatty Lei’s eyes widened. The two haggled back and forth before finally settling on the terms.
Then Fatty Lei smiled at Lin Chang’an.
“Fellow Daoist Tian, what do you think?”
“Fellow Daoist Lei, even with a bit of a discount in the Fog Sea of Tongtian, my two low-grade third-rank Yin-attribute demon cores are worth at least two hundred thousand mid-grade Spirit Stones.”
Lin Chang’an’s cold, harsh tone clearly warned them not to take him for a fool.
“You misunderstand, Fellow Daoist. I’ll provide compensation for the remainder.”
“Then what kind of compensation does Fellow Daoist Lei intend to offer? You should know, while mid-grade third-rank demon cores are rare, here in the Sea Abyss of Beasts, high-rank demon beasts are hardly lacking.”
Lin Chang’an’s tone remained calm.
“I noticed from the baleful aura and faint sword intent in your treasure’s spiritual light earlier that you’re a powerful sword cultivator. Fellow Daoist, you must have heard of Sword Spirits, right?”
Fatty Lei smiled, clearly confident.
No sword cultivator could resist the allure of a Sword Spirit.
“A Sword Spirit!”
Sure enough, Lin Chang’an rarely showed surprise—but now he blurted out, only to frown immediately after with displeasure.
“Fellow Daoist, please don’t jest. For a third-rank magical treasure to give birth to a spirit, it’s exceedingly rare. It’s said only fourth-rank magical treasures owned by Nascent Soul cultivators might begin to exhibit a trace of spiritual charm.”
If a third-rank magical treasure gained a spirit, it was undoubtedly top-tier among its rank and extremely rare.
But such things were far beyond his reach.
However, Fatty Lei waved his hand with a grin.
“You misunderstood, Fellow Daoist. What I have is a spiritual item. If you’re willing to invest, and use its essence blood to nurture your magical treasure…”
The more Lin Chang’an listened, the more puzzled he became. Fatty Lei, still smiling, clapped and used a Voice-transmission Spell to call someone inside the shop.
A moment later, a crisp sound echoed. Under the three’s gazes, a petite female cultivator with a cold and emotionless face appeared.
She looked lifeless, with chains binding her hands, feet, and neck—dragged in by a human puppet.
As Lin Chang’an and Lady Hong Third watched in confusion, Fatty Lei closed his folding fan and smiled as he introduced the “product.”
“This treasure is no ordinary thing. She possesses one of the three major sword cultivator physiques—the Heavenly Spirit Sword Body.”
“The Heavenly Spirit Sword Body!” Lin Chang’an couldn’t help but freeze upon hearing this.
Of the three major sword cultivator physiques, anyone who cultivated the sword path with them possessed talent and cultivation speed comparable to top-grade spiritual roots. It was easy to imagine how monstrous this physique was.
Moreover, a cultivator with this physique would begin to nurture a pure Heavenly Spirit Sword Qi within their body upon forming their core. Long-term nurturing of a magical treasure would make it much easier to give birth to a Sword Spirit.
There were countless kinds of spiritual physiques in the cultivation world—some good, some bad—but such a powerful one appearing here?
And the price?!
At this moment, Lin Chang’an also noticed Lady Hong Third’s calmness—it seemed she had known all along.
Sure enough, under Lin Chang’an’s gaze, Fatty Lei showed no shame and continued smiling while pointing at the merchandise with his folding fan.
“Fellow Daoist Tian, the shame lies in this—she’s actually the descendant of a human-demon hybrid.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Chang’an finally understood.
Human-demon bloodlines weren’t rare. Shape-shifting great beasts sometimes took humans as concubines—especially dragon-blooded beasts, whether out of revenge or simply by nature.
As a result, there were indeed many human-demon hybrids in the Sea Abyss of Beasts.
However, such bloodlines were looked down upon by the demon race and generally unaccepted by humans, leading to a hard life.
The human race was diverse and tolerant—some rejected such bloodlines, while others didn’t care.
But the mixed blood of humans and demons often led to chaotic and impure mana, making cultivation difficult.
Before Foundation Establishment, it wasn’t too bad—but reaching Core Formation and crystallizing mana was just as difficult as forming a core with an inferior spiritual root.
Even harder than Lin Chang’an’s own journey with a low-grade spiritual root—it was easy to imagine the difficulty.
At this moment, Lin Chang’an finally understood, and he also saw why Fatty Lei was so eager to sell this “spiritual physique.”
This physique… was essentially ruined!